Animal

.:17:.

Have you ever gotten that feeling in the pit of your stomach of deep dread and disbelief, literally to the point where you might just drop to the floor and pass out from shock?

"T-Tommy," I whispered, unable to take my eyes off of him. I slowly scooted back until my back hit the base of the couch behind me, eyes never leaving Tommy's face. "B-but you.."

"Died?" Tommy asked softly, lowering the poker and placing it against the tiled fireplace. He rubbed his hands of the charcoal and glanced at the window before stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Yeah, that's a long story."

"Damn right." I folded my arms over my chest and eyed him with distrust. "We found your body–" I stopped myself, jaw dropping as I thought back to my incident. Oh God.

"Are you..like me?" I whispered shakily, moving my eyes up to Tommy's again.

Tommy hesitated for a second, uncertainty flashing in his eyes. Was he really debating with himself on whether to tell me or not? He'd better fucking tell me, I've earned the right to know after all the bullshit I've been through these past few days.

"Well?" I snapped, working up just enough of my anger to muster courage. I stepped forward and stared him in the eyes, making sure mine were angry, demanding flames.

"Okay, it isn't exactly my place to tell you, McKenzie," he said, fidgeting under my burning gaze and snatching his eyes away from me and to his feet. "I want to, believe me, but I've been ordered to keep silent until the Council and Chieftain Silo speak to you first."

Silo. That name sounded familiar to my ears, but I was having trouble fetching memories from yesterday. All I remember is a lot of violence, a lot of yelling, and a shit ton of snarling. The rest is fuzzy and unclear, and that pisses me off big time.

"Alright." I drew my arms out and held them wide on each side of me. "Where is this almighty Silo who has to speak to me? Where is this Council that seems to be telling you what to do." I paused, then added nastily, "Oh, and since when do you care about what's best for me?"

He flinched. "I never said that it was best for you to wait, I said that it isn't my decision. I will get in a lot of trouble if I tell you anything before they have the chance to explain everything to you."

"I don't want to hear it from them," I spat, storming forward and poking a finger hard into his chest. "I want to hear it from you, Thomas. You owe me big time. You have no fucking idea the shit I've gone through ever since you got into that crash. I was so fucking ashamed to be at your funeral because I had to face my bitch of a cousin who I found naked under you. How the hell do you think I felt after that, huh? And then I turn into some kind of beast and have to run away from my home, only to end up here and see you're not dead!"

By the time I had finished my little rant, I was breathing heavily. The sounds of my heavy breaths were the only noise to be heard in this room, and Tommy was as white as new sheets on a bed.

"McKenzie," he said, his voice hollow with pain and sorrow, reaching out to take my hand. I, however, stepped back again so he couldn't touch me. "I'm so sorry."

"Sorry for what?" I cocked my head, pretending to feign confusion. "There's a lot to apologize for. For example, is it the cheating? Is it the sex with my cousin? The part where my cousin thought she was pregnant? The part where you faked you death." I tapped my fingers on my chin.

"Don't be a hypocrite," he said, looking almost irked behind the cloud of guilt on his face. "You're exactly like me."

I felt acid start to burn in the pit of my stomach, but it wasn't indigestion. It was from how livid I was right now. I saw red flashes begin to color my vision.