"Eloise Puvalo, you're a werewolf"
Asher's words ring continuously in your ear, preventing me from getting a wink of sleep all night. I keep replaying the scenes of what happened afterwards in my head.
Asher looked down at the ringing phone in my hand. "Won't you pick that up?"
Still staring at the machine, I silenced the call. I knew it was Jesse calling but I couldn't possibly face him… not after finding out what I am.
Modicum lupus indeed.
"You know, Eloise, it's really not as bad as it seems," Asher said. "If you like being human so much then be human; you can forget about this. What's important was you finding out your ancestry"
"Yeah, what's important was you proving that you were right" I bit out, feeling tears sting my eyes. "Well, congratu-fucking-lations, Asher, you just demolished the very foundation of my life just to show me that your science project works"
"Hey, don't shoot the messenger here" his voice lost the initial sympathy and became icy. "I didn't tell your parents to lie to you all your life, did I? I didn't even force you to do this test. You willingly followed me here, you willingly allowed me to take your sample and you willingly viewed the results. Don't try to turn this on me"
"You should've left me in my ignorance, Asher"
My phone began to ring again and I silenced it.
"I have to go" I said then turned and left him there.
As I tried to find my way back to my dorm, my phone kept on ringing and buzzing with calls and messages from Jesse and Thea. I ignored all of them.
When I finally got to my dorm room, I climbed my bed, allowed a few tears to leak onto my pillow and hours later, when I had finally caught myself, I texted Jesse.
Me: I'm so sorry. Something came up and I wasn't able to make it. I'm fine and currently in my room.
He replied seconds later.
Jesse: It's fine. It's not like we all waited for you for hours, worried that something might have happened to you. I'm glad you're safe. Rest well.
I sighed. It obviously wasn't fine. But I honestly didn't have enough willpower to care at that point. I'd make it up to him later.
I dropped my phone on my bedside table and willed myself to sleep.
That was about two hours ago. I haven't had any luck up till now. My heart just keeps racing, angry at my parents for never telling me the truth, angry at Asher for doing just that, worried that my friends would find out and never want to have anything to do with me, worried that I'd be caught and…and…
I need answers. And the only person that could have the answers I'm looking for luckily just moved to Krystal City's capital, Craymount, where the prestigious Krystal City University is, with her new boyfriend.
I'll call my mum first thing in the morning.
***
When mum picks up, her voice is light and cheery and I can hear a man's laughter in the background.
"Eloise dear, how are you doing? I know I keep saying I'll come visit soon but the city life really is so thrilling and Daryl and I have been sightseeing and-" she halts to catch her breath. She always blabbers when she's excited.
I see the break as my opportunity to speak. "Mum-"
I'm cut right off. "But anyway dear, how's the gang? Jesse and Thea and Noah and… what's the last one's name? I always forget it-"
"Mum," I butt in, louder this time but she's still stuck in her blabber.
"And your midterms. They just ended, right? You know I'm expecting straight A's"
"I'm a werewolf" I say and that seems to do the trick.
The line falls silent for a while before my mum speaks again, all animation lost from her voice.
"No, you're not, honey. Who put that nonsense in your head?"
My blood boils. Is she seriously still lying to me?
"I know the truth, mum, you can finally stop the eighteen years worth of lies"
Mum sighs resignedly. I get even angrier.
"Why didn't you ever tell me? Are you a werewolf? Is dad a werewolf? What else about me was I lied to about?"
"Honey, calm down," mum whispers, "we shouldn't be talking about this on the phone"
"I want answers"
"And you deserve them," she says quickly. "But just not like this. How about we meet up today? There's this coffee place that's just off Brawick, let's meet there. I think the name's 'Odds and Evens'"
I pause for a second to think about it. I've certainly heard about the place although I've never been there.
"Fine. I'll see you by 12" I say
"Honey, Daryl and I planned to-"
"I'll see you by 12" I repeat with more finality and mum sighs.
"Okay dear. And for what it's worth, I'm really sorry"
"Yeah, it isn't worth much" I reply and end the call before she can say anything else.
I get up to start getting ready. Just as I finish brushing and am about to head into the shower, I am halted in my tracks by the sudden persistent banging on my door.
"Eloise! Eloise, open this door right now or goddamnit, I'm going to break it down!"