Nate and Ben watched as Martha left the house and then walked into the kitchen. As she had promised, there was $40 on the kitchen table. Nate picked up the money and stuck it in his jeans pocket so it wouldn't get lost. There was an awkward silence between the two of them, both fully aware of what was going on.
"So, yeah..." said Nate, trying to break the tension.
Ben nodded and smiled. "What are you thinking?"
"Just reflecting on how weird my life has gotten over the past week."
"It's been a rollercoaster," replied Ben
Nate pulled out one of the chairs and sat down at the table. "My dad was turned into a werefox by an oversexed student. My mom is maybe-probably having a sexy phase threesome with your moms, becoming a werecat in the process. And my Dad is now forced to have sex with said werefox bitch to complete his transformation. That counts as weird, right?"
Ben let out a hearty laugh. "Just another week in Moon Lake for me, man."
"And tomorrow I meet our pack leader, have my initiation ceremony and turn into a werewolf myself," added Nate.
"You're excited for that at least, right?" asked Ben.
"Of course I am. It's just with everything else, it kind of feels like a footnote, if that makes sense."
Ben nodded. "It'll sort itself out, one way or another. Come on, let's order that pizza and watch some movies. I'm starved."
Nate and Ben got up and walked over to the laptop on the kitchen counter. Ben pulled up the website for a pizza place he loved, a local place called Dimaggio's. They pulled up the order online selection. They order a meat lovers pizza for Nate and Ben and a simple pepperoni one for Eric. They also had money left over so added a order of cheesy bread and a 2 liter of soda, simply because their parents usually never let them indulge in such things. They then went into the living room and settled in as they waited for the pizza to arrive.
* * *
"Yeah, my Mom said it was okay for me to come over tomorrow," said Eric over the phone to Julie.
"Awesome. Why don't you come over at around one then?" replied Julie.
"Definitely, I'll be there." Eric silently punched the air. He couldn't help but be a little excited to have a genuine friend in this weird new town.
"Don't forget your swim suit," said Julie before hanging up.
* * *
About thirty-five minutes later, their order arrived and Nate called Eric down to come and eat. Eric bounded down the stairs and appeared in the kitchen. He looked over the pizza options as Nate handed him a plate. Eric grabbed a couple slices of pepperoni and a slice of cheesy bread and headed into the family room.
"What are we watching?" asked Eric to Ben, who was still seated on the sofa.
"Some stupid slasher movie your brother put on," replied Ben.
"Well, I suppose it was either that or he break out his werewolf movie collection," replied Eric. Ben immediately perked up as he watched Nate enter the room again, holding a couple plates with pizza on them. Nate handed one to Ben.
"Werewolf movie collection? Really?" asked Ben.
Nate blushed a little. "Yeah, it's true."
"We need to watch one. Really. My Moms won't let me watch them. They say they're terribly offensive. Please?" begged Ben. Nate couldn't resist the boy and got up and ran upstairs for a moment. He reappeared a few moments later, holding two Blu-rays, holding them out for Ben to see.
"An American Werewolf in London or The Howling?" asked Nate, with a playful smirk on his face.
"Which do you think I'd prefer?" Ben looked from box to box, unsure which to choose.
"No, I mean which one do you want to watch first?" asked Nate.
"You are pulling my leg, right?" Ben couldn't help but smile a bit.
"We have all night, buddy." Nate flashed the young man a mischievous smile.
* * *
The peppy beat of The Marcels' "Blue Moon" reverberated through the living room as Nate and Ben sat curled up on either end of the couch, watching the end credits of American Werewolf in London began. Nate turned to Ben, curious as to his thoughts.
"You know, it's not that bad, actually. I mean werewolves are not mindless, out of control killers. At least, not normally. They're in control of themselves when they shift. We also don't shift into quadruped beasts, but you already knew that. However, some of the dreams David had were very similar to ones I remember having before I first turned, and I've heard others have had before their first transformation. And the first change can be quite painful for some people too. So, yeah, not bad." Ben nodded in agreement.
Nate couldn't help but bust out laughing at the situation he was in. Ben looked confused, so Nate clarified. "I'm sorry, I can't believe I just watched An American Werewolf in London, the movie that first made me fantasize about turning into a werewolf, with an actual werewolf who then critiqued it against reality. There is a certain level of absurdity to that."
"I suppose there is," replied Ben, laughing as well.
The two sat there in silence for a few minutes. Eric then piped up from his spot on the other couch.
"I wonder what our Moms are doing right now." There was a tinge of sadness in Eric's voice.
The smiles disappeared from both Ben and Nate's faces, suddenly feeling a little guilty.
"Look, buddy, it's going to be ok. One way or another," replied Ben.
Eric nodded. "I suppose you're right."
"So, time for The Howling?" asked Ben. Nate nodded and got up to change discs.