Waning Moon

Chapter 11 : I get a werewolf crash course

"Slip away into the solar system
Straighter rays, you find a way to twist them
Some like it dark and now I know where to.....find you" - Red Hot Chili Peppers

*****

It wasn't someone's voice that woke me but a really bad smell that reminded me of a chemistry experiment I conducted last week. I dry heated sulfur which has ammonia in it. When I smelled it, my nose was subjected to the smell of rotten eggs that had me coughing.

I was in Roth's beachside house that his grandma owned. It has been years since last I entered this room, where Roth and I used to spend our vacations. During afternoons we used to play fort and build tents.

I could hear the rushing sounds of waves, the soothing acoustic of wind chimes.

My head was hurting and I felt like someone had broken and then rearranged me.

"How you doin'?" Roth whispered.

I craned my neck to the other side to see him sitting by the small bed on a wooden chair "That might be uncomfortable"

He grimaced "I think my butt's gone numb."

"Idjit." I mumbled.

Roth punched my arm "Do you want anything?"

"Tea would be appreciated"

He smiled "Copy that. I'm on it"

He came in after a few minutes with two coffee mugs.

"I wanted tea!" I nearly shouted.

He passed me the mug "It's tea. Grandma doesn't have cups and saucers, your highness."

I made a face at him and sipped my tea. Instantly I felt better.

'A cup of tea a day keeps insanity away.' that's what my late grandmother used to say.

"What happened to me? Am I suffering from epilepsy?" I asked.

Roth frowned.

I sighed "You know the thing Julius Ceaser had. Remember the part where he lost control of his body"

Roth shook his head and looked out of the window in resignation "Did you notice last week I stared acting weirdly?"

I nodded. Finding Ryder was top on my list. The second would be the reason behind Roth's changed behaviour.

Since last week we hadn't watched a movie together, did each other's homework or competed in mini militia.

"I'm a werewolf." Roth paused and looked me in the eye "and so are you"

Against my better judgement, I rolled out of the bed and my head swayed. It was like all my blood was concentrated in my brain. My head felt heavy and I would've fallen if it wasn't for Roth.

Roth wrapped his hands around my hips, to keep me steady "What are you doing?"

I pushed him away and shifted the curtains, the blankets and the pillows.

"Where is it?"

"Where is what?"

"Cameras, where are the cameras? I'm being punked aren't I?"

Roth grabbed my hand pulled me beside him. Without saying a word he engulfed me in his arms. "There are no cameras, Syd"

*****

"What kind of a pack name is Waning Moon?" I asked Roth chewing some gummy bears.

In one hour, Roth had given me a crash course to becoming a werewolf and how to deal with it.

So now as a werewolf I would like to say 'Being werewolf is awesome'. Roth told me in my wolf form I could run faster, smell better and vision would be enhanced. So would be my human body senses.

Roth also added that being a werewolf doesn't mean we cannot be vegan.

Thank gods for that, since I'm a vegetarian and I'm not willing to change that any time right now.

Roth changes the music channel and settled for news "When the moon appears smaller each night as it progresses through full moon to new moon, is called waning moon. Take it irony or something our ancestors named the pack Waning Moon, the time when we are the weakest as a reminder that everything falls and crumbles and as mere mortals we have to do our best in this world and not let the race perish. It's more of a grim reminder that we have our limits and we have to work hard or everything will fall apart."

I nodded, not understanding a thing "Why did you get to see the movie?"

Roth rubbed his jaw as if trying hard not to beat some sense into me "It wasn't a movie. It was the life of a shapeshifter . And I don't know why I was the only one to see and hear the voice in my head. I talked to others and it so happens they didn't saw it either"

I wish I got to see the movie too. It would've been much better than having this conversation right now.

"I know Brent's in the pack and who else?"

Roth changed the channel again till he found a comedy/tragic show depicting depression in a funny way "There's Sia and Mia, Matt, and a few others who go to different highschools"

"Will Rachel turn into wolf too?"

Roth looked uncomfortable "Yeah, about that. Actually Rachel isn't your sister"

"What do you mean she isn't my sister? I know I go around saying that I hate her and wouldn't mind selling her kidneys when in need of money, but I love her" I rambled.

Roth scratched his head and opened his mouth but closed it as if there were no combination of twenty six letters stringed to form sentences could describe what he wanted to say.

He slumped against the couch "Rachel is not your sister, like literally. Ryder and you are the only ones' with the werewolf gene in the family. You have a different father."

This was so not happening. My father is sitting in his office and thinking about the new political party that is fast gaining people's support and votes. Whatever faults mom has she wouldn't cheat on him. I'm sixteen and Ryder's seventeen. And mom and dad has been married for twenty years now.

Oh no.

A loud knock resonated through the door which saved me from replying. For now I'm just going to do it Ohio style, wait and sit on the problem, not talk about it and wait for it to get away.

Roth opened a door. A boy around our age, in a white tee shirt so thin I could see his nipples and the shape of his chest, stood on the stairway "Alpha is waiting for you."

He glanced at me, sitting on the couch. His eyes raked my body and then settled on my face "If I were you honey, I would start running. Try not to die. I would very much appreciate to get to know you inside and out"

The guy's voice dripped with double meaning that Joey Tribianni would be proud.

Roth growled and slammed the door right on his face.

*****

Deciding what you want to do in your life is so damn hard. I can't make up my mind. Last year in school and I'm still thinking. I wish there was someone who could make these decisions for me. But if someone does, I'm probably going to punch them in the face.

What do you guys want to do? I'm thinking about being a psychiatrist and treating sexual deviants or gynecologist. There's extensive language studying too, but it doesn't provide enough money. And I need to make my own money so that I can buy books and not feel guilty about them.