Once Lucas and I got to school we went our separate ways. I didn't want to hold his hand through the hallways like we used to. I just needed some space away from him to think.A few students seemed to pick up on our awkward goodbye, but for the most part, they left me alone. It was a rarity, and a blessing that I wasn't taking for granted.I walked through the busy hallways as I walked toward the senior lockers. I was not looking forward to spending the next seven hours inside of this building. I just wanted to go home and lay down in my bed and drown in whatever sadness was inside of me."Hey there Shanana Banana," a familiar cheery voice greeted me.I turned slowly, meeting eyes with James who was walking beside me. He offered me a small smile and bumped my side."Shanana Banana?" I asked with a cringe. "Really?""Cute, right?" he asked. "I think it suits you.""I don't.""Oh, don't be like that!" James smiled wider as we continued walking, but concern soon replaced the playful look
Over the next few days, things between Lucas and I remained the same.I still was surprised to see him in the mornings at Grandma Jo's sitting at the table, and our drives to school were still silent.Even though Lucas respected my space and gave me time to heal on my own, he was still making a quiet effort.I opened my locker the other day and found a note from him, complimenting how beautiful I looked that day.When I got home from Grandma Jo's yesterday. There was a bouquet of roses sitting beside my bed in a glass vase.He had been doing little things to show me he was sorry, using his actions instead of his words, just like I had told him to.I couldn't deny the fact that I found his gestures incredibly romantic. He hadn't made such an effort like that before.I knew he was sorry and as the days went by, I felt more and more willing to accept his apology and move on from this.After school on Friday, Lucas and I were driving back to Grandma Jo's in my car when his phone began to
The two of us settled on the couch with a pizza box between us. It was pepperoni, Lucas and I's favorite."Want to watch a movie?" Lucas asked, flipping through the TV channels."Sure." I settled back into the couch cushions. "What should we watch?""Something funny?" Lucas asked, clicking on a movie that had just started. "What about this?""Yeah, I'm down," I said, looking down at the pizza box. "Can we eat now?"Lucas laughed, giving me a nod. "Yes, we can eat now. Geez, someone must be hungry.""Well, it took someone like two hours to cook something that ended up being inedible anyway. Then it took another hour for the pizza to get here.""Sorry," Lucas's expression was sheepish and apologetic as he opened the box. "I ruined the night, didn't I?""Not at all." I looked at him. "You ordered the pizza, after all."He snorted. "Great, at least I did one thing right."As the movie's opening credits flickered on the screen, casting a soft light across the room, I couldn't help but feel
This time, it was really morning as I woke up.Sunlight streamed through my window, covering my entire room in a glow. I turned in my bed and frowned when I noticed that the opposite side of the bed appeared slept in.My confusion was soon replaced with realization as the events from the previous night flooded through my mind.Lucas and I kissed on the couch. Things didn't progress any further than that, but I remember Lucas carrying me up to my bedroom when I started to fall asleep again.He was about to leave my room to go to his own bedroom when I'd said, "No. Stay here.""You want me to sleep here with you tonight?" Lucas asked from the doorway cautiously."Yes," I said, patting the empty space next to me. "Come."It didn't take any further convincing for Lucas to slide under the covers next to me. He pressed his front against my back and cuddled me until I fell asleep.Looking at the space he once occupied, I figured he must've woken up already. A content smile played on my lips.
My phone continued to ring, and I looked down at the caller ID, unsure of who was calling."Who is it?" Lucas asked curiously, peeking over to look at my phone screen.I shrugged. "I don't know..."It was as if my intuition was trying to tell me something bad was about to happen.Everything inside of me was urging me not to pick up the phone. However, there was a part of me that was curious about who was calling.Ignoring the sudden nervous flutter in my chest, I picked up the call."Hello?" I answered cautiously, looking to Lucas for some kind of support.He kept his eyes on me, letting me know that I had his full attention. He would be there for me no matter what happened.A voice, stern and official, echoed through the phone, "Hello. Is this Shana?"My grip tightened around the device as an unexpected chill coursed through me.Lucas noticed my shift and whispered, "What did they say?""They said my name," I told Lucas. He pursed his lips, clearly not happy with that."I'm sorry," I
Lucas POVThe room crackled with tension as Shana's anxiety escalated.I had already begun to put the puzzle pieces together with what the police officer was saying. I wanted to appear strong for Shana, even though the news was crushing. I could only imagine how she was feeling right now.As Officer Torrez explained what he needed Shana to do next, I noticed just how silent Shana had gotten. When I observed her, I watched as her breathing quickened. It rose and felt much faster than normal, echoing the unease in the air.I reached out, intending to comfort her, but before I could utter a word, her hands clamped onto her head.I hung up the phone with Officer Torrez, not even bothering to offer him a goodbye. I needed to make sure Shana was okay right now."Shana, breathe," I urged, placing a hand on her back and rubbing in soothing circles.I looked up at Grandma Jo who had a stricken look on her face. I gave her a pained expression.I didn't know how to comfort Shana. This was very s
I ran and I ran and I ran.Tears blurred my vision as I continued to push myself further and further. A watery haze of greens and browns coated my eyes as I sprinted through the sun-lit forest.The world around me transformed into indistinct blurs of colors as I desperately sought to escape from the storm of emotions within me.It felt freeing to be able to lose control like this. The last time I had shifted I had felt just as scared and confused. This time, I felt my body ache with a sadness that I had never felt before.My lungs burned and my limbs ached as I continued to burst with energy. I was trying to escape from the reality of my life. I wanted to get as far away from the human Shana as possible. I wanted to remain like this forever and never return.I didn't want to face the truth of the news I had just learned. I couldn't even think about it. Thinking about it only caused me to howl and whine with desperation.So, I continued to move. Each stride forward felt like a brief re
Lucas POVI watched as Shana's White Wolf crashed into the tree. My sprinting stopped immediately as I watched her body transform back into its human self.Panic and fear crippled me as I stood there, momentarily motionless.Was he okay? Had she passed out? Was she breathing?It felt like I stood there forever, examining Shana's lifeless body on the ground before sense snapped into me.I shifted back into my human form, moving towards her at the speed of light.I dropped to my knees beside Shana, my heart heavy with concern. "Are you okay?" I asked, my eyes scanning her for any signs of injury.She held the side of her body in comfort as tears began to fall from her eyes. I wasn't sure if she was crying because of the pain from her potential injury, or because of what she had just learned about her father.The forest around us was alive with the relaxing sounds of nature, but all I could hear was Shana's labored breathing."Shana," I called her name, gently touching her side where she