Chapter 2

We got home from picking up our graduation items from the school, and the moment we got inside, Scott made his way into the lounge room and began playing Xbox. I could hear him laughing and chatting with his friends as they played online. 

I went upstairs and phoned my cousin Haven, and we talked about my upcoming graduation and our planned graduation dinner, before we spoke about the dreaded sacrifice gathering.  After we had finished talking on the phone, I read the novel I was currently reading, which was Heartless by Diana Palmer. As I read the novel, I was so caught up in it that I had lost track of time. Looking at the clock on my bedside table, I realized I needed to start preparing dinner. 

I made my way downstairs and through to the kitchen and began to cook dinner. I did this every night when my parents had night shift at the hospital. Cooking was my responsibility because Scott couldn't cook, and my parents were worried that if he tried, he would burn the house down. Tonight I was making a dish of red wine and garlic barbecued chicken, with a base of steamed rice, and with a side of steamed vegetables. It didn't take me long to prepare the food. Once the food was cooked, I made up two containers for my parents before making myself a plate. Once I had finished eating, I quickly made up a plate for Scott and took it out to him in the lounge room, then I grabbed the containers to take up to the hospital to my parents. When I was in the jeep, I opened the center console and grabbed out the security badge that was needed in order for a human to cross over onto werewolf territories. Without the badge, I wouldn't be able to get over the territory line and get to the hospital where my parents worked. I pulled up to the gate and a werewolf stepped forward. I knew his name was Carter. I don't think he was as bad as some of the other werewolves out there, but to me, he was a monster nonetheless. 

"Lara, badge," he growled as soon as I pulled up at the gate.

This happened pretty much every night, me bringing my parents dinner, and Carter grumbling at me for my badge. He saw me pretty much every night, at around the same time, and it was always the same thing. I always felt like I was trapped in like a groundhog day kind of thing, or deja vu even, as I went through this song and dance with him every night. I lifted my badge, showing him the pass like I always did. He huffed in irritation, like he always did, before pushing a button and allowing me to pass. I drove to the parking lot right outside the main entrance of the hospital. Getting out of the car, I quickly made my way inside, and waved to the nurse who was sitting at the front desk. I received a smile from her in return. Making my way over to the staircase, I made my way upstairs and onto the third floor where my parents worked. As soon as I walked up to the main nurses desk on the third floor, the head matron paged my parents, letting them know to come to the nurses station. 

I waited in silence for about fifteen minutes before my parents arrived at the nurses station. When they saw me waiting for them, they smiled in greeting. My father gave me a big hug and my mother placed a light kiss on my cheek. 

"So... what did our little chef make for us tonight?" my mother asked me in a teasing tone. They each took the plastic containers from me, and lifting the lid of his container, my father smelled the aroma of the chicken, before grinning at me like the Cheshire Cat. 

"Oh yummy, what would we ever do without you?" my mother asked. 

"Probably starve," I retorted, giving them both a smile. 

"Thank you honey, this looks delicious," my father told me.

"So... did you and Scott get everything sorted for your graduation?" my mother asked. 

"Yes, all done," I assured her. 

"So Lara, how does it feel to be graduating high school?" A nurse by the name of Fiona asked me.

"Good," I replied.

"Wow, a real eager beaver you have here," she said to my parents. 

"Now now Fiona, let her be. There is a lot going on. She has a lot to deal with," my father replied.

He was right. There was a lot going on and I was stressed out big time. The last thing I wanted to do was talk about a future that I might not have. Once my parents had finished eating their dinner, I gave them both a hug before I took their dirty containers and cutlery and left. It didn't take me long to get home from the hospital. When I got back home and walked into the house, I found Scott still playing on his Xbox. Without a word, I made my way through to the kitchen and started cleaning the kitchen. Once I was done, I said goodnight to Scott and made my way upstairs and went to bed.