doppelgänger

wolf

Wolf's new father was awesome. He was better than anyone else could ever be, even his biological father! Well... anyone was better than Wolf's biological father.

Back when Wolf lived at home, his biological parents were strict. You couldn't wear black. You couldn't have anything pierced, not even the first holes in your ears. You couldn't dye your hair. You couldn't wear makeup, or anything that even the slightest bit suggested the devil or his presence, because otherwise, you were considered to be worshipping him or summoning him. Black was looked down upon greatly; it was considered the color of Satan. And worst of all...

No music allowed.

Instruments were restricted, of any kind. Not even singing. Nothing.

And Wolf defied all of those restrictions.

One by one, half the reason to aggravate his uber-strict parents, he broke each and every stupid rule.

His parents were outraged. And with every step Wolf took forward, he got himself deeper into trouble.

For heavy metal blasting through his earbuds everyday when he came in from school and ran straight off to his room, one day his parents caught him and took his iPod away. Wolf found it hidden and snatched it right before he left. For black clothes and chains hanging from his clothing, most of it was destroyed by his father, thrown in the fireplace. When Wolf dyed and cut his hair into an 'emo' side sweep style, his mother sent him to a session with a counselor at a church nearby and a pastor to 'cleanse' him and 'make him holy again.' For buying and using makeup everyday, he was sent to his room for three days without any food or attention, like he wasn't even there at all. And when Wolf went to a tattoo shop and got his two lip piercings, and came home with them, his father beat him and kicked him out of the house.

Wolf was glad he wasn't back there. He would avoid that place and those people for the rest of his life if he could.

So as Andy tucked Wolf in bed that night, Wolf looked up at Andy and smiled a little.

"Again, thanks. You don't know how much this means to me. How you took me in, and you're taking care of me, and... I mean, you showed me your absolutely wicked guitar collection! That's something I'll never forget." Wolf met Andy's icy blue eyes and furrowed his eyebrows in concern. "I mean, you're famous. I can't imagine how much time I'm taking up of yours right now. Time that you'll never get back."

"No. This is worth it to me, Wolf. You're not even a slight inconvenience. I'm happy to dedicate my time to you." Andy reached down and ruffled Wolf's hair. "Get some sleep. We're gonna take a tour of your new school tomorrow."

Wolf nodded as Andy flicked off the light and cracked his door so only a sliver of light from the hall showed through.

After Wolf was sure Andy was asleep, hearing him snore from his bedroom, Wolf climbed out of bed and creeped into the now-dark hall, passing each room until he got the the end, the door to Andy's guitar collection room closed.

Slowly and as stealthily as possible; something that Wolf was good at considering all the nights he snuck out of his window at ten years old to go to the local 24-hour drugstore and buy cheap makeup, he entered the room, cracking the door behind him and staring in amazement again at all of the guitars hanging on the wall. Some were standing on the floor. Then he saw the many awards, some made of glass, some with a metallic finish, some clear plastic, and other materials that sat on several shelves. He hadn't noticed those awards earlier in the day when he and Andy were touring the items in the room.

Reaching out to graze the 'K' shaped award for Black Veil Brides with his fingers, he whispered to himself one astonished, "Wow."

His attention was torn away from the award when he heard a noise, the one spot where the new floorboards creaked on the threshold under the doorway. Wolf backed away from the awards and into a corner, just to hit a glass frame mounted on the wall. He turned around to look at it, and was amazed when he saw in the moonlight through the blinds that it was a Black Veil Brides poster, each member life-size, full costumes and makeup on, their autographs beside each of them the size of a small basketball maybe, measured around.

There was a loud meow right behind him, and he jumped, startled by the noise. It was just Crow.

His orb-like eyes stared up at him, as if inquiring why he was in the room and why he was up at the time of night. He meowed loudly again, and Wolf shushed her, lifting him and carrying him out of the room. He closed the door behind him and looked down at him, whispering, "no one's allowed in that room anymore without Andy's permission. Not even you, Crow."

Crow meowed again, quieter this time, as if he understood every word Wolf said.

"Understand? Good," Wolf told him.

They both looked around when Andy's mattress squeaked from his room, and Wolf's eyes widened as he bolted back to his bedroom and laid in bed, covering himself with the sheets, trying to look as natural as possible.

Andy came in to check on him, only for about two seconds before he walked out again. Wolf opened one eye and saw Andy enter the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

About two minutes later, after hearing the water running in the sink, the door opened again and Andy came out, coming in Wolf's room again.

Wolf shut his eyes as Andy came over to his bed and set a cup of water on the bedside table. Opening his eyes so that they were thin slits only, and Andy wouldn't notice, Wolf caught sight of Andy's wrist as he plugged an alarm clock in beside Wolf's bed, one of the tattoos on his skin in that area with small letters inked one on each finger of a side of the image of praying hands.

It was dark, of course, but just bright enough from the light in the hallway so Wolf could just make out the five letters.

S.

C.

O.

U.

T.

Scout.

Wolf shut his eyes again when Andy looked up at him, and then stood up, walking out of the room, which Wolf was pretty sure was for good.

Scout.

Wolf was sure he'd heard that name somewhere before.