The Bad Wolf Read online

Karen picked up the keys then slung her heavy purse over a shoulder. She offered a placating smile then said, “I don’t think there are any in this part of Colorado.”

  “Be careful,” Chloe said then headed for her bedroom.

  She leaned her head against the windowsill and watched the Outback as it moved down the driveway. As the headlights flashed across the trees, an animal’s eyes flickered. Chloe blinked then stared into the afterglow created by Karen’s taillights. There was nothing there.

  Chapter Two

  Chloe pushed the box of greasy donuts to the center of the table. She hadn’t even touched her orange juice. Her stomach grumbled in protest, but she was too worried about the day ahead to be concerned by something as trivial as hunger.

  Her mind raced with everything she’d have to do. First, she would have to go to the office to pick up her schedule. Then locate an assigned locker and find the right classrooms. The lunchroom scared her more than anything else.

  Back home, she’d been popular and sat with cheerleaders and members of the football and track team. Since she didn’t know anyone in Hunde, she’d be at a huge disadvantage. The idea that she’d have to sit all by herself left a cold lump of dread in the pit of her stomach. To sit alone would be the declaration of social death. Either you were a complete loser by choice or were ostracized by the rest of the class body. She didn’t plan on being either.

  It might not be as bad as all of that. The other students might clamor around her since she was the new kid, the city girl. Maybe they’d even be excited to meet her.

  A knowing smile lit Karen’s soft features and her brown eyes twinkled. “Got the jitters?”

  Chloe nodded glumly. “What if no one likes me?”

  Karen glanced at her watch then stood to dump the last sip of coffee down the drain. “You should eat something.”

  “I’m too nervous.” Her stomach gurgled again. She tore a paper towel from the roll on the counter then wrapped a blueberry donut in it. “I guess I’ll eat it in the car.”

  The trip was mostly silent until the school came into view. A large, ferocious dog’s head was painted on the side of the brown brick building and stated the school was the “Home of the Hunde Hounds”. The front lot was full of activity as cars and buses dropped people off. The first period bell rang and kids scattered in all directions.

  “When did you enroll me?” she asked then slumped in the seat as a group of jocks walked past the car.

  Karen’s smile widened. “I stopped by last week when I came to sign papers for the house and clinic.”

  When Chloe sat up and took a breath, the donut she’d been nibbling lodged in her throat. She coughed and chewed shrapnel littered the dashboard. Soon as she could speak, she sputtered, “You don’t even know what classes I wanted!”

  Karen patted her a little too hard on the back. “They put you in the same ones you had in Fort Collins.”

  Chloe dropped the squished donut into the cup holder between them. Then she twisted in the seat to better view the u-shaped building and its detached gymnasium. Apart from a few stragglers, the sidewalk and parking area was clear of students now.

  “I’m going to be late on my first day. Great.”

  “I thought it would be less confusing with fewer bodies in the hall.” Karen’s smile was impatient.

  A jolt of breathless anticipation and fear shot through her. Sure, when you looked at it that way, it seemed like a fantastic idea. The only problem was, after she found her locker and received a schedule, she would have to walk into the room solo. All eyes would be on her. Another nervous quiver tumbled down her spine.

  Her knees quivered as she got out of the car then walked up to the building. Inside, the familiar scents that could only be described as the halls of education overwhelmed her. The aroma of lunch cooking wafted from the cafeteria, followed closely by lots of bodies and gym socks, musty books and whatever they used to disinfect the place. Add to that the lingering scent of cologne, perfume and teenage hormones and it became a melting pot of olfactory nightmares.

  A woman whose grey hair looked more like a helmet sat behind a cluttered desk in the office. Her broad, flat nose looked as though it was a smashed ball of clay. Her mouth reminded Chloe of a puckered apple. The nameplate perched on the edge of the desk read Mrs. Grimes in flaked, gold lettering.

  “You must be Chloe Williams.” The woman thrust out a clipboard loaded with paper and pen. “Have a seat and fill these out.”

  Chloe shuffled over to a row of hard plastic chairs then plopped down. Before she had a chance to fill out any of the paperwork, Mrs. Grimes asked, “Your family bought the house behind the clinic?”

  “Yes.” She winced as her voice cracked. As far as first impressions went, she wasn’t making a very good one. “My mom bought the clinic and the house was part of the package.”

  “She’s a veterinarian then?” Mrs. Grimes didn’t convey any approval when Chloe nodded. “Good. We’re in need of a new one.”

  “What happened to the old one?” She asked with just a hint of sarcasm. He probably ran screaming, back to civilization. It’s exactly what she’d do, given the chance.

  “Hard to say.” Mrs. Grimes pursed her lips then squinted at her. “We found him in the woods, but the animals had already gotten to him. Might’ve been a hunting accident.”

  “Oh,” was all Chloe managed.

  “Then again, the animals might’ve got to him before he died.” There was a mischievous twinkle in the old gal’s eyes. “Some say they can still hear his howls of agony late at night, so you’d better be careful if you go into the woods.”

  The look on the woman’s face gave her the willies. Maybe the old crone had watched too many episodes of Ghost Adventures. Chloe politely cleared her throat then approached the desk. “I’m done filling these out. Can I get my schedule?”

  The old woman’s wrinkly, liver-spotted hands shuffled amongst papers and rattled through pens in the desk drawer. After a moment, she withdrew a crumpled sheet of paper.

  “Here you are. At the request of your previous school, we’ve placed you in a couple advanced classes.” She handed Chloe the schedule. Just as she’d said two junior level classes, biology and math, were listed. A sigh of relief escaped her when she noticed art, her favorite class, was there too.

  Mrs. Grimes said, “Your locker number and the combination are written on top. I’m sure you’ll have no trouble finding it.”

  “Thanks.” Chloe grabbed her bag then opened the door.

  The old woman crossed her arms over her sagging breasts. “Don’t be tardy tomorrow, Miss Williams. We have a three strike policy.”

  “What happens after three?”

  “Detention,” Grimes said then sank heavily onto her chair. A hint of a smile softened her features for just a glimmer of a second. “I’ll overlook this morning since it’s your first day.”

  Chloe’s mouth felt dry and sticky. Nervous butterflies did loop-to-loops in her stomach. She yanked the door open and mentally prepared herself for what was to come.

  Fourth period was by far the worse class of the day. The biology room smelled of chemicals and she had to sit without a partner at the front of the room.

  She spent most of the hour studying Mr. Sanders graying comb-over. Each time he tilted his head, the gel-crisp hair would flap like a lid. Did he really think it hid the gleaming bald spot on top of his head? She imagined the hair kept his brain nestled safely inside. Each time it flapped, his knowledge was in danger of sloshing out.

  Mr. Sanders continued the lecture she hadn’t really paid attention to. “Since we’re studying basic anatomy and have already dissected a worm, we’ll move to the next level.”

  He withdrew a shoebox from beneath the desk. When he removed the lid, fear, excitement and the sudden urge to pee struck her so hard that she gasped. She gripped the sides of the worktable and stared in horror at the squirming frog Mr. Sanders raised for the class to see.

  The amphibian’s back l
egs kicked and it let loose a frightened chirp, followed by a stream of urine. The squeal of repulsion from a girl at the back of the class barely registered. Some of the boys answered with a whoop of enthusiasm.

  Emotions flew from the frog like radio waves. Chloe couldn’t draw a breath. It was as if a strong hand had clamped around her lungs to squeeze the air out. The frantic beat of her heart made her dizzy. She was blinded by the frog’s terror and tumbled from the seat. She hadn’t expected such a strong reaction.

  The classroom erupted in laughter. Mr. Sanders placed the frog back into the box then closed the lid. It immediately calmed which made Chloe feel a little more in control.

  “If you’re done with your dramatics, Miss Williams, we’ll proceed.”

  “Sorry!” Had she known the frog was there, she would have better prepared herself or focused on something else. It must have been asleep, she reasoned. Why else would she not have picked up on its brain waves? Perhaps it was such a simple creature that it took a strong emotion to even flicker on her radar. Cheeks burning with embarrassment, she climbed back onto the stool and kept her gaze downcast. Great way to impress the class, idiot!

  “Instead of my grandson’s pet, we’ll use prepared specimens.” He glanced at the clock. “We’ll begin tomorrow.”

  The bell rang and the other students shuffled into the hall.

  “Chloe,” Mr. Sanders moved down the row of tables and scattered stools. He removed his glasses and used the hem of his shirt to wipe them clean. “I won’t put up with any clowning around in this class. Now get to lunch.”

  Lunch consisted of soggy chicken nuggets, wilted salad, a scoop of lumpy mashed potatoes, squares of red gelatin and a carton of lukewarm milk.

  Chloe moved past tables in search of an empty seat or a friendly face. She hoped to find a decent table, as she’d be assigned to it for the remainder of the semester. No one offered to move their books or legs from available chairs. Some even shook their heads as she approached. Feeling downtrodden and alone, she continued her search.

  A small group who looked like the it crowd sat at a table near the center of the cafeteria. If these were the popular kids, that’s where she wanted to be. With renewed resolve, she headed toward them. She gripped the sides of the tray with shaking fingers and hoped no one noticed the deer in the headlights look on her face.

  The boy sitting at the table looked like an advert for American Eagle, with his stylish, frayed jeans and perfect brown hair. Two girls, both of which she recognized from biology, were there as well. The blonde's short, cropped hair was expertly styled. Her clothes were obviously from a trendy shop in the city. The other girl was a pretty redhead with pale skin and beautiful blue-green eyes. They were at least a year ahead of her, but she didn’t think it would matter. These were obviously her kind of people. Praying they’d already moved past the biology debacle, she tried to calm her jittery nerves as she approached.

  Countless faces turned to glare and snigger as she passed. Some were indifferent while others made snide remarks regarding frogs. So, the news had already gotten out. At this point she was beyond caring. If she could just sit down, introduce herself and start over, everything would be okay. She’d be popular by association and that was alright, at least until everyone got to know and like her.

  Smiling brightly as she could without looking like a crazed maniac, she placed her tray on the table. “Hi, I’m Chloe.”

  The redhead’s face froze in midsentence, clearly shocked. The blonde turned in the seat to face her. A look of confusion was quickly replaced by a scowl. “What are you doing?”

  “This seat’s not taken, right?”

  The redhead sneered. “Go away, frog girl.”

  The boy looked somewhat apologetic. “You can’t sit there.”

  “Why not?” She now realized his eyes were filled with mockery, not pity.

  He nodded his head to indicate someone behind her. “Because that’s his seat.”

  A cute blond guy in a light blue polo shirt stalked toward them. His face was warped in an irate glare.

  The blonde girl jerked Chloe’s tray off the table then shoved it into her hands. A glob of Jell-O shifted and left a moist red stain on the front of her new shirt.

  “Leave.” The newly arrived boy seized the tray, wrenched it from her trembling hands then sent it skidding across the cafeteria floor. The food scattered and the carton of milk exploded against the wall. Onlookers gasped in shocked delight.

  “Hey!” Chloe croaked.

  Students stood up to get a look at her now. First it was the stupid biology incident and now this. She would never fit in!

  The teacher on lunch duty pushed away from the wall. “Find a seat. Now!”

  Too shocked to come up with a smart remark, Chloe stumped toward the back of cafeteria. Fine, she’d just starve if that made everyone happy. She was close to tears by the time she spotted another table. It was practically shoved against the wall and only two people were seated there.

  “Loserville, here I come.”

  She jerked a chair out then sank onto it. The girl sitting halfway down turned to stare at the table she’d just left. “Are you crazy? You can’t sit with the pack.”

  “The pack?”

  She cringed when the girl turned to face her. This was just great. She had to sit at a table with one of those gloomy Goth people. The girl was dressed in varying shades of faded black from head to toe. Even her fingernails were painted a midnight hue.

  “Yeah, they’re part of…”

  The boy sitting at the end of the table gave the girl a sharp look of warning.

  “I meant to say they’re like a pack of rabid dogs” She scooted her unopened carton of milk toward Chloe.

  Satisfied, the boy went back to copying what looked like history notes onto a wrinkled sheet of paper.

  “Just steer clear of them.” The girl’s lips were the color of a bruised plum. Dark eyeliner smeared the upper and lower eyelids. Bright blue eyes stood out against the dark makeup and pale face. Her hair was recently dyed black, as Chloe could see the faint stain at her hairline and temples.

  “I’m Jenna Sparks. You’re in my math class.” The girl cocked her head in the boy’s direction. “That’s Ryan Neal.”

  A stunned look crossed his face when their eyes met. Without a word, he stood then picked up his empty tray. As he moved away, Chloe noticed that he drew a lot of attention. The female populace stared with crush-girl eyes while the boys seemed to look on with a certain amount of trepidation and envy.

  Ryan didn’t show any interest or concern regarding the fascination everyone seemed to hold for him. He walked with his head held high, a neutral expression on his face.

  He was dressed in normal clothes, a simple grey t-shirt and a pair of dark jeans. His hair was the shiniest black imaginable. The clear, blue summer sky was merely ordinary compared to his eyes. Ryan was slender, but not malnourished. She was sure his body was ripped, all muscle. He looked like the type of guy she’d be interested in, the kind she might like to date. That is, if her parents would let her. She couldn’t help wonder why he chose to sit at the Queen of Darkness’s table. Maybe she took very detailed notes, or they were secretly dating.

  When Ryan approached the pack’s table, Jenna twisted in her seat to get a better view.

  Chloe turned to stare too. Besides, he was really easy on the eyes. “Is he friends with them?”

  “Yeah, sort of,” Jenna murmured. “He and Travis are sometimes.”

  Chloe’s heartbeat had slowed to a somewhat normal rate. She picked up Jenna’s milk carton and held it in trembling hands. “Which one is Travis?”

  “The blond who threw your tray,” Jenna explained. “Amy is his sister and the redhead is Kelly.”

  “Who is the other guy?” Chloe asked, disappointed that he’d turned out to be a jerk too.

  “That’s Josh,” Jenna said with a frown.

  Ryan jerked out a chair from a neighboring table. A sophomore cried
out when his footrest was taken away and his feet smacked the floor. When Ryan glared at the kid, he hunched his shoulders and turned back to his meal without further protest.

  Ryan sat across from Travis. The boy’s back was stiff as though he wasn’t entirely comfortable in Ryan’s presence. All around them, she could hear the other kids murmuring about what jerks that bunch of kids were. They also hoped the two got into another fight.

  Suddenly the blonde jumped to his feet. His face was scarlet as one of his fists slammed against the table. Ryan didn’t even flinch.

  Kelly stood abruptly, flipped her long red hair over a shoulder then gathered her things. She grabbed Amy’s arm and tried to pull her along. When she refused to budge, Kelly abandoned the table and went outside. Josh looked from Travis to Ryan like he was unsure whose side to take. Mostly he just looked worried.

  Jenna’s fingers clutched at the back of the chair as if it was the only thing keeping her from running to Ryan’s side.

  Ryan’s fingers curled into fists, but he did not remove his hands from the tabletop. He said something more, but Chloe couldn’t hear over the excited voices that had risen throughout the lunchroom. Finally, Ryan stood. He headed for the exit at a slow, unworried pace. Travis watched him for a moment then turned to glare in her direction.

  A cold trill of worry gnawed its way down her spine as his gaze locked with hers.

  Chloe glanced at Jenna. “Jeez, what’s with them?”

  “Like I said, they’re friends sometimes.” Jenna said as she gathered her tray then waited for Chloe.

  “I’m guessing they aren’t today?”

  “Just keep your distance and you’ll be fine.”

  A bell shrilled above head. Trays clattered and chair legs banged as students streamed out of the lunchroom. Chloe sighed in resignation then stood. Lunch, or in her case the lack thereof, was over.

  Chapter Three

  Ryan stretched his legs beneath the worktable then sighed. The smell of chemicals and dead things filled the room. He hoped the scent wouldn’t linger in his hair and on clothes all day.