Elena.

I read for an hour or two. Leverett abruptly told me to stop after wards, so I did, and left the book on his desk. We’d exchange our goodbyes and I’d leave to my room. He’d leave his study as well a while later when the sky would finish darkening outside. He would then leave to go who knows where. I knew when he left with the sound of the large metal door opening and closing. I would do whatever I felt like doing in my room or in the kitchen with Molly for a good part of the day (she’d gotten better in a matter of days), and then I would go up to my room until I heard the metal door announcing Leverett’s return. He would then call me down and we’d meet in his study, and I’d continue reading. Sometimes I didn’t find it necessary, since half the time he wasn’t at his desk anymore, but instead on the leather chair a small distance from mine, where he’d stare at some random spot on the floor, either listening intently or lost in his own thoughts, whichever, I’d never know, but I would continue to read nevertheless. I enjoyed it.

This routine happened for almost a month. Almost.

Molly was almost back to herself now, and was even nicer to me than ever, and for that I was grateful. I’d cook dishes with her sometimes. Leverett would always have a bite or two out of politeness, although Molly and I knew he didn’t seem to like food. I, on the other hand, loved it, especially her cooking. We didn’t just cook Spaniard dishes, but all dishes from all other the world, all equally delicious.

When it was almost the month that I’d been in Leverett’s house…the phone rang. Molly and I were in the kitchen making bread. My hands were covered with flour, so Molly went over to answer it. I’d never heard it ring, so I was stopped making the dough to look at her. It could’ve been Leverett, because he’d just left.

Molly came back with the cordless phone covering the mouthpiece, looking a little worried.

“It is Ryan.” She said with her slight Spanish accent. I dusted my hands off with my apron and took the phone from her, biting my lip anxiously.

“Ryan?” I said uncertainly. It had seemed like forever since we’d spoken. The brief time I’d been with Ryan seemed like a faint memory. I didn’t exactly know why, but I’d thought he’d left me here, for good. And as I’d come to realize soon after, I was disturbed with the fact that…I’d accepted it.

'“Y-Yes?” Came a distant and fuzzy voice at the end of the line. It was still, unmistakably, Ryan’s voice. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know whether to burst out in anger or greet him with happiness and joy. I, unfortunately didn’t have time to do either.

I heard static at the end of the line again, then Ryan’s voice became audible again.

“I-I can’t hear *zzzz*you…just-pack. I will*zzzz* be there tomorrow*zzzz* night. Bye.”

I heard the dial tone once more. He was gone. I hung up the phone again and placed it on the counter top while Molly looked at me quizzically. I stood in the same spot, surprised…and…I started to feel-depressed about it. I felt that as soon as Ryan came back, any hopes for a small form of a home would be gone.

Molly pursed her lips, anxious of what had just happened but didn’t say anything as she got back to rolling the dough. I sat down on a bar stool across from the marble island , looking at the scar I’d left on her wrist as she mended the dough.
.
“I’m…leaving…tomorrow night.” I said, looking up to see her reaction. She stopped rolling the dough for a moment, and continued to mend it, as if trying to find the right words.

“That’s great honey, we’re really going to miss you…especially Leverett.” I shook my head at the last part.

“I don’t think so, he just wanted to be able to barely coexist with me.” I said. It was Molly’s turn to shake her head this time, but didn’t say another word about that.

“Well, let us finish this bread, no?” Molly said. I smiled, silently thanking her for meekly accepting my point it seemed. And so there we stood in the kitchen, making a bread, which only she would really end up eating.

After cleaning up the kitchen, Molly told me she wanted to show me how to dance. I would’ve said no, but I wanted to make her and Leverett as happy as I could my last night here.
Molly went to her room for a moment and returned with a beautiful red dress.

“W-what?” I stuttered, smiling at my own confusion.

“You are a girl. A girl needs a dress to dance. More than a partner.” She said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. I silently protested as I went to my room to change. I looked in the mirror uneasily. My hair and my eyes were like I’d had them before everything had happened. Same black hair, grey eyes. I heard a soft knock on the door.

Molly came in, she cooed at the sight of me in her red dress. I started awkwardly shuffling, regretting putting such a pretty dress on, just to learn how to dance.

“Ahh…”she said in awe, sitting me down in front of the mirror. She started parting my hair. She finally noticed my horrified expression on the mirror.

“Oh...I am sorry.” She said, realizing how on-the-spot I felt that moment. I nodded sympathetically and we walked downstairs. She led me through a hall I hadn’t been to before. She eagerly led me, taking a turn to the left, right, and left again in the lengthy hall to- a ballroom. Its beauty was undescribable.

It was covered in marble and gold of all different complementary colors. It had lengthy pillars, all towering at an amazing height. There were, of course, no windows, but it still made its uniqueness all the more remarkable and impressive. It was lit in such way it made everything shine I'm sure would not be possible to have shown so beautifully with a thousand suns. Molly gave me a few moments to admire this, as she quietly waited in the center.

I smiled and apologized. She waved it off and smiled.

“Try to do this.” She said, as she gracefully bowed to me and took a small step back and turned her heal swiftly to make a small spin. I mimicked her a couple times until she thought it was sufficient. She moved on to more complicated steps, pretending she had her hands on an invisible persons hand and shoulder. I laughed a little, seeing how funny she looked but how serious she seemed to be taking this.

I mimicked her but this time, I did so playfully, mocking her. She laughed along with me, and I closed my eyes and started spinning faster and faster. I was spinning and everything became a blur. Then I realized something was different. Molly wasn’t laughing anymore. I stopped spinning and tried to adjust my vision when I bumped into someone.

I knew it was Leverett. Who else? My vision had adjusted by then, and I turned to look at him. He raised his eyebrows, a little surprised. I backed away from him and tucked back a stray stand in my hair. I didn’t know if vampires had an ability to blush, but if they did, then that’s what I was doing just then.

Molly approached us and cleared her throat. I’d just realized then that Leverett and I hadn’t broken eye contact because I didn’t even realize Molly was now here.

“Dance.” She said. I admired her bravery just then, for having ordered Leverett to actually do something, which I’d never seen her do before. He looked over at Molly, finally taking his eyes off me.

“I…I don’t think I remember the steps.” He said very sternly, taking a step back from me. Molly looked at him with an expression I could not read. She moved closer and pushed me towards him, probably because I would be the easier one to move.

“You don’t have to dance.” I said quietly, looking at the ground, and to my surprise, a lot more confidently than I thought I would sound.

“Fine. I-“ He shot back. I could sense his anger.

I looked down…disappointed. Why I was disappointed? I didn’t even know. I shouldn’t care.

He’d stopped talking, so Molly must be glaring at him right now…but I looked at Molly, and to my astonishment, she wasn’t glaring at him, she was looking down in defeat like I had.

“Take my hand then.” He said, his temper...gone.