Chapter 5 #3
“To be honest? It all happened so fast, I still don’t know. He told me you both were friends, and now I feel like shit for intruding.”
“Dude, you’re not intruding, and you don’t seem like the type to take advantage of people.” He smiled and patted me on the back. “So, why the hell did you take a kuu from Roscoe, of all people?”
“I don’t know. Maybe I’m stupid, but there’s something about him.
” I looked back at the now drooling werewolf, his tongue hanging out of his mouth as he snored louder.
“Maybe it’s because he’s so fucking repulsive, and for some reason, it turns me on.
I’m a neat freak, and my idea of fun is a quiet evening doing a crossword puzzle.
” I’d never actually admitted that to anyone before, but it felt good to get it off my chest. “I wasn’t always like this, but that’s a boring story.
Roscoe’s the complete opposite, so he kind of forces me to not be that way all the time. ”
“Aw man, I’m sorry. I was trying to put the moves on you, but I could tell you were really uncomfortable. Someone really fucked you up, huh?”
“Kind of, but I let him hurt me bad enough that I just stopped looking for a relationship. That’s on me, though. Roscoe was a surprise. A really gross and annoying surprise, and I’m still not sure what the hell I’m even doing. We literally met a few days ago.”
“Dude… that’s not long enough to be accepting a kuu. You don’t even know what kind of person he is.”
“Well, it’s not like it’s permanent. I just have to hold out until I’m a werewolf.”
“And that can take a few years.” He sighed and nodded. “But I get it. You seem like the type of person that’s not gonna take his shit, and who knows? That might be good for him.”
“What’s the history between you two?” I asked but regretted it when the scowl returned to his face. “You don’t have to answer that.”
“Sorry. Just thinking about it puts me in a bad mood. Maybe some other time. It was a long time ago, and he seems sober.”
“Roscoe? Sober? I don’t think I’ve ever seen him in that condition.”
“Naw. It was way worse when he was on pills. This is just booze.”
“Great. I’m stuck with an addict.”
“Good news is he’s definitely clean. I’ve seen him when he’s not. We might be strangers, but if he ever starts back up on that shit, you come here. Got it?”
Darryl really sounded genuine, which made me smile.
“You’re pretty grounded. You’ve got a stable job and a house. I didn’t think that was possible for a werewolf.”
“Cody, what you’ve seen in that city isn’t reality.
That kind of poverty is what happens when you drain the hope and ambition from an entire demographic while giving them just enough of a handout to be dependent and desperate.
” He stood up and stretched before reaching for my hand.
“It’s all by design. I’ll give you the best advice you’ll ever receive in your life.
Get the hell out of that place as soon as you can.
” He looked back at Roscoe, this time with more sympathy in his silvery eyes.
“It’ll suck away your soul until there’s nothing good left. ”
Darryl broke his well-worn facade of a simple beach wolf that night, revealing something almost regal. I couldn’t help but admire whatever that was.
The midnight moon’s reflection danced over the calmer ocean as I sat cross-legged in the warm sand.
Both werewolves had fallen asleep in Darryl’s bed, but the house had no air conditioning and sleep wasn’t going to come easy.
I was still thinking about the earlier conversation, and I wondered if I had made a huge mistake.
“Hey,” Roscoe whispered from behind. “What’re you doin’ out here, bud?”
“Can’t sleep.”
He sat next to me in the sand. “I think I realized something earlier.”
“What’s that?”
Roscoe smiled, his orange eyes reflecting the moon. “I’m not young no more. Hell, I’m not even close to the same person I was three years ago.”
“From what I’ve heard, that’s a good thing.”
He nodded but slumped forward a little as if embarrassed. That was an expression I hadn’t seen him make yet. “Back in the day, Darryl and I would’ve fucked through a dozen half-turns and humans all night long and wanted more. Wouldn’t have felt anything for anyone. It was just all good times.”
A larger wave crashed into shore before the ocean quieted again.
I kept my eyes on the water while trying to think of what to say. “It seems like everyone gets to enjoy being young, and I’m the one that got old before my time.”
“Most half-turns usually go through this phase when they’re younger. Yer kinda in a weird situation, but I guess that’s what makes you different—but in a good way.”
“What do you mean?”
Roscoe paused for a moment. “I dunno.” He let out a sigh before laying back in the sand, his hands folded behind his head. “Nothin’ feels like it used to. It ain’t a bad thing. I mean, this is the first time in years I’ve been sober. I guess you being a tight ass is rubbin’ off on me a little bit.”
“I think that’s just called being an adult.” I laid next to him, his arm supporting my head. “It’s nice out here.”
“Yeah, it is.”
“Darryl’s a great guy, and he seems like a good friend.”
“He was a great friend. I wasn’t, though.” He sighed and shuffled a bit next to me. “It seems like a lifetime ago, but it hasn’t been that long.”
I wondered if he’d overheard Darryl and me talking earlier and had just been pretending to be asleep. Maybe this wasn’t a mistake, and Roscoe was actually a decent guy.
He snored lightly, having dozed off while looking up at the moon.
“Thank you for not leaving me alone,” I whispered before closing my eyes, letting the waves lull me to sleep.