" Rayna, you got any smokes?" he asked me. "Yeah, here," I gave him a couple Camels and lit one for myself. The rest of the gang was sittin' around us, but he well, Brad was my boyfriend. He had greasy black hair, brownish black eyes, and his ears, both of them, held silver rings. I looked around to see Sydney, my best girl, smoking too. She was shivering, but that was common in the streets of Tulsa night. Her arms were holding herself, the smoke rested between her fingers. Even though she was wearing her black leather jacket it was about forty degrees out here. Our band, the Psycho Thrillers, just got done playing a gig at the local music store, and came outside to smoke. "Hey Syd, what time is it?" I asked her for some reason even though I didn't care about the time. She turned her head, her dirty blond ringlets rounding her face, and looked down at her watch. "Um, it's a quarter after eleven," she said to me, and then turned back into space where she was before I interrupted her. I nodded in consideration, and then looked at Eric, the fourth member of our band. He wasn't smoking, for once; he was loading our stuff into Brads and his van. I suddenly wondered why Brad wasn't helping him. It seemed Eric didn't really care. He was the quiet one out of all of us anyway. After Eric, and Brad, who finally got up off his ass to help, loaded the van, the manager paid us and we drove to Brad's house. In the car, Eric had his arm around Sydney because she was still cold. The heat was up full blast, but all Sydney was wearing was this army camouflage tight dress with boots that went up to her knees. The dress was polyester, and she was just wearing black hose under it. No wonder she was cold. Then, Eric gave her his coat. They weren't boyfriend and girlfriend, but we all helped each other out, like a family. I sat there, in the passenger seat looking up at the stars. They looked so peaceful, but Brad broke my trail of thought. "Rayna, you were great tonight," he complimented me. That was the first thing he said all night. I blushed. "Thanks." Being the lead singer of a band is the hardest thing, besides school, I have ever done. All four of us were still in school. Both Sydney and I were 15, and sophomores in high school, and Eric, 16, is a junior, and Brad is a senior at 17. It seemed like Brad and Eric never went to school. They miss so much school, both Sydney and I always wonder if they'll ever graduate. Occasionally, yes, Sydney and I will miss some school. I can't say school isn't boring, cause it is, but literature class isn't that bad. I love to read and write, and I often thought that maybe one-day I could be a famous writer or something. As Brad pulled into his 'rents driveway, I unbuckled my seat belt. Yes, he still lived with his parents. I live with my Mom and brother, Brad still had both of his 'rents, Eric lives with his dad, and Sydney lives with her Mom, sister, and brother. I am home most of the time, but Brad is always in and out of his house. His parents really don't care what he does at all. Sydney's mom and Eric's dad are like my mom. They care, but they let us go about our own free will. I jumped out of the white van and we walked into his house, and ran down to the basement where he pretty much lived. Brad kept it rather messy, but that didn't bother any of us. I took off my black coat to reveal my own outfit. I was wearing a dark tank top and baggy black jeans. My hair was pulled up to almost the top of my head, and a few strands of it were braided and they fell lifelessly about my shoulders. Sydney also gave back Eric's jacket and took off her own, no longer cold anymore. Sydney and I plopped down on his couch and I lit myself a cigarette. Eric, when we got out of the van a minute ago, had taken his guitar out and brought it with him inside. He was now playing it on the floor by Brads TV Brad's main bedroom itself was in a room sort of on the left. Brad's parents never cared that we came over and smoked. Most of the time his Dad was gone on business and his mother was always a drunken mess. Eric is scared of her, and we always joke about that. Eric's mom died a while ago, leaving him with his dad. Eric was extremely close to his mom, and when she died Eric stayed at myself because dad got drunk and the cops arrested him. That night brought Eric and I closer, and that's when we decided to form a band. Eric really, now that I mention, looked a lot like his mom. He had sort of darkish brown hair, pale skin, and his eyes were so blue. They didn't match his personality at all. His eyes always had anger and frustration in them even though he looked content and happy. He never talked about any of that stuff though. I looked over at him, and stared at him while he played. He noticed that I was watching and the blue eyes met mine. "What?" he asked me wondering why I was staring at him. "I was just thinking about stuff. Go on, that sounded good." I told him. "Uh, okay." He replied and started playing again. He played lead guitar, I sang, Sydney played bass, and Brad played the drums in our band. Then, I looked back at Sydney. Her eyes were glazed over and glued to the set. All that was on was some scary movie. She sat there cross-legged and motionless, except for the occasional puff of her smoke. I suddenly got bored. I noticed that Brad wasn't in this room. So I got up and walked into his bedroom. He appeared to be searching for something. "What are you doing?" I asked putting my smoke out in a nearby ashtray. "Looking for something." He told me. "Oh. Need some help?" "No, you don't know what I'm looking for," he said as I sat on his bed. It was covered with guitar magazines and Marilyn Manson posters. Unfortunately, he liked that band. "Here it is," Brad exclaimed holding up what looked like a heroin needle. It had some red fluid in it. My stomach cramped at the sight of it. Brad, I thought you weren't going to get into any of those kinds of drugs," I said worriedly. "I'm not. Well, not now, and besides it's not heroin," He told me putting it in a box that held about a handful more of it. "Where'd you get all that shit?"I asked him. "Uh, nowhere important. I kinda found it. You should try it, it gives you such a rush!" Brads eyes lit up with excitement. "No, that's okay. Brad, I don't want you to get in trouble or hurt or something. So please stop taking that. Just throw it away, please." I pleaded with him as he sat beside me on the bed. "Don't worry so much Rayna," he told me as he lifted my chin to meet his eyes. He looked deeply into my eyes, and he pressed his lips against mine. It soon turned to making out even though I didn't feel like it that night. I was actually starting to enjoy it until he started putting his hand up the front of my shirt. I felt to uncomfortable to go on so I pushed him away. "Not now, okay. I don't feel good. Besides is that all I am to you? We never talk anymore," I told him breathlessly. He looked down and sighed frustratedly, but I didn't want to wait for one of his pathetic answers. "Brad, please take me home. We do have school tomorrow, ya know," I told him. He shrugged. "School is school. I could give a fuck,' he said as he lay down on his back. Annoyed, I sighed, got up, and walked out of his room. "Where you going?" He yelled after me. "Home!" I replied. He didn't say anything else or even bother to drive me home. "Eric, could you take me home?" I asked him as his blue eyes met mine once again. "Sure. You need a ride too Syd?" Eric got up and looked at her. For once, her eyes moved away from the screen. "Yeah." "Lets go. Bye Brad. We're heading home," Eric yelled to his friend. "K, bye," Brad mumbled back not even coming out of his room. Eric gathered his guitar and we all once again piled into the van. He dropped me off first. "Bye guys. You comin' to school tomorrow?" I asked them from outside of the van. "Probably." Sydney said. "I don't know. Depends on Brad," Eric replied. "Alright. Bye." I said walking into my house as they pulled out of the driveway. My mom left the door open for me so I locked it back up after I got in. She was asleep and about an hour later I was too. ~ * ~ The next morning I woke up, took a shower, and put on a white tank top, and leather black, tight, short, skirt. I pulled up my fish net hose and knee high length, high-heeled boots. I was on my way after I finished putting on my black make up and pulling my reddish black hair up as it was yesterday. Soon I met Sydney at the corner, like we did everyday (Well, almost everyday) and we walked to school together. We had friends at school too, but Eric and brad were out best friends. Both Sydney and I walked into school getting stares as usual, but only by the freshmen. They were young and they always stared, but we never cared. Well, it's kinda hard not to stare at us. I mean me, with my weird hair, and black make-up, and Sydney with her outrageous outfits. Today, she was wearing black (shiny) leather knee high boots, fish net hose, shiny leather skirt, and this weird re tube top under her leather jacket. I also noticed that she had applied silver streaks to her hair and eyelashes, and a dark plum purple was displayed on her lips. Yes, we were pretty scary. We soon joined up with Seth, the only one of our friends who didn't know how to play an instrument. Seth was cool though. He dyed his hair so many times that I always wonder if it'll ever fall out. Today it was black and a bright blue, and he was wearing black shades, a KORN T-shirt, and baggy black jeans. "Hey, gals," Seth exclaimed coming up to us. "Sup Seth?" I asked him. Seth was sort of loud and he could get really obnoxious and annoying even without being drink or high. He is also going out with Sydney, and I often wondered how she could put up with his goofiness. "All good here. Sup with you babes?" He asked back. "Our gig went real well last night," Sydney assured him. Suddenly the warning bell sounded. That bell meant that you only have five minutes to get to your first class. "Damnit! I gotta get my books!" Seth exclaimed running for his locker. "See you guys at lunch!" "K," we both said in unison as I slammed my own locker shut. Sydney's was right beside mine and she was getting some stuff out of it as I decided to turn around and see what was going on with the rest of the world. I leaned against my locker. Then, I saw him. He was sitting on the bench by the principal's office only holding a backpack. I stared at him, almost gawkingly, and I admired how angelic he looked. I started wondering if he had a girlfriend. "No, him and me? We are two totally different people!" I told myself. But I couldn't take my eyes off of him. Even though he wasn't my type, I was interested. He had long, shoulder length blond hair (pulled back in a tail), blue eyes, pale skin (except for the rose in his cheeks), and he was wearing a long sleeved blue shirt, and baggy jeans. He was definitely new. "Who's the new kid?" I asked Sydney hoping to find out the mystery that was his name. Sydney looked in the direction that I was looking and she shrugged. "I don't know, but he looks like a fuckin' prep!" she replied fixing her make-up in the mirror that hung on her locker door. "Yeah, you're probably right," I said staring at him. Sydney gave me a funny suspicious look as I turned back to her. "You aren't interested in him are you?" She studied my face. "You are, aren't you. He isn't bad looking, but" Sydney pointed in his direction, "looks like he already has a couple of girlfriends." I spun around to see a group of four, flare wearing "preps" crowding around him. My heart sunk. "You need to use this mirror before I shut this?' Sydney asked me. "Yeah," I replied softly turning towards the door to reapply my lipstick. "Don't worry Ray. If those "preps" are hanging around him, then he's bound to be a "prep" himself." Sydney reassured me. After we finished checkin' ourselves out Sydney slammed her locker shut just as Seth was coming back to join us. "Hey babe! I hurried so I could be with you!" He exclaimed to Sydney putting his arm around her shoulders. "That's a first!" Sydney said with a grin. Before he could whine she kissed him on the lips. Seth, Sydney, and I started walking down the hall, and undoubtedly we would pass him. As we did, I looked at him at the same time he looked at me even though there was a bunch of girls surrounding him, he smiled. Trying not to be too obvious, I lowered my head, but all the time wanting to smile back at him. I could feel his eyes on me as we walked to our next class. I smiled a shy smile to myself. That's exactly what I wanted him to do. I decided that if he were ever interested in me, that I would be interested in him too. ~ * ~ At lunch I found out that he was a sophomore too, and that he maybe in some of my classes. Seth, Sydney, and I sat at our usual spot in the shade and ate. I couldn't eat anything cause I suddenly got a headache, and we had a history paper to turn into today so I was doing it now. "Damnit! My head hurts!" I exclaimed. Sydney looked over at me and took something out of her bag. "Here, take a Tylenol, and you'll feel better," She advised me. I did what she said and swallowed the pill with a sip of my coke. Suddenly I couldn't write the paper. The image of him was in my mind and I couldn't get it out. "Why am I so interested in him when I know that it would only cause trouble if we did anything. Brad would get so jealous, no telling what he'd do. I might as well forget about him." I thought. I shivered and put my head in my hands. "Hey, Ray, you comin?" Seth asked as him and Sydney got up with their trays. "Yeah, in a sec. I have to finish this paper. I'll catch up with you before our next class," I told them. "K" they said in unison, taking my tray too. My head hurt so badly. Out of curiosity I looked up to see where he was, and I saw him. He was sitting on the other side of the lunch area. Now only two girls were with him. Suddenly we glanced at each other at the same time again, and my heart pounded. As if nothing had happened, I put my head back in my hands, and closed my eyes. When I opened them again and looked up he was standing there, alone. "May I sit with you?" He asked me. "It's at your own risk," I replied coolly. "Why, do you bite?" He teased as he sat down on the other side of the table, in front of me. "Sometimes," I said giving him a half smile. "I'll watch myself then. So, what's wrong? Are you okay? I saw you not eat anything, and then stay here when your friends left," he wondered. Ohmigosh! He was watching me! I said in my mind. "Gotta headache? Why do you ask? Wait a minute, you're new 'round here aren't you?" I asked him trying to act like I never seen him before. "Yeah. I'm Taylor. Well, that's what they call me," Taylor smiled at me. I laughed a little. "They call me Rayna or Ray" I told him. "Cool. You a sophomore too?" I nodded. "You know, you're the only girl that I have talked to today who didn't yell or talk faster than thirty miles per hour," Taylor told me. "Tough first day I guess," I said. He laughed a little and replied, "Yeah." "Well, I gotta go. Nice meeting you. See ya around," I told him standing up and getting ready to walk away. "Wait. Maybe we could do something to get her sometime," he offered. I looked down at my feet, thinking that maybe we could, but then Brad popped into my head, and I knew that that would be a bad idea. I looked at him. "Taylor, I don't think that's such a good idea. I'll just see ya in school okay," I told him sadly. I wanted to be with him so bad, but I already have a boyfriend, and a jealous one at that. "But-" he started, but I had already walked into the school building leaving him behind. I wanted to die right there. He was really interested in me! I can't believe this! I said in my mind. Sadly, I finally caught up with Sydney and Seth. "Hey guys," I muttered getting my stuff that I needed out of my locker. Both of them were standing by Syd's locker. "Your head feelin' any better?" Sydney asked me. "Yeah," I lied. It felt even worse. Suddenly the bell rang and I walked to literature class. Then I saw him. Taylor noticed me walking his way, and he waited for me by the class room door. He smiled as I walked past him, and waited for me to get in the door first before he did. Why is he being so nice to me? I wondered. "Hey." He said. I couldn't take it! Every time I looked at him I wanted him even more, and him being sweet to me wasn't helping my urges. No one else was in the room, when I spun around to face him. "Listen, Taylor, please stop being nice to me. Just don't even say anything to me. Act like I'm not even here okay!" I explained. He had a hurt expression on his face and a sad look in his eyes. "Why?" "Because . . ." I swallows hard. "Because if you don't I'll probably end up falling in love with you, and I don't want you to get hurt." Then, I turned my back on him and walked to my seat leaving him in shock as everyone else entered the room. He finally sat in the empty seat behind me. "Why is you falling in love with me such a bad thing?" He wondered. "Taylor, just trust me, you don't want to get involved," I tried to tell him. Before he could say anything else, class started and the teacher came in. ~ * ~ After the last class of the day I bounded for my locker and then the exit. I walked to my locker fast as Sydney did the same. "Eric and Brad are gonna pick us up," Sydney told me, "and Seth is comin' along too." Out of the corner of my eye I saw Taylor walking this way. "Well, lets not keep him waiting," I said and walked towards the exit. On our way we got Seth and walked outside. I didn't see the white van anywhere. Taylor walked outside soon just as the van pulled up. All three of us hurriedly walked to it, and Brad got out and opened the side door for us. Seth and Sydney climbed in. I felt Taylor's eyes on me, and I turned to look at him. He was standing by the door staring at us so I gave him a shy smile as Brad helped me into the van. "Who's that?" Brad asked me. "Just the new kid," I told him and he slammed the side door shut, and got in too. ~ * ~ That night we practiced at Brad's house, and Seth was there too. After we played a few songs we decided to take a smoke break. My headache never went away, and I was feeling miserable. Brad lit a cigarette for me and gave it to me. "Thanks," I told him. "No prob," he replied. "Guys, what time is it?" Sydney asked us. "Uh, 8:00, and the sun hasn't even set yet," Seth told her. She nodded. Then, Brad went into his room. I wondered what he was doing. "I'm bored man," Eric yawned. "Yeah, me too," Seth agreed. "I can fix that," Brad said holding that heroin looking needle with the yellow liquid in it. My stomach cramped up again. "What's that?" Eric wondered interestingly. "Watch." He replied. Brad put a drop of the liquid stuff in both of his eyes, and then he put the needle down, waiting for the reaction. Suddenly his face morphed into a long dog like snout, his eyes glowed green and yellow, and his teeth grew canine sharp. "What the . . ?!" Eric began. Brad threw his head back and howled. Then as fast as he had changed, he was back to normal again. I stood there in shock and horror. When I could move I looked at Sydney. I expected her to be pale in fear, but she looked rather interested. "That was wicked man! You gotta let me try it!" Seth and Eric exclaimed fighting for the little tube filled with yellow stuff. Suddenly they knocked it out of Brad's hand and onto the couch, needle facing up. Then Seth, Eric, and Brad lunged for it at the same time while Sydney and I watched. "Ahhh!" one of them screamed. Eric turned around with the needle stuck in his chest, and the fluid set free in his body. "Oh shit," Brad muttered as Eric took out the object and dropped it carelessly on the floor. Sydney and I sat there, her amazed, and me in shock. Eric held his stomach. "I don't feel so good you guys," he told us. Brad led him upstairs and outside us following. Brad backed away as Eric fell down on his knees in the back yard and screamed. Then he was on his hands, growing black fur all over his body and stripping his clothes off, as he grew bigger. We all started backing towards the house when I saw his fingernails grow from short and stubby to long and sharp instantly. Like Brad had his face and nose morphed into the snout of a dog. None of us could move as he turned around to face us. That stuff had miraculously turned him into a werewolf. Suddenly Sydney let out the biggest scream any of us had ever heard. Brad, being the scardy cat loser that he was, ran inside and locked the door leaving Seth, Sydney, and me outside with the beast. I was frozen and I couldn't move or say a word as I watched the dog like Eric attack Seth. I heard Seth's blood curdling screams as he was being dismembered in front of my eyes. Then, when I finally felt like I could run I looked where Sydney was standing. She was gone. I turned to the growling wolf, blood dripping down its chin, and I ran. I could hear its paws scratching the pavement behind me. Somehow, I ran to the front door of Brad's house and pounded on it. "Brad let me in! Brad!" It drew nearer and nearer to me, but slowly this time. I tried not to, but I couldn't take my eyes off its sharp fangs, preparing myself to be shredded by them. I leaned up against the door. Suddenly it was jerked open and I fell down hard. I looked up to see Brad as he dragged me in before the jaws of the werewolf could clamp down in my flesh. Unfortunately, I let out a piercing scream, as it was able to scratch my ankle. Brad, actually being brave, kicked it back just so he could slam the door in its face. After a few minutes of watching it run into the door trying to break it down, and then running away, Brad and I took a breath as if it were our first time. Brad spoke first. "That was awesome! That dude did till me it could probably kill me, but I wasn't expecting this," Brad exclaimed. I looked at him angrily. "How the hell could you say that? Seth is dead, and I don't even know where Sydney ran off to!" I yelled at him. I then got up, looking for some explanation in Brads eyes why he would think that. When the "I was just joking" part didn't come out of his mouth I said, "Listen, I gotta find Syd, and get home. You gonna be a real man and drive me or what?" "I'm not going out there with that lose in the streets, and don't think you're taking my van either," he told me. I couldn't believe him. He walked away and into the living room to turn on the TV "Fine. I'll go out there by myself," I yelled to him, and limped out the door with a bloody ankle. I can't believe this! That's it! I'm dumping him as soon as I get the chance! How could he be this conceited and mean? I thought to myself as I walked as fast as I could go towards Sydney's house. When the pain from my ankle worsened, I stopped to inspect it. Bending down I looked at where he had scratched me and to my surprise it was completely healed! "I cannot believe this! I gotta be dreamin!" I muttered to myself. "Believe what?" a familiar voice said from in front of me. I jumped and looked up. "You scared me!" "Sorry, I didn't mean to," Taylor apologized. "What are you doing out here and now?" I asked him suspiciously. "I should be asking you the same thing, but I was just taking a walk," he told me. "Well, you better get home. It's not safe out here," I said, walking past him. "Why can't you ever at least talk to me for one second?" he wondered sadly. Not now, I thought as I stopped in my tracks, and turned around. Thinking a minute, while looking into his puppy dog eyes, I thought of a way to get him to go. "You wanna talk, well, my band and I have a gig tomorrow night at the old abandoned warehouse on 6th street. We'll talk then okay. Now please go home," I explained to him. "Then, why are you out here?" "Long story," I muttered then kept walking to Sydney's house. "But-" he started, but I was walking to fast. When I got to Sydney's house, her mom answered the door. I noticed that no one acted as if anything were wrong. "Sydney's upstairs. Come on in." she told me, and I ran up to her room. She was sitting on her bed ready to go to sleep. I let out a sigh of relief as she looked up at me. "Oh Sydney, thank God you're okay!" I said breathlessly. "What was that thing. Nevermind, but whatever it was it was cool!" she exclaimed. Totally not expecting that from her, I jumped in surprise. "Cool? It wasn't scary to you at all, even though you screamed bloody murder?" I argued. "Well, it was at first, but then it got cool! I was just intrigued by it. I have got to get me some of that stuff!" she exclaimed. "Sydney, Seth died! That thing ate him up! God this isn't happening!" I freaked out. Sydney fell back lazily and carelessly onto her bed. "Chill, Ray. Besides, Seth was a jerk anyway. He deserved it. You know, later on, I'm gonna have to call Eric and ask him what that was like," Sydney told me in calm consideration. "You have all gone crazy!!" I exclaimed as she stared at me with no pity for her boyfriend. That night, the cops came to ask us if we had seen Seth. We couldn't tell them that a werewolf ate him, so we made up the best lie that we could. We told him that he ran away b/c he was on drugs and didn't want his parents to know. We also told him that he was threatening to kill himself. Sydney told them that he told her that. After numerous questions and accusations, they finally left, believing our story. I called my mom and told her that I was sleeping over at Syd's house, but I never slept that night. ~ * ~ In the morning I went to school wearing some of Sydney's and she came too acting as if nothing had happened last night. We actually saw Brad and Eric at school too, acting the same way. "What happened last night after the stuff wore off?" I asked Eric curiously. "I found myself naked in my neighbors yard. Luckily no one saw me, but the risk was well worth the rush!" Eric told us. I couldn't believe they all liked it, and I decided that I would stay out of their drug taking plans. For the rest of the day I shied away from them, and pretty much everyone else. I didn't see Taylor much at all that day but when I did, I tried to smile, and so did he. I could tell he was hurt, but I couldn't do anything about it. At the end of the day Brad actually offered to take me home, but before I met up with him, Taylor stopped me. "I said we could talk tonight okay." "I know but," he tried to say. "Listen the only reason I don't want you to get involved with me is because I care about you." I told him. Brad came up to us, and gave Taylor a funny look as he took me by my arm. "Come on Rayna lets go." "Well, you sure do have a nice way of showing you care by avoiding me," Taylor said to me as Brad kept pulling me away. I saw the hurt in Taylor's eyes, and I wanted to break away from Brad but I couldn't. "I'm sorry." I mouthed to him as we went outside, and I knew he heard me. I could feel it. ~ * ~ That night Brad was gonna pick us up and take us to the warehouse. I didn't want to go, but I promised Taylor I would meet him there. No one would know we were there cause we only invited maybe a couple handfuls of people. Brad picked me up at 8:00, and we were scheduled to play at 9:00. I got into the passenger seat of the van, and everyone was in there. We drove to the warehouse, quietly. I wondered why none of them were talking. That was very unusual. It was like they were in a trance or something. As we pulled up to the warehouse there was already a lot of people there. We carried our stuff onstage, and set up the instruments. I could see Taylor in the crowd, and I gave him a fake smile. Something weird was going on, I could feel it, but I didn't know what. I kept setting up the mics when I saw Brad, Eric, and Sydney leave and go into our makeshift changing room. They were gone for suspiciously 20 minutes when they came back out. I wondered what they were up to, and it probably wasn't good. Then, I went into the changing room, without them seeing me, and I saw three liquid filled tubes of the wolf stuff, lying on a table. My heart pounded and I suddenly realized what they were planning. All I could think about was Taylor. I had to get him out of here. I stormed out of the room and walked into the crowd, pulling Taylor outside with me. He had a confused expression on his face. "What's wrong?" he asked me as I saw the sun fully set over his shoulder. Before I could answer my stomach started aching, and I held it moaning. What's wrong with me? I thought. "Rayna!" he screamed. I looked at my hands and I felt my fingernails grow long, blood dripping off the tips as I dropped to my hands and knees. My skirt and black shirt ripped off my body as brown fur started to grow. No! I didn't take any of that stuff! What's happening to me? I saw Taylor backing away in horror. "Run! Get out of here now! Run!" I screamed at him as my voice started to deepen. He didn't have time to argue, he could tell, so he ran. I watched him as my brain was taken over by the wolf's mind. Taylor had disappeared somewhere, and I (not really me) knocked myself into the window of the warehouse, glass shattering everywhere. Suddenly, my mind was blocked, and my wolf like mind took over, and all I could do was see what was going on. As the moon fully rose I howled and everyone started to run out the doors. I saw the look of surprise on my friend's faces as I ripped a girl in the audience apart. Even though I couldn't help it, I felt a sense of power and freedom course through my veins and I wanted more. Suddenly I saw my friends run into the changing room, but I leaped for Sydney who was the last one in, and I landed on top of her. With the claws on my fingertips I slashed her head off with one easy stroke. I then took my first bite of human flesh as I devoured my best friend. I swallowed her piece by piece, and I noticed that everyone had scampered out. Suddenly two wolves jumped through the changing room doors and attacked me. I was able to push them off me because they weren't as strong as I. Then; they gave up without a struggle and ran out of the warehouse. I followed them, wanting to be in the pack. Out of nowhere, another wolf joined in. He was like us except bigger, and there were no complaints from the other two wolves as he joined us. We ran through the streets and into the city. The last thing I remembered was eating a homeless person in an alley. ~ * ~ When I finally woke up, I was naked, lying on the ground. I pulled an old blanket that was sitting by the trash, around me. I noticed that I was in an alley. I looked around and saw Eric and Brad. They were sitting up and they had just awakened too. Towels wrapped around them, they acted like it was nothing. I looked to the other side of me, and there lay Taylor, face down, on his stomach, naked. I ran over to him, and threw an old blanket around him. He's the other wolf! He must be! I thought to myself. "What happened? All I remember is you, Rayna. You jumped through the window already a wolf, and you didn't even take any. How?" Eric asked me. I looked over at him, not even sure of myself. "It's because you scratched her the other night when you were a wolf," a familiar voice said. I looked back at Taylor to see that he was awake. "What are you doing here?" Eric asked. "Who cares? Let's get out of here Eric. Oh, by the way, thanks again for the wolf stuff!" Brad said to Taylor. "What? You're one too? How?" I said confused. "You weren't supposed to have that stuff Brad!" Taylor said to him. "And now look at what you've done! I found it first so give it back!" I sat there stunned in silence. "Well, sorry pretty boy, but it's mine now!" Brad exclaimed as he and Eric started out of the alley. "Wait! I'm not going to let you kill anymore just because it gives you a rush! Give it back to him!" I tried to argue. Brad turned around slyly. "Just watch us, and if you doing anything to stop us, you'll die too." He warned me. I stood up and helped Taylor up to. "How could you let him have that?" I exclaimed as we ran to his 'rents house a block away. "I'll explain everything when we get to my house." Taylor reassured me. When we got to his house, no one was home, and he gave me some of his clothes to put on for now. He did the same. "Okay, explain all of this to me." I pressured him. He sighed and began. "Well, at first I thought I was giving him drugs, but then after it was too late I found out it wasn't. That stuff is some kind of potion or something to turn a human into a wolf. You see, I had no idea what they were because I found them in our storm gutter wrapped in plastic. Unfortunately, Brad saw me with them, and he demanded that I share. When I couldn't tell him no, because he threatened to kill me, we went inside my house and I gave him half. He was the first one to try it, and in the process he bit me, and now every full moon I turn into a werewolf. You will too. Now you and I must kill Brad and Eric in order to become human once again. That's what I was doing out the other night. I tried to kill him, but then I saw Eric turn into one, and then you get scratched. So I never got around to it." Taylor explained. "I knew Brad would do something like this," I said. "How come you never told me?" "Well, brad and I swore that we would never tell anyone about this except our closest friends, and when I tried to tell you, you kept avoiding me. I have to kill Brad because I can't stand living like this!" Taylor told me. I hugged him tightly. "I'm sorry," I whispered into his ear. I felt horrible for Taylor. Then, I thought of something. "Taylor, tonight. They're supposed to do something tonight with the stuff. If we can figure out what it is than we can kill them so we'll be free," I said intently. "How are we going to kill them?" Taylor looked interested. "Do you still have any of the stuff left?" I asked. "Yeah, I think I only have three vials of it," he replied. I explained the plan. ~ * ~ That night we found out where Brad was having his so- called "party" from some kids at school. They said everyone was to be there at 8:00 PM. So we walked to our school, and hid up on the roof of our gym that overlooked the gym floor. Music was playing, but not very loudly for fear of the cops. There was only about 20 to 25 of our classmates there so far. Then, Taylor took out one of the vials of liquid; needle capped, and handed it to me. There wasn't a full moon tonight. "As soon as the party fully begins, then lets do it," Taylor said looking at me nervously. I nodded, my stomach growling in its own nervousness. We watched everyone and so far it looked like a regular party until I noticed Eric in the dark corner of the gym take something out of his pocket. It was a needle filled with the wolf stuff. He stuck it in his arm. "Okay, lets do it!" I announced as Taylor saw what I was looking at. Both of us injected ourselves with the liquid, and within minutes we were wolves again. Below, with my wolf eyes I could see that Eric had mostly changed, but no one noticed him yet. Neither Taylor nor I could see Brad. So we jumped down through the glass window and onto the gym floor created waves of panic. We tried to fight the urge of killing the innocent people so we watched as they all ran away. Suddenly Eric attacked me, biting my shoulder. I let out a howling wince of pain. Then, Taylor jumped on his back, ripping him off of me. As they wrestled around, I joined in, and then Taylor was gone again. I didn't have time to look where he was because I had luckily pinned down Eric. I scratched at his face, and was then able to look up. I saw Taylor and another wolf wrestling over by the locker room, but I didn't I have time to look long because Eric scratched me back. I bit at his shoulder making his crimson blood leak onto the gym floor. He tried to fight to get up, but I took one more slash to his throat, and that one did it. He didn't squirm anymore, it morphed back into it's normal self, and I started feeling dizzy. I looked around for the other two, but they were no where. I dizzily made my way to the locker rooms where I had seen them last. I knew I was losing power and strength when I suddenly collapsed in one of the shower stalls hearing the shouts and howls of the winner wolf as everything around me went dark. ~ * ~ The running of the shower awakened me. The water was splashing on my head, and I noticed that I didn't have any clothes on, but I didn't care cause I was just glad to be alive. I looked around and Taylor was sitting right next to me, and then I looked around for Brad. I saw him slashed to pieces on the other side of the room, his blood running down the water drain. Taylor won! We're free! I cheered in my mind. He was leaned in the upright sitting position against the white tiled wall. Water splashed on his head matting his hair down. I walked over to the stack of towels and wrapped one around myself, and then around Taylor, waiting for him to wake up. I turned the water off, bent down, and sat on his legs hoping that that would wake him up. I knew he wasn't dead, just asleep. I watched him sleep sitting up, and his chest rose up and down slowly. I removed a strand of his matted hair from his eyes, and gently kissed him. That woke him up, and he smiled. "Where are we again?" he asked me. "In the shower room at school," I said and then got off his legs to sit beside him. He lifted up his arm. The last vile of it was strapped to his hand incase he needed it when he was fighting Brad. Taylor took it off and held it between his fingers. "I guess I don't need this anymore," he said as he threw it against a wall. It shattered into pieces and the liquid slid down the drain. "Well, it looks like you won," I said looking over at Brad. "Yeah," he blushed. We stood up, my back facing him. I smiled. "Now who's going to be my boyfriend?" I whined hoping Taylor would answer. "I'll take the job," he said as he took my by the waist so we were face to face. "If you promise not to bite." "Enter at your own risk," I smiled. He grinned and then slowly pressed his soft lips to mine as the morning sun filled the locker room. BACK HOME