A Howl In The Night by Lorelei Sutton (life books to read .txt) 📕

I cast a quick glance at Xavier, which soon grows into a lengthy stare. I admire his muscles, which are bulging as he exerts them. His sparkling blue hair glistens as crystal droplets dance down each strand.

But what bugs me the most is Danae. She is clutching at his back, her youthful features matching his in beauty and gracefulness. For some reason, the way she is hanging on him annoys me. She really needs to get off of him.

I shake my head, trying to rid myself of these thoughts. I can't be jealous. I will not allow it.

I hug Ray's chest, attempting to delve myself into someone else. To try and see if just anyone really is all I need. However, there is no spark. The warmth is missing from him, and as I pull him close, all I experience is bitter cold. I don't feel excited, passion not arising between us. Even when I place my head on his back, I cannot hear the thump of his heart. It almost feels like I am riding a horse instead of a hot werewolf.

Light appears in the distance, finally flooding the forest. When I see it, my heart jumps in my chest. Deliverance, it seems, is finally here. We will finally see buildings instead of endless green. I wish I will never see another tree again. Maybe it is a wish that will never be fulfilled, but it is still one of my deepest desires at this point.

We are soon swallowed by the light, standing in an old and worn parking lot. It is strewn with gravel, few cars in sight. It seems to be the opposite side of town, on the very outskirts.

I slide off Ray, shaking the dust off my clothes and smoothing my hair. Danae follows suit, sweeping her black hair into a loose bun. I can see the wrinkles already creeping onto her face, multiplying at an alarming speed. At first, it seems alarming, but now I just look at her with interest.

"Hey," she glances at her skin with wide eyes, "I'm completely dry!" I look at my own body to find that I am dry too, and that the rain has been reduced to a light patter, fizzling away by the second. The dark thunderclouds are retreating, traveling to wreak havoc on another unlucky town.

"Wow," I say with incredulity, "If I had known this would happen, I would have asked for you guys to carry us much earlier!" The freezing cold has escaped me also, traveling behind the flock of clouds as they hurry to their destination. I hug myself with my jacket, delight filling me as warmth enters my body.

"Let's hurry to the fast food place," Ray says warningly, "we are still running away, you know." He seems to be the most worried out of all of us, tapping his feet hesitantly against the gravel. I briefly wonder why he is acting this way, when he is usually so laid back and relaxed. Creases are in his face, worry afflicting his brow.

Xavier takes one glance at me, and then turns to follow Ray. Danae and I follow them both, still slightly weary from the lengthy run.

"Is this the adventure you wanted, Danae?" I ask her softly, not without a little giggle. She looks at me and shoots me a smirk.

"Maybe a little more exhausting then I thought," she admits, "but for the most part, it is exactly what I wanted." Her bright smile enchants me, and I admire her ability to hold her head high when she was almost reduced to tears in the forest. If I had not stopped us, Danae would have fainted within a few minutes. That would have caused endless embarrassment for her.

We reach the end of the parking lot, staring at the small brick building just beyond it. I can smell the food, lingering just beyond my grasp, beckoning me urgently. It intoxicates me, begs me to taste it. We spend a second staring at the posters of mouthwatering food and drink, and then I bend to my desires.

I snatch the credit card out of Ray's hand, almost running to my highly anticipated destination. I slide through the doors quickly, and then focus on the huge menu hanging above the cash register. On it is yummy displays of hamburgers, hot dogs, and chicken fingers—all that greasy food that I love.

I edge in line behind three portly men, Xavier and the rest of our group following me. "Do I need to order for you guys or do you want to order on your own?" I ask them, my voice tinged with excitement. I have not been to a fast food restaurant in over ten years, so every action is an exciting adventure to me. It is almost like I am at Niagara Falls or the Grand Canyon, my eyes open wide as I survey my surroundings.

Xavier looks at my expression and laughs. "It's okay," he says, "we can order on our own. If we order together, he might get confused."

We are now second in line, and my stomach starts to get butterflies. How do I order my food? Is there some sort of special protocol for something like this? The cash register is a pretty cute teenage boy, who looks incredibly bored and tired. Everyone behind him, in the kitchen, is acting the same way. I don't want to look like an idiot in front of them.

I lean my head towards Danae and whisper, "you go first. I want to see how to order."

She glances at me, and then lets a tiny giggle escape her. "Okay, Mona," she agrees, then daintily steps in front of me. Xavier and Ray both shoot me an inquisitive glance, but I ignore them, focusing on my teacher as she steps up to the cash register.

We gave her some heels before she left, but even now she can barely reach the countertop. The boy has to look down at her, and is soon surprised by her beautiful, adult face. His eyes widen slightly, and then quickly readjust.

"What do you want?" he asks, back into his bored trance.

"I would like a kids meal with fresh fruit and a hamburger," she says quickly, her words polite and fluid. As she speaks, the items she is requesting appears on a small, electronic screen beside the cash register. His hands move in a blur as he plugs in her order with a practiced hand.

"Anything to drink?" he questions, looking at the cash register with a dreary expression.

“A bottled water," she smiles slightly, then reaches into her pack. Quickly she pulls out a ten dollar bill, handing it to the boy. He quickly gives her the change and then her order disappears from the screen. I walk up to the desk, nervousness pumping through my blood.

"What do you want?" he asks, not looking up. He seems to be playing with a broken key on the cash register, pressing it multiple times.

I stare at the menu once again, trying to make up my mind. "Is the hotdog or the cheeseburger better?" I ask him, staring at the plethora of pictures. He ignores me, just pressing the key over and over again.

Anger surges through me. "Is the hotdog or the cheeseburger better?" I ask in a slightly louder voice. He finally looks up, and his expression morphs into surprise once more. He scans me as I stand there, crawling over my face and body.

"I think the cheeseburger is better, honestly," he says after he recovers, shrugging. He doesn't look back at the cash register, but keeps his eyes on me.

"Well... then I want the number five super combo." I continue to look at the menu, my brows furrowed in concentration. "And I also want a full-size house salad and a lemon pie," I conclude.

His eyebrow rises. "A whole lemon pie or one slice?" he asks suspiciously.

I check my stomach… yup, still grumbling. "Yes, a whole lemon pie," I confirm.

"Is this just for you?" he asks wonderingly. I smile at him, and the whole kitchen pauses for a mere second, their attention caught. I can't believe this new appearance of mine can spellbind people so quickly, when my old skin did just the opposite.

"I eat a lot," I laugh, merry pearls of amusement reverberating around the old building.

He pauses for a minute, then smiles back, unable to resist. "What soda would you like with your combo?" he asks, finally looking back at the cash register.

Soda?

"Um, what do you have?" I ask, trying to buy some time. I haven't had a soda in my whole life! What do they taste like?

"The flavors are right here." He gestures to a black machine with colorful labels dancing across it. "We have coke, sprite, mellow yellow, fanta, and root beer."

I peer at each label, utterly confused on what I want. What if I don't like the flavor I get? Anticipation races through me.

I give up after a few seconds of contemplation. "Can I just have a milkshake?" I inquire.

"For an extra price, yes." He nods slightly. He has such pretty eyes, a crystal blue that looks like the sky. I feel myself being drawn into them, marveling at its depth and beauty.

"I want vanilla." I shake myself out of my trance. He notices that I have been looking at him, and he smirks. He opens his mouth to say another word, but then I quickly swipe Ray's card. I don't want him to hit on me... especially in front of Xavier. Who knows how terrible that would be.

He shuts his mouth, then opens it again. "Do you want any condiments?" he asks, opening a small drawer. I know that's not what he was going to say only a few seconds ago.

I have no idea what condiments are. Not again...

I cast a quick glance at Ray and Xavier behind me, sending them my distressed signal. Ray comes up behind me and whispers, "that's a fancy word for ketchup and mustard." His hot breath tickles my ear.

The boy stares at Ray as he comes closer to me, and then shifts slightly to the side to see Xavier. Envy radiates from him as he asks, "Are you with them?" I can tell he is jealous of their stunning looks more than the fact that I am probably the girlfriend of one of them.

"Yes," I answer him, and then I quickly move away. The pounding of my heart slows down as soon as I am away from that cash register, steadiness now entering me. I never knew ordering could be so scary.

"You did well," Danae smiles at me, magically appearing by my side. I grin briefly, turning to look at her small form. "I could tell you were nervous though," she winks, and I blush.

"Well..." I lean against the wall, looking around the fast food station. Dingy tables and worn out chairs are scattered around the area, the floor dirty and made of old fashioned tile. The walls seem fragile, as if they may crumble to ashes in a few seconds, and the few booths they have are torn and stained. "It is just that I haven't been to places like this before," I confess, "I have spent almost my entire life, or what I can remember of it, in the orphanage. Everything outside of it is completely new to me. For me, it is like I have entered a completely different world."

I wait a little while, watching the way the boy is drooling over Xavier and Ray. His face is full of admiration, studying them intently. Xavier and Ray, however, don't seem to care, completely ignoring him.

They finish ordering and walk over to us, all attention gravitating to them as the light amplifies their perfect features. Girls that are scattered across the room turn their bodies so they can get an eyeful of pretty boy hotness. It seems as if everywhere we go they attract way more eyes than they