Forever 21

The next morning I awoke to find as expected Seans key in my mailbox. I slowly made my way up the steps to the third floor, running my hand along the wall causing the paint to revive itself as I did. I certainly didn’t need his key to enter but I used it anyway.

It was just as I expected inside. Sloppy but not messy. Exactly what you would expect a a single college boys apartment to look like. Papers scattered as well as clothes around the room. A few pictures of what I assumed to be his family strategically placed through out the room. A mother and father, a little brother or perhaps a cousin in a few. He had countless books although Im not sure how many were for school or how many were his personal collection but it didn’t matter.

I only confirmed what I knew to be true by being there, Sean was a mortal and he was of no danger to me. I made my way through his apartment, taking the stale stench with me and replacing it with a fresh one as the walls came back alive, the lights grew brighter as well. I paused and restored his fixtures and then stopped myself. Couldn’t be too excessive. It had to look believable, the amount of work that was done in one day that was.

I left the key on his table and made my way down to the second level. I had much more freedom there as it was currently vacant. I would rent it soon enough though, just a matter of finding the appropriate tenant. Perhaps another college student, or a single recluse like myself. Some one who was quiet and wouldn’t bring much attention around.

After I was satisfied with the improvements I had made I had settled myself into Mildreds couch and was debating my plans for the night with Ingrid. She seemed to feel an appropriate use of my night would be remaining seated with her, stroking her fur until the daybreaks once more.

The sharp knocking on the door startled her but not me. I had sensed him coming down a while ago and it troubled me. How he was seemingly finding his way into my radar unwillingly…

“What is it now Sean?” I opened the door and it seemed like what ever words he had prepared to say had simply fallen from his mouth and he couldn’t pick them back up and I quickly realized why. I wasn’t dressed.

Well I was dressed but not how I usually dressed layer upon layer. I was wearing only a pair of jeans and a solid blue tshirt clinging to my curves.

“The place looks great.” He finally spoke and I gave him a forced smile. “No Im serious thank you so much.” He tells me and I knew he was sincere.

“Its fine.” I replied but once more he wasn’t going to let me go that easy.

“I mean I asked Mildred a lot of times but umm.” He continued on as I stared at him a little impatiently. “But you know, that’s really why I came down to say thank you.” He added and I found myself wondering if he babbles this incessantly to everyone.

“And you did.” I point out and he chuckled lightly.

“Um yeah but I was thinking umm see I ordered a pizza-” He throws out there and I looked over to Ingrid on the couch beckoning me back to her. “And I was thinking that maybe as a thank you…” His voice trailed off a little as I swung my eyes back on to him. A night with Ingrid or a night with Sean?

I chose Sean. As much as I adored Ingrids company, Sean could speak back to me. Not that I didn’t understand Ingrid and she understood me all to well I suspect, but human contact was something I needed. There was a reason why I kept making my way back to the cities. I just couldn't stand the thought of living underground or recluse myself to a castle buried deep in the mountains of Eastern Asia as so many vampires had.

I told him I needed to change and Id be up in a few minutes. He seemed a little too pleased by this, but nevertheless the plans were made… I tossed on a few more layers and received quite a disproving stare from Ingrid and Elsa too no less before heading up to Seans.

I couldn’t help but smile to myself as he let me in. It was much cleaner then it was earlier. The scent I had left was still lingering in the air as well as the scent of the pizza he had now laid out on the table.

Once more he thanked me for the paint as well as apologized for his lack of appropriate refreshments to serve. He wasn’t really expecting me to come up I suppose so all he had was a few scattered beers in his fridge and some orange kool-aid. I took a beer so he did as well. I found myself wondering if I had taken the kool-aid if he would’ve too as well…

As we ate Sean babbled about his family. He was originally from upstate New York, his family was still there, and he moved here alone after being accepted into the University. And then as expected he asked me about mine. I gave him the same response I had given so many over the years, just changing the dates as needed.

That I was as I appeared to be of Egyptian heritage but born and raised in the USA. That I was adopted by Mildreds sister when I was an infant and sadly she too had passed, suffering from the same affliction as Mildred- age and poor genes. That I knew full well the story of my adoption and didn’t wish to discuss it, because there was always someone who felt they could help me by poking around in my past.

“You know youre very beautiful.” Sean finally says and I suppose it was the alcohol giving him the courage to say it, as the pizza was long gone and we were working on our third drink together on the couch.

“Well thank you that’s very nice of you to say.” I replied politely and he shook his head a little.

“No you know who you look like?” He grinned a little eagerly like he was going to say something earth shattering that I never heard before.

“Hmm?” I didn’t mean to encourage him but I suppose I did.

“Cleopatra!” He declares and I couldn’t help but smile at the comparison.

“Cleopatra was a bitch.” I declared, the alcohol was now making its way into my mouth as well. Sean chuckled as he got up to fetch a book from his shelf.

“You say that like you know her.” He laughed and I shrugged a little as I took another sip from my bottle. That was cause I did, and she was a bitch. But men wrote the history books and they left out some parts about her out of respect for her beauty. “Here.” He shoves the opened book in my lap and I looked down at the illustrations.

“Yes that’s her.” I nodded a little and he grinned once more as he pulled it back from me. “Why do you have this?” I asked a little curiously. It wasn’t a very popular picture of her. Not the ones you see in traditional text books at least.

“Im a history major.” He tells me almost like he was sort of embarrassed about it.

“Oh I am too.” I tried to make him feel better. Three drinks was definitely past my limits. One drink and I could still keep my wits about me. Two drinks and even a man like Mortimer can seduce me to his bed as my common sense fades. Three drinks and I lose all concept of sense as words I don’t intend to speak fall from my lips.

“Are you really?” Sean asked eagerly and I had to shake my head no.

“I mean I was but Im kinda taking a break from school right now.” I corrected myself quickly and then decided it was best if I wrapped things up quickly for the night before things went too far…

“Yeah I know how that is.” Sean says and I knew he really didn’t. He couldn’t understand. No one could except maybe Mortimer… “I mean I majored in so many things before settling into this. History is just such a good fit for me…” Sean began carrying on and I suppose the alcohol swirling in my bloodstream made it much more tolerating to listen to his babbling. “..so now that Ive got my major sorted Ive finally settled on my thesis.” He gestured as if he was pleased with it and I should be too.

“Oh whats it on?” I found myself asking.

“The Pharaohs.” He announced and I felt myself tensing up as he spoke. “More specifically Im challenging the order of the fourteenth dynasty King-”

“King Nehesi…”