IN THE FULL MOON

chapter 11

I wasn't excited about the weekend.

Normally, I'd take advantage of the two days off

catching up on homework, chores, and, most of

all, texting, calling, and hanging out with Ivy and

Abby. Nash had an away game, so we weren't

going to have a date night. I was so eager to go

back to school and see Brandon, I spent most of

my hours not accomplishing anything and

dreaming about him.

I tried to snap myself out of my pining for

Brandon, so I threw myself into the research for

my folklore paper. Werewolves were subjects of

Greek mythology and European and Early

American folklore. In most of the traditions,

lycanthropes were scary, deadly creatures to be

feared. No one wanted to become a werewolf, and

no one wanted to encounter one. I'd been holed

up all day when I thought it might be good to get

some new perspective. Mr. Worthington seemed

to know more than anyone about the legends, and

I knew he'd be happy to tell me about them.

"I want to talk about werewolves," I said

when I found him reading a magazine in the lobby

at Pine Tree Village later that day. "I'm doing a

paper on folklore and thought you'd be the

perfect person to interview."

He paused, taking an extra moment to

examine me. Then he closed his magazine.

"It's me, Celeste," I said, confused at his

expression.

"I know who you are..." he said cheekily.

"But you seem different...."

"What do you mean?"

"There's an extra twinkle in your eye."

I blushed. Could he see I'd been obsessed

about Brandon?

"I'm not sure what you mean," I said.

"Are you sure there isn't anything new? Did

you do something different to your hair?"

"Same old me," I said. I felt funny about girl

talking and gushing about a guy I couldn't get out

of my mind to an eighty-nine-year-old man.

"I'll get it out of you eventually," he said.

"Something about you... but I can't put my finger

on it. I haven't been around for all these years

without seeing things."

"Well, that is what I want to talk to you