SIX
2008 Words
“Found you!”
“I didn’t get lost,” Victoria said to Mike.
“Ah. I was expecting you to see you in class.”
Victoria was sitting at the edge of a pond, throwing treats to the couple of ducks playing in the pond. “Didn’t realize we have that kind of relationship.”
Mike scoffed, “We do. You owe me an answer, I do expect it to be yes though. I mean what could I possibly have done for you to give me a rejection.”
Victoria ignored him. She continued looking at the pond like she had forgotten he was there. She looked sad and lonely and in conflict with herself.
“Okay. What is wrong with you?” Mike asked as he sat down beside her.
She looked confused, as if she didn’t know who he is was or what he was doing here, “What?”
“What is wrong with you?”
Victoria didn’t need this at the moment. She had thought walking round the campus seeing smiling faces and beautiful people would calm her down, she was wrong. She had taken a wrong turn and had gotten lost when she saw the pond. She has been reminiscing ever since.
“Um, nothing. I am fine,” she shook her head as if wishing away bad thoughts. “How did you find me?”
Mike looked at her. She is radiant, he thought. There is no way she wasn’t human; her energy was a hundred percent pure. “Pure fate. I was going to see a friend.”
“The sun really is out. This season’s weather is strange.”
“It’s afternoon already, Victoria.”
“It is? I didn’t really notice.”
“Hard to notice morning has turned to noon when you are in your own world.”
Victoria giggled, “Be nice to have your own world.”
“Yeah, sure. So, you pregnant?”
“What?! Why will you ask that?”
“That’s the only thing I can think of. I just want you to know that I will love you nonetheless.”
Victoria looked at him shockingly wondering if he was joking or not. Then she saw the laughter in his eyes before it came out of his mouth. She joined him in laughing too, feeling relief for the first time that day since she woke up.
“Thanks.”
“You are welcome. How is that dinner going to be?”
“Fantastic. We can even make it a double date with your brother and Irene.”
“Okay?”
“Yes, it will be fun.”
“I know a bait when I see one, my father taught me that early.”
Victoria laughed, “Oh yeah. Must be nice.”
“It is. Has saved me from a lot of mess over the years.”
“The years, must be a lot of years.”
“Another bait.”
Victoria smiled at him and didn’t say anything. She looked back at the pond, not looking lonely this time but looking as though she has seen some glimpse of hope for her problems.
“So how did you know I was here?”
“I told you already I was visiting a friend.”
“Oh yeah, you did. Seems to be forgetting things a lot these days. I heard you asked me out for dinner.”
Mike smiled knowingly, “Victoria, what is your last name?”
“Jordan,” she answered giggling.
“Okay. So. Victoria Jordan. Will you go out with me for dinner?”
She giggled again, “Yes. But first,” she said standing up and dusting off her clothes, “I need to talk my friends and savage whatever is left of today.”
“I wish you luck.”
“Uh- uh. I don’t know where I am so you are going to be my Google Maps.”
“You are not asking.”
“No, I am not asking.”
Mike stood up, “Let’s get you out of Bruce Starter’s. You walked quite a distance,” he said as he led her to his Hyundai.
“Wow.”
“Wow what?”
“Not your car,” she said acting disgusted. “I am wowed at the distance I seemed to have walked.”
“Perhaps you were sleepwalking.”
She eyed him, “You may know baits but you know nothing about how not to get into a fight with one. You have a lot to learn.”
“You have a lot to teach me,” he said grinning. They were silent for a while, simply just enjoying the drive.
“The father denied the baby, you know? Said he wasn’t the owner.”
“What baby? I am not pregnant.”
“Of course, you are not. I am saying that that’s what happens in most cases.”
“You could say sixty percent of the cases.”
“That doesn’t qualify a much?”
“It doesn’t. I will say, in my own opinion, that girls ought to be more careful. We all know what s*x leads to, don’t we?”
“Yes. Marriage, babies, breakups, eternal humiliation, rejection and so the list goes. Would you like me to continue?”
“I like there be a limit to my humiliation, yes.”
“How did you really walk this far?”
“I was feeling pretty weird this morning. Had the most annoying dream.”
“We are not yet in that position for me to ask you about your dream, are we?”
“You could ask as a friend.”
“Would you tell me?”
“No.”
Mike smiled. The girl was really a thing. He had looked for her in class, was worried when he didn’t see her. He had asked her friends but they knew nothing about her whereabouts. She was all he could think about. Maybe the Sage was right.
“Thinking out loud?”
“What?”
“You just smiled like you were thinking about something. Something nice.”
“You were looking at me?”
“Ugh, it is not like that. I saw you from the corner of my eye.”
“Girls and excuses.”
“Alas!" she said as her dorm came into view. "My dorm.”
“I don’t think you still have any classes today.”
“Neither do I. I do need to check my wardrobe though; pretty sure I have no outfit for going to dinners.”
“You’ll surely make do.”
“I will, won’t I?” she winked as she stepped out of the car. She held the door and sighed, “Thank you, Mike. Really.”
He nodded, “It was a pleasure.”
She closed the door and went up the steps to her dormitory. He sat there in the car looking at her go. A minute later, someone got into his car.
He sighed, “Alicia.”
“Mike. You still with that girl.”
“Fortunately.” He turned to look at her, “Look, she is human. They are all human, all of them. the Sage is lying. Tell father that.”
“I can’t, I told him I will convince you and your brother. Next thing I know, he is going on a date with that redhead. What are guys going to do, double date?”
“Might be an option.”
“Are you even taking this serious?”
“There is nothing to take serious here, Alicia.”
“Your father will not be happy. At least, give the Sage a benefit of doubt.”
“The Sage can go f**k himself for all I care.” He put the key in ignition, “Airport or hotel?”
She keyed in the seatbelt, “Take me to Mark. One of you must see sense.”
“Such a bad idea.”
Victoria met her room filled with different clothes and fabrics. “Hi?”
“Hey,” Jennifer said breathlessly from under a pile of clothes she was under.
“What is happening?”
“Got some requests.”
“Some?! Where am I going to sleep?!”
Jennifer lifted her brow, “What happened to you?”
“How do you mean?”
“This morning you were all sad and reflective and teary and all that. Now, you are, you are opposite of all that.”
“Isn’t that a good thing?”
“It is, I am not complaining. Where were you?”
“Bruce Starter’s.”
“Holy s**t. How did you get there?!”
“Walked. To be honest, I don’t know how.”
“Walked. If you didn’t know how you got there then how did you get back?”
“Why are you asking so many questions?”
“Now, you are being evasive.”
Victoria hesitated, “Mike found me.”
Jennifer laughed, “‘Mike found me.’ Babe, you sound like high school.”
“Ugh. It wasn’t that cheesy.”
“It was,” Jennifer argued.
“Whatever,” she said as she changed her clothes. “Wait a minute, the requests you got are for what?”
“A party. That is holding on Friday. And yes, you are coming.”
“What? No. I have a dinner date.”
“A lie.”
“It is not.”
“I would say make a call to confirm but you don’t have his number, do you?”
“I will be sick on Friday.”
“You won’t.”
“Where is Amanda? She is the best defense for this kind of situation.”
“She and Irene went to the mall for the shoes.”
“I thought it was supposed to be Irene and you.”
“I couldn’t leave this. I chose them over some pictures.”
“I am going to head over to the library, need to catch up on those classes I missed.”
“Ok. Bye.”
“Victoria,” Jennifer called as she reached the door. “I am glad you are fine.”
Victoria nodded and headed to the library. She pulled out her phone and dialed a number.
“Hi Mom.”
“Sweetie. How are you? I wasn’t expecting your call. You okay?”
“Yes, I am. How is everyone?”
“Good.”
“Heard anything about Jason? I have been dreaming badly lately.”
There was a pause on the other end.
“Mom?”
“Haven’t heard anything yet. You’ll be the first to know when we do, okay?”
“Okay. Take care.”
“Bye love,” and the call dropped.
On the steps of the library where she had stood to make the call, she felt a strange wind. She looked around but there was nothing unusual.
“You are being paranoid, Vic,” she muttered to herself and entered the library.
A person standing alone few feet away from the library watched her go in. He had watched her walk that morning, he had followed her to the park. He had watched her think, had watched that her knight in shining armor come, had watched them talk, had watched them leave and had followed them back to the dormitory.
She didn’t know what she was getting herself into, dancing with a vampire; how deadly that dance can end. She had just made his work easier for him.
- Writer
