They were walking out of the club, after hours of excessive drinking (the
bartender didn't ask Tobey for his ID) listening to hip hop and talking
about Ari's battles in New York.
"Where do you live?" Ari asked him. He thought about this, and realized he had no idea.
"I dunno. I think in LA."
"You're gonna hafta be a little bit more specific than that, Tobey."
"I'm not.quite sure."
"Well, you're coming back to my hotel with me then." He couldn't believe his luck, and did not protest.
"Give him a room, Green Man." She slammed the guy's head into the counter. He held up a key.
"Four.twenty.six." He choked out. Ari snatched the key out of his hands.
"Thank you." She headed for the stairs.
They were walking down the fourth floor hallway when they saw a big guy in a black leather jacket walk out of a room, headed for the stairs. Tobey swaggered into him. The guy pushed past him.
"Sorry." He muttered. Ari looked after him.
"Yeah, I'll bet you are." She muttered.
"Who was that?" Tobey asked.
"I think that's Angel. Runs this dump. Doin' a real nice job, too." She said sarcastically as she looked around. They came to their rooms. She unlocked her own and went in. Tobey tried to follow, and she slammed the door in his face, nearly getting his hand. He stood there for a minute. In her room, she realized she had his key, too. So she opened her door back up, opened his, shoved him inside, closed his door, and went back in her room.
*****
Ari sat on the couch. Her mother was dead, her dad had told her. He hadn't said anything to her all night. He'd buried her body and sent Ari up to her room. She went. Her dad came out of his room. Ari tore her eyes away from the TV to look at him. In his hands was a pointy looking wooden object that she'd seen her mom carry out of the house a million times when she'd say, "I'm off to slay the demons." and Ari would call back "The horrible demons of hell." in a tune not unlike that of the Wizard of Oz. He sat down next to her.
"Okay, Ari. Let's start with the basics. This is called a stake."
*****
Ari awoke with a start. I hate flashback dreams. She thought to herself, sitting up in bed. She checked her clock. It was six AM, or something close to it. She got up, not changing from her "As we speak, ninja monkeys are plotting my demise" shirt and pajama pants. She went into Tobey's room. He was asleep, but kind of.shaking. It was creeping her out so she smacked him across the face. He woke up with a start.
"There is no spoon!" he shouted at her.
She gave him a quizzical look.
"I uh, the Matrix was uh, ok maybe a little scary."
"Riight."
"I had the weirdest dream. There was this guy...dark hair, overhanging forehead, pale..."
"That's Angel. We ran into him last night in the hallway."
"No, but...wait...that's not where I saw him."
"What now?"
"Nevermind. You're probably right." Tobey soon got distracted from his puzzling thoughts by the fact that Ari was sitting on his bed, and hot damn.
She slapped him again. "What are you looking at asshole?"
"Ow! It was...um your chest-I mean your shirt...ninja monkeys. They're interesting."
She rolled her eyes and got up off the bed. Nice going, stud, he thought to himself.
"Where do you live?" Ari asked him. He thought about this, and realized he had no idea.
"I dunno. I think in LA."
"You're gonna hafta be a little bit more specific than that, Tobey."
"I'm not.quite sure."
"Well, you're coming back to my hotel with me then." He couldn't believe his luck, and did not protest.
"Give him a room, Green Man." She slammed the guy's head into the counter. He held up a key.
"Four.twenty.six." He choked out. Ari snatched the key out of his hands.
"Thank you." She headed for the stairs.
They were walking down the fourth floor hallway when they saw a big guy in a black leather jacket walk out of a room, headed for the stairs. Tobey swaggered into him. The guy pushed past him.
"Sorry." He muttered. Ari looked after him.
"Yeah, I'll bet you are." She muttered.
"Who was that?" Tobey asked.
"I think that's Angel. Runs this dump. Doin' a real nice job, too." She said sarcastically as she looked around. They came to their rooms. She unlocked her own and went in. Tobey tried to follow, and she slammed the door in his face, nearly getting his hand. He stood there for a minute. In her room, she realized she had his key, too. So she opened her door back up, opened his, shoved him inside, closed his door, and went back in her room.
*****
Ari sat on the couch. Her mother was dead, her dad had told her. He hadn't said anything to her all night. He'd buried her body and sent Ari up to her room. She went. Her dad came out of his room. Ari tore her eyes away from the TV to look at him. In his hands was a pointy looking wooden object that she'd seen her mom carry out of the house a million times when she'd say, "I'm off to slay the demons." and Ari would call back "The horrible demons of hell." in a tune not unlike that of the Wizard of Oz. He sat down next to her.
"Okay, Ari. Let's start with the basics. This is called a stake."
*****
Ari awoke with a start. I hate flashback dreams. She thought to herself, sitting up in bed. She checked her clock. It was six AM, or something close to it. She got up, not changing from her "As we speak, ninja monkeys are plotting my demise" shirt and pajama pants. She went into Tobey's room. He was asleep, but kind of.shaking. It was creeping her out so she smacked him across the face. He woke up with a start.
"There is no spoon!" he shouted at her.
She gave him a quizzical look.
"I uh, the Matrix was uh, ok maybe a little scary."
"Riight."
"I had the weirdest dream. There was this guy...dark hair, overhanging forehead, pale..."
"That's Angel. We ran into him last night in the hallway."
"No, but...wait...that's not where I saw him."
"What now?"
"Nevermind. You're probably right." Tobey soon got distracted from his puzzling thoughts by the fact that Ari was sitting on his bed, and hot damn.
She slapped him again. "What are you looking at asshole?"
"Ow! It was...um your chest-I mean your shirt...ninja monkeys. They're interesting."
She rolled her eyes and got up off the bed. Nice going, stud, he thought to himself.
