The Werecat; The Story of Ronnie

Twelve

"Is it okay if I ask now? About Skylar, I mean." It was late afternoon the day after the ball, and Ronnie and Lulu were treating themselves to a picnic lunch under the shade of the giant oak in the courtyard. Ronnie took a quick peek around, and shrugged once he deemed it safe.

"Yeah, okay," he replied slowly, "but I'm warning you, you might cry." Lulu nodded and crawled up onto his lap, nibbling delicately on a cookie. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her, and she tucked her knees up to her chest, using his shoulder as a pillow.

"I think I'm ready," she said with a nod. Ronnie returned her nod.

"Alright," he started, "so, Sky's parents split up when him and his sisters were little, and-"

"Sky has sisters?" Lulu interrupted curiously. Ronnie gave her a stern look, and she quieted down, her eyes apologetic.

"As I was saying, they split when they were little, and instead of bothering with a custody battle, they dumped the three off at his crazy uncle's house. His older sister skipped out within a year, though. Just disappeared without saying goodbye or anything. Like, gone. She was about... I think she was fifteen-ish. Anyways, she left, so it was just him and his little sister Hannah left. So for years, it was him and Hannah basically on their own, since their uncle had something fucky with his brain and couldn't function properly. I don't know that story, though, so don't ask.

"Sky started drinking when he was fourteen, and hasn't stopped. Not like his uncle cared, but his baby sister did, once she was old enough to understand. The Lockings were always a rich family, so they kept the best booze around. Actually, in the past six years, he's had three liver transplants because of his drinking, and if he gets a fourth, well, he won't make it."

Tears welled up in Lulu's eyes, and one escaped to roll slowly down her cheek. Ronnie reached a thumb up and gently wiped it away. "How horrible," she whispered.

"I'm just getting started." He chewed his lip a moment, then continued: "Shelby, his older sister, showed back up a couple of years ago. Before Lily showed up, actually. She had become a model, living off of that and whatever money she stole and took with her when she left. She apologized and stuff and they got along just fine. But then, they had a huuuuuge argument one day, right before she went off on a modeling job." He felt his chest tighten up. He remembered that fight. It was a nasty one, too.

"What was it about?" Lulu asked, her voice still a whisper.

"About her leaving all those years ago," he replied, "and why she didn't take him and Hannah with her. She left for her job, pissed of all to Hell. Sky was just as mad. Well, when he seen her again, it was at her funeral."

Lulu's eyes widened so much he thought they were going to roll out of their sockets. Her tears flowed more freely now, pouring silently down her face. "Sh-She's dead?"

He nodded, kissing her tears away gently. "Some of the lighting equipment attached to the ceiling wasn't secured properly and it fell. They couldn't save her, just made her look pretty enough for her open casket viewing." Lulu turned her face into his chest and cried, her small body shaking with every sob. He rubbed her back gently, regretting ever telling her the story. "That was the year Sky's drinking spiked. And the year he got his third liver."

Lulu's crying went on for a good fifteen or twenty minutes, broken only by gasps for air or coughs. His heart broke into pieces at the sight of her. Finally, once she was relaxed enough, she coughed once more and looked up at him, asking, "Where is she buried?"

"At Sky and Olivia's place, in a forest in England."

"Who's Olivia?.."

"His best friend since his parents' divorce. Lesbian werewolf who's always happy and can't stick with a colour for her hair for more than a month. I think she's Lily's cousin, actually."