Page 53 of Same One
“Sell your product, and hurry up about it,” Bayen said, fiddling with the air conditioner. “I don’t want you ruining my pizza binge with your annoying words.”
Where did he even start?
Bayen had turned heavy metal on at a deafening volume, and Tabian turned the knob all the way down. “You’re hurting my ears.”
“You’re hurting my eyes. I don’t even know what Trudy sees in you, you look like a fuckin’ goblin.”
Tabian gripped the steering wheel in a strangle hold. “I can see why you have so many friends at school,” he said sarcastically.
Bayen tossed him a dirty look, and it was enough. That had stung him.
Tabian frowned over at him. “Why were those kids staring at you like that?”
“Why do you think?” he grumbled, staring out the window.
“They all know you’re a werewolf?”
Bayen tossed him an annoyed glance, and yep, his eyes were glowing gold. “There’s not really any hiding it.”
“I went to public school.”
“With other werewolves?”
“Yes.”
“Let me guess,” Bayen said in a bored tone. “You hung out with people who understood you and were just like you. You Changed together after school and ran the woods together and your wolves hunted together and you had best friends for life?”
“Well…” Tabian thought of his childhood friends. He did still stay in touch with most of them. “Yeah.”
“Cool, now imagine you’re the only werewolf in your school and no one wants to even sit at the same table as you at lunch. Ever.”
Damn. Tabian tried to imagine it, but his mind flinched away from the thought of such loneliness. “No humans want to hang with you?”
Bayen shook his head. “Is this the speech? I’m bored of it already.”
“Do you start fights with them?” Tabian asked, trying to understand the weird looks the kids were giving him. Sure, humans didn’t like being around werewolves in general, butthey usually got used to them eventually. These kids should be desensitized at least a little.
Bayen shrugged. “I’m a loser. I don’t know what to tell you.”
“Maybe it’s because you’re fuckin’ mean to everyone,” he grumbled. “Ever think about being nice for a change?”
“I’m nice to the people who deserve it.”
“I haven’t even seen you be nice to Tru.”
“Because you’ve only seen me around her when I’m upset.”
“No, she talks about how hard you’ve been on her.”
Bayen huffed a growl. “I like Dominos. They have stuffed crust.”
Tabian took a right at the light. “It’s my favorite too.”
“Congratulations,” Bayen said in a dull voice. He reached forward and pulled the handle for the glove compartment, exposing a handgun and a clip of bullets.
He touched one of the bullets and flinched his finger back. “Silver?” he asked.
“Yeah, for if you fuckin’ annoy me,” Tabian deadpanned.
