Mated to a Human

☽ 11 ☾

My lower back burns as I walk into the kitchen after hours of working on an essay due Monday for midterms. I stick my stomach out and press my thumbs into the ache, stretching the opposite way and hearing a much-needed crack.

Mom paces behind the counter island on her phone. "What does that mean? You can't come to dinner?"

I open the pantry and grab a box of crackers, peering over my shoulder at her.

She presses her palm to her forehead. "No, I know, it's fine. Stay, and I'll see you when I get back. I'll tell Dennise you couldn't make it."

I open the box while glancing at her.

"Okay. Bye, Honey."

Her phone drops from her ear.

I pop a cracker into my mouth and ask, "Was that Dad?"

"Yeah, he has to stay late at the lodge, so he can't come to the society dinner with me tonight."

"Oh." My brow furrows. "I know I'm not technically a part of the society, but what if I came with you instead? Everyone already knows me, and I volunteer, and—"

"And Harvey Norwood is going to be there?" She questions and clamps her jutted hip. "Because I can't think of a single rational reason why you would want to sit through a boring society dinner, and before you get all upset saying I'm playing matchmaker again—"

"You're right," I say, and her face falls. "I want to see Harvey."

She holds her phone with both hands. "You do?"

I nod.

"Well, I'm sure the ladies won't mind, and they already accounted for your dad, so... Come. Talk to Harvey. I'm sure he'd much rather talk to you than us."

"What should I wear?"

"Dress nice, if you want. I'll be wearing a skirt, pantyhose, blouse, you know — formal but not too formal."

I close the cracker box. "Okay. What time are we leaving?"

"Will an hour and a half work? We just have to drop Perry off at his friend's house and then we'll be on our way to Dennise and Al's."

"Yeah, that's fine."

Mom smiles through her eyes. "Okay, great. I'm glad you're coming with me."

"I'm going to go get ready," I say and gravitate to the hall.

"Me too. As long as we're out by six, we'll be fine."

"Okay." I smile back just to assure her I haven't fallen and hit my head because she sure looks surprised, or, rather, pleasantly confused.

I rush up the staircase and close myself in my room. Alone, I start to question what I was thinking asking to go to the society dinner, so I start piecing together an outfit to distract from my worries. I wasn't sure whether Harvey would be going tonight or not, but my Mom said nothing to suggest he wouldn't go, so I helplessly imagine seeing him and talking to him, and I decide how I should act and what I should say like I'll remember any of it in the moment.

While I change into a pair of black pants and a semi-formal shirt, Teddy crawls out from under my bed and starts scratching the carpet laid in front of the fireplace. "Hey," I scold and shoo him. "Why are you acting up? Do you know I'm about to see a werewolf?"

Teddy leaps on top of my bed and stares at me. I scratch under his chin. "They're people, not dogs."

I check my phone and see I have just enough time to do my hair and makeup, so I head into the bathroom and focus. By five-fifty-five, I stop messing with my hair, and I leave it down. I rush back to my bedroom, grabbing my shoes only to realize I forgot mascara. Mom calls for me from the foyer, so I cross the hall and shout, "One second!"