chapter 2

Amaris POV:

"You have to take me home" Aspen complained

"No! I have to stay and do the group project with Mimi we were supposed to do it with chad but of course, he won't help so now we have to pick all the work and this counts to like 40% of my grade so right now I don't exactly have the time to drive your lazy ass home"

"I AM YOUR ALP- ... YOUR... your little brother and dad will be mad if I had to walk home!"

"Your a spoilt brat who is too much of a daddy's boy to walk 2 miles I had to do it for my whole freshman year cause dad said he had to pick you up so" I stood up flicking Aspen on the head "I think you will make it while I make sure I don't fail biology now GO!"

Aspen ran out of the room so fast I could have sworn he was on fire leaving me and Mimi in fits of laughter

"I'm not going to deny that that was hilarious watching him try and miserably fail to stand up to you but did you really have to be so hard on him he looked as if he was going to mess himself" Mimi reprehend me "and you know he's going to tell your dad"

"Yea, I did. Aspen always gets his own way, dad adores him and mom baby's him. And anyway by the time I get home him and dad will have gone on their monthly camping trip I'm just sick of it Mimi you know one time when I was 13 I asked dad if I could join you know what he sai-"

"That it was entirely in ladylike and you may not, followed by that he hoped you had learnt how to be proper by the time he returned," Mimi said in a bored tone "I know you only tell that story every month before they leave"

"Hey, you ever wonder why you dad and brother go camping every single full moon?" Mimi asked

"Urm... not really why?"

"Don't you think it's odd I mean what if their like I don't know werewolves or something?" she said shrugging her shoulders

"Oh yea that's obviously the most plausible answer my father and brother go camping each month to turn into half-wolf half-human beasts" I raised an eyebrow "I mean can't you tell by how scrawny Aspen is I mean yeah he's filled out since hitting puberty but I doubt he's turning into and strong beast once a month"

"Haven't you heard of Occam's razor?"

"I'm not sure anyone under the age of thirty who isn't you have heard of it" I countered

"The simplest answer is usually correct"

"And right now the simplest answer is that the supernatural exists and my dad and brother are werewolves, seriously? Girl your smarter than this. Werewolves are just characters in those soppy romances you love so much"

Rolling her eyes she turned back to our project "I know it was mainly for emphasis but if we don't get this done you might legitimately fail biology" Mimi cautioned obviously ignoring my previous statement

- - - -

"We're done?" I mumbled honestly too scared that the project would just spontaneously combust or something to take my eyes off of it

Just as I reached for our work mimi blurted "STOP!" Before quickly scribbling on each piece words that sort of resembled our names but she could have been writing Spanish for all I knew no matter how smart she was my besties handwriting was terrible

"What?"

She looked at me dumbfounded "our names"

"Yea, but why?"

"Dur so chad can't claim credit and will fail biology, setting him up for how much he will fail in life," she said looking at me as if I'd asked why anchors don't float.

Finally packing up all our stuff from around our seats in the library we headed for our cars but for some reason, I couldn't get over the feeling of someone watching me

I was constantly checking over my shoulder when Mimi finally broke "Alright that's it what are you looking at there is nothing anywhere around us"

"I don't know I've just got the heebie-jeebies"

"Whatever" she shrugged getting into her ford making me realise I'd walked past my car. Somehow. Out of the 3 cars in the parking lot, I still managed to lose my battered down fiat 500

- - - -

As I returned home I found that my dad car was still in its usual spot on the drive. Crap, well I'm dead he's going to berate me then lecture me on being ladylike before telling me I'll never get a nice boy I know the drill it's been like this ever since I could remember Aspen gets this, Aspen gets that. Aspens late home because he's been out with friends no problem but if Amaris is late home causes she's been studying well that seems like a worthy cause to complain.

Taking a deep breath I got out the car and walked up the drive into the house head held high, he hated it how I didn't bow down to him but I never will and never have.

"What time do you call this?" He questioned in a condescending tone I knew all too well

I made a dramatic deal of rolling up my jumper and looking at my bare wrist "10:15"

"The cheek on you back when I was young my sister would have gotten the cane for such behaviour"

"For studying? Spending her limited spare time to ensure she passed all her classes? Or do you want to drop the act I know you did not stay waiting for me, holding back your camping trip to tell me off for doing my school work? Oh no this is about how your precious little boy had to walk a whole 2 miles home from school" I snapped my hand on my hip readying myself for whatever he was going to say

"Why can't you be like the other girls? Your pretty, talented and if you learnt to shut your mouth you would make an excellent wife maybe to one of your brothers' friends or one of Henderson's boys Ethan and Aiden." He insisted

"When will you get that all of Aspens friends including Ethan and Aiden I grew up with it would be like dating my brother so in short NOT happening! When will you learn I don't want to be some complacent housewife? I am going to finish high school then go to college to become a veterinarian my work at the shelter in town will help" I pleaded my case already knowing where this argument was going but this time I was going to tell him I wasn't going to storm off I was going to tell him th-

"No daughter of mine will be going to college you WILL find a nice boy and you WILL settle down! There was is no way I am paying for you to go through collage" He raged

And he said it the one thing that usually ends all our arguments with me storming off, him not paying for my education.

"You think I'm an idiot, don't you? I've known since freshman year I knew that you wouldn't pay for my college education. Why do you think I take on Saturday jobs when offered it, what about why I never complain when taking Aspen to school? Huh. Oh, look at that there is a little vain in the top of your head that looks like it's going to pop. All trips too and from school cost Aspen $5 anywhere else $10" I laughed "what about how I cook meals for miss O'Leary from down the street she gives me €50 every week I've had this planned out since before I even realised I wanted to be a vet. And you know what I have enough money in my savings account to get into college so shove that where the sun doesn't shine dad!" I screamed storming into the kitchen to get my dinner out of the oven where mom always leaves it

As I sat down I heard the door slam my father and brother obviously leaving for their trip but being so distracted I didn't notice my mom coming into the room

"You know, he would be a lot easier on you if you would just do as he says" she chided "and now you have your brother in trouble too for the money he pays you for the rides"

"Mom not right now. I am not nor will I ever be like you I wouldn't be able to live like you. I love you with all my heart, I respect and admire you but I am no housewife" I stammered while tears slowly crept down my face unable to hold them in any longer

"When I was younger and loved to play dress-up do you remember what I dressed up as?" I continued

My mother came round the breakfast table embracing me in a warm hug "You stole your brother's army outfit that was a size too small and stormed around the house commanding you stuffed bear army" she smiled clearly remembering it.

"I have never once been a complaisant daughter and after 17 years I'm sick of it. Sick of how he treats me in comparison to Aspen. Do you remember when I was 10? I stopped talking to aspen for almost a year, he was one of my closest friends growing up and then dad started to take him on the camping trips, I've spent hours crying over not being the daughter dad wants but this is it today will be the last time I cry because dad has made me feel bad about who I am" I declared