Raised By Wolves

Chapter Twenty | Werewolves Aren't Real

May had no idea what to do as she followed Josh inside the bar. If he thought her mild attempt at being a bad girl by suggesting doing some graffiti - which had also terrified her, was putting them at risk of being arrested, walking into a bar she was clearly not old enough to go into would probably be more on the law breaking side than anything else. Thinking of how his date of birth had him covered or that very genuine looking fake ID - had he forgot their age gap and brought her along as a mistake? She kept her mouth shut though, sticking close behind him as he walked through the small weeknight crowd. No one seemed to pay her any attention and keeping her eyes on Josh's back, she tried not to draw any attention to herself.

Going upstairs, the music didn't seem so loud and the stench of stale beer and bad body odour seemed to be limited to the first floor. The smaller bar up there was empty, the lights off and yet a few people sat on the stools in front of it as if waiting for a bartender to miraculously appear and top up their nearly empty glasses. Josh glanced back and smiled as they left that section behind and going down a small corridor, it opened up in a larger room that May instantly got a bad feeling about.

The people here all waved or acknowledged Josh as he came in, not hiding their curiosity as they stared openly at her. On instinct she inched closer to him, yet he barely seemed to notice everyone here. He only led them to the far corner were a few worn leather sofa's sat either side of a fireplace. While he said hello to some of the guys sitting down already, she just stood there - still clueless as to what she should be doing. Her hands seemed wrong in her pockets - would they make them think she had something to hide in them or did folding her arms make her look too defensive? Should she look happy to be here, or sad or bored?

"This is May, my girlfriend." Josh introduced, gently tugging on May's arm to bring her closer to the group. His fingers linked with hers, which at least solved the dilemma of what to do with that hand and with her free one, she gave a little wave before deciding to slip it into her pocket afterall.

"Heard a lot about you May! I'm the only one worth knowing around here." One of the older looking guys stood, extended his hand and May quickly shook it. His blonde hair fell into his eyes and pushing it back, May saw the wink he sent Josh's way as he went to sit back down. "I'm Ryan, this idiots cousin. Sit, join us!"

"We'll just grab a drink, be right back." Josh kept hold of May's hand and they went to the bar May had missed coming in. "What did you want?"

"Ah, just a coke?" She frowned, glancing around.

"They won't check your ID here May. You can have whatever you want."

May thought about that for a couple of minutes and figured when in Rome. "Okay. Vodka and OJ?"

Josh grabbed a beer and going back to the others, it was only Ryan and two others there now. May hadn't even noticed the rest of them leave, and sitting beside Josh, she tried to look casual and not as completely freaked out she felt inside. It took a second before she worked that apart from Ryan, the people here had done a complete change which didn't help her anxiety at all.

"Sorry, I never introduced everyone before. This dork is Craig." Ryan leaned in close to the man beside him, chucking his arm over his shoulders he ignored the glare sent his way.

Craig was not a dork at least not what May would stereotype one as. He looked as though he was as old as Chad, but twice as mean and from his exposed arms, also put some effort into getting that kind of muscle definition. More piercings than she could count lined his ears, another couple in nose, eyebrows and catching May staring, he smiled rolling something metal around between his teeth; even his tongue was pierced! Focusing on her drink, Ryan didn't seem to notice the exchange or his friends low chuckle.