One True Mate

One True Mate

            Chapter 3 - Evie 

I screamed again as the wolf stood on top of Allan snarling. I heard footsteps coming down the stairs I looked over to see the twins frozen in fear. “Get back upstairs now!” I ordered I threw the girls my phone “Call the police.” Neither of them moved. “I said NOW!” they hurried back up the steps, teddy bears in hand. I looked back at the wolf. He was straight black, with a small white mark on his front paw, kind of shaped like a star.

He or assuming it was a he, was long, but big. Muscles pushed out of his long black fur.

I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t want to move because I was afraid the wolf would come after me and I sure wasn’t about to try and save Allan.

Allan was pale and frozen with fear, then he did the most stupidest thing he could, he started fighting the beast, trying to push him off, reaching for anything to hit it with. This just pissed the wolf off even more. He growled, teeth baring. He bit down on Allan’s shoulder and I couldn’t stop the scream that escaped my lips.

The wolf shook Allan a few times, he lay limp in the wolves mouth. He had passed out. I screamed again. The wolf suddenly stopped. He stared at me letting go of Allan’s shoulder he stepped off him, but not before I heard a crank of bone under its feet. I saw Allan’s eyes whip open in pain as he groaned grabbing his leg, then his shoulder.

The black wolf stocked towards me, he wasn’t snarling, or growling. His teeth stayed out of sight, slowly he moved until he was standing right in front of me. I couldn’t move, I didn’t know what to do. Running would be the stupid thing, but if I stayed where I was I could be a dead woman. I told my legs to run, but they couldn’t. They didn’t want to.

The wolf sat down in front of me, bowing it’s head, like he was trying to give me an apology. I raised an eyebrow leaning towards him without thinking my hand came up and touched the wolf’s head right between the ears, it groaned, but in a happy way. I let out a small smile. What the hell was I doing? I snapped my hand back. As I did I heard sirens heading towards us. The wolf jumped back. Gave me one last look and ran back out the patio door.

The Ambulance loaded Allan on a stretcher as I gave my statement to the police. I conventally left out the part about how the wolf had been so kind to me, so soft I hadn’t felt in any danger, I felt protected more than anything.

“Alright Mrs. Johnston I think that’s all I need.” The officer stated going over his notes. “Would you girls like to go with your father to the hospital?” he asked “I could drive you.”

“Foster Dad, and no thanks, I should get the girls to bed. How long do you think he will be in the hospital?” I asked. The officer shrugged.

“His physical injuries not long, however he keeps yelling how you put the wolf up to this, so mentally . . .” He trailed off. I nodded my head. This wasn’t good, Allan even though I hated him with a passion was my last chance. And what would this look like to everyone? A random attack for normal people, but the people of the church that knew my history possibly something else.

The officer bowed his head to me and the twins, handed me his card and told me to call if I needed anything. I ushered the girls back into the house. The rain had continued to pour. As the twins walked into the house I looked back to see Allan’s car in the driveway, it was a brand new Volvo SUV. I didn’t know the model, it was a sleek black with chrome trim and a sun roof. It was fully loaded too, all the way from satellite radio to a heated steering wheel and everything in between. I knew he couldn’t afford it on the salary he made, which meant it was from the cheques he got monthly for us foster kids. As I walked in I saw his keys on the counter. I looked at the clock, it was only 8:30.

Hey girls how about we go out for some late night ice cream?” I asked. Both of their faces lit up. But then Andrea’s fell.

“But it’s raining, I don’t want to walk in the rain.” I picked up the keys from the counter.

“We don’t have too.” I grabbed Allan’s wallet that was beside his keys. “I say it’s Allan’s treat tonight don’t you?” both girls nodded running for the door.

We walked into the ice cream parlour. I still didn’t know where much was in town so I just drove around until I found the first one. The older lady behind the counter smiled at us as we walked in.

“Well hello, how are you girls tonight.”

“Good, thanks.” I answered the twins were too busy looking at all the ice cream flavours.

“Can we get whatever we want?” Allison asked.

“Of course, whatever you want.” The girls giggled and continued looking through the ice cream flavours.

“Your such a good big sister.” The older lady commented. It took me back for a minute. I guess by looking at us you would assume we were related in some way. I liked the way it sounded though, and that’s what worried me.

The twins picked their ice cream and the older lady scooped it onto cones, they said thank you and sat down at a booth.

“And what will it be for you?” she asked, before I could answer we were interrupted.

“Hey mom, I’m missing a tub of vanilla ice cream, can you—“ but the voice stopped. It was Oliver.

“Oh hey Evie!” he greeted.

“You two know each other?” the lady—Oliver’s mom asked.

“Yeah from bio. Evie is new.” Oliver explained.

“Oh well then, I’m Olive.” She introduced.

“Evie.” I said with a smile.

“Mom can you check that ice cream, I’ll finish up here.” Olive raised an eyebrow but disappeared into the back.

“So does your family own this place?” I asked he nodded.

“For as long as I can remember. What can I get you?” he asked

“Surprise me.” He smiled picking up the ice cream scoop. I heard small footsteps behind me I turned to see Andrea pulling on my pant leg.

“Evie, Allison won’t share her ice cream.” She whined, I raised an eyebrow.

“Where’s yours?” I asked she scrunched her face.

“I don’t like it.” I sighed rolling my eyes, I turned back to Oliver, he had heard our exchange.

“Try this.” He said handing her another cone, she smiled running back to the booth. Oliver handed me my ice cream.

“Cute twins, your sisters?”

“I guess you could say that.” I nodded. I wasn’t about to tell him I was a foster kid. When people heard foster kid they would give me a pity look, which I hated.

“Hey, I’m almost done my shift, mind if I sit with you?”

“Sure.” Oliver pulled off his apron and followed me to the booth where the twins where sitting.

“Girls this is Oliver, Oliver this is Allison and Andrea.” I introduced. Oliver waved; both girls just looked at him smiling ice cream all over their faces.

“I like you.” Allison observed.

“Well that’s good.” Oliver gave a small nervous laugh. I slid into the booth across from the girls and he sat beside me, keeping a distance. We talked little, however the twins had a million questions for him, mostly involving ice cream. Things like did he get free ice cream whenever he wanted? Did he get to try new flavours when they came in? Oliver nodded to all the questions, which made the girls smile even wider. I sat quietly laughing as they talked.

This felt so . . . normal. Sitting here in a booth with who could become a friend and if I had a family, sisters.

We had finished our ice cream a long time ago, I looked at the clock on the wall.

“s**t, we better go. It’s almost ten.” Oliver stood up letting me slip out of the seat. The twins whined.

“But I like it here, we should just move our beds in here and live in the back.” Oliver laughed. I knew he thought it was to be a joke, but hidden behind the twins faces I knew it wasn’t. They didn’t want to be where they were, they just didn’t have a choice.

“We’ll come back.” I promised Oliver smiled at me.

“I’ll be here when you do.” I nodded.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” I said as I gathered the girls.

“Yep. Don’t forget hang out, this weekend.”

“Wouldn’t miss it.” I wasn’t lying.

After I put the girls to bed, which was easy since they were so tired. It had been a busy and scary night for them. I was surprised at how well they were doing. Maybe it just hadn’t sunk it yet. Or maybe it was one of those traumatizing things that their minds would block. I walked down the stairs into the kitchen. The patio door was still open, rain sprinkling in.

“Ah shit.” I muttered running to the door, slipping as I went, I fell onto my back. My clothes were wet from the puddle of water laying on the kitchen floor. I scrambled up and grabbed the door handles. As I closed the door I heard a howl.

I had a hard debate with myself about getting up for school the next morning. In the end I decided I should. I woke up the girls, got them ready and we all headed out the door. I pulled Allan’s keys out of my pocket.

“Are you sure we should be taking his car?” Andrea asked, I shrugged.

“He’s not gonna be using it.” With that we all hopped in. I dropped the girls off at their school promising to be back to pick them up afterwards and drove myself. I parked in the student parking lot and hopped out, closing the car door behind me.

I heard a whistle. “Nice car” Julian admired pushing himself away from hid equally as nice ford F150 and towards me. I felt a shudder go through my spine as our eyes met.  

“Thanks.” I muttered, slipping the keys into my backpack and walking towards the school.

“So how was your night?” Julian asked I raised an eyebrow.

“Fine, and yours?”

“Kind of interesting actually, my Dad came home from work saying that there was this crazy call he got.”

“Oh?” he nodded.

“He’s a cop, said he got called to a supposed wolf attack.” My head whipped up.

“A wolf attack huh? Sounds like s**t to me.” He stopped, so did I.

“I know it was your place Evie.” I didn’t even bother trying to deny it.

“How the hell did you know it was my place?” he shrugged.

“I may have looked through my dad’s notes.”

“You know that’s illegal right?”

“Not if no one finds out” he smiled evily.

“What do you want from me Julian? Do you want me to tell you everything? Do you want me to cry on your shoulder? Be the helpless girl you have come to rescue from the cruel world?” he looked taken back. I didn’t mean to be so harsh, I honestly didn’t know what came over me.

“I wanted to know if you were ok.” He muttered tugging hair behind his ear, I noticed a small birthmark on the back of his hand.  I sighed, I felt . . . I don’t know what I felt, happy? Annoyed? I wasn’t very happy that he had looked through his dad notes. But I was happy that he asked me about it. Like he might actually care about a fellow classmate.

“Sorry. I’m fine.” He nodded rubbing the back of his neck.

“Look I know you already said no but—”

“Hey Evie! Over here!” I looked up to see Oliver standing up from a picnic table.

“Look thanks for your concern, but I’m fine. And please don’t tell anyone. I don’t like being the center of attention.” I waved fast walking towards Oliver and his friends.

“Evie this is Mitch.” Oliver pointed to the friend sitting across from him at the picnic table. Mitch was dressed in straight black, with dyed jet black hair hanging over his face. His eyes were a steel blue. Mitch nodded his head to me “Hey.” He greeted popping his gum.

“And this is Lisa.” He pointed to the girl sitting beside him. Lisa was friendlier to me then Mitch. She smiled and waved. Lisa was very tall and lean, what some people might call a stick figure. Her muddy brown hair went past her shoulders, matching her dark brown eyes. Freckles peaked out of her cheeks as she smiled.

“Nice to meet you!” Lisa greeted.

“You too.” I muttered taking a seat on the other side of Oliver. Mitch popped a gum bubble at me, not looking impressed.

“So Oliver told us you moved here from Invermere.” I nodded

“Yeah sure did.” I answered

“Why?” I went completely still for a moment, I quickly regained myself. What was I supposed to tell them?

Well I’m a foster kid and the last family I lived with was sick of my constant denetions, doing what I pleased and police phone calls. So they shipped me here, where I’m forced to live with one of the worst foster parent I have ever had, and if I f**k this up I will get shipped to some f****d up boarding school.

I could have said all that, instead I lied.

“Dad got a job here.” I said trying hard not to flinch at the word dad.

“Oh? What about your Mom?” she asked.

“Don’t have one.” This wasn’t a lie. Lisa looked taken back by my answer.

“What happened?” Mitch asked suddenly interested in our conversation, Oliver reached across the table a flicked him in the forehead. “Ouch! It was just a question.”

“It’s fine. Nothing happened, I just never had a Mom.” I answered, Lisa’s face sagged, she felt sorry for me. But why? I never knew any different, it never made any difference to me.

“Anyway what should we do this weekend?” Oliver changed the subject, I flashed him a grateful smile.

“It’s the last weekend before they close up the outdoor pool. We could go there.” Lisa suggested.

“Lame” mumbled Mitch. She glared at him hand on her hip.

“Well then you come up with a better idea” she challenged, Mitch said nothing.

“That settles it then.” Oliver announced clapping his hands.

Turns out I had two classes with Lisa and one with Mitch. Lisa introduced me to a couple other girls and chatted my ear off the whole time. She was a nice enough girl, she reminded me of the girls Julian surrounded himself with, and I wondered why she wasn’t one of them.

“So what is the deal with Mitch?” I asked as we walked down to the lunch room.

“What do you mean?” she asked. I shrugged feeling a little insecure.

“He just seems like he doesn’t like me.” To my surprise Lisa giggled, I looked up from where I had been staring at the floor a few feet in front of us.

“Mitch doesn’t like anybody, well until you give him a reason too. It’s hard to explain, but when you give a reason to like you, he will be loyal for the rest of his life.”

“Kinda sounds like a dog.” Lisa giggled again.

“I guess you could say that.” We stopped at Lisa’s locker and headed towards mine.

“What did you do to make Mitch so loyal?” I asked as I unlocked my locker opening the door. Lisa opened her mouth, but was interrupted.

“There she is.” Julian announced leaning against his own locker beside mine my heart fluttered, I was instantly mad at myself. Lisa’s form changed her relaxed posture became ridged.

“Yes Julian?” I asked shoving all my books into my locker.

“I’m heading out to the football field, wanna join me?” he asked I gave him a look.

“How many times do I have to say no to you?”

“As many until the answers turns to yes.” He gave me a flirty smile. He turned to Lisa “besides gotta be better than hanging out with this loser.”  I slammed my locker door shut.

“Look I really don’t know what your issue is with Lisa or what your obsession is with me, but it really needs to stop.” I felt my chest tighten painful with every word I said.

“I’m not obsessed with you Evie. I just don’t want you to get into the wrong crowd. Isn’t that right Lisa?” he raised an eyebrow at her. Something passed between them, something that I didn’t know, and from both of their expressions I wasn’t supposed to know. I asked anyway.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Why don’t you ask Lisa.” Julian said pushing himself off the locker and walking away. I turned to my new friend.

“Julian and Oliver are in a feud, have been ever since they were kids. Anyone associated with Oliver is automatically on Julian’s s**t list.” She explained.

“Well then, that makes me want to be friends with you guys even more” this was the truth because a part of me wanted very much to go with Julian, to be with him and that was the part of me that I had to keep blocked out, to protect myself. To protect him.

So what Julian had said was just to scare me into his arms? That wasn’t going to happen. I took a step towards the cafeteria. “I’m starving, let’s go eat” Lisa’s smile reappeared

“Lets.”

“Hey what took you two so long?” Oliver asked as we sat down. Him and Mitch were sitting side by side on the picnic bench we had sat at this morning. I pulled my lunch out of my bag as Lisa set down her tray of food bought from the school.

“We ran into Julian.” Lisa growled low. Oliver’s eyes widened a bit, he look at Lisa, then me.

“What did he want?”

“He invited me to eat lunch with him and his cheerleaders.” I told him taking a bite of my sandwich. All three of them looked around at each other, grim lines set in their mouths.

“Ok what is going on with you guys? You’re acting like I got asked to be murdered.”

“Julian isn’t a good person Evie.” Mitch said

“What is that supposed to mean?” despite what I said to Julian in the hall, I didn’t like when other people talked bad about him. Only I was allowed to do that. I know it didn’t make sense to me either. I turned to Oliver.

“What went on between you two?” I demanded, Oliver sighed.

“It’s not just between us, it’s between our families.” I raised an eyebrow.

“Oliver, stop talking.” Mitch warned. We both ignored him.

“Look this . . . feud goes pretty far back. I don’t know all the details of it.”

“So you two hate each other because your ancestors did.” I stated

“It’s more complicated than that.” Lisa piped in.

“It doesn’t seem to be, it actually seems pretty stupid. You’re fighting a fight that’s not yours.”

“It is mine.” Oliver urged.

“You don’t know the whole story Evie.” Mitch added. I rolled my eyes throwing my uneaten lunch into my backpack and standing up.

“Where are you going?” Oliver asked

“For a walk” turned away then turned back. “I’ll see you guys later”

I didn’t want to admit it to myself, but I was angry at them. Not because Oliver was in some stupid family feud with Julian, it was the way they talked about Julian like he was a criminal. Yes Julian was annoying, irritating and had way too big of an ego, but he wasn’t a bad person, at least not as far as I knew. But what did I know?

I knew that something else was going on between Oliver and Julian, and if Oliver wouldn’t tell me, I’d have to go to the next source.