Return of the wolf ....only i'm not alone ON HOLD

Return of the wolf....only i'm not alone part5

( I'm sorry if this is a bit slow paced- I just felt another p o v was needed- the next chap will be better... hope u enjoy )

Marina's pov:

I didn't believe her at first.

When Jenny pulled me aside in the parking lot after i left the car, dragging me away from Blake and whispered "Marli. I just saw her. Here. She was just here. In the parking lot opposite, staring at us."

I felt my stomach tighten with guilt, like it had done the whole past year whenever I thought of Marli.

I had looked down at Jenny. She alone knew how it had felt. Saying goodbye. Pretending she didn't exist. Ignoring her. Watching her pain and confusion at our actions. Only Jenny knew what it was like, dealing with her leaving. Vanishing from us without a word.

" Jenny, it's probably someone who looked like -" I said as Jenny interrupted me by turning my body sharply, looking onto the car park.

Then I saw it.

Sitting in the parking lot. It looked different from outside Marli's garage. The dark chrome body reflected in the light and I could see the rich red leather interior and the same small dream catcher Marli had hung on the driver's overhead mirror when she'd first got the car.

None else would have that car. Or that dream catcher. It was Marli's prize possession. She would have never have sold it.

My body tensed in nervous anticipation.

Where was she?

I scanned the parking lot, searching for short blonde hair among the sea of students shifting like a great colourful, churning mass on the stone school steps.

Jenny's voice had broken my search " She looks different now. Her hair. It's not short anymore, she wears it longer now. And she's taller now, taller than me. It's odd; she looked older than I thought she would....

God, I couldn't believe it when I saw her leaning against the car, .... Her eyes... they were so blue - exactly the same but completely different. And she was just looking, calm and quietly confidant, but something was serious, guarded about her." Jenny said, staring past me as if imagining her face.

" Where is she now? Inside?" I asked as I had tugged her forward into school, breaking away from the others we'd came with.

" She turned and left, she was gone before I could find her again...." Jenny said as we got into school and headed down the hallway, both of us were desperatley scanning for her amongst the crowds of students.

Finally, we had headed into English class, scanning the seats for her... No. she want there.

During the lesson we sat on the back table, watching for a blonde head to pass the door, or walk across the grounds outside the window.

Then she'd come in to the classroom. She was taller, like Jenny had said, graceful, unlike the klutz she'd been when she had left. Constantly tripping over things, even up stairs.... Marli had always been pretty before with her light hair, big bright blue eyes and infectious smile but now she had grown into her cheekbones and face, which had enhanced her looks.

She immediately locked eyes with us both and I was shocked at the emotionless look on her face. It was like she had some kind of wall up....

She had come in and quietly slipped into a chair when Mrs Goldenberg told her to sit with us.

I felt hurt, as I saw her whole body perceptively tensed and her jaw tightened as if wanting to complain.

What had I expected?

How could I have been so naive to picture any other response?

After how we'd treated her. We should have expected it.

It shouldn't have hit me in the face like tennis ball when, having walked up to us, she slowly slid her chair from next to me to the other side of the table.

She sat down looking straight at us but like jenny had said her face was guarded and calm. The only sign of tension was her tight grip on the edge Formica table.

I had expected Marli to be confused I guess, even upset but her poker face was something I hadn't expected. She wasn't allowing us in; I could sense Jenny shifting in her seat when I spoke " Marli. We didn't think you were ever going to come back".

Her face remained the same. Only when Jenny spoke, after choking on her words, did I see anger slip quickly across her face. Her eyes flared with resentment.

She had every right to be angry with us. Her words stung us with the sheer truth of them. But worst of all was the sad, coldness of her voice, which grew more disconnected as she went on.

The regurgitated memories of the pain we caused her played before me as she recited my parting words to her. God, the way it sounded was like nails on a chalkboard to my ears, the cruelty of my words jarring against my wincing conscience.

Did I really say that?

Is that what she thought?

That we weren't anything to her?

I wanted to stand up and hug her and tell her that we'd had no choice.

I wanted to explain to her that our hands had been tied, bound by orders we had to obey, not mater how much we objected.

She didn't understand why we acted that way. - It wasn't to hurt her - it was to protect her.

As she left with her parting line " finally, I guess, I no longer have anything left to say to you" I had felt mute, frozen in place by the intensity of her words.

The finality of them. We had both heard the slight quiver of raw emotion that ran underneath her detached tone, infecting her voice, for a second, with pain and anger.

Then she was gone. Up and striding towards the door. Leaving as quickly as she'd come, as both of us sat shell-shocked and fighting not to reveal to her everything we had vowed that she could never know.

As she darted out the door, her long blond hair slapped against her leather jacket as suddenly, she became immersed in the stream of students in the hallway.

" We have to tell her. She can't go on thinking that we chose this " I whispered to Jenny who was still sitting like a statue, but slowly replied, whispering " I know."

Then suddenly we had gotten up, quicker than everyone around us, snatching our bags and racing out of the door chasing after her distant halo of blonde hair , fighting against the flow of students.

We had to tell her.

For one second she had looked back as I mouthed "Marli! Wait!"

Her face was more vulnerable and I saw a glimpse of the Marli I remembered whose emotions slid across her face like the writing on a page.

Her eyes where panicked and looked close to tears, biting her lip like she had always habitually done when she was overwhelmed or nervous. The familiar vulnerability in her face shocked me, but all to soon I felt a familiar, large, strong hand forcefully pulling my hand backwards.

So, in a split second, Marli, the other half of my two of my oldest and closest friends disappeared, out of sight, just like she had done over a year ago.

(Sorry for any spelling/grammar mistakes I missed , and that there was such a big time gap in between the last chap and this one - I was on holiday)