Chapter 3 Three

IVY

"Ugh, Talia. This song is ass," I groaned.

We were making our way to the bus pick-up point, the last rays of moonlight beginning to vanish. Talia was jamming to something loud and overly motivational, the kind of song that made you feel like you could win in life by getting a gym membership.

She scoffed. "I will not tolerate any slander against Imagine Dragons. They're amazing."

"Maybe," I said. "Just not at 5:30 in the morning, when I'm still deciding whether I want to be alive."

She laughed and rolled her eyes at me, but she at least changed the song. I was fairly certain the drowsy streets of New York appreciated my sacrifice.

A softer melody flowed out of the speaker. "Happy, now?" she asked, smug.

"Absolutely."

I gave her a wide, cheeky smile.

Talia glanced at me and did a double take. She squinted. "Did you...do something to them? Have they always looked like that?"

"Like what?"

"Pointy," she remarked. "Did you get them done or something?"

I resisted the urge to put my hand to my teeth to check out what she was saying. Laughing a little too loudly, I rolled my eyes.

"Pfft. No." I said. "You're seeing things. Spent too much time thinking about Townsend, by chance?"

It was a poor attempt at deflection, and I knew Talia only let it slide because she was being nice.

"Ewww," she slapped my wrist on the armrest. "That boy is disgusting."

I chuckled nervously and turned toward the window. I felt the weight of her stare until we pulled into the parking lot.

The place was already crowded when we arrived. Half-awake students clustered together in cliques and rolled their suitcases across the asphalt, everyone's voices creating an offbeat harmony in the stillness of the early morning..

Talia had parked and was getting our stuff out of the car. Well, mostly her stuff-she might as well have packed for the entire school.

I glanced toward the bus doors, registering a face I vaguely recognized before my attention drifted to Talia.

"Hey, get this for me." She handed me a purple suitcase whose weight almost pulled me to the ground.

"My God, what's in this thing?"

She pouted her lips. "It's for my LA aesthetic."

I didn't even bother inquiring what that meant.

She turned toward the bus and pointed. "I'll get us two seats. "Just wait over here with the luggage until the workmen come to take it in."

She ran ahead before I even had a chance to respond.

Better her than me. I doubt I would have been able to push and jostle for space in there.

I waited a while for the workmen to look in my direction and then waved them over to move our stuff. The sun was beginning to rise, so I fired a few texts to my parents letting them know that I was about to leave for the trip. They wouldn't see it till they returned from the ceremony and that was a few hours more at best.

Looking toward the bus, I saw that our stuff had already been placed inside, so I made my way toward it. Everyone was already inside waiting, so I expected some groaning from them for wasting their time-the last person to board always got a small ceremony: a glance, a sigh, maybe a few teasing whispers.. But as I walked down the aisle no one even noticed. They were either chatting with their friends, talking about all they would do on this trip- which I wished I hadn't overheard- or on their phones deciding which songs to play during the ride.

Unseen. Even here, among other humans who didn't themselves stand out.

I continued moving, trying to spot where Talia was, the buzz of conversation gusting past me like a breeze, laughter, jokes and elbows all moving around my body.

Spotting her wave from the back, I stepped into the row in front of her. Townsend, reeking of overconfidence and early morning vodka, strutted over to the empty seat next to Talia.

"Hello, darling," he patted the chair. "Is this seat taken?"

I've known Talia since we sat next to each other in our first class in college, and we've been inseparable ever since. But I've never understood how commanding her presence is; she is a force herself.

One look from her had Townsend backing away.

"Just trying my luck again, darling," he smirked, his hands raised in feigned innocence as he walked backward.

I plopped down on the seat just as Talia suppressed a shudder. "Why does he bother me so much?"

She took a mini perfume out of her purse and sprayed it around her , as if his presence polluted her aura.

"Well," I joked trying to make her feel better. "Maybe, he only annoys pretty girls."

She smiled sheepishly for a second, then seemed to remember that I, too, was a girl.

"Oh shit," she covered her mouth. "No, no. He would have bothered you too."

I let out a loud cackle.

"Mhmm," I mumbled and she blushed, turning to the window to watch the sunrise.

The journey started, and it was a blur of buildings and streetlights that were gradually switching off. The stars faded into the background of the blue sky as the sun came up. Some girls were trying to film the sunrise and others were fast asleep on their boyfriends' laps. I knew my parents would arrive home soon; they always stayed up the entire night during ceremonies and needed to sleep as soon as the sun rose so that could wake up and get on with their day. Mum would probably call me soon and ask for the outfit I wore-the woman would wear gold earrings to the store-she'd lose it if she knew I was wearing my dad's old shirt.

Not that she'd ever find out, though.

I stared out the window, letting the rhythm of the road take over. Somewhere past the state line, I realized we'd left New York long ago and were approaching LA. There was a restlessness in the air, in the shadow of the buildings, in the way the city stretched along the coast. Los Angeles wasn't New York. It wasn't the careful, measured chaos I was used to. New York had a pulse I could grasp- fast, unyielding, but predictable.

My parents had brought me once, years ago, when he went for a pack gathering. I was really young, too young to be trusted with anyone back home, so they always brought me along on their trips. Even then, the city felt alive, not in the way of busy people, or with the buzz of entertainment and opportunities that LA was known for. It pulsed differently, like a coiled spring ready to snap. I told myself that was just Los Angeles.

Cities each had their own personalities, didn't they?

"Hey, Collins. Pass me the aux," one guy shouted from the middle seat.

"Ooh, Ivy" Talia looked to me in earnest. "Do you think I should ask for it, too?"

I gave her a dry look. "I don't think anyone's in the mood to listen 'Radioactive' five times, Talia."

She narrowed her eyes in challenge. "Townsend," she beckoned sweetly.

He turned to face her eagerly.

"Could you please get me the aux?"

And then, quicker than a drunk person should have had a right to move, just as Collins was about to pass the aux to the kid who had asked, he snatched it and offered it to Talia..

Her smile dimmed as Townsend blew her a kiss and I could see that she was trying her best not to squirm.

"You're ridiculous." I said as Imagine dragons began to play on the speakers.

Putting on my headphones, I tried to focus on the road.

I was about to get some snacks from my bag when everyone noticed that the bus had stopped moving.

"What's going on?" Talia raised her brows.

I took off my headphones and looked out the window.

"What the fuck are those? Coyotes?" Townsend shouted.

Our bus had stopped on a dusty path beside a green field, and surrounding us, cutting off every way forward, was a pack of wolves.