A few days later, I was becoming anxious again with the full moon fast approaching. I caught up to my friends in the girls' locker room. Abby was getting ready for volleyball practice, and Ivy was using Abby's locker mirror to touch up her makeup.
"I have to ask you something, and I know you guys will think I'm crazy," I said.
A few of the other athletes shut their lockers and headed out.
"Sure," Abby said. "But you'll have to make it quick."
"On Saturday night," I began in an ultra-happy tone, "how about you guys come to my house for movies?"
"That's the day of the Werewolf Fest," Abby said.
"Yes, can you make it another day?" Ivy asked, puckering her lips in the mirror.
"No," I replied gently. "It has to be that night."
"Well, we are going to the fest. Aren't you?" Abby asked.
"I was going to. But I thought it might be fun to have a girls' night instead." I tried to be lighthearted about the matter.
"On the biggest night of the year besides prom?" Abby said.
"The Werewolf Fest only happens every ten years." Ivy turned to me.
Even though I'd read in Ryder's journal that he was after me, I knew the other guys were also looking for girlfriends. I wanted to make sure my friends were not in harm's way, too. "No way am I missing it," Abby insisted.
"You can't go," I said with a forceful whisper. "It could be dangerous."
"Dangerous?" Abby laughed. "Get out."
"Those guys who have been bugging us are going to be there," I protested.
"So?" Ivy asked. "What's the big deal?"
"What if they bother us again?" I asked.
"Jake and Dylan will kick their - "
"What if they can't?" I interrupted. "What if these guys are stronger?"
"Than Jake, Dylan, Nash, and Brandon?" Ivy said. "I don't think so."
"And me," Abby said. "I can defend us, too."
"I'm not going to let them keep me home," Ivy said.
"I think they are after me, and maybe you, too," I whispered. "And I think we'll be safer if we stay home that night."
"You are kidding," Ivy said.
"No, I'm not. I got Ryder's journal."
"Where did you find that?" Abby asked, interested.
"They were camping out over by the woods in my neighborhood," I said.
"Where you live?" Abby wondered.
"Yes, that's what I was trying to tell you," I replied. "Only Brandon convinced them to go to his house to camp out - so he could watch them."
"That was nice of him, but really," Ivy went on, "they didn't do anything wrong."
"You saw them following us at the mall," I said. "And then that time they snuck up on me when I was walking Champ? Now they show up camping near my house?"
"Yes, but that was all," Ivy replied.
"Fortunately," I said, still pressing my point. "But I think they are planning something for the festival."
"I'm not saying we should marry them," Ivy said. "I'm just saying that I'm not going to let them stop me from going to the best event in our town's history."
I took a deep breath as Abby shut her locker and pulled up her volleyball socks. "You just have to believe me," I pleaded. "It's for our own good."
"I think you are just being overprotective." Ivy patted me on the back. "Everyone will be there. Nothing will happen to any of us."
"It will be a full moon," I warned them.
"I know, that's the point," Ivy said. "It will be so cool."
"It won't be cool. They aren't like us."
"Thank goodness. I wouldn't look good covered in tattoos." Ivy giggled.
"I think you would," Abby thought aloud. "You could cover yourself in designer labels," she teased.
"I'm serious," I said. "They are really different. More different than you can imagine."
"What are you getting at?" Ivy said. "If you are asking us to miss the fest, there must be a good reason. So just come out and say it."
I leaned in and spoke softly. "Because they are werewolves," I said.
My friends stared at me for a few seconds.
"What?" Ivy asked.
"You are crazy!" Abby said.
"I knew you'd think so."
They both laughed. "Is that all? That they are werewolves?" Ivy asked. "I thought you were going to say convicts or something."
"Yes, or runaways from an asylum," Abby said.
"So you believe me?" I wondered.
Abby began to leave, and we followed.
"I believe you are afraid of werewolves, but I don't believe in them," Ivy said. "There are tons of underground weirdos like that. I've seen shows on TV about that."
"They think they are werewolves because they want to scare girls," Abby told us. "It's the oldest trick in the book. Just like on Halloween, guys dress up as monsters. They are just getting in the spirit of the fest. Like Trekkies. Only these guys aren't nerds."
"They're wackos!" Ivy added.
They both laughed.
I wasn't getting the response I wanted from my friends. I knew they wouldn't believe me, but I had to try. "Let's just say they might be taking it too far."
"Like a certain someone who wears a Superman cape," Ivy said, "but doesn't want to take it off?"
"Something like that," I said.
"So they are going to howl at the moon?" Ivy asked.
"They want to turn us into werewolves."
They both laughed again.
"I'll already be one," Abby said. "I'm dressing up."
"Have I ever lied to you before?" I finally asked them when we reached the gym.
"Uh...no," Ivy admitted.
"Not to me," Abby said. "You didn't lie to us about dating Brandon. You just withheld the information. That's not a lie."
"Have I ever tried to get in the way of your fun?" I asked.
They paused and both shook their heads.
"You have to believe me. This once," I said. "I never ask anything from you guys."
"But you are asking us to miss the best event in this town's history because of three pranksters," Ivy whined.
The coach blew her whistle.
"I gotta run," Abby said.
I grabbed her jersey. "I'm your best friend. I never ask anything of you guys. And once, I ask something of you both - for your own good - and you ignore me. Fine. I warned you, like Dr. Meadows warned me. But I didn't listen and so many things happened."
"Don't go all 'crazy girl' on us," Ivy said.
"Like when Dr. Meadows warned you and then those wolves stalked you in the snow?" Abby asked.
I nodded.
"All right," Abby relented as I let go. "I'll come over."
"You will?" I asked eagerly.
She high-fived me and ran off to join her teammates.
I was left standing with Ivy.
"I guess I'll come, too," she said resignedly.
I put my arm around her shoulder. "You are the greatest!"
"Yes, but if we miss anyone else being bitten, then I'm really going to be mad," Ivy teased.
I was relieved. "You won't regret this."
"You better have some amazing movies and piping-hot pizza for us," Ivy said.
"I promise."
"We are all set," I told Brandon when I saw him later that day at Willow Park. We decided to meet by the lake - so we could be alone and talk. "Ivy and Abby have agreed to come to my house for a girls' night. They can't bother us if we are at home, right? We have a security system, and I'll keep all the lights on. If Ryder and his crew can't hide under the cloak of darkness and other costumed werewolves, then his plan is blown. Ivy and Abby can stay the night, and in the morning the full moon won't be an issue."
"You are a good friend to them," Brandon said.
"They think I'm nuts." I couldn't help but laugh. "Here they were the ones dragging me to Dr. Meadows, and now I'm the one talking about sixth senses."
"I do have some good news," he said.
"Good news? Tell me."
"My dad called and said he's sent another vial of werewolf antidote. Nash will be able to take the one I already have. And I had a thought about the other vial."
"You'll take it the following night?"
"No - Ryder will first. My dad said this batch is really potent. It will work by taking just one sip. 'There will be no excuses this time for you not to take it,' he said. But if we cure Ryder, then our problems will be just about over. And we'll have enough serum left for me."
"And Leopold and Hunter?" I asked.
"Perhaps there will be enough for all of us..." he said, hopeful.
"That's awesome. You'll tell Ryder about it?"
"No, I can't. I can't let him know that I know about his condition."
"But I think he'd be okay with it since you have a cure. I read his journal. He's not happy being a werewolf."
"And you think I am?" he asked.
"I didn't say that," I said.
"I know. I'm just on edge."
I held him close. "It's okay. So much is going on. The fest. Ryder. Nash. We never even get a chance to talk about what you are going through."
We sat down on a nearby bench.
"We haven't had time for anything else," Brandon said. "And now I'm worried about the full moon - I can't imagine what Ryder will be like. And all I think about is making sure you are okay."
"I will be - we will be." I tried to reassure him, even though I wasn't sure myself.
"Saturday night is the fest," he said. "Then, after that, hopefully they will leave and go back to Huntington."
"And everything will be back to normal," I said, hoping it was true.
"I've honestly forgotten what normal is," Brandon said.