Running Wolf

6: phone calls

words: 1323

. . . .

When she gets home, her anger has dissipated. She feels so drain and weak. Her clothes wearing her down. She undresses, never feeling so lost before. All the past memories catching up to her and she bit into her fist, teeth pressing into her knuckles. She wills herself not to cry, dialing Uncle Andrew's number.

ring, ring...

"What." He answered, much like she does, voice firm. He probably didn't check who it was.

"Hey Uncle Ands."

He was silent, probably regretting sounding so harsh. However, he won't apologize. Uncle Andrew isn't the apologizing type. And with him raising Katya, she grew up like an exact replica. Most people have told her although we were attractive (She almost gagged. Yes, my uncle was younger than most, still, no) they both were intimidating. At least that's what's they've told her.

"Ay, kid. Anything gone wrong? Sounds like you've been crying."

Uncle Andrews had to grow up too fast, years younger than her dad, turning 31 in March, he had to take both her mother and Katya. He felt responsible for what her father has done to them, and her mom literally almost went crazy, still is. He had to become not only a father figure but also mentor and trainer. He was everything to her and vice versa.

Thinking about not having him here makes the tears fall, choked sobs that she know he can hear. "I miss you. Miss you and mama so much." She cried harder, thinking about banter between them as we traveled.

"Hey, hey. What happened, kid? Did someone-"

"I don't know, I don't know!" throwing the unoccupied hand up above her head. "Just. There was him, a guy-" Something slammed on his side of the phone, and he grunts, making her cringe at the slight ringing in her ear.

"I'm on my way."

"No! I just. It's weird. He and his friends are weird but I can't say anything because Zara is here. She's married. She's having a baby." She felt like she was screaming in this empty house of hers. Uncle huffs, slamming what her think is his keys.

"That doesn't matter! I don't care about that! Are you safe? Because if not, we- you- are leaving. Period."

"I... I don't know. I'm just tired of running. Tired of hiding. I wasn't trained to hide-"

"But you weren't always trained to kill or fight neither. You were... still are trained to survive. Just like me and your father and your grandfather." The mention of her father made Katya's heart aches. Just thinking of his blinding smile in that picture with her mother made the bile rise with her heart.

"I'm gonna figure it out. I just need time. To feel it out. And you may not care about Zara but I do! That's my friend, Ands. She's particularly my sister! Mostly since Caleb...disappeared. And I know mama would care a lot if something happened to her."

As if on cue, She hears her mother yell, " Andrew! Who ya talkin' too?" Although she is 42 (and soon to be 43), her voice seems all too frail from her liking, just like her mind state. There is rustling for a minute or so until there's silence. " Ello, love?"

"Hey mama. How are you?"

" How am I? That's all you have to say to me after God knows how long you've been gone! You know how sick I was? I thought you got eaten up! By... wolves or something! How dare you only call me after all this time?" She raged on. Katya tuned her out after wolves. It was like she always had a sense of these things even if the weren't spot on. Although she obviously wasn't eaten by wolves, she had a very close encounter with one...

Things like this made her worried for her mental state, took her to the doctor. All they said is that she may be delusional, maybe her mind is struggling with the abandonment of her father. But how could that be? Her father left while she was nine. More than a decade ago. However, they were more than sure that she was bipolar. The tiniest things can bug her mother to no end. Such as this.

" Katya Amelia Yaser are you even listening to me?! See, s-see I told you having her l-leave was for the worse! She doesn't even love m-me anymore!" In minutes, seconds her mother was crying, nearing sobs and Katya can just imagine Uncle Andrew, bags under his eyes, trying to soothe her. She bit her lip, trying to see what she can do. She opens her mouth but close it, frowning.

"Ma, my last name is Greene?" And she was met with silence.

" Katya, I have to go." Her mother's voice was completely void of emotions whatsoever. She sounds like this whenever she sees Katya dressed up, she thinks about her father and how he and Katya and how they both enjoyed wearing suits. When shopping for her graduation clothes, Zara, whose last name was also Green said it's be cute if Katya wore a suit when walking beside her. My mom, still having a crippled mind even back then, fell, busting in a fit of sobs until Katya had to quite literally pick her mother's smaller body and walk out, as ifs gee mother was a child. Her tears soaking Katya's shirt.

She realized then how broken her mother was.

And she never hated my father so much before. She's always had the anger swelling in her chest because of his abrupt departure in their lives. But to know the he is the reason for her mother's discomfort and destroyed well being completely hurts Katya to no end. However it angers her to a degree she never knew she could reach.

" Kid, I'll call you back later. Alright?" She nods, even though he couldn't see her. Seconds later the line went dead.

She sat on the cold floor of her home, hand limply gripping her phone. She contemplates her next few decisions. She could go and apologize to both my co-workers, Zara and her good-for-nothing boyfriend but if there's one thing she knows about myself is that she hates apologizes. Mostly coming from her own mouth. Even when she's wrong. She's not wrong, in this case but hate apologizing nonetheless.

She does have another choice though...

ring. ring...

" Katya! Are you okay? Dear God I was so worried-" There was rustling again.

"Kat!" It was Mia speaking this time. " Love, you alright? Wow, I've never seen someone talk back to Ian like that! It was epic! The boy needs to get something through his head."

"Well someone had to." She mumbles, drying her ruddy cheeks. Mia laughs a bit too.

"Is my baby okay? Our little girl?" She could hear Ed and even though he sounds playfully, she can tell there's a bit of an edge to his tone. Although they've been together for so long, Eve was never able to bare a child. And the extreme cost of taking a child for adoption was too much for them. When asked, Ed just smiled, saying, "Honestly, I've got you three, and Luke, that idiot. I think I'll be fine." He gives her a heart-warming hug and then he frowns. "Speaking of Luke, where is the rebel? Eve!"

It was odd, that right now Katya just notice that she haven't seen Luke since the first day he locked up her motorcycle. He didn't talk to her that much beside her first day either.

"Yes Eddy, she's good and fine, I promise." Mia responds.

"Hey, can I talk to Charlie really quick?" Mia doesn't responds, just more rustling in her ear. "Rude little girl talking my phone." Charlie muttered under his breath. "Ouch, Ouch, Ow! You little piece-"

"Watch your mouth boy!" Eve reprimands.

"Anyway... Do ya need something? Anything. Chocolate, movies, pads, a boyfriend..." He chuckles as Katya choked into the phone, surprising that he thought she wanted that. Then she scoffed, huffing a bit.

"Now why would I ask you for pads? Or a boyfriend. Huh Charlie, tell me."

"Hush now! Want do you want then?"

"I want you to take me to one of the best clubs New York City has to offer."

Tonight, she was getting fucking shit-faced.