Nine Lives

“Okay, so what I have so far is that I’m this ‘prophet’” I made air quotes when I said prophet “and I have nine lifetimes, which makes me feel like a car, but if I die the ninth time all the generation stuff happens.” Vic nodded.
“Oh and Death can’t be killed. He dies when I die for the final time.” I smiled, proud at myself for remembering a load of bullshit that might save my life one day.
“Pretty much. It’s basics and that’s all you really need to know. The rest is just jibber jabber.” He waved his hand off at the rest.
I sighed, relieved. “Does this mean we can go back to normal?”
“Yes it does.”
“Finally!” I leaned back in my chair relaxing. I felt like I did in High School after I finished my SATs. I looked at the clock that said it was two-thirty. Katelynne would be home at five so I have some time to kill.
“Right, what now?” Vic asked just as my stomach grumbled loudly. Vic stifled a laugh.
“Ops.” I managed, biting my lip in embarrassment.
“Food?” he asked
“Yes.”
“What?”
“Hmm-I have a mas craving for Taco Bell right now.”
“Grease on grease it is.” Vic laughed light, smiling as we stood up from the dining island. Tony bolted when we came downstairs claiming he has errands to run. I used to pull that excuse all the time; the only errands I ever ran were to the Cineplex by the beach. They religious played black and white horror.
We got back into my car and we drove to the nearest Taco Bell. I’m pretty sure I ordered enough to feed a horse, but when I was hungry, I was hungry.
“If you ever see Jaime again, you say nothing of this.” I eyed him taking a bit of my burrito.
“He might know already.” He tapped the side of his head “Mexican telepathy.” He laughed taking a sip of his drink.
“You’re Mexican?” I asked confused. He nosed and I shrugged. “Learn something new every day.”
We ate and talked. It turned out we had ore in common than we thought. We liked the same bands and oddly enough attended the same High School but twelve years apart. Vic stopped aging when he died; he killed himself when he was twenty-one so he was technically thirty-eight right now.
“So you’re like old enough to be my dad-that is if you totally banged my Mom when you were twelve… which is just weird-oh my god- let’s pretend I never said anything.” I spat out in a jumble. I stirred the leftover ice in my cup with its straw. Vic just kept staring at me, almost amused.
“Sorry, sometimes I ramble the most stupid things and I don’t know…” I trailed on and held my tongue a moment later when Vic started snoring and pretending to sleep.
“Hey!” I took out an ice cube and threw it at him. It bounced off his nose. Ten points.
“Oww!” He rubbed his nose. “I wonder if Death is immune to talking.”
I crossed my arms and frowned. “Rude.” I turned away then turned back. “And I doubt that ice cube hurt that da-Oww!” My hand rushed to my own nose.
Vic was currently laughing and he was guilty as hell because there was a pile of ice in front of him from his over turned cup. I picked up a handful of the ice and pulled his collar before chucking it down his shirt. I leaned back and smirked as he got up dancing the ice out.
“You are going to pat for that.” He said between laughs as he picked up my full cup of ice.
“No!” I squeaked and stood running off but he just followed.
A member of staff came up. “I’m sorry but I’m goi-“but I was already out of the door hiding between the cars in the lot.
I sucked at staying quiet, I shuffled around a lot and of course he found me and I fell the ground in fits of laughter with ice all over me. I caught a glimpse of my watch and I saw it was four-thirty.
“Shit.” I breathed as I quickly got onto my feet “Katelynne will be home soon.”
“Oh, you should go.” Vic said.
“What about you?”
“Me?”
“I mean-how are you going to get home?”
“I have to go the store anyways, I’ll call Tony to pick me up or something.”
“You sure?”
He nodded “Yes. Just go before you’re late.” He shuffled me off.
“Okay, I’ll uhh- see you round.”
“Today was fun.” Vic smiled.
“It was.” I smiled back.
“Bye.” Vic breathed before he left.
“Bye.” I replied even though he was out of hearing range.

I drove back to mine and pulled up into my normal space. There was an empty place next to my car which I swore Vic has parked his car. I shook my head, getting out, not even trying to think about his weird ways.
I passed my fob and has my key in the door when I heard laughter coming from inside. I cautiously opened the door and passed the hallway into the living room. On the lounge was Katelynne and Austin, of all people, and Alan say on one of the separate chairs.
“Umm, hi.” I said walking into the room confused.
“Kells!” Katelynne shot up and kissed me before leaving her arms around my neck.
“Hey.” I kissed her back “Uh, who’s this?” I eyed them knowingly, but spoke stupidly.
“Oh this is Alan.” She gestured. “He goes to my school and studies music; this is Austin his bo-“
“Friend.” Austin spoke up. “His friend.”
“Right, yeah.” Katelynne said dragging out the “I” before looking up to smile at me.
“Hi.” I smiled politely even though I really wanted to shout and ask what the hell they were doing in my house. “He does music? How’d you meet then?”
“Oh, well I kind of got coffee spilled on me by Alan.” I looked briefly to her jeans and saw a faded stain. “and he apologised frantically then asked me to join him and his bo-“
“Friend,” Austin interjected.
“For coffee and we just hit it off.” She finished.
“That’s nice.” I turned to them “Would you like to stay for dinner or…?”
“I do-“ Austin started.
“Yes!” Alan shot up smiling. “We’d love too. Oh!” He got an idea. “ We should totally double date, Katie!”
Katelynne gasped in realisation “Yes!”
Austin face palmed. Obviously I now knew what he originally didn’t want me to know. Him and Alan were dating. I wonder if Vic, Gabe or Tony knew?
Alan and Katelynne were engrossed in conversation so I took my opportunity and sat next to Austin.
“So-you and Alan? Do they know?” He knew who I meant.
“Gabe suspects, but Tony and Vic just think we’re friends attached at the hip.” He spoke calmly.
“So no?” He nosed in confirmation.
“I don’t want them to know-at least not yet.”
I nodded. “I won’t tell them. Do they at least know you’re… you know?”
“I’m bi.” He stated. “And yes they do.”
“Then why not tell them?”
“It’s only been a few weeks, and I’ve got a good thing going. I don’t want to jinx it.”
Austin’s confession really had me at the throat thinking about my friendship with Vic. How close we’d seem to come in just a few days. Today’s goodbye; I didn’t want to admit it, but I felt static electricity.
“Babe?” I looked up to the sound of Katelynne. The glow around her seemed to be fading.
“Yeah?”
“Do you mind cooking?”
“Sure.” I said standing. “But the only thing I can cook without burning is spaghetti.”
“That’s fine.” She smiled.
“I’ll help.” Austin said following me into the kitchen.
I got out the required ingredients; Austin started chopping vegetables for a salad while I started on boiling water and making sauce. In the middle of our quiet antics, Austin started a very interesting conversation.
“Vic likes you.” I stopped mid stir.
“Uhm, as a friend?” I continued.
“No.” He chopped a pepper in half on cue.
“Oh.” What was I supposed to say?
Austin turned around, knife in hand, almost a silent threat.
“Don’t hurt him. I know you’re with Katelynne and probably straight as a blade, but don’t break his heart for the sake of your ego.”
I couldn’t believe I was about to confess to Austin of all people.
“I uhm-I don’t know what I am anymore.” I snuck a peak at Austin who had returned to chopping, not showing a reaction. The room was silent for what seemed like an eternity before he replied.
“So you like him too?”
“I-I don’t know. Maybe.” I put the spaghetti in the water and left the sauce to boil away. Austin was chopping a tomato before he placed it in the salad bowl, finished.
We faced each other with looks that said we knew what the other was thinking so there was no need to say anything, but I broke the ice anyway.
“It’s not official or anything so don’t go round telling people, especially Vic.” I raised an eyebrow in questions. “Secret for a secret?”
Austin contemplated before sighing in defeat. “Deal.”
“Deal.” I repeated and it was official.