Wannabe by Christina Carrillo

Disclaimer: I don’t own Twilight, and I most certainly don’t own the Spice Girls.

When Sam thinks that he’s alone, he likes to turn his music up at a volume that would make Emily cringe. He pulls all of the blinds, making sure that they’re secured properly, because he wants no one to be let in on this heinous secret of his. No one, not even his brothers, knows about this particular obsession—he’s always made sure that he keeps his thoughts from straying when they run together.

It’s not that his interests are anything that the mainstream would completely frown upon. He doesn’t have any freaky fetishes, and he most certainly does not collect random body parts. He knows that he would be on the receiving end of relentless taunting, and this has always been a soft spot of his.

Taking a deep breath, Sam leans forward and pauses to make sure that he is truly alone. Once he is sure that the coast is clear, he takes out a silver disc from a clear case that is well hidden. As always, it lies between a great volume that contains the completed works of Friedrich Nietzsche and Euclid’s Elements. Since Emily has never taken a real interest in philosophy and loathes mathematics, and the boys hate reading anything beyond Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham, he knows that this is a safe spot.

Sam drags out the ancient stereo that is constantly breaking down and puts the unmarked disc in its proper spot. He pauses for a moment, cracks a tiny grin, and then presses the ‘play’ button. Moments later, a familiar beat blares out of the speakers and he bobs his head along to the rhythm of the music.

“If you want my future, forget my past. If you wanna get with me, better make it last.” His lips move accordingly, never missing a note. He memorized this song the first week it was released in the United States and it is forever etched in his memory. “Now don’t go wastin’ my precious time. Get your act together—we could be just fine.”

As the song switches back to the main chorus, Sam, clad only in his boxers, dances as if his soul were on fire. He takes a hold of Emily’s hairbrush, crooning along with the other girls, pretending that he has a starring role in the music video. This is true freedom right here, completely letting go and giving into his inner dork. Forget about the speed and power that comes with being a werewolf! All Sam wants to do is start a boy band that does Spice Girl covers.

Author’s Note: I’m sorry. So very, very sorry.