Believe | published ✓

hellos & goodbyes

"Be good. Don't burn the house down. We'll see you Sunday night, okay?" My mother hugs me tight. So tight that I can feel myself getting short of breath. I've been dreading the hours, minutes, and seconds until my parents would inevitably leave me to fend for myself.

Alone. By myself.

I'm not going to last a minute.

It's going to be that scenario when my parents have to call me every five minutes to make sure I haven't been murdered yet. In this case, though, it's the other way around.

"Be good for who?" I ask. My mother doesn't answer; she only laughs nervously before letting me go. My dad pats my back a little and calls it good.

My dad and I have never been as close as my mom and I. Let's just say that my dad thinks of my "problems" as more of a curse than anything else. He'll go out of his way to treat me as such, too. It's obvious that he wants a better child than me, but he has finally gotten it through his head that he's stuck with me for a while.

I pull away from him and feel my heart beating erratically. This is it.

My mother waves a final goodbye, blowing a kiss to me, and then they're gone. I swallow hard and watch as my parents get in the car and speed off down the driveway. It's surprising how there isn't even a little hesitance in their getaway.

I honestly don't blame them. If I had to deal with me for as long as my parents have, I would want a break.

Shutting and locking the door behind me, I let out a long sigh. It's going to be a long day and a half.

~

The daytime wasn't so bad, I realized. I hadn't left the house at all, which was a good thing, and nothing has come up that I need to worry about. I've been texting Liam and Victoria on and off, with three hour chunks of cheesy Netflix movies in between. Though they're the first two people in the world to tease me, they're also the first people in the world I turn to if I have a problem.

Basically, I met Victoria at birth. Our parents were friends in college and therefore I got stuck with their child.

I met Liam in fifth grade. He was the new kid with ever-present messy brown locks and a Halo shirt, carrying a Stephen King book around that was bigger than his head. One day he started sitting next to us and eventually we started talking. Now, as freshmen in high school, the three of us are still three peas in a pod.

I've done my best to make sure that the house seems as lived in as possible, by turning on every light in the house and leaving the news on at all times. Because of my efforts, the house has never seemed silent, which definitely does something to my nerves.

I switch off my phone, letting out a long sigh. One would think I'd have all the time in the world to do whatever it is that I want... without consequences. But instead I sit, confined to the couch, as the sun dips lower and lower into the sky.

Before I know it (and before I want it to), the sun disappears, leaving the eerie glow of the lights in the living room as the only means of safety. Or protection.

Part of the reason I haven't wanted to move from my area on the couch is because I'm scared. I mean, I've scurried my way over to the bathroom a few times, and I've gotten up to make myself food, but I've stayed away from upstairs and my room completely. Little did I know that I'd be going up there in such little time.

The clock on the counter next to the television slowly ticks onward and I find that I'm extremely exhausted. My eyelids droop against my will and I force myself to keep them open. As soon as I close my eyes, I'll be vulnerable. And I won't let that happen. Not during the late hour of the night.

I shift around under my blanket, a strange cold coursing through my veins, chilling me to the bone. I pull it tighter around me just as a loud howl pierces the silent night.The sound is haunting and almost sounds...melancholy. My heart skips a beat. Literally. My eyes catch on the unnatural light streaming in from the windows... it's the full moon tonight.

Against my will, my brain checks for stories and rumors I've heard about werewolves. They disguise themselves as human, but when a full moon rises they shift and can't control themselves. They strike to kill in their animal form and if you're one of the unlucky ones, they'll bite you, leaving you to the same fate as them. I shiver uncontrollably. My pulse is already speeding up and an intense fluttering sensation begins in the pit of my stomach.

I strain my ears for more howls and when none comes after ten minutes, I relax back onto the couch. I press my hands to my forehead, gasping at how frighteningly cold my hands are. It's like I left them in the freezer for an hour.

A buzzing sound startles me into action, causing me not to recognize the ringtone on my phone. Sighing in relief, I lift it and check the ID. Victoria.

I press the "accept" button in time to hear her ranting on the other end.

"Oh my God, Ash, you have no idea what just happened."

"You're right." I agree. "I have no idea because it's the middle of the night and most normal people are asleep."

"You know me. I don't sleep. Ha, maybe that makes me a vampire." I tense at her words, and she must sense my unease even over the phone because she immediately adds, "but seriously. Liam just called to tell me that another Captain America is coming out!" Her voice takes on a high pitched tone. She sounds like a stuck-up valley girl.

"And I should care...why?"

A loud sigh is given in response. "You should care because you're going."

"Ha-ha, excuse me?"

"I said you're going whether you like it or not. Liam and I have already talked to your parents about taking you. Who knows? Maybe you'll do better than -"

"Hang on," I cut her off. "You talked to my parents about this? It's like they're trying to kill me. Look, maybe if I wasn't me, I would want to, but I am me, and there's nothing you can do to change that!" My voice rises drastically towards the end, echoing throughout the house. There is silence on the other end for a moment. When Victoria speaks again, she seems kind of sad. Like that wolf. No, Ash, stop thinking about that stupid wolf.

"Sorry." She apologizes. "I didn't realize - sorry. I'll tell Liam you can't go."

I deflate, letting out a long sigh. But before I can tell her it's okay, I hear the monotone beep, letting me know that she hung up. I click off my phone and slam it down on to the couch cushion next to me.

That's when the whispering starts.