With a shudder, I shake myself free of the daze and follow the car into a strange neighborhood. The houses are huge here, almost like mansions. It reminds me of Ken and Barbie’s dream house, a perfect world for the perfect couple. Suddenly I think of how Barbie, the perfect girl, must have felt when she gained envious girls’ fondling and young boys’ hatred.

The car stops in front of a gigantic house, the biggest one in the neighborhood. It is a creamy color, with enchantingly tall pillars and a beautiful, yet small fountain in the yard. Gorgeous flowers line the walls, and a huge set of marble doors stand proudly in the front. It is beautiful, almost as elegant as the mansion in the forest.

The door swings open, and a slender, yet built man exits the building. I gasp.

Ian?

He swings down the stairs with a swagger that suits him so well, sliding into the car smoothly. I suddenly hear Ian muttering, my brain shockingly processing Ian’s words.

“I thought I wouldn’t have to go to her stinking party…” he says sharply, “why do I have to help you, anyway?”

“Because if you don’t, I’ll beat you up,” a melodious, joking voice replies, a hint of seriousness is involved.

“Whatever.” He slams the door shut, and suddenly I hear nothing except the grumbling of the engine. What party would be going on right now?

I think briefly about the terrible feeling in my stomach. This feeling is usually associated with one person, one I know very well. Didn’t Sidney say she had a party on Monday?

But if I go to the party, then won’t they see me? How am I going to slip in without being noticed…?

A stupid, obnoxious plan forms in my head, and I immediately act upon it.

I walk to the door after the car drives away, standing on the flawless floor. Excitement ripples through me as I raise my knuckles and knock. I have never done anything this crazy before.

A small, petite girl opens the door, her golden-brown eyes staring up at me in wonder. She is very slim, adorned in a mini-skirt and a low cut top, but so tiny she looks like a little girl. Her hair is a bright, dyed red, and her skin is a light brown color, probably generated from some tanning bed. She is pretty, though, with pixie-like facial features and pink, kissable lips.

“Hey,” she scans me slowly, crawling over every inch of me. Then she lights up, joy in her movements. “You’re really pretty!” she smiles, her voice peppy. She sounds like a cheerleader, yet I can’t find it in my heart to dislike the teen.

“Thank you,” I laugh, hoping to win her over, “I’m Mona, Ian’s girlfriend.”

“Really? I’m his sister, Lauren.” She goes wide-eyed, “he got lucky this time! You might be the only girl so far that is as hot as he is.” I narrow my eyes slightly. Did Ian hypnotize his own sister to be so adoring of him?

“Yes,” I try to get to the point, “in fact, I’m trying to find him right now. Do you happen to know where he is?”

“Ian?” she peers into the road, then back at me, “oh, he left. You just missed him.”

I choke back a laugh as I realize my plan is working perfectly. “Aw, that’s too bad,” I force a pout to my lips, “where did he go? Maybe I could meet him.”

Suddenly she grows pale, her hand rising to her mouth. Her lip trembles slightly, and her next words seem restrained. “He said he’s going to Sidney’s house,” she says softly, and then her eyes narrow. “You know her?”

“My boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend!” I exclaim with faked recognition, “why would he want to go there?” My mouth parts in a perfect, astounded “o” along with the girl.

“I’m sorry Mona,” her face grows resolute, “but Ian might be cheating on you. He does it all the time… I tell him not to! He never listens to me, though.”

I mold my expression into one of fury. “I need to catch him in the act,” I say angrily, all the while laughing inwardly.

“Yes,” she says, “but I think it is a party where you won’t be welcome.”

This conversation is going perfectly. “What if I somehow get a disguise?!” I ask energetically, as if the thought just popped into my head.

She brightens up also, “that’s a great idea! Come inside, and I’ll dress you in some of my clothes.” Swinging the door open wider, she ushers me inside. For a minute, my eyes are overloaded from all the luxury around me, but then they slowly adjust.

Dark, elegant couches lay beside a roaring fireplace, a marvelous set of stairs to the side. The main room is huge, accented by a very small pond filled with koi. A gorgeous chandelier hangs above me, crystals casting light along the ceiling. Lauren just walks past all this stuff as if it is nothing, starting up the stairs with the click of her heels. Even with her four inch heels she is about five inches shorter, and I am wearing sandals. However, she seems to wear an elegance, a dignity I feel that I may be lacking. This a rich girl’s aura, full of confidence and self-assurance.

I scurry behind her, rather curious to see Lauren’s room.

As we enter, I notice immediately that it is not a huge room. There is a beautiful, queen sized bed, accompanied by some nice dressers and a desk with a huge Mac computer. There must be more than this.

“This is pretty,” I try to get her to show off more so I can see the true splendor.

“Really? You think so?” she smiles like a puppy, “this isn’t even the best part, though!” I laugh as she leads me to another door. It is so easy to read a rich person’s mind.

She slides the door open to reveal a walk in closet about the size of her room, with sofas, TVs, and rows and rows of clothes. I stare at the racks, all labeled with the category they fit into. “I told Daddy I didn’t want a big room, but a big closet instead. And he got me one!” she claps her hands happily, and I get a basic idea about just how rich they are.

Leading me over to the party dresses rack, she calmly surveys me. “Most of my stuff won’t fit you, or will be very short. You will just have to try this stuff on.” Almost immediately she stacks a pile of dresses on me, and leads me to the huge “hall of mirrors”.

“Start now while I find you a suitable wig,” she commands, then disappears into another rack. I stare at the clothes, at my body, and back at the clothes.

Fun.

I slide each dress on, one after the other, wincing at how short each one is. If it is short on Lauren, then that makes it incredibly short on me. Some aren’t even past my butt, and others are like shirts.

I find a simple, yet seductive dress out of the pile, designed to reach right past Lauren’s knee, and slide it on. It fits perfectly, although the skirt hits mid-thigh. I decide to simply settle with that, liking the simplicity.

Lauren waltzes in with a dark black wig, straight and shiny. With a flourish, she pulls out a pair of black stilettos from the bucket by my side and practically throws it at me. “I think we are similar shoe sizes. Squeeze into it, okay?”

She pulls my hair back into a bun, placing the wig over it. It doesn’t look very real, but at least makes me look completely different. I watch myself in the mirror. This will just have to do…

“Thank you,” I offer her my best smile, “now, could you tell me where Sidney’s house is?”

***

I waltz into a dirty yard, stained with beer cans and cigarettes, with disgust. A huge house looms before me, music pounding furiously from within. People bubble around the entrance, many lounging on the several chairs outside. There is much movement inside the house, several girls in bikinis and others in dresses like mine. There must be a pool around there, for so many people to be in swimsuits.

Suddenly I feel overdressed.

I stumble to the doorway, edging into the crowd slowly. People immediately rub up against me as I am swallowed by the crowd, many of the whispers starting. I stand out like a sore thumb, and I momentarily regret letting Lauren dress me up like a Barbie doll. I should have insisted on jeans and a top, instead of settling for this…

Suddenly I spy Xavier’s head of blue hair, talking to a random girl in the crowd. She is wearing a light swimsuit cover-up and has brown hair. He leads her away, spiking my interest and even jealousy. What is he doing with her?

I back into a corner, my gaze focusing on the two figures navigating through the crowd. I recognize the girl to be one of “Sidney’s”, and my breath catches in my throat.

Suddenly, Ian appears, and the girl is immediately whisked away by the enchanting man as Xavier quickly returns to the floor. He smiles at another one of Sidney’s girls, initiating the conversation once again. After a few more minutes, Xavier leads the girl to the exact same spot, where Ian appears again with a sly smile across his face. The first girl reappears in the crowd, grinning broadly.

What is going on?!

It is like Xavier is running an operation, snagging a girl that belongs to Sidney and taking them to Ian. He is moving rather quickly, being such a sweet talker that he can get a girl to follow him to the moon in seconds.

“Who are you?” a harsh, abrasive voice asks. I look up into the face of Sidney, her face in a grimace. She is wearing outrageously thick makeup, and a dress that defies all my expectations as far as provocativeness goes. Her heels are much larger than mine, her whole form intimidating. My expression morphs into morbid fear, and I race away from her like lightning.

I clatter outside, swinging off my heels. I grab them in my hands as Sidney appears before me, curiously surveying me. A crowd forms around us, many curious to see what she was asking about. Sidney probably regrets calling attention to us, for now people will compare us.

“Who are you?” she asks again, peering into my eyes. I should have gotten contacts.

Suddenly she reaches forward and rips the wig from my head. “Mona!” she screeches, “I didn’t expect to see YOU here.” She smiles laughingly, “I thought you would get that you aren’t welcome.”

I catch the wig as she lets it drop, holding it close to my chest. “I just wanted to… visit,” I squeak, barely above a whisper.

Sidney looks at me with a smirk, “well, you got here at just the perfect time! We can finish what we started from this morning…” She takes a step forward, “we can see if another cut will heal just as quickly as the first one.”

The pool behind me comes closer and closer as I back up, and soon my feet are on the edge. There is no place to run. No place to hide.

“Leave my girlfriend alone,” a smooth, commanding voice erupts, and a muscled arm links to mine. Sidney’s eyes grow wide, and she smiles weakly.

“Girlfriend? So it is official?” she says rather bitterly, “congratulations.”

I look up into Xavier’s face to find he is glaring at Sidney. His beautiful blue hair is sparkling along with his green eyes, and his arm feels so warm. However, what shocks me so much are his words. Girlfriend? I am his girlfriend?

Ian troops up on my other side. “Yeah, Sidney,” he says menacingly, “stop being mean. I don’t think we can be together anymore, especially with you acting so jealous like this.”

Sidney gasps along with her many followers, and we can see why. Ian is one of Sidney’s strengths. Some of her popularity points. Ian is the quarterback on the football team, and that guy is usually reserved for the best looking or most popular girl in the school.

It is at this time that Sidney must realize that her throne has been usurped.

We start walking towards the front of the house, when the snake spits out some last minute venom. “I wish you had died when I pushed you the other day,” she hisses as we pass her, each word like a lash against my skin. I haven’t ever had someone hate me this much before, and I have to admit, it hurts.

Xavier suddenly turns, fire alight in his eyes. He is like a bull, ready to run someone over while he stares at Sidney. With sudden force, he crosses over to her, and shoves her in the cold water. She squeals, splashing underneath the surface.

Without another word, both of the guys escort me out of the house and into the car. People stare at us on the way out as if we are aliens, as if they don’t know us.

Well, this is an interesting development.

Xavier unloads me into the backseat as if I am cattle, the other two grabbing the front. As the engine roars to life, we bathe in silence, and I feel, for some reason, as if I am about to get scolded.

“Mona,” he sighs finally, making me jump when he says my name, “why did you come?”

There is a pause as I dig for an answer that doesn’t sound like admitting I was jealous. “I just wanted to… meet you there?” I meagerly reply, my answer not even sounding true to myself.

Xavier laughs, a noise that makes my heart flutter. “That’s a lie,” he grins, “I saw you following me all the way to Ian’s house.”

“I was that easy to spot?” Terror strikes my heart. I thought I did pretty good, considering the nearly barren scenery.

“Well, I’ve had a lot of practice,” he looks to the mirror and our eyes meet. Right now, they are soft, full of laughter and sweetness. “You really shouldn’t have come,” he emits resignedly; “it isn’t like the party was much fun for you anyway.”

Ian twists in his seat to look at me. “Where did you get that hot dress?” he asks, “it looks like something my sister would wear.” His eyes rake over me appreciatively, a smirk gracing his lips. I begin to feel uncomfortable.

“Yeah,” Xavier threw in, “I don’t remember you having anything like that at home.” His eyes narrow. Something tells me he doesn’t like me wearing a dress like this.

“I, uh…” I tried to stop, but Xavier’s eyes urged me on, “borrowed it.” I stare at the dress, how it seems perfect even after I traveled through that crap. The stilettos are still in my hand, along with the furry mess called a wig. He stares at the wig as if it is a monster.

“Well, whatever the reason, you didn’t have to follow us. We were trying to wipe the evidence of your cut healing so quickly. That’s all,” Xavier quickly diverts the subject, and I breathe a sigh of relief.

“Really?” I reply. That does seem to make sense. I feel like a stupid idiot now. “So what about Ian?”

“I hypnotized them,” Ian says proudly, “into believing they had never seen it.”

“And we were about to get to Sidney,” Xavier snapped, “Until YOU just had to make a scene!”

“That was Sidney!” I huff, “leave me alone.”

“Anyways, the point is to trust me. When I leave you behind, it is usually for a reason,” Xavier finally scolds, and I shudder a little under his calm criticism.

Ian winks at us. “Leave her behind? You guys stay at the same house?”

We both ignore him.

“Well, you could tell me the reason,” I say softly, “instead of keeping me in the dark.”

“Oh, I will, from now on,” he grins, “to stop you from following me.” I suddenly get the feeling that Xavier won’t let off of this topic for a very, very long time.

We stop at Ian’s house, and he practically jumps out. “Thank you, Ian!” I call, and he gives me a little wave as he climbs up the steps to the doorway. Right before we roll out of the driveway, I see Lauren run out and pounce on her brother, smiling broadly. I look at them enviously. What I would give for a normal family…

Zooming home in silence, we gaze at the beautiful flowers as they fade into towering trees. “Xavier?” I finally say, as we are buried in the forest.

Xavier looks back at me. “Yes?” he says, gazing into my soul.

“Do you… understand forever? How do we know if we are immortal?” I try to phrase these questions correctly, these questions without a true answer.

“I have never understood forever, although I may be able to grasp it a little bit better than you might,” he stares at the road, his hair ruffling in the air, “I have been a werewolf for a while now, and watching your friends shrivel up and die while you stay perfectly the same is rather disturbing. It gives you the feeling that you are not even real, not even a human. Time and time again I check the obituary to see that one of my parent’s friends is dead, living to be even eighty years old. I always think to myself, I know them. I used to talk with them. My parents were the worst. They made me cry the most. You know why, Mona?”

“Because you loved them the most?”

“Because they were my only links to reality. Back ten years ago, I could point at a regular human and say ‘You are my mom. You are my dad.’ However, I can’t do that anymore. Nobody knows me. I am invisible, yet visible to the human eye. I have no connection with them. All I have is my pack, and my mate,” he glances at me, smiling weakly.

“I already have no connections to reality,” I stare at the floor, facing the undeniable truth, “I am dead to many already. Maybe I should have died along with my parents so I wouldn’t have to be so alone.”

We reach the mansion, and the car stops. Slowly, the car door opens, and a strong, masculine hand grabs my own. He whirls me into a soothing embrace. “You won’t be alone anymore,” he whispers into my hair, “we will be together.”

We stay like this, suspended in time, each feeling comfort in the other’s presence. All the while, my heart is about to burst out of my chest, escalating in speed as the seconds go by. A blush blossoms upon my cheeks as I realize he can probably feel my heart as it beats… all for him.

Embarrassed, I back away, looking anywhere but at him. When I finally glance at his green eyes, I can see the glint of a smile in them. He knows… and he is laughing at me.

I punch him in the arm, unable to control my mortification. He laughs and grabs my hand, holding it in a deathly grip from which I cannot escape. I can feel myself turning into a tomato.

“To answer your other question,” Xavier says softly, “we don’t know for sure if we are immortal. In fact, we know we will perish someday, due to the prophecy. However, many of us are over a thousand years old, so that sort of makes it confusing. What should we call ourselves if not immortal?”

I am not even listening, absorbed completely in the heat of the moment. My heart of ice is melting because of his burning touch, sparking fire beneath my skin.

“Xavier!” Yi calls, suddenly appearing in the doorway, “come quick!” His handsome eyes are wide, and the door is wide open for us both.

Xavier’s eyes grow wide also, and he lets go of me as if I was nothing. “Give me a second,” he apologizes, “I’ll be right back.”

He disappears in the house, leaving only us outside. I walk in after him, Yi shooting me a smile. “Sorry that I interrupted your… um… private time,” he smirks as I pass him into the house. I turn and shoot the worst scowl I can conjure at him. Yi can be so annoying.

The huge door comes to a stop as I start walking through the hallways, following their smell to where they are located. “Mona, stop!” Yi calls after me, “stay here with me! You aren’t supposed to-”

I abruptly stop listening to him, getting closer and closer to whatever the werewolves are trying to hide.

As I approach Ray’s room, I begin to hear more voices. “I guess we knew it would come sooner or later,” Jake says.

“What are we going to do?” Wes asks, adopting a frightened tone that is much unlike him.

“We will probably have to evacuate,” Xavier says firmly, “we need to protect her.”

“Aren’t you surprised that they finally figured out how to email?” Ray laughs, “up until last year they always sent letters.”

I creep in through the open doorway, seeing immediately that they all are crowded around a computer. As quiet as a cat, I slip right behind them, peering on the screen. Internet Explorer is on, and the site is Google’s Gmail. A certain email is displayed, and they are all scanning it vigorously.

“What is this?” I ask calmly, causing almost all of them to jump.

It reads;

Dear Pack Number 101,

It has come to our attention that you have converted a human to a werewolf without our approval. This is the third offense within Pack Number 101 in 50 years, and although the last two have been pardoned, this last offense is simply inexcusable. You are called to a hearing on Wednesday of this week at Headquarters to determine the pack’s fate. The new convert will be promptly exterminated. Have a good day.

Sincerely,

The Council

All of them turn to look at me, a sad expression on their faces. Except for Xavier, of course, instead with eyes of fury.

This cannot be good.