I had waited for this moment for years. Graduation! The official closing ceremony of my time in teenage prison. I was finally going to be done with high school. I’d finally be a college student, an adult, and Dad would have to stop treating me like a child.
Dave had only let me spend one night in Ash’s room before he decided to enforce new house rules. I wasn’t allowed to spend the night in his room and neither was he in mine. During the day our doors had to remain open at all times. I put up a fight but no one helped me out, not even Ash.
“Daddy, I’m eighteen. I’m old enough to do as I wish!”
“Yes you are, but since I’ve watched you make an appalling mistake, namely Steve, I’m taking charge until you finish high school,” he declared with smug smile on his face.
“I’m graduating in a few days, and Ash isn’t like him.”
“No he’s not. He’s much more dangerous.” Everyone laughed at that, even Ash. That annoyed me even more.
“Daddy, you are ruining my life!”
I paused for a second. I never thought I’d be one of those girls who said such things. One, because I was free to do as I wished. And two, because I had no dad.
He crossed his arms over his chest and raised a scolding brow. “Case and point, you are still a child.”
I felt so frustrated I could feel the blood boil inside me. Ash moved forward and wrapped his arms around me. “Calm down. Your eyes are starting to golden.”
Like routine, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I was on a shorter fuse than I used to be. Every time I lost my temper I would change into this ferocious, strong crazy thing. It scared Ann and Maria. It scared me sometimes, and I didn’t like that. It put Billy on guard all the time and he treated me differently because of it. The funny guy disappeared when I was around my sisters, and as much as I would hate to admit it, it hurt. So whenever it happened, Ash’s sweet velvet voice was in my ear bringing me back.
“Do something, Ash, it’s your house,” I whined looking up at him, hoping he’d take my side. But he just smiled down at me and said nothing. “Ash!” I prompted him.
“It’s our house and he’s your father. You can have the room next to mine.”
“You are no help at all, and I’m taking your room!” I stormed to Ash’s room and banged the door behind me. A hinge pooped out but the door stood. I realized then that my teenage performance had convinced them even more that I needed rules.
* * * *
We sat in the auditorium listening to the principal’s closing speech. Josh and Jane sat next to me—they were a couple now, how I didn’t understand it. Josh had built a huge tolerance for Jane’s constant nagging, but he’d also been able to turn the bitch in her down a notch. But nothing he did could save us from her constant complaints of how the light blue gown was taking out the shine in her blonde hair.
How was that even possible?
George stopped talking to me after I cancelled our date. I didn’t mind, in fact, he took that awkward situation out of my hands. Having Casanova off my back was a relief. Ash had his own unfounded aggression towards him. He didn’t like George anywhere near me, but he liked Josh better now that Jane was his girlfriend.
When the ceremony was done, we ran out cheering and screaming, glad that the four years of high school torture was over. My family was waiting for me; they were all smiling, even Billy looked happy to see me.
“My daughter is a graduate!” My dad said emotionally hugging me tight.
“Its high school, Dad, not college.” I pulled back and looked at him.
His eyes were teary, which made me feel like I was going to cry. I used to dread this day, when my classmates would walk out of the auditorium with their parents and I would be alone. But through some crooked twist of fate, my dad was here. Yes, I do have Maria and Ann but this was my dad, my real family. My blood. I didn’t care he was a werewolf now, all that mattered to me was that he was here and I wasn’t alone.
“It’s not very wolfy to cry, Dad,” I teased as I pulled away and hugged Ann then Maria. They were emotional too. Now I was really going to cry. I pulled away quickly before Maria started a tear fest that Ann and I would end up joining.
“Congratulations.” Joe gave me a peck on the cheek and a hard pat on the back with a clown smile on his face.
I laughed. He was always the strange one. Billy just nodded, but his smile looked sincere. I knew we were in rocky waters so I appreciated the small gesture; it was better than nothing.
Ash stood there like a dream staring down at me. He looked gorgeous in his black leather jacket and blue jeans. His grey shirt accentuated his broad chest. I imagined his biceps and how tight the sleeves were caressing them. I couldn’t believe this beautiful creature loved me.
“Congratulations, Lee.” His velvety voice gave me goose bumps. He stepped closer to me, bent low enough to reach my ear and whispered, “Mi amor, you look dazed.”
I felt my stomach flutter, listening to his voice. His intoxicating scent made me dizzy. To think, I should have gotten used to him by now. Sometimes I think he does this on purpose, to humor himself by watching my dazzled empty-headed reaction to him.
He chuckled softly. “Do you want me to step away?”
I reached up and held onto his jacket for balance. “No,” I whispered back. I was still trying to find my bearing and reorganize my mind. How is it he had this effect on me?
“Okay, but you need to look alive, your father isn’t too happy about your zombie state.”
Dad! I’d forgotten the rest were still around. I blinked a couple of times then shifted to Ash’s side and leaned against him. Dad looked at me, an impatient, irritated look on his face.
I wasn’t going to move back into Ash’s room anytime soon.
“Lee!” Jane came running towards us, Josh walking fast behind her. She crushed into me hugging me tight, then she tiptoed and kissed Ash on the cheek. “Hi Ash.”
Did she really coo?
“Hi and congratulations.” He flashed his earth-shaking smile. Her eyes widened as she stared at him sheepishly. Well, time and distance didn’t change the reaction she had to that and it still annoyed me.
“Jane, Josh is behind you.” The irritation in my voice was noticeable, and I didn’t care. Billy chuckled as he stared at Jane’s stunned face.
“Josh, oh right, Josh.” Jane came out of her daze as Josh put an arm around her waist and kissed her before he turned to us. Billy laughed even louder.
“Hi, Lee. Ash, it’s nice to see you again.”
Ash gave him a curt nod. “Same here.”
“So how do you guys know each other?” Billy’s voice held a mischievous tone, which meant there was trouble to come. Well at least he was loosening up.
“Lee and Josh would have been dating if she hadn’t gotten into that accident, and I would have been dating Ash if he hadn’t cancelled on me,” Jane answered him. She then turned to Josh and pinched his cheek. “But everything worked out. Lee is with Ash, and I’m with my Joshy-woshy.”
Billy mouthed ‘Joshy-woshy’ to Joe with a clown face, his lips twisting in a very gross imitation of a kiss as he moved his hands around an imaginary girlfriend, which I was sure kept him company during the decades women couldn’t stand his obnoxious God’s-gift-to-women delusions. I bit my lips together to hold back a laugh. I looked around at my family. They were making an effort not to laugh. Josh looked embarrassed and ducked his head behind Jane.
He should have been hiding from her right from the start.