A birthday wish PV: Mikey Forville

Olivia smiled, a warm and soft smile. “I’ll give you the whole story,” she said, shoving her hands deep in her pockets. “When there’s a full moon, I have to take wolfsbane potion every day for a week beforehand to keep my human mind. It tastes disgusting and sugar makes it useless.” She smiles crookedly and shivers a little when she thinks about the taste.

“The transformation itself,” she paused, looking out over the lake. “I’ve never been without my human consciousness during a transformation. Sometimes I wish I was. The transformation is incredibly painful and well in my wolf form… you’ve probably noticed that I’m gone for a day or two after every full moon. That’s because you get really exhausted as a werewolf. Sometimes you might get into a fight with another student or just… hurt yourself. Not on purpose, of course.”

She hesitated before taking her hands out of her pockets and pulling up her left jacket and sweater sleeve. There, the scars spread like a large network across her arm. Old and new. Scratch marks and lacerations. “Here,” she pointed to a small mark on her upper arm. “This is where it bit me when I was three. The first bite that officially turned me into a werewolf.” She moved and pointed to another on her forearm. “This is from the last full moon, I don’t really remember how I got it. I think it was when I ran headfirst into a chair.” It was a vague attempt at humor to lighten the tense atmosphere.

Olivia pulled her sleeve back down and turned to Mikey. “I guess that’s it.” She looked out over the water again. “I’m still the same old Olivia, just not during full moon weeks. Otherwise, I’m the same old me.” Then she thought of something. “Mikey, you’re not going to… tell anyone about this, are you?”

For a brief moment, he remained silent, his question floating in between them, merging with the crisp air around them and with the gentle sound of the lake below. He looked at her for a second, he was looking for assurance that she was alright after her talk.


He changed his hands on the mug, without drinking from it. "Hey," he whispered, sounding slightly interrupted by his own thought. "You don't have to answer everything right away."
As he leaned against the stone railing again, he glanced out at the view before turning his attention back to her. "I just wanted to say…" he exhaled quietly, "that even if I did ask, it doesn't necessarily mean that you have to…" he took another breath out as the mist appeared in the air. "I guess what I'm trying to say is…" He paused momentarily, looking for the right words, "…is that I don't really know what to say."


His eyes moved down for a second, but lifted again to look straight at her, with more firmness. "Not the conversation, of course," he added in a rush. "What I meant was… well, you. This." It took a split second, but then followed by another jumble of words. "But you told me something very…" He breathed deeply, continuing with more calmness, "…big and important. I don't want this to end up like that you suddenly become the person I need to figure out and study."


A smile appeared on his face for a second. "As far as I am concerned, even if I do overthink everything," he added with more confidence. This felt more like him. Shifting slightly, he adjusted one shoulder touching the railing slightly. "But… yeah," he said eventually. "I still want to understand you better. Just not at my pace, but yours, you know."


"Maybe I'll start asking easier questions," he suggested with a short pause. "So…" As he glanced toward her once again, the expression on his face relaxed. "Like, when during the full moon are you having it? Or does it happen spontaneously? does it still happen indoors or only in direct moonlight?"