Little Red Riding Hood Never Forgives

A Visit with Granny

15

Steward Porter and Opal Kingly.

Scarlet could remember them perfectly. It was like how people who've went through traumatic events could remember every exact detail of the day when their lives changed. Scarlet had bumped into Stew on her way out of the school the day she was attacked and bitten by the werewolf. She had eaten lunch with Opal and accidentally spilt her orange juice on her white, lacy shirt. She could still feel the seething gaze on her back as she'd run to grab paper towels.

"OMG, it is you!" Opal let out a girlish squeal. Scarlet noticed that her arm was clutching Stew's in almost a protective fashion. "Wow, it's been, like, forever!"

Stew's confused face suddenly split into a grin, "Oh, yeah, now I remember! You're that girl who ran away from home three months ago. Man, I thought the other kids were never gonna shut up about that."

Nick suddenly stepped beside Scarlet, arm wrapping around her shoulder. She shrugged his arm off, suddenly tired of his protectiveness.

"Nick!" Opal gasped, eyes raking his body. "Wow...you've...grown." Her eyes widened and Stew shifted uncomfortably. "So, are you two an item now?" She eyed Scarlet almost jealously.

"Finally won her over, eh?" Stew grinned his boyish grin.

Nick shrugged awkwardly, casting his gaze elsewhere. "Well, we'd better be going." He said evasively and grabbed Scarlet's hand steering her away.

"Wait." Stew suddenly grabbed Scarlet's shoulder. "What the heck happened to you two? Aren't you guys going to tell us why you ran? How have you been getting by?" He asked forcefully.

"Man, let go of her." Nick said, starting out patient.

"Hey man, I just want to know what's going on." Stew said, but he didn't let go.

"Stew. Let go." Scarlet gritted her teeth. She knew she could take Stew down with a mere flick of her fingers but she couldn't. It would be pretty suspicious if a one-hundred pound girl knocked a muscle bound teen boy out cold.

"No. You guys have been on the run long enough. I just want to make sure everything's okay out there." His eyes were sparking with the promise of a fight and Stew's hand tightened on Scarlet's shoulder, his knuckles had gone white.

"I believe the lady requested that you let her go." Alex breathed in Stew's ear as he grabbed his arm. Stew whipped his gaze at Alex but Alex didn't flinch. He instead hardened his gaze and tilted his torso so that Stew could see the glimmering dagger tucked in his belt loop. "Wouldn't want this to get ugly, now, would we?"

Stew's eyes widened in momentary fear and immediately let go of Scarlet. He fished for Opal's hand and once he had it, backed away quickly, instantly melting into the crowd. Alex held his threatening stance a moment later, and then relaxed.

"You okay?" He asked Scarlet. She could see the concern written on his face as if in marker.

She nodded blankly, still slightly shocked from Stew's sudden demands. Her eyes suddenly narrowed and she faced Alex. "Thanks a lot, but you didn't have to threaten to stab him. That was a little over the top."

He shrugged, "Stew may have meant well, but people like that can only cause problems, even though he was just trying to help. He would have caused a commotion and we wouldn't want that, now would we?" He raised his eyebrows and waited for anyone to oppose him. No one did.

"It was still overkill..." Scarlet murmured weakly as they slipped away from the premises.

"I thought it was hot." Ariel chirped.