All the Devils are Here

Someone Familiar Pt. 2

Samael

In a surprising turn of events, this girl knows who I am. 'Sammy'. I consider correcting her by telling her Sammy doesn't exist anymore and that no one has called me that since high school but, I don't correct her. I don't feel like doing the dance where I tell a person my name is Samael and they say, Samuel? and I say no, SAMAEL and they say huh, what does that mean? and then I have to brutally lay it on them that my parents thought it'd be a good idea to name me after the devil himself - the poison of God, God of death and seduction. Of course, it never helps that sometimes it does feel like I'm living in line with the name I was given.

It feels like a lifetime ago when I was in Uptown. I was 17 and in my Junior year by the time I went there. I didn't get to finish my senior year before I had to return back here. Life was a lot different back then; I hadn't shifted yet. I remember the night the curse got activated and I couldn't control it. I remember why I had to leave. 

It's nice to be reminded of what life used to be like before and running into a normal person from a brief time of my life even if I didn't remember her, it's distracting me from my present reality.

We're standing outside the White Rabbit on the edge of the street. It's barely 9 PM but, there is a crowd of people standing at the entrance and hookers standing outside hoping to land either an entitled rich kid or a balding corrupt politician, or both. It's easy to feel invisible here.

"So what's your name?", 

"Hera". I definitely don't remember a Hera which solidifies her point that we never ran into each other in high school. 

"Okay, full disclosure Hera, the reason I followed you out was that I had this burning urge to provoke you.", 

"What?", she's smiling and then she adds; "Right, I forgot. You're very drunk right now. I think your filter is off". Honestly, I had forgotten that I was playing pretend drunk. I just actually don't have a filter but, I'm fine with her blaming it on the alcohol. 

"What brought you to the White Rabbit tonight? You clearly didn't come to join the party",

"I was in the area. And it's a pretty interesting sign", she glances back at the flashing neon lights in the sky and I'm glad she appreciates it. I know it's a fine establishment but, I still like the compliments. 

"Why are you leaving so soon then?",

"I have other plans",

"Yet here you are on the edge of the street, talking to me", "When you could be inside. Talking to me", my words would have more of an effect if she would keep her gaze in one place but, for some reason, she's avoiding any eye contact that lasts more than 3 seconds. 

Without saying a word to me, she walks into the street and she's crossing to the other side. I don't even know what is going on right now but, I follow her lead once again. 

"That was not a cue for you to walk away, it was a cue for you to head back inside with me", I'm almost yelling at this point because an entourage of cars drive past me causing me to pause while she walks ahead of me. It's ridiculous. The flock of cars reduces and I finally get to join her on the other side of the street where she's already unlocking her car.

"You can tell me to f**k off instead of walking away repeatedly",

"If I told you to f**k off, would you?"

"Absolutely. The only reason I'm here is because you want me to". She seems a little flustered. She doesn't want to tell me to go but, she also doesn't think it's a good idea to stay here and keep talking to me. Her reaction delights me. 

I hear him before he taps me. I turn around to be met with Asher's face. He's not smiling. 

"We need you inside. He's not talking". Almost an hour with this scum and Asher and Lex still haven't been able to make him c***k. Guess if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. 

"I'd be right there". He nods and heads back to the building. Before he walks away he takes a quick glance at Hera.

I turn my attention back to her. She didn't leave even though she had enough time to. 

"Trouble in paradise?", she's leaning an elbow on the door of her car as she speaks. A visual that would probably be stuck in my head for the rest of the night. Well depending on if I still run into Willow tonight. 

"Nothing that can't be solved. I do have to head back inside now". For someone who walked out on me twice, she doesn't seem overly excited by the idea of me leaving now. 

"Alright, it was nice running into you Sammy", another opportunity for me to end this Sammy nonsense but, I wait a minute too long and I let it slide once more. 

"Was it? We were seconds away from you telling me to f**k off"

"Are you still trying to rile me up?"

"Is it working?",

"Does this answer your question?", she says just before she hops into her car and slams the door. She starts her engine causing me to back away from the car. I can't decide whether to laugh or feign anger at her power display. I walk up to her window, lean down and gently knock on the glass. She winds it down. This is the closest I've been to her and for someone so calm on the outside, her heart rate is running a marathon;

"It did answer my question", I was succeeding at provoking her but, she liked it. I don't want this interaction to end just yet and neither does she. She actually holds my eye contact for longer than 3 seconds this time and then she snaps out of it. Before she can say anything or decide to reverse to pull another power display, I lean off her car and start to make my way back towards the building. I'd walk away this time even if it's the last thing I want to be doing.