The Different One

Chapter 5

  Next thing I knew I was against a tree, Tyler holding me there. He had a scratch on his cheek, and we were both breathing heavy. 

  "W-what... I'm s-sorry." I stuttered. 

  "What. Happened." Tyler demanded, staring at me hard. 

  I hung my head. "Well supposedly I'm a werewolf... But I have the wolf spirit instead of the body... It takes over whenever I feel threatened or angry or something.... I can't control it..." I muttered. 

  He relaxed his grip on me a little. "I've never heard of that before... What do the other werewolves make of that?" 

  I rolled my eyes. "Why does it matter to you?" 

  "Geez well someone's a little touchy... I just like to know stuff, information of any kind fascinates me. Especially something like that." He seemed pretty excited. 

  "Whatever..." I mumbled before adding. "Well if you have to know, I'm basically considered defective and I'm kinda outcast." 

  "Oh..." He gave me a sad look. "I know how that feels..." He whispered, absentmindedly running his tongue along his teeth. I realized that vampires who were missing teeth must be treated the same way I would be if I met another werewolf.

  "Can you let me go now?" I asked, getting pretty uncomfortable. 

  "Oh, sorry." He said and let me go. 

  We stood in awkward silence for a moment before I made up an excuse to leave. "I should go now, my parents will be worried about me..." I started to leave. 

  "Hey um wait?" Tyler said a little awkwardly. 

  I rolled my eyes and turned around. "What?" I asked, exhasperated. 

  "Well, I know from experience that when you can't control yourself you aren't allowed around humans, and if most werewolves aren't gonna be that nice, well... Do you need a friend?" He asked shyly. 

   I thought for a minute. Yes I needed a friend. But... I don't know, I was annoyed with him. Whatever, I'll say yes and if I don't like him then I'll stop talking to him. Yes, I am mean. 

  "Ok, yeah." I said, a little snappily. 

  Tyler smiled. "Can I know your name then? Or should I just call you princess?" 

  "Oh goodness don't make me regret this!" I grumbled. "But my name is Ray." 

  "Oh Ray... Pretty name. Is it short for something? Rayna? Rachel? Raylene?" 

  "Nope, just Ray." I told him, half-lying. Ray was short for something, but I hated that name so I'd refused to be called anything but Ray. "Now I really have to go so bye." I started walking away again. 

  This time he just watched me with a kind of sad look. 

.......................................................................................................................................

  "W-what?" Dad asked me, shocked. 

  "Yeah... I have a friend. A vampire with a missing tooth." I repeated. 

  Mom looked a little pale and regretful. "What did he look like?" She whispered. 

  "Sandy blonde hair, it had blue highlights, brown eyes, about my age looking." I told her. 

  Mom lay backward onto the couch and groaned. "Goodness... Him... You had to meet him?" Dad also looked bothered. 

  "What?" I asked, confused and annoyed. 

  "You tell her, Jamie." Mom said, from under a pillow she'd put over her face. 

  "You're mom... She's the one who knocked his tooth out. He uh probably won't like her much... Any of us, possibly, if he knows..." Dad explained. 

  "What did you guys have to do with the vampires?" I asked, feeling my heart sink. 

  "Too much." Mom said, sounding panicy. 

  "Yeah, too much..." Dad looked uncomfortable. 

  "And... That's all you're gonna tell me?" I asked. 

  "Yes, you... Go make friends with the vampire, Tyler, don't worry about our past with them." Dad said seriously. 

  This was confusing... They were obviously bothered by vampires, maybe even scared, yet they wanted me to be friends with them? That could only mean one thing... Don't get on the vampire's bad side.