For Lycans, Press One

Chapter 5: The Best Friend

“So let me get this straight. Donovan, the guy from high school who you almost dated, but never did, is now the boss of your entire bank." Hannah says, popping a nacho heaping with guac into her mouth with a manicured hand.

“And your co-worker says Donovan looks interested in you even though he ghosted you after high school. And you're freaked because he's like doing big league career stuff, and you've never left your home town and work at his call center."

Hannah sums it up pretty well.

“I just never thought we'd cross paths again. Like I'm so angry because at one point we'd sneak out of our houses just to hang out at the school playground at night all the time, and he just cut me out of his life. Now he's back and he's so different and he just expects me to be chill with him being back." I say, feeling way too stuffed.

I take a swig of my corona. We decided it may be a good idea to forgo the tequila for a more responsible beer.

“It was a d*ck move to be sure. It's his choice but it has consequences. He can't act like nothing happened, and expect you to moon over him. Wait, does he know you're a Lycan?" Hannah asked, finishing off the nachos with a flourish, her brown eyes drilling into me.

“No....back then I didn't tell anyone. You're practically the only person I know except a few other Lycans I matched with on Howlr." I confess, showing the Shifter dating app on my phone.

“Okay, so what do you want from him?" Hannah asks, fiddling with the ends of her braided hair.

Hannah says her hair has an unmanageable texture due to her mother having coily black hair, and her father has 'duck-down' soft blonde hair.

However, I think her voluminous dark hair is sexy and mysterious, and I've always wanted my hair to do anything besides hang limply around my face.

“I don't know. He's handsome, obviously has money, but you know I don't date people for those things. I feel like he's a totally different person. Plus he's an alpha, so I'm sure his pack has him paired up with a female alpha from another big Jupiter clan. Oh, also he's my boss, that's totally an HR violation." I pull a face as I finish my corona.

“Everyone f*cks each other in big companies like that, don't let that stop you....what? It's so true. Also, rumor has it that he's back because he's avoiding his arranged mate-match with female alpha Rivkah Rhea. She's a big-time shiftok influncer, singer and performer, and I've read she's as cold as the icy moon her family's pack represents." Hannah takes out her phone and shows me a BuzzMoon article about her.

“...Do you just only get your news from BuzzMoon?" I ask, eyebrows furrowing realizing that Donovan is almost like a celebrity, there are a lot of articles talking about him and his brother.

My eyes bug out when I see an article about Cam, Donovan's brother, being released early from his prison sentence due to 'overcrowding'.

Cam was in prison?!

“I also get news from Reddit. But seriously, just give 'the Donovan thing' some time. Who knows, maybe he's changed less than you think, or kept the parts you like. Or maybe he's a huge douchebag now, and it will finally give you a reason to leave that terrible job and go back to school like you've always wanted." Hannah says, stretching.

I bite my lip uncomfortably.

When I met Hannah at Centerburg Community College, I told her how I wanted to start getting into botany classes, do something with plants or conservation. Hannah, unfortunately, never forgot that. She won't let me forget my stupid dream of working in a botanical garden.

“Even if I quit CBC, I'd just have to get another similar job. I can't afford to go to school." I groan, reaching for a new corona and pop off the bottle cap.

“Okay, so are we going to unpack the whole 'I think my neighbor may be a Lycan Hunter because I stalked her credit card purchases'? Because I think that you're just talking about Donovan because this mysterious siren girl is what's actually bothering you." Hannah leans back against the sofa, showing her 'Sparkleaf Station' t-shirt in its full glory.

I literally smash my forehead against the coffee table.

“It's so stupid. Who starts to like someone over the phone?! That's so creepy!" I mumble into the glass table top.

“It's not stupid; it's literally what phone-s*x operators are. Though this is the first time you said you liked her." Hannah says, voice ringing in victory.

“Oh my god. I don't like her! Didn't you hear any of it? She's for sure a Lycan Hunter, or at least a member of LyCan't! Who buys wolfsbane tea, MMA stuff, goes to Lycan Rights protest, and happen to visit the mall when then Lycan Alert happened? I even found some security package addresed to her in our lobby." I shoot up from the table, retying my hair into a bun.

I need to remind myself to ask Hannah for a hair trim after I correct her very wrong assumption.

“Uh girl, you're blushing. And like....what if she's a Lycan too?" Hannah asks, looking at me as if I have a 'loser' sign stamped on my forehead.

“She can't be a Lycan." I fire back.

Some Lycans and even Shifters buy wolfsbane tea to help with keep calm during a shift, or for insomnia, but...all the other stuff?

“...Why not? You can't sense another Lycan or a Shifter over the phone, and it's illegal to CBC to have someone's species on record, just like it's illegal for them to put a big 'Biracial Angel' next to mine." Hannah taps her finger against her temple like she usually does when she's making a point.

My heart skips a beat.

Maybe Roxy is a Lycan, and I have it all twisted....

“Mack, I love you like my sister, and I mean that because I'd take a bullet for you, and I wouldn't do that for my half-sister. And I get why it's safer to assume that everyone wants what you don't want to give, or to know your deepest secrets. But sometimes I think all those mystery books get inside your head. Not everyone is a serial killer," Hannah surprises me because she's usually very protective of me.

Once she even followed me on a date to sit at a nearby table to make sure my Howlr match wasn't a catfish.

“Han you can't be serious." I whine.

“But, in this case, you need more information. Maybe she is a LyCan't, maybe she isn't. Either way keep your friends close and your enemy neighbors closer." Hannah's voice takes on a serious edge.

“I can't afford to move out. This is the only apartment that I can afford on my own, and I can't have roommates and hide being a Lycan. It's too risky." I insist.

“No. I mean, meet her. If you meet her, then it should be pretty obvious if she's a Lycan, a Shifter, or just a regular ol' human like me. Then you have your answer." Hannah's lips curl into a devious grin, and she gets up to go to the freezer.

Oh. The tequila.

“I can't meet her! She knows...." I trail off.

Hannah gives her 'the face'.

“That's right! I know who she is...but she doesn't know who I am! I know about her, but she doesn't even know my real name, I go by 'Leigh' on the phone. If I bump into her, I'm just a neighbor she's never met. You're a genius." I stand up, room spinning a little.

“Yeaaah, that's what I told everyone at Centerburg Community College, but apparently I have to know calculus to be considered a genius by their standards. Whatever, giving people a glow-up is my calling. Well that and Sparkleaf. Did I tell you that a new guy just joined our guild and he is an amazing DPS." Hannah takes a pull from the bottle of cold tequila and I have no idea how she does that without wincing.

I deadpan at her.

“My bad, I promise won't talk Sparkie stuff anymore. But yeah, meet Roxy, do you know when she gets off work, or like even what she does?" Hannah asks.

“No, but she said she was at the mall this morning. So either she has Tuesdays off like you, or maybe she works nights? I also don't have any idea what she looks like, so I can't just lurk around my complex and creep on women asking them if they're called 'Roxy'." I respond, walking Hannah through my deductions.

“Her name is Roxanne Santos and you know she's just a littler older than you. There can't be that many mid-twenties, presumably latina women in....well, ok maybe you got a point." Hannah looked as if doing statistical analysis in her head.

“I know her apartment number, but she lives on a totally different floor."

Hannah's eyes got bright.

“Okay, so hear me out. Remember that one time I really liked that nerdy TA that taught coding at our school, but I couldn't take his class? I just took a piece of mail out of his inner-office mailbox, said I found it in the hall and gave it to him as an excuse to hook up with him."

Hannah's tastes in men baffles me. One day she's dating some metal music muscle head, the next she's dating a guy who weighs less than I do and only listens to EDM.

“I can't believe you want me to take a piece of her mail and just knock on her door like something out of a really terrible rom-com. What do I even say? 'Oh hello, I just happened to be a really good neighbor and walked up two flights to give you a piece of important junk mail. I swear I'm not a stalker!''" I role play a bit.

“You already found a package of hers. All you need to do is smell if she's a Lycan or a Shifter, right? You don't have to go into her apartment, or even have a conversation." Hannah says and something inside me twists.

Why did this feel so...dirty?

“You're right. I need to just...put on my big-girl thong and make sure my upstairs neighbor isn't going to forcibily out me or worse." I fight the sour taste of uneasiness creep into the floor of my mouth.

I feel like I need gum or to brush my teeth.

“Hey, haven't you always wanted to be a super spy or detective without actually being a part of a police department? Now's your chance. She's a mysterious, dark voiced siren who may be luring you to your death, or maybe just who you need." Hannah scrolled her phone and I narrow my eyes in suspicion.

“You've been reading too many serialized novels, or fan fictions." I point at her.

“Okay, guilty, but I'm still right and you know it." Hannah takes another swig of tequila and waggles the bottle at me.

"Han...."I warn again.

"Don't worry, my mom will insist on driving you home anyway. She owes you after you waived those late-fees for her." Hannah says. While I don't agree that her mother 'owes' me, I really, really need to just numb myself out right now.

Hannah wins, and I grab the bottle, but then I go for a cup.

"I'm not drinking it from the bottle like a frat bro." I say.

"Aww, but this makes me feel like a pirate." Hannah responds.

"...they drank rum, Han." I quip back

Then we find Pirates of the Caribbean and I'm able to push all my worries away for later. If only I could find someone who makes me feel as comfortable as Hannah does.