They knocked at the door. It was almost 9 p.m., and Yan Lin was helping her parents serving the dishes in their restaurant; it was quite strange indeed, someone was knocking at the back door. Yan Lin put a stack of dirty plates on the near table and rushed to the door. When she just lowered the handle and opened the door, she saw a very nervous Halinor.
"We must talk" she said, contracting every fiber of her body.
Yan Lin looked at her in shock, wondering what she could have done to make her friend such angry. Well, better nervous than angry. Yan Lin had never seen her friend like this before, neither during battles and missions: Halinor was a very kind person, always ready to joke, and rarely too serious and boring. But that was different.
"Ok, then…could you wait just a few minutes? I'm still working here, and the restaurant…".
"…is half empty, so there's no problem. It's nice to see you again Halinor! What brings you over here?" Yan's mother said, appearing from behind the door that separated the kitchen from the main hall. Halinor tried to smile, in the most convincing and possible way.
"She…Today at school I told her to come for a visit, but I just forgot, and…" Yan Lin tried to apologize, letting a big smile on her face.
"There's no problem dear" Yan's mother said "There's not too much work to do, so…you can stay together for a while. Do you want something to eat, Halinor?".
"Don't worry mom" Yan assured "I'll prepare some tea for both of us".
The woman disappeared behind the door again. Even if I think you need a chamomile and a hit on your head… the chinese girl thought.
Halinor didn't answer. Strange that too; the blonde girl was the one who could contact others telepathically, and could regulate her friends' telepathy activity. She could sense anything, but probably she was so tensed that she had closed every way to her mind.
The girls were in Yan's room, while the chinese girl was bringing two cups of hot tea. Halinor was sitting on the bed, while Yan took place on the chair near the window.
"So…what do you want to talk about? It must not be something easy, isn't it?" Yan asked.
Halinor grabbed the cup, lowering her gaze, thinking. "I…I saw something tonight".
Yan Lin raised an eyebrow. "What?".
Halinor didn't answer. She was looking for the most appropriate words. "I was walking home tonight, at around eight, when I saw something in a corner of Alley street…".
"Did you visit Cass?".
"No, I…I was just having a walk".
The girls were silent.
"Well, then…there's an abandoned house in that street. In one of the corner of that garden, I saw a portal".
Yan Lin coughed hard, after she drank her tea too fast. "What?! Why didn't you call us!".
"Let me finish, please! Well, there was someone behind the portal, who I couldn't see, and was talking to someone else on this side…He had a strange voice, as if he was half snake…".
"What was he saying?" Yan asked, shocked and curious at the same time.
Halinor shook her head. "I couldn't understand any of his words…but he was talking about kidnapping someone…".
Yan Lin put her cup on the table near her. "Did you see who was standing by this side of the portal?".
"I did".
"Who was then?".
Halinor raised her head, looking her friend in the eyes.
"Edward" Yan Lin murmured. Halinor nodded.
Yan felt her heart beating against her chest, and she was suddenly gasping for air. "Cass…".
The blonde girl looked at her, surprised. "What's wrong with Cassidy?".
"They had to meet tonight".
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The all atmosphere was so, maybe too elegant for both of them. And the worse thing was that beyond the embarrassment for being in that magnificent place, his gaze seemed to be attached with glue to hers, with a light and sweet smile on his lips.
A little bothered but too kind to say anything, she took a look of the sorroundings, catching a deep breath and grabbing the menu. She started to leaf through the pages, not even reading anything actually, but keeping an eye on him.
"You're just a little irreverent, you know?" she said, visibly bothered, even if she didn't want to appear that rude.
He lowered his gaze. "I'm sorry" he said, opening his menu on the table.
"Good evening, how can I serve you tonight?" a very gentle waiter asked, coming closer to the table.
"Some water please, for now" he answered, politely. The waiter nodded and went away, while he directed his glance on her. "You do love water, isn't it?".
Her eyes looked at him in surprise, opened wide. "Do you know anyone who doesn't love it when he's thirsty?" she said with simplicity, just about manage.
He smiled.
"Soo…" he said, starting to play with a toothpick among his fingers "What did you say you like to do in your free time?".
She glanced at him in answer, taking a breadstick and giving it a first slow bite. "Reading, swimming, skiing, and a big amount of other things".
"Like what?".
"Watching guys at Shell Beach, for example".
His smile had gradually disappeared during the conversation. Her tone was rude and cold, as if she wanted to challenge him. So that she didn't stopped to look at him directly in his eyes, as if she said "ask me whatever you want, but my answers are pure courtesy". The sensation of a growing wall between them was making inroads in him, and he couldn't understand why.
He slightly smiled again, searching for words.
He couldn't find them.
"Here's your water" the waiter said, coming next to the table.
"Thanks" she said, smiling back.
He gasped for a few seconds, under her impassive gaze.
"What?" she suddenly said.
He looked at her, confused. "What what?".
"Nothing!" she answered louder. "I must go out of here, sorry!" she exclaimed, getting up and running away.
…
He was still searching for his words to say, gasping and confused.
"Did you break up?" the waiter closed to him asked.
He looked up at him, with his mouth still opened.
He got up and walked out the restaurant, looking for her. He found her just outside the building, near the hedge of a house along the sidewalk. She was holding her head with both her hands, her eyes were looking everywhere around her. She was shortness of breath, as if she had run a mile. Or as if she had fear of something.
"Cass..?" he asked softly, getting closer.
"Don't touch me!" she told him loud enough to make him stop. "I'm having a really bad headache, you can't touch me for a while".
He became suddenly suspicious, as he got closer a little bit more.
"I don't…" she tried to say, when she felt his arms embracing her from behind.
She suddenly relaxed.
"Better now?" he asked, softly.
She didn't answer.
He giggled. "If you didn't want to go out with me tonight you could tell me".
She blushed a bit. "Well, better now…".
"Do you want me to bring you home?" he asked.
She didn't say nothing, but slightly nodded.