Page 50 of Emerald Moon
Cass puffed out a laugh.“No thoughts.”
“Really?I have too many thoughts, mostly that biscuits are superior in every way and I can prove it.”
“You can, can you?”
“Like I said, I have too many thoughts on the topic.Do you like cornbread with bits of corn in it or no bits of corn?”
“These are very specific questions.And so many are food related.”
“I’m asking as things pop into my mind!Also I’m a little hungry and had too much coffee while I was packing.”Jo reached for the bag of hot chips they brought for the journey.“We have to know each other,” they stressed the last few words.They really did have to know one another to pass off this whole girlfriend thing.
“I like cornbread in any form.”
“Good answer.Carrot cake.Raisins or no raisins?”
“No raisins.”
“Oh, first swing and a miss.”Jo laughed.“You’re wrong on that one.”
“Am I now?”
“Yep, super wrong.The raisins add so much!”
“So much weird texture.”
“So much flavor.”
“Cooked raisins are weird.It’s like they’re trying to be grapes again, but they just come out mushy.”
“Okay, I could maybe see where you’re coming from, but you’re still wrong.Moving on.What’s your favorite thing to drink?”
Jo learned that Cass preferred tea over coffee, liked spring the most, and a bunch of other things that kept them talking as the familiar scenery passed by.It was a route Jo had taken a few times since moving to Hickorywood, but even though there was a dress they didn’t want to wear in the backseat and their judgmental extended family was waiting at the destination, their stomach wasn’t tying itself into knots with every passing mile like it usually did.
sixteen
Thatgoodfeelingendedas soon as they pulled up in front of the resort hotel where they’d attend the wedding, go to the reception, and sleep.Two enormous, ornate lion statues stood out front like an omen of what was inside.
“My entire family is in that building,” Jo said, voice thick with gloom.“They’re waiting to pick at me, descend upon me with their opinions like a —”
“Pack of wolves?”Cass offered.
Jo gave her a sideways glance.“Not wolves.Those are always a good thing now.”
“Like a bunch of piranhas.”
“Yes!That’s more like it.Sharp teeth.Mean little faces.I mean, that’s mostly just my mom.I can’t really tell you what to expect with the rest of my family.With the rest of them I —” Jo paused, thinking back to their life before moving to Hickorywood and becoming part of the Pitch Mountain Pack.
“I’ve never been myself around any of them.They have no idea who I am.I hid all of myself, even the things I liked watching and doing, so I wouldn't stick out at all.So they all seem okay with me, but it’s a fake me and today we’re, I guess, breaking out more of the real me and it’s scary.I know the comments I’ve heard at gatherings in the past, so I can guess what some of them think about stuff, and it’s not always good, but I just don’t know what to expect.All I know is I’m glad you’re here with me this weekend.It’ll be easier to be myself now.”
Jo winced as they stopped speaking, sure they’d spilled too much of themselves in front of Cass.When she didn’t say anything, they glanced over to see her worrying her lip between her teeth.She was definitely thinking about something — probably how nuts she was to join Jo for this whole weekend.
“It’s not the same,” Cass said finally, “since I don’t really understand exactly what it’s been like being in your family, but when I told everyone I was going to become a werewolf, I didn’t know what to expect.It split about halfway down the middle.After the initial surprise, some were accepting, others were downright angry that I’d want to do such a thing.I couldn’t have predicted some of the responses I got.My dad, who had always been so open and understanding with everything in my life — which I’m thankful for — couldn’t accept it.”
“What happened?”
“Time.And talking.My family tends to sweep all the things we don’t want to talk about under the rug until it’s this huge mass in the center of the room that we’re all pretending isn’t there.So, I gave him time, but I pushed him to talk about it and he came around — quicker than I thought he would, actually.Like I said, it’s not the same, but maybe some of those people in there will surprise you.”
Jo looked back at the lion statues out front.“I hope so.If nothing else, we got my sister, June.She’s cool.We haven’t talked as much lately, but she’s got a good, non-judgemental head on her shoulders.”
