Immortals (ON HOLD)

Chapter 37

Ariel

            My eyes still stung as I opened them, quickly adjusting to the daylight. It was cloudy but bright; a haze of gray with brief appearances by the sun. Reality quickly began to smother me, and I recalled last night. My stomach began to clench uncomfortably, even more so when I realized that I wasn’t at school. I couldn’t sense my parents, so I knew they both went to work. There was no reason why they had to know I unintentionally skipped school. It was better that I wasn’t there; my head was too foggy to focus on anything, anyway. I leisurely got up and ate breakfast, turning on the TV for background noise. Our local news station was on, so I just left it, listening to the weather. It was the coldest day yet, with snow expected overnight. I figured I’d take a day exploring the woods, and quickly washed my bowl and hopped in the shower.

My hair dried in carefree tendrils, and I just applied a thin layer of black eyeliner and mascara before getting dressed. I threw a thick orchid v-neck sweater over my head, stepping into black skinny jeans. I put on my pair of black and silver snow boots, grabbing my two warmest hoodies and favorite red scarf, and heading out. I didn’t know how to feel. Everything had been warped in just a single act, and I didn’t know what to do. I saw multiple texts from Emma and Kat, a few from Dexter and Remi wondering where I was. I reassured my human friends that I was fine, just not feeling well, and gave Emma a short, PG version of last night’s dinner. I wasn’t in the mood to text Kat, and stuffed my phone back into my pocket. A few minutes into my walk, I sensed a familiar presence. My head snapped in its direction, a smile sneaking onto my lips. He bounded from behind the bushes, tail wagging and eyes shining. “Hey buddy,” I greeted quietly, crouching down to pet him. Leikos enjoyed the affection, whatever worry he felt now gone.

“Why were you worried about me, huh? I’m alright,” I assured, kissing his head softly. He licked my face, and I grinned, walking with him. Leikos made me feel better, and I longed to just meditate and imagine myself as a wolf. But I didn’t have the energy or focus. I watched idly as he trotted around, sniffing here, marking a tree there, watching squirrels or rabbits this way and that. I wondered if Dimitri had sent him to check on me, but shook the thought. He was the last person I wanted to think about, and a quick flash of last night’s kiss came bursting from my mind. I shut my eyes tightly, willing the image away ferociously. I wasn’t sure how far we had traveled, but by late afternoon, I was heading home. I fished out some leftover steak in the fridge, making sure it wasn’t rancid before giving it to Leikos. He ate it happily, and we sat in my backyard as the sun went down. My phone blew up with texts, but I didn’t answer them. I didn’t want to talk about last night’s dinner, or weekend plans, or homework. I just wanted to do nothing. Leikos remained silent as I pet him, and I knew he loved the closeness. “It’s getting late, buddy. I better head inside, and you better head home. Say hi to the other wolves for me, alright?” I asked, grabbing his furry head and pulling it in for a kiss. He licked my face and smiled, watching with disappointed eyes as I went back inside.

He looked me over again before dashing off into the darkness, and I hoped he made it home safe. I totally forgot about training and going to Headquarters, but shrugged it off, although the whole “Dark Elves” situation held my interest for a few moments. I warmed up last night’s leftovers, finally answering my friends. I ate and texted, confiding in Kat about Dimitri’s kiss. It’s not that I wanted to talk about it as much as I wanted to move on from it. I could tell she was excited, but sensing my indifferent attitude, she toned down her enthusiasm. My mom came in shortly afterward, and we chatted for a while, which was nice. It felt like old times, when I wasn’t worried about Immortals or monsters. She could sense something was wrong, but didn’t press the issue, and I smiled once she came back to the living room and handed me a bowl of ice cream and a mug of hot chocolate. “Thanks Mom,” I said with a wide smile. “I know if nothing else, hot chocolate or ice cream makes you feel better. Why not have both?” I laughed, enjoying the simplicity of TV and conversation. I began thinking about texting Emma to make plans for tomorrow, just so I’d have a reason to get up and out when a text from Dimitri came through.