Worth A Try

Last day of finals before Winter Break! I’m so excited I could scream, even though I’m sitting in a lecture hall with about 300 other impatient people, waiting for the Econ professor to get here so that we can take our damn exam and get the hell out of here. I love school, but I’m tired of it all the same, and I especially hate this damn class. The only good thing about it is Kayden, a senior hottie I’ve befriended. Well, I should say that he befriended me, because when we first met I was a stupid freshman who didn’t know anyone and was more concerned with making sure I was in the right classroom than making new friends, but my natural boldness overcame my first-day anxiety when he sat down next to me. In the eternally boring 300-person lecture class, we quickly learned to rely on each other’s humour to get through each day. He’s now my best friend, and I don’t know what I’d do without him.

He’s not here yet, which is unusual. He usually beats me to class, because Lord knows if there’s one subject I’m terrible at and loathe with all my being, it’s economics. Ah, there he is, slinking in behind the professor like the miscreant he is. Oh yes, he’s quite a troublemaker; he stole the school mascot’s costume and ran around campus in it before triumphantly skewering it on the flagpole. He also never gets caught, and several other students have the demerits and discipline records to prove it. No, Kayden gets great grades, has a flawless discipline record, and causes more trouble than most of the troublemakers who take full responsibility for their crimes, and I admire him for it. He drops into the seat beside me with his usual cocky grin.

“Cutting it a bit close, there, aren’t you?” I murmur, flashing him a small smile from between my natural brown ringlets as I fill out my Scan-Tron sheet. He chuckles quietly.

“No, I don’t think so. I got here before the test started. That’s all that matters,” he replies, his sexy voice as convincing as ever. His somewhat shaggy dark hair hangs at just the right length over his forehead, providing a nice contrast with his stunning emerald green eyes. I’m jealous of those eyes. Mine are quite pretty, a light blue that could challenge the sky’s for beauty, but mine aren’t nearly as enchanting, in my opinion.

“Once you receive your test booklet, you may begin. If you even slightly resemble having even the faintest inkling of cheating, I will confiscate your test materials and you will automatically fail this class,” the crotchety professor growls, effectively silencing everyone under his jurisdiction. Thus we are merrily off into the wonderful world of economics. Fortunately I know my stuff; Kayden and I studied at the library for two hour sessions every day for the past two weeks. I breeze through the test, turn it in, and dash out of the lecture hall, down the hallway, and out the doors into the glorious chill of an early December snowstorm. I dance around like the sun is shining, paying no attention to the strange glances I receive from passers-by. I know I’m a good dancer; I’m in two or three dance clubs on campus and I’ve taken hip-hop dance lessons for as long as I can remember. They can suck my dick if they have a problem with my chosen expression of joy. No more school for a month! Hallelujah!

“Having fun, Alivia?” Kayden’s voice asks me. I turn and grin at his amused expression.

“Duh. It’s snowing and we never have to go back to that old geezer’s class again! No more pencils, no more books, no more teachers’ dirty looks! We’re free for four weeks! FREEDOM!!!” I spin around in a circle, scattering snow everywhere and making people look at me like I’m a lunatic.

“Calm down. I have a better way for you to use up all this energy.” I stop spinning, my attention caught by my green-eyed companion.

“And what might that be?”

“One of my friends is having a party tonight on the other side of town. I’ll pick you up on my way there,” he offers. I bounce up and down with excitement.

“Really? I’m so there,” I reply eagerly. “You remember where I live?” He grins.

“I couldn’t forget. I’ll see you tonight, then. I have another final left.” And so he turns and leaves me in the snow outside Kleist hall. I begin my walk home with a bounce in my step, excited for the promise of a party tonight. I commute to and from the university, which is to say I walk across town every day because my parents are too stingy to let me have a car. I have to go through some pretty sketchy neighbourhoods, but I haven’t had any trouble yet. I mean, I wouldn’t walk these streets at night, but it’s a pretty brave soul who will attack an innocent young woman in broad daylight. So I continue down the sidewalk, past the sketchy alleys full of stray cats and rotting garbage, past the eclectic little shops and the standard fast food joints, past the bookstores and the banks and the apparel shops, past the smokey bars and the hookers on the corners, past the homeless guys who always beg for money...It’s an average city, really, in my opinion.

“Hey, girlie, can you spare a few dollars for a man to have a meal? I haven’t eaten in more than a day,” a creepy middle-aged beggar asks me from his crevice of the alley I’m walking by.

“Sorry, sir, I don’t have any cash on me,” I reply honestly. I really don’t; my parents don’t let me carry any money most days, not even a credit or debit card. They’re afraid it will get stolen on my commute, and with good reason.

“I think you do, girlie. You’d better hand it over, or you’ll be sorry.” I don’t reply to that one. Instead, I pick up my pace. “Don’t leave so soon, girlie. The party’s just begun.” I start running, but he catches up easily and pulls me into the next alley, a sinister sneer on his face. “Now, this is your last chance, girlie. Hand over every penny you’ve got or I’ll take everything I can from you and leave you here to die, got it?”

“Look, mister, I don’t have any money. Look through my purse and see for yourself,” I offer, understandably a bit nervous. I know better than to struggle at this point. Now I’m looking for an opportunity to use the self-defence skills I learned once upon a time, but he’s keeping himself well guarded. How the hell am I going to get out of this one? He rifles through my purse quickly while keeping me pinned to the wall, taking a second glance at my piece-of-shit phone.

“With a phone like that, you might not be lying about the money, but that won’t stop me from getting what I want.” I’m extremely frightened and stomp on his foot as hard as I can while screaming at the top of my lungs. Just then, an enormous silver wolf comes out of nowhere and snatches my attacker off me by the throat. He tries to scream, but it’s a little hard to make any vocal sounds at all when a wolf has ripped your throat out and thrown it across the alley. With a swat of its paw, the wolf sends the man’s head rolling in the opposite direction. I tremble with a strange mixture of fear and relief as the wolf turns towards me, emerald eyes blazing. Strange...I didn’t know wolves could have eyes of that colour. But they seem so familiar... He barks at me once, as if telling me to get the hell out of there, before running away as fast as he can. I quickly remove myself from the area as well, thinking that I’d rather spend the night at a party than in jail.
*time skip*
Once I got home and stopped shaking, I checked my phone and found a text from Kayden, saying he’d pick me up around 8. So at 7:59, I am dressed in skinny jeans, black pirate boots with red ribbons laced through them, and a red one-shoulder top with a black leather jacket over it, and I’m standing by the door impatiently with my hair held back by a red glittery headband and a little natural makeup on. The doorbell rings and my heart immediately starts beating faster, but I count to four before opening the door and smiling brightly at Kayden, who in spite of his miscreant ways is always quite the gentleman when he picks me up.

“Any parents to impress?” he whispers.

“Nope. Out playing poker,” I reply in turn.

“Then I won’t bother being nice to them and promising to bring you home safely. Are you ready to go?”

“Do I not look ready enough for you?” He grins and I might even see the faintest hint of a blush grace his high cheekbones. I have a little bit of a crush on my best friend, you might say. Of course, I’m not crazy enough to believe that anything will ever happen between us, in spite of his inviting me to this party. He’s a senior and I’m a freshman, not to mention that he’s way out of my league.

“You look perfect. Let’s go. I have a few errands to run before we get to the party.”

“How do you mean, errands?”

“Well, some other party-goers want some alcohol and aren’t old enough to get it themselves, so they’re paying me to do the honours, in addition to paying for their own booze. I figure that I should probably honour the terms of the contract and pick up the desired goods, don’t you?” I step out of my house, locking the door behind me.

“I suppose that’s only fair.” So we get into his black Chevy Malibu and we drive away to the local liquor store, making small talk and enjoying his reckless driving. I stay in the car while he goes in to get the contraband. I personally don’t drink at parties; I prefer to keep my wits about me, especially after what happened today. If someone can try to take advantage of me while I’m sober, I definitely don’t need to encourage that kind of behaviour by drinking.

Minutes later Kayden returns to the car with a brown paper bag containing a few bottles of liquor. I say nothing as he gets in and starts the car, but after that I can’t contain myself.

“Are you planning on drinking tonight?” I ask.

“Not particularly. I mean, I have to drive both of us home, and possibly anyone too drunk to drive themselves. Even for just the two of us I’d rather not do anything risky. Plus I don’t drink much, anyway.”

“That doesn’t exactly fit in with your image, you know. You might wanna be careful who you say that to.”

“Well, I figure telling you won’t do any harm, since we’re already such good friends and we’re not engaged in any contracts, hmm?”

“Truth.” And so we’re back to small talk, mostly about our plans for our time off from classes. I’m going to teach hip-hop dance classes at a local dance school and babysit for my neighbours; he’s working as a mechanic in his neighbourhood and taking care of his sister’s kids. Apparently she’s overseas on a missions trip with her husband and they left the kids so that they wouldn’t get any tropical diseases. Tonight his mom is being nice enough to watch the kids so that he can get out and have a little fun.

Before I know it we’ve reached the house where the party is being held, which is a three-story monster in the nicest district. I can hardly believe the owners are permitting a party for college students on the premises. But the party is indeed already in full swing; Natty cans are crushed on the lawn, a beer pong table is set up on the front porch, complete with four partially wasted players yelling at each other over the rules of play, and loud rap music is blasting from speakers positioned in the windows and on the porch railing. Yes, this has all the makings of a proper college party, and I don’t know whether to be excited, nervous, or terrified. Kayden parks the car in the grass by the street and we get out, ready to make a splash on the party scene.

“Go on inside. I’ll come find you after I deliver the goods,” he tells me. I’m a little nervous about this, but I do as he says. I mean, it’s not like I’m shy or anything. I’m just a little concerned that I don’t even know the hosts of this party. But I’m sure I can charm whoever it is into letting me stay. From what I hear from my other friends, girls are rarely kicked out of these sorts of parties. One guy or another will make sure they stay, if only out of the hope that he will get laid as a result. So I wander into the house and am met by a variety of sights, sounds, and smells. A group of people is gathered around a coffee table in one room covered in various Sharpie scribblings, playing Kings and arguing loudly about the rules. In another room, a full-on dance party is taking place with lots of grinding and dirty dance moves. In the kitchen down the hall, a few people are playing bartender to a crowd of already wasted people, one of whom has just puked on the floor. I choose to hang out in the room where people are playing Kings, as it’s an entertaining game even to watch.

Other people are here, mostly couples using the couches and chairs around the room to cuddle and make out. I don’t mind too much; I’d be doing the same thing if I had a boyfriend, in all likelihood. Although, probably not tonight. I can still feel that creepy guy’s hands on me and the heat of his lusty sneer. I shudder involuntarily remembering. Then Kayden drops into the seat beside me, looking quite pleased with himself.

“Made a profit, did you?” I tease. His smirk widens and he nods.

“More than worth my while. Nice to know I learned something useful from that old geezer’s class,” he replies. I laugh appreciatively; I wish I could say as much. “But the entertainment here isn’t that great. What do you say we explore and see what else Fonzie has to offer?”

“Sounds like a plan to me.” So we wander through the house, always pretending to be on a mission so that people will let us through. But it soon becomes apparent that we aren’t wasted enough to really enjoy this party and, after some mingling with various entertaining drunk people, we end up outside on the back porch, watching snow fall around us and listening to the chaos within the house. It’s cold, but I’d rather be a spectator than a participant in this sort of fun, at least for tonight.

“Some party. I thought for sure they’d at least be playing Halo or Mario Kart or something fun in the basement. But no, they had to be watching WWE instead,” Kayden remarks.

“Wrestling aside, the party’s not that bad. Drunk people are funny,” I smile, trying to keep my teeth from chattering all the while. “I just don’t feel like joining them, tonight.”

“I’d take care of you, if you really wanted to get wasted,” he offers seriously.

“Well thanks, but I’m really not feeling it tonight. Some other time, maybe.” He eyes me critically for a moment but lets it go. “I don’t understand the attraction, really. Don’t people know how to have fun without getting hammered?” He chuckles.

“Some don’t. Some people just prefer beer jackets to winter coats.” He wraps an arm around me with that; despite my best efforts, he’s noticed my shivering, but I’m not complaining about his chosen course of action.

“You’re really warm. Thanks.” I shift a little closer to him, praying he doesn’t think I’m trying to make a move on him, because I’m not. I do like him that way, but at the moment I just want to be warm. He smiles but doesn’t comment.

“There are other reasons people like to get drunk, too. It’s a good way to get laid, for one, if you don’t want it to mean anything in the morning. And then some people just don’t like to be held accountable for their actions, like assholes who try to take advantage of innocent young women in broad daylight.” I look up at him with surprise and see the knowing in his gorgeous green eyes--eyes that make me suddenly remember the wolf that saved me. Their eyes are the same. No wonder I thought it seemed familiar, somehow...

“I never told you about that, did I?” I ask, reviewing our previous conversations quickly in my head.

“You didn’t have to. I was there, Alivia.” The way he says my name makes my heart beat erratically and temporarily stalls my thoughts, but only for a moment as what he’s implying hits me full force.

“You can’t have been...werewolves only exist in story-books,” I mutter, even though I strongly suspect that the truth is quite the opposite.

“Then we must be in a story-book, because I am the wolf that killed him, and I don’t regret it at all.” The look in his eyes is so full of strong caring that I’m half tempted to see who else is here that he’s actually talking to. There’s no way he can have feelings for me.

“Then you saved my life, and I am forever in your debt. How can I--”

“You don’t need to repay me. You’d do the same for me, right?” He smiles wryly, trying to add some humour to the situation.

“Of course, if I could.” His smile turns to one of genuine happiness and he pulls me a little closer to him.

“And besides,” he continues, “just being near you is more than enough for me. I love you, Alivia.” Mind. Blown. My mind races for an appropriate reply. Yes, I like him and I care about him and we’re best friends and all that, but do I really...

“I love you too, Kayden,” I whisper, knowing that it’s the truth. I love everything about him, and knowing that he cares, too, only makes it sweeter. He smiles and leans down so that our lips just barely brush each other. Sparks fly with that first touch and I can’t help tangling a hand in his thick, dark hair to pull him closer. His arms wrap around my waist and pull me closer to him, as well. I stand up on my tiptoes to make it easier for him; I’m only 5’4”, and he’s quite a bit taller than me. His fingers leave little trails of fire all over me wherever they touch.

“It’s risky for us to be together, you know,” he murmurs as our lips separate.

“Why?” I ask, genuinely curious.

“Because of what I am. Doesn’t it bother you that I’m a werewolf?” I pause and think about it for a minute.

“Nope. Actually, it’s kind of hot.” He can’t help smirking slightly at that, but his mind is clearly on more serious matters.

“Well, it’s not a glamorous lifestyle. My pack is currently fighting another pack for territory. I have to fight for them, have to, not optional. I could die or get hurt any time. And if our enemies find out about you, or more specifically, that they can hurt me by hurting you, I’ll be putting you in danger just by caring about you.”

“So take me back to your pack, where you can always keep an eye on me. No one will care. My parents want to get rid of me anyway. They’re tired of paying for my education.”

“Are you sure you really want to do this? I mean, I’ll have to ask the Alpha if I’m even allowed to bring you there without turning you--”

“Why not just do it?”

“Because there’s only a 50% chance that it will work, and if it doesn’t, you die, and I’ll never forgive myself.”

“Well, at least take me with you and ask the Alpha about it. Isn’t it worth a try?” I lean up to kiss him again and he returns it with confidence and passion.

“Yes, it’s worth a try. I think we’ve already established that I’d do anything for you.”

“And I for you.” These words surprise me, too, but I don’t question them now that they’ve been said. Even if we were just friends, I would do anything for him because that’s what friends are for. Kayden, meanwhile, has taken those words as permission to take me away. Without warning, he picks me up bridal style and leaps over the porch railing, carrying me away into the night.