Why Can't I Hate You?

CHAPTER 11

MICHELLE

"I said let her go." repeated Elijah, raising an eyebrow.

"Or what, huh?" Arthur's grip on my wrist tightened, and I winced in pain.

"You know what." Elijah took a step towards us, his eyes on Arthur's wrist. Elijah's attempt to rescue me had me awfully happy and contented. When it comes to Elijah, I get vulnerable. I automatically forget why I keep people away from myself. I forgot the fact which I believed ever since dad died that people only use me for their own welfare when I'm around him. There is some invisible thread by which he keeps me pulling towards him. An unknown hope arose deep inside me. What if he feels the same way? If he has come here to stop Arthur from taking me away, that has to mean something, right?

"Oh, yeah? And why do you care exactly?" Arthur's tone harsh as ever. What must have happened between them. Elijah pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled loudly.

"Look, she is a girl, you're not supposed to treat her that way." Elijah's eyes fell on me, "I heard her protests, she isn't okay with it, so you've no right to treat her like that." After a brief pause, he continues, "If you want to take her away, just go. I don't care one bit, but treat the lady well."

My heart drummed against my chest, and blood rushed to my face. I couldn't decide if I was angry or hurt. My body trembled, unable to contain excessive emotions. A scoff escaped my mouth, and both the men lifted their heads to look at me.

"I'm sorry, but I will have to go back to Arthur's question - why do you care?" I snapped, "Listen, Arthur is my friend, and in case I have any problems with his persecution, I am competent enough to help myself. You, particularly, do not have to bother about it, about me. You just said you don't care. Thank you very much for your concern." I was out of breath by the end, as I forgot to breathe in between. I glared one last time at Elijah's pale face before storming towards Arthur's car.

I jumped onto the passenger seat and closed my eyes, taking deep breaths to calm myself down. Shortly, Arthur joined me in the car before he pulled out of the lot. My face was hot with anger, my heart still drumming. So, it's clear now. I am just a random girl to him. Regular and entirely unimportant. Tears clouded my vision, and I blinked rapidly to hold them back. Calm down, Michelle, said the voice. Shut the f**k up, it's all because of you I expect such things out of people. I squished my eyes shut to scold myself. What the hell was I even thinking? Ash had already mentioned about Elijah's chivalry. There's no point in expecting anything out of his concern for me. There isn't any such stupid s**t between us, neither from him nor from me.

I was so lost in my anger that I didn't pay attention to the situation at hand. Arthur slammed the door after getting out of the car, reminding me of his presence. I looked around to see that we were at some secluded park. He swiftly walked towards my side before he opened the door wide and yelled, "Get out!" That's it. I am annoyed enough, and this man isn't helping.

"Hey! Drop the attitude. Just because I asked him not to intervene doesn't imply I'm ok with it, all right?" I yelled. He sighed heavily and walked into the park. I climbed out of the car and chased after him. Why are we even here? What is going on?

"Why did you get me here?"

"Sit!" he pointed at a park bench. Though I am vexed with him ordering me around, I stayed quiet and obliged.

"What are you doing?" he stretched his hands out.

His words confused me. "Excuse me?"

"What are you doing, Michelle? That stunt, there, in the cafeteria. What was that? In front of people. Are you insane?"

"What—What are you talking about?" I asked, as if I had no clue. Well, partially I didn't actually have a clue. But why does he think it was me?

"Oh! Quit pretending. I know, okay? I'm one of you." One of me? What the hell is he going on about?

I raised my hand in the air, "Arthur, I absolutely do not know what you're talking about?"

He draws my eyebrows together in confusion. "Really?" he scanned my face as if he was trying to study me.

"Okay! Well, you know that you're the one responsible for the what happened in the cafeteria today, don't you?"

I averted my eyes from him and looked around. Should I tell him? Will he not think that I'm insane? Well, he said he is one of you, whatever that is, it means he is insane as well, my subconscious mind said. Yes, and he appears to know something about this. Maybe he can help me out. I looked back at Arthur. He raised his eyebrows, waiting for my answer.

I nodded, "I might be." Sighing, I rubbed my temples. "I don't know Arthur. Things like that have been happening lately, since I moved to Seattle. I don't know what's wrong with me and how to stop it or fix it. It's so overwhelming." His eyes softened, and a smile spread across his face.

"I understand," he said, placing his hand on my shoulder. "There's something you need to know, Michelle." I stared back, waiting for him to continue. "You are gifted. You possess magical abilities which can either make or break everything around you. Michelle, you are a witch." I looked at Arthur, blank as ever, unable to process the words he just said. Witch? Magic? He must be kidding.

"I am serious." Arthur said, reading my thoughts. "I am a wizard."

Wizard? Did he read Harry Potter last night like I did? I'm so worried about all this situation and he is messing with my mind. I got up from the bench and start walking back to his car.

"Where are you going?" he shouted.

I turned. "You really thought I'd buy that? Listen, I am way too worried here and all you want to do is make fun of me and talk all silly."

"Look, I know it is a lot to take in. But, let me prove it to you." He looked up at the sky. The sun was bright and shining, and the sky was clear. He kept staring at the sky and in no time, the weather changed. Black clouds appeared and the sun was covered deep in thick layers of clouds. Wind whooshed around us, carrying dust and dried leaves. Arthur looked at me. "Now do you believe me?" I couldn't say no after witnessing that, but saying yes seemed to be so unrealistic.

"Climate change is the basic of all our powers."

"I have seen such sudden changes in weather. I thought, that was just, you know, Seattle. But, I never stared at sky or something, it just happened."

"Yes, that's because your powers are all over the place. You need to be trained. You'll have to learn how to control them."

All this was awfully surreal. I'm a witch? How can that even be? It is impractical. These stuffs are supposed to subsist only on silky pages of some novel. I sat on the bench and placed my head in my hands. I groaned, "I wish I'd stayed back in Oklahoma."

"And, how would that change anything?"

"All this started after I moved in here. I was a normal girl back there." Arthur chuckled at my conclusion.

"This is not some sort of parasitic disease, Michelle, which you got infected while moving to Seattle. You were born with this."

"No! There were no glass shattering or climate changes or visions in Oklahoma."

"As you have no control over your powers, such channeling can happen to things you put your emotions on." he paused. "Like today, you were angry, and you inadvertently channeled your powers to the source of your emotions. It was not intentional, it happened because of the acute vehemence of your feelings.

"So, I think back in Oklahoma you were not very emotional, like neither happy nor sad, neither laughing nor crying. Perhaps you had a very neutral mood over there." He continued. He was right. I barely expressed any emotions. Having my mom and her tantrums towards me would just stress me out, and that's the only emotion I felt: stress. I sighed and nodded after evaluating Arthur's reason.

"Did you notice your parents doing any weird stuff?" Arthur asked, "any of them?"

"No, I lost my dad at a very young age, so I don't remember him doing anything weird. Coming to my mom, I would love to say she is a witch, but in a very non creepy, non-magical way. At least as far as I've noticed." Arthur nodded thoughtfully.

"Do you have their pictures? I'll ask around if they have any connections."

"When my dad died, mom burned all his things, even pictures. Therefore, I don't really remember him except how happy we were when he was along." I said, looking up at the sky, hoping dad heard me. "Regarding my mother, yes, I have her picture." I searched on my phone and showed it to him once I found it.

"No, I've not seen her. Send me that picture, I'll ask my teacher." Arthur said thoughtfully.

"Teacher? Don't tell me even Hogwarts is real?" Arthur laughed.

"Well, not exactly Hogwarts, but yes, there used to be a magical school. Not anymore though." I watched his smile fade. He might have really enjoyed going to that school.

"I'll talk to my teacher, explain to him about your situation. Let's see what he has to say." I nodded. "And hey, I am sorry for how I treated you. Hate to agree with Elijah, but he was right, it's not a way to treat a girl." He bowed his head in shame.

"It's okay," I smiled.

"Let's go back." He said, before walking towards his car. Ask him, prompted my subconscious voice.

"Arthur!" he turned to look at me. "May I ask what happened between Elijah and you?" Arthur's eyebrows furrowed as he walked back to stand in front of me.

"I think you've had enough for today." Yes, I did. I had enough of my anxiety and I can't take it anymore. I crossed my hands at my chest and stare at him to convey 'you better talk.' Arthur sighed, showing his defeat.

"There are many things in this world, Michelle, many creatures and weirdos like you and I. There's not a thing that God has not created in this world. Outside, we all appear to be conventional and loving, but inside, we carry a load full of secrets. Elijah is one of those weirdos."

"What kind? Is there good magic and evil magic? Does he belong to other community or something?"

He shook his head. "No! Elijah is a... a vampire." I heard my gasp, and my eyes widened. No way. I really had enough.

"A vampire? Like someone who drinks people's blood and kills them?"

"Yes." No. This is ludicrous. First witch, now vampire. I bet Arthur reads a lot of fiction, which is no good for me. If I point to a person walking on the main road and ask who he was, Arthur might say he is a coyote. This will drive me crazy.

"You mean, he is not alive?" I secretly waited for Arthur to burst out laughing and negate whatever he had said from the time we arrived here. That would have been the meanest joke in the history of the human race, but at least it would have relieved me.

"Well, yes, technically." I frowned, realizing he was serious. How the hell is any of this possible. A vampire? "Our worlds are not as simple as humans'. We need to keep our world a secret. As oblivious humans can be about these worlds, the less danger poses to our existence and theirs too. People don't know about these things because we don't allow them to know about us. Elijah's world and ours have that one thing in common."

"Is - Is he the only one here?" I inquired.

"No. The group he was sitting with today, they are all vampires." My eyes spread wide in incredulity. My head spun, but I couldn't control my mouth to stop asking questions.

"I don't get it. Why would they want to study?" It absolutely makes no sense.

"That, I don't know. You need to ask them that question." He shrugged and smiled while answering. "But, I suggest you stay away from all of them, especially Elijah." I looked up to meet Arthur's eyes. "It's just that you both move with the same group. He has access to you. And, it is better not to let anyone know about you."

I couldn't help but ask, "Why?"

"It's better if they don't know that you are a witch. Because you don't have the entire knowledge of your powers yet. You don't know how to attack a vampire, and how to defend yourselves from one." A shiver ran down my spine, and I sat on the park bench. Arthur walked to me and knelt in front of me. "Elijah will not think twice before snapping your head." Arthur said, and I heard my gasp.