Chapter 9
"The poor little half-wit has no idea," Opal laughed into her phone as she crossed the dorm. "I mean come on, Margo, it's not like he's worthy of either of you." She shot me a glance. I wished I wasn't in a headphone crisis, because as nice as these Sony ones were when music was on, they let in way too much outside noise when they weren't on. I considered pulling the other pair out of my gaming bag, but that was in the closet where Opal had taken residence while she got ready for her date.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the plush blue bathrobe go sailing onto her bed and immediately dropped my eyes. Best friend or not, she'd better be dressed. I shook my eye-pod to change the shuffle and went back to reading chemistry. Even with my eyes downcast, I felt the door fly open and heard, mutedly, Opal scream. The door flicked shut and her true best friend rounded the corner to put his hand to her mouth. I only spared them a passing glance, because Aaron was stuffing her back into the closet with a pair of shopping bags and she was thanking him with her phone on mute. I shook my head, dropping my eyes back down, but not for long. He took up residence on my bed, then, running his hand over the backs of my calves. "If only I didn't have to grow hair like you reptiles. Ooh girl, you've been moisturizing or something, you're smooth as silk."
I shook my head, "I just take care of myself." And don't have scales, I added mentally. He patted my backside and leaned over to kiss my cheek, "Well, I have to go escort Miss Margo down to the club. We're picking up some sweethearts tonight, wanna come?"
"I have to study."
I heard him scoff. It was enough to ensure I didn't look. "Ladies," he called into the closet, speaking to Opal and her phone directly, "Better be ready in the quad in twenty minutes, you hear me?"
"Then go and let me get dressed!" Opal shouted out to him. I couldn't wait for them to leave. My headphones were crap and I needed some peace and quiet that didn't involve someone crying at me every three seconds. Come out with us, Veronica. You'll have fun, Veronica. You left Toronto and came all the way to Paris to hook up with guys and party, Veronica, don't tell me you came out here to study. Actually, yes, yes I did. I could kill someone by kissing them, I think it was a safe enough bet that I didn't come out here for anyone other than myself.
I had done one selfish thing. The one selfish thing sauntered out of the closet in a sheer blue slip that caught my eye. Immediately, I whirled around and shook my head, "No. No. At least put on a bra or something!"
She smirked, "So it looks good?"
"I'm lucky you're wearing underwear, aren't I?"
We had been best friends since the third grade, Opal and I. Monster sub-communities were rather tight-knit, and since we were the only kids born in our school year from our part of town, our latching on to each other had been natural. She had to wear long sleeves and makeup practically from birth. I couldn't smile with my mouth open. Once everything came globally tumbling out of the casket, she traded in her sleeves and flawless skin for unnatural beauty. I had never been the good looking friend next to her, but putting something shiny on something already unattainable and making it available, that had been the spilling over of her well while mine still had nothing in it. I didn't want to see her as that friend, my responsibility overseas, but she was. And while she was totally and completely her own problem, she was also kind of mine.
She nodded enthusiastically and fluffed her hair before smooching my cheek, "I gotta run to meet the other Ron. Don't have too wild of a time dancing on your periodic table." A laugh trickled from her lips. She didn't give me time to get up before grabbing her flat little bag and ducking out to meet them. I got up anyway and swung the door shut. With triumph, I danced back over to my bed and threw myself on my pillows. They smelled like fresh Downy. With the book pressing into my chest, I felt nothing but relief. Free at last!
I stuck a piece of paper in my chemistry book and lowered it onto the floor. Tugging open the drawer on my side of the table that functioned as our mutual nightstand, I pulled out a jewelry box and lifted the lid, throwing a bag of Swedish Fish and Milk Duds onto my pillows. Gummy, yes, potentially lethal when eaten by me, probably, but what a way to go! I assembled all of my homework and began a study session to Past Inhale.
The way I saw it, I had all night to myself. For a few nights a week, I had my own place. I could watch Doctor Who in peace, maybe get to Torchwood if I was lucky. All Opal wanted to watch was Face Off and Degrassi.
My phone vibrated as I laid on my back, spearing half-chewed Milk Duds onto my fangs while I read. I grabbed the stereo remote and turned the music down before picking up, "Toronto City Morgue."
"I'd like to order a cadaver for science," Granite said in my ear.
He made me smile, whether he wanted to acknowledge it or not. "What scientific purposes could you use a cadaver for, good sir? Medical trials? Re-animation?"
"Anti-venom."
My smile fell. I shifted onto my side, letting the book drop onto my fingers to hold my place. "I think it's naturally in my blood if we really wanted to harness it, considering I haven't killed myself yet."
"Ah, but you created your own venom. That has to be made outside of you." I wished I could see his face. He had no idea how strange it was to hear something so excited out of someone who looked very kindly bored with the entire subject. I was about to thank him when he lowered his tone, "I wanna come over."
"Are you in love with me?" I quoted into the phone. It probably flew over his head.
"There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy and the tired," he replied.
"I'm in love with you," I said with a degree of honesty. He laughed very softly. The back of my mind tugged images to the surface, images of his gorgeous face split in a smile. He really did have a gorgeous face. He had a gorgeous everything. Opal wasn't stupid, and she definitely seemed to have a knack for picking out guys across a crowded area, hence our meeting. "If you come over, would you do me a favor?"
"Pretend we got it on?" he teased.
"Bring food. I'm starving."
"Anything special?"
"Your choice."
There was a moment of silence; I bet he was getting on his jacket. I put my face in my pillow. Opal really got to me sometimes; Granite was my male best friend, the way she had Aaron. I was not about to think about how delicious his jacket made his muscles look...even if they were really, really delicious, and sometimes I forgot he was supposed to be younger than me.
"Let's go with whatever I can translate, alright? It might end up being some omlettes du fromage."
"That is not how you pluralize omlettes," I laughed. I could almost hear him rolling his eyes. "What, you wanna order delivery?"
"Do they deliver in France?" I replied. I hoped he couldn't hear me blushing.
"I really wouldn't know, lemme ask Roxy. If I need any help she'll call ahead for me or somethin', 'kay?"
"'Kay."
"'Kay."
I smiled. "You're so ridiculous sometimes."
"Yeah? I like you."
I rolled my eyes. "Don't you dare put anything in your pants and make me have to pun with you."
"How about you do it this time?"
"I'm hanging up on you." My face was red and my teeth were visible. I could see myself partially in Opal's lamp, and the sight was disturbing.
"See you soon," he said. Just as I expected, he always had to have the last wit. He hung up on me. I tapped the lock screen and turned off the music. Leaving those on the table, I put away the homework I'd already done and made a mad dash for our closet. Having a friend over meant at least getting out of my pajamas, didn't it? I grabbed a Lion King shirt and some nice sweatpants Opal bought for me out of my suitcase and rushed to go get done.
I was still in the bathroom when he came over, attempting to make myself less...exhausted. "Deux omlettes de fromage!" he called out, opening and shutting the door quietly.
"Coming!" I called out of the bathroom. I washed up, tied up my monstrous hair and tugged the door open. He looked up, popping a candy in his mouth and saluting. He plopped down on the bed and gestured to the takeout boxes on the floor. "And when we are done with food...you can tell me as much about that chemistry stuff for anti-venom as you can."
I sat beside him and we split the pillows behind our backs. He had no idea how excited the idea of anti-venom made me, so I decided to give him something to be excited about discussing too. "So," I said between bites of cheese and egg, "How long have you known Rochelle?"
His eyes glinted and he smiled; I might've thought I would've regretted asking, but he wasn't cheesy about it at all. Just enthusiastic in a really strange, very Granite kind of way.
"She moved to Salem. I was out. I don't remember who made the first move, but uh...we got involved. I snuck in, usually. Not a lot of messing around, but we fell for each other. Her boyfriend showed up, we started working things out...some quote-unquote friends of mine got involved. And he got hurt. Fast forward to now." He went quiet for a few moments, partially to chew and partially to find words. "We've been in this together for a couple months. He's been getting worse and worse."
I tried not to let my smile falter in the suspicion that was falling over me slowly. I picked at my food and popped a piece in my mouth. "So, is the anti-venom a reward for helping or a bribery to get me to keep helping?"
His eyes flickered to me. I loved his brutal honesty unless it wasn't directed at me; now, it was. "Both, and to make sure nobody gets killed in the process."
I released my breath through my nose. "Was that why you wanted to come over?"
"Partially. Partly because I wanna get out of the house." I nodded. He really wasn't stupid; he crawled closer and wrapped his arm around me. The affection wasn't all bad, just horribly misleading. I rested my head on his shoulder with an exhausted sigh. "You are simply the biggest pain in the ass I have ever met. But I'll take your wager."
He smirked and popped a Swedish fish between his teeth, "Good."
