Havilah

Introduction

Havilah is rushing around trying to get ready for school. It is her senior year in high school and she will be graduating with a Bachelor of Communication, but only if she could make it through these last few days.

‘Test, test, breakfast.’ She slid a bowl of eggs into a large hot and cold bag. 'Test, test, test, and lunch.' She adds a chicken cobb salad, lite dressing, fork, and a large bottle of water to the cooler.

She glanced at the mirror one last time. She is a curvy and freckled teen with waist-long, wavy, red hair. She thought that her flaws were her pale skin and the fact she was only five foot two.

"Havi!!!" Her mom yelled up the stairs. "Your ride is here you have to go now."

She ran down her spiral staircase jumping over the last few sets, kissed her mom on the cheek and ran out the door.

Outside was Curtis, he had been giving her rides to school every day for the last year. He was a tall ruddy sharp-eyed guy that had had a crush on Havilah since middle school, but she had no interest in relationships, just rides to and from school.

"Hi!" He beamed.

"Good Morning." She said and hopped into the car.

"Let's go."

He turned out of the drive and headed towards school.

"So, Amy is having a big graduation party this Saturday do you want to come..." He hesitated " with me?"

There it was, the dreaded request for a date.

"I'm sorry, I have more tests tomorrow and need to rest after that." It was a lame excuse but the only thing she had.

Disappointment and frustration filled his face, but he only replied. "Ok"

She didn't understand why he wanted to go out with her so badly. She was the only other redhead in class, heck even in the school. Maybe he thought that would make them soulmates. After all the abuse that she and her mother endured with Stepfather and being abandoned by her dad she hadn't thought that there could be anything close to soulmates for herself.

When they arrived at school she didn't even say goodbye.

She ran to her first test. 'Ugh five minutes late', but as with many tests before she finished each test in record time.

Lunchtime hit and there was a commotion at the security gate of the school.

"I want to see her!"

"I'm sorry sir but you are not on her guardian list and it's a testing day for the students." She knew that voice was Roy the beefy, and elderly, security guard.

"Let me by!" His voice boomed so loud that the whole school stopped and watched.

Some of the jocks started betting that Roy would win the fight, butt before it got rough cops came up and cuffed the stranger.

She laughed at the sounds of disappointment that filled the room.

At the end of the day to her surprise her mom came to pick her up from school.

She noticed that her mother was unusually somber and on edge.

"Mom is everything ok?”

"No."

That wasn't much of an answer.

There was an awkward pause, mostly because Havilah was humming with curiosity but she knew better than to prod for an explanation.

"You heard about the incident that happened today at school?" She nodded.

"That was your, dad."

The next day Havilah got up and prepared for the day.

As she was finishing the light bit of make-up that she normally wore, when her mother knocked on the door.

"Come in, I'm almost ready."

"Havi dear I am taking you to school today and picking you up. And after this weekend we are moving..." She trailed off in thought.

This alarmed Havilah.

"Mom, what's going on?"

"Your father was released from custody today... I went to see him .. to talk. I believe he will try to take you back to his p... his home."

Her mother wasn't normally this hesitant and reserved with her.

"Mom he cannot make me go. I'm an adult now too."

"It's not that. Havi, he, he's not what you think he is." She started to ring her fingers. Havilah hadn't seen her do this in years.

"Havi, he isn't human. He's a …. werewolf."

Havilah burst into laughter.

" Mom..." She said in a childish tone, but then she stared at her in astonishment. Her mom was dead serious. "Mom there's no such thing as werewolves."

"I never told you that."

"I'm going to be late for my last test." And she ran to the car. The ride was unusually somber and uncomfortable.

Is mom losing it? She's acting like they're real and that he's one.

She got out of the car, without her usual kiss goodbye and sauntered into school.

"Hey, kiddo. Are you doing alright?" It was Principal Coal. "Oh, looks like your mum told you 'bout yesterday. Don't get down o'r that keep a'going just one more test and ya' will be a legal A-dault." His speech always made her smile and for the moment she was back on track for the last test.