Half Bitten

I groaned as I threw my pillow across the room violently. Why did he have to be in that parking lot? I was doing fine without his presence, my life felt normal again.
Well, as normal as it could be.
What was his infamous plan and why did Alec know about it before me? It probably wasn’t of the utmost importance because whatever he had planned would’ve taken place today. Right now, instead of tomorrow. I lay on my bed limply, staring at the blank popcorn ceiling. I titled my head to the side and noticed that the specs were arranged in a certain pattern. They formed something—a picture—a face.
I groaned bitterly, “Lowlii!”
Pulling the blanket off the ground and over my face I closed my eyes. It seemed as if the more I was trying to avoid him, the more he intruded into my life. Despite my muffled yells, I heard faint chiming. Rushing towards my school bag I tugged the zipper and let the contents that filled spill out. My eyes quickly pinpointed my cell phone.
“Jackie.” Amber’s voice called.
“Amber, you have to help.”
“What happened?” her voice seemed concerned. “Is it Alec? I’ll punch that leech!”
I dropped to the ground, “no, it’s not.”
After hearing the desperation of my voice, she groaned. “You’re thinking about him, aren’t you? Just stop it, Jackie. He isn’t worth it. If he’s in love with another girl, what’s the point?”
She seemed a little too eager to get her point across.
“But, we could still be friends!” I protested.
I could hear her roll her eyes. “No. Impossible. Get dressed, I’m coming over and taking you to the mall.”
“No, it’s too early.” I warned. “My dad will think something’s up.”
“Jackie, it’s 3 in the afternoon. Don’t tell me you’ve been stuck in your bedroom the whole time?”
I soon realized why the time had passed so quickly. This room was pretty bland and it failed to amuse me from time to time. As I inhaled slowly I caught a hint of vanilla.
“You’re right. I need to leave the house. Everything even smells like him.”
“Good. It’s a date. I’ll be over in a couple of minutes.”
The line disconnected soon after. I stood up staring at the clustered room. Heaps of clothing scattered over from one wall to the opposite. I raced to my window and lifted it open, hoping that it would air out his smell.
As I picked up my clothes the scent of vanilla grew. I groaned in disgust, stuffing most of my closet into the hamper. My pillow, still across the room, happened to be the only thing that smelled like it should. I placed it onto my bed as I searched for a piece of clothing that managed to escape the hamper. My red plaited shirt had been kicked under my bed along with the skinny jeans I disregarded. I slipped the pieces of clothing on then searched for a can of air freshener.
“This ought to do it.” I mumbled to myself as I strained my finger onto the button, forcing a cloud of questionable steam to come out of the can. I swung it around furiously.
“Take that you stupid smelly mutt!” I grumbled.
“Hey!” a voice hissed from my open window. I stopped, allowing my ears to hear clearly.
The tree in front of my window started to shake, its branches scratched against the glass. Nervously, I pointed the can towards the space between the window and its frame.
“Hey, Jackie!” the voice hissed again. Bit by bit, a figure started to make its way in.
I pressed down on the button of the can once again. It was the only way I knew how to defend myself.
“Go away! I know a werewolf that will bite your head off!” still holding my finger firmly over the button of the can, I yelled to the figure.
“Ow!” the voice belonging to the figure squeaked. “Stop it—stop it! God, Jackie! What am I going to do with you!”
“Stop saying my name!” I yelled in response.
Trying to create space, I stumbled back, wrestling with the figure. As I landed on my bed I flung my hands towards the figure’s face, hoping that I would do some damage.
“Jackie! For god’s sake, it’s me!”
After realizing that I had closed my eyes out of fright, I opened them quickly.
Lowlii let his body lay on top of mine; his blue eyes stared down with confusion.
Great. I was going to have to stuff myself in the washing machine to get his scent off.
“What are you doing using a can of lemon air freshener anyway?” Lowlii scowled. “You hate lemon! If anything, you like the scent of vanilla more.”
My jaw clenched as my hands turned into fists.
“Now,” Lowlii’s eyebrows arched up, “I’m going to let go of you.”
I raised my arm up with angered force. His warm hand grabbed my wrist and pushed it against the mattress with little effort. “Only if you promise not to spray me anymore!”
“Just get off of me!” I groaned.
His body laid still, his mouth was the only thing that moved. “Promise.”
“Fine!” I yelled through my teeth.
Slowly the hand he had laid on my wrist loosened its grip. It wasn’t till after he shifted off of me that I realized he pinned me down with one arm.
“That’s not fair.” I muttered angrily. “You said you weren’t going to use your super strength on me.”
He chuckled lightly, “you’re the one who pulled out the air freshener. What was I supposed to do?”
After finding the energy to sit up, I scoffed. “There’s this new invention. It’s called the doorbell.”
He smirked, “there’s also this new air freshener. It’s called Febreze.”
I grabbed his arm and started to pull him towards the window. “You need to leave.”
“On what grounds?” he protested as I dragged him along.
“How about the fact that you just broke into my bedroom without permission?”
After I swung him around, I started to push on his chest as if he was supposed to fold up automatically. As Lowlii recklessly stumbled backwards, he let his hands rest of my waist. With a happy smile he let a humored tone coat his voice. “Okay, Jackie. May I break into your bedroom?”
“No you may not!” I prohibited.
A hearty laugh rumbled from his chest as I tried to push harder.
“Would you calm down? I need to talk to you.” his warm nurturing hands found their way to mine.
I slapped them off sternly. “Go away!”
Lowlii’s laugh twisted into a slight chuckle as he stumbled once more. Letting his hands glide back to my waist he bobbed his head to the side in defiance. “Give me a good reason.”
I glanced over his shoulder to the window and quietly calculated how much force was going to be needed to swing him out with one more push.
“I have a date!” my mouth spoke.
Suddenly, he became unmovable. “With who? Tell me where he lives so I could rip his face off!”
I glanced back from the window to his eyes after finding his bitter tone surprising. They weren’t coated with warmth. If anything, they seemed to be fogged up with jealousy.
I tried to hold back and smirk. “Alec.”
For the next moment he stood completely still. If my hands hadn’t been resting on his chest, I could’ve easily thought that he wasn’t alive anymore.
“No, no, no—I told you to stay away from him.”
“You did no such thing!” I challenged.
He raised his brow sternly, “I’m taking you away. You’re coming with me—you—you can’t go on a date with Alec.”
I tried to step back but his firm hold on my waist was like concrete.
“Why do you care anyway?” I scowled, letting my hand hit his chest. “Let go of me!”
Instead of doing so, he started to move forward. As I stumbled back wearily his eyes shifted as if his mind was in deep thought. “Why would he ask you out when he promised to stay away from you?”
“Let me go!” I growled.
He continued to drag me towards the bed, talking in the same hushed tone. “Doesn’t he know that it takes a lot of time to do what I need to do?”
We crashed back onto my bed. Instead of fighting, I laid there effortlessly, listening to his blabber.
“Why—why is he doing this? Did he forget about the plan?”
My mind slowly started working, “Plan? The thing that’s supposed to happen tomorrow? Really? What’s that?”
My voice pulled him out of his trance. After seeing how close we had gotten he pulled himself up and then propped me up next to him. “Why would he ask you out?”
I glowered, “how are you so sure he did the asking?”
Amber’s car horn beeped impatiently.
Lowlii glanced towards the window as I hoped silently that he wouldn’t pick up her scent.
“Well, that’s my ride.” I sighed as I headed towards the door planning to run down the stairs as soon as possible.
Lowlii let his warm fingers hold onto my hand and pull. Within seconds, my body was against his. I squinted my eyes shut; the warmth in my stomach had started to burn once again.
“Be careful.” Lowlii’s mouth whispered.
There was something different about Lowlii. My eyes shot open in shock. His warm face grew cold. His blue eyes turned into cold silver. The color of dread, the color of warning.
I inhaled slowly, trying not to blink. Normally my eyes would calculate his expression within seconds but his face stayed frozen.
My only reaction was to use my free arm and wrap it around him compassionately. At first, it felt like I was hugging a tree. Rigid and stiff, his body just stood. I sighed sharply and pulled myself closer. Hugging more firmly I hoped that he would blink but he still stood in the same manner. Thinking back to when I had gotten a reaction from him I puckered my lips and set them onto his chest.
After feeling the action through his white cotton shirt, he inhaled slowly.
“Be careful, Jackie. Don’t let Alec get too close.” Was all his mouth mumbled.
I didn’t want to let go. In fact, I didn’t want to move an inch.
Amber honked her horn once again.
“You—you should go.” Lowlii advised, letting his eyes shift away from mine.
I stepped back but his grip on my arm still held. “Wait.” He advised once more.
I titled my head up finding relief in the fact that his eyes were starting to grow warm again. His breathing was heavier then usual, as if he was planning something. With one quick step his body was pinned against mine once more. My hands turned into fists as I groaned out of agony. Every second he was around was torture for me. I doubted that he didn’t know what was going through my mind every time he allowed his body closer. Sometimes the urge would compel me enough that my knees would start to shake, my heart would start to skip beats.
Lowlii’s eyebrows arched down with compassion as he set his lips onto my forehead. “Just promise you’ll remember me. Remember tomorrow.”
“No, wait!” I urged clutching for his arm but caught the absence of his presence instead. As he swung out of the window I stomped my feet angrily.
“Come on!” Amber’s voice called out.
I marched down the stairs madly huffing. As I got into Amber’s car I noticed the sudden expression of shock frozen onto her face.
“What?” I scowled.
Her lips trembled, “no—nothing.”

As I sipped my coke while walking along side Amber in the busy mall, my nerves finally calmed down. Amber let her legs slow down to a pace that matched mine.
“Are you going to tell me what’s wrong?”
You’d chop my head off if I did. “Nope.”
She rolled her eyes. “If it has something to do with Lowlii, just tell me now.”
If I did, you’d still chop my head off. I retorted back mentally. “It’s fine. It has nothing to do with him.”
It was my fault. All the pain I had been put through was because of my idiotic tendency to fall in love with sexy werewolves like Lowlii. What caused me to hold onto those feelings for so long? It was obvious that he didn’t feel the same way about me, but something told me to stay.
I was nothing but a mere puppet and he was the puppeteer. Each string was attached to my heart. With one tug, my heart would crave his warmth. With one tug my heart would only beat for his. All I knew was that it was time to cut those strings. It was time to let myself fall away from his control in hopes that someone else would catch me. Someone as equally strong and dazzling.
“Well, we’re here.” Amber sighed out of boredom. “What now?”
“I’m sorry.” I apologized, “we’re supposed to be having fun. We’re supposed to be enjoying life and all I’m doing is bringing you down.”
She mouth fell silent, the type of silent that expressed agreement. Walking past random clothing stores I sighed inwardly. “Let’s start having fun. What do you want to do?”
She shrugged, “nothing. Malls aren’t for me. I like the park better.”
I tried not to laugh. “We could go buy a Frisbee.”
“Good one!” she laughed sarcastically.
I laughed again, “Let’s go get you some clothes. If you say malls aren’t for you I’m assuming you haven’t been here for a while.”
She shook her head in rebellion. “No, no clothes. I’d probably rip out of them sooner or later.”
I took her hand urgently and started to drag her into a nearby store. “All the more reason to keep the receipt.” I advised, leading her towards the first clothing rack that caught my eye.
She took one glance with her saddened blue eyes and looked away. “Pass.”
“I object.” I challenged, making her turn her attention back to the clothing rack.
Amber growled something under her breath and forced her hands through the rack, her fingers slightly grazing the sleeves of various colored shirts, she grimaced.
“Well, if it isn’t Shotgun!” Nathan’s voice entered into my ears. Amber and I both turned our heads simultaneously. Nathan stood by a nearby clothing rack smiling happily. As he swung his work vest over on arm he hugged each one of us with the other.
“Doing some late holiday shopping?” He chuckled lightly.
Amber scoffed, “she’s forcing me to go shopping.”
Nathan nodded as a signal of comprehension. “Steph was just in here seconds ago. She left because she got a call from Lowlii. He said you were on a date with Alec.”
Oh great. My whole cover was blown.
Amber took a glance back to me with a smirk. “Way to go.”
I bit my lip, trying to contain the guilt that had swept over me.
Nathan laughed as he noticed the troubled look in my eyes. “don’t worry. I know how you could make it up to him. We’re having bonfire tomorrow at the beach, I’m sure he’ll be glad to see you there.”
I stared down at the ground, “beach? It’d be pretty cold for me.”
He chuckled, “well, I know someone who’s planning to keep you warm.”
“As if!” Amber scoffed, turning back to the clothing rack. “Lowlii would probably be too busy with Jessica.”
Nathan rolled his eyes, “even so, she should still come.”
“Who should come?” a familiar voice intruded the conversation. Chase entered the store holding a bag of Chinese takeout and two sodas. Handing one to Nathan, he turned his attention back to me.
“Nice to meet you again. Have you been keeping off the streets?”
I smiled sheepishly, “sure.”
Amber snorted carelessly. Her attention still lying on the clothing rack, she referred her voice back to us. “Don’t worry about that, boss. I’ve been driving her everywhere for the past two weeks.”
Chase turned to Nathan as soon as Amber finished her bitter remark.
Nathan rolled his eyes once more and reluctantly followed proper etiquette. “Amber, this is Chase, my big brother.”
Amber turned her attention away from the rack towards Chase’s aqua blue eyes.
Within seconds the air around them stood still. Without blinking their eyes kept perfect timing. Amber’s maddened expression had subdued down to a happy calming expression, one that could only be given to the love of your life. Chase smiled sheepishly as he let his eyes outlined every centimeter of her face with admiration. I recognized what this was. It was something inevitable, something no one can come between.
Imprinting.
Nathan glared with suspicion after they both failed to breathe.
“What did you do to them?” I growled under my breath to Nathan.
His eyebrows rose in shock as his voice matched the same hushed tone I had carried. “ I don’t know. What did you do?”
My body started to panic. We had to stop this. I had to stop this. Chase had Stephanie. There was no way this could happen without Chase getting his head ripped off. Without Stephanie getting hurt.
“You seem hungry.” Chase mumbled airily to Amber.
Amber smiled back, slightly bobbing to the side in a trance. “Yea, I am.”
“No you’re not!” I yelled.
Amber darted her stinging gaze towards me. I stared back, trembling. It was filled with fury, rage. The thought couldn’t help but cross my mind that Amber was back to her old self.
Letting a quiet whimper out, Nathan stepped back. “Okay, fine. You’re hungry.”
Chase smiled, still gazing to Amber. “Let’s go get you something to eat.”
Within seconds they sauntered out of the store giggling, unwilling to keep their eyes off of each other.
I glared back to Nathan in horror. “What just happened?”
He sipped on his drink calmly, “love. That’s what just happened.”
I let my eyebrows arch down in anger as I punched his shoulder. “What is Stephanie going to do? What—what am I going to do?”
After scrunching his face and rubbing his shoulder with his free hand to ease the pain, Nathan sighed. “You don’t have to do anything. If they’re soul mates, they’re going to imprint on each other whether you like it or not.”
I glanced back to the doorway in desperation. Hoping that Amber would walk back in as if nothing had happened. “This is all my fault. I consider Steph one of my best friends—how, how is she going to think of me now?”
Nathan groaned, “Just leave them alone. If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.”
I stomped my feet angrily, “damn it, Nathan! Would you stop going Gandhi on me and face the real problem!”
He took another sip, “well, if you think about it… you really can’t do anything until the bonfire tomorrow. I’m sure they’ll be there.”
I glared at him as he took another mocking sip. My hand flung the cup of soda to the ground, as the straw stayed in between his shut lips.
“Are you sure a fire would better this situation?”
Nathan looked down to the spill by his feet. “You’re cleaning that up.”
I glowered, “are all werewolves this heartless?”
He glowered back, “when you take away their mountain dew? Yes!”