Chapter Four: Family Difficulties

Dante

I woke up screaming again. This had been happening almost every night since Felicia had gotten her powers. I kept having the same dream of her being engulfed by the smoke and not coming out. Or, if she did come out of the smoke, she attacked me relentlessly and I couldn't fight her off or do anything to calm her down. 

When I recovered I collapsed back onto my pillow and shut my eyes, only for a moment though since my little brother, Renzo, barged in and told me to hurry up cause our mom had made breakfast and they were waiting for me.

"Ok, Renzo. Go away. I'll be right down." I said.

"Okay Dans!" He said. He called me "Dans" cause he knew it annoyed me, but right now I didn't have the energy to argue with him. "By the way, you were screaming in your sleep again last night."

"I know Renny, go downstairs." I said. He left after stealing one last skeptical look at me.

Of everyone in our family, Renzo seemed to be the only one that really understood me. I didn't know why that was exactly, maybe just because he was my brother and he could just see those things in people. But, whenever he looked at me I somehow felt like there was a deeper meaning behind his stare.

  Eventually I did get out bed and shower and joined my family at our dining room table for breakfast. And as always, the first thing out of my mother's mouth was a comment about how I dressed.

"If you just wore a nice shirt once in a while, Dante, you could make an impression on people that didn't say 'I'm a lazy bum.' " 

I looked at Renzo and he whispered "I think you look cool." I smiled at him and whispered "Thank you." back.

As usual our father didn't say a word the whole meal, just kept his face in the obituary section of the newspaper and let out a sad whimper every now and then.

"Well, I'm off sweethearts." Our mom said. "Dante, make sure Renzo gets to school on time. And I set up an interview for you at that bike shop in the center at noon, do not be late." 

"Okay." I said, like I cared about what she was saying. I always got Renzo to school on time, and even though I probably should be getting a job, I honestly didn't want one. So, I would probably end up going running after I dropped off Renzo. 

***

Outside Renzo's school, I found my thoughts drifting toward Felicia, but my thoughts were interrupted when Renzo spoke up.

"Dan?" He said.

"What's up lil' bro?" I asked.

"I don't want to go to school. I want to hang out with you."

I was quiet for a moment before answering him. 

"Why not Renny?" 

He looked at his hands, worried to tell me the truth.

"Renz?" I pushed for an answer.

"These other boys are being mean to me." He said.

"Well, why are they being mean to you?" I said as I put my hand on his back for comfort.

"They think I'm a freak. They keep teasing me, cause I run fast in gym. And I'm always so warm and they say I'm..." He started crying and couldn't finish his sentence.

Suddenly, I remembered back to everything that happened to me leading up to my first transformation. I remembered how hot my body became. And how I was suddenly able to run much faster than other kids. And now that I thought about it, I had been the same age as Renzo was now. Then it hit me, Renzo was a lycan.

"Renzo, how 'bout I take you with me for the day?" I suggested. "Just you and me. A brothers' day off. And we don't have to tell mom."

"Really? I'd love that Dante!" He shouted.

***

I brought Renzo to the place in the woods where Felicia and I always met. 

"Renzo, look at me. I need to teach you what's happening to you." I said.

He looked me right in the eye. Then said, "What is happening to me, Dante?" 

"Well, I don't really know how to explain it, but, you know how I always disappear every night? And tend to come back dirty?" I said.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Well, that's because, every night... Well, it'd b easier just to show you." I said. "Stand back and don't be alarmed.

I took a few paces back and pulled of my shirt, then I went and stood behind a tree to remove the rest of my clothes. I kneeled and put my hands on the ground, and mumbled a few words and let myself turn. When the transformation was complete, I picked up my stuff with my mouth and threw it onto my back, then padded out to where Renzo was.

He almost ran. But then I yelled after him and told it not to be afraid, that this wolf was me. He came back to me then and put his hand on my fur. And I explained everything to him; how when I was his age, I too started being able to run faster and my body got hotter, like I always had a fever. Then, when I was done, he asked me the question I knew he would.

"So, when will I... you know, turn?" 

"It depends, could be the next full moon, could be tonight. You'll feel it coming though, during the day. When you feel it though, tell me. I'll be there for you." I said. "When you get comfortable, running and all, I'll also have to teach you the lupin language. So you can communicate with me and my friend you'll meet when you're ready."

He nodded after every word I said. I could tell he was afraid. So, to comfort him, I nuzzled my head in his chest and grumbled "I love you." in lupin. I knew he wouldn't understand it, but I felt that was somehow better.

 

Felicia

"Felicia! Get up!" My father yelled up the stairs in an attempt to wake me, even though I was already awake. He did this every day and it really annoyed me.

"Shut up, Dad! I'm up!" I yelled back. 

 My father and I had been having a difficult time getting along ever since my mother passed away. She had been the love of his life and my role model. I always wanted to be like her when I was younger. And since the day she died, I wanted to be more like her. 

I joined my father in our kitchen and fixed myself a bowl of cereal. Ever since my mother had died he always had an air of gloom around him. I tried not to let it get to me but, sometimes I just had to ask.

"How are you feeling today, Dad?"

He just gave me a quick glance from over the top of his newspaper and gave me a little grunt that I knew meant, "You know perfectly well how I'm feeling.". I tried to ask every day, because I wanted him to get better, but sometimes it was all I could do not to. Sometimes I felt like the more I asked the longer he would stay in his bad mood.

"Well, I'm off to school." I said. I didn't get a response, so I just left.

Even though I said I was going to school, I didn't have to be there for another hour. There were tests going on that I didn't have to be there for, and I wanted to drop by Dante's house.

***

When I knocked on his door it took a full two minutes before someone answered. It was his little brother, Renzo, who greeted me.

"Hey Renz." I said casually. "Is Dante in?"

"Yeah, he's here. In his room."

"Thanks, Renz." I said as I dropped my bag on the bench by the door and started up the stairs to Dante's room.

"But hey, Felicia?" Renzo suddenly said.

"Yeah? What's up?"

"He, uhm... He's been acting a little weird since this morning."

"Weird how?" I asked.

"Just... weird. I think it'll be good if you talk to him though."

I nodded and continued up the stairs.

Dante's door was open but I knocked anyway. "Hey, Dante." I said. "Renzo let me in, you alright? He said you've been acting weird."

"Yeah, come in, Felicia." He said. He was lying on his bed shirtless, which I understood because I knew he was a lycan and he got super hot like I did. And that heat was amplified when we were worried or stressed or angry.

"What're you so concerned about? Renzo said..."

"I know. I heard." He said, pointing to his ears.

"Oh yeah, super-human hearing." 

Dante went on to explain to me how he had come across how Renzo was getting the symptoms of his first transformation. How he was always hot, like he had a bad fever. How he could run miles and not get tired. Then he told me how he brought him to the spot in the woods where he and I always met and how he showed him his wolf form. I stopped him there.

"You introduced him to Draenan?" I said, a bit stunned. "What did he say?"

"Nothing. He's scared. I am too." Dante said. "I want to be there for him when it happens. The thing is, I don't have any way of knowing when it will happen."

I stopped to think a moment. "My grandmother might have a way of finding that out." I said, turning toward the door. "Wanna come with?"

He nodded and got up from he bed an hugged me. It felt like he was burning my clothes.

"Sorry." He said guiltily.

"Don't worry about it. Let's go."

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[Tea]

can't wait to read more of this interesting story. :)