Emery

A week later

He had been staring at me all day, well, more than usual. I had been riding with him all week and its Friday again. I was going with Alice, today, though. She had been begging me to go to the bookstore with her. I finally gave in and agreed.

“So, what’d you bring me here for?” I asked Alice. Alice sat across from me at the coffee shop located inside the bookstore- her legs crossed and fixing her mascara in a compact. She looked up from herself for a minute. Her face looked pained.

“Are you effing Neptune?” it all came out in one breath.

“Thanks for being so direct,” I rolled my eyes, “The answer is no, by the way.” She hmphed, and went back to staring at the mirror.

“What you don’t believe me?” She stuck her bottom lip out and shook her head no.

“You’re still talking to him aren’t you?” her head went to the side, causing her puppy dog, heavily charcoal lined eyes to shine. I couldn’t lie to her face. I mumbled a yes. She didn’t look surprised; she got up off her metal chair. Dragging me up to the counter she was completely silent. A blonde, uninterested female college student was working. ‘Natalie’ as her nametag read just stared at us blankly, she clearly didn’t want to be here.

“Hello, I’d like a double chocolate chip iced frappe.” She turned to me, “And she’d like an iced hot chocolate.” How she knew me well enough to order exactly what I’d like leaves me stunned. She turned around and took her seat once again, leaving me with the bill. I carried her frappe and sat it in front of her.

“Awh, you shouldn't have! Alright, you’re forgiven.” She smiled evilly.

“So, dish.” She looked to me expectantly. I licked my lip and thought for a moment. How was I to word this…?

“Okay, this is how it went…” she listened silently sipping her drink as I told the whole, long, complicated story of us, leaving out the whole ‘I know what you are’ thing.

“And, I really just don’t know. He hasn’t really tried anything other than just that one time. I can’t believe he took me to his aunt without telling me that she wasn’t one to make conversation. It was all a tad weird. I think he thinks that there is something special about me but is having trouble finding out what that is. I don’t know. What do you think I should do?”

“Uh...”her face scrunched up in thought, and then relaxed. “Spend the night over?” She nodded, so sure she could come up with some solution. I myself doubted this. I nodded once as I took a big sip of my cold chocolate. This was going to be a long night, the first night I’d spend with a friend I can ever remember. Maybe I'd wouldn't solve my problems, just forget them.

I got my piece-of-shit phone out of my messenger bag. I flipped my stone-age phone open. The screen read: 1 New Message. I can’t feel my phone vibrate, so I just have to check when I think about it. Oh, speaking of pieces-of-shit, guess who the first message was from? Yeah, you guessed it, father. JKFBRRING HOMEFDAE KFCFDA. Still hasn’t figured out how to use his phone, I see. I didn’t text back, but I’d bring him chicken when I went home to get clothes. He obviously has a hangover. He’ll pass out. So there really isn’t a point in asking. I closed my phone and looked to Alice.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - -- - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - -
“Hey, can you wait here?” She looked momentarily confused. Time to make up an excuse, I decided. “My house is really messy! Plus, it’ll be much quicker if you’d just wait here. I’ll be fast.” I didn't wait for a reply before I shut her car door and ran up the steps. I practically fell through the door, damn locks. I found dad watching TV, beer in hand.

“Here’s your chicken,” I said my voice level, placing it on his lap. The only reaction I got was a grunt.
I went upstairs and packed my overnight bag. Hell if I know what to pack, it’s not like I do this…ever. Tank top, hoodie, jeans, normal things I’d need for one night. I walked outside and opened the door to her car,a silver Kia Soul. I threw my bag in the backseat.

“So, lets see… She scrolled through her text messages. There’s a club over on 9th street, you been?” My eyes widened. I’d never been to any club in my life. “Oh. No? Let’s go then.”
We drove to her apartment. Not the nicest there is but not a dump. When went up the elevator in the brownstone. She pressed the top button. Apparently she lived in the loft apartment, top floor. We got to the top and stood at the door. She dug through her purse looking for the keys. She found the key and turned it to the right in its lock. With a pop the door opened. She reached in and turned on the light then led me through the threshold. The living room looked normal. There was a coffee table with a pair of keys, ash tray, and pack of cigarettes sitting on it. Surrounding the table were two leather inviting sofas. It was obvious that she was the only one living here. Before I knew it she was sitting with her feet propped up and was opening the pack of fags. She turned the container towards me as I was now sitting on the other couch. I pulled half my face up in a sneer.

“Yeah, I’m not really in the mood either.” She closed the package and sat it back on the table. Her eyes went over my outfit and an idea popped into her head.

“Let’s make you hot.” She brought me through the kitchen, across the wooden floors, and into her room. She sat me in front of her mirrored dresser in a chair, placing out various beauty supplies on it. She started with my hair. Bright red and with a mind of its own, I usually just pulled it back. Apparently this is a no-no. She plugged in the curling iron and when it got hot enough started putting big curls in my waist length hair.