Love kills, makes you blind, and destroys my nervous system.
I put the cute notebook on the ground and just sat down next to Coffee. We remained silent for a while.
"Will you come back to school?" I asked later.
"Why bother?" she grunted. "There is no point in it anymore."
I was thinking for a moment.
"What would Jo want you to do?"
She looked up at me with glistening eyes.
"She would want you to do the things she would have liked doing. Visit the places she would have liked. Live a life full of wonder, so that when you meet again you can tell her about it." I answered and as I was talking bitter tears ran down her cheeks. "Live her dream, because you no longer just live for yourself. So come back to school."
She wiped her tears. "You are right."
Silence engulfed us again for a while.
"What would she want me to do?" I asked Coffee even though I was afraid her answer might hurt.
The vampire girl looked at me again. "She would want you to be happy, Shay."
"Happy?" I repeated disbelieving.
"Yes," she nodded. "She would want you to love and be loved."
I pursed my lips into a sharp line.
"I can't imagine I could love again."
Coffee nodded again. "Time will help, I am sure."
Such a generic thing to say.
"But I am glad you are not actively searching for someone to fill her place," she added. "I would have to kill you if you did so soon."
She was serious about this.
"Yeah, I know." I sighed.
"Guys," said Alex and we both looked up questioningly. "There is a tradition in Asia of burning papers for the dead... Like there is paper money or paper clothes. It is believed that they will receive them in the afterlife."
The wolf held up a photograph. The photo showed the four of us on our last carefree outing.
"Let's bring her some memories from time to time," he breathed with a soft smile. "Let's send her lots of nice ones to make her smile."
Coffee's body shook and I thought she was going to cry. Finally, she just said, "She would like the idea of something like this."
Yes, she would.
Alex placed the ceramic bowl in front of the gravestone and bent down to light the photograph. He quickly placed it in the ceramic bowl and sat down between us.
For moments, we just watched as the smiling faces were consumed by the tiny flame, leaving nothing but grey ash.
(...)
Elsie recovered within a week, regaining enough strength to move around the house without assistance. I would have suggested she rest a few more days—mainly for some peace for myself—but she was determined to venture out into the garden.
She claimed she was going stir-crazy cooped up inside, and honestly, there's no winning against a determined woman. She seemed happier, especially when Alex spent time with her. Whenever he was around, she practically radiated joy.
I could practically smell love in the air. Ugh, where's the air freshener when you need it?
Witnessing their smooching sessions made my stomach churn. It took monumental effort not to gag. With a grimace of pure disgust, I retreated to another room, away from the lovebirds.
I let out a long, suffering sigh. Simon was quietly flipping through a book, blissfully unbothered.
"Tell me, mate," I started, catching his attention. He looked up, a calm curiosity in his eyes. "There are over seven billion people on this planet, and yet I'm stuck enduring the affections of two of them. Fate is cruel."
Simon's lips curled into a mocking smile before he returned to his book.
"Thanks," I muttered. "Always a pleasure talking to you."
Something brushed against my leg. I shot a murderous glance at the audacious culprit—the fucking cat—who responded with a demanding meow. Alex, in his love-drunk haze, often forgot to feed the wretched creature. I would have been fine with it starving, but this devilish cat was far too clever and persistent to allow that.
Grumbling a curse under my breath, I got up and made my way to the kitchen. Grabbing a sachet from the fridge, I emptied its contents into the cat's bowl.
"Here, eat up, demon cat," I said, pushing the food toward it.
Naturally, the insufferable beast immediately set to devouring the tuna-flavored meal, which, of course, was the most expensive option available. It refused to eat anything else, and Alex always indulged its whims. Every shopping trip was the same: Alex would insist the poor kitten would starve without that specific brand.
I would argue that the fucking cat could just catch a mouse from the neighbors, but Alex always countered with a disgusted look, saying he'd rather buy the cat food than have it eat a mouse. That's why they domesticated cats. Moron.
I finally relented, telling him he could buy the cat food—with his own money. Fair enough, right?
Back in the living room, I flicked through the channels, hoping for something worth watching. It was the usual drivel: soap operas, reality shows, and dramas I had no interest in. Frustrated, I turned off the TV after a few minutes.
Fortunately, I had the self-restraint not to break the remote control in half, realizing the distastefulness of humanity. How can people watch so much shit?!
I sighed, tossing the remote onto the table, and leaned back on the sofa. School started tomorrow, and the thought weighed on me. Not because I was nervous—teachers loved me—but it was our last year, and it would be without Jo.
I rested my hand lightly on my lap, which, to my annoyance, was occupied by the cat. The cursed thing purred contentedly. I closed my eyes, letting myself relax, enjoying the rare moment of a quiet mind.
The cat's fur was soft, and before I knew it, I was absentmindedly stroking it. The rhythmic purring was oddly soothing, easing the tension in my body more than any conscious effort could.
Of course, my peaceful moment didn't last long. Her footsteps were nearly silent, but I could feel her gaze on me.
"What do you want?" I asked, my tone as unfriendly as ever when directed at her.
Elsie stepped closer, but I didn't even bother to open my eyes.
"You're so kind to him," she remarked in a soft, dreamy tone. "Do you like animals?"
"Not particularly," I opened my eyes, pulling my lips into a faint grin. "But I don't hate them either."
I mean, I took her in, didn't I? My house is practically a zoo.
Her makeup was heavy and black again—though, honestly, I preferred her without it.
"Well, to be honest, I was a bit scared when we met again," she admitted, "You're so… scary sometimes."
No kidding. I am scary.
"Thanks," I flashed her a satisfied smile.
Obviously, she didn't mean it as a compliment, but she returned my smile anyway.
"Sit," I gestured towards one of the armchairs, "You can watch TV, though there's only garbage on. Unless you're into soap operas."
"I—no…" she started quickly. "I was just leaving."
I looked up at her in surprise. "You're not staying with Alex?"
She shook her head.
"But you love him, don't you?" The blush on her cheeks answered for her.
"It's better this way," she said, "I'm only going away for a while, not forever."
But I'd prefer the latter…
"Do as you wish," I shrugged.
"I just…" she added. "I want to thank you for what you did for me."
"No," I sighed. "I didn't do it for you at all. I did it for Alex."
"I still owe you a thank you," she insisted.
I'm happy just to get you out of here as quickly as possible…
"I'll see you out," I said, standing up and banishing the cat to the sofa.
The most evil beast of hell let out an indignant meow, clearly displeased.
Then, something unexpected happened: Elsie hugged me. Gently, just barely touching me, she hugged me. Her vanilla-scented perfume was pleasant, but I would have bitten off my own tongue before admitting it.
"Thank you," she said, "I mean it."
I untangled myself from her, probably looking at her like she'd just escaped from a mental hospital, because she looked uncertain.
"Don't start this sentimental crap. You'll end up crying and soaking my shirt," I said dryly.
Elsie just blinked at me with wide eyes for a moment, then laughed. I raised my eyebrows. My theory about her mental state was looking more plausible by the second.
"You haven't changed a bit, have you?" she laughed.
"Look who's talking," I replied. "You're just as annoying as ever."
She laughed again and started for the front door. Before stepping out, she turned back to me with her huge ebony eyes.
"See you later," she smiled.
Not if I can help it.
"Aren't you going to say goodbye to Alex?" I asked.
She shook her head.
I didn't want to shatter the emotional moment or make her realize that her plan had failed. Alex was standing in the garden with a shopping bag in his hand.
"Elsie?" In that one word, he asked all the questions he wanted to ask.
"Alex," she turned to him in surprise, her reply carrying all the answers.
Oh God, I should slam the door now and spare myself the drama.
Alex ran, not stopping until he reached her.
"Where are you going?" he demanded.
"I have some unfinished business," she replied.
The scene churned my stomach—seriously, had I been sucked into a Latin soap opera? Or was this hell?
And, as in every overly sentimental series, Alex seized the moment to kiss his beloved—thoroughly destroying my nervous system.
"Ew," I muttered. "Can't you at least not do it in front of me? It's disgusting! I'm going to have nightmares!"
When they finally parted, Alex shot me an irritated look, but Elsie just laughed. She blew another light kiss on Alex's lips, then turned to send me one last gentle smile—to which I responded with a disgusted grimace—and headed for the gate.
My best friend stood numbly, watching as she walked away, her figure gradually disappearing down the street. I could almost hear the distinctive, heartbreaking music of a soap opera playing in the background.
After about two minutes, I got bored of the spectacle. I stepped up to Alex, tearing my gaze away from Elsie's retreating figure, and glanced up at him.
"What's for dinner?"
The question broke the moment perfectly, snapping Alex out of his trance.
"You couldn't wait just a little longer, could you?" he grumbled, though a slight smile tugged at his lips.
Maybe Elsie left that smile with him, a parting gift wrapped in that last kiss.
You honestly thought I could endure an eternity waiting for my dinner?
"Of course not," I grinned, patting him on the shoulder.
With that, I turned and headed into the kitchen. Alex followed a few minutes later, his usual grin back in place. He knew. He knew that the beauty of goodbyes lay in the possibility of seeing each other again.
He tied on his apron, quickly gathering ingredients for pancakes and the leftover stew from the day before, with sour cream.
"Now, let's get started on those meat pancakes!" he declared, diving into the cooking.
Meanwhile, I picked up my phone from the table, intending to read articles on Kaleidoscope. For a moment, I was taken aback: I couldn't read it. One moment, strange, inverted letters blurred before my eyes. After blinking long and hard, the headline proclaimed:
[Crosspherat Introduces New Reforms.]
I shrugged it off, assuming my eyes were just tired. Little did I know that this tiny, insignificant trifle was the first sign of something huge and sinister.