Doomed To Be Strange
"Dude! What's wrong with you, there's million other places you could go and you chose the museum?!"
"Claire wanted to come here, so here we are"
"But why did I have to come?"
"Because Claire wanted you to come"
A childish giggle erupted from my side when someone grabbed hold of my green cargo pants. I looked down to see a little girl with bright brown eyes staring back at me. She appraised me quickly, then as if deeming me worthy she took hold of my hand and whirled her little body in the direction she had came, with me in tow. I wondered how someone so small could have my hand in such a death grip.
"Excuse me, um, little girl! Could you…I don't know…let go?" I tried prying her little hand off mine. I couldn't. What was with this tiny child?!
"Little girl? Please could you let go? I mean you don't even know me" I tried reasoning, and then I felt stupid for trying to talk some sense into a six year old. Why does this always happen to me? All these weird things happen to me! People trying to bite me, little girls possessed trying to kidnap me. My life is flinging itself farther away from normalcy and into the abyss of crazy. The little girl stopped abruptly, I took this small window of opportunity to try and pull my hand out of her fierce grip. I stomped my feet on the ground in frustration, I was just about to give up being gentle, when a man a bit taller than myself stepped in to help.
"Claire! You should just pull around strangers, it's weird" He said in a deep, chiding voice. I froze when I realized that this must look really bad to the people that had wondered past.
"I'm really, really, really sorry! She doesn't usually pull around random strangers" the man said, I only then noticed that he had really broad shoulders.
"Um…it's okay? I mean I'm sort of a magnet for weird things, so, this kind of normal" I shrugged casually.
The taller man that had been staring at me decided to speak up, "You get taken hostage by children often?" a brilliant smile broke across his face, as I straightened up.
I laughed. "No, this is the first. But it was bound to happen sooner or later" I said trying to included the other man as well.
"I'm Embry, and this is Quil" he introduced. Something sparked in my memory I remembered that name from somewhere,
I put a finger to my chin. "Isn't Embry the name of a soapy star?" I asked my mother watched a lot of TV. Infact I was names after one of the characters in Charlie's Angels but I don't really tell people that. A silence fell over us as I took a deep breath.
I think I offended him, "I didn't mean to offend you, it's just my mother watches a lot of TV and I remember her talking about someone named Embry" I put my hands up showing I was harmless. Embry's face suddenly turned panicked, "no, no, No! I'm not offended, just shocked" he looked like he was going to freak out. Like I said I was a magnet for weird, every boyfriend I have ever had was a weirdo. I smiled gently before he could say anything else looked at Quil.
"It was really nice meeting you, but I've got to go, I'm Dylan by the way" I said, shaking his hand. I turned to Embry "so maybe I'll see you around" I looked down at Claire, who had finally let go of me. "See you later kiddo" I said as I messed up her black curls before walking off. Museums are not what they appear, they attract really strange people. Note to self: never go back. I sighed as I walked down the stairs and walked down the street to the Florist's, where I happen to work. It's kind of sad that I ended up working for my grandmother, but nobody else wanted me. It doesn't matter though I like working there, and I love my grandmother. I walked into our small shop, Granma was standing behind the desk talking to a really, really tall guy. He kind of reminded me of Quil and Embry…actually they looked like clones, but this guy was taller and had shorter hair. Really they all had the same russet skin, and the same dark eyes…clones, undeniably clones. I walked past them and into the back office we had, I took my apron of one off the hook and put it on. I walked out tying the two strings at the back; Granma got a little weird about wearing the apron properly on the job.
The guy had a serious face as he stared at a selection of flowers my grandmother had put together. He stared at the Marigold for a long hard moment before reaching for it.
I decided to step in because Granma was just wasn't being any help. "Unless you're giving that to someone you don't like very much, don't get that one. Although it is an attractive flower the meaning isn't so pretty." He looked at me for the first time since I had entered the store. I ushered Granma to go have some tea while I dealt with the customer.
I smiled at him before looking that the selection that Granma had picked out from him to choose. "What is it that you're looking for exactly?" I asked before looking a white rose. I looked back up when I notice he was shifting uncomfortable on his feet, the dark crimson that stained his russet skin said it all.
I blinked at him before gathering some flowers and warping them up for him, he looked at me questionably.
"What do they mean?" he asked quietly.
"Um…well the plain white roses mean 'you're heavenly' and the mixed white and red roses mean 'unity' and these pink roses mean 'perfect happiness'" I smiled at him, handing the flowers to him.
He gave me the required amount of money, and put into the cash register before looking back up at him. "I hope she says yes" I smiled when he looked away before saying thank you, with the same deep voice the others had…except his voice was a little different, it had more authority. I watched him leave the small flower shop before getting to work, caring for flowers. An evil cackle sounded beside me before Granma knocked into my shoulder. I cast a suspicious look at her before looking back to the door the man had just left through.
I cast my green eyes back at her before turning around to face her, "have you been torturing the customers again, Granma?" she cackled again before shrugging. "He told me he was going to propose to some beautiful young girl, being as old as I am, I asked about it" I sighed at her explanation, that poor man. Being subject to such embarrassment…she had probably asked very, very personal questioThe bell tinkled as the door swung open and the same two hulking figures, plus one six year old, from the museum sauntered in. Granma straighten up beside me getting ready for a gossip session. She thinks being old gives you the right to pry into other peoples lives, she still doesn't know that the side effect of being old make you delusional. She smiled kindly at them as they approached the desk.
I smiled at them, too. "When I said 'maybe I'll see around' I didn't mean right away" I looked directly at Embry and he stared back with intense brown eyes that were burning holes through my head. Claire giggling pulling him away as Quil asked Granma about the flowers, she left the desk to help him.
This left me and Embry alone, in a manner of speaking. "So…What have you been doing in the last…?" I looked at the clock. "Twenty-five minutes since I last saw you?" I asked.
He shrugged. "This and that, we just saw our friend come out of here with some roses and thought we would check it out" he replied, playing with some stationary for sale.
I smiled when I thought of their blushing clone. "He is going to propose to someone tonight" I said, wondering how it would turn out. Embry looked like I had just slapped him in the face "No" he breathed, he was close enough to feel his warm breath fan my face.
Wait-what-no?! "Is that a good No, or a bad No? Or she the Ex that you're still in love with?" secretly I hoped it wasn't the last option.
"What-NO! It's just we've been waiting for this to happen for a long time, so I guess that was a good No" he smiled at me, and my heart began to beat harder, faster.
I could but stare into the depth of his eyes. "So, I was wondering what you were doing tomorrow…because we have this bonfire that we're doing, and I-would you-if you" he stumbled over his words.
"I would love to go" I answered pulling my eyes away as deep scarlet stained my cheeks.
I heard my Granma chuckle before she put a hand on my shoulder and turned to Embry. "It's best if you use protection, otherwise the second time you-" I slapped a hand over her mouth before she could continue. I stopped breathing, as my eyes involuntarily looking at Embry; his russet skin was stained with a deep blush.
Quil started to laugh as he looked between us. "Why does Dylan have to use protection?" Claire asked tugging at Quil's trousers. All amusement had fled his face to be replaced by a look of horror. He started telling her no to worry about it, but she was persistent about.
Quil looked at us for help. "I'll see tomorrow then" I told Embry.
"Yep, pick you up at four" he agreed, ushering Claire out the door with Quil in tow, when they were out of sight I turned back to look at Granma, "Gran! Please, for me, don't say things like that" I sighed.
"What! Some boys just can't keep it in their pants and I was trying to be helpful" she scolded me, lightly hitting me on the back of the head.
I watched as Granma went about tidying up getting ready for closing time, I grabbed my stuff before helping Granma into her jacket. I locked the door to the shop and Granma had already started walking down the street, just wanting to get home I followed too. When I was walking side by side with Granma I silently prayed that Granma would still be asleep tomorrow when Embry came.