When the door bell rang, I waited a couple of minutes before getting up and opening the door. It was probably a girl scout or someone who wanted me to buy something. Jokes on them, my parents took their wallets with them.
I opened the door, ready to politely tell them to go away, until I saw the person on the porch.
“Hey, Hazel,” I was very surprised to see Ken standing there, a friendly smile playing on his lips.
“Hi, Ken, are you looking for Aria?” She’s been talking about him nonstop.
“Is she here?”
“No, she’s with Harry right now, but you can wait inside until she comes back if you want,” I saw her get into his shiny black expensive car right after school. No explanation, but I didn’t really care. At least, that’s what I’d been telling myself.
“Thanks, if you don’t mind,” I stepped aside as he walked inside, “Nice house,” He passed by the den, looking around, and followed me into the kitchen. I grabbed a pail and filled it with water.
“What were you doing before I got here? Netflix?” He leaned against the island, staring at me curiously.
“Gardening.” I shrugged sheepishly. Taking care of plants had been something I’d always done. I’d started when I was seven, when I planted my first seedling. It’s in the backyard but still hasn’t blossomed yet.
“You’re an old soul, aren’t you?”
I raised an eyebrow, “I’ll take that as a compliment.” I started watering the flowers on the kitchen table, feeling peaceful.
I headed upstairs to water the plants in my room. It felt impolite to leave Ken by himself so I asked him, “Do you want a tour?”
“Sure.”
“This is the bathroom, my parents’ room, guest room and me and Aria’s room.” I said, walking into my bedroom and watering the moonflowers. They didn’t really prosper in the winter so I had to give them as much water as possible.
“Aria’s side?” He looked at the explosion of clothes in the left corner. I nodded. “I can tell.”
“The mess?” I joked.
“And the pink.” He looked over at my side, which was almost the complete opposite of hers. While Aria’s side of the room was girly, messy and her shelves full of nailpolish, mine was simple, sparse and full of books.
“Can I ask you a question?” I asked suddenly, the question long on my mind.
“Shoot.” He nodded.
“Can you tell me about the Moon Goddess?”
Ken was happy to answer, “The Moon Goddess is the heart of werewolf culture. She’s a powerful immortal being who was rumoured to be the most beautiful woman on Earth back when it was first created. She was the Goddess who created the mate bond.”
“Was she a werewolf?”
“No, at least, not according to the myths,” Ken shook his head, “Werewolves existed before her but didn’t have mates back then.”
“So mates are like soulmates? Have you found yours yet?” I asked curiously, wondering if Aria was too late. Although, it didn’t seem like he had a girl at home.
He smiled bashfully, “No, but when I do find her, I’ll make her the happiest girl in the world.”
I could see why Aria liked him. He had a nice smile and a sweet heart.
The door opened abruptly, Aria walking in on us.
“Hey, Hazel, I- oh, Ken,” Aria widened her brown eyes when she saw Ken. She didn’t say anything, just stared between us.
“I didn’t hear you come in.” I said, trying to fill the awkward silence.
“Hazel, can I talk to you in the bathroom?” She said through gritted teeth. She let me walk infront of her and when we got to the bathroom, she nearly slammed the door. Slamming doors was her trademark.
“What the hell is he doing here? And why did you bring him up here?” Aria seethed.
“I thought you liked him.” I said in a quiet voice, afraid to make her even more mad. I failed miserably.
“He’s been ignoring my texts and calls.” She scowled.
“Well, he came because he wants to talk to you.”
“Really? Because it looks like he’s talking to you.” Aria said in a cold voice. Usually when she got angry, she’d blow up and yell. But this time was different, her face was emotionless and hard to read. “He was smiling at you, really smiling, before I so rudely interrupted.”
“Cass, don’t be mad-”
“I’m not mad, not mad at all,” Aria shook her head, “I mean, I was the one who saw him first and I was the one who liked him first.”
“He was just telling me about the Moon Goddess, the person you’re supposed to be.” But she wasn’t acting real goddess-like right now.
“And that makes it better?”
“We were just talking, he’s only been here for a ten minutes. And he came here to-”
I heard a knock on the door.
“Hey, I’m gonna get going, Alpha Ares wants me,” Ken said and I felt bad for locking him out.
“Wait, don’t you want to talk to Aria?” I tried to make him stay while she kept glaring daggers at me.
“I’ll stop by another time,” Ken said, “See you later,”
I didn’t want him to leave, I wanted him and Aria to talk.
“See what do you did?” She shoved me out of her way and I was left staring at my reflection in the mirror.
*****
“Come on, you have to come to the bonfire tonight!” More and more girls tried to persuade Even and Law, which I had the displeasure of eavesdropping on.
I was putting my books in my locker when Naomi, Kaitlyn and the usual entourage showed up to talk to the “twins”. They literally pounced on them as soon as they saw them.
“It’s a school tradition, you have to come,” Naomi was saying.
“I don’t have to do anything,” Law was a second away from snapping at them, I could tell. But his temper didn’t faze them; they must’ve been distracted by his looks.
“It’ll be fun! We’ll watch the sunset, sing songs, roast marshmallows. Come on, what do you say, Even? Please?” Kaitlyn asked kindly.
“I guess it won’t kill me,” Even said. Law just crossed his arms.
I wondered if Aria was going. After all, she always went to the January bonfire to celebrate the beginning of the year and the halfway point of the school year.
At three o’clock, everyone was getting ready for the bonfire in the Appleby town center. Lights wrapped around trees like vines and lit the sidewalks. Sunset was a little before four so everyone stayed after school. It saved me from an silent car ride with Aria.
Speaking of Aria, I had to tell her that Ken liked her and not me.
“What do you want?” Aria asked sharply, “Waiting to see the next guy who talks to me so you can steal him, too?”
What was with her?
“Cass, Ken came over to see you.”
“Then why did he leave the moment I walked in?”
“He had to go back, Alpha Ares needed-” She didn’t give me a chance to finish.
“No, Hazel, he was lying. He just used that as an excuse because he didn’t want to talk to me,” I opened my mouth but her mind was already made up, “Just leave it.”
She walked away and joined her other clique of friends.
I sat down on a bench, watching the sun get closer and closer to the Earth.
“Hazel? You okay?” I turned to see Kaitlyn walking over, a beanie over her curly hair and a candle in each hand.
“I’m fine, why?”
“Maybe because you’re sitting here all alone and look really down,” Kaitlyn shrugged and sat down next to me.
“Thanks,” I said as she handed me a candle.
This would be the first time I’d be blowing my candle out with someone other than Aria. And with Kaitlyn Calbury, no less. I wouldn’t have expected her to be the one to talk to me at all, not after the way she’d been all over Even and Law.
“Get ready, thirty seconds,” She looked at her phone.
I watched as the sun melted even lower and gently kissed the snow blanketed land, a kaleidoscope of coral and amethyst shades blending to reveal the winter sky. I shivered at how shockingly beautiful the sky could be, so ethereal for my eyes.
“Five. . . four. . . three. . . two. . . one!”
I blew out my candle as everyone cheered for the end of January with their friends.
Here’s to hoping everything will turn out okay.