"What the hell!?" She shouted at me. "You said you'd be gone by today! And now you're telling me you need to stay here!? Again!?"
"Look, it's a long story and I don't want to tell it in a hallway. Just let me in."
She snarled, but opened the door and stood aside. I walked inside and plopped on the bed, tired and lonely. I missed her; my reason for living this undead existence. I remembered her smell, her eyes, the way she walked and moved; I couldn't help it when tears of blood streamed down my face.
I heard Liz gasp when she noticed. There was an awkward silence. Finally, she said, "Um, you alright?"
"No, Lizzie-girl, I am not. Someone killed Alex, my Sire. I loved her." I chuckled bitterly. "I guess we're more alike than I first thought; Gangrel, Sire-less; too bad you're Camarilla, or else we could start a folk music duo of epic proportion."
She looked a little appalled when I started laughing. Maybe it was the bloody tears that set her off. Who knows, women are strange. But she sat down next to me and put her arm around my shoulders, a gesture I considered strange for her during our short time together.
"Oh, trying to take advantage of me now that I'm hurt and vulnerable?" I joked.
"Shut up and lean into me."
I complied. I rested my head on her shoulder and cried for a long time, well into the morning. By the time I finally stopped, Liz's shirt was more or less ruined. But she still held me, and I went into torpor in her arms as the sun rose high.
---
I woke up to the sound of running water. I stood up from the bed and stretched my muscles, making sure they weren't cramped. I noticed the bathroom door was closed and I figured Lizzie-girl was taking a shower. I looked at my cell phone and was amazed to see it was almost 10 o'clock. I never 'slept in' this late. I must've been in worse shape than I thought. I turned on the TV and watched the news as I wondered if I should leave or not. I decided pretty quickly not to; Liz did a very decent thing last night. You can't find that in most Kindred these days.
I noticed a mirror on the wall and decided to tidy myself up a little. I stared at my reflection; a slightly thin, lean face covered in black stubble and a goatee that matched Nines Rodriguez's, dark eyes, and long black hair. My shirt was covered in blood stains, although I was thankful my coat was spared from the stuff. I looked like shit; I needed a shower. Without thinking, I took off my coat and dirty shirt. Thankfully, before I could strip completely, the TV caught my ear:
"…And in local news, a liquor store in southern Hollywood was robbed last night by, according to the only witness, Rachel Gomez, who worked at the cash register of the store, 'a man around six-foot-five, wearing a dark grey trench coat and long black hair'. Ms. Gomez also stated that the man simply walked into the store with a, quote, 'dead look in his eyes', stole three bottles of Jack Daniels, and walked out. In other news, a gang shooting occurred in the downtown area, heavily concentrated around the popular Nocturne Theater…"
I grimaced; I would have to shave and probably cut my hair to avoid suspicion. Damn it. I acted like an idiot.
I was so wrapped up in what a fool I'd been, I didn't notice the halt of water in the bathroom. I continued to watch the coverage of the fight until the door opened and Liz walked out wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around her. I was a little taken back, and so was she apparently when she noticed that my shirt was off.
"Uh, hey there…"
"…hello…"
"So…your shirt's off…"
"Yeah, I was- I was gonna take a shower…you're kinda naked."
"Uh-huh…I just got out and I forgot to bring my clothes…in the bathroom."
There was an overly awkward silence.
"Well…I'm just gonna mosey on in there…"
"Yeah! Yeah, sure! I'll just change in here."
"Oookay."
"Yeah…"
We both moved aside at the same time, then again, and again before we got out of each other's way. I rushed into the bathroom and she did likewise with the small living space. I shut and locked the door behind me, my breath rushing out of my lungs in a relieved sigh. Through the door, I heard Lizzie-girl copy me. I chuckled as I stripped and turned on the water. I didn't get in until the water began to steam. I let my nerves dull as the almost boiling water pour over me. It was relaxing sensation after what had happened.
I showered for about fifteen minutes, then got out and dried myself off. Before I redressed, I decided to go ahead and shave. I found a can of shaving cream in the medicine cabinet, but no razor for some odd reason. I shrugged and took out my knife. Then I got to work. Five minutes and about twelve cuts later, I was smooth as silk. I out on my jeans and shoes, but left my shirt off; it was ruined. I walked back into the living space. I was glad to see that Liz was dressed and brushing her damp hair. She turned to me and smiled sheepishly.
"Still shirtless I see. Hey, did you shave?"
"Yep," I said as I walked over to my coat and took a cigarette out of the pocket.
"Care to say why?"
"I acted like a moron last night, that's why. I brought too much attention on myself."
She looked confused, so I told her what happened in detail. Her eyes were wide. "You tried to commit suicide!?"
"That doesn't matter."
"Then what does!?"
"I was mentioned on the boob-tube, sweetie. That's a huge no-no. I need to lay low for a while till the heat blows over," I said as I blew smoke through my nose. "Which is why I need to ask you a favor."
"Let's hear it and we'll see."
I grinned. "You're learning quick, Lizzie-girl. Alright, I need a new shirt; that one's covered in puked up blood and Jack, not a great combination for subtlety. And walking around shirtless while the law's out and about isn't an exactly wonderful option either. Now, as a reward for this little task, you can pick yourself out something pretty, deal?"
She gave me a hard look, but a grin spread across her face. "Ok, deal. Anything specific?"
"100 cotton, it breathes so well."
---
Liz got back a few hours later. I was happy to see her; normally, Gangrel are perfectly happy with being alone, but Alex's death haunted me, and I was glad to see another face. She was carrying a bag, a wrapped up piece of clothing on a hanger, and a brown paper sack. I raised my eyebrows.
"Me-oh-my, what's this?"
She tossed me the bag; it was full of ten-dollar shirts, every one of them having a weird little saying or sexual innuendo. Kids today. Meh.
"Don't put on one of those, they're just for emergency," Liz said as she unzipped the cover on the hanger. She took out a long, black suit jacket, a crisp, white button-up shirt, a wrinkle-free pair of black pants, and a silky, black tie.
"Well? Don't keep me waiting, try it on."
I smiled as I put on the nice clothes.
"No, don't tuck it in, that's not in style. Jeeze, what are you, forty?"
"Eighty-three, actually, "I said as I straighten my tie. "Ya see, it's this diet of mine; works miracles on wrinkles. "
"Hilarious. You're a barrel full of giggles. Now step back and let me look at you."
I complied as she looked me over. She grinned. "You look like a tall Constantine. Neat."
"That Keanu Reeves flick? Never saw it."
"Why not?"
"I get enough of that 'supernatural' shit every day. Give me a good comedy any day of the week. So what's in the bag?"
She grinned wickedly. "My something pretty."
She took out a .50 caliber semi-automatic and a box of bullets from the bag. I stared at it. "…I was expecting a necklace or a pair of earrings."
"Psh. So what are you going to do now?"
I kept the grin on my face, but my eyes grew cold. "I'm gonna stay in L.A. until I find out who killed Alex. And I'm going to make that son of a bitch regret it. After that, who knows?"
She was quiet for a moment, then said, "You need a place to stay?"
"Aw, hell, kid; don't let me get in your way, I'm sure you've got a shit-list bigger than mine."
"Hey, look, you weren't kidding the other night when you said almost every vampire I meet would try to bullshit me. I had an eventual night since you were last here. I was shot at, stabbed, and clubbed with a baseball bat. I also killed maybe half a dozen people." She sighed. "I've…I've never done that kind of stuff before, Gabe. Before all this, I went to school and played basketball. That's about it. I've never held a gun before, I've never had to learn how to block a knife stroke…I've never had to kill. I could use some help, and I'll let you stay here if you give me a hand."
While she had been talking, I pulled out a cigarette from my pocket. I lit it as I said, "What kind of help do you have in mind?"
She crossed her arms and said, "I need someone to show me the ropes, I guess. And to help me get adjusted. I bare terms…I need a Sire, and I was hoping…"
"That I would take your old Sire's place," I finished for her. I sat back down on the bed. "Darlin', this is a pretty big thing to ask. But you did an incredible thing for me last night, so yeah, you got a deal."
"Really?"
"Yeah, really. Not a whole lot of Kindred would've held me like that; Alex is the only one that comes to mind."
"I'm sorry about what happened to her."
I waved my hand. "Don't worry about it. "
We were silent for a moment until I said, "So, what do you want to know?"
"Well, tell me about yourself."
"Hmm?"
"If you're going to be my teacher, I'd like to know a little more about you."
"Heh, want my life story, eh? Alright, sure."
I took another deep drag and started:
"I was born in 1924 and Embraced in 1953. Before I Embraced, I was a homicide detective in Memphis, Tennessee."
"You're southern?"
"Yep. Born and raised in Mississippi, worked in Memphis." I scratched my face idly and continued:
"I first met Alex while I was waiting for a contact in a blues club. Real nice place; great music and even better food. I think it's still around, actually. I saw her at the bar sitting by herself and watching the musicians. As soon as I laid my eyes on her, I was enthralled. I walked over to talk to her for three hours." I laughed. "I missed my contact. Probably would've lost my job because of that now that I think of it. Anywho, we went back to her place and she Embraced me with my consent."
I ashed my cigarette and said, "I loved unlife as a Kindred. My human life was lonely and stressful and depressing. There's so much more freedom like this. And I guess it was easier for me to adjust with Alex by my side. After that, there's not much more to tell; we were Independent from the factions, so we were mostly left alone. We did the occasional odd job for those who could pay. I grew strong. That's mostly it, sweetie, unless you'd like to know I love Jimi Hendrix, Frank Sinatra, long walks in the woods, and I think reality TV will eventually cause Armageddon to occur early."
She chuckled at that and I smiled. "So, Lizzie-girl, how bout you?"
"Ohh, my turn, huh?"
"Yep, fair's fair."
She smiled again and said, "Oh, ok. I lived in Arizona until I started college here, about five years ago. I'm 23, by the way. I was a psychology major and going for my PhD, and I played basketball. I like to ski, reading, and a good movie."
I clapped my hands together. "Excellent. Now, let's go for a ride; I'm starting to get cabin fever. I'll tell you more about Kindred while I drive."
She raised her eyebrows. "You have a car?"
"Yep."
She growled. "I had to take a cab to get those clothes and my gun. The guy drove like a fucking maniac."
End of Part IV
