Eat or Be Eaten
Twelve
The front door bangs open when we get home. I carry the pup out back and put him in a small dog house, the ropes even tighter.
My mother and Lily come running out of the training room. My mom takes one look at me and goes to the wolf. Lily heals our wounds and makes us a snack.
I turn on the tv we have on the kitchen counter, to find it already on the eight o'clock news.
Meronica Sherman, the news lady, gestures to the spot we found the wolf and two people. "... The caller gave no name, just an address and a discription of the man and woman found. We're still unaware if the caller was, in fact, the attacker or just some innocent passing bystander who happened to come across these people. Both were alive, but just barely, with wide, deep cut marks on their chests and stomach. They are now on their way to intensive care at SunRise Hospital. Stay tuned for more later."
I turn the volume down and look at Lily and Selena, then to Venus and Temperance. Though they were there when the drime was being done, the girls were very shaken.
I push my chair back, standing up, and walk into the hall, running into Ben.
"Whoa! Sorry, didn't see you there." he says, trying to steady me.
I shake my head. "My bad. I wasn't paying attention."
He grinned, showing perfect white teeth beneath a tan smile. "It shows. What's on your mind?"
I shrugg. "Pretty much everything that's been going on."
"Yeah, I know what you mean."
I smile sadly, apologize and start ti walk away.
"Wait!," he says, grabing hold of my wrist to softly pull me back. I quizically turn back to him. "I was wondering... Does Temperance ever talk about me?"
I raise an eyebrow and smirk. "Why do you ask?"
He blushes. "Well, it's just, I can't get her out of my head. The sound of her laugh, the feel of her body against mine, how she's not afraid to tell you how she feels. I want to ask her out, but I'm scared she'll just turn me down..."
I blink, taking in what he just said. "Okay... Why come to me? I mean, why not ask Selena or Venus?"
He shruggs. "Because you seem to know them all better then they do eachother. I mean, look at the eight of us. Without you, none of us would be here, at this very placem together. You're what connects us all together so we can make a perfect team. Without you, there would be no us."
The silence that followed that is a long one. Do I really bring them together? I mean, I don't see how. All I've done was save their lives one time and teach them to fight and defend themselves.
I cough uncomfortably and look at him serously. "Ask."
"What?"
"Ask her." I repeat. "Ask her on a date. Take her to the movies- see a romantic comedym but not those cheesy types, take her to see one with meaning. Then take her out for dinner, but nothing fancy. She doesn't like o dress up if she doesn't need to. Take her to Burger King and get her a number four Whooper Jr. with no pickles, tamato, onions or mustard.
"After it's all done, take her home. Walk her to her door and kiss her good night. And I do mean kiss her, don't do some gross, slobbery make out session, just make it sweet. Then hand her a single white rose- not red, white shows forever."
He stands there speechless at my instructions. I raise an eyebrow again. "Got all of that?"
He nods, but doesn't move a muscle.
"Well, what're you waiting for? An open invitation? Go!" I make a motion to the kitchen and with a jerk of his body, he goes through the kitchen door.
I peak through the door, for it was open just a crack, in time to see him walk over to where Tempie sat at the counter island on a stool, eating toast. She looks at him, startled, as he gets down on one knee, holding one of her hands in his own.
"Tamperance Zakurii, I have liked you since the third grade, when you poured your strawberry milk all over me. I'm crazy about you. I love your chocolate brown eyes, the freckle you have on your right cheek. I love how you bite your lower lip when nervous, how you twirl your hair when happy, how you'll speak your mind, whither you're talking to your parents, friends, a teacher or the princple. I like all that and more. Will you go out with me, tomorrow night?"
"Tomorrow's Thursday."
"Will you go out with me the night after tomorrow?"
"Friday?"
"Yeah, then."
She stares him over for a good minute and a half, making him break into a cold sweat.
She finally smiles and nods. "It's about time you asked me." I hear him let out a breath I don't think he knew he was holding and stand up, smiling down at her.`
neonmint