Page 10 of Wolf

Maybe this is all a ruse, but I need to know. With Miriam’s secrets and my own self-imposed anarchy, my world is already tipped on its axis.

I told Rachel that I had to do research in the library. Tonight is scripture night for our parents and they’re often home late. This buys me a few hours at least.

“Let’s go,” she says without a greeting, and I roll my eyes behind her back. Still, I follow.

At her car, a beat-up relic, I hesitate. Is it foolish to go somewhere alone with her?

“Don’t be a pussy,” she sneers, and I grit my teeth, before pulling open the door.

Once we’re on the road, I ask, “Where are we going?”

“You’ll see,” she says before turning up the music.

“Whatever,” I mutter, not that she can hear me over the sound.

She crosses through the downtown area, past the old train tracks that demarcate theotherside. I shift in my seat when we round the water tower, and before me is an area I’ve never been to.

The houses slowly become more rundown until there’s not much left to see. On our left is a trailer park and I glance around curiously when she pulls in.

Clouds of dirt rise with each spin of her tires, and my cheeks flame when I spy an old guy sitting in a lawn chair in his front yard in nothing but a pair of boxers.

Averting my gaze, I meet the stare of an older woman standing in front of a broken-down trailer that saw better days about twenty years ago.

When Darcy parks before a sad rendition of the same and exits, I slowly follow, asking, “What’s going on?”

“Relax, you’ll see.”

Once inside, she grabs a beer from a tiny refrigerator and turns to me. “Want one?”

I hesitate but when she smirks, I summon a smile and hold out my hand. “Yes.”

Raising a brow, she hands me the beer and collapses next to where I’m sitting rigidly on the couch.

The inside is tiny but clean with a small kitchen facing the sofa. From here, I see two closed doors down the hall.

Beside me, Darcy takes a loud slurp of her beer. I stare at her wide-eyed before following suit.

Despite my unease, it feels strangely liberating to do something that I know my parents would not approve. My palms may be slick with sweat at the knowledge of what this could bring—a whipping at the least—but there’s a part of me that wants to see where this goes.

Miriam’s defiance opened a door and now I’m standing on the threshold wondering what might happen if I step through. Besides, pride may goeth before the fall, but I refuse to see Darcy’s mocking smile again.

Taking a long sip of mine, I ignore her chuckle as I grimace at the bitter bite while the foam fizzles on my tongue.

“So?” I ask, with another sip before hiding my burp behind my hand. Beer isn’t all that great, at least not from where I’m sitting.

She rolls her eyes but pulls back the curtain, revealing a surprisingly new and clean trailer beside hers. The lights are on, but the curtains are closed, barring the sight of anything salacious going on inside.

“In an hour, just wait.”

Nodding, I drink my beer while she’s in the bathroom, fluffing her hair and changing into an outfit that wouldn’t clothe a toddler in. She looks good, just bare.

After the designated hour and another fifteen minutes, I stumble to my feet and move to walk down the hall, my fuzzy brain not computing as a car pulls into the slot next door.

The bright lights catch my eye, and I lean over, pushing the curtains aside. My mouth drops open, and I watch as my daddy emerges from his sensible sedan, wearing his church suit as he marches to the door.

I can’t believe my eyes and I shake my head when he slips inside the trailer, closing the door behind him.

“See? Told you?” Darcy says.

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