I Just Want You to Know Who I Am | shiver fanfic

Chapter Three

Grace.

"Grace? Grace. Brisbane. Are you even listening to me?" Rachel Vega, my best friend, tosses her long brown hair over her shoulder as she pokes me with her fork, her eyes squinted in accusation.

"Yes, I'm listening," I assure her, stabbing my fork into a mushroom in my soup as Rachel digs into her salad. "You're random topics are often hard to ignore." I tease.

"It must be the coffee." her gaze flickers to the mug in front of her. "But I'm not me without being highly caffeinated. Anyways. Olivia agreed that we should totally have a girls night tonight."

I nod in comprehension, my gaze focusing over Rachel's shoulder to my window located in my kitchen, where I have a nice view of the woods in my backyard. Eyes scanning the surface of the woods, I see nothing, trees hiding the secrets within it's depths. I know the wolves live back there. I hear their mournful howls, see their watchful eyes and dark pelts whisper against one another as they run like blades of grass moving in unison in the breeze. They have always fascinated me, ever since I was young. Even after being attacked by them while perched on my swing, they intrigued me more than before. They are so beautiful, so unpredictable. Their eyes are watchful, as if they know more than what appears to be seen. Their eyes are so human, so vivid in color and haunting. I have each eye burned into my mind from studying them from my backyard, and from the sanctuary of my bedroom.

"GRACE." Rachel sighs in exasperation, her voice drawn out, making me realize she must have been trying to get my attention for a while now. "Earth to Planet Grace. Are you alright?" Rachel turns halfway around in the chair to follow my gaze out the window, and makes a clucking noise with her tongue in disapproval. "You and those woods. It's a wonder you haven't went all Nature Woman and started roughing it out there."

I chuckle, realizing the idea isn't as repulsive as it probably should be.

"So, what do you say? Girls night?" Rachel prompts, her chin rested on her hands, eyes shining brightly.

"Yeah, that'd be great," I nod. "Who's house?"

"Well, my house is inhabited with wild beasts known as my little siblings, and we all know John's totally cute but totally unwanted crush on you."

My mind flickers to John Marx, OIivia's younger brother. Sure, John is a sweet kid, and funny too, but it'd be weird to date your friend's brother. And plus, I really don't see John that way. He's just a friend. A flirty friend, yes, but a friend all the same.

"My house it is." I conclude. I don't speak aloud that I really should get out of the house; I'm always cooped up in here it seems. But my absentee parents who are never around make it perfect to have a girls night. Not to mention I can keep an eye on the wolves. My wolf has been missing for a while now..

My wolf. My mind buzzes at the thought. The deep black wolf with haunting golden eyes that have been permanently pierced into my memory like a line from my favorite novel. Those eyes. They are the ones that I held onto so many years ago, when my life was a privilege snatched away from me as quickly as a musty, sickly looking wolf had dragged me off my swing. Those golden eyes never left mine, even as I was jerked back and forth and the smell of the woods and my own blood covered all other senses.

"...and so my dog was like, sneezing for an hour!" Rachel concludes her story that I had missed while I was lost in my own daydreams. However, she hadn't noticed I wasn't paying attention, and began rambling about the science test we had today. The nice thing about Rachel is, as guilty as it makes me feel, is that she is all talk most of the time, and really, you don't always have to respond or listen, because she often answers her own questions.