Howl

  Chapter 3 – Party with Me

  For the rest of the week—and far into the next, things didn’t improve very much with family matters, and the conditions with the flu didn’t get too much better either. Mom did break her silence and decided to talk to me, but we didn’t speak of the hospital visit; in fact, she pretended as though it never even happened. I took aspirin every morning before I felt any sort of discomfort, because I knew I would desperately need it, and it did help me to get through school. But, after that, I stayed at home, in my room with all of the lights turned off. Even at night, I kept the lights off.

  Scarlet did show a bit of concern for me; she was the only one. I welcomed the sympathy figuring it would make up for whatever part of it my family deprived me of. I told Scarlet everything, and like the good friend she is, nodded and listened intently, she didn’t judge me like my own creators—my parents. I couldn’t remember an occasion like this occurring where they didn’t believe anything I had to say, or anytime that they would not listen to what I had to say. I had no explanation for their strange behavior, but I accepted it as what it would be like from now on.

  Dad started dropping me off at school, and it was so awkward. I’d been walking since 5th grade, now it was like they didn’t trust me enough to let me walk. Even still, Mom was always the one who ran the errands and drove me to places I needed to go. I just wasn’t in Dad’s job description. As if Mom wouldn’t think that I noticed her absence from my life, but I did. She was such a big part of it before, but that woman could certainly hold a grudge.

  Scarlet did a super corny little dance. “Hey, Halle, we’re all going over to the forest south of here to have a bonfire party.”

  I sniffled. “Who’s going?”

  “Dean, Drake, Rafael, Justin, Selena, Alisha, Evelyn, and her brother, Christopher… and of course me.”

  I tilted my head from side to side. “I’m not sure my mom will let me go,” I said honestly.

  “It’s going to be awesome though, you have to come. Everyone’s going to be there.”

  “It won’t be everyone if I can’t make it.” I stood up from the grassy school grounds, and steadied myself against the big tree that I just sat under.

  Scarlet placed her hands on my shoulders. “Sneak. Out.” She shook me with each word.

  I pushed her hands away and rolled my eyes. “I wouldn’t do something like that.”

  “Then lie, you’re going over to my house for a sleepover with me.”

  I gasped. “Scarlet!”

  “Fine, twist the truth, go to the bonfire with me and then come over to my house for a sleepover.” She pushed out her lower lip and formed a cute, little doggy pout.

  I gave a sigh. It had been awhile since I’d been to a party, and I really wanted to go. I just wasn’t sure if it was worth begging my parents. “If my mom says it’s okay, I’ll go. End of story.” I looked into her disappointed face, and it guilted me into lightening my tone. “I’ll just be very convincing.”

  Scarlet tilted her head down and peered up at me with her smoldering grey-eyed gaze. “You better come.”

  I shrugged, picking up my backpack and books out of the grass. When Scarlet wants something she gets it, she is a very persuasive person. At times, I loved that about her, and others I hated it—it depended on if she was using it against me or not. If I wanted something, Scar would be the first person I would call for backup, but I wasn’t quite certain that I would be feeling up to going to the bonfire to party. I mean, my eyes hadn’t even returned to normal yet. It had been a real pain in the neck. I must have tripped about a thousand times in the past week, and Logan just loves to stick his foot out at will to add to my suffering.

  Scar and the small circle of friends we shared were party animals. I still don’t know why I hung out with them; none of them were at all like me. But I guess that’s why they say opposites attract. They’re good though, I mean, no drugs can be found around us, but if there was any reason to party—or no reason at all—there would be a party.

  I walked back up to the school with Scarlet collecting stares from the other students who had nothing better to do. I didn’t really pay attention to where we were going, so I just followed Scar and thanked God we had the same classes.

  “You’ve never met Christopher, have you?” Scar asked.

  I raised my eyebrows. “Who?”

  She shook her head and glared at me making me wish I would have paid attention. “Christopher is Evelyn’s brother.”

  “Oh, no I haven’t. He doesn’t go to school here, why would I know him?”

  Scarlet’s soulful laughter filled my ears. “He didn’t used to go to school here, you mean.”

  As far as I was concerned he could have been homeschooled, really, I couldn’t have cared less. At this point, I was only humoring her to make up for me not paying attention earlier… which I suppose isn’t really any better than me not paying attention now. “Oh, so he’s attending now?” Scar knew everyone at school—and it wasn’t necessarily just as acquaintances. She called nearly everyone her friends and she worked hard to maintain her relations… and as such she was officially recognized by our peers as the welcoming committee. She always paid extra attention to the new meat.

  “Yep, he is officially a student today.” Scarlet nodded her head towards a respectable looking student.

  His form-fitting shirt displayed his muscular arms wonderfully. He stood perfectly straight. Chest puffed up like a beautiful frigatebird’s mating call. Selena, Rafael, and Drake surrounded him. Drake was talking about football—of course he would be joining the football team—and that’s exactly what he looked like: a dumb, self-centered jock. “So that’s him then?”

  “Christopher Vallone.” The words dripped off Scarlet’s lips. That was the only thing sexy about him. It was a disgusting sight. He looked like he owned the place. I hate people like that, who think they own everything, everyone, and every place they set foot in—pure arrogance. Just waiting for the girls to swoon over him and his team of men. They all wanted him or wanted to be him.

  He flexed his muscles when he reached for his book, closed his locker, and then ran his fingers through his hair with his left hand—as if such a small feat like grabbing your books is actually going to ruin your hair enough to need to fix it.

  Christopher glanced toward Scarlet. I wasn’t anything worth looking at when she was standing near—plus I may have been glaring… a little. I turned on my heel to proceed on my path down the hall; completely done with his pompousness.

  “Hey, Scar.” It was his voice right behind me.

  My feet tangled with each other when I went to step, but my body kept moving forward towards the hard floor. Two arms reached around me and stopped me from falling any farther. They pulled me back up into a standing position. I pushed my hair back into place, and I realized who my savior was—Christopher. After seeing this feat, I immediately scratched off him as being a jock—normal jocks would just let me fall and then laugh.

  “Are you alright?” He asked. His hands still grasped my upper arms. I nodded vigorously, completely at a loss for words. He let go slowly acting like I was some kind of ceramic decoration.

  I peeked at Scarlet. She smiled satisfactorily. I thought she would be angry that her big, hunky jock heroically caught me.

  “Are you going to the party tonight, Halle?” As if it wasn’t a surprise enough that Christopher actually caught me, but he knew my name too. And… was he asking me to a party?

  I stopped my excitement short, if he knew my name, it meant people were talking about me to him, and I wondered what they told him. I reassured myself that the impression I would make would overrule anything anyone else would say about me. And if he needed confirmation on any rumors he could just ask and I’d tell him right… unless he’s one of those people who don’t ask, in that case—

  “Halle—” Scarlet elbowed me in the ribs. “—An
d I will definitely be going to the party tonight. The real question is, are you gonna be at the party?”

  “Oh heck yeah. I’ll be going too.” He tilted his head down and smirked up at me. “Can’t have you falling with no one to catch you, can we?” He gave a casual wink.

  “Yeah—I mean, no, I can take care of myself,” I retorted.

  The bell rang for the next class. Christopher chuckled. “I’ll see you later tonight, Halle.”

  Scarlet grabbed my arm and pulled me down the hall in the opposite direction Christopher was headed. No sooner than he was out of earshot, she stopped me in the middle of the hall and placed her hands on my shoulders. “You’re in like with him!” she exclaimed.

  I gasped. “I am not. I think he’s a pompous, self-centered jerk.”

  She sighed deeply. “Ouch. Those are some strong feelings for someone who just caught you before you made yourself look like an idiot. Plus, all of that can easily be over-looked, especially with a hottie like him.” She jumped in front of me and started walking backwards. “Did you see his eyes?”

  I started walking again. “Nope. I didn’t. But I see yours, Scar, you’re taken, put your eyes back in your head.”

  “But you’re not! Someone has to look for you, since you won’t. Besides, you’re the one who has the hots for him, not me.”

  I laughed dubiously. “No. I do not.”