Shadow of the Day (Wolf Moon Sequel)

Chapter 32: Answers

Ivy POV

"So..." I said slowly, clutching the phone.

"Yeah..." Joe replied, seeming as much at a loss for words as I was. He had called a few minutes before but we quickly burned through the 'hello how are you?' And were now left with awkward silence.

"What are you doing today?" I asked, scrambling to think of something else to say or ask that wasn't as lame or weird.

"A friend and I are going to look at cars," he said slowly, as if unsure.

"Oh...Dom told me his car was wrecked," I said, momentarily frozen by the thought that they knew each other.

Joe's breathing hitched. "You know Dom?"

"You could say that," I said. "What happened to his car?"

"Oh some accident. A friend was driving his car and hit something or other." He sounded positively distraught now.

"What friend?" I asked. I couldn't help it. I wanted him to admit to knowing Devin. I also hoped he would deny having any association with him.

"No one you know."

"Try me. I know a lot of people in this town," I said, getting annoyed now. Why couldn't he just admit it?

"He's not really from around here. Anyway, he's not someone you'd want to know," he tacked on quickly, then gasped like he regretted it. "I mean you probably wont meet him so it doesn't matter."

That was an odd thing to say about a supposed friend. Especially since Dom had not only sung his praises but also excused any bad behaviour of Devin's with the "orphan boy" routine. "Okay..."

"Ivy! Dinner!" Lila called from downstairs.

"I gotta go. Talk to you later," I said, but it didn't sound sincere.

"Yeah. Later. Bye." He hung up immediately. I just stared at the phone in my hand, wondering how we shared so much as a chromosome in common.

********

"You know, I havent given you a hint in a while..." Lila said. It was one of her many efforts to get me to talk and cheer up. It was starting to get annoying, although the the word "hint" caught my attention.

"What?"

She smiled at me as we bounced along on the bus to school. "A hint about who my secret boyfriend is."

"Oh..." I was still interested in finding out who it was, but I was also kind of irked. Yet another secret I wasn't worthy of knowing.

"Unless of course, you've guessed who it is," she said.

I shrugged and looked out the window at the grey day. It was one of those random weird days of winter where it was warm enough to rain and it made everything slushy and wet and depressing.

"Are you okay? You've been quiet lately," she said softly so the other kids wouldn't hear.

I didn't answer her, which aparently warranted more questions.

"Is it about Joe? Or Dom? Have they contacted you?"

"No," I replied, a bit of bite in my voice. Yeah it was a lie but Lila lied to me all the time so big whoop. I just wanted to have one over on her, just once. Maybe she would understand how it felt.

"Is that why youre upset?" She persisted.

"No!" I snapped, loud enough to earn me a questioning look from the kid across the aisle.

Lila looked startled by my outburst and I felt a bit guilty. "No thats not why. I dont wanna talk about it okay?"

"Alright...if thats what you want. If you change your mind-"