Each Vibrant Memory

After overhearing that conversation, the one where it sounded like Warren was hiding something from me, Friday couldn't come fast enough. I think Warren knew something was going on with me, because all throughout the day, I wasn't able to sit still. I alternated between bouncing up and down in my seat, tapping my feet, drumming my fingers… anything to work off my growing nerves.

It was a mark of how unexciting my life was, I thought, that I was so easily worked up as this.

"What are we doing tonight?" I asked him during lunch. I tried to ask as casually as possible, but it was hard. I thought my voice sounded strained, and winced.

"I was thinking we could just… talk. Maybe at the beach? It's always nice there this time of year." I nodded. Talking sounded good, because from what I'd heard a couple of days ago, he was intentionally keeping something from me. I was desperate to know what it was. I felt like a baited mouse, and by golly, I was determined to get the cheese.

What can I say? It was those curiosity issues of mine again.

That night, Warren called me and apologized profusely for having to cancel. He sounded genuinely upset that something had come up- he wouldn't say what. I was disappointed, more than I let on. I refused to let him see just how disappointed I was. He hung up and I moped around the house for the weekend. Chris asked what was wrong, but I didn't tell him. It was too pathetic. I could only imagine how it would sound to him. 'Well, this guy I hardly know cancelled our plans to sit around talking. Boo hoo.' No, thank you.

On Monday morning when I saw Warren, I ran to him and hug-tackled him. I always had been terrible at keeping my emotions in check. He laughed, but hugged me back tightly. He smelled delightfully like pine and soap.

"What was that for?" he asked while we walked to my locker.

"Well… I guess I must have missed you." I refused to meet his eye as I said this, looking anywhere but.

"I guess I missed you too." I grinned my brightest smile, and he smiled back. Suddenly, my day was looking much brighter.

I knew that Chris was watching our exchange, but I did my best to ignore him. He had always been very overprotective of me, so I'd had a lot of practice over the years.

"Aw, look how cute," Dalton said, coming up behind us. I resisted the urge to glare. Warren had been friends with this boy for eons longer than he'd known me. I didn't want Warren to feel like I didn't like his friends, because that was a sure way to mess up whatever it was we had starting.

Besides, Warren looked annoyed at the interruption, too. Seeing that he was made me happy enough that Dalton's interruption was almost worth the annoyance.

Thus began an agonizing week. I couldn't stop wondering what it was he wasn't telling me. I saw Warren, a lot. He always seemed to appear as soon as I was out of a class. To say that I didn't mind would be an understatement. Still, it was bizarre. I barely knew the boy. He barely knew me. And yet, no matter how frustrating my calc class was or how annoying the girl sitting next to me in bio was, it all stopped mattering as soon as I saw him there, waiting for me.

Besides, I didn't feel like I was a stranger. When I looked at Warren, I felt instantly at ease. I felt more content than I ever had in my life just sitting next to him. We didn't have to talk, we didn't even have to look at each other. It was spooky and I wasn't sure how to handle it. Mostly, I pretended that things were totally normal, but sometimes I would catch Warren looking at me with this expression of such… emotion. I didn't know if I could put it into words yet, as I was only just beginning to understand it, myself.

Wednesday in gym class, we were playing basketball. When Lyle, a lanky, mostly oblivious boy accidentally shoved me down in an attempt to get the ball, Warren was instantly at my side, even though he had been sitting on the sidelines, waiting for his team's turn. I spared only a second to wonder what the other kids in my class would think. I realized, though, that I didn't care. One part of me, and not a very big one, wanted to protest. I didn't need coddled. I wasn't mortally wounded. But the rest? The rest of me warmed and tingled with happiness that he cared. That he was there for me.

Like I said, spooky.

Friday dragged because, for some reason I desperately wished I could know, Warren didn't show up for school. It was the first time he had been absent since the day we had met.

Note to self: ask him about that, too. Why had he run off like that? Warren always left me with an uncomfortable curiosity.

Still, he almost made up for his absence by calling me after dinner and asking if I was free.

Not more than a minute later, I was in a state of panic. I rushed around the house, getting ready. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail, because otherwise it would become a tangled mess. If it was windy here, it would be worse at the beach. I found a warm shirt and a cute purple jacket, too. My favorite hat had to be dug out of one of the boxes that I still hadn't gotten around to unpacking- I was a major procrastinator. The time spent finding it was well spent, though. Whenever I wore that hat, it was like nothing could go wrong. I had a feeling I was going to need it.

"What's the rush?" Chris asked, opening his bedroom door and watching me with no small amount of amusement showing on his face.

"I'm hanging out with Warren. He's going to be here in…" I glanced at the clock. "Ten minutes."

"Warren? Isn't he that guy who came over the other day?" I nodded, but didn't stop moving. I could only find one of my yellow Converses and he was going to be here any minute and if I wasn't ready in time, he would know just how much effort I was putting into my appearance, just for him and that would just be embarrassing and…

I was freaking out.

"Slow down," Chris said. I froze and looked at him. He was laughing, and I couldn't blame him. If our positions were reversed, I would have not only been in hysterics, but taking videos of the chaos on my phone. "What are you looking for?"

"My shoe," I said, holding up the one I'd already found.

"Isn't that it right there?" he asked, pointing to my other shoe, which was right in the middle of my rug. I ran to it and shoved it on my foot. Much better. "I've never seen you like this," Chris said. He didn't sound like he was too happy about it.

"I like him," I said simply, turning around so he wouldn't see that I was blushing. My brother and I were close. I wasn't telling him anything he hadn't already figured out.

"Fine," Chris said after a tense moment, as if I needed his permission. "But if he hurts you in any way-"

"You'll be the first to know," I promised, kissing his cheek.

I had just gotten downstairs when I heard a car pull up. "Bye!" I called, and hurried out the door before Chris could go out there and embarrass me. "I have my phone!"

I got into the passenger seat and grinned at Warren. He pulled out and was about to say something when my phone started ringing. I pulled it out of my purse and looked at the screen, then silenced it and shoved it back into my bag.

"Who was it?" Warren asked.

"Chris."

"And he was calling because…?"

"He's an overprotective jerk. I bet he thought of some tip for how best to punch you when you get too obnoxious, or wanted to tell me about the pepper spray I'd be willing to bet he's slipped into my purse." I rummaged through my purse and, lo and behold, there was a fresh can there. This wasn't the first time he had done that. I fondly recalled the last time, when I had flung it at his face. I made a face for Warren's benefit, and he laughed. It wasn't exactly happy laugher. There were some major nerves under the surface. I hadn't forgotten that there was something he wasn't telling me. I had a feeling- and my feelings were generally spot on- that he was going to be explaining it all today.

My stomach rolled at the thought. What if it was bad? What if I was totally off-base and he would be telling me absolutely nothing? What if I was just being dramatic and there actually was no deep, dark secret to learn at all? If he didn't tell me soon, I thought I might explode.

We both stayed silent during the five-minute drive, lost in our own thoughts. Somehow it wasn't awkward, though the air was so electric, I felt like I could be shocked at any moment.

When we got out of the car, Warren seemed at a loss for what to do. I started walking towards the lake, and he followed.

"So?" I asked, sitting on a big tree that was lying on the sand. He took so long to answer that I almost thought he wasn't going to talk at all. I picked up a stick and doodled in the damp sand. Here, a spiraling sun. Above it, the moon and stars. For my own amusement, I drew a cow leaping over them all. I was just finishing up his somewhat lopsided fourth leg when Warren coughed.

"I don't really know where to begin. But… what I'm about to tell you is secret, okay? You… even if you hate me after… after you know, you can't tell anyone." Warren stared earnestly into my eyes.

If it was so secret, why was he choosing to tell me? "Of course not. I don't think I could hate you," I admitted, blushing. The worst part was that it was true. I didn't know what this was, whatever was happening between him and me, but I knew that it was solid. Real. Good. Warren didn't relax, though.

"We're about to find out," Warren muttered quietly, as though to himself. I waited as patiently as I could manage for him to go on. "Have you ever looked into local legends?"

I shook my head slowly. "Mom didn't really talk about that kind of thing too often. I think it made her homesick." And I could see why. I was beginning to love this place. Already, the thought of leaving was hard.

"That makes this a little bit more difficult. Well… okay. Promise me one more thing, please." I looked expectantly at him. He seemed like he was in such agony, trying to explain this to me. What could possibly be this bad? "Hear me out. No matter how crazy it sounds, or how freaked out you are, just… hear me out."

"Of course," I said. I was starting to feel nervous.

"Okay. I'm a werewolf."