The Days Before 16

Chapter 6 Continued

Wednesday, 17 December 2014
Hey guys, how are we??

In a few seconds everything will go 'poof' and I would wake up. Five, ten, twenty minutes past and nothing happened. I let out a sigh. Who was I supposed to tell? Sonny? Would she cope with me when I was supposed to be mourning over their death? Plus the other things on my mind-the visitor and I turn into a wolf! I couldn't tell her because she'd get scared and probably tell everyone. She was such a blabber-mouth. I can't put Todd and me in danger like that, we're already in enough. I started to cry. I let out a tear for Todd's sake. Man, something must be especially wrong with me today. Maybe it was shock and disbelief that was the reason for me being like this. Maybe that was responsible for me being so cold. I didn't know what to do or what to think. Do I go see if Todd's ok? If I did would he start yelling at me because everything had changed? Would he say it's my fault because I was at the hospital and I changed like him? I didn't know. How could he blame me for it though? It wasn't my fault I was in the hospital. But deep down in the pit of my stomach I knew it was my fault somehow. I needed to do something but what?

Music. Mom and dad had told me when I was little, before things got weird, that music made some things better. But I didn't know about this situation. But maybe they would have wanted me to play some music because it calmed me. The old ones, the ones that told me they loved me and tucked me into bed at night. Wait, I got it, I thought. I grabbed my IPod and my headphones from my bedside table and on the way out, I also grabbed my boots and my ball. I ran downstairs and out the back door. I put on my boots and started kicking my ball against the brick wall. I plugged in my headphones and hit shuffle. I kicked the ball so hard at first I was surprised that it wasn't falling apart. I sang along to all the songs while I practised until it was dark. I needed the practise before the season started again but it also got me out of the house.

I walked inside slowly after I'd finished. Mom and dad didn't really like soccer so they never came to my games or practices. It was always Todd. He looked after me- he drove me places, cooked dinner for me sometimes, took care of me when I wasn't well and everything brothers and sisters should show or do normally. We never fought. I grew up with him by my side for the last ten years. I walked to my room and put my IPod and boots away. I went to have a shower. I stood under pure hot water until it started to burn my skin. I turned on some cold water as well and it felt much better. I stood under the water for a while, until I remembered. Todd. Why didn't I check on him before I had my shower? I hadn't heard him when I'd come up. Oh no. I hope he wasn't out looking for me because I wasn't in my room!

I turned off the water and reached for my towel. I wrapped myself in it, instantly dampening it. I slid the curtain out of my way and I screamed. Someone's back was facing me and it wasn't Todd. It wasn't the big broad back of my brother, this back was smaller but the person was still taller than me by a little. I held my towel closer to my body and I pulled the curtain back across to cover my body. I let my head stick out though to see what this person was doing and what he planned to do. Who the heck was this person? When he turned around he had a mask on. Which made it that much creepier. How'd he get into our house? What did he want? And of all days for a break in; it had to be today.
"Oh my God! Todd! Todd! Help!" I screamed as the stranger came toward me. He tried to grab my wrist through the curtain but I let go of the curtain and slapped him, hard. He was just as surprised as I was.
"You stupid little girl! You'll pay for that!" he yelled. He reached into the shower, grabbed a handful of my hair, pulled me out of the shower and threw me to the ground. All the while I was trying to stop him but it didn't help me any because he didn't seem to notice, but, then again, I was trying to make sure I didn't drop my towel more than stop him. The stranger walked away after a final glance at me.

Oh God help me, I thought. Would he help me? I'm a werewolf. A supernatural creature. What was happening? Why was all this bad stuff happening to me? Why? Why? Why? I didn't think I'd done anything wrong or had I and not realised it? All I could think of was my birthday coming up. What was I going to do? Was I going to have a party or something or just do nothing? It's not really a time where I should be celebrating. It felt like hours later when Todd came into my room. I'd moved so I sat with my back against the wall and I had crossed my feet at the ankles. I just waited for him to come find me because he always found me. We were each other's weaknesses when it came to hide and seek. We would always find each other first even when we were looking for someone else. It was strange. I waited for him to start laying into me. I didn't have to wait long.
"Where have you been? I've been looking everywhere for you! You know how worried I've been? God, first you nearly die today. Then mum and dad... " he didn't finish the sentence but he continued, "Then you go missing again. I thought I'd lost you too. I've been looking for you for hours. Explain now." he said. Was he angry or upset or both? I thought both.
"I went outside and practised-like I always do when I'm angry or upset. Then I had a shower, remembered you and wrapped myself in my towel. I got out of the shower only to find some random guy standing in my bathroom-yeah I said that. He left and now I'm telling you this so yeah that kind of sums it up." I said on the verge of crying. I lifted my hand to my face as it felt wet. When had I started crying? I was angry though. Why was I angry?
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I didn't know. I should have been here! I should have checked outside! I'm such an idiot!" he said more to himself than me. Now he was blaming himself for everything.
"Don't worry about it. I'm sure it will be ok. We'll find out what's going on together, right?" I said.
"Yes. We will." He said. He held out his hand and I took it and let him pull me to my feet. He kissed my forehead. "Get dressed then come downstairs." He continued and left. I heard the soft click of my bedroom door closing. I stood there, in my bathroom, for a minute then walked out and into my bedroom. I walked over to my bed, pulled down the covers and grabbed my PJs out. After I got into my PJ's I walked into the living room were Todd had turned on the T.V and was watching some mindless show. We watched it to the end. Then we did exactly the same for the next show and the next and the next, without saying anything else to each other.

I must have fallen asleep as I opened my eyes and saw the familiar look of my ceiling. It was Monday-a public holiday. So why was I up at- I consulted my clock- seven-thirty in the morning? There was this faint buzzing sound. What was that? Oh crap! The phone in the living room, I raced out of bed to get it. God the ringing was loud! That or I heard it because the house was completely quiet. I thought if I was a second later it would've stopped ringing. That would have been good and bad. Good so then I wouldn't have to talk to the person on the other end. Bad because I'd raced out of bed for it and if it had of stopped I would have raced all the way down here for nothing.
"Hello?" I said. Why was someone calling at this time?
"Hello, its Trevor. Are you sure you don't want to go out today? I know this is going to sound stupid but I've decided if you only want to be friends, we can be friends. So what do you say?" he said kind of quickly. I groaned internally and agreed in the happiest voice I could whip up on the spot. I only said yes so that I got out of the house. It was feeling very strange. Like something was missing or been released. Trevor said he'd be at my house at nine-thirty. I went back upstairs and had a shower. I went to put on my emergency 'suitable-dating-wear' as the first one was dirty from yesterday. I still had to wear jeans and a T shirt but instead of my black jeans and blue top I was wearing blue jeans with a grey shirt. Todd's sense of clothes was horrible but I wore them to make him happy. When I'd finally finished getting ready, it was nine-twenty. Ten more minutes; strangely I felt excited. I had to admit Trevor was pretty hot and I couldn't shake that feeling- the one from Friday when he'd smiled at me. I also remembered how Daniel looked that day. Daniel! Todd came into the room with a bowl that I assumed was his breakfast and sat next to me on the bed.
"Todd? What happened with Daniel after I 'passed out' yesterday?" I said my heart racing. Oh my God, Daniel will never talk to me again. I am dead.
"I came in to find you on the floor. Not breathing. So I yelled at him to go home. I lied and told him you were fine and he left. Then I called the ambulance and they came and took you to the hospital. I think you know what happened after that." He said very quietly, hoping I'd miss some of it.
"You what?" I screamed at him. I was dead. I ran downstairs to the phone and dialled his mobile number. How did I now his number? He never gave it to me. It was strange, it just came to me. This number appeared in my head and I knew in an instant that it was his number. He picked up on the fifth ring.
"Hello? Willow is that you? Are you ok?" he said in a scared voice, like every time his phone rang it was someone else. He must have known that Todd had lied to him yesterday. Well, obviously. Who would believe someone who was most likely terrified saying 'She's fine' when clearly they could see the blood around me and I'm lying face down on the floor? Not many.
"Yeah it's me. I'm so sorry about my brother yesterday. I'm fine I guess." I said awkwardly.
"I was so worried about you." he sobs. Sobs? Awe, that's so sweet, given the circumstances and everything. Still. He sobbed. No guy had ever done that for me before. Except Todd, of course.
"I was worried about me too." I said. There was a moment of silence before he spoke again.
"We never went on our date yesterday. Do you want to go today?" he asked. Yes! Yes, I wanted to say but I was hanging out with Trevor.
"I'm sorry Daniel but I can't today, um personal things." I said.
"Oh ok. I'll see you at school then?" he said.
"Yes you will." I said and hung up. I hung up, not him. One point to Willow. I sat down on the couch with a heart that was beating very fast. I was excited. There was no denying it. That was a weird reaction from Daniel, I thought. I never expected him to act like that as we only met a few days ago.