Chosen (Wolves of Dralesa: Book 2)

Persephone It wasn't necessarily the rhythmic melody of my alarm that finally called me from the depths of sleep, it was the annoying vibrations that buzzed with. It was annoyingly off beat to the calm melody of the song I set as my alarm. I let out a groan as I hit snooze. As every morning, my body was always so heavy with sleep. I swear I had an issue, waking up should never be this hard. If I could, I would hibernate like no tomorrow. Within the five-minute snooze I had already ran back to my world of dreams. I don’t know why, but they had become so vivid lately. Sometimes I could even pick up where I left off in the dream if I fell back asleep fast enough. I sat in the mid-winter woods painting the scene before me. I’ve never seen these parts of the woods before. They were denser, much older looking than the woods surrounding my hometown. Which was weird as I read once that you can’t dream of things you’ve never seen whether it be a place or a face. Despite never being here before, this place gave me an otherworldly sense of belonging. So much so that it made me feel like I never truly had to begin with in the real world. I could feel how my dream self felt. The peace and happiness was beyond what I had ever felt before. As I painted, I tried to understand why I felt like this. But I couldn’t. I had loving parents even though they were separated. I never had to deal with the trauma of fighting parents as they still respected each other out of their love for me. They both gave me the best they could, and it was more than I could ever ask for. I had four really great friends. Two of them I even known for nearly my entire eighteen years of life, Leeann, and Freddie. On top of that, for the past five years, Freddie and I have been exclusively dating. I could see where my life was heading a mile away. It was a predictable life and one I was happy with. Or at least I thought I was. This dream was beginning to make me feel otherwise. Dream me got a strong whiff of winter pine, one of my favorite scents. I could feel my own heart skip a beat, for what reason, I don’t know. My dream self smiled ear to ear before beginning to turn around. I too wanted to know what my dream self was so happy to see, whatever it was, it was almost euphoric. But, alas, it was not meant to be. “Good morning to you!” Diane's sing-song voice shattered my dream as she entered my room. “Good morning to you!” She passed me heading straight to my one weakness in the morning. “Good morning dear Sunshine,” I couldn't see, but knowing her, she was as dramatic as ever as she threw open my black out curtains. I swear my eyelids were way too thin as the bright early spring sun still stung the orbs beneath them. “Good morning to you!” She finished her song as I let out a groan, trying to cocoon back into my blankets where it was still dark. Diane tsked, then proceeded to pull the blankets from me. “My child is going to graduate this year, and she still can't wake herself up. How you wake up for school at your father's is a mystery to me.” She chuckled, placing a sweet kiss on my forehead. “You have twenty minutes before the bus arrives.” Diane gently informed me. Then like the storm she was, she blew in and blew out, leaving me struggling to roll out of bed. Oh, how I missed winter when the sun refused to show before seven. Despite the fact I only had twenty minutes, it wasn't like I needed to rush. It was just school, I didn't feel the need to impress anyone with a painted-on face, even for Freddie. I smiled slightly as I thought of my long-term boyfriend. He never failed to tell me he loved me for me, with or without makeup. And let's be real, in this day and age, sadly that has become rare. While brushing my teeth I looked closely in the mirror studying my big, upturned blue-green hazel eyes. I was always intrigued by the different colors in eyes, especially my own. Around my pupil it was a crystal like blue, but the green sat around the outer ring blending its way in to the inner blue. What I loved most was the random brown freckle in the greener part of my right eye. Even though I spent all of the two minutes of brushing my teeth staring at myself, I swear I wasn't narcissistic. As an artist, to me colors is what makes things outwardly beautiful. And sometimes I liked to get lost in that beauty, but it's not like I can walk up to someone, nearly touching their nose with my own, just to see the individual beauty of their eye color. The only person that allowed me with complete openness was Leeann. One day we laid on the grass during recess in middle school telling each other every detail of the other’s eye color. I smiled at the random but treasured memory, as there were a few of those these days. I hastily brushed my wavy, golden blond hair. It reached the middle of my back when down, and instead of using an hour or two to style it perfectly, I just tossed it up into a messy bun. The thought of chopping the annoyance I call hair popped up for a second in my head. Followed by the thought of that I’d look rather sexy with a wolf styled haircut. Back in my room, I searched sluggishly though my closet and dresser. I dressed myself in a pair of high waisted black skinny jeans that I cut rips into by the knees, an oversized lavender cropped sweatshirt, along with my ol' reliable black combat boots. The cherry on top was my black leather choker and nonprescription silver circle glasses. I silently made my way down the stairs and to the kitchen where the unsuspecting Diane stood. “Merm!” I scared her as I leeched onto her from behind. “Are you trying to give your mother a heart attack?” She exhaled as her body relaxed. “No merm, I just love you so much.” I gave her a kiss on her cheek as I stole the cup of tea in her hand before running away with it. “Oi!” She called after me, but I could also hear her chuckle, heading to the kettle to make herself another. I finished the sweet peppermint tea right in time for the big yellow limo to appear. “Bye merm, love you!” I set the cup on the table that held our car keys and swooped the backpack resting next to it on the floor before heading out. I heard her yell back that she loved me too as I shut the door to our red house behind me. It only took me a second to put away the dorky airhead I normally was for the person most people had made me out to be. “Morning Mrs. Lee.” I greeted my older bus driver that had never failed to pick me up and drop me off these last three years. “Good morning to you too sunshine.” Her eyes and smile radiated the happiness I had just given her by simply just saying good morning. It wasn't too bad, being a ray of sunshine for people. If I could make even one person happy today, it was all worth it. This world was filled with too many ass holes and anger that someone, no matter how insignificant they are, needs to give a little positivity back. Sitting down in the back, I plugged in my headphones and escaped into myself. While listening to Love Bites by Ice Nine Kills, I thought of my dream right before I woke up. Mainly that sense of belonging and how, even right now, I felt hollow. How could I be this affected by a dream? I thought I was happy. How couldn't I be? I so far had no reason to be unhappy. So, then just what was it? The bus stopped at its third stop from my house, and in less than a minute, I saw the familiar mint haired boy bounce up the bus stairs. His eager honey-brown eyes immediately searching for someone. That someone being me. I smiled from instinct at Freddie as soon as he saw me. Without another second he made his way to my seat in the back, throwing himself down next to me. His soft hands removed my ear bud, knowingly I had it in. “Morning baby,” He whispered before he kissed me on the lips. It was rare for him to kiss me this sweetly, so I kissed him back. It was only when he deepened it and slid his hand between my inner thighs that I backed off. I grabbed his hand that was on my thigh and held it in my own, mainly to stop it from wandering again. “Morning to you too, Freddie.” I faked him a smile as I tried acting oblivious to his apparent annoyance. Don’t get me wrong, I know it wasn’t the best response to being shot down like I just did to him. But I couldn’t help but feel bad. I simply didn’t want to move pass what I was comfortable with. “Tell me again, that even after five years I still can't touch you?” I kissed the back on his hand that I held, in attempt to distract him. “Freddie we've been over this plenty of times. You love me don't you?” I looked into his eyes, causing him to look away. Weird why would he do that? “Of course, I love you.” He squeezed my hand. “Then please respect my decision. You know how important my studies are and I just don't feel ready yet.” I stretched out and gave him a peck on the lips. I didn't know what it was truthfully, yes my studies were important, but I didn't know why I wasn't ready. Hell, I was basically an adult, and I can't deny that Freddie is very good looking. On top of that, he was fit enough to handle a thick and curvy woman such as myself. When I'm alone, my libido can sometimes make me want to run down the street and attack this mint haired man next to me. However, it was like a wall was blocking me. How else could I explain it to him other than that I just wasn't ready because of academic reasons. “I love you.” I reassured him as I leaned on his shoulder, closing my eyes for the remainder of the ride. Was I running away from our conversation by pretending to doze off. No doubt I was. Not everyone is perfect, and I was no exception. Freddie sometimes came off too harsh and pushy, but I’ve known him all my life, and deep down he was a good person. Him staying by my side even after making him wait all this time attests to that. Then I thought of how he couldn’t look me in the eyes when he told me, ‘of course, I love you’. No matter how much I trusted and loved him, that was not a sign I should ignore. That hollowness in my chest came back like a sharp pain. I couldn’t help but suddenly think I was drawing too close to a line I would never be able to cross back over. People change all the time. How could I arrogantly claim that I know him as I know my own self? Thankfully we arrived at school before I drove faster down that trainwreck of thinking. We hopped off the bus and instinctively grabbed Freddie’s awaiting hand. I smiled at him as if I wasn’t having a crisis at the moment. He beamed down at me for only a second before dragging me to where our friends sat in the lunchroom. Freddie dropped my hand as soon as he saw the guys all huddled over one of their phones, seemingly to be scrolling through photos on it. He rushed to their side to see what was so interesting without a single word. Again, another pang. This never bothered me before, so why does it do so now? “Over here Seph!” Leeann called out from the other side of the table the boys sat at and waved me over. Leeann was dressed in a similar style to mine. Ripped black skinny jeans, combat boots, and she was even wearing one of my graphic tees which was way too baggy on her per our size difference. While I stood at five foot seven, filled out and curvy, she was only five foot one and nearly as flat as a board. Her hair was medium in length and dyed black. With how long her hair has been black, people normally forgot her natural color, but today her dirty blonde roots were beginning to become noticeable. She was most likely going to ask sometime this week for me to help her touch it up this upcoming weekend. Her ideal length at the moment was how long my hair was, but she was barely halfway there. She would kill me if I followed through in chopping it all off. The more I think about it, the more I entertain the thought of doing so. Leeann was sitting next to Lexa who had an annoyed look about her before she saw me. Lexa was a good friend I had met earlier this school year. She had transferred here from California to live closer to her mother’s side of the family after her father had suddenly passed. Though at first glance we looked so different, the rate of how quickly we became friends stated otherwise. While my style consisted of a mixture of grunge and pastel goth, Lexa screamed girl next door. The most adventurous thing about her appearance were the purple streaks in her tight black curly hair, which I guiltily helped her do. Her style fooled many, as she was anything but a sweet girl from next door. She was very sassy and quick witted, no one stood a chance in a verbal fight with her once she was pissed off. But personally, that was a trait I loved most about her. Before I could walk over to them, Eliza jumped me from behind. I never understood how she had so much energy. Nor how she looked drop dead gorgeous so early in the morning. She even dressed so minimalistic, though hardly ever the same outfit twice. Todays was a simple black cropped tank, dark blue skinny jeans, and a hunter’s green bomber jacket. I personally thought her beauty was due to her strong indigenous features. Naturally tanned skin, straight brown, nearly black, hair that surpassed her butt when down, high cheek bones, beautiful full lips, and big round brown eyes as rich as the ground in the Earth. Eliza and I slowly became friends over the past two years of us working together at one of the small convenience stores in town. Before, I thought of her as indifferent which was fine with me, we both did our own things and it worked out well. Now I can’t stand a shift if her crazy ass isn’t there. “Mommy, good morning!” Eliza grinned with her perfect smile. I still laughed at the nickname she gave me. Apparently I was a mother hen, and now she never thinks of me any differently. “Good morning you guys.” I greeted them and sat down between Leeann and Lexa. Being with my three friends was already bringing me some peace compared to my terrible bus ride over here. I glanced over at Freddie and his friends. They were geeking over something, but I couldn’t care enough to hone in on what. “You look like shit.” Lexa blurted, not even waiting to test the waters. I tried giving her my best smile, but her keen eyes knew my fake smiles from my real ones. “Bad dreams. They are still lingering.” I tried to skirt that topic as best as I could. I could barely think about it to myself, there was no way I could say it aloud. All three of them were staring at me, waiting for a better answer. When I didn’t give one, she raised an eyebrow. “It’s Freddie isn’t it?” She said it quietly enough so that the boys didn’t hear. Before I could respond, Leeann answered for me. “Of course not. We’ve been friends with him since diapers. He’s a great guy and is perfect for Seph. That’s why I got them together.” I almost cringed at her statement. I don’t know why she always brought that up. She carried that fact with her in the same way as if it was a gold medal she won from the Olympics. To put bluntly, it was quite annoying. It appeared as if all I wanted to do today was escape. I looked at the time and chose to make my exit so that I could leave this conversation promptly. “I’m fine, we’re fine, really. I’ll see y’all at lunch alright? I have to head to the art room early today to prep for the lesson.” I scooped up my bag and made my dash despite their protests. The hallways were crowded with loitering students just waiting for the day to start. I, on the other hand, was just ready for this day to end.