Wolf and Wishes

-10- The Mystery of Gossamer Silk's Whereabouts- Part 1

Gossamer does not look friendly.

And by my guess, I probably don't look half as kind as she.

For a moment or two, nobody speaks. It's like a cat fight- the two cats stare and stare, silent and daring, until the one looks away and the other pounces. I once read in a book 'she who speaks first loses'. So I don't speak. For now.

Gossamer arches a perfect eyebrow. "You right there Cerise? You look a little dizzy... May need to go lie down." There's a hidden meaning in her words, I know it- I just can't figure it out. Honestly confused, I ask-

"Really? I feel rather fine..." Gossamer, seemingly unimpressed, glowers. She lets out a low breath, almost inaudible- she growled at me.

Resisting the sudden urge to shout at Raven triumphantly 'she growled at me!' like a little girl and stomp my feet as if it would prove that Gossamer has evil intentions, I simply wait for her to speak. I wish I could come up with something witty and smart to say, but I'm not that quick...

Gossamer straightens her face, going for a smile instead. "Merely being kind. Anyway, I just wanted to ask you about..." she glances around secretively, as if she's about to tell me something nobody else knows. Like she's not entirely who she says she is? That would definitely be helpful. Unfortunately, I'm not as lucky as I'd like to think I am. "Where you were last night?"

"What?" I ask, puzzled.

Gossamer's voice becomes a whisper. "I mean, I went to your room last night expecting you to answer a few of my questions about Hunter, but you weren't there. Oh well. Raven answered me some, but couldn't tell me everything that I imagine you could. Anyway, she said something about Hunter's usual hangouts, and his personality." She rights herself, and fixes herself with a casual smile. "Besides, your bed was incredibly comfy. Smells like... dog."

When Gossamer sashays around the corner, I abruptly turn to Raven, who is still staring off in the direction Gossamer left. Slowly, she turns to face me. And I know Raven is naturally pale, almost as pale as Gossamer, but it looks as if every single drop of blood in her veins has been sucked out by a vampire.

"What did you tell her?" I ask, surprised that my voice is steady.

Raven doesn't say anything.

"What did you tell her?" I repeat, my voice growing shrill and losing the even tone of before.

"I told her... nothing, C. She came to our room and when she asked about Hunter... I didn't tell her anything." Raven says. Confusions swirls around me. Her voice sounds faded, and far away, like she's in another world yet somehow I can hear her. Like I'm underwater and she's on the surface. She's still staring past me, to where Gossamer left, only vaguely glancing at me as she speaks. "I mean, I told her about Pesky and his birthday before she crashed, but I didn't say anything about her personality or hangouts."

I let the breath I'd been holding escape as a shudder. I breathe in relief as I feel my heart start to beat again after several moments of stillness.

"Oh, t-that's okay," I say, trying to calm myself down. "That's probably what she meant, she just, you know, lost the words or stuff."

"But..." Raven says softly, almost inaudibly.

"But what?" I ask, and once again my heart stops beating.

Raven's face becomes two shades whiter. "But she said hangouts. I mean," Raven whispers. "Where do you think she's been all morning? And... where do you think she's going."

I can feel the color rush from my cheeks. "Well, it doesn't matter if she's been there, as long as Hunter's with us, right?"

Realization dawns on me, and Raven obviously gets it to. "But he's not. At least he would never ditch class."

And the bell rings, signalling the end of school, leaving students to do- and go- wherever and whatever they want.

Which means Hunter might have already left.