Stranger than Fiction

Chapter 4

It wasn't even a minute after Fangula left before the door was thrown open again, and Jo's roommate walked in. "Who was that?" she asked without so much as a howdy-do.

"Who was who?" asked Jo, not looking up.

"You know, that pale guy that just walked out of here, and nearly bowled me over. I thought you said you didn't have a boyfriend."

"I don't. How come you're back so early, Kate?" asked Jo.

"Don't change the subject," Kate said with a grin, sitting beside Jo on the bed, "if he wasn't your boyfriend, then who was he? Don't try to tell me he's your brother! I know he's across the hall, and I've already seen him. This guy seemed kinda jerky to me, so why do you like him?"

Bimbo…Jo shook her head. "I said he's not my boyfriend, okay? He had to talk to me about something."

"Mm-hmm," Kate said with a knowing look. "Well, I won't press you. I'll find out sooner or later, anyway."

"Hmph…you didn't answer my question. Why are you back so early?"

Kate wrinkled her nose, and headed for the bathroom. "He never showed up."

Jo shook her head. I can't imagine why…

* * *

Do you mean you want to…to make love?

Count Fangula hurried down the hallway so quickly that he didn't even know he had bumped into someone. All he knew was that he had to get away. He was even more confused now than he had been before he had visited Jo. For one thing, he actually felt bad for having made her uncomfortable. For another…and this was the most embarrassing part…he could do nothing to hide his growing erection from view. It was just the thought that she wanted intimacy with him…But she also didn't want to do this act; this act of making love. And, in a way, neither did he. His body, as well as his heart, was betraying him. He had to get to a place where he could become a bat, and hopefully escape without being noticed.

He ducked into the men's room, and stopped short when he saw someone at one of the urinals. He looked away, embarrassed, as the man zipped up his pants. The guy turned around, and saw Fangula standing there behind him…sporting a pup tent at his midsection. He said something obscene, and Fangula, who felt that he had taken enough B. S. from these obnoxious humans, took off his shades, made his eyes glow like coals, and hissed loudly. The kid ran, and Fangula went to the sink and splashed some water on his face. Slowly his arousal faded, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

Well, now that someone had seen him for what he was, he figured he might as well just transform and get out. Even so, instead of doing that, he rested his palms on the edge of the sink and sighed. Maybe he should talk to Flabber about this…

"Huh…" he snorted, shaking his head. He could just imagine what the phasm would say, too…

"Hey Flabber, someone cast a love spell on me and Jo, and now I can't stop thinking about nookie!"

"Are you kidding me?! Hah…haha…Hey Mums, Wolfie, Frankie, get in here! You'll never believe this!"

"Flabber, no!"

No. He knew Flabber wouldn't do that, but it would be awful just the same. So here he was, back where he started, and now Jo was crying in her dorm room. Or, at least, she was when he had left. Maybe he should make it up to her. If he couldn't find a way to break the spell, he would have to make things as smooth as possible. Wait…maybe that was it. Maybe he should try to break the spell. But then…then they would be back to normal, not liking each other at all. He didn't know if he could stand it. Argh! He had to snap out of it!

"Hey buddy, could you move over?"

"What!" he jumped, and saw some kid with glasses and a pocket protector standing behind him. He must have been in one of the stalls the whole time.

"Um…I just…wanna wash my hands…" the kid stammered, having realized that Fangula was more than what he seemed to be. While his jaw was slack, his fangs were in plain view. But nothing happened. Fangula stepped to the side, and the kid cautiously approached the sink. When the kid looked up from his washing, he was alone in the bathroom. "Weird-lookin' guy…"