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Love & Werewolves
A Collection Of Short Stories
Eleanor Butler
Copyright © Eleanor Butler 2013
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
All characters and events in this publication are fictitious, any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or any events past or present are purely coincidental.
Ebook formatting by www.ebooklaunch.com
Dedicated to everyone who ever believed in me.
Contents
Selena & Alex
Apprehensive
First Sight
Secret Crush
The Choice
Confusion
Lucy Wilson
First Love
Selena & Alex
Loving you is like trying to touch a star,
I know I can never reach you,
but I can’t help but try.
Anonymous
2010
It was a Monday the first day I saw her. I was in the music room. Ever since I was a little girl I’d loved music. I’d started playing the piano when I was five and had been playing now for ten years, but I had only been learning guitar for six months. Ashamed at my inability to play a note in the song I was learning, I had just buried my head in my hands when she spoke.
“Don’t stop,” I looked up to see a girl with stick straight red hair pulled back in a pony tail. Her fringe reminded me of Rachel’s from Glee, only hers fell into her deep blue eyes. She was leaning against the doorframe and when my eyes met hers, she grinned. “You sounded good.” I smiled self-consciously.
“I’m not sure about that,” I said. “I can’t get this note.” To emphasise my point I tried again and failed. She came over and studied my hands.
“You’ve got your fingers wrong,” she said as she moved my fingers to different strings. I ignored the little zap of electricity I felt as she touched my fingers. “Try it now.” I did and this time it sounded right.
“Thanks… ,” I trailed off as I realised I didn’t know her name.
“Alex Kelly,” she smiled again. She held out her hand and I shook it.
“Selena Harris,” I said.
“I know,” she said. “I’m in your home group.”
“Really?” I said as I wondered how I had not noticed her before.
“Yeah,” she said. “So what were you trying to play?”
“Defying Gravity,” I said. “Do you play?” Alex nodded.
“For almost five years,” she said. “How about you?”
“Six months,” I said. Alex looked shocked and confused at the same time.
“You’ve only been playing for six months and you’re learning Defying Gravity?” she asked.
I nodded and explained. “I’ve played piano for ten years but I need to learn this song for the school musical. We’re doing Wicked.”
“The piano and the guitar are very different instruments,” Alex said. “Don’t be disheartened if it takes you a couple of weeks to learn a song.”
“Do you know the song?” I asked. Alex smiled and nodded.
“Wicked is one of my favourite musicals,” she said. “When I was living in America, I saw it on Broadway. It’s the reason I started learning the piano. When I took up guitar lessons at ten, I fell in love with it. I’ve learnt all the songs since. I still play a little piano but guitar is defiantly my favourite instrument.”
“Can you play it for me?” I asked. Alex grabbed a chair and set it in front of me. Taking the guitar from me, she began to play. Her hands moved skillfully over the strings and her eyes closed as she lost herself in the music. When she finished I applauded.
“Can I ask you something?” she said as she put the guitar back in the stand.
“Sure,” I said, at the same time the bell rang for us to change classes. Alex looked disappointed and I smiled. “Ask me after school.” She nodded.
“Meet me at the front gate?” she asked. I nodded as I grabbed my bag and walked with her out the door of the music room.
That afternoon when I opened my locker, a note fell out.
Selena,
I couldn’t ask you this is person so I decided to write a note. Would you like to catch a movie this weekend?
Alex
I allowed a smile to creep over my face as I slipped the note into my pocket. Grabbing my maths book, I hurried to the front gate, where I hoped Alex would be waiting for me. Disappointed that Alex hadn’t waited for me at the gate I started walking home by myself. Then, I saw her strolling almost a block ahead of me. I ran after her and soon caught up.
Out of breath, I asked: “Leaving without hearing an answer to your note?” Alex smiled.
“I wanted to ask you in person,” she said. “But I couldn’t.”
“Well, the answer is yes,” I said. “I will go to the movies with you.” She grinned and linked her arm through mine.
“I’m sorry if that was too forward,” she added as we began walking again. “But I don’t know many people here yet and you’re the only one I’ve wanted to talk to.”
“Why did you move to town,” I asked.
“Dad’s a teacher at the primary school and he was transferred here,” Alex explained. “This is a great place to live and Dad loves his job but I don’t really feel like I can be myself. Do you know what I mean?”
“I know how difficult it is to make friends,” I said. “Is that what you mean?”
“Sort of,” Alex replied. I tried to read her expression but couldn’t and for the first time since I’d met her, I felt a little scared.
“What are you doing this afternoon?” I asked as I brushed my fear aside.
“Just homework,” she said. “And that will only take me about an hour.
“Do you want to come over to my place?” I asked. Her face lit up and I was glad I had invited her.
“Of course,” she said. “Do you mind if we go to my house first? I want to drop my bag off.”
“Sure,” I nodded. We walked quickly through the streets filled with other students heading home, so it was only another five minutes before we reached Alex’s house.
“I’ll be back in a second,” she said, before walking up the stairs. I wandered into the lounge room where there were a couple of pictures of Alex on the wall.
“Please don’t look at them,” Alex said as she returned. She’d changed and let her hair out. I walked over to her and ran my fingers through her hair. Alex stiffened as I spoke.
“Your hair is a pretty colour,” I said. As I brushed her fringe out of her eyes, I noticed that the colour bought out little gray flecks in her blue eyes.
“Thanks,” she said. I looked at my watch and noted it was nearly three-thirty.
“We better get going,” I said. “My mum starts to worry if I’m not home before four.” Alex followed me to the front door. I waited as she locked the door and then we headed off again.
“Mum, I’m home!” I called as we walked through the door of my house twenty minutes later. We went into the kitchen where Mum was watching Doctor Who whilst peeling potatoes.
“Hey sweetie,” she said, without taking her eyes off the TV. “How was school?” I looked at Alex who smiled.
“Pretty good,” I said. “I made a new friend.” Mum turned to look at me and paused when she saw Alex.
“Hello,” she said, dropping the potato and peeler on the table. “What’s your name, sweetheart?”
/> “Alex Kelly,” Alex replied. “My family moved here only recently. We were living in Brisbane but Dad’s a teacher and he was transferred here.”
“Do you have any brothers?” Mum asked. I groaned and grabbed Alex’s arm.
“We’ll be in my room, Mother,” I said. I started to walk to the kitchen door but Mum grabbed my arm.
“Can I talk to you for a minute, Selena?” she asked. I glanced at her face and saw an expression I knew well. The last time I had seen Mum wearing this face, I had lost my best friend.
“Ok,” I said to Mum.
“It’s the third door on the left at the top of the first flight of stairs,” I told Alex. Meanwhile, Mum waited until she heard Alex close my bedroom door before speaking to me.
“Is this going to a repeat of last year?”
“What do you mean?” I asked and Mum frowned.
“You know exactly what I mean,” she said as I rolled my eyes.
“No, Mother, this is not going to end like last year,” I said. “Can’t I just have a friend?” I climbed the stairs quickly and went into my room.
“I’m sorry about my mother,” I said.
“It’s cool,” Alex said. “At least she cares about you.”
“I can’t believe she asked if you have brothers. I wish she would realise I will find a boyfriend when I want to,” I muttered as I flopped on my bed. Alex sat beside me. I looked up at her but she wasn’t looking at me. She was looking at a picture of me with my mum that I kept on the chest of drawers.
“You should be thankful that your mum cares about you,” she said, barely loud enough for me to hear. “I haven’t seen my mum in thirteen years. My dad still blames me for her leaving.” I sat up.
“I’m sorry,” I said. Alex looked at me.
“I don’t want sympathy,” she said. “Just remember my circumstance the next time you