I
October was Agnes Meadows' favorite month of the year. Halloween was her favorite holiday, and being a costume designer was her passion in life.
The seventeen-year-old high school senior paused the show she was watching on the TV. Her phone was vibrating on the coffee table.
She reached to pick it up, and stared at the image on the screen, indicating a new text.
Agnes shrugged, then opened the next from one of her friends, wondering what they wanted so late at night. It was Friday, so that most likely meant one of two things.
One, she needed to ditch her post as Cupcake's babysitter.
Two, she needed to listen to a drunken rant in the middle of the night.
The text happened to be neither of those things, for which Agnes was grateful. She had a low tolerance for friends who didn't want anything to do with her, unless they were under the influence of liquid courage.
From: L
This party sucks. You still on guard duty?
Of course the first thing he said was what he was doing, before he asked what she was doing.
Agnes tucked a lock of dyed red hair behind her ear, combing out the tangles with her free hand, while she tapped out a reply with the other.
To: L
You've said that about the last three parties you've been to. Maybe you should stop going, cause then I won't have to listen to you bitch about it. And yeah, I am. I'm not leaving until Rowan gets here.
The redhead sent the text, then continued to watch TV. Netflix was both a blessing and a curse, but there was nothing she could do besides sleep. There was no way she was going to fall asleep when she was the one responsible for Cupcake's well-being.
Her phone buzzed again, which bothered her enough to turn the volume down to silent. She could see the screen glow with new messages, so she didn't need to hear it.
From: L
Ouch, that hurt. Seriously. No, I won't stop and you can't make me. Do you want me to come over?
Agnes could hear the sarcasm in his tone, layered with mild irritation that switched to concern in five seconds.
She sighed, and stared at the TV, watching Buffy Summers kick the Master's ass once and for all.
To: L
Whatever, I warned you. You can if you want.
She knew it wasn't against the rules to invite people over while she was babysitting. The only reason why it wasn't, was because she never had a reason. She didn't need to have company outside of the eleven-year-old girl upstairs.
That didn't mean she didn't want someone else to be around.
Right now, she wanted to see anyone but Rowan.
If he walked in the door, like he hadn't been gone for the last three years, she was going to kick him in the balls.
Agnes braided her hair to distract herself from her violent thoughts. She watched the credits roll on the TV, before the seconds counted down to the next episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
She looked down at her phone while the announcer relayed the opening narration. It was cheesy, but that didn't stop her from murmuring it aloud.
"Into every generation a slayer is born: one girl in all the world, a chosen one. She alone will wield the strength and skill to fight the vampires, demons, and the forces of darkness; to stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their number. She is the Slayer."
From: L
I'm on my way, but there's some traffic and a road block. I'll just take a shortcut - ten minutes tops.
Agnes rolled her eyes. There was hardly any traffic at this hour, except bar and club patrons on the main road during an event. But L wasn't hanging out in a bar, or dancing the night away in a club. He was at Wendy's house, this time.
She thought it was strange, after everything that had happened.
After she picked up the pieces of his life in the wake of Rowan's unexpected departure, L had immersed himself in social events.
The more people, the better, it seemed.
That just made it worse, because no matter how L spent his days and nights, Agnes knew he was still hurt. He wasn't the only one Rowan had left alone, and three years had done nothing to dull the ache.
It had taken them a long time to adjust, to get over it the best they could. But they were still angry, and they always would be, to some degree.
More so because the anger was part righteous indignation that he would just leave his family. He could have stayed with L or Agnes, if he bothered to ask for help. The other part was bitter disbelief, after nine years of friendship and then some, that he would just leave them behind.
Agnes settled back on the couch, and watched Buffy, until another text came through.
From: L
Open the door.
The girl paused the episode she was on, before she got up. She walked around the fireplace, through the kitchen, into the foyer.
Agnes turned on the hall light, and peered through the glass. It looked like L on the other side, so she wasn't worried about a serial killer coming after her.
Burgess, Virginia was not known for its criminals.
She unlocked the door, and stepped aside, holding it open for her friend.
"Thanks. You didn't have to, but thanks." Agnes told the auburn-haired, blue-eyed nineteen-year-old standing on the front porch.
L shrugged a shoulder. "You're welcome. It's what friends do." he said, pocketing his phone as he walked inside.
"Are you sure you want to be here?" she wondered as she closed and locked the door, turning to face him. He was a few inches taller than herself, though he had grown a bit over the summer.
L was taking off his shoes, and had draped his jacket over the arm of the small sofa on the other side of the coat closet. "If I wasn't completely sure, then I wouldn't be here. I'd be at home, drinking alone instead of with strangers." he said firmly.
Agnes nodded. "All right, but it's your funeral if you get into another fight."
She walked back to the living room, with L at her heels.
"I think you mean Rowan's funeral, and you don't know the whole story, so quit acting like you do." L reminded her, taking a seat beside her as she made herself comfortable again.
"Oh, my God. I'm not arguing, I swear."
"Too damn bad."
L stuck his tongue out at her like a petulant child. He was just trying to get a rise out of her, Agnes realized. If she was in a bad mood, he did whatever he thought was necessary to change it.
"Can we just watch Buffy, please?" she said, gesturing to the TV while she draped a blanket over her legs.
"Only if we watch Supernatural next."
"Fine. After this episode." Agnes relented, pleased that he hadn't continued to be difficult. It was easier these days, but sometimes he was crueler than he needed to be, for what seemed like no reason.
They didn't talk about the real reason why.