* * *
Stepping from the A building and the last class of the day; I came to the darkening clouds of a thunderstorm.
“Here.” Ethan handed me an umbrella. I didn’t take it from him. “You’ll get soaked if you walk in this,” he said nodding to the clouds.
It’s not raining; I scoffed and headed toward the gates.
He kept pace with me; a wry smile played his lips as I exited the school and passed several streets. Just as I was about to cross the street, the heavens opened and the droplets pelted with force. And for a breath, I was sure I’d be drenched, when the shadow of the umbrella was above me.
“Seems you misjudged,” he said smiling.
I huddled under the umbrella with Ethan standing with me.
So why aren’t you getting wet then. Isn’t this your type of fun, I joked.
His eyes held with mine. Taking in the length of his rustic hair, the curls were thicker, perhaps with the rain since that’s what my hair always did with a hint of moister in the air. With no answer from him, not that I was expecting one, but I wished I wasn’t treated so… stupidly.
I can’t stay here, I risked moving.
Ethan wouldn’t let me go.
“I can walk you home if you like. It’s better to be dry.”
Tugh. I grumbled, and my argument from this morning surfaced. Guess it’s later then. You owe me an explanation. I held my eyes on him hoping my other suspicions would be answered, but he didn’t show a single tell tail to what I’d said. I dropped my gaze.
It was awkward for several seconds while I decide to re-write my words. Just as I was about to pass the note, a car came around the corner. It wasn’t the first car to pass us on this street, but it was the first to beep its horn at us and slow down. This caused Ethan to step towards the vehicle of a modern sleek yellow Porsche. The tinted window wound down by an inch and all I could see was blue eyes. The window stayed on the low for several seconds, and who ever they were, they were talking to Ethan who hastily reached for me.
“Here. Take this.” His tone was cold and it startled me a little. “Please Kera.” He pleaded for me to take the umbrella.
I shook my head waving the note in his view. He scanned it, and winked. “I have to go. I’ll see you tomorrow. Promise.”
He pushed for me to take the umbrella; this time I stepped out of the shelter. The water soaked into me, not as intense as I thought it was, but still rewarding. His eyes widened at my action, but he didn’t follow. He let me go and I crossed the street, watching him close the umbrella and climbed into the Porsche.
Watching it speed away, I shrugged off the whole situation. I headed to my woods and my garden, regardless of the rain. For several minutes, I waited in the clearing, finding shelter in the thick of the trees to escape the rain storm. Lightning sparked and danced across the sky followed by thunder. The fresh scent of the wet woods held with new hope. Gazing in all directions, I grumbled. Where was he, he said he’d be here. I frowned taking in the rain and the thunder. He’s an animal; even he wouldn’t keep to a time with a thunderstorm. I turned from my garden and headed home, crossing the bridge and the meadow; I couldn’t stop looking around for Spirit. Why I wanted to tell him of my horrible day wasn’t something I could answer. I hated that I didn’t get anything from Ethan. He didn’t even answer my questions, it was worse we’d been interrupted. For a fleeting second I thought he was going to answer me with a yes. I was sure he could hear my thoughts and since he acts as though interfering in my life was a good thing.
I wiped my feet on the door mat. Once inside, I slipped from my soaked jacket. Wringing the strands of my hair, I shivered from the storm. Darkness lingered in the house since the thunderstorm arrived. It was too early to start dinner and too late to consider having a nap. I was tired from today. It dragged more and most of it was wasted on the idea that Ethan could read my thoughts. He couldn’t. He proved that under the umbrella since he didn’t get a chance to read my note. At the word—notes. I remembered his. I’d glanced at them today in History. Great, I’d walked all that way in the rain and my bag was used as a rain guard, and knowing Ethan’s notes where in there, I hastily reached for them. Soaked, ripped, and smudging.
That’s just great, just perfect. Now he’ll never lend me anything, considering I’d given him an eye full about Mel’s book and here I was ruining his notes. Tomorrow we had to show the teacher our progress, and we had none now. I scanned the time and gazed to the departing storm. It wasn’t raining so much as spitting, and with a run up the stairs, I dressed into fresh clothes; tossed my hair with determination that Ethan was home by now. In fact, his house was on the opposite side of my woods at the other end, an hours walk at best. With fast steps downstairs, I stared at the soaked notes. I couldn’t leave it like this. He’d hate it if we failed. I scribbled a note for Elizabeth with a glance around my house, and out the window to confirm my intentions. The sun was hidden by the passing storm and the drizzle was refusing to shift. This time I reached for my umbrella and with fast steps, I left for his house.
Hale Street was the known as the rich street in Kenneth. I’d walked it once a long time ago with Melody. With nothing in that direction a part from rich people’s homes, Ethan’s house was ridiculously rich known as the stone castle, and everyone envied it. It was no secret in the town that the house was as old as the first settlers’ a hundred and sixty years ago; it was built for the rich and the wealthy. Three levels, with the perfect T shape structure—an east and west wing. It was used as a hotel in the nineteen twenties and with twenty five rooms on the top floor, each with their own private bathroom that was five start attraction. Not cheap squishy rooms either—so the stories go. I’d never been inside the Coffer Manor. Last year, Melody insisted we visit it, no one lived in it—ever. Abandon and possibly home to a ghost or two. She’d dragged me grumbling all the way there just to stare up at the mansion with envy. Why Ethan’s family returned, since they hadn’t lived here all this time, but it was part of Ethan’s history.
I made it to the corner on Hale Street when I realised I hadn’t brought my bag with me. Stupid. I didn’t have the soaked notes to prove they were of no use, and I didn’t have my note book to write anything down for him. This was a big mistake, a really big mistake.
“You can’t make a bigger mistake than that,” said Mel. “If you wanted to see where he lived you could have followed him home yesterday.”
I rolled my eyes at her fake teasing and kicked myself for thinking she was here with me. It was what I always did when something bothered me the most. I imagined what she’d say or do. Most times, I was right, since I knew her so well, but with the logic of my mind telling me I was crazy, to think she was here. It was better than talking to a wolf. Right?
Standing on the side of the road, I stared at the street sign wishing I wasn’t so close and unsure if I should go to it at all. What good would it do now? The best I could do, was try and explain why I was there—they’d have to have a note paper of some kind, or I could re-write them myself. I hit my palm to my head and turned. Why didn’t I think of that in the first place instead of walking all the way out here? I turned to the woods heading home without further delay.
Several minutes into the woods, something caught my attention; movement was ahead. I stopped dead in my tracks. Emerging from the south direction came three wolves. I recognised Spirit at the back of the pack. The lead wolf was brown, the second a white. They weaved their way through the thick brush with little bother and neither had seen me. When they did, they folded their ear’s, puzzling my sudden appearance on the path—as I was them. Sure, two weeks ago—I might have run, given them something to chase—now, it wasn’t possible. If it wasn’t for the sight of Spirit, I’d of felt fear, not so eager to smile. But Spirit wasn’t happy to see me. The rain drops clung to their fur and as they stared at me. Time was ticking by and none of us were making a move. No whine, no growl, no pawing of the ground—just staring.
Now t
here are three of you? I whispered.
All three swivelled their ears as Spirit stepped forward.
So you do have a pack. Wow. Wonder if they will kill me. I teased.
His eyes didn’t show the look of amusement I wanted desperately to see. He looked nervous, grizzling and bobbing his head—was that go away.
Er … okay. So I’m heading home now. Was on my way somewhere … never mind. I took a step when the brown wolf grizzled at me. Spirit added his choked bark, which had the white wolf nip playfully at his ear. It was definitely something for the discovery channel and I wasn’t sure I was safe. Though fear was still far from me, I just didn’t feel it. Least with three of them, they’d definitely be an end to my life. So I waited.
You want to kill me too, I asked the brown one.
It twisted its ears to the side, and like Spirit did last week, it held a look of confusion.
You can hear me too … can’t you? I stepped closer as it sniffed the air and whined, followed by the white she-wolf. They edge closer, surrounding me.
Okay. I’m not … scared, but you are confusing me. Spirit? I questioned.
He dipped his head at my unspoken words. He wasn’t impressed, though a small spark of curiosity showed. A deeper growl came from the brown wolf, making me cringe. I wasn’t worried, I was … unsure. Was it now—this moment that I die.
Spirit stepped closer.
I relaxed as his head lifted to my hight and his eyes locked with mine. I smiled as I stared into his eyes, he was so close his breath was on my face—followed by his tongue, and then a wave of dizziness had me blinking and the wolves scattered. Fast. I was alone in the woods. The pack had vanished and … now what?
I turned around several times to try and make sense of it, to understand what I’d seen, and felt from Spirit. I couldn’t.
Well, you could have said good bye, I said to the air. I wiped my wet cheek, and turned to the south path and headed home.