Furry Humans

❝ May my heart be kind, my mind fierce, and my spirit brave.❞

Shallow breathes escape my mouth, as I blinked rapidly trying to collect my scattered mind after I hung up the phone.

“Abby. .” Xavier’s soft whisper drifts into my ears.

I slowly shift my gaze towards him to see his sadden eyes watching me, my mouth opens and close and a couple more tears slip down my cheeks before I blink and gaze at the sheets clenched in my hands.

“Are you okay?” he asks, which I think was stupid depending he could tell from the look on my face.

It also seemed that he just wanted to ask to break the silence. I shook my head, biting my lip.

“I. . I need to go home,” I tell, sliding from under the covers, my bare feet meeting with the carpet.

From my side view, I could see him nodding, “Okay. I’ll drive you.”

All I could manage was a meek nod, while I slipped back on my shoes not bothering to put my socks on. I bend down to grab them and walk out the door knowing Xavier was following close behind.

I sniffle, wiping underneath my eyes. I slow down my steps so Xavier could walk in front of me and lead the way. He turns a corner almost colliding with someone.

“Sorry!” says the other figure.

I look up to see Noah, gazing up at Xavier nervously as he steps away from him; his neck bowed a bit. One of his hands was clutching a smaller one and my gaze follows the length of the arm to see a little girl by his side.

She had the same colored hair as Noah, her tresses reaching past her shoulders, her button nose, round face, big brown eyes, and rosy cheeks gave off her innocence. She was smaller than an average child, she stood just below Noah’s hip.

I step up to Xavier’s side, and Noah’s gaze flickers over to me, his eyes widening in shock and panic, he straightens up and clears his throat.

“Uh, h-hey Abigail,” he says, looking everywhere but at me.

I crack a barely visible smile. “Hi, Noah.”

Xavier turns to me, watching my face, “You know him?” he asks, eyes shifting from me to him.

I nod, “He’s my friend and also my partner for a project at school.” I tell him.

Noah still had the panicked look in his eyes as he looked at Xavier and then me, I then realized he didn’t know I knew about them.

“You don’t have to worry, I already know about you all,” I say out loud.

If possible his eyes widen more, and the tension from his shoulders slowly release as they sag. He blows a breath.

“Really?”

The corners of my mouth, lift, “Yeah, I wish I could talk longer but I have to head home because of an emergency.” I say, Xavier already walking towards the stairs.

I could see his eyes roaming over my face, finally taking in the tear streaks on my cheeks. Realization cross between his eyes and he nods, looking down at the little girl who stood silently by his side.

I then follow after Xavier, calling over my shoulder, “I’ll talk to you at school or whenever I come back here, hopefully.”

And with that, I bounded down the steps, letting grief wash over me.

Xavier’s car rolled to a stop by the curb, directly in front of my house. I glanced out the window, white clumps of snow covering the ground in inches, bits of the pathway frozen over. I sat in the warmth of the car, not wanting to be out in the cold just yet and not ready to step into the house and into another stressful situation.

I felt his warm hand closed over mine, those loving tingles prickling my skin and hazing my sense a bit.

“You going to be all right?” he asks, voice sounding closer.

I bob my head, tilting my head his way to see him leaning of the armrest between us, his brown eyes rake over my face. His free hand reaches up, and cups the side of my face, his face soft and tender.

“I’ll be fine.”

I say more to myself than him, leaning forward, I plant a kiss on his cheek while squeezing his hand before moving away. I hop out the car and into the blistering cold, grabbing my book bag from the floor. One last look at him, I shut the door and begin my walk.

Xavier didn’t drive off until I was at the foot of the door, on cue, the car cranked up at the same time the door swung open. Dad stood on the threshold, his features hard as he watched Xavier’s car zip down the street; once it disappeared, he flickered his gaze over my face and over my body.

“Get inside.”

Tsking, I brush past him and inside. “Hello to you too, Dad. It’s nice to see you as well.” I say sarcastically, walking down the narrow hallway.

The thump and click of the door shutting, sounds, along with the heavy footfalls of Dad as he follows behind me. Striding into the living room, I see Mom laying horizontally on the sofa, fast asleep with a blanket atop of her, tissues lying on the coffee table: small bags were beginning to form, and dry tear streaks littered her face.

I drop my book bag at the foot of the sofa, and slowly move towards her, keeping my steps quiet as I kneel down beside her head. I brush a strand of hair from her face, a slight snore escaping her. I glance down at her stomach, round and bulging through the blanket, I place my hand atop of it, careful not to wake her and feel around.

She’s getting a bit bigger by the day, and from the corner of my eye, I see Dad looking over the back of the sofa watching us with soft eyes, finally breaking his hard exterior. A small thump hits the palm of my hand, causing me to jump with a gasp and snap my full attention back towards Mom’s stomach.

My eyebrows raise when movement happens beneath the covers, lightly pushing my hand. The corner of my mouth lifts up into a small, a few moments later I rise to my feet, stepping away from the sofa and look over towards Dad.

“I want to know everything,” I say, seriously.

And the hardened exterior was back.

He nodded me over to the kitchen, I followed and took a seat infront the island bar stool. He walked around and stood in front of me, staring me down.

“First off, I want to clear the tension between us two,” he mutters, gesturing at me and him. “I know you’re still grasping the edges of all this and what’s happening but from my point of view it seemed right to protect you.”

I tilt my cheek into my palm, resting my elbow on the counter. “You know, hearing the same thing over and over again, gets old.”

His frown deepens. “You’re not listening! Your mother and I just wanted to keep you safe, you’re our daughter, it’s what we’re supposed to do.” his voice carrying a slight anger to it.

“I’ll start listening when the truth comes out,” I hiss, straightening out my back while glaring at him. “Cause’ all I’ve been hearing is bullshît about protecting me, but from what?”

“Watch your language!” he growls.

“No! You can’t get angry at me for speaking and acting the way I am right now, I should be the one grunting and glaring at every other person. But I’m not, I’m trying to understand all this since I found out werewolves exist! What’s next vampires?”

As if on cue, a flicker of an image crossed through my vision before it was gone, leaving me momentarily frozen. I could see Dad tense when the words slip past my lips.

Dad stood silent, brimming with anger and frustration, eyes darker than before. His nose flare as he exhales a harsh breath. he shoves both his hand through his thick dark hair. “God, you’re frustrating.”

“That makes two of us.”