Shifted #Wattys2016

XLI

Maxine

I woke, my back curled into Felix's stomach. He was in his wolf form, and he was very warm. His breaths were even, and then suddenly not. They were short and ragged, and his legs were twitching. I sat up a little and scooted back, watching. His teeth were bared, and his nose was twitching.

"Felix!" I said, wanting to wake him.

I reached my hand out and shook his shoulder.

He woke in a second and snapped at my hand. I pulled back, holding my hand to my chest. Something warm seeped into my shirt. I took my hand away and looked at it. Even in the dark I could see that it was covered in blood.

Felix shifted quickly, worry heavy in his expression. "Max?" He took a timid step closer to me.

I stepped back. "You bit me!"

I ran to the house and wrapped a towel around my hand. I grabbed my car keys and phone and walked out. Felix was right behind me, apologizing profusely. I ignored him and backed out of his driveway, ignoring him as he watched me go.

In the bathroom at Julie's, I unwrapped the towel and tossed it in the bathtub. Felix's teeth dug two lines from the back of my arm and around to the front, and to my palm. It'd be a bitch to wrap.

I dug around and found some gauze which I carefully wrapped around my arm, using up the last of the roll. I dug again for bandage and found a tan ace bandage. I wrapped that around the gauze and looked at my arm. I flexed and felt the wrappings tighten. It'd leave a nasty scar.

I put all my trash and towel into a plastic bag and took it outside to the trash bins.

I laid down in my bed, too frightened, too shaken up to really sleep.

I ignored the texts from Felix in the morning as I drove to the store to buy more gauze. I didn't change the gauze from last night—although I know I needed to—and wore my jacket today with the sleeves pulled over my knuckles. Julie didn't suspect a thing.

When Felix called for the twelfth time I answered.

"I am so sorry, Max, I didn't mean to bite you. You just startled me and I reacted just the same as I would've towards anyone else. I'm so sorry, Max."

"Felix. Shut up."

He took a breath but didn't speak.

"Felix, just give me some space, okay?"

He swallowed. "Okay."

I hung up without a goodbye.

It was the weekend, a time for America's pastime: Baseball.

Felix told me about Caven having a game Saturday, and I said I would go. And I still want to. And so I will, for Caven.

I sat down at the top of the bleachers. I was decked out in my baseball gear—Detroit Tigers visor, my high school mascot on my t-shirt, jacket, and shorts—and I had already found Caven out on the field. Right field, just where I used to play. I smiled.

When the game started, I watched as Caven jogged out to his position and then turned to the pitcher. He was good, accurate, and had obvious speed. This would be a good game.

The first person up to bat was chunky, but strong. First pitched was a strike and there was hollering from both sides. The pitcher—Mason I believe—was relaxed. The second pitch was thrown and the ball went sailing towards Caven. The ball was heading towards the back of the park—right at fence line—and the batter was waltzing towards second base. Caven jogged towards the ball—jogged!—and got right under it with pliantly of time to catch.

The crowd cheered and booed respectfully and Caven threw the ball back to the pitcher.

"The kid's fast," the teen next to me said. "He might as well have walked."

"Strong too," the friend said.

Emmett said down next to me. "Am I late? Where's Felix?"

"Game just started. I don't know where Felix is." I pulled my jacket sleeve over my knuckles.

"Hm. What'd I miss?"

"Caven caught a nearly out-of-the-park homerun." I paused. "How do you guys let him play? I mean, isn't he at an in-human advantage?"

Emmett laughed. "He is, that's why he has to work harder than the rest. Sure the speed and strength comes easy, but he has to work harder not to be too much faster or too much stronger. Scouts are constantly looking for him."

"Scouts? Already? He's only a freshman, right?"

Emmett nodded like a proud father. "Yep. Already."

Three up and three down. I noticed Felix sit down towards the bottom of the bleachers just as batter number one stepped up to the plate.

We were beating their asses, and they knew it, and we knew it. Caven was up, middle of the lineup, and took place at the base, a leftie. Bases full.

First pitch was thrown and it was a ball. Caven stepped out of the box, took a few practice swings and glanced up at the crowd. He smirked behind his helmet and took a step back in. The next pitch was a little high, but Caven took the pitch anyway and swung hard. The ball went straight to center field where three different players all went running, two giving up and the third kept going. The ball continued to soar over the fence and landed on the hood of someone's junkie truck.

The crowd cheered as the players jogged to home plate. Caven was last, welcomed to the plate by his whole team. Caven smiled and cheered with his teammates.

"Does this always happen?" I asked Emmett.

Emmett shook his head. "Most of the time he'll hit it deep to right field. Today, though, he's showing off."

I smiled. Caven is showing off to me.