Hello again to my devoted readers. (All two of you @_@) Thank you for the
reviews and I'm sorry that I took so long to update my story. Finals are
all over for this semester and now I can concentrate on other things
besides studying ^_^ Anyway here's chapter three of my fan fic. And since
it is a fan fic I must again remind the readers that the entire Night World
idea belongs to L.J Smith but the rest is mine. Enjoy.
Chapter 3: The Good Life
Two hours after Mrs. Hollingshed had opened the door to find her standing casually on the doorstep, Ralin was sitting across from her friend Liara on her bed clutching her knees close to her chest.
Liara's room was massive and Ralin couldn't help but feel a little small and insignificant compared to the vast space on all sides of her. The walls were a deep green color on top with a gold trim in the center about waist height. Below the gold was a deep burgundy and the carpet was a mixture of all three. Everything in the room seemed to fit with the decor as well. It was all so elegant that Ralin felt highly out of place.
Ralin had told her friend all about the events of the past week. Liara just stared at her as if Ralin had just informed her that she might spontaneously combust at any moment.
"My God Ralin," Liara gasped. Then suddenly she flung herself onto Ralin and embraced her tightly tears seemed ready to pour out of her large hazel eyes. Liara had always been the emotional one of the both of them. "Of course you can stay here for as long as you need! You have no more family on either side so we're all you have left. I'll talk to mom about getting you enrolled in school but I'm warning you, you may be behind. I'll help you out as much as possible." With that Liara stood and strolled out of the room.
Ralin, who wasn't much for what she called "emotional nonsense," just shook her head and allowed herself a deep, contented breath. She would stay with Liara for a while, at least until she graduated. She would finish her last year of high school at wherever it was Liara went (it occurred to Ralin that she didn't even know). She would live in this enormous house with her best friend and could see herself living very comfortably until it was time for her to go off to college.
As long as she kept her head down, the Night People who had been hunting her need never know that she was enjoying a leisurely life in Los Angeles.
Just then Liara reentered the room looking pleased with herself.
"My mom says that you can stay as long as you want. I even talked her into giving you allowance. You'll be getting $25 a week, same as me."
Ralin started to protest. "That's really OK Liara, I can go out and get a job to earn my own way..."
"Don't be ridiculous Ralin," she said simply. "It's no problem at all. Now we had better go shopping for some new clothes for you for school. We can't have you wearing the same outfit every day. That just wouldn't do at all. I'll go get my mom's card and the keys to the Mercedes."
"But..."
It was too late. Liara was already wandering out of the room and acting as if she hadn't heard Ralin's feeble protest at the generosity that was being shown to her.
Ralin wondered what had happened to her friend. It was probably from spending far too much time with humans. Her friend used to be like her, if far more emotional. Things like clothes, and cars, and money never mattered to Liara before.
'It may be the humans, or it may be that her parents have so much money that throwing a few hundred dollars away on me doesn't even make a nick in the bank account.' Ralin thought to herself.
Liara walked back into the room holding a designer purse undoubtedly containing the credit card. The car keys were in her hand.
"Well are you coming?" she asked impatiently.
Ralin sighed and followed her friend out into the late afternoon sun.
* * *
Hours later Ralin entered the fashionable room again and set down her armfuls of bags. She still felt bad about taking the Hollingsheds' money but Liara said that if Ralin didn't pick something that she liked, Liara was going to have to pick for her. Ralin remembered the pink miniskirt that she had been eyeing earlier hazel eyes darting from Ralin to the skirt and back again. There was no way Ralin was going to wear pink so in the end she had given in a picked some clothes out. All black.
Ralin turned to see Liara stroll languidly into the room, blond hair streaming behind her hazel eyes shining in the artificial light with excitement. Her arms were also full of her own purchases. Liara's horizons were far broader than hers as far as color was concerned. She had purchased outfits in various colors including deep forest green and navy blue.
"You know we can share outfits if you want." Ralin pictured herself in any one of Liara's outfits and shuddered. She really didn't do the color thing.
But despite her feelings Ralin gave her friend a warm smile and said, "Sure, that sounds great!"
"My mom said that she phoned the school and it's all settled. You're now enrolled in El Benita High with me. Mom said that you were my distant cousin who came to live with us after your family....." Liara's face took on a shocked look as she trailed off. "Oh I'm sorry. I'll shut up now."
"No Liara, it's really OK. I'm fine." But that was a lie. Ralin didn't feel fine. She felt like her chest was being squeezed and like she was suffocating. She pushed the thoughts of her family to the back of her mind and realized that the feeling of being smothered hadn't vanished. Ralin laughed shakily when she realized that she hadn't few since early that morning and she was hungry.
"Come on Liara, what do you say we go get something to eat. Let's take a walk."
Ralin stood and wandered out of the room thinking 'tomorrow is going to be an interesting day.'
Chapter 3: The Good Life
Two hours after Mrs. Hollingshed had opened the door to find her standing casually on the doorstep, Ralin was sitting across from her friend Liara on her bed clutching her knees close to her chest.
Liara's room was massive and Ralin couldn't help but feel a little small and insignificant compared to the vast space on all sides of her. The walls were a deep green color on top with a gold trim in the center about waist height. Below the gold was a deep burgundy and the carpet was a mixture of all three. Everything in the room seemed to fit with the decor as well. It was all so elegant that Ralin felt highly out of place.
Ralin had told her friend all about the events of the past week. Liara just stared at her as if Ralin had just informed her that she might spontaneously combust at any moment.
"My God Ralin," Liara gasped. Then suddenly she flung herself onto Ralin and embraced her tightly tears seemed ready to pour out of her large hazel eyes. Liara had always been the emotional one of the both of them. "Of course you can stay here for as long as you need! You have no more family on either side so we're all you have left. I'll talk to mom about getting you enrolled in school but I'm warning you, you may be behind. I'll help you out as much as possible." With that Liara stood and strolled out of the room.
Ralin, who wasn't much for what she called "emotional nonsense," just shook her head and allowed herself a deep, contented breath. She would stay with Liara for a while, at least until she graduated. She would finish her last year of high school at wherever it was Liara went (it occurred to Ralin that she didn't even know). She would live in this enormous house with her best friend and could see herself living very comfortably until it was time for her to go off to college.
As long as she kept her head down, the Night People who had been hunting her need never know that she was enjoying a leisurely life in Los Angeles.
Just then Liara reentered the room looking pleased with herself.
"My mom says that you can stay as long as you want. I even talked her into giving you allowance. You'll be getting $25 a week, same as me."
Ralin started to protest. "That's really OK Liara, I can go out and get a job to earn my own way..."
"Don't be ridiculous Ralin," she said simply. "It's no problem at all. Now we had better go shopping for some new clothes for you for school. We can't have you wearing the same outfit every day. That just wouldn't do at all. I'll go get my mom's card and the keys to the Mercedes."
"But..."
It was too late. Liara was already wandering out of the room and acting as if she hadn't heard Ralin's feeble protest at the generosity that was being shown to her.
Ralin wondered what had happened to her friend. It was probably from spending far too much time with humans. Her friend used to be like her, if far more emotional. Things like clothes, and cars, and money never mattered to Liara before.
'It may be the humans, or it may be that her parents have so much money that throwing a few hundred dollars away on me doesn't even make a nick in the bank account.' Ralin thought to herself.
Liara walked back into the room holding a designer purse undoubtedly containing the credit card. The car keys were in her hand.
"Well are you coming?" she asked impatiently.
Ralin sighed and followed her friend out into the late afternoon sun.
* * *
Hours later Ralin entered the fashionable room again and set down her armfuls of bags. She still felt bad about taking the Hollingsheds' money but Liara said that if Ralin didn't pick something that she liked, Liara was going to have to pick for her. Ralin remembered the pink miniskirt that she had been eyeing earlier hazel eyes darting from Ralin to the skirt and back again. There was no way Ralin was going to wear pink so in the end she had given in a picked some clothes out. All black.
Ralin turned to see Liara stroll languidly into the room, blond hair streaming behind her hazel eyes shining in the artificial light with excitement. Her arms were also full of her own purchases. Liara's horizons were far broader than hers as far as color was concerned. She had purchased outfits in various colors including deep forest green and navy blue.
"You know we can share outfits if you want." Ralin pictured herself in any one of Liara's outfits and shuddered. She really didn't do the color thing.
But despite her feelings Ralin gave her friend a warm smile and said, "Sure, that sounds great!"
"My mom said that she phoned the school and it's all settled. You're now enrolled in El Benita High with me. Mom said that you were my distant cousin who came to live with us after your family....." Liara's face took on a shocked look as she trailed off. "Oh I'm sorry. I'll shut up now."
"No Liara, it's really OK. I'm fine." But that was a lie. Ralin didn't feel fine. She felt like her chest was being squeezed and like she was suffocating. She pushed the thoughts of her family to the back of her mind and realized that the feeling of being smothered hadn't vanished. Ralin laughed shakily when she realized that she hadn't few since early that morning and she was hungry.
"Come on Liara, what do you say we go get something to eat. Let's take a walk."
Ralin stood and wandered out of the room thinking 'tomorrow is going to be an interesting day.'