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Chapter 21: Under the Microscope
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The True Nature Series Chapter 22: Boy Scout
AFTER THAT SCHOOL PASSED pleasantly and before I knew it, I was walking to English. As was the custom in many California schools, the classrooms opened to outdoor, covered sidewalks, which spread like a web to all the other buildings that were scattered across campus. I was rounding the corner in a rush because the bell was about to ring when two girls sideswiped me going different directions. This spun me in a circle, sending my books flying, and I threw out my hands to stop my fall. I looked up to catch the mock surprise from my assailants, who just happened to be Zena's groupies."Oh my gosh! I'm sooo sorry.""You should really look where you're going! You could hurt someone."Then they hurried off giggling, just as the bell sounded. I caught the words "psycho" and "brain damage." Gathering up my stuff, I noticed that my hands were bleeding. When I rubbed them on my pants, I saw a small tear across one knee. A long sigh escaped me and I continued on to class. Maybe Mr. Mac wouldn
The True Nature Series Chapter 23: Minions and Magic
I REALIZED MY HANDS didn't hurt anymore, which was miraculous but impossible."What?" I gasped. We looked at each other in amazement. "I don't get it!" Was I losing it? "You saw them, right?"Zander ran his hands over mine, turning them over and over, once again sending tingles of pleasure across my skin."All right, class. Back to your seats," ordered Mr. Mac. Zander and I slowly pulled apart. He looked warily at me, almost like he didn't trust me or what he had seen. It killed me. I wondered what he was thinking and hoped he didn't think this was all a ruse to get his attention, because that would make me such a loser. And frankly, I was just as mystified. If I didn't have dried blood and dirt smeared all over my hands, I would not have believed that they'd ever been injured. I pulled out my notebook and peeked at him next to me. He was turned forward, rubbing his face with his hands tiredly. He blinked his eyes a few times and then squished his eyebrows together in concentrat
The True Nature Series Chapter 24: Study Buddy
MIRACULOUSLY, I WAS ABLE to get most of my homework done before Zander showed up. It was 4:00 when I heard the doorbell. Nervously, I checked my appearance in the hallway mirror before opening the door. I had switched my torn jeans and Converses for a pair of shorts and flip-flops. Very casual, but it was a warm day and we didn't have air conditioning.Zander wore the same clothes that I'd seen him in at school - a wrecked pair of jeans, a band T-shirt, and Vans. His dark chestnut hair looked a little windblown, but it just made him look like he had stepped off a modeling shoot where they have all the fans blowing to make you look sexier. Yeah, it worked for him."Can I come in?" he asked after I stood there dumbly. After a mental self-smack, I pulled myself together. "Yeah, please." I gestured toward the kitchen area. "You want to study at the kitchen table?""Sure." He swung his backpack off his shoulder as he headed inside. He took in the whole place with a sweeping glance. I
The True Nature Series Chapter 25: Wolves
WITHOUT GIVING IT A thought, I grabbed a knife from the butcher block and headed out the back door. I walked warily around the side of the house to check if the gate was open. It was closed. I stepped cautiously to the other side of the house to a covered area where we kept our trash cans. The knife was trembling in my hand, but I moved forward anyway. Nothing. Where had Zander gone?"Zander!" I called out, my voice cracking. A growl vibrated through the air, behind me, behind our fence. Something was on the other side. I knew the Jenkins didn't have a dog and automatically backed away."Tru! Look out!" In the next moment, Zander was leaping over our fence and toward me. That alone was confusing, because our fence was hecka tall, and I didn't think even our school's track team could leap that high. Bewildered, I gripped the knife and twisted around to run away. I didn't see the water hose stacked in front of me and tripped. "Aagh!" I felt the blade sink into my arm, which had to be
The True Nature Series Chapter 26: Mind-whammy
"NO!' I YELLED AT Zander. It felt wrong to hurt these creatures, like we'd really, really regret it. Whatever the reason was, I knew that I couldn't let him harm them.I jumped up and was at his side in a second, pulling down his arm. "What the hell, Tru?" He tried to wrench away from me, but I held on like superglue.My wolf immediately moved in to block the gray one, who snapped back at it, his mouth pulling back into a toothy grimace. Just then, I heard tires screeching to a stop in the street and a car door slam. Running feet headed toward the gate.What now? I thought.The two wolves growled, united once again. They lowered their heads as they turned toward the gate. Whatever was coming through it seemed to be a bigger threat than Zander, and my stomach dropped. Suddenly, his brother burst through the entrance. His eyes darted around the yard, zeroing in on our two furry visitors. Before he could react, both wolves circled us in opposite directions, bounded onto the garbag
The True Nature Series Chapter 27: Reality Shift
I DON'T THINK I was unconscious for more than a few seconds, because Zander and his brother were still in my kitchen when awoke, and they were arguing pretty loudly. I remember seeing a similar situation on TV - some wildlife show about armadillos. Basically, play dead and the bad guy will leave; play dead and maybe I'd find out what was really going on. "What part of NO did you not hear!" yelled Zander. Something large thumped roughly against the cupboards. I hoped it was G.I. Joe's head. Whatever he had done to me, well, I was still feeling the aftershocks, like little bolts of electricity through my brain. I wanted to hold my head between my hands, but I didn't want to move and gain their attention."Stand down, Zander!" his brother ordered. "This is protocol! We don't leave witnesses. Ever. What's with you?""You could have killed her, you idiot! And she may be more than we think!""She's fine, man, I promise. Back off, would you?" A pause. It was so tempting to look, but I
The True Nature Series Chapter 28: Crazy
"SO," MUSED MY BEST friend, "to sum it all up, you saw two wolves in your backyard that didn't attack you. You stabbed yourself with a knife, and Zander's brother did some hocus pocus on your brain to wipe your memory, but somehow it didn't work." The way she said it, I wouldn't have believed it either. But I knew it happened. I was tempted to call Zander to confirm, but he didn't want me to remember, so what was the point? He'd play stupid even if it were the truth."Yeah ..." my friend drawled. "Zander would be the hot guy you are not going to Homecoming with because another hot guy already asked you." She sighed dramatically. "You are so awesome!"Ruthie and I were sitting on my bed. I had every window and door locked up tight. And Dad was still not home. I had explained most of it to her. I'd left out the magic healing of my hands at school and the fact that I had felt "connected" to the wolf, but I'd given her more than the overall picture.She gave me a look that was all too
The True Nature Series Chapter 29: Full Disclosure
MOMENTS LATER, WE SAT cross-legged on my bed. I ran my hand over the patchwork quilt that my mom made for me when I was twelve. It was extra soft from being washed so much over the years, and the texture never failed to comfort me. My parents had upgraded my bed to a queen on my twelfth birthday so I would have room for Ruthie to sleep over. It had made me feel so much older. But right now, I felt really young. Of all the memories shared in this room, lots of giggles, lots of tears, lots of secrets - today topped them all. I could feel my life shifting in an irreversible way, but toward what exactly I didn't know. Despite Ruthie's lunch table revelation regarding my incredible health, I knew I could trust her. She had never betrayed my biggest secret, my night vision. As children we explained it away as a secret superpower. As we got older, we decided it was just a fluke gift of nature and we should keep it to ourselves in case scientists decided to experiment on me - well, you never
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