Time to Dance
The Calm Before The Storm
A few days went by and it was now Thursday evening. Tomorrow was my birthday. This week had been interesting. Dean didn't speak to any of us but he did start showing up in my math class and he managed to sit behind me which made it hard for Kayla and me to pass notes.
Mom was being her old self again. I don't know what happened to her but I liked it. Maybe this was a calm before the storm. I was afraid she would return to the paranoid mother that me, Will, and Lizzie had gotten used to. Part of me wanted to tell her about my nightmares now that she was calm but part of me was afraid that I would send her back into the deep end again.
"So how are you and Nate working out?" Mom asked me as we were having a family dinner.
"It is going great actually." I smiled.
"I always knew that you two would end up together." My mother smiled.
"Yeah, yeah." I said rolling my eyes.
"Will how has things been going at school for you?" Mom asked.
"Uh," He nervously replied. "It is ok. I asked Kayla out to her senior prom!" Will blurted out nervously. He never was one to keep secrets.
"I knew it!" I said. "I knew there was something going on between you two. When I confronted Kayla about it the other day she kept changing the subject." I said.
"I thought you said Kayla repulsed you." My father replied.
"Well, uh, no." He said now realizing that he had put himself on the spot.
"That's my boy. He is growing up." Dad laughed.
"I have liked her for awhile but I was afraid to tell her. Plus, you know, a guy has to keep his options open." Will said trying to play it cool.
"Right." I said laughing and rolling my eyes. "Since when have you kept your options open? You haven't dated a girl in over a year. Wait, you have liked my best friend for a year? Are you my brother? What happened to the Will who used to have a girl every day of the week?" I asked laughing.
"Ok, settle down." Mom said passing the salad around.
"Lizzie, how about you?" She asked.
"Not much. Alison wants me to spend the night Saturday if it is ok." My sister asked.
"I don't see why not." Dad said.
It was a little freaky at how normal we were all being. I liked it though. Well, I liked it until the big birthday talk began.
"So, about tomorrow." My dad started.
"Look, I know that you guys want to throw a big party for me and all but I just don't like parties." I said.
"Well, we are not throwing you a party. There will be a cake though." Mom said dejectedly.
"I thought there was going to be a party. I thought that you two have been getting along because there was going to be this big surprise party you two were planning. I know you two. You two can be sneaky." I replied.
"Nope." Dad said grabbing mom's hand.
"No party." Mom said.
"Eww. Some of us are trying to eat here." Lizzie said as everyone laughed.
"So you two promise that you have nothing big planned." I reiterated.
"We promise." They both said but I knew they were lying. They had something up their sleeve.
"I think I need some air." I replied after I finished eating. "I am going for a walk." I said seeing that it was almost eight and dark outside.
"Be careful." Mom said. "Oh, and I am sorry if I have seemed that you can't talk to me about anything. You know you can talk to me anytime about anything. I finally realized that my little girl is growing up and I can't always be there for you. I just wanted to keep you and your siblings safe and I know it has strained the relationship of this family." Mom said playing with my hair.
"Mom it is ok." I said hugging her before I left the house.
I started walking down the street a good way when I started to hear footsteps behind me. I turned around to see no one but I was getting a bad vibe. This was creepy. Then I started to hear a wolf howl and the footsteps stopped.
I turned around again to see no one so I decided to head home. At the corner of my eye, I thought that I saw a huge white wolf run across the street. Why would a wolf and how could a wolf be in our neighborhood? Also, I know a wolf doesn't make footstep sounds so who was following me?
Mom was being her old self again. I don't know what happened to her but I liked it. Maybe this was a calm before the storm. I was afraid she would return to the paranoid mother that me, Will, and Lizzie had gotten used to. Part of me wanted to tell her about my nightmares now that she was calm but part of me was afraid that I would send her back into the deep end again.
"So how are you and Nate working out?" Mom asked me as we were having a family dinner.
"It is going great actually." I smiled.
"I always knew that you two would end up together." My mother smiled.
"Yeah, yeah." I said rolling my eyes.
"Will how has things been going at school for you?" Mom asked.
"Uh," He nervously replied. "It is ok. I asked Kayla out to her senior prom!" Will blurted out nervously. He never was one to keep secrets.
"I knew it!" I said. "I knew there was something going on between you two. When I confronted Kayla about it the other day she kept changing the subject." I said.
"I thought you said Kayla repulsed you." My father replied.
"Well, uh, no." He said now realizing that he had put himself on the spot.
"That's my boy. He is growing up." Dad laughed.
"I have liked her for awhile but I was afraid to tell her. Plus, you know, a guy has to keep his options open." Will said trying to play it cool.
"Right." I said laughing and rolling my eyes. "Since when have you kept your options open? You haven't dated a girl in over a year. Wait, you have liked my best friend for a year? Are you my brother? What happened to the Will who used to have a girl every day of the week?" I asked laughing.
"Ok, settle down." Mom said passing the salad around.
"Lizzie, how about you?" She asked.
"Not much. Alison wants me to spend the night Saturday if it is ok." My sister asked.
"I don't see why not." Dad said.
It was a little freaky at how normal we were all being. I liked it though. Well, I liked it until the big birthday talk began.
"So, about tomorrow." My dad started.
"Look, I know that you guys want to throw a big party for me and all but I just don't like parties." I said.
"Well, we are not throwing you a party. There will be a cake though." Mom said dejectedly.
"I thought there was going to be a party. I thought that you two have been getting along because there was going to be this big surprise party you two were planning. I know you two. You two can be sneaky." I replied.
"Nope." Dad said grabbing mom's hand.
"No party." Mom said.
"Eww. Some of us are trying to eat here." Lizzie said as everyone laughed.
"So you two promise that you have nothing big planned." I reiterated.
"We promise." They both said but I knew they were lying. They had something up their sleeve.
"I think I need some air." I replied after I finished eating. "I am going for a walk." I said seeing that it was almost eight and dark outside.
"Be careful." Mom said. "Oh, and I am sorry if I have seemed that you can't talk to me about anything. You know you can talk to me anytime about anything. I finally realized that my little girl is growing up and I can't always be there for you. I just wanted to keep you and your siblings safe and I know it has strained the relationship of this family." Mom said playing with my hair.
"Mom it is ok." I said hugging her before I left the house.
I started walking down the street a good way when I started to hear footsteps behind me. I turned around to see no one but I was getting a bad vibe. This was creepy. Then I started to hear a wolf howl and the footsteps stopped.
I turned around again to see no one so I decided to head home. At the corner of my eye, I thought that I saw a huge white wolf run across the street. Why would a wolf and how could a wolf be in our neighborhood? Also, I know a wolf doesn't make footstep sounds so who was following me?