Chapter Nine...Scene One & Two

Eric opened his eyes slowly, squinting from the sunlight coming into his room. He groaned as he slowly sat up. He was aching all over and his nose hurt. He looked over at his computer. The images were changing every six seconds and when an image of Ramona came up, the events of last night started flooding back to Eric.

Ramona racing through the woods, that big wolf-like creature following her, Raven knocking him out with an elbow. It all came rushing back to him. But was it all really true? I mean he had just woken up with another hangover and he remembered drinking again last night. Couldn’t he have dreamt it all? But then how would you explain the pain in his nose?

Eric decided he needed to see the two R’s in his life as soon as possible. He needed to clear up some things and finally get to the bottom of what was happening in this town.

There was a knock on the door and his mom called out. “Eric? Honey are you awake?”

Ah, the ever present Athena Xavier. After what had happened to him last night, it was a wonder he hadn’t woken up to find her beside his bed. She was so fiercely protective of Tristan and him. At times, Eric felt like she was protecting them from themselves, as if they would discover something deep inside them that could potentially spell disaster.

His mom poked her head in after asking if he was decent to which he had sarcastically replied no.

“So, how are you feeling?” she asked coming to sit beside him.

“I feel dead but alive, almost like a vampire.” He laughed at his own joke, only to see a look of apprehension on her face. “It’s a joke mom. Jeez, what’s gotten into your sense of humour lately?”

She tried to relax her face into a smile. “I knew that silly. I was just…..you know.” She quickly changed the subject. “So I see you made some new friends at that party last night. I really like that Eddie character. He looks a handful but he’s nice.”

Eric had only been half listening but his ears pricked up at the mention of the name. “Who?”

“Eddie. The guy you came home with? He lives just down the street.”

Eric fixed her with a puzzled look. “What are you talking about?”

“See I told you getting sauced up is bad for your memory. Now you can’t even remember who you came home with.”

Eric was confused. Why would his mom say he came home with some guy called Eddie? Had Raven somehow convinced someone else to bring him home after what had happened?

He asked, “Did this Eddie say anything to you?”

Athena calculated her answer. She had to be tactful if he was going to believe her. “Is this one of those jokes I don’t get? You really don’t remember?”

Eric shrugged. “I guess I must have been pretty out of it.”

“Well Eddie didn’t say much to me. Only that you’d been together at the party and you’d drunk a little more beers than was your limit and he’d had to help you home. You’re absolutely sure you don’t remember?”

I do remember, just not that. Eric’s mind was in turmoil. It was impossible that he could have dreamt all that. But here was his mom, telling him he’d come home with someone entirely unknown to him. Eddie was in his class but he’d only exchanged like one whole sentence with him. The rest were just nods and a quick “wha’sup”. Nothing to suggest what he’d just heard.

If Eric was being totally honest, he wouldn’t put it past his mom to make this whole story up just to protect him but that was even more impossible because she’d been right here at home. So what was the truth then—dream or reality? The only people who could answer that were Raven and Ramona and the sooner he talked to them, the better.

“You know now that you mention it, I think it’s all coming back to me now,” he lied. “Yeah, I definitely remember.” He chuckled. “Yeah we had a pretty wild time at that party.”

Athena was not fooled. She knew Eric like she knew The Notebook; every reaction, every movement, every word. He did not believe her for one moment. She was going to have to move her plans forward.

“Well I’m glad you remember,” she said. “You gave me a little scare for a minute there.”

They heard a muffled sound from the bathroom and the shower running.

Eric looked at the alarm clock beside his bed. “Is that Tristan? If he’s going to school, you better tell him to go back in time.”

Athena laughed but it was nervous laugh. “Actually I’m the one who asked him not to go to school”

“Why would you do that?”

Athena let out a deep sigh. “Eric, you and your brother won’t be going to school for a while, at least not this school.” Eric knew what was coming. “I’ve----” She was disturbed by the shrill ringing of the doorbell. “I’ll be right back.”

She went downstairs, leaving Eric with a suspicious look on his face. Athena’s mind was busy polishing up the story she’d constructed the previous night and she was not ready for the person standing on her doorstep. It was Alistair Savage.

“What are you doing here?” Athena asked savagely. Her eyes had already turned yellow and she was starting to tremble slightly.

Alistair held up a hand. Dressed in as dark grey suit and matching shirt, he was calmness personified as he said, “Ms. Xavier, I’m not here to fight. I just wanna talk to you.”

“Well I don’t,” she replied and was about to slam the door on him.

“Wait! I know that after what you did to my daughter you have every reason not to trust me but I’m begging you just hear me out.”

“What are you talking about?”

Alistair looked surprised. “You—you didn’t know?”

Athena was completely at a loss. “Know what?’

“Ms. Xavier you bit my daughter last night.”

No she hadn’t! She had tried to bite her but Raven had managed to fend her off. Athena had actually been relieved that she had. She had been furious because of Eric and her foolish mistake might have cost this town and now it probably would given what Alistair had just told her.

“I bit her?” she asked, disbelief in her voice.

“I’m afraid so.” He looked uncomfortably up and down the street. “Look may we talk about this inside? You can change into something more comfortable if that makes you feel better.”

He was referring to her werewolf form but Athena knew she could not risk it.

“There won’t be any need for that—will there?”

Alistair shook his head. “I’ve never believed in vengeance. Besides, you look like you can handle yourself pretty well.”

Athena still hesitated, calculating the pros and cons. Finally she opened the door wide for him. “Come on in”