Stranger than Fiction
Chapter 3
Jo wished that her new roommate hadn't had a date that night. The last thing she wanted right now was to be alone. She couldn't bring herself to mention this to Drew, and he was out with Roland doing who knew what. How could she tell her brother that she thought she sorta…kinda…might be in love with Count Fangula, of all people! All right, forget sorta kinda! She wanted to…
"Ugh!" she shuddered. She went down to the lobby to get a soda. She wasn't thirsty, but she had to go for a walk, and it felt safer in the lobby.
* * *
Fangula felt horribly exposed, being out among humans. He was wearing what was, for him, strange attire; he wore jeans and sneakers, a black tee shirt, and a college sweatshirt jacket that was left open. He kept his ivory-white hands tucked in his pockets, and he wore sunglasses and had the hood of his jacket up. Someone said hello to him, but he ignored him, earning an obscene gesture in the process. He didn't care for any of them, he just wanted to talk to Jo. He knew how dangerous it was, given what he might do if he couldn't control himself, but he needed to see if this had affected her too. Though created by magic, as he suspected, this had to be real love, or else he wouldn't care what she went through. If it was as bad for her as it was for him…not that it was actually bad, but it was just…Shut up!
He knew which room she had, and he grinned at the fact that she had forgotten in her haste to lock the door. He simply let himself in, and hid in the bathroom so that she wouldn't see him and run out. He didn't have to wait long. The door opened, and he heard the sharp 'chhhhck' sound of a soda can being opened. He heard her take a drink, and shut the door.
"That's better." She said, sitting down on the bed. Fangula opened the door silently, and she didn't even know he was there until his shadow fell over her. She didn't scream. She only stood up and cracked her knuckles…the prelude to her using her super strength.
He held up his hands, and said, "I only want to talk, Jo."
"I'm not afraid of you, Fangula." She said coldly.
"I don't want you to be." He replied slowly.
She frowned in confusion. "Of course you do. You're a monster, monsters scare people."
He took off his sunglasses, and gestured at one of the chairs in the room. "May I sit down?"
"Not until you tell me why you're here." She told him, edging towards the phone. "Are you here to do what you've always tried to do? To drink my blood?"
"No." he said, becoming angry. "I told you, I just want to talk! Getting to the point, something happened to me today. I…" he shook his head, and turned away.
"What?" she demanded, not knowing why she wanted to know. When he didn't answer, she said, "Okay, you can sit down."
He stood there for a moment before sitting down, and rubbed his temples briefly. "Look, we've never actually…been friends, Jo…but…"
"Spit it out!" she snapped.
"I'm trying!" he snapped back. "I…I think someone cast a love spell on me! And…well, you're the one it made me love. I wanted to know if…if it happened to you, too."
Jo put her hand on the night stand to steady herself, accidentally knocking off the phone. "Well…that explains a lot." She said in a subdued voice.
"Then it did happen to you." he said.
"Don't know what else it could be. When you came into the room at Hillhurst…it was like getting hit by a truck."
"Then I'm the one it made you love!" he said with a wide grin.
"What are you smiling at! This is terrible! We never liked each other, how can we be in love? What do I know about you? What do you know about me? How can this be happening? How can I be sure you won't take my blood if things get out of control? Oh my God, what am I saying!" she was in tears now, pacing the room as he stared wide-eyed at her. "How can I think of doing that with you?"
"I…" he stammered.
"You shut up! Let me think." She sat down on the bed, and put her head in her hands. He watched her silently for a few minutes before speaking up.
"What exactly…do you want to do with me? Do you mean you want to…to make love?" he asked quietly.
"You have to go." She told him.
"But…"
"Now!" she looked up, and then down again at his hurt expression.
"Jo…"
"Please." She whispered. "Please, just go. Give me some time to think."
He stood up, and slowly made his way to the door. When he reached it he hesitated, and said quietly. "I'm…sorry. I shouldn't have…"
"Fangula, please!"
"I'm going."