Lucy sat on the couch watching her dad pace around the room looking lost. He probably was owing someone. He opened a bottle of whiskey and downed it glass by glass till he took the whole bottle.
Is this even possible?
He looked at her his eyes red. "This is all your fault", he said coming close to her.
If Lucy were still that calm and frail girl that was always bullied, she would have run away or started weeping or give empty threats while holding a knife or a broken bottle. Instead she stood there until he reached her.
"If you had given me money I wouldn't be in this situation", he said getting enraged. She said nothing, just staring at the old man. "That's what you always say. Sometimes I wonder if you are really my father", she suddenly said surprising him.
"Of course I am. How dare you say something so bad about your father", he said raising his hands to beat her but she dodged. "I'd be working late tonight, go take a shower, you reek of alcohol and poverty ", she snickered and left before he could say anything callous.
Lucy shook her head, life wasn't fair for her . The death of her mother, her careless father who gambled everything they had even their house . She had lived on the streets for almost a month working and saving money. She still loved her father, but wondered why.
Maybe because we shared good memories too.
***
"You said I should train you . And I would", Iris said to Lucy as they headed to her house. "Why don't we use a taxi?" She asked. " It's pretty far "
"It's called practice "
It took an hour or more from nestle lake to Avalon. And Lucy was sweating so profusely.
"Welcome to my home", Iris said. Lucy looked at the house. It was fancy and looked expensive. "You stay here alone?"
"It's one of my houses in California", she said as she led the way. Lucy smiled, wasn't this girl only eighteen, it's not like in the goblin movie where it lived for almost a thousand years.
Come to think of it, she's a werefox. She must be older than me.
"How old are you if you don't mind", she asked and Iris smiled pouring her coffee .
" I'm technically five hundred years , and I guess you're eighteen", she said and Lucy was shocked. "Five hundred!"
"I've been running for five hundred years ", she said then smiled at her.
"And we're going to party, go shower. It's in the room with your name on it. " I'm not living here ", Lucy said and Iris laughed a little.
Lucy didn't care about her dad, whether he fought because of money or if he's just drunk. She just let the water trickle down her body.
"So, basically, a party is just like every normal thing, having drinks, dancing. Just trying to enjoy yourself is the ultimate goal", Iris said sitting on the bed.
"I'm not the party type ", Lucy shrugged. "And I have work tonight"
"I cancelled that", Iris said smiling. This girl was going to look for even the silliest excuse just to get out from going to a party.
"How did you..."
"It's called instinct", she said smiling, though her eyes looked dead.
Those eyes...
"My dad... He..."
"That abusive father of yours, come on you should look for a better excuse, not this".
How did she know about her father, about her job? Was she stalking her private life?
"I'm not, I just know", she said and Lucy slapped her hands over her mouth.
I said that out loud.
***
"That dress doesn't fit", Iris said rolling her eyes. "What about these", Lucy said raising up the dress.
"Are you dressing for school? It doesn't", she said and stood up. She walked to the wardrobe and saw the perfect dress. It was a short leather black skirt and the top was exposing, covering only her nipple.
"How in the whole of California would I wear this?"
"You're wearing them alright", she said and tossed it to her. I'm waiting downstairs.
I can't wear these.
But, she had to because those eyes weren't smiling. They never did.
She came down the stairs and Iris smiled. It was perfect.
"Just have fun, don't get drunk or anything", she said as they left in her car.
***
The music boomed and bodies swaying and dancing to the music. "Remember, enjoy yourself"
"Wait, where are you going?" Lucy asked not sure if to leave her alone was the right thing.
"To enjoy myself", she said and left the innocent girl alone.
"Right. Enjoy" , she said not feeling the vibes of the party. Enjoying yourself meant peace and quiet not sweaty bodies dancing like zombies.
"Well, can't help it", she muttered and asked for a drink. Beer would be good for her. She could just seat there and watch them dance.
Suddenly, someone touched her waist fondling her. "Beer isn't good for someone like you. You should take something hotter", he whispered into her ears.
Fuck! Your mouth smells so bad.
"Leave me alone", she said instead. But the man kept holding her , nuzzling her. She wanted to kick him or step on him with her heels. Just then, someone came.
"If she doesn't want to have sex with you , respect that", he said looking at the man. The man quietly left.
Strange.
"Oh ,thanks", she said assessing this guy. He had dark hair and his eyes shown. It was the purest emerald eyes she had ever seen in California. He was built and for some reasons caught her eyes.
"It's nothing", he said and bit his lips... Those pink lips. As he was about to say something, a guy came up to him and kisses his ears. He smiled.
"I'd see you around", he said and left.
Fuck! He's gay.
"You almost fell for him , didn't you?" Iris asked from nowhere. "I thought you abandoned me" Iris laughed. "How could I?"
"Well, there's nothing I could do about it. It's unfair that handsome people are always gay", she said sarcastically.
"You know what they say, gentlemen are mostly gay", she said and Lucy rolled her eyes.
"He's a wolf ", she said surprising Lucy. "Do you mean that?"
" Of course ", she said suddenly disappearing from her sight again.
That fox.
She said wanting to turn around and bumped into someone. She held her nose, it felt broken.
He looked at her inspecting her nose. "It's fine, sorry", he said and she looked up embarrassed. It was Joseph.
Joseph was manly instead of boyish, he was well built and had the perfect physique. His face was ever glowing and his eyes, dead and dangerous. She had liked him since middle school and although he hadn't looked her way, anything he did, she felt embarrassed.
"It... It's fine", she said and he smiled. "Good to know. I didn't know you attended parties dressed like that. You'd be fun , I guess. Maybe we could hang out sometime", he winked and left.
He thinks I'm fun
***
"How was the party? It was fun right?" Iris asked smiling evily. "It wasn't, I'm going home", she said groaning. "My dad would be waiting"
"He probably slept out, he's drunk and really wasted even if he were home, he could stab you at the thigh ", she said seriously and Lucy knew she meant it. But how in the world did she know that?
"Tell me, how do you know?"
"It's something I should know, after all you're my slave. We're sharing same fate and _"
She looked at her. "You're my only surviving slave", she said and Lucy nodded. That meant she had to live.
" I'd sleep here tonight ", she said and Iris nodded. Her phone suddenly buzzed.
"Excuse me, I have to take this", Iris said and left.
"What is it Jacob?"
"Cordelia doesn't want to leave Paris. I don't know her plans, but she wants to get me by all means ", he said and Iris nodded.
"Keep running. I'll look for what to do, just make sure she doesn't leave to California ", she said sighing.
"And what of your new slave?"
"I don't want to involve her in this, just do your job", she said and before Jacob could say another word, she had hung up.
She sighed. What was her plan.
You don't use same trick twice...
"But then why is she chasing Jacob ", she said thoughtfully.
If she ever comes to California, it's to probably see her ancestral home... But, then she would find me right there in Nestle lake.