Alec was nice. He tried not to be in my way and would politely listen whenever I felt like talking about the places I visited and the art we saw. He would never be around me for too long or show up for more than two consecutive days and never complained about anything. He never went to my university or my job, never asked to get into my home again and never stuck around when I had friends or Luke with me. Honestly, it was very pleasant to spend time with him. A lot of times that no one else could go somewhere with me Alec would go and I wouldn't be alone so often. He didn't talk much and never complained that I did it even when I was sure I was babbling.
He was perfectly fine.
I didn't trust him at all. I started to remember why I was so sure there was something wrong with him, why I was sure he was some type of monster. The more time I spent with him the more I felt it in my gut, there was something off about that boy. He looked too good, he was too refined. He spoke too well, he was too nice.
Besides, he never met me in the daytime unless the sky was completely taken by clouds and even then I barely saw him in open spaces, he would usually meet me inside of some building. He never ate or drank anything in front of me and he also had a weird habit of just appearing where I was and leaving me wondering how the hell he knew I was going to be there. We never exchanged numbers, we never talked if not face to face, so I began to think he was following me or had people following me, maybe even watching my house.
I didn't tell him any of that. Over the first three weeks that he stayed to gather whatever information he needed I did my best to seem completely okay with anything he did or said but I grew increasingly uncomfortable and worried. I got fixated on why he was so different from anyone I had ever met and would spend a good part of my time trying to figure out what he was. I had a collection of horror books and films back home in my parents' house that I would have obsessively consulted if I could, but I actually didn't even need to do that. In three weeks and with almost no research at all I managed to convince myself that Alec was really a vampire.
It had been my first guess back in June, I just had to accept it was the truth. The first time I saw him I thought he was a vampire but it seemed too far-fetched that I just guessed it so easily. I suppose I am just that lucky.
There was not a single person on Earth I could tell that. I would certainly be labelled insane for saying anything like it to anyone with any level of seriousness. I couldn't tell Alec, of course, because if he was a vampire then it was certainly a secret and he could kill me for knowing it, and if he was not he would also think I was crazy for believing it. I decided to keep my conclusion to myself, be extra careful around him and pray for him to go away as soon as possible. Whatever that job offer was it could definitely not be unrefusable if it involved working for vampires.
Right when February was in its last days Luke decided to sit me down on his couch and have a talk with me. I could tell it was coming for a few days and had a guess about what it was.
"So, you have been spending a lot of time with that foreign boy" he began and confirmed my suspicions, "you don't think it's weird?"
"Of course I think it's weird" I answered honestly but also a little exasperated, "but he is not bothering anyone and he is probably leaving soon."
He looked at me sadly and sighed.
"I didn't mean to upset you, it's just... I don't really buy his story. I don't believe he has a job at all, he is so young. There is something wrong with all of this, I don't like it."
I felt bad for snapping at him, so I hugged him.
"Sorry, love. I know what you mean, but don't worry. He is just a kid, it can't be anything too awful, ok?"
I felt worse after I said that because I didn't believe it myself, but he was not the first person to voice their worries about Alec's true intentions and I didn't want to question anything or have anyone I knew questioning it, I just wanted it to be over. I just wanted him to leave without interfering with my life in any way because I also had a nagging feeling that something really bad was looming over us.
"You are not jealous of a little boy, are you?" I poked him to take his mind off of it.
"Jesus Christ, Ma, I wasn't but now I'm a little worried. Never took you for a cradle-robber."
We laughed and I hit him with a pillow. It seemed to work, he shook his head still smiling and didn't bring Alec up again. He just turned his TV on so we could start our annual Nightmare on Elm Street marathon. We met each other in a cinema theatre when he entered the wrong room and decided to sit next to me and watch the whole film anyway thinking I might get scared enough to accidentally reach for his hand. I didn't, but I did agree to go out with him and so every year on that same day we would watch it again.
"Happy day-we-met, love of my life."
I smiled at him.
"Happy day-we-met, man of my dreams."
I saw Alec the next day in a church. He had never met me in a church before but I realised that I hadn't been in one since he came back. It made me doubt my previous belief that he was a vampire, but there was a lot of lore regarding them and I didn't really know what was true or not. It had been a month since he arrived so I was hoping it meant he was leaving. I spotted him inside the church and my mind immediately went to the possibility of him informing me that he was done and I wouldn't be offered the job.
"Good evening" he greeted me as usual, in a low voice.
I said it back to him and took a notepad out of my bag. I had an essay due in a few days and had decided to write about that specific church, so I chose a time I knew it would be mostly empty and sat on the end of a bench. Alec quietly sat next to me.
Whenever I wrote down something about the aesthetic style of the church I would say it to him in whispers. It was a habit by that point, so I didn't even consider not doing it until I noticed he was more unresponsive and distant than usual. He wouldn't always talk back or give any input to the conversation, but he would almost always at least give me any sign that he was listening, even if just out of politeness. It wasn't the case that day.
"Sorry, I will be quiet today."
He finally looked at me. He had been staring at the back of the bench in front of us since we sat down and when I told him I would be quiet he finally looked me in the eyes. He kept his silence for a little longer, just staring back at me with an unreadable expression.
"I have not seen my sister in a while."
"Oh."
I didn't know how to react. That was the first piece of personal information he gave me and though it made me very curious, I didn't want to intrude.
I knew that any way I felt like responding to that would be just a few empty words or obvious phrases we automatically throw back at people in situations like these to be given more information. My first impulse was to say "oh you miss her?" which was stupid because if he was upset about not seeing her in a while then of course he did miss her. My second impulse was to say "oh I didn't know you have a sister" which was also stupid because I couldn't have known and he knew I didn't know, it was just something to make him talk about her.
So I fought both my first and my second impulses and caved in to the third one. I reached for his hand, which was resting on his knee, and held it. I held his hand and said nothing.
It was always very difficult to read him. I never had much of an idea of what he was feeling or thinking about me, of what I did or of the fact that he had to follow me around. He always seemed to be trying not to bother me so I did the same to him but I didn't know if I was succeeding or if he was annoyed with me and couldn't wait to leave.
I felt inadequate and pathetic holding his hand in that church. Even looking so young and feeling down he did not look like he needed to be comforted at all. I half expected him to awkwardly remove his hand from mine and tell me he didn't need my pity or something along those lines, but he just smirked and said:
"You are a pleasant person, Marina. It makes my work a lot easier."
I looked away from him, a little relieved and a little uncomfortable. I went back to taking notes for my essay. I still had my pencil in my right hand but my left hand was on his, so after a few minutes I slowly started to pull it away from him to better hold my notepad. He grabbed it and then intertwined our fingers. When I looked at him again feeling confused by his action he was not facing me anymore and he didn't look at me again for a while.
It was more than just weird, but I let him. He probably didn't have anyone else around to comfort him, he probably really needed it even if from a near stranger. I felt sorry for him so I just let him hold my hand for the remainder of the time we spent there. He would sometimes tighten his grip but it never hurt.
I suddenly wondered about his parents. I wondered if he had anyone taking care of him at all or if he was alone in the world with the exception of his sister. I wondered how old he was and what he was really doing in that small town, if he really was there just for me and how surreal that was. I had nothing to give him, he was wasting his time. He should be able to go home to his sister and somehow I was keeping him from doing it, I was keeping him from her. I wished I could release him from this, I wished I could make him feel better.
When I felt like I had enough notes for the day I sighed deeply and glanced at him. He was still facing forward and his hold on my hand was still tight.
"I have to go."
He faced me again. He seemed a little reluctant to let go of my hand, but after a few moments he did.
"Thank you" he whispered and I almost didn't hear him.
I thought about what I wanted to say, maybe a little too much. He patiently waited for me to speak and I think it took me almost a whole minute to gather the courage to say it.
"I feel really bad that you have to stay because of me" I finally admitted, "can't you just go back to your sister? Tell your people I am not right for the job. You have been here for a whole month, it seems more than enough to me. You must be sick of it. If you don't have anything else to do here then can't you just go home?"
I am not sure of what I was expecting from him but I wasn't expecting to hear him laughing after seeing him so quiet and blue all evening. It was good to hear him laugh after worrying that he was too sad, but it sounded a little bittersweet.
I had to fight back a gasp when he held my face with both of his hands.
"You worry too much about me. You don't have to."
I frowned and it seemed to amuse him even more.
"I mean it. I have been chosen for this task and I intend to complete it. I will go home when it is time. Stop troubling yourself with me."
He let go of my face and slid a finger along my forehead as if trying to dissolve my frown. I chuckled and playfully slapped it away. The atmosphere between us was light again and I thanked the heavens for it. I didn't know if I could sleep in peace if we ended our meeting on such an odd note.
"Good night, Marina."
"Good night, Alec."
He disappeared into the night and I went home shortly after, feeling a little better for him.
He was a nice kid. Maybe he was not a vampire after all.
