Page 12 of Wolf's Chance

“We’re not arguing about cats again,” I warned her.

“We’re not arguing. It’s called a friendly debate.”

I rolled my eyes. “We are notdebatingabout cats again. I like dogs.”

“Dogs lick their own balls.”

I fought to control my laughter. “So do cats.”

“Cats do it with class. Dogs are just sloppy.” She shuddered. “I mean, have some pride in your work, you know?”

“This is ridiculous.”

“You’reridiculous.”

We stared at each other before we both started giggling. “So…” She set her cup down. “Why do you look like shit?”

“Slept funny.”

“Flare-up?” Her face was serious as she gave me a quick once-over.

“No, just a bad night’s sleep.”

“You’ve been doing too much,” Lily scolded, the mother hen in her taking over. “I told you that early morning classes were a bad idea.”

“I’m fine, and early morning classeswouldbe a bad idea for me, but it’s ten in the morning. Themorningis almost over,” I reminded her.

Lily wasn’t to be deterred. “You’re not getting away with being sassy,” she scolded. I watched her carry one of the high-backed chairs across the small store.

“What are you doing?” Instead of answering, Lily took hold of my wrist and pulled me towards the chair, her intentions clear. “Lily! I don’t need to sit.”

“Yes, you do, you look exhausted.”

“I’m just tired,” I protested as she pointed at me and then the chair. “Don’t point at it like I’m a pet! I don’t need tosit!”

I watched as she drew herself up to her full height, a lofty five three, but the woman’s personality made her so much more of a presence than you bargained for. “Do you want to be sick for the rest of the week?”

It was no use. I knew I’d buckle under her uncompromising glare, so I took the easy way out and sat down, ignoring her pleased murmur of approval. Silently I took the coffee she handed me, and my half-eaten doughnut.

Lily patted me on the head as I sullenly looked out the window. “Such a good girl,” she teased. “Now, see, if you were a cat, you’d have left by now.”

Snapping at her hand as she pulled it away, I growled. “If I were a dog, I would have bitten you.”

Lily ignored me while she checked the itinerary for today. “How are you really feeling?”

“I’m fine. I’m not overly tired. I had a bad night’s sleep, that’s all.” I’d had a bad night’s sleep because I was waiting for the stranger to attack me in my bed. I had no recollection of falling asleep, but I knew that I had caught some sleep, but not as much as someone like me needed.

Lily watched me with concern once more. “You can’t afford a bad night’s sleep. Do you want to go home?”

“And do what? Lie on my couch and nap?”

“Sounds like bliss,” she sighed theatrically.

“It sounds boring. Andweak.” Standing up, I picked the chair up to put it back in its proper place, avoiding her narrow glare.

“Willow, you know better than I do how to treat your illness, so when I tell you that I think you should rest, then it must be becauseI think you should rest.”

“Are you sick?”

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