Can't Love a Werewolf, Without Getting Fleas.

I finished unpacking the little things, and felt that it was too clean. So I tossed a few shirts on the ground and laid my giant headphones out on my dresser beside my stereo.

I turned up the music and jammed out, getting on twitter to update everything.

ShayleexTurner: Just got settled in, going bowling in a bit with apparently… some old friends. I miss @KaraxBarewood and @Mr.Michael4 and everyone back home!!

It was 4. Now just to pass the time…

I think I’ll read a book. I’m really into the whole science-fiction romances. I don’t know why, it’s always been like that since I was about seven or eight. A little after I moved to New York.

I recently got interested in the books Vampire Diaries, and The Dark Divine. (.::BOTH REALLY GOOD BOOKS!::.)

I barely noticed that it was already six. I yawned.

My eyes felt weird from staring at a book for so long. I sighed.

I seriously needed a life. Maybe it was good that I was going out.

*

I inhaled deeply at the smell of my body soap.

Olay Ribbons. A tangy rose smell.

I shook the towel through my hair in hopes of getting out most of the water.

I sighed as I stared blankly at my hair dryer. I dreaded this part. It took forever to dry my freaking hair.

I am always in a rush. I’m never one to estimate a decent amount of time to get ready. I was running around the house. I had everything down but lip-gloss and my Vans, when the doorbell rang.

I squealed for no apparent reason and felt my cheeks go red with embarrassment.

Was it a sign that I was weird when I was embarrassed to sound weird in front of myself?

Actually, don’t answer that.

FINALLY when I was finished, I practically flew down the stairs, skipping a few steps here and there.

As I opened the door, I was momentarily proud that I hadn’t tripped.

Blake stood there in a stunning white button down shirt, with the sleeves rolled to his elbows.

His smile lit up his whole face, giving it definition.

“Hey there.” He smiled, as he stuck his hands in the pockets of his khaki pants.

“Uh, hey. I’m going to go grab my phone, and then tell my parent’s I’m going out.” I said shyly.

I excused myself to the kitchen. My phone was on one of the countertops.

“Who is that?” My dad asked.

My mom was deeply enthralled in a magazine.

“Blake. He’s Brooke’s brother. He’s picking me up, and we’re going to meet up with Brooke and a bunch of her friends.”

I said, trying not to be livid at my parent’s sudden interest in my pass-time.

“A boy? Shaylee, I’m not sure if that’s a good idea.” My dad said, as his eyes shifted behind me.

I felt suddenly chilly.

Must be the new house and the new air conditioning... I thought

“You know Mr. Turner. I promise to have her home at ten thirty.” Blake’s voice came from the spot my dad was glaring at.

My dad blinked his eyes. “Well…”

“I insist she come. It will be good for her to know some people before school starts tomorrow.” Blake said, a certain amount of authority in his voice.

“Yes… well I presume that would be good for her. Alright. See you at ten thirty then Shayles?”

I winced at my dad’s kiddy-nickname for me. Could this moment get any worse?

I ducked behind my thick bangs and waved my dad a goodbye.

Black followed loomingly and quiet behind me.

As we walked outside, I noticed his rather impressive and expensive looking Porsche.

I was what you could call flabbergasted for a brief second. But that didn’t last very long, as the sound of heavy chuckling hit my ear.

“Shayles. Cute.”

Blake said, passing my standing figure as he went to unlock the car.

I just kind of stared, scared that someone as normal and middle class as me would ruin the image of the beautiful Porsche. But what am I saying, that’s so cliché.

Just shut up and move Shaylee. I commanded as I blinked myself back into reality.

“You comin?” Blake smiled kindly at me and I found myself stepping into the passenger side of the car.

“Nice car.” I breathed in, enjoying the long lost smell of new car.

My parents believe that a smelly used car would benefit us better than trying to ‘Keep up with the Jones’s’ and buy the new hyped-out car of the week.

“So how far away is the bowling place?” I asked, feeling like the awkward silence would be the death of me.

FYI: I’m a melodramatic.

“Not that far. Why, nervous?”

“Yeah right. I totally own at anything I put my mind to.”

“I bet.” He smiled brilliantly again, making me blush and a small smile formed on my lips as well.

“It’s so great that you moved back here. Nothing was better than our childhood.”

“Oh.” There was that subject again. How they constantly brought up awkward memories that again, I DON’T REMEMBER, I do not know.

If I didn’t know any better, I’d say it was sort of sketchy.

I’d ask my parents about it later. They hadn’t really done anything whenever the subject of my childhood was brought up.

And for some reason, my stomach felt like it was flipping inside of me. And no, it’s not because I’m in the same car as Blake.

But I ignored it. Again, I’m a melodramatic, I freak out over everything.

It’s been that way since I can remember.

“Sorry. Keep forgetting you don’t remember.” Blake’s trademark smile fell.

“It’s fine. I’m sure I’ll remember soon enough.”

We pulled into a parking lot lit by street lamps, that were scattered across many of the vacant parking spots.

The big building had a flashing sign, as well as movement.

It read “Pin Heads.” I laughed at the clever name. It was childish, but something I’d expect from a bowling alley.

Next to the bright red neon name, pins lit up, and they flowed to the right, showing them getting knocked over and flying in every direction.

I liked this place already.

“I hope not…”

“What was that?” I asked, still intrigued with bright lights, as if I were a moth attracted to them.

“Nothing. You like it?” His smile returned as if it had never left.

“Very much so.”

I skipped down the sidewalk, excited to see what was on the inside.

More bright lights? A girl could only hope.

“Wow. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone so excited about bowling.”

“Hey now. I didn’t have qaint little bowling alley’s in New York holmes.”

“Right. Forget you’re a city girl. With a skip like that, it’s easy to be confused.”

I giggled. “Yeah, yeah. You’re buying my nachos then.”

I poked-fun as we entered the old shoe and popcorn smelling building.

The smell was familiar.

“Did we ever visit here when we were little?”

I asked, strangely at home with this place. It felt like I had been here many times before.

“No. We never really hung out here.”

I stopped my gawking to look back at Blake. His face was rather emotionless, not showing really any sign of what he meant.

“Are you sure?”

His eyes turned a little; into slits. “Positive.”

I looked around, excited to get started, but not knowing really where to start.

“We have to go get shoes first.”

I nodded, looking at all the lanes that lay next to one another, and the different groups of people crowded around each one.

I laughed at someone who threw a ball into someone else’s lane.

I tried to focus in to where we were going. There were a lot of people here tonight, and I didn’t really feel like getting lost. Not that Blake’s tall muscular figure would be hard to find.

Along with that trademark blonde hair.

I peeked around his broad shoulders at the shoe counter.

My stomach lifted in surprise. The guy from the woods was standing there, in a checkered black and red uniform.

His floppy black hair hung in his eyes. He looked bored with life.

His bland expression almost made me laugh.

I wonder if he remembers me? After all, out of everyone here. He was the only person I have remembered.

He didn’t seem to see me. He turned around to help someone at the opposite counter.

“Blake! Shaylee! Over here! I got your shoes!” Brooke’s voice was heard on lane 3.

Her skinny pale arms and bright familiar face smiled back at us.

It was scary how much her and Blake looked alike.

Blake motioned me to follow him over. I followed obediently, not really being one to be the life of the party.

“Where are the two sisters?” I whispered to Blake as we walked over.

“The who?”

“The girls that were here earlier, the blonde ones.”

“Oh. They were just visiting from uh… out of town.”

“Oh. Ok.”

“So glad you could make it!” Brooke chimed, hugging me like she did the first night I saw her.

The posse was all here, along with another girl.

“This is Rachel.” Rachel smiled at me, the smile fake and forced.

“Hey.” I stated, feeling as though I should at least try to be more polite.

Everyone looked up at me with a weird expression. I felt my cheeks burn red and I shook my bangs in front of my face- something I did when I was nervous.

“You’re like a size seven, right?” Brooke said, picking up a pair of pink bowling shoes.

“Yeah. Good guess.”

“Thanks. I’ve got a sort of talent for fashion.” She smiled, handing the shoes to me.

Blake was talking to Fredrick and Richey. Rachel was talking with Annie, and Brooke was getting the score sheet together.

I sighed, having butterflies poke my tummy. This place seemed like home, but here with them- everything felt fake and played.

I couldn’t help but wonder about the guy I saw in the woods, the one at the front desk.

I turned around; he was still working. Was it weird that I was so disappointed he hadn’t noticed me?

“Girls verse boys.” Brooke smiled, her red lipstick spreading across her straight white teeth.

“You ever played before?”

“Not really.” I answered truthfully.

“I’ll go first then.” She said, getting up from her seat, and commanding the talkative group of people to sit down.

The boys sat on one side of the lane, in pale white chairs, while we sat on the opposite side in the same pale chairs.

Brooke’s steady hand grabbed a ball and held it up under her chin.

After a long moment’s pause, she swung her arm back and slung it forward with such speed, I had to blink a few times to make sure that was real.

The ball brilliantly flew down the lane and hit all the pins.

I gulped.

No pressure on me, huh?

Fredrick went next. He didn’t really pause like Brooke did. His ego swung on through with the ball as he easily knocked over all the pins.

“You’re next.” Brooke gave me a reassuring smile.

Rachel looked up at me and giggled to Annie. Annie in return let a wicked smile play across her lips.

No problem… breathe. Not that everyone else is super good at bowling or anything.

I just stared at the pins. I stared right at the middle hoping maybe that if I stared long enough the ball would float out of my clammy hands and strike out.

You’ve got this.

I jumped. That wasn’t my thought….

What the heck was that??

Follow through.

I looked behind me. Brooke was smiling like she was expecting something magical to happen. Annie was smiling like she was expecting me to fail.

Don’t we think alike?

Fredrick was staring at Brooke lovingly and Richey gave me a thumbs up.

My eyes wandered to Blake.

He winked. Good. Now stop looking at me and follow through.

My whole head went hot. All the way down to my neck. This couldn’t be real.

How was he doing that?

I must be going crazy.

Now.

I shook my head to get rid of all busy thoughts swarming through my mind.

Follow through; couldn’t be that hard, right?

I took one last look at the pins and swung.

I swung my arm through and felt the ball leave my hand.

I didn’t want to look; I just kept my eyes closed.

Maybe rejection wouldn’t be so hard if I didn’t see my awful mistake.

“YOU DID IT!” Brooke chimed; jumping up and coming over to me.

“I KNEW YOU WOULD!” She hugged me and the force jerked my eyes open.

All the pins were down on the ground.

I stared.

Seriously? Did that just happen? Because I am totally not good at sports.

Rachel’s mouth dropped open and Annie looked ticked off.

Before I knew it two strong arms were wrapped around me.

“Told you, all you had to do was follow through.” Blake’s wispy voice echoed in my ear.

“Yeah…” I laughed nervously. He was acting like talking to me in my head was a normal thing.

But it wasn’t. He wasn’t. All of them weren’t. Not by their looks, not by anything.

I stood on my tip toes to look over Blake’s big shoulder.

I looked at the front desk.

He was gone. Just the girl with multiple freckles was working up there.

I sighed in disappointment.

Why? I don’t know.

Why did I care about him so much?