I am the Wolf Girl

{Chapter 4}

I couldn't help but wonder if the dreams meant something or if they were just a result of my hyperactive imagination. I was puffing wildly and the sun was starting to peak from above the horizon when I had finally made it back to the house. When I got there a smile broke my face when I saw a familiar mess of black hair.

"Jacob?! What brings you back here so early?"

I came to a slow stop beside him, jogging in place until my heart rate finally slowed down. He was chuckling when he hugged me despite my protests and swung me around. His laughter was contagious even after setting me down, keeping his arms around my waist. Even when Charlie came out still trying to adjust his gun belt on his waist we were laughing and pulling away from one another. Charlie froze on the steps when he saw us and looked from me to Jacob then back to me with a deep frown before shaking his head and getting into his cruiser.

"We will discuss this later, Cristina."

Jacob and I both instinctively wrinkled our noses and laughed as he pulled out of the driveway and left. Charlie, being a father of daughters, likely wanted to have THE talk, but mom had already beat him to it ages ago. Jacob seemed to have reached the same conclusion as me and simply sighed, following me into the house once Charlie was out of sight. I wasn't sure if Jacob liked me given we had just met the day before or if I just reminded him of Isabella, but it was nice to have a friend of some kind in a place I hardly remembered. I smiled to myself and led Jacob to the kitchen where Isabella was already in the middle of making us breakfast.

"Isa. Make a plate for Jacob will ya?"

Isabella turned around and smiled when she saw the boy standing close behind me and made her way over to give him a tight hug.

"Jake! What are you doing here?"

"I actually came to see Cristi! I have an early birthday gift for her that I finished last night."

My face heated up and I smiled when I heard the nickname fall from his mouth, but my grin broadened when I saw the look of disapproval on Isabella's' face.

"Let me go get ready for school then you can give it to me."

He nodded like an excited child as I made my way up the steps and back towards my bedroom. I was mostly running on autopilot as I rummaged through my closet looking for a decent 'first day of school' look. I settled for something that was simple, comfortable, and very nice to look at. I laid the clothes out on my bed and grabbed a towel, realizing that I smelled like a football teams' gym locker room. No way was I about to make that my first impression on people who would be scrutinizing me. My shower, however, didn't last long due to a lack of actual warm water coming through the spout. I hissed and quickly rinsed off, making sure I had scrubbed the grime off of me before practically running out of the bathroom, towel wrapped tightly around my thin frame. I was practically vibrating as I got into my room and dropped the towel to pull on my clothes.

The red and black flannel was worn, but still very soft to the touch and it went well with the light blue bell bottom jeans and black converse I had paired it with. I admit that I looked a bit outdated, but it felt nice to wear my favorite shirt without feeling like I was in a sauna and drowning in my own sweat. My hair was still damp, but I figured it would air dry and be fine, or the humidity would keep me looking like a wet rat. Either way it is what it is. After double checking my backpack I was confident that I was ready and made my way to the landing.

I smiled when I looked at the rail and remembered all of those times as a kid I would slide down the banister like it was a park slide. Dad would always get onto my case about how dangerous it was and that one day I was going to fall and crack my head open. Regardless, it didn't matter how many lectures I got from him because I would do it anyway. There were some habits that never changed and I found myself sliding down the oak banister, jumping from my perch once I got to the bottom and landing shakily on my feet.

I hummed and made my way back to the kitchen where the atmosphere was far more tense than when I had left. Isabella was standing rigidly, aggressively washing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen with a hard glare on her face directed at her hands. Jacob hadn't touched the plate in front of him save for poking the food with a fork and scratching at the table. His annoyance was palpable.

"Guys I was only gone for ten minutes. Fifteen tops. Why is the tension thicker than molasses here?"

Neither of them jumped to explain and simply hummed or grunted in acknowledgment before glaring at one another. I crossed my arms over my chest and rolled my eyes at how utterly childish they were acting and walked towards Jacob, smacking him on the back of the head. He hissed loudly and clutched the back of his head, earning a soft giggle from my sister who got an equally annoyed look from me. I went over to her next and did the exact same thing before picking up a slice of toast and shoving it into my mouth.

"So why are you guys saltier than the Dead Sea?"

"Jacob met you yesterday, correct?"

"Yes, and?"

"Not even a whole day and he thinks the best birthday gift for you is a monstrosity!"

"It isn't a monstrosity! She is going to love it!"

"Guys! Seriously!"

Jacob tossed me a set of keys and smiled brightly when I caught them and turned them over in my hands. The chain, or rather the woven bracelet, had a carved wooden wolf charm, Charlies' house key, a key to a vehicle of some sort and a house key I didn't recognize. I was confused, even more so when Jacob grabbed my arm and tugged me out the front door, making me stumble down a step. I caught my balance and looked up to yell at him, but instead I squealed and dragged Jacob over to the driveway. A beautifully reworked Kawasaki Z1 was sitting behind Isabella's' truck like a beautiful gem. It was very worn with a few parts that looked relatively new and it was beautifully put together. Faded orange paint and chipping black paint gave it a nice oldies look that was just vintage.

"Jacob!"

"Do you even have a license for a motorcycle, Cristina?!"

"Yes. I've had one since I was fifteen, Isabella."

I shot my sister a glare as I answered thinking of the day I had called her to tell her when I had passed the test. She didn't pick up the phone. I turned back to Jacob who was rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly as he watched us smiling when I did.

"This is the best birthday gift a girl could ask for. Thank you so much Jake. It'll be nice to have one here at Charlie's too."

I gave him another tight hug as he gave me an adorable lopsided grin before checking his phone and sighing almost annoyed.

"Sorry guys. I have to get back to the reservation or I'll be late for school. I'll see you guys Tuesday?"

"Of course Jake!"

Isabella and I looked at one another with wrinkled noses. It had been years since we said the same thing in unison as if we shared a brain cell. It was something we had done a lot of when we were younger to the point we even had a game we'd play, making people guess who was who. No one ever got it right. No one except Dad. He always had a weird knack for seeing through our charade no matter how hard we tried to trick him.

Jacob found our silent squabble funny as he laughed and climbed into the same pickup truck he had picked me up in the night before. He gave us a quick wave as he pulled away from the house leaving Isabella and I to wave after him from the cloud of dust. When he was finally out of sight I turned my attention back to the motorcycle and grinned like an idiot. I hadn't been joking when I said this had been the best gift a girl could ask for and I was excited to try her out.

I adjusted my bag on my back and smirked over at my sister when she gave a deep frown. She didn't approve and that made it so much better, even better when she protested as I threw my leg over the bike. I tied my hair up into a messy bun and grabbed the black full head helmet hanging from one of the handles, quickly pulled it on. It felt nice being on a motorcycle and it felt great to listen as it revved up. I gave Isabella a quick salute and took off before she could stop me, her words fading away to the sounds of a new engine rumbling.

"Be careful!"