5. ACQUAINTANCES
"I'm just saying, maybe we're going backwards." Tucker said as he tried to catch up with Sam's walking. "Maybe we're still in the end of the fourth stage or that awkward place in-between, after all, grief is a complicated thing". Sam rolled her eyes and looked more annoyed than she already did (part of that was due to the sudden cold weather not being nice to her and her deep purple crop top). "I mean, look at me! I went back to the gambling stage…"
"Whatever." She grunted. "Listen, I just want to convince myself there is a living guy who just happens to look almost exactly like a pale version of Danny and that has the same liking for skeleton-printed t-shirts, and that this is all a coincidence". She angrily said. "Besides, their brews are good and I like the place. Mark it as my new favorite place for drinks" They came inside the place and the bell rang.
"Welcome!" Engel's voice came from behind the counter, witchy-patterned apron on. "Hey, you two were here the other day. It's nice to have you here again." He spoke as he poured some milk in a plate and came to the playpen, this time occupied by a couple of cats.
"Sam liked the place" Tuck responded accusingly. The girl grunted and, if looks could kill, she would have already stabbed her friend. However, she wouldn't have the same satisfaction she had when she elbowed the young politician with more strength than necessary. "Can I have something sweet?" The geek asked, wanting to get over with this.
"I can recommend you Toad Juice" the boy suggested and proceeded to explain how it was pure natural sweetness that looked like fake slime. Sam looked how he talked and couldn't help but think the same Tucker was in that moment: that was how Danny used to talk about space; it was how he had explained to them how Galileo's telescope had changed astronomy forever.
"Ah… sounds good, let it be two" Sam replied, shocked of finding yet another similarity with Danny. "So, where are D and Ella?" Engel frowned for a moment right before he cut a piece of cactus.
"The lovebirds decided to have a date this afternoon and left me in charge as soon as I finished school work." The pale teen explained with little annoyance. "They must be at the cinema, being gross"
"Dude, sounds like you have an abusive sister" Tucker commented.
"Nah, it's fine" The younger assured him with a dismissive gesture. "With my stupid medical condition, most people treat me either like a freak or like I could drop dead any minute or something. I appreciate when they just leave me alone like nothing can happen"
"Medical condition…?" Sam pretended not to know. Her heart telling her she needed to listen this boy's talk and her brain yelling at her for what she was doing to herself.
"From the genetic wheel of fortune I won the most rare prize of all. Drums please, sun allergy!" The sarcasm in his voice made the other two laugh. "Which includes me being trapped inside during sunny summer days, or wrapped in clothing from head to toe when I go out during the day and risk dehydration. Also, since I can only wear light clothing when it's cloudy or rainy, or already night, I am pale."
"Your life must be hard" Sam added with sympathy.
"Yeah, well… Good news is: I could play mostly at night since I was little, and I went around pranking neighbors when they couldn't stop me. Bad news is: my night activity and my paleness, added to my school attendance depending solely on weather conditions, plus people at school saying I'm a vampire, got me few to no friends"
"Oh…" Tuck said. "No friends at all?"
"Oh, no. I used to have two good friends until recently…" He explained with a joyful expression. "They would sneak out at night to play with me, had lots of sleepovers, long hours of complaining about…" he paused a moment with a grim expression "...stuff and… other things. Unfortunately... I moved."
"But you can still at least phone them." Tuck talked.
"Yeah, I could…" the other responded in a sigh and poured the drinks in their cups. "But it's not the same…" he muttered in a low tone Sam and Tuck almost missed. "Oh great!" He suddenly exclaimed before handing them their drinks. "Sorry, time for closing"
"Closing? It's still early" Tuck checked his watch to prove his point but the boy pointed to the glass door, sunlight starting to reach the playpen with the cats.
"At this hour the sun starts to descend enough to give this place extra light. Some more minutes and I'll be trapped in the back for… a while" He proceeded to curse and complain. "Why did they have to remove the big sign from the building across the street?"
"Need some help?" Sam offered.
"Sorry to ask you this but, can you please close the window shades before you leave?"
"It's okay." Tuck's reply came with a light chuckle, "anything for a…"he was going to say 'friend' but he quickly changed it to "-an acquaintance"
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