5 Wolf Girl, Part 2

Michelle stopped where she was and looked at me closely. "Are you okay? You don't look like you feel very well."

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself, hoping that might make me feel better. "I don't know. I think I might be coming down with something. I probably got a touch of heat stroke with all that running today." It was late August and the summer heat was still in full force.

"Yeah... okay...." Her voice was filled with concern as she walked downstairs and pushed open the locker room doors.

I looked in the mirror and saw that I looked terrible. My skin was red and sweat had dewed up on my forehead. I felt shaky, quivering every now and then, but I wasn't chilling. It was the weirdest thing I'd ever felt in my life. I plopped down on a nearby wooden bench and rest my head in my hands.

"You need to see a doctor." Michelle stood beside the bench, concerned.

"I'll be okay, Michelle," I replied, trying to control my quivering body. Everything was looking red and black on the edges, like tunnel vision. "You go ahead. I just need to sit here for a minute."

She hesitated, then headed for the showers while I sat on the bench with my eyes closed, trying to calm myself. As I waited for whatever this was to pass, I couldn't help but think of Dakota. His beautiful dark brown eyes and smooth russet skin kept taking over my thoughts. But his personality was the best thing about him... except for his pro-tribal views. Soon, the quivering dissipated and my vision slowly returned. After a few minutes, I felt much better, completely calm, and much more like myself.

Thoughts of Dakota kept creeping back into my mind, but I quickly pushed them aside, knowing that it just wasn't meant to be. It was too bad that he was so hung up on the old traditions. I just couldn't take it if he were all "rah, rah, go tribe" all the time. That would drive me totally crazy. But I won't have that to worry about that now. Dakota would probably never speak to me again anyway.

"You should really go home, Jess," Michelle said, catching up to me.

"Thanks, but I feel better now." I headed to my Honors American Lit class but slowed down when I saw that Michelle was having a hard time Keeping up. "I think can make it. But if I feel bad, I'll go home."

"Okay. Make sure that you do." Michelle gave me air kisses over my cheek. "I'll see you later."

"Hey!" I called out as I walked away. "Don't be late."

"Yes, Ma'am," Michelle replied sarcastically.

"Smart ass," I retorted over my shoulder, heading for class.

She laughed as she disappeared down the hallway.

Walking into class, I couldn't help but look for Dakota and was disappointed when he wasn't there. I was surprised not to see him there, since it was an Honors class. I tried not to look for him throughout class but couldn't help myself. But he never showed up. It was just as well.

The fever returned during class, making it hard to concentrate. And after class, I felt woozy and very warm. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was coming down with the flu or something. Perfect. But I went to my Spanish class anyway. It was my last class, after all. And if I could make it through that class, I could go home, take a cool shower, go to bed, and hope that I feel better in the morning.

I grew angry with myself for looking for Dakota in my Spanish class, too. After all, I'd just met the guy! Then my body started quivering again, but harder, shimmering and shaking. Quickly, I sat in my seat and didn't even bother to get out paper to take notes. The tunnel vision was back, too, shimmering red with black on the edges. Ms. Vega droned on and I found it difficult to concentrate, so I laid my head on my desk and concentrated on steadying my breathing. The coolness of the slick finish soothed my hot skin. By now, I felt like I could fry an egg on my forehead. And I kept thinking of Dakota, feeling a bit bad about our tiff. Even if he was all gun ho tribe, it didn't give me the right to chastise him for it. He was new, after all, and I should have made him feel more welcome.

As soon as the bell rang, I grabbed my bags and darted out the door, crossing the parking lot of the school, when Michelle ran up, carrying her heels and running in her stocking feet.

"Hey!" Michelle yelled loudly. "My feet are killing me!"

I went straight to my tan VW Bug and climbed in without saying anything to her.

"You don't look good," she said, slamming the car door after she slid into the passenger side. "You want me to drive?"

I shook my head and turned the key, cranking the engine to life. "No, I got it. I just have to go home... now. I'll be fine."

Michelle's eyebrows pulled together, very concerned, "Hey, if you were feeling that bad, you should have gone home and got word to me to catch another ride home."

I could barely see through the tunnel vision as I pulled my car into the line to leave, and there was an incessant ringing in my ears that made it difficult to concentrate on what she said. "I'm fine. I'll just take you straight home if you don't mind."

I was proud of Michelle. The whole way home she never once asked me about Dakota but kept looking at me like I would explode at any moment. Funny, because that's how I felt. I made the turn down her drive and soon was parked in front of her house. She didn't live in the village, but her house was on the way. It was a nice ranch style home, complete with a white picket fence around it, just like the images that you always see of the prefect home. Michelle's father kept the lawn manicured to perfection, and it always looked like a show piece.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Michelle asked, concerned. I really must have looked bad for Michelle to be this concerned. "I can drive you home and my dad can follow us...." Michelle rambled on, but I could hardly hear what she was saying. The buzzing in my ears was now a roar, like a freight train running back and forth through my head from ear to ear.

"I have to go, Michelle," I said, pulling away from the curb, barely giving her time to close the door as I sped off. But I didn't make it home. I made it as far as Granby Lake when the shaking was so uncontrollable that I had to pull over.

I threw the car into park and the keys under the mat in the driver's seat. My body was shaking and quivering as pain coursed throughout my body. I screamed, almost a howl, as I ran for the woods. I didn't know why, but I had the sudden urge to run, to let the coolness of the evening air soothe my skin... to be free.

My body shook uncontrollably as I ran faster than I had ever run before into the forest. The quivering ran from my hands and traveled throughout my body as I ran even faster, pushing harder, losing control of my body. What was happening to me? I screamed as I looked down to see my hands shimmering, changing into giant silver paws, but my screams ended in a howl as the quivering traveled down the length of my body, morphing and changing every cell. By instinct, I leapt into the air and my clothes shredded into pieces. I landed on four paws, running even faster. To where? I didn't know. Was I going crazy? I looked around and nothing looked familiar. Where was I?

"This can't be happening to me!" I thought, sprinting through the forest into the Colorado Rockies, as variations of pine and aspen rushed pasted. If I were in my human form, I would have been crying. As it was, dampness seeped from my eyes, soaking the fur underneath. I was almost to Wyoming when I heard voices inside my mind. I am going crazy! I thought to myself, as my powerful claws dug into the lichen along the forest floor, propelling my body even faster. To where? I didn't know.

"You're not going crazy," a massive presence said within my mind.

"Who are you?" I thought, running faster.

"Mark, the pack leader," the baritone voice said.

"Stop where you are and we'll come and get you," another voice said.

"Was it Eric?"

I could feel him mentally nod.

"Well, explain everything when I get there," Mark said again.

Footfalls resounded within my mind as six others ran at full speed to my location.

"Just hang on, Jessica. I'll explain everything when I get there. And don't be afraid." That voice I would know anywhere. I slowed, pacing myself, as pictures of deeply penetrating brown eyes, long dark brown hair and a muscular frame filled my mind. For the voice I would know anywhere... belonged to Dakota.