CHAPTER FIVE
1044 Words
THE morning sunlight streamed through the dorm window, casting golden rays over Rivanna’s bed. She stirred, eyes barely open, only to find Carly sitting on the edge of her mattress, grinning mischievously.
“Spill,” Carly said, nudging Rivanna’s leg.
Rivanna groaned, pulling the covers over her head. “Spill what?”
“Oh, don’t play dumb. What happened when you and Mr. Quarterback disappeared last night?” Carly wiggled her eyebrows.
“Nothing,” Rivanna mumbled, her voice muffled by the blanket.
Carly scoffed. “Nothing? "You don’t just leave a party with the hottest guy in college for nothing.”
With a sigh, Rivanna sat up. “He took me to see his horse.
Carly blinked. “Excuse me?”
Rivanna stretched her arms. “Yeah. A horse. A cute one, actually. We rode for a little while, then he took me back.”
Carly gave her a long, unimpressed stare before bursting into laughter. “You’re telling me you had a whole romantic getaway, just you and him, under the moonlight, and all you did was ride a horse?”
Rivanna rolled her eyes. “Yes. Because unlike you, Carly, some of us actually have self-control.”
Carly smirked. “Uh-huh. Keep telling yourself that.”
Shaking her head, Rivanna grabbed her clothes and headed to the bathroom.
BY the time they left for their lectures, the campus was already buzzing with students. As Rivanna walked toward the faculty building, her phone vibrated in her pocket.
She frowned after seeing the caller's name,“ Finally. You two remember you have a child.”
“Rivanna,” her mother’s voice came through, serious as ever. “Your father and I are coming home earlier than planned.”
“Okay. Why?” not that she cared.
“We tracked the werewolf lead, but it was a decoy. The real lone wolf is still in the city.”
Rivanna’s grip on her phone tightened. Of course, it always had to be about work.
“That’s nice, Mom. But like I always say, I don't care.”
No reply came from the other end of the call,“ I just thought you should…..”
“ Bye,” she pressed the end call button without even hearing the last words. And then she silently wondered in pain what kind of parents loved their jobs more than their own child.
During recess later in the day, she met up with DeAngelo near the football field. They sat together in the bleachers, chatting about anything and everything. Classes, annoying professors, Carly’s never-ending matchmaking attempts.
DeAngelo leaned back, watching the clouds. “You know,” he said, “I never thought I’d enjoy talking to someone this much.”
Rivanna arched an eyebrow. “Wow." I should be honored, then.”
“ You don't need to be. It's the truth…”
“ DeAngelo!” someone called.
With one glance, DiAngelo knew what it was for. “Give me a sec,” he stood up and then ran to meet his teammate.
Just then, something beeped. It was a message notification on his phone. Rivanna pulled her eyes away, but the words had already registered in her head.
The full moon is tomorrow. Get the den ready, Loner
“ Will you quit pacing around and talk,” Carly blurted out at Rivanna in frustration.
“ Sorry,” Rivanna cautioned herself and settled on the edge of the bed. She glanced at Carly, who was lying belly down,“ There is something I have never told you before. It's complicated. And the thing is……” she paused to think of the best way to put it. But the right words didn't come out.
“ What is it?” Carly impatiently queried,“ Does it have to do with the time you and DeAngelo left the party?
Rivanna frowned,“ What? "No,” she sighed,“ It's about my parents.”
Oh okay. Well, if it concerns your parents, you don't have to tell me. It is a private matter.
“ And it concerns DeAngelo,” Rivanna said.
“ Hmmm, okay. "I'm all ears,” she said to Rivanna.
Still, Rivanna took her time before she answered. Even though she and Carly had been friends for a while, explaining werewolves and hunting wasn't something she did carelessly.
The fearful part wasn't about telling people about being werewolf hunters. It was what people would say about them when they found out.
“ Okay, let me put it this way,” she began, “My parents work for an agency that catches bad people,” she paused again and heaved a deep sigh. It was as if the words were too heavy to let out, “ Yesterday, I found out that DeAngelo might be a member of these bad guys.”
Carly arched her brow,“ DeAngelo?” she asked, “ The same DeAngelo that plays for the football team? Your DeAngelo ?”
“Yes,” even though it felt nice to hear someone call DeAngelo hers, she wasn't in the mood for that.
“ How? Why? He doesn't seem like that kind of person to me.”
“ Me too. "I have been wishing there would be a misunderstanding somewhere,” Rivanna jumped to her feet and then began to pace around again, “ At this point I don't know what to believe. The message was clear. When he saw it himself, his behavior changed. One moment he was happy, then the moment he saw the message, he just kept saying ‘yeah’ to whatever I said.”
“ What was the content of the message?”
With one pause, Rivanna knew she had to choose her words carefully. “ It was a meet-up. They were coming to town to meet with him.”
“ Well, since you have doubts, why don't you visit him? "Make him invite you over to his place,” Carly suggested, “ If he refuses, you'd have your answer.”
“Yeah, maybe that's what I'd do…” Rivanna paused. A better thought just crossed her mind.
First she remembered the portion her mother had shown her weeks ago. Then she remembered what she said the portion did.
“ I think I know what to do.”
- Writer
