Chapter 3
1521 Words
''Brenda will be here in a few minutes, okay, Penny?'' mom said, slipping dad's jacket around his shoulders.
I sighed. ''Remind me again why we need a babysitter.''
''Don't see her as a babysitter,'' dad said, smiling. "We know you guys aren't babies anymore, but we'd just feel better if we knew someone more grown up and trustworthy was here with you while we're gone."
I gasped dramatically. "Are you saying I'm not trustworthy?"
"You know what I mean."
''And besides, Brenda's very smart,'' mom added. "She could help you out with homework, if you need help."
"Of course I don't," I said. "I'm not Bryson."
"I heard that!" My younger brother, Bryson, shouted from the kitchen.
''Penny, if we could leave you alone here we would, because you're very responsible," dad said. "But we'll be gone for a while and, besides, I don't want them to think we're abandoning you or something like that.''
''Well, they are very dramatic, so I'll give you that,'' I muttered. By them, he meant our neighbors. I sighed. ''Fine, then. Brenda's not so bad, anyways.''
My parents smiled. Then, Karen and Bryson appeared on by my sides. "You're leaving now?" Karen asked.
"Yup," mom answered, giving each of us a kiss on the cheek. My dad hugged us. ''We'll see you on Friday, okay?''
The three of us nodded at the same time. ''Bye.''
And then they left the house. Running a hand through my hair, I went upstairs into my room and took my phone out of my pocket. The last time I talked to Scott was when I snapped at him for drooling over Allison in front of me, which was starting to make me think that he was mad at me because of the way I talked to him. After that happened, we didn't even look at each other for the rest of the day. So, in order to stop the guilt that had been hanging in my gut all day, I decided to call him and apologize. Dialing his phone number, I placed the phone in my ear, tapping my foot impatiently. He didn't pick up, and instead it led me straight to his voicemail. ''Hey Scott, It's me, your idiotic best friend. Not Stiles, the other one. Listen, I'm not sure if you're, like, mad at me because of the way I talked to you at school, but I wanted to apologize, anyways. It's just that...well...I was having a bad day, I guess. And that might not be an excuse to snap at someone, but, uh, yeah. I hope you accept my shitty apology.''
I couldn't tell him that I was jealous. Heck no. But what I said was still half of the truth, because I was having a bad day. Not only because of Scott and Allison, but because Stiles was annoying me with it, every chance he had, which led me to hit him with my notebook... several times. I just wanted to tell Scott how I really felt about him, but I couldn't. I really couldn't. I'd rather keep my feelings hidden than to risk ruining our friendship.
I didn't notice the tears that were falling from my eyes until Karen came into the room. ''Penny, why are you crying?''
I quickly wiped them away. ''I, um-'' I sniffed. "Onions make me cry."
''There are no onions here, stupid," she pointed out, sitting next to me on my bed. "Now, tell me what's wrong."
''It's nothing, really.''
''Does it, by any chance, have to do with Scott?'' she asked. Yes, she knew about my feelings for Scott. No, she still didn't know about Allison's existence.
I had no other chance but to take a deep breath and nod slowly. ''Did he do something to you? Because if he did I'm gonna grab him by the hair and-''
''He didn't do anything, Karen.'' I cut her off before she started coming up with crazy ideas on how to kill Scott.
''Then, why are you crying?''
''He just likes this other girl...'' I said, shrugging lightly. "Allison Argent. She's new."
''That sounds like a b***h's name. Maybe she is a b***h, like Regina George'' Karen said, as if it was nothing. "He'll realize it soon, don't worry."
''Don't call her that. She's... actually kind of cool,'' I said. I couldn't believe I was admitting that out loud. "And I think she kind of considers me her friend, already."
''What? You're friends with her?! But, aren't you suppose to hate her?!''
''I can't, I tried,'' I whined. "If only she were a mean girl, then it would've been so much easier to hate her."
Karen rolled her eyes. ''Well, what if they start going out?''
''Then-" I felt the tears quickly filling up my eyes, like water when you drink it with a straw. "-I'll just have to be happy for them.'' and that's where I burst out crying. Karen hugged me, from instinct, and started to say comforting things to make me feel better. And by 'comforting things', I mean things like, "We can just throw them down a cliff so they can die together".
''Aww, I see hugging,'' I heard Bryson say as he entered the room. But, as soon as he saw my ugly crying face, his smile disappeared. "Oh. Girl talk, I get it. I'll just... I'll leave now."
When he closed the door again, Karen and I looked at each other and chuckled at the same time. I wiped the remaining tears and tried to calm myself down, while Karen ran her hand through my back. "You just have to show him what he's missing," she said softly. "Show him you're that bitch."
I nodded. I would have to repeat that to myself constantly. "I'm that bitch."
"Perfect." Karen smiled, and I returned it through teary eyes, but I didn't want to cry anymore.
And I didn't have the chance to, either, since the doorbell rang and we heard Bryson yell "BRENDA'S HERE!" at the top of his lungs. So, both of us went downstairs at the same time that Bryson opened the front door, revealing none other than Brenda. Showing her perfectly white teeth, she gave each of us a warm hug. ''Hey guys!''
''Hi'' we said back, Bryson in a slightly different tone.
He had a big crush on Brenda, even though she was 21 and he was 14. You could see why he liked her, though, she was a really cool girl, but she could never like him back. She was already an adult, and besides, she had a boyfriend. But Bryson didn't seem to get that she was just a little bit out of his limit. ''So, I brought some horror movies and I brought three bags of chips and a bag of popcorn. Who's up for a movie night?'' She asked.
''I'm so up for it.'' I said.
''That sounds great.'' Karen said.
''You're wonderful.'' Bryson said and Brenda laughed, Karen and I giving each other annoyed looks.
***
It was when we were in the middle of The Crazies that my phone vibrated in my pocket. ''Excuse me.'' I muttered, standing up and making my way to the kitchen so I could talk without interruptions.
I was really hoping that it would be Scott calling, but when I checked the caller ID, it was Stiles who was calling instead. ''Hello?''
''Penny?'' he asked, making me roll my eyes.
''No, it's the pizza guy.''
''Penny, I don't have to time to think of another comeback. Seriously, I have to tell you something. It's crazy, really crazy, probably the craziest thing I'll ever tell you, and I really don't think you'll believe me when I say it.'' he said, his tone serious.
''Alright, alright!,'' I said. He was worrying me. "Just tell me what it is, I've never heard you sound this serious."
''Okay, here it comes..." he sighed before finishing what he was going to say. "So, um... Scott just turned into a werewolf and is now running around somewhere.''
I stood there without saying anything for a few moments. Did I hear him right? ''Uh... what?''
''Scott. Is. A. Werewolf.'' he repeated slowly, so I could process it better.
And I did the only thing I could think of, which was to laugh. ''Yeah, good one, Stiles. Now tell me what's wrong.''
''Penny, It's true! I saw him in his werewolf form! He almost killed me!'' he said, sounding desperate.
He did sound very serious and not at all like he was kidding. But, dis werewolves really exist? And how could Scott be a werewolf? It couldn't really be because of the... Oh God...''So, that thing that bit him... was actually werewolf?''
''Well, yeah.'' he said.
''Did you see where he was headed to?'' I asked.
''I think he might've headed to the woods,'' he said. "I'm not entirely sure, though."
''Well, we're gonna have to look for him, then.''
''Right. I'll be at your house in like 10 minutes.''
I nodded, even though he couldn't see me. ''I'll be waiting.''
And that's when the line went dead.
- Writer
