Chapter 181 The Return of a Friend


    A couple of hourster, I arrived at the diner with Lori, Jessica, and the hockey team to volunteer. Even


    though I was exhausted from my night of sleeping in the freezing cold in the woods, the thought of


    having something like this to distract me and help mymunity gave me something to look forward


    to, and the hot coffee that Phil offered us helped sweeten the deal as well.


    Soon enough, we were all working hard to provide food to ourmunity. Phil had a couple of the


    hockey yers drive around town and post signs, and the dean sent out a campus-wide text


    announcing the food drive. Before I knew it, we were busily giving tes of hot food to students and


    Mountainview residents alike, and we were having a bit of fun while doing it as well. I didn’t even


    realize it at the time, but hours went by without worrying about Enzo.


    Around noon, another familiar face showed up to volunteer at the food drive. It was Justin.


    “Um… Hey, Nina,” he said, walking up to me with his hands in his pockets. “Can I help with the food


    drive?”


    I couldn’t help but smile. Justin had never really been the type to volunteer as long as I had known him,


    so this sudden change in attitude was a wee discovery. I happily agreed and handed him an


    apron.


    “You can help us hand out food,” I said, gesturing to the table that was set up outside beneath a pop-up


    tent. I then led him inside to the kitchen, where the other volunteers were working hard to prepare hot


    meals for people. There were various meals to choose from, all of which were packaged in cardboard


    takeout containers for people to take: pancakes, eggs and sausages, soup and bread… Anything that


    Phil still had in the freezers. He even had us handing out cookies and slices of cake with each meal,


    and there was a constant stream of fresh, hot coffee and tea being handed out in takeout cups.


    Justin helped me carry a few more trays of food out to the table, then stood beside me and helped me


    hand them out. The line of hungry students and Mountainview residents stretched all the way across


    the parking lot, and having an extra pair of hands to help was much appreciated.


    “You know, I think it’s really awesome that you’re doing this,” Justin said as he worked alongside me.


    “This town really needs you.”


    I shrugged. “It was Phil’s idea. I’m just here to help.”


    “Yeah,” Justin replied, then gestured around at the tables and all of the other volunteers. “But you’ve


    taken charge so easily. You’re really good at stuff like this, Nina.”


    I couldn’t help but blush a little at Justin’s kind words. I hadn’t actually meant to take charge; it just sort


    of happened. But back at the beginning of the semester, I wouldn’t have been able to take charge like


    this so easily even if someone had begged me to do it; maybe everything that happened did help me


    gain some confidence. Either that, or seeing how the Fullmoons refused to be of any real help gave me


    the drive to pick up the ck and fill in where they werecking. Regardless, I supposed that it was a


    positive change in some ways. I just wished that the circumstances behind my confidence gain were


    different.


    “Um… Thanks,” I said. I paused, handing a student a box of food and a wrapped cookie, then directed


    her over to the coffee table for a hot drink. She smiled and thanked me meekly, then shuffled away and


    the next person came up to the table. “What made you want to volunteer, by the way?” I asked,


    ncing over at Jusin.


    Justin pursed his lips and shrugged. He paused then and turned to look at me; when he did, his eyes


    were genuine and sweet, much like the boy who I had first met — before he cheated on me. And


    before Edward brainwashed him.


    “I dunno. I know that I’ve always been a bit of an ass,” he said, hanging his head a bit and staring at the


    pavement as he spoke. “I was selfish. But… After everything that happened this semester… After


    seeing your kind, smiling face when I was stuck as a rogue… I guess your kindness imprinted on me


    somehow. And I want to be different now. I want to be better, and it’s all because of you.”


    As Justin spoke, my heart fluttered a bit in my chest. I couldn’t help but smile at his words. It was so


    unexpected to hear Justin talk like this, and for a moment, I was reminded of our nights spent together


    hanging out on the hockey bleachers or behind the arena. If only it hadn’t been sullied by his


    cheating… I really did care for him back then. But now, I loved Enzo.


    And even if I never met Enzo, I didn’t think that I could ever get over what Justin did to me, no matter


    how much he changed.


    …


    The food drive went on for the better part of the day, until all of our food supplies were finally depleted.


    Once the tents and the tables were put away, I sent all of the other volunteers home and decided to


    stay behind on my own to clean up the kitchen while Phil worked in his office to order more food —


    assuming that the shippingpanies could even get here, if all of the surrounding towns were really


    overrun. There was still no local news coverage thanks to the local satellite stations being knocked out


    by the Crescents, so we had no real way of knowing for sure, and it was too remote out in these parts


    for outsiders to even know what was happening. But at the very least, there was somefort in


    knowing that the rogues wouldn’t be able to spread easily. We were located on an ind and the only


    way off was via ferry or airne. I hated that fact most of the time, but right now, it was a blessing in a


    way. I just wished that we weren’t so isted, so that we could get help.


    While I was working and thinking about all of this, I suddenly heard the bell on the front door chime. I


    looked up and opened my mouth to tell the guest that we were all out of food, but when I looked


    through the kitchen window, my eyes widened.


    It was Luke.


    I didn’t waste a moment. I threw down my dish towel and bolted out of the kitchen, running around the


    counter to throw my arms around him.


    We hugged each other tightly for several long moments before we finally pulled away. When we did,


    there were tears in both of our eyes.


    “What happened?” I said, wiping my tears away and gesturing to him. I thought that he had reverted to


    being a skeleton, but he stood in front of me now in full flesh. “Enzo told me you lost your human


    disguise. And Edward…”


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    Luke shook his head, smiling. “I sent Edward running for the hills,” he said. “And after that, I found a


    witch. She gave me a new disguise and opened a portal for me.”


    I couldn’t help but grin and throw my arms around my friend again. A wildugh escaped my throat; not


    only was I thrilled to have Luke back, but it was also a good sign. If Luke could return, then so could


    Enzo.


    “Where is Enzo?” Luke asked once we pulled away again, looking around.


    It was then, however, that my tears of joy turned into tears of sadness. I couldn’t stop it; my face twisted


    into a sob, and I felt my heart sink just thinking about Enzo.


    “What’s wrong?” Luke asked, his eyes widening. “Is he okay?”


    I didn’t know where to begin; Luke had so much to be caught up on. So, we sat in a booth and I


    exined everything. When I was finished, Luke’s face was shocked. He reached across the table and


    took my hand while I sniffled quietly, and looked deeply into my eyes.


    “We’ll find him,” Luke said gently, squeezing my hand. “I promise.