SPENCER
The moment I saw Brian waiting for me next to my locker, I regretted not taking Mom’s advice and staying home. I was already exhausted after the sleepless night spent in pain and dealing with him right now was one thing too much.
“Hi, babe.”
I pushed him away as he bowed his head to kiss me.
“Don’t call me that.” I opened the locker door, covering his annoyed face with it.
“I said I’m sorry.” He walked around me.
“Like I haven’t heard that too many times before. I won’t let you treat me like that anymore.” I pulled out my history book, shut the locker door, and headed to the classroom.
“What did you expect, Spence?” He caught up with me. “You ditched me to go out with another guy.”
“I didn’t even know I was going to see him when you called.” I stopped. “You think that’s why I didn’t want to see you? Brian,” I stared at him, “do you even understand what you did wrong? Repeatedly? Or do you hope the words I’m sorry will jump-start some amnesia and make me forget what happened?”
“Spence, you have to stay away from that guy. You saw what he . . . He’s dangerous.”
I smirked. “No, to me, he is not. But if I were you, I would watch my actions.” Walking away, I added, “And maybe stay inside after the dark.”
I could feel his stare on my back as I walked away.
During the lunch break, Alex bombarded me with questions about my quarrel with Brian, and I told her what happened at the party and last night, mentioning Finn, but skipping the details about him.
Alex stopped chewing her salad.
“So you’re saying that Brian attacked the guy, and the guy beat him?”
“More like brushed him off. There wasn’t much of a fight. Thank God,” I rolled my eyes.
“Brushed off Brian? You’re fucking kidding,” she giggled. “Is the guy handsome? Are you going to break up with Brian? If not, can I meet the guy? What’s his name?” she spat out the questions in one breath.
“Alex, chill. You’re like popcorn kernels on the stove.” I took a sip of my orange juice. “He’s not local. He’s just passing through.”
“But you are going to see him after school, right?”
I folded my arms on the table, leaned forward, and looked at her with my sleepy eyes. “After school, I’m going home and I’m having a very, very long nap.”
At least that was my plan.
But it seemed Mom had a completely different one for me.
“Pack your bags. We’re leaving,” she said the moment I walked into the house.
“We’re what?” I gaped at her as she moved back and forth in the living room, grabbing books and pictures from the shelves and shoving them in the carton on the couch. “Mom, what’s going on?”
“We can’t stay here anymore. It’s dangerous.”
“What’s dangerous? Did something happen? Did you use magic by accident?”
“No. It’s not m—it’s not about—Just do it.” She dashed upstairs.
I rushed after her.
“Mom, I’m about to graduate. You can’t do this to me.”
She stormed into her bedroom, pulled out a suitcase from her closet, and rolled it toward me. “You can take this one. It’s bigger than yours,” she said it like she didn’t hear me talking.
“Stop!” I shouted. “I’m not doing anything until you explain what the hell is going on!”
“Someone knows about y—about—” She ran both her hands up her forehead. “Just do as I say.” She walked past me and hurried back downstairs.
“I can’t do this anymore,” I yelled after her. I went to my room and slammed the door behind me.
“I can’t believe this,” I muttered in fury.
My phone buzzed. It was Finn. I hesitated. I was too stressed to talk to him right now. I pressed the red button and dropped down on the edge of the bed.
While I was at school, Mom was home. What could’ve happened to freak her out so badly? Did someone come or call? Did she have a fucking bad dream during her day nap?
The phone buzzed again, and I stared at Finn’s name on the screen. The fact that he called back right away made me think it was something urgent. I picked up the phone.
“Spencer? Are you home?”
“Yes.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, but I can’t talk right now.” I didn’t sound okay at all. I was on edge and my tone was giving me away.
“Spencer, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing . . . I don’t know. It’s my mom.” I paused.
“What about her?” He asked, even more alarmed. “Did you tell her? Did she say something to you?”
“No. She . . .” She what? I can’t tell him that my mom is freaking out God knows why, and she wants us to run away. “It’s nothing. Sorry, I gotta go.” I hung up.
Wait a minute. Didn’t I answer the call to find out what was so urgent?
But whatever it was, I was sure it wasn’t as important as another unpredictable turn in my shitty life.
Tears filled my eyes. I got up and opened the closet.
“At least tell me where we’re going,” I snapped at Mom when we were almost done packing.
“Let’s just get out of here first.”
I knew it wasn’t all about me. It was her life too, and she must’ve had a pretty serious reason to uproot us like this, but understanding it didn’t make it less devastating.
I grabbed the handle of my suitcase and rolled it outside. While loading it in the trunk, I heard an approaching car. I pulled my head out from under the hood and glanced at the road. The familiar black shiny Volvo came to an abrupt halt.
Finn.
He stepped out of the car, threw a glance at the boxes on the porch, and without looking at me, marched into the house. My jaw dropped, and I darted after him.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Stopping in the hallway, he glared at Mom standing across from him in the living room. “This isn’t a solution.”
Mom glared back at him with her teeth clenched.
“Finn, what’s going on?” Still in shock, I rounded him and stopped in the middle of the hallway between the two of them.
“Ask your mother.” He sounded angry, and when I looked into his eyes, I saw the golden ring around his gray pupils.
The fear shot through me, and when I glanced at Mom, I saw her raising her hands, prepared to cast a spell.
Finn’s lip curled up, and I heard a growl. I forced my magic into my hands, and before any of them could act, I spread my arms and turned my palms; one at Mom and another at Finn, immobilizing them both.
They turned their furious glares at me.
“So that’s what this is all about,” Finn scoffed, gazing at Mom. “You’re witches.”
Mom nodded ominously. “Now that you know, I’ll have to kill you before you can run to your pack and tell them about us.”
“Mom!” I gaped at her, still holding them pinned to their spots. “What the hell are you talking about? And how do you know he’s a werewolf?”
“Ms. Marshall, just so you know, I don’t belong to any pack.” Finn sounded much calmer, and his pupils were back to normal. “I understand your actions now, and why my appearance today scared you so much. But trust me, I’m not a threat to you or your daughter.”
Did he come here today? So it was him who freaked Mom out?
“Mom, calm down. He isn’t going to hurt us.” But her eyes were still fixed on Finn. “Finn, what’s going on? Talk to me,” I demanded.
“Your Mom has a lot to tell you, Spencer.” He turned to me with his now kind, and a little sad, look. “But I think your mom and I need to talk first, to clear things up. You can remove the spell, Spencer. It’s going to be okay.”
I dropped my hands, and just in case, drew closer to Finn and stood in front of him, facing Mom.
“You can’t hurt him, Mom. I wouldn’t let you.”
“Okay.” She finally unclenched her teeth. “I’ll hear you out.” She headed to the kitchen, nodding for Finn to follow. “Spencer, go upstairs.”
“Fine. But you have to promise me you will behave.” I glanced from one to another. “Both of you.”
“Don’t worry,” Finn said in his now usual calm voice. “We both want what’s best for you.”