When Harvey's truck pulled up at our curb, there was another pickup truck in our driveway, but this one was a silver color that looked like an old sardine can. It also looked dented, like an old sardine can that had been kicked about once too many times.
"Wait here," Harvey told me and got out of his truck.
I unbuckled the seatbelt. Was he going to get the door for me? Was he afraid I'd dent it or something?
I looked around me, checking to make sure I didn't drop a hair or leave any smudges in his new truck. I heard some guys could be really fussy about their rides. I wondered if Harvey was one of them.
The car door opened, and I hopped out and pulled my school bag on.
Harvey was smiling, and I grinned back easily. "Thanks for the ride!"
"Anytime, Princess," Harvey shrugged.
I saw the face of a girl looking out at us from the living room window. It wasn't Savy—maybe Harvey's sister! I smiled and waved, but she retreated quickly behind the day curtains.
Harvey saw it too. He leaned over to me, his face serious. "Ah, my sister… She could be a little quiet outside."
I nodded. Savy was like that too. But her expression was kind of different from Savy's brand of quiet. Savy's quiet was like, I'm a content cat that can't be bothered to interact. It was just a brief glimpse, so I couldn't be sure, but Harvey's sister was quiet in an I can't say it so I better keep quiet way.
"Did I scare her?" I asked Harvey. "Maybe I should go slow?"
Harvey laughed at that. "If you were a guy, Princess, I'd have thrown you out for saying that."
"Overprotective much?" I laughed.
Harvey reconsidered. "I take that back. If you were a guy, I'd throw you out. Period."
I smirked at him. "You think I'm bad? Wait till you meet my mate."
I suddenly thought of Rebel and the fight cage poster in my bag. Oh goddess, my dad was going to have a heart attack.
The door opened. It was Savy. She smiled at me.
Savy didn't like having guests at home. And she especially didn't like it when guests had kids our age and our parents told us to entertain our new friends. (Unless they were Lizzy and Ben or Jonah.)
She gave me a look that told me to get my butt to the living room and help her entertain Harvey's sister.
"Hi Savy, this is Harvey, my Beta. This is Savy, my sissy."
They both smiled, and Harvey made a slight nod in greeting. Sometimes I marveled at how Harvey was always naturally a textbook Beta.
I guess he was brought up well. I better behave with his family.
At this thought, the Mulan theme song began to play in my mind. My anthem call would be: Let's not dishonor the family!
Well, to be honest, the actual song playing was "We Are Men!" But whatever. I don't have to explain my mind's inner workings to you.
I entered the living room and was introduced to everyone: Beta Gerald, Harvey's Mum, Freya, and his sister, Haylee.
Beta Gerald and Freya were really nice, polite, and soft-spoken. I totally could see where Harvey got all his parts from, and they weren't bad parts at all.
Haylee pretty much glared at me, but she was proof that Harvey would have not only made a pretty girl, he would have been a pretty darn cute one too.
"I like your name, Haylee," I told her. "It's cool."
OMG… The cool-girl effect had rubbed off on me. But I felt quite pleased at how I sounded cooler and older now that I was in high school.
Haylee didn't answer me.
Awkward silence.
My Mum broke it to excuse me to go upstairs to wash up.
I saw Savy's face break.
"Be back real soon!" I promised everyone apologetically, but mostly Savy.
"What a lively girl," Beta Gerald said as I bounded up the stairs two at a time. "She is the same age as our Haylee, right?"
I heard Dad answer with pride, "She is strong for her age."
Mum was the one who actually answered Beta Gerald's question. "Yes, they were born in the same year."
The women then tried to figure out our age difference, and I was about to enter the shower when I heard Mum gasp. "Haylee's birthday is today?"
"Don't worry about it, we had planned the party for tomorrow anyway," Freya answered. "Would your girls like to come?"
I stepped into the shower and turned it on.
It was Haylee's birthday? I felt bad. Did they scrap any plans because the Alpha invited them for dinner?
I put myself in her shoes. Well, if my party was tomorrow and it was for the good of the pack… then I realized I wouldn't have minded. So I put Savy in her shoes and immediately could see how miserable she might be.
I mean, Savy was miserable as it was, having to entertain new friends, and it wasn't even her birthday.
I got out of the shower quickly.
Mum had already left clothes out on the bed for me. I knew without looking that they probably coordinated with whatever Savy was wearing right now. Mum was always putting us in twinsies.
I picked up the corduroy navy-blue overall dress with a pocket in front of it. There was also a gray-blue long-sleeve t-shirt to wear inside. Nice!
I mean, I would have worn my skinny jeans and a sweatshirt. But an outfit put together by my Mum that was dark blue and gray, without lace or ribbons, was always appreciated.
There was also a new beaded hair tie, still fastened to its cardboard holder. My hair was still damp, but I put the entire thing, cardboard holder and all, into the front pocket of my overalls. Birthday present! (Sorry Mum, but I think you'd understand.)
I took the stairs two at a time. I was going to make a friend today!
I could hear dinner starting. Savy looked relieved to see me.
I was right! Our outfits matched, but hers was dark red, and her t-shirt inside was cream-colored.
My Mum and us—we had a deal. If she bought it, we wore it.
Terms and conditions:
We must wear it at least once.
If it's laid out on the bed, we put it on for the day, no whining, complaining, or negotiations.
The outfits cannot have more than one of the following features: ribbons, lace, or pink.
I actually would wear the gray t-shirt and even the navy overall dress again—except probably not with these gray high socks, and not at the same time.
Thankfully, Mum had pulled out my dark gray Converse sneakers for shoes, so I actually approved 75% of her choice of outfit tonight.
Anyway, this way Savy and I got free nice clothes now and then, and Mum got us into whatever she wanted to see us in, whenever she needed us in them.
It wasn't cheap, so we made it worth it for her. We always wore the outfits properly, and sometimes, if she pulled them out another time or mixed and matched them, we'd put them on too.
You'd think the reason my Mum had to go through all the trouble just to get us dressed for the various official and unofficial events would be me… But I swear, it was not.
I didn't really care what I had to wear, as long as it was clothes that covered the right parts and weren't terribly scratchy. I was actually quite easygoing when it came to clothes.
It was really all Savy.
She was far more discerning about what she wore than I was. We used to just wear whatever Mum chose for us all the time.
Mum loved to dress us up, and our childhood photos always looked a bit like Guess Kids ads. But as we grew older, Savy just refused to get dressed one day. She wouldn't talk either. I had to step in and facilitate the negotiations.
After that, we were allowed to choose our everyday clothes. I had to admit, our photos didn't come out so Insta-worthy anymore. Matching clothes wasn't my forte.
"Are you color blind, Sam?" Savy would exclaim and redo my outfit for me.
I also had a penchant for interesting patterns and bright-colored accessories and skirts.
"Oh look!" Savy called out at the shop. She pulled out a beautiful and flowy flower-print skirt. "It'll fit right in with your ugly skirt collection!"
The saleslady shot us a dirty look.
I sighed. Sometimes Savy should just stay quiet and pretty.
I got fed up with having to redo my outfits so much. I started buying everything in black, gray, and occasionally very dark blue. And I stopped buying skirts because they just got in the way when I needed to jump fences or climb trees. (Don't ask why; ask why not.)
That's why I liked that all my schools so far had uniforms. Our pack school didn't have a uniform since almost all the kids were from one of the packs in Green Packland.
I was told in places like Winderhill, my uniform kept me safe, like the vamps would know not to mess with students from the school. Earlier last week, the principal told us to always wear our uniforms to and from school.
If a passerby saw a student in our uniform being attacked or calling for help, they would help the student. I understood "passerby" as patrolling local wolves.
So our school had agreements with the various supernatural forces around.
If I had to go to school at our packland with my gang, I might be safe from vamps, rogues, and hunters, but I'd never survive the daily fashion disasters.