Tares City

17. Thursday

NAOMI REID 

The sound of incessant knocking against a door had Naomi falling out of the bed, sheets tangled at her feet. Kicking free, she walks out of the guest bedroom, bumping into Calvin just as she passes the threshold.

She'd been staying at his house since her ordeal with Avery and the gas station incident. For one, she didn't quite feel safe being on her own, and two she did not want to be caught off guard by Avery at her home. "They're here! Your friend and a guy - I'm assuming her boyfriend!" Calvin says to her urgently.

"What! How did she find me! Oh crap! What do we do?" Naomi says frantically, panic creeping into her voice. "I don't think I'm ready to face her. Calvin, what do we do? Why do you have your gun?! You are not shooting my possibly Lycan best friend! Or ex-best friend! I don't know where we stand right now! Point is, you are not shooting her!" She yells at him, eyes trained on the gun in his hands.

"It's just a precaution. We don't know what they want or what they are prepared to do Naomi," Calvin responds to her, his tone calm and even.

"Would you take yourself off of cop mode for a minute and think this through!" Naomi whisper-yells at him as more knocks sound at the door. "Naomi, I know you're there, just come out for a second, please! I'm begging you!" She hears Avery's distant voice shout.

At her side, Calvin cocks his gun making her stare at him wide-eyed. "Calvin we are not shooting her!" she says slapping his shoulder.

"Then tell me, Naomi, what plan do you have to deal with the Lycan people standing outside my house?" Calvin says to her with an edge in his tone.

"I'll go talk to her. See what she has to say for herself," Naomi replies.

"I thought you weren't ready to face her?" Calvin asks.

"Well I don't have many choices here, now do I? Besides, I have a shift with her in a couple of hours. It's best to do things now," She says with a sigh.

"Okay. But if she or the boy make any sudden moves, I'm shooting," Calvin says moving to walk down the stairs. Naomi quickly grabs him by the shoulder, stopping him in his tracks, "There will be no shooting!" She says jabbing him in the chest with her finger. Taking the lead, Naomi nervously walks down the stairs, coming to a stop at the front door.

"I'm here. I'm going to open the door a crack," She shouts out to Avery on the next side. "I need you to stand three feet away from the door!"

"What! Three feet? Naomi!" Avery shouts in response.

"LISTEN THIS IS A COP'S HOUSE AND HE IS ARMED SO DO AS I SAY!" Naomi shouts out impatiently, her nerves beginning to get to her.

Avery relents with a "FINE!" doing as told. Peeking through the window, Calvin makes sure she was a distance from the door before nodding to Naomi.
With sweaty palms, Naomi slowly inches the door open, Calvin standing ready with his gun behind her. Opening the door no wider than the width of her face, Naomi greets Avery who gives her an exaggerated sigh in return.

"Naomi, you are being ridiculous," Avery says to her, flailing her arms in the air in frustration.

"No sudden moves, you might get yourself shot," Naomi says to her, Avery's jaw opening in shock.

"You'd let that guy shoot me, Nomi?" Avery asks, hurt lacing her tone.

"No. Maybe? I don't know! Are you going to turn into a wolf and eat me?!" Was Naomi's response, earning herself an eye roll.

"Naomi Trishanna Reid!" Avery exclaims making Naomi cringe at the use of her middle name. "I have known you for four-plus years! Tell me this! In all the time that I've known you – Have I ever done wrong by you?" She continues, her voice beginning to crack with emotion as tears gathered in her eyes. "I know you better than you know yourself for crying out loud! We have been through so much together. How could you just throw all that away and stare at me like I'm some type of monster? Naomi, you are like a sister to me!"