The Werecat; The Story of Ronnie

Seven

“What happened to Lulu?” Ronnie slid in beside Lily, at their usual picnic bench outside. Lily seemed to pale, which was something since she was pretty pale already. Now, though, Ronnie could’ve sworn he could count all her freckles. Skylar popped the cork on his flask, tilted it back, replaced the cork. He wouldn’t meet his eyes, and neither would Lily.  

“She’s sick,” Lily answered bluntly. Something about her tone of voice told him that she was hiding something. One look at Skylar confirmed his suspicions.  

“What happened to her.” It was more a demand than a question, and his hands balled up into fists. Every instinct in his body was screaming at him to go and find her, protect her, save her. It’s been more than a week since the lock down, since the hunters came, since he saved Lulu. Since then, they said hello briefly in the halls, although Ronnie always tried for more. Every time, though, Lulu ended up mumbling some half-assed excuse about being late for class or needing to study, and she always slipped away. He cornered her once, trying to get some answers from her. Why was she avoiding him? Why would she never talk to him? He almost got his answers, too – except Amelia showed up and distracted him, and that gave Lulu just enough time to run. He snapped at Amelia, then. He didn’t mean to, but he did, and now that was another girl that hated him.  

“Haven’t you noticed?” Lily’s voice dropped to a whisper, and she looked at her hands, clasped in her lap.  

“He wouldn’t notice, Lils,” Skylar answered instead. “He never does.” His voice was equally as quiet as hers. Ronnie’s temper flared and he slammed a fist on the table, making both his friends jump with surprise.  

“Notice what?! What’s happened?!” Tremors rushed through his body, taking him completely under control. Sky let his flask drop onto the table and jumped to his feet. All of Ronnie’s thoughts turned to Lulu. Something bad’s happened to her, or else they wouldn’t be acting like this. No one beat her, save for him, he would’ve known. Was it something personal? Did she have a rare disease? Sick how? Lulu, Lulu, Lulululululu!   

“R-Ronnie, please... She’s just sick, not eating right.. “ Lily started to explain. That’s all he needed to hear. He rose to his feet, and wasn’t conscious of walking. He saw the world flash by, seen faceless people who meant nothing to him, all his thoughts on Lulu. Need to protect her. Need to save her. Need to be with her. Need her to be alright, safe, happy. Need her, need her, need her.  

He found himself in the hospital wing, vaguely aware of the school nurse telling him... What? Probably to leave. No matter. She didn’t matter. But Lulu did. And there she was, at the end of the long room, bundled up and sickly in the last bed, by a large window. He made a beeline straight to her bed and stood there, watching her. Her normally round, sweet face was thinner than he remembered. Looking over the sheet that covered her body, the way it hugged her, her normally beautiful curves were diminished. The body he always dreamed of touching, of holding, wasn’t there. It was replaced by a stick-thin body of an unfamiliar girl. He didn’t like that at all. Thinking back on it, he does remember how she seemed to be thinning, how her skin seemed to pale, how her hair had lost it’s shine and its bounce. She didn’t shine like the angel she was, she looked more like death had wormed into her body.  

Lulu’s eyelids fluttered open, and the eyes that focused on him weren’t the same eyes he had drowned in that first day she came. They had lost their shimmer, as if someone stole the life essence from her eyes and stashed it in a box. He felt his chest close tight around his heart, crushing it completely. This was the girl he loved? No... No, it couldn’t be.  

“Ronnie?...” Lulu’s voice was whispy, struggling to be stronger. She tried to sit up, but Ronnie’s hands shot out and landed on her shoulders, pushing her down. His actions weren’t rough, but gentle. Lulu seemed to want to argue, but gave in and stayed laying down.   

“Yeah, it’s me,” he replied soothingly. He sank down on the bed at her hip, taking his hands back. One of her hands reached out to him, and he took it in both of his. He wanted to cry, or scream, or both. But he couldn’t find his voice. He felt her hand squeeze his, and tears welled up in his eyes at how weak her grip was. “What happened?”  

“I was eating, I swear... No one believes me...” Either she seen the tears in his eyes, or maybe it was the fact of where she was, but tears spilled out of her eyes, trailing down her cheeks and into her hair. Some part of him had him lean over, had him wipe the tears from her eyes with a gentle thumb, cupping her cheek with his hand. Compared to her small face, his hand seemed rather large. Lulu’s head tilted toward his touch, resting on his hand like it was a pillow, and he was in no hurry to pull it away.  

“I believe you,” he said softly. He lifted her hand and pressed her cold fingers to his cheek, which felt like a furnace in comparison. In return, she gave a soft moan of relief and closed her eyes.  

“Feels good,” she murmured, turning her face into the hand that still cupped her cheek. Ronnie took a deep breath, blinking back all his tears. He couldn’t leave her here, not by herself like this. He’ll have to text Skylar later and ask him to grab his work from class or something. His decision made, he grudgingly removed his hand from her cheek and let go of her hand. Her eyes opened and she watched him as he twisted around and lay next to her, one arm across her frail body. She was shivering, he realized. Once he was on his side, his body heat was like a magnet to her, and she shuffled closer to him, her craving for warmth clear in his eyes. He forgot all about how angry he was about being ignored and avoided for a week. Just being there for her made up for his mistakes.   Lulu tilted her face up to look at him, and their eyes met. She was still crying. Even when she was sad and sick, she was still the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen. Her lips parted in a small smile. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to melt his heart.  

“Thank you,” she said, her soft tone dripping with gratitude and something else... What was that? He’d never heard it before. It was... Sweet. Like honey. Or cupcakes, maybe. Either way, he wanted to hear that tone, again and again and again.  

“For what?” he asked, feigning ignorance, playing on the idea that she’ll keep using that tone. He was right.  

“Being here for me,” she said, smiling a little wider. A hint of her normal spark came back into her eyes. Her smile faded, though. “I’m sorry for... Avoiding you,” she added, a little sadly. “I didn’t want you to see me like this..” She chewed on her lower lip, and the sight made his pulse quicken. He touched a finger to her lips and shook his head.  

“Don’t apologize. I deserved it, really.” He smiled at her, a genuine smile. It wasn’t like the smile he gave to the other girls; This smile had no promise of sex.   

Lulu surprised him, pressing a kiss to his finger. He blinked and stared at her, not sure how to react. Tons of girls have kissed him in tons of places. So why was this any different?  

“Thank you,” she said again. She moved her head and rested it against his chest, her forehead pressed over his heart.   

“Can I ask you something?” He brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear, and she nodded. “What happened? You were so... Healthy the last time I seen you.” Lulu tensed up under his arm, and he felt her hands grip the fabric of his academy shirt.  

“I... I don’t know...” she said, her voice unsteady, as if she was on the verge of tears. Maybe she was. “I just... Got sick... L-Like I wasn’t eating. But I was! I s-swear!” Lulu’s body began to shake, and he heard her sobbing quietly into his chest. His heart went out to her, and both of her arms wrapped around her now frail body.  

“Shh, I believe you, I really do,” he whispered to her, rubbing her back gently. “I believe you.” She kept on crying, her tears soaking through his shirt to his chest. It broke his heart to see her like this, but at least it was he who was comforting her, and not some other jackass.  

A loud crash out in the hallway made them both jump.