Redemption

Untitled Prologue – May 2005 The bus ride back from Missoula had been a zoo with the entire graduating class shouting and laughing and talking over each other. The career fair had been useful and informative in the usual boring way that these things always were, and everyone had a bag full of pamphlets and info sheets that they were supposed to review with their parents over the weekend. Benny and Danny sat together on one bench seat while Mikey sat across the aisle with his arm over his girlfriend Terri’s shoulders. Benny and Danny were both going into law, had both gotten acceptance letters to fancy universities already, but had gone along on the trip anyway because it was better than going to study hall for the entire day. The three boys were animated, and Danny and Benny kept shoving each other. They’d grown up close, always in the same class, always in the same pack. Didn’t matter that Benny’s dad ran the chicken plant while the other two had parents with far more humble jobs, didn’t matter that Mikey had a snowball’s chance in hell of getting something as fancy as a law degree. They were still as thick as thieves. Terri didn’t mind Benny or Danny; they’d always been nice enough to her, including her when they could and not bugging Mikey too much for wanting to spend time with her without them. She didn’t know their secret, didn’t know they had a secret, but she tried to act unfazed by their membership in a local community group. She’d asked to come along a few times, but Mikey had always said no. And it’s not like it’s guys only, Benny’s little sister and a couple girls in his younger brother’s class all go. She’d stopped asking months ago and just ignored it, enjoying her time with Mikey. Usually she joined in their rowdy play, but today she sat much quieter than her classmates, staring out the bus window at the passing trees. She had a lot on her mind, and she was grateful that Mikey hadn’t noticed yet. They piled off the school bus as the rest of the school was letting out. Some of them climbed onto other buses for the drive home. Others headed for their cars. Benny had a newer, gently used two-door, a gift from his father two years earlier. Danny and Mikey both had beaters, over ten-years-old, and only on the road because Mikey had a head for cars. Their conversation carried them all the way to their cars, parked along the back rail of the lot. Martha and Kent, Benny’s younger siblings, were waiting there. “I thought you were going with a friend today,” Benny said to Martha. She shrugged. “We broke up.” “Fine, get in. I’ll see you guys Monday.” Farewells were shouted, and Benny drove off towards Florence. Danny wasn’t far behind, begging off because of a shift at the diner. He was saving up to pay his law degree himself, and that had kept him busy most of this school year. Terri had been trailing along, holding Mike’s hand and not saying much, but now Mikey’s entire focus was directed at her. He nuzzled her hair and kissed the side of her head. “What about you? Need a ride home? Or you want to come to my place for a bit?” “I think I’ll walk home,” she said. “I’ve got a lot to think about.” “I’ll see you tomorrow?” That would give her all night to figure out how to break this to him. “Yeah, okay. Tomorrow.” He grinned and kissed her. He backed her against the side of the car, still kissing her and when they pulled apart, and they were both smiling. Until someone walking by hollered “Get a room!” Terri blushed and slipped away. “Tomorrow.” He blew her a kiss and watched her walk away before getting into his car and heading for home.His life was perfect right now. For a while his mom had let her deadbeat boyfriend live with them, and those had been some rough months, getting rougher by the day after he’d turned abusive. He’d stopped bringing Terri around for a while, for her own safety. About a year ago his Uncle Dave, a long-distance truck driver, had come through town and crashed with them for a few nights between hauls. Deadbeat had gotten rough with Mom and Uncle Dave stepped in, all 300-lbs of him, and tossed Deadbeat on the street. Then Uncle Dave had gone to Theo. Mikey’s family was odd, as far as werewolves went. His grandfather was a wolf, but not his grandmother. His mother was the only one of four siblings to shift. He was an only child and, low and behold, he was a shifter. He knew his father wasn’t, since his father had skipped town before he was born, before his mother had revealed the pack secret. Still, Dave knew about werewolves, since both his father, sister, and nephew got furry every month, and he knew Theo was supposed to be watching over the pack. Theo was still a relatively new Alpha, which was probably why Carla, Mike’s mom, had thought she could slide her rough situation under the radar. Theo had stepped in and made sure Deadbeat wasn’t going to be a problem. He also made sure Carla had a proper job and that there was food in the pantry again. “Hungry wolves are dangerous,” he said. The sense of hopelessness that had pervaded their lives was lifting. The steady income and not having to worry about food eased the stress on Carla who, in turn, started smoking less. Mike started missing fewer classes again. He still skipped now and then to spend time with Terri, but what eighteen-year-old wouldn’t skip math for a make-out session? He grinned at that particular memory. Not like I’m doing anything wrong. He parked his car on the street behind his mother’s and jogged up the walk. “Mail’s on the table,” Carla said. She was stirring something on the stove. There was a lit cigarette in the ashtray, but she was drinking a cola instead of a beer. Only reason she’d mention the mail was if there was something for me, he thought. He dropped his bag in the closet, kicked off his shoes, and grabbed a can of cola from the fridge for himself before dropping into one of the old kitchen chairs and pulling the pile closer. Right on top was a letter addressed to him. The return address came complete with a logo – the local trade school’s logo. He stared at it. “What are you waiting for?” she said, standing over his shoulder. “Don’t you want to know if you got in?” The dip in his grades at the end of last year worried him, but he didn’t want to tell her that. She’d been feeling guilty enough lately. He nodded. With trembling hands, he opened the envelope and slowly unfolded the letter. He started reading out loud in a measured and professional voice. “Dear Michael, we have reviewed your application to the Automotive Mechanic Program, and we’re pleased to inform you that you’ve been accepted!” He dropped the letter. “I got in!” He stood and hugged her. “I got in!” “I knew you could do it. I would have missed a dozen days of work if it weren’t for you and your handy streak. Don’t know where you got it from, but I’m glad that’s the talent you were born with. You’re going to wow them.” “I can’t wait to tell Terri tomorrow!” “Mmhmm,” Carla said. “Well, I’m only working until three, so if you plan on celebrating here, keep that in mind.” “Mom!” His cheeks went a deep red. “As if I don’t know what you two get up to when you’re ‘studying.’ I was a teen mother, remember?” She laughed. “As long as you’re being safe. I’m too young to be a grandmother.” “I’m too young to be a father,” he muttered, mortified, as his mother laughed some more. He called Terri the next morning, waiting until he was sure she’d be out of bed. He didn’t want to wake her, or her father, but he was too excited to wait much longer. They had call display, so Terri picked up. “Hey Mike.” “Hey, do you want me to come pick you up today?” He lived closer to the edge of town. It wasn’t a horrible walk, and it was actually a nice bike ride, but he always offered since he had the car. And he was eager to see her today, so he didn’t want to wait for her to make the walk. “I’ll be by a little later, okay? Dad needs some help around the house.” He rolled his eyes because she couldn’t see him. He did his fair share of housework too, that was life with a single parent, but sometimes he wondered if Terri’s dad didn’t push things a little far. “Okay, well, I have the house all to myself until three. And I miss you.” “I’ll try,” she said. “Call me if you need a ride.” Terri showed up at his front door in short shorts and a tank top and a little purse strung over her shoulder. Her hair, always a dark chocolate brown no matter how much sun she got, was cut boy-short, and the tips of her ears were red from walking in the sun. She preferred shoes to sandals and wore them with ankle socks in neon colors. He held the door open to her, welcoming her into the air-conditioned comfort of his home. “I was making a sandwich,” he said. “Want one?” “Sure.” It was a little early, but she’d long gotten used to his weird eating habits. Even for a growing teenage boy he could pack away food like a wild animal some days. “What’s this?” she said, picking at the envelope on the table. He grinned and kissed her, a mayo covered knife in one hand. Before he could answer her, it dripped on the floor. “Shit.” She giggled. While he scrambled about, putting the knife down, getting a cloth, she pulled a bottle of pop out of the fridge and danced around him for the glasses. He kissed her cheek as she went by. He was too young to get married; he had school to finish and he didn’t know what Terri was planning yet, but this felt so right, so comfortable, this easy dance around the kitchen to the sound of her laughter. “You gonna tell me or do I have to peek?” she said, pouring the pop. “You can look if you want,” he said. “Came yesterday. I got in!” She spun and wrapped her arms around him, being happy for his sake. “That’s great. You’re going to do great in that program. It was made for you.” “My mom said almost the same thing.” “I like your mom,” Terri said with complete honesty. Carla had helped her out more than once. Shortly after she and Mike had started dating, she’d discreetly asked Carla for a tampon. Carla had offered one up gladly, and then sent her home with a half-box. “I know what it’s like to use toilet paper,” Carla had said. It wasn’t the last time, and it wasn’t the only time she’d gone to the older woman in a bind. She’d missed her period once, around Christmas time, and had come crying to Carla one afternoon when she knew Mikey wouldn’t be home. A hot coffee and a pee test later and Terri was calmed down and reassured that she wasn’t pregnant. “Anything, any time,” Carla had said. “Whether you’re dating my bone-headed son or not. Don’t feel like you have to stay with him out of fear of losing your support network. You’re nearly a grown woman. You can choose your own friends, and I can most certainly choose mine.” Growing up without a mother these last twelve years, Terri was grateful for that friendship, and had taken Carla at her word. She was still with Mikey because, bone-headed or not, she was rather fond of him. He was pretty damn good looking too, if she was being honest. And when his friends had become her friends a lot of the harassment from the older guys at school had stopped. Now they were the oldest ones there, and she didn’t have to deal with so much crap day in and day out. “What about you?” he said saying. “Did you make a decision?” Damn good looking, she thought again. She pretended to be considering his question as she made her way casually to the sink. She turned the water on as though washing her hands and then reached for the sprayer. He was paying attention to the sandwiches and not to her, so she spayed him square in the back, somehow missing the food. He froze, and then the knife clattered onto the counter. She let go of the sprayer with a squeak, realizing too late her error. There was only one way in and out of the kitchen, and he was standing between her and it. She bolted for it anyway. He was fast. She always forgot how fast he could be. She squealed when he grabbed her around the waist and hoisted her off the floor, her legs still going for a moment like she was in a cartoon. She laughed and struggled, but there was no way she was getting loose. He was only a head taller than her, and skinny as a bean pole as her grandmother liked to say, but he had muscles like iron. That didn’t stop her from fighting as he hauled her all the way to his bedroom at the far end of the double-wide trailer. He tossed her unceremoniously on the bed before rummaging around for a clean-ish shirt. When he pulled his wet shirt over his head, she said, “I win.” He stopped and stared at her for a moment and then laughed. “This is all you wanted?” She scooted to the edge of the bed and ran her hand over his chest, grinning at him. “Yup.” He wrapped his arms around her. “You could have just asked.” “This was more fun,” she said, kissing him. Carla walked in the front door to find Mikey and Terri just sitting down at the table with sandwiches and pop. “A little late for lunch, isn’t it?” “It’s just a snack,” Mikey lied. “Terri had a long walk over, and you know me, I’m always hungry.” “Oh, I know,” Carla said. “Why don’t you make me one too? It was a long day.” Mike nodded and threw together another sandwich. They sat around the table together in easy silence, enjoying the food and the breeze coming in the window over the sink. Mike and Terri kept sneaking glances at each other and trying not to laugh. It had been a scramble to get dressed, get to the kitchen, and act natural when they heard tires on the gravel driveway, but they’d made it. And Carla was too polite to say anything directly. “Did you hear the good news?” Carla said. “Yes, I saw the letter,” Terri said. “I guess you’re excited.” “Yeah. I made a real mess of my life. It’s good to see that I didn’t mess up his too.” Mikey rolled his eyes. “What about you?” Carla went on. “What are you planning to do next year?” Mikey saw Terri hesitate and said, “Actually, that’s what Terri came over here to talk to me about. We were going to head out for a drive right after we ate.” Carla nodded. “You’ll be home for dinner?” “Or I’ll call,” he said. “I’m going to have a shower then. See you later.” She put her plate in the sink and disappeared down the hall. Mike grabbed Terri’s empty plate as well as his own and said, “Do you want to go for a drive? Or a walk?” “Walk,” she said. “You walked here.” “Hours ago.” “You didn’t get enough exercise?” he said, with a comedic arching of his eyebrows. She laughed. “It’s too nice out. I don’t want to be cooped up in a metal box.” “Okay, I get that. We’ll walk.” He didn’t mind. The wolf liked to be outdoors, and it liked to be active. He was certain that was part of the reason why he loved Terri so much. She understood the pressure of walls. They walked hand-in-hand. Mikey smiled and said, “I’m really excited for September. It sounds stupid. More school and I want to go?” He chuckled. “All we ever talk about is getting out and here, and I am going back in. But I am excited. This is something I’m good at. I really think I’ll succeed here—there—you know what I mean. I just can’t wait to get my hands on all those cars, get under the hoods, have someone actually explain what I’m seeing instead of me just trying to figure it out on my own.” Terri let him ramble. His hand felt nice, and she liked the reassuring presence of his tall frame next to her. She liked the warm breeze and the birds and being out here with him. She could almost pretend it was a few years from now and he was rambling about a car he resurrected while they walked their dog, and they’d talk about mortgages and maybe having a kid. “You’ve been really quiet,” he said. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been daydreaming. “Oh, sorry.” “Is everything okay?” She nodded. “Here I am talking about my plans, but we already know that stuff. What are you doing in the fall? Grad is only a few weeks away. Did you apply somewhere?” “I didn’t know where to apply to, or what program to apply for,” Terri said, shrugging. “I don’t know, I never really felt pulled towards this job or that one.” “It’s okay to work for a year, figure things out, and go next year. Lots of teens do that.” “I think I found something at the career thing the other day.” “That’s great. I’m sure there’s a late enrollment process, and you’re totally smart enough. You can get in anywhere.” She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. She took a deep breath. She couldn’t put this off forever. “I’m joining the army.” He stopped walking. “What?” “I’m going to enlist.” “As an engineer or something, right?” She shook her head. “Combat? Terri, that’s crazy! What if something happens to you out there?” “What if you get killed fixing a car?” “That’s not even the same risk. How the hell would I get killed fixing a car?” “My cousin’s best friend died fixing a dirt bike last year.” “How?” “He took it out for a test drive. The headlight failed, so he turned around to take it home again and got hit.” “Okay, yeah, that’s sad, but that’s not going to happen to me. And what, one in a thousand auto mechanics die on the job in a year? Soldiers die all the f*****g time.” “And they come home alive all the f*****g time too. Michael, I’m scared too, okay? I’m scared I won’t be able to pull the trigger. I’m scared it’ll be too easy to pull the trigger. I’m scared of roadside bombs and everything else. I know the risks. But I’m scared of staying here too. What am I going to do with my life? I can’t be a doctor or a lawyer like your friends. I can’t be a mechanic; I have no idea what I’m doing. I don’t want to end up waiting tables at the highway diner my whole life! I know how to handle a gun, I know how to work hard for long hours. It’s all I know!” “I don’t think this is what your dad had in mind when he taught you to fire a gun,” Mikey said. “I don’t need his permission, and I don’t need yours.” She let go of his hand and started walking away. He could have pounced her again, scooped her up like before, but this wasn’t playing. He jogged after her. “Terri, wait.” She stopped and faced him again. “What?” He took a deep breath. “You’re right. Dammit, I don’t want you to go. The thought of losing you, of seeing you come home in a f*****g box, it’s ripping me apart. I’m not going to lie about that. But you’re right.” He reached out and touched her cheek. “If you want to do this, I won’t stop you. And I’ll be there at the airport every time you come home on leave to spoil you rotten.” “You’ll wait for me?” She had been scared this conversation would end in their break up. “I’ll propose before you ship off if that’s what it takes to convince you.” “No!” She laughed. “You don’t want to marry me?” She laughed. “I don’t want you proposing at the airport when I’m all set to leave,” she said. “I didn’t say I’d propose at the airport. Look, I’ll wait for you. We’re only eighteen, but I love you. If I’m going to love you now and I’m going to love you twenty years from now, then what’s a few years’ wait in the middle?” She shook her head, but she was smiling. “I love you too,” she said.