Adolescence
A Lot To Expect
Ed took me out to dinner. Not the same place as before, there were bad memories there. "Order anything you like," he said.
"Ed, I have a confession to make."
"Go ahead."
"Actually, a few, but anyway. I don't eat a lot. I hardly ever ate before I met you."
"Why?"
"Well, my parents don't really buy food for me."
He held in his anger and continued eating. "Well I don't want to get mad on your birthday." He paused. "Didn't you say that you had something else to confess?"
"Oh. Yeah. Ed, I'm not a nice person. I'm not a good person. I mean, you, you being nice and, and perfect...I'm nothing to compare."
"Don't you say that." He paused again. "You mean everything to me."
"Why me?"
"What do you mean 'Why me?'"
"I mean, why me! Why did you choose me over all the others?"
"Do you have a problem with me picking you?" he asked and I thought.
"I don't. I just want to know."
"Because I don't have to pretend with you." He looked down, avoided eye contact. "With all of my other friends and even my family, I can't be myself. I have to act like this perfect rich boy. And that's not me."
"So what are you?"
He sighed. "That's the problem. I don't know." I ate a couple of bites of my food before continuing 20 questions.
"Where do you picture yourself in 10 years?" I asked.
"With you," he said without even thinking.
"That's funny because that's where I see myself too."
He smiled. "Well can I confess to you?"
"Of course."
"Kay, well. I've lied to you. And I regret it."
"What did you lie about?" I asked rationally.
"Remember that night with Baxter?"
"Unfortunately," I said and there was a lump in my stomach. "What about that night?"
"Well, I didn't have to get the money or anything close to that nature...I'm...not human."
"If you're not human...then what are you?" I managed to say without totally blowing my cool.
"I'll tell you when we're alone," he said looking around at people.
"I'm not so sure I want to be alone with you."
"Jess, come on. You have before and nothing's ever happened." He looked down and looked back up while I saw his eyes flicker back from either a different shape or color. "Please trust me."
"Of course."
****
We were back at his house and we were sitting in the basement, him on the other side of the room of me, for my request, pacing. "You know, Jess. After we've been dating for a month and a half, I've really gotten to know you. And I want you to know that I am madly in love with you." His voice was indifferent, it's like it wasn't even him. "And it's time that I've settled down."
"Ed, what are you talking about? You're-"
"I'm 18, Jessica! 18! I've been 18 for the past 300 years!"
"Ed! What are you talking about?"
"I. Am not. Human," he said and he was by me before I could even process what he said.
"I am not going to marry you when I'm 15."
"But-"
"Shh..." I said putting my finger to his lips. "Listen. I don't care what you are. I don't even want to know. I am not marrying you until I am old enough. I gave you my word. I'm never leaving you." I stroked my thumb on his cheek and he kissed my wrist softly.
"But," he was to the other side of the room again without a second's notice. "I must confess. Everything I said but the getting the money stuff is true. It's true that I've never said any of that cheesy stuff to any other girl."
I sat down in an armchair. "Ed, your favorite question: What makes me so special?"
He was near me again and lifted me out of the chair effortlessly, sat down and placed me on his lap. "I don't know." He gently put his hand on the side of my face and motioned my head to different positions, as if to study. "I saw you, for the first time 5 months ago. I don't know what it was, but there was this feeling that I could never leave you alone. And I was always too shy to talk to you, thinking that you'd blow me down. But I waited. For 5 1/2 months until the perfect time. Mitchell wasn't in our english class, so it was set up great that I would sit in his seat next to you and talk to you. And the rest explains itself." He studied my features continuously then kissed me softly on the line of my jaw. "If it's what you want, then wait we shall." He smiled and rested his head on mine.
"Question: If I wait until 18 to marry you, to be the same as as you, will I get older still?"
"Yes," he said solemly. "That is why my parents do not approve of us. They think it'll be odd to be a couple when you're 65 and I'm still 18."
I sighed. "I guess there's always a downside to a perfect match." I paused, hopelessly then sparked up. "Wait, isn't there something we can do that I won't age?"
"Of course, there's always a way. I've read about it in science non-fiction. You know, those old myth books, but they're not myths."
"I don't want to know what you have to do. If it's some potion thing, then just slip it into my food or something. Or if your'e a creature from darkness, just bit me or scratch me when I'm least expecting it...when I'm 18."
"Are you sure you don't want to know what I am?"
"Absolutely positively sure. Keep it to yourself."
He smiled and kissed me in earnest. "Damn only 730 days to go."
"Ed, I have a confession to make."
"Go ahead."
"Actually, a few, but anyway. I don't eat a lot. I hardly ever ate before I met you."
"Why?"
"Well, my parents don't really buy food for me."
He held in his anger and continued eating. "Well I don't want to get mad on your birthday." He paused. "Didn't you say that you had something else to confess?"
"Oh. Yeah. Ed, I'm not a nice person. I'm not a good person. I mean, you, you being nice and, and perfect...I'm nothing to compare."
"Don't you say that." He paused again. "You mean everything to me."
"Why me?"
"What do you mean 'Why me?'"
"I mean, why me! Why did you choose me over all the others?"
"Do you have a problem with me picking you?" he asked and I thought.
"I don't. I just want to know."
"Because I don't have to pretend with you." He looked down, avoided eye contact. "With all of my other friends and even my family, I can't be myself. I have to act like this perfect rich boy. And that's not me."
"So what are you?"
He sighed. "That's the problem. I don't know." I ate a couple of bites of my food before continuing 20 questions.
"Where do you picture yourself in 10 years?" I asked.
"With you," he said without even thinking.
"That's funny because that's where I see myself too."
He smiled. "Well can I confess to you?"
"Of course."
"Kay, well. I've lied to you. And I regret it."
"What did you lie about?" I asked rationally.
"Remember that night with Baxter?"
"Unfortunately," I said and there was a lump in my stomach. "What about that night?"
"Well, I didn't have to get the money or anything close to that nature...I'm...not human."
"If you're not human...then what are you?" I managed to say without totally blowing my cool.
"I'll tell you when we're alone," he said looking around at people.
"I'm not so sure I want to be alone with you."
"Jess, come on. You have before and nothing's ever happened." He looked down and looked back up while I saw his eyes flicker back from either a different shape or color. "Please trust me."
"Of course."
****
We were back at his house and we were sitting in the basement, him on the other side of the room of me, for my request, pacing. "You know, Jess. After we've been dating for a month and a half, I've really gotten to know you. And I want you to know that I am madly in love with you." His voice was indifferent, it's like it wasn't even him. "And it's time that I've settled down."
"Ed, what are you talking about? You're-"
"I'm 18, Jessica! 18! I've been 18 for the past 300 years!"
"Ed! What are you talking about?"
"I. Am not. Human," he said and he was by me before I could even process what he said.
"I am not going to marry you when I'm 15."
"But-"
"Shh..." I said putting my finger to his lips. "Listen. I don't care what you are. I don't even want to know. I am not marrying you until I am old enough. I gave you my word. I'm never leaving you." I stroked my thumb on his cheek and he kissed my wrist softly.
"But," he was to the other side of the room again without a second's notice. "I must confess. Everything I said but the getting the money stuff is true. It's true that I've never said any of that cheesy stuff to any other girl."
I sat down in an armchair. "Ed, your favorite question: What makes me so special?"
He was near me again and lifted me out of the chair effortlessly, sat down and placed me on his lap. "I don't know." He gently put his hand on the side of my face and motioned my head to different positions, as if to study. "I saw you, for the first time 5 months ago. I don't know what it was, but there was this feeling that I could never leave you alone. And I was always too shy to talk to you, thinking that you'd blow me down. But I waited. For 5 1/2 months until the perfect time. Mitchell wasn't in our english class, so it was set up great that I would sit in his seat next to you and talk to you. And the rest explains itself." He studied my features continuously then kissed me softly on the line of my jaw. "If it's what you want, then wait we shall." He smiled and rested his head on mine.
"Question: If I wait until 18 to marry you, to be the same as as you, will I get older still?"
"Yes," he said solemly. "That is why my parents do not approve of us. They think it'll be odd to be a couple when you're 65 and I'm still 18."
I sighed. "I guess there's always a downside to a perfect match." I paused, hopelessly then sparked up. "Wait, isn't there something we can do that I won't age?"
"Of course, there's always a way. I've read about it in science non-fiction. You know, those old myth books, but they're not myths."
"I don't want to know what you have to do. If it's some potion thing, then just slip it into my food or something. Or if your'e a creature from darkness, just bit me or scratch me when I'm least expecting it...when I'm 18."
"Are you sure you don't want to know what I am?"
"Absolutely positively sure. Keep it to yourself."
He smiled and kissed me in earnest. "Damn only 730 days to go."