*Hi all. New to this but have always enjoyed writing so thought I'd give it a shot. I know the werewolf/ supernatural theme has been done again and again but it's my favorite kinds of stories. Hope you enjoy. Comments and suggestions welcome.*
***
The alarm went at 7:00 but Billy made no move to turn it off. He had been awake for sometime already, lost in thought and anxiety and did not realize at first that a blaring car horn was echoing around his room. Coming out of his reverie he switched off the alarm and lay there for a few more minutes before swinging his legs off the bed and heading for the bathroom. Luckily he was the first up so he locked the door, switched the shower on, took a piss, and brushed his teeth before hopping into the warm water. He looked up and let the warmth cascade onto his face for a moment. As he washed he thought about the day ahead. A lot was new in his life. New house, new school, new country! Until a year ago he had been living in an English house going to an English school in England. He had been a well balanced teenager about to go into the final year of his education. He had friends, a boyfriend and plans for a bright future. That was before his father had disappeared. After that his mother had uprooted the family and flown them across the Atlantic to New Hampshire, her birthplace, to be nearer to her side of the family. He had been sad to leave his friends his home everything he knew. Mark had been distraught at first when Billy had broke the news to him. Together they had decided to end things. Going from seeing each other everyday to not seeing each other at all wasn't an idea that they relished. At first Mark had wanted to try making their relationship work long distance but Billy had decided that it wouldn't be fair on either of them. So they had parted ways promising to Skype each other at least once a month. Billy sighed as he thought of everything he had left behind. Things were now so uncertain and unfocused. And today he started his first year of American high school. He just hoped it wasn't like it was portrayed in the movies. A sharp rap on the door broke him from his trail of thought.
"What the hell is taking you so long. I've been out here for nearly 10 minutes!!"
Billy smiled.
"Fuck off Johnny I've only been in here 5 minutes. Go play that stupid game on your iPod for a bit."
"It's called Temple Run and its not stupid it's an amazing game and more than half of apple product users agree with me. So your outnumbered asshole. Now hurry up!!"
"Oh no you don't I'm going in first" another disembodied voice emulated from outside the door.
"Oh hell know. Civilization invented queueing for a reason you over grown troll!!"
The sound of scuffling was heard amongst grunts and sassy protests. Chuckling to himself Billy turned off the flow of water rapped a towel around his waste and headed towards his bedroom, carefully stepping over the tangle of limbs that was his two younger brothers.
Upon entering his room he got dressed slipping into his favorite jeans, put on a wife beater with a cosmic print on it, threw a maroon leather jacket over the top and laced up his boots. He then began the laborious process of styling his hair. Brush, gum, back brush, wax, hair spray. He looked himself over in the mirror and then chose two small gold hoops which he slid through his ears. Sometimes less was more. He wanted to make a good impression on as many people as possible. He knew it was shallow but if you looked good then people who didn't know you personally would treat you better. Once he had decided that he indeed was looking good he grabbed his shoulder bag and headed down stairs.
Having beaten Johnny to the shower Fred was already at the table eating breakfast. His mother was making a note of something on the counter. Upon entering the kitchen Clem looked up and smiled at him
"Well look at you handsome. Coffee?"
"Please" he replied.
Kissing her on the cheek he sat down next to Fred.
As he poured himself some cereal a loud noise of discontent from the hallway alerted them to the arrival of the youngest. Upon seeing Johnny they both collapsed into fits of laughter.
"What?" Said Johnny indignantly.
"You are going to catch hell for wearing no clothes on your first day of school" Fred jibed still laughing at the sight.
"Like I give a fuck. They can either like it or eat shit." came Johnny's retort
"Enough of the language young man. Sit down and eat your breakfast. Nicky will be hear soon to pick you up."
As Clem said this she walked over to place Billy's coffee down on the table. She then put her arms around her youngest and kissed the top of his head saying
"I think you look great honey."
Johnny squirmed out of his mothers embrace.
"Stop it your messing up my hair" but he smiled at the same time taking comfort in her words.
"Mum he looks like a street walker. You really gonna let your son go to his first day of school looking like anyone could rent him out for a dollar?" Fred said this with a smirk crawling across his face.
Johnny was about to launch into an angry, and probably obscene, tirade before he caught his mothers eye and sulkily got on with his cereal.
Billy chuckle and continued to drink his coffee.
Upon finishing his breakfast Fred turned to Billy.
"Are you nervous?" He asked
"A little, yeah." Billy admitted.
"It's alright for you." Johnny scowled. "you've got Nicky to to help you along. And Fred's got her sister. All I've got is that creep Daniel who lives up the road."
Billy smiled. Johnny was right. Nicky was sure to make things easier for him. When they had first moved a couple of months ago. Nicky's family their neighbors had invited them over for dinner as way of welcoming them into their new lives. He and Nicky had hit it off immediately and spent the best part of the time up in her room looking at style blogs and magazines and having heated debates over whether George Clooney was still fuckable even in his age. Having cemented a strong relationship over the holidays they now treated each other like siblings constantly going over to the others house to chat and occasionally share a joint. Nicky's little sister Jenna was in the same year as Fred and Nicky and Billy had been trying to push them together the entire summer. But like Fred Jenna was a lot more quiet and shy when it came to people she didn't know. Billy was more worried about Fred than he was about himself or Johnny. Johnny he knew would strut into school not giving a fuck and quickly have everyone eating out of his hand. In many ways he was like his eldest brother if a little more sassy. But Fred was quiet and inwardly reflective most of the time.
As Johnny continued to complain about "creepy Daniel" to the rest of the families amusement Billy reflected on the events that had recently befell their family.
When their father had disappeared things had been difficult but they had all banded together to support each other through it. The police could find no trace of him at all. It was like he had vanished off the face of the earth. No letter, no phone calls, no evidence that he was even still alive. The strangest thing about the entire affair was his mother. Billy had always noticed things that others often did not and it appeared to him that from the moment his father had disappeared his mother had resigned herself. To what Billy could not say but although she played the part of a distraught wife billy could tell that a lot of it was for show. Not that he thought that his mother didn't love his father. He came, he thought, from one of the most stable family backgrounds he knew where they all supported one another no matter what. It was almost as if Clem had been expecting what had happened to happen and had prepared for it in advance. Instead of continuing the investigation into her husbands whereabouts she had decided on a spur of the moment to move back to her homeland so that her mother and two sisters that lived there could "help her cope with it all". Billy did not distrust his mother or think that she had any cruel intentions. But he had a niggling suspicions at the back of his mind that there was more to his fathers disappearance than met the eye.
Johnny was still moaning when the doorbell rang.
"Come on boys" Clem said " time to go". They jumped up grabbed their bags and headed to the door. Billy paused to kiss his mum on the cheek.
"See you later"
She smiled at him sadly "have a good day honey"
"Hurry up boy or we'll be late!"
The sound if Nicky's voice had billy hurrying out the door pausing to close it behind him blowing his mum a kiss.
Nicky was standing outside arms folded leaning against her car. She was every bit the stereotype that Billy had pictured of a good looking American high school girl. Blond hair, a heart shaped face, an amazing body and of course wearing her cheer leading uniform.
His brothers had already slid into the back of the car in which Jenna had already been sitting.
"Get in loser. I'm not starting this year with a late to my first class because your getting cold feet." she teased.
"I'm not getting cold feet. Give me all you've got if this thing you call high school." Billy replied smiling.
"Oh believe me girl I will give you that and more. Now get your sexy butt in the car. We can't keep those horn dogs at school waiting now can we?"
Billy hopped into the front and turned to greet Jenna. She smiled at him her eyes quickly darting to Fred sitting on the other side of Johnny before going back to the window. Billy and Nicky exchanged a smile before she turned back.
"All right Brits. Buckle up and prepare for your first day of high school!"
***
Clem watched the car with her children in pull out and speed along the road out if sight. She sighed. It was like reliving the first time she had left Billy at school all over again. She felt a tug at her heart. They would be ok. Christopher and her had raised them well. They were all unique and all interesting. The fact that they got on so well was always a heartwarming fact. Standing at the window her mind drifted to her husband. A year of not having him by her side meant that the loss was still raw. But soon she hoped that would be over. She would find her husband even if it meant going through hell and back again. She blinked back tears and sighed. Everything had settled. She reached out with her mind.
"Mum, Amy, Christine. The kids have gone."
A moment later three women walked through the door each carrying a selection of odd items.
Clem's mother though almost 90 was still fighting fit. She had an air of calming wisdom about her that relaxed everyone in her company but also had a wicked sense of humour that could have an entire room rocking with laughter. Her sisters were 5 years younger than Clem's 45 and identical down to the beauty spot just above their lips. They also shared a wild personality which meant that neither of them had ever settled down, constantly off with different men and the occasional woman. The fact that they were both so beautiful meant that their options for partners did not decrease as their age increased. Clem greeted them all by hugging them and kissing them on the cheek.
"You brought everything?" She asked.
"All the ingredients, specific runes and the necessary grimores." Her mother said.
"Now all we need is the object of significance." The twins said together.
Clem looked down at her hand and slid the wedding band off her finger. It was inscribed with symbols of love and protection on the inside. Her husband had given it to her so that if she ever needed him he would know. It hadn't worked of course and recently it had served no purposes other than reminding Clem of what she had lost. She handed the ring to her mother.
"You ready for this?" the wizened woman asked.
Clem took a deep breath
"Yes I'm ready."
The kids had gone to start their new lives. To search for their place in the world.
The time had come for here to begin a search of her own.
***
They pulled into the schools parking lot and got out. So far everything was living up to Billy's expectations. The school itself looked like the kind of thing you saw in the Simpsons or Family Guy. People were milling around the outside area sitting on the walls or benches chatting and catching up after a summer apart.
Billy turned to his siblings.
"Meet you guys back hear at 4 ok?"
"Ok" they both replied.
