A High School Werewolf

Chapter 26-The Worst Dance Yet

Sarah hesitated before the wooden door labeled d345. Taylor flashed her a reassuring grin before knocking on the door. Awkward silence fat with tension filled the hallway where the three girls stood as they waited for the door to open. Both Sarah and Taylor fiddled nervously while Amy remained motionless, the very face of boredom. The door swung open to reveal a disgruntled Bryan.

Bryan closed the door, "I know I said before that I would be your 'date.'"

Amy rolled her eyes and sighed, "But..."

"But... this really cute girl asked me out and I said yes. I-"

Outraged Taylor shouted, "Do you not care about Sarah's safety at all?!"

Sarah silenced Taylor with a glare, and Bryan continued, "As I was saying. I will stick around just in case, but I'm going to try to enjoy what time I can with my date."

Taylor opened her mouth again, but Sarah shushed her, "Come on, let's just go pick up Bryan's date and then get this over with."

Sarah fell back behind the group as Bryan set a quick pace. Hindered by her crutches she arrived slightly after the rest of the group as they stopped in front of the door. As a result, Bryan was already chatting to his date when she arrived. Sarah let out a cough of surprise when she saw the girl standing in the doorway.

Taylor glanced over her shoulder, "Are you okay Sarah?"

At the name the raven-haired girl looked up, "Sarah? As in Sarah Shireman?"

Sarah made eye contact and blurted, "Jenny? Jenny Bretwalda?"

Amy looked between the two, "How do you know each other?"

Jenny laughed, "Sarah tried to kill me."

Sarah argued indignantly, "It was an accident."

Taylor waved her hands wildly, "Woah, woah, woah. Mind explaining to me what happened?"

Jenny laughed again, "I'll explain on the way."

Sarah couldn't help but admire how Jenny looked in her sleep purple dress that hugged her fit body. She mentally shook her head. Not the right time. Besides she's Bryan's date not mine.

As the crossed the grassy field Jenny explained, "You see. It was a couple of years ago at our old elementary school. Our parents work -err- worked together in the military and they decided that we need to socialize more and gain friends, so without warning Sarah, my parents dropped me off at her house. Sarah's parents are away so her older brother just instructs me to 'go up and not get myself killed.' I laugh thinking he's joking, but when I open the door to Sarah's room I find myself on the ground with a blade held above my throat. Once she realized who I was she jumped off me and apologized profusely, but I don't think she will ever live that down."

Sarah muttered form the back, "You startled me," but it was drowned out by the laughter of the other four.

Taylor giggles, "That totally sounds like something Sarah would do."

Bryan joked, "She must have a thing for violent greetings, 'cause the first time we met she beat me up and this other guy she punched in the face and pinned him."

Sarah sighed exasperatedly, "It was dueling class and he was flirting with me even after I told him no."

"Wait. You pinned him after he flirted with you?" Jenny joked, "Kinky."

"I would face-palm right now, but I'm on crutches." Sarah groaned.

Amy added, "Well, I'm not, so I will." She promptly face-palmed and winced afterwards.

Taylor coughed awkwardly, "Moving on... I don't understand. Sarah never mentioned you before. Why not?"

Before Jenny could answer, Sarah did, "We were only friends for like a few months. It's no big deal. We just drifted apart."

Jenny gave her a peculiar look but didn't comment.

Amy raised her hands and sarcastically celebrated, "Oh, Joy! We're here, at the winter ball."

Taylor warned in a hushed voice, "Keep an eye out for those werewolf wranglers."

Amy snorted, "Yes, because they're just going to walk into a dance wearing their jackets."

Taylor shrugged, "You never know they might."

"I was being sarcastic."

Bryan grabbed Jenny's hand, "Come on, let's go check out the refreshments and mingle."

Jenny accepted allowing herself to be pulled into the crowd. Her response was lost in the voices, and Sarah begrudgingly began to follow them through the crowd.

Taylor elbowed Sarah, "Try to at least pretend you're having fun."

Sarah slumped against the wall, "But, I hate dances."

Taylor handed her a glass of water before asking, "Why?"

"For one, my leg is in a cast, so I can't dance not that I could anyways. Not like that."

"Like what?"

Sarah gestured vaguely to Bryan and Jenny, "That." Sarah had a point. Jenny and Bryan ruled the dance floor expertly navigated the crowded space with elegance and poise. Both were grinning and enjoying themselves. Sarah sighed slumping to the floor with her leg extended, "At least those two are having fun. I feel so stupid for thinking that anyone was really going to attack me at a school dance. It's almost midnight and not one sign of them."

Taylor joined Sarah on the floor, "Don't beat yourself up." She paused and added as an afterthought, "or let other people beat you up. It made sense at the time. We are just sophomores, not Solar army detectives."

Sarah chuckled dryly, "I suppose so."

Taylor jumped up, "Get up moody pants, we're going outside. Fresh air and less people should do you some good." She offered a hand to Sarah before hauling her up and handing her the crutches. Sarah accepted them and followed her outside. Taylor stooped a little way outside the door. The moon was full and cast light over the school grounds creating a slightly haunted look. Sarah stopped, and Taylor turned to face her.

Suddenly, Taylor began stammering, "I'm about to do something really stupid. I'm sorry in advance. I just can't help how I feel, and this had been driving me mad. I really like you, like really like you. Um, anyways... uh... Sorry." Taylor leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed Sarah. Sarah stood, frozen in shock. Taylor dropped back down to her heels, "Sorry, I'll go back inside now."

Sarah stood frozen as her brain began to process what just happened, and just as she opened her mouth to call out to Taylor, a burlap sack was forced over her head and she was knocked unconscious by a blow to the back of her head. If only she hadn't been distracted, she would've recognized the scent and heard the footsteps of Nichole.