Silver's Bane

Chapter Two Dead Girl in a Coffee Shop-2

Luca shut his door behind him again and searched through old clothes and clutter until he found where he had dropped his car keys the night before. Housekeeping wasn’t Luca’s strong suit. Luca walked to the window, opened it, and tossed the keys into Kyle’s outstretched hand.

“Be careful with my Jeep.”

“Don’t crash my baby,” Kyle called back, looking forlornly toward the driveway and his motorcycle.

Luca laughed and pulled his window back down, turning to prepare for the day.

JULIANA

Unable to resume sleeping after the night’s dreams, Jules had dressed for work early and decided to take a stroll down her street. She’d chosen this street for its ambiance. The small cottages that lined the rocky coast were full of charm, and she could see the waves crashing on the rocks from her back porch. Jules had rarely felt more at peace.

She loved to watch the morning routine of her quiet neighborhood. The woman next door rushing off to work and the family three houses down, herding their young children into a car, headed for school. It all reminded Jules why she had chosen to cherish human life.

As the time for her to leave for work approached, Jules walked back to her own house and started her car. It was still dark out, so she drove the few minutes to the coffee shop she frequented. Not because she drank coffee. She was dead, what good would caffeine do her? But because her best, human friend worked the early shift most days.

Per-usual, the coffee house was relatively empty inside while the drive-through was a mass of honking cars and impatient drivers. Jules saw Monica handing the same old man his coffee order. “Is there anything else I can get you, Mr. Boyer?”

“What do you think?” he snapped grumpily.

Monica smiled regardless and wished him a good day. Jules approached the counter as Mr. Boyer made his way back to his usual little table.

“Does he ever go home?" Jules whispered to Monica once she was close enough to keep from being overheard.

“Yes, between ten and noon,” Monica said and they both giggled.

Monica was several inches taller than Jules, with caramel skin and brown hair that she wore soft and wild past her shoulders. Monica had graduated last year and was in the middle of a gap year, which she’d promised her parents she was using to think about her future. Jules suspected it had more to do with the fact that her boyfriend, Seth, was a year younger and still trapped at Aboit High. Jules knew that Monica planned on going to college but wanted to wait for Seth, so they could take on that adventure together. Monica had her whole life planned out, down to the year and moment she wanted Seth to propose. Jules knew that life rarely worked out how one planned, but she hoped in Monica’s case it would.

Monica picked up the water bottle she always carried and walked out from behind the counter. “I’m taking ten,” she called to her co-worker, who was in the back.

“Okay!” they shouted in return.

“Are you still coming over tonight?” Monica asked.

Jules nodded as they sat down at their usual table.

“Good. How was your night? Mine was fine. Seth and I just hung out with my family. I got into a fight with Ethan because he didn’t knock first, and Seth and I were making out. Thank God that’s all he saw. So, what about you? Anything eventful happen last night?”

Jules smiled. The number of words Monica could get out in one breath was almost inhuman. “Actually, yes.” Jules lowered her voice. “Gabriel, Eileen, and I had a run-in with a pack of wolves.”

“Did anything dramatic happen? I mean, to be honest, we both knew that was going to happen eventually. But what do you mean ‘a run in’? How many were there?” Monica said.

Jules just smiled and waited for Monica to take a breath. Monica had a familiar comfort about her. They possessed the ease of interaction that naturally developed out of a deep friendship. Jules had had a few human friends over the years, but Monica Martin was different. She knew what Jules and her coven were. To Jules’s surprise, she’d guessed about a year after they’d become friends. Jules couldn’t understand Monica’s acceptance of vampirism and everything that came with it. She was relieved that she showed no signs of wanting to be turned into one. Monica’s life plan required that she keep her heart beating.

“How’d Mr. Prentiss take it?”

Jules simply made a face at her.

“That bad, huh?” Monica asked. Gabriel had been Monica’s English teacher sophomore year. She knew him personally now, through Jules, but couldn’t seem to stop calling him ‘Mr. Prentiss’. Even after she’d graduated high school.

“He, umm, got into a fistfight with the Alpha,” Jules said.

Monica looked at Jules, shock on her face.

Before Monica could ask, Jules said, “don’t worry. I took care of it.”

“Wow. I mean, I’m glad it wasn’t worse, I guess,” Monica replied. “With what happened to Eileen, I’d have guessed he would’ve bitten one of them, then and there.”

Just then, Monica’s phone beeped and she pulled it from her pocket to check the text. She smiled as she returned it. Jules thought it was likely from Seth, due to Monica’s facial expression. “Oh, I have to get back,” Monica said standing.

“See you after work,” Jules said, standing too.

“Jules, I almost forgot,” Monica stopped and spun toward Jules again. “You know how Saturday is Seth and my two-year anniversary, right?”

Monica had mentioned it on more than a few occasions, so yes, Jules knew. She nodded.

“Well, Seth kind of forgot. He made plans with a friend.”

“Anyone I know?” Jules asked.

“Probably not. Anyway, Seth was wondering what you were doing on Saturday night.”

“Monica. No,” Jules said, taken aback. She knew what Monica was asking. She also knew that it was a very bad idea. “Can’t Seth just change his plans to another night?” Jules didn’t like the idea of any form of romantic connection with a human. Not even a blind date. Not even once.

“I asked that, and he suggested that you should come with us instead. I guess his friend is like twenty-three or something.

“Monica, you know I don’t get involved with humans.” Jules looked at her friend seriously.

“Of course I do, but Seth doesn’t. I couldn’t exactly say, ‘yeah, she can’t. She might eat him’ could I?”

Jules chose not to respond to that one.

“Come on, Jules. You’re my best friend. Please don’t make me lie to Seth any more than I already am,” Monica begged, sticking out her lower lip.

Jules contemplated this. She would only have Monica for as long as one lifetime allowed. So, she offered up a long, aggravated sigh and relented. She could handle one night of small talk with a human boy.

“Thanks. You’re the best!” Monica grinned widely. “It’ll be fun.”

“It had better not be,” Jules retorted as she left the small coffee shop.

KYLE

Kyle parked the Jeep in front of the two-story apartment building, grabbed two of his three bags, and headed toward the shabby structure. Some of Hayley’s younger siblings were out front. They were all piling into the family vehicle, heading across town for school.

“Hayley inside?” he asked Landon, who was climbing into the driver’s seat.

“Not that I know of,” he replied, without making eye contact with Kyle.

Kyle shrugged and hauled both his bags inside the building.

“Seriously dude.” Adam stopped Kyle just outside his parents’ doorway.

Kyle couldn’t resist. He dropped both bags with a loud thud and punched Adam square on the jaw.

“What the hell was that for!” Adam shouted.

Kyle ignored him, picked up his bags again, and walked up the stairs toward his new home. The apartment’s door was standing open.

“Honey, I’m home,” Kyle called as he walked into the new living room. It was furnished with hand-me-downs and thrift shop finds. He’d spent the last week acquiring the furnishings, as a surprise for Hayley. It was already feeling more like home than the Den ever had.

“Yes, you are,” Hayley said, walking from the bedroom. Kyle dropped both bags on the floor and opened his arms for her. She ran at him. He lifted her off her feet, kissing her. She was average height, shapely, strong, opinionated, and adventurous. Everything he’d ever wanted in a spouse. Yes, she was young, but being raised with so many siblings had caused her to mature quickly.

“Just adorable.”

Still holding Hayley off the ground, Kyle turned toward the person who’d commented on their couple-cuteness.

Hayley’s little sister, Amy, continued, “I’m done organizing the bathroom.”

A horn honked outside.

“I think your ride is leaving,” Kyle told her.

Amy swore and ran out the door and down the stairs.

“Alone at last,” Kyle commented, looking down at Hayley and kissing her lips. “Are you ready to start our life Mrs. Reynolds-Cooper?”

“Yes,” she said as he put her back on her feet. “As soon as you put all that crap where it belongs. As in, not on the living room floor.” She pointed at the bags he’d dropped.

Kyle rolled his eyes.

“Is there more?” she asked, tapping him on the chest.

“Yeah, downstairs in Luca’s Jeep.”

“I’ll get it. You unpack.” Smiling, Hayley pulled the keys from his back pocket, smacked his backside, and walked from the room to bring up his last bag. Kyle watched her go. He was finally home.

JULIANA

Jules then got back in her car and drove in the direction of her job. She remembered meeting Monica like it was yesterday. Four years ago, the pair had stumbled across one another at the overstocked, resale bookstore in town. She’d reached for a book on the shelf, at the same moment that a young girl in braces and cornrows had snagged it from under her nose.

At that time, Jules was new to Aboit. She’d told Monica she was eighteen, no longer in school, and wasn’t looking for any new friends. Monica, however, wouldn’t take Jules’s ‘why don’t you go make friend’s your own age’ seriously and kept bugging her until she’d agreed to hang out. They’d hit it off pretty much instantly.

Jules reached Aboit High and pulled in to a parking spot marked for staff. The sun had risen fully during the short drive. Jules knew Gabriel would have played it safe with the sunny forecast. Thus, he would already be inside his classroom with the blinds drawn. Jules put on her dark sunglasses and grabbed her large black umbrella from under the passenger seat of her car. She cracked her door open and stuck it out of the top, like someone desperately trying not to get rained on. Quickly, she jogged toward the building, trying to slip inside without being spotted. Once through the glass double doors, she stowed both in her handbag. The guards against the sun did their job well. Between the umbrella, sunglasses, long jacket, and tall boots, she had barely begun to sizzle. Her knees were a little worse for wear, but her quick healing had her back in perfect shape in just a few seconds.

Jules walked down the darkened hall, greeting her co-workers as she went. When she reached Gabriel’s classroom, she pushed the door open without knocking.

He looked up from where he sat hunched over his desk, at the far side of the room.

“Lunch today, my office?” she asked.

“If I get these papers graded, sure,” he replied, sifting through the tall stack in front of him.

“Do you want me to grade some for you?”

“No!”

“Just thought I’d check,” she teased, letting the door close behind her and heading to her own work area.

She reached the far side of the quiet building and walked through the darkened library to her small office in the back corner. She pulled her hair back in a tight bun, placed the pins carefully, and reached into her bag for her prescription-less glasses. This, along with a cardigan, pleated skirt, and a change into kitten heels, was all part of the act. Like Clark Kent, she was a master at hiding what she truly was. Although, instead of concealing superpowers from another planet, she was pretending that she hadn’t died at seventeen, and didn’t have the natural desire to drink the student’s blood.