University. My jaw dropped to the floor.
“The recent reports of wolf
sightings have biologists puzzled. But what is even more puzzling, experts say,
is their presence in residential areas…”
I took in a deep breath. I
could see the muscles in Nick’s jaw tense. Whatever this was, it wasn’t good. I
wondered for a moment how many werewolves there were out in the world. And if
this new sighting had anything to do with Bad Moon…
“If these wolves aren’t
showing a fear of humans,” a woman with glasses and sandy hair pulled back in a
bun said, “then we need to be concerned with public safety. It’s an unfortunate
situation because we don’t want to have to put these animals down.”
I heard someone take a sharp
inhale next to me. It was Brandon. His fingers were white and gripping into the
arms of the cheap plastic chair. I reached for my foam coffee cup, trying to
steady my hand and avoid spilling the milky brown liquid.
“Well, you guys are all good
to go. If one of you would just be kind enough to follow me to the register,” a
bald, ruddy man appeared at the door of the waiting room, smiling out at us.
“Sure,” I said, rising to my
feet. I pulled the strap of my purse over my shoulder and carried my coffee
with me, the liquid precariously quivering against the white walls of the cup.
I could already tell things weren’t going to get any easier.
I volunteered to drive us to Atlanta,
desperate for something to distract me from my bubbling nerves. Brandon
chattered on mindlessly for nearly the whole five hours, constantly hitting his
knee caps against the dashboard. I knew it was his way of dealing with the
stress, so I didn’t stop him. Nobody else seemed interested in saying anything
anyway. I was mostly just glad I didn’t have to see Trent’s face as he
staunchly ignored me.
We pulled up into the
parking lot of a popular hostel on the outskirts of Atlanta that thankfully looked
very much like the pictures I had seen online—it was a bright, white
double-gallery house with an iron fence around it and a large yard. I was kind
of nervous about being there (Sierra had recently made me watch the horror
movie, Hostel), but I knew the fear was irrational. Plus, it was a great way to
meet new people who could potentially be fans, and it was cheap.
Not that I really cared
about either of those things in that moment. But I could try.
Sierra was waiting for us in
the repurposed living room of the hostel, sitting in an over-stuffed chair with
a white, fluffy cat in her lap. I could see Brandon tense—he’s allergic
to cats.
“Bailey!” Sierra shrieked,
disturbing some guy who was reading a newspaper on the couch adjacent to hers.
The cat hissed as she jumped up into the air. “Hey!” I smiled, wrapping
my arms around her back in a tight hug. Some of my nerves dissipated as I took
in the comforting embrace I had needed for so long. This was the Sierra I knew,
not the distant, disembodied voice I had interacted with the day before.
“Oh my God, I’ve missed you
so much!” she said, pulling back to take me in, a gleam in her hazel eyes.
“It’s not the same without you home.”
I laughed. “Sierra, it’s
been like two days.”
‘ So much has happened in two days ,’ I thought, realizing how much
longer each day had seemed.
“I know, but it feels like
its been longer. I’m so psyched to see the guys perform tonight!” she gushed.
“ Yoohoo ,
right here,” Brandon teased, popping up behind my shoulder. Sierra laughed and
gave Brandon a hug, and he sneezed, shooting daggers at the cat on the floor,
licking its paw.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to
ignore you. Where’s Trenton?” she said, a wicked smile coming over her face as
she said his full name. She knew he hated it.
Trent grunted and she pulled
him into a hug. She was used to him being moody, so she probably didn’t think
anything of the half-hearted hug he gave back.
“So this place is hella
“The recent reports of wolf
sightings have biologists puzzled. But what is even more puzzling, experts say,
is their presence in residential areas…”
I took in a deep breath. I
could see the muscles in Nick’s jaw tense. Whatever this was, it wasn’t good. I
wondered for a moment how many werewolves there were out in the world. And if
this new sighting had anything to do with Bad Moon…
“If these wolves aren’t
showing a fear of humans,” a woman with glasses and sandy hair pulled back in a
bun said, “then we need to be concerned with public safety. It’s an unfortunate
situation because we don’t want to have to put these animals down.”
I heard someone take a sharp
inhale next to me. It was Brandon. His fingers were white and gripping into the
arms of the cheap plastic chair. I reached for my foam coffee cup, trying to
steady my hand and avoid spilling the milky brown liquid.
“Well, you guys are all good
to go. If one of you would just be kind enough to follow me to the register,” a
bald, ruddy man appeared at the door of the waiting room, smiling out at us.
“Sure,” I said, rising to my
feet. I pulled the strap of my purse over my shoulder and carried my coffee
with me, the liquid precariously quivering against the white walls of the cup.
I could already tell things weren’t going to get any easier.
I volunteered to drive us to Atlanta,
desperate for something to distract me from my bubbling nerves. Brandon
chattered on mindlessly for nearly the whole five hours, constantly hitting his
knee caps against the dashboard. I knew it was his way of dealing with the
stress, so I didn’t stop him. Nobody else seemed interested in saying anything
anyway. I was mostly just glad I didn’t have to see Trent’s face as he
staunchly ignored me.
We pulled up into the
parking lot of a popular hostel on the outskirts of Atlanta that thankfully looked
very much like the pictures I had seen online—it was a bright, white
double-gallery house with an iron fence around it and a large yard. I was kind
of nervous about being there (Sierra had recently made me watch the horror
movie, Hostel), but I knew the fear was irrational. Plus, it was a great way to
meet new people who could potentially be fans, and it was cheap.
Not that I really cared
about either of those things in that moment. But I could try.
Sierra was waiting for us in
the repurposed living room of the hostel, sitting in an over-stuffed chair with
a white, fluffy cat in her lap. I could see Brandon tense—he’s allergic
to cats.
“Bailey!” Sierra shrieked,
disturbing some guy who was reading a newspaper on the couch adjacent to hers.
The cat hissed as she jumped up into the air. “Hey!” I smiled, wrapping
my arms around her back in a tight hug. Some of my nerves dissipated as I took
in the comforting embrace I had needed for so long. This was the Sierra I knew,
not the distant, disembodied voice I had interacted with the day before.
“Oh my God, I’ve missed you
so much!” she said, pulling back to take me in, a gleam in her hazel eyes.
“It’s not the same without you home.”
I laughed. “Sierra, it’s
been like two days.”
‘ So much has happened in two days ,’ I thought, realizing how much
longer each day had seemed.
“I know, but it feels like
its been longer. I’m so psyched to see the guys perform tonight!” she gushed.
“ Yoohoo ,
right here,” Brandon teased, popping up behind my shoulder. Sierra laughed and
gave Brandon a hug, and he sneezed, shooting daggers at the cat on the floor,
licking its paw.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to
ignore you. Where’s Trenton?” she said, a wicked smile coming over her face as
she said his full name. She knew he hated it.
Trent grunted and she pulled
him into a hug. She was used to him being moody, so she probably didn’t think
anything of the half-hearted hug he gave back.
“So this place is hella
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