Nevermore, the Complete Series (24 page)

I pulled into the parking lot of what appeared to be a typical, small cafe. The building's exterior was all brick, painted in a deep espresso color – very fitting for what the business was. Coffee was just what I needed to wake myself up after the restless night before. When I came to the front of the building, I discovered an arched beige door with a sign dangling from a bronze hook above. The sign was in the shape of a coffee cup and it read in elegant script: 'Kaplan Kafé '. The café appeared to be newly built, which was somewhat surprising for such a small town. Even more surprising was the crowd I discovered upon glancing through the windows. Amidst the many people I spotted Karen sitting in a booth beside a strawberry-blonde haired girl who I’d never seen before.

A gentle chiming bell sounded when I pushed the door open, alerting the lady behind the counter that she had a new customer. It also caught Karen's attention, who immediately waved me over when she saw me. I smiled as I walked over to the booth and sat across from the two girls.

“Hey, Alex!”
Karen grinned, “I hope you don't mind, but I went ahead and ordered for you. White chocolate cappuccino, right?”

“Yep, you know me too well,” I grinned in return, inhaling the strong scent of coffee lingering in the air. It was only partially true – there was no way for her to know me very well these days.

“Well, I’d hope so by now,” she laughed, and then glanced at the girl sitting beside her, “this is my cousin, Claire.”

I finally set my eyes on the strawberry blonde girl that sat beside my friend. Her hair was in short, dangling curls that perfectly framed her rounded face. From her overall appearance, I would have guessed that she was around sixteen. She had wide, vibrant topaz eyes. Something about her felt familiar, but I couldn't quite place what it was.
“Hey Claire. I'm Alex.”

“Hello,” she replied. Her voice was sweet, almost musical. “Karen has told me a lot about you.”

“Oh, really?” I said curiously as Karen got up to retrieve our beverages.

“Yep.
She told me that you guys have been friends since before she can remember.”

“That’s right, and we even used to
be neighbors, that’s how it all started,” I replied thoughtfully. It was bizarre thinking how much time I had spent with Karen throughout my childhood, and now I seldom spoke to or saw her. I had to admit, I was enjoying being among a “normal” crowd again already. 

Karen returned and sat down a tray with three 24oz
styrofoam coffee cups on it. Each cup had a name written across it in thick black ink – Alexis, Karen, and Claire. I grasped the one with my name on it, took a sip and gagged.

“Way too hot!” I gasped, “I can’t believe I just did that.”

“Well, it does say ‘Caution: Beverage is hot’ on the lid y’know,” Karen laughed and shook her head as she slid back onto the booth.

“I guess I just haven’t had coffee in a while.” I laughed and my cheeks grew warm.

“It's been a long time since you did a lot of things,” she mumbled in response.

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“Just that you’ve missed out on a lot. I was really shocked when I heard that you dropped out of school. Jason was the one that told me, it would’ve been nice if you had maybe told me before hand,” she said sadly.

Claire sat idly beside her, gazing out the window. “I'm so sorry, Karen,” I sighed. “Things haven't been very normal for me lately.”

“I understand. I was just surprised, that's all,” she smiled reassuringly. “Are you still living at Paul's house?”

I went to correct her by saying I had never stayed with Paul, but then remembered that was the story I had given Jason when I told him he could live at my house for free.
“Oh, no. I'm not.”

“You’re not living with Jason and Mitch, are you?” I could hear the jealousy in her voice. It still felt strange that she was interested in Jason.

“No! I can't imagine what that would even be like...all of the parties he would have going on,” I shook my head. “I'm staying with another friend.”

“Another friend, huh?
Who?” she asked, finally taking a sip of her latte. I could sense that she was somewhat annoyed that I had not asked to stay with her, although she tried to hide it.

I didn't reply right away, as I sipped my cappuccino and pondered if I should even tell her about my living situation. “Do you remember that boy I met in music class last year?”

Her eyes changed dramatically and she grinned, “You're living with him?!”

I felt my cheeks grow warm again as I fought the urge to smile. “Yes.”

“Oh my god! Did he drop out of school, too?”

“No. He wasn't even enrolled in school, actually. Janet,” I paused after saying her name, it still hurt to think of her, “I mean mom, had him find me to tell me something important.”

“Oh. What's his name?” I was already beginning to regret mentioning it; I knew she would never stop asking questions now.

“Salem.” This time I couldn't hold back from smiling.

Claire glanced at me, she almost appeared alarmed. “Did you say Salem?” she asked.

“Yeah, why?”

“That's a very weird name,” she replied, “What's his last name?”

“Young,” I replied, somewhat cautiously. “Do you know of him?”

I couldn't quite read her expression – it was a mixture of shock, hurt and satisfaction. “No...I don’t,” she mumbled. “Karen, I think I have to go.”

“But you have barely touched your drink!” Karen objected.

I hadn't noticed Claire touch her beverage at all. “Take it with you,” I suggested, trying my best not to think too deeply into the matter.

“Yeah, sure…” she said with an attempted smile as she grabbed her cup. “It was nice meeting you. Really.”

Karen and I stared in awe as she walked out the door. This didn't distract my friend for very long, her eyes were once again on me. “So, tell me more about him!”

I laughed and began telling her about Salem – how pleasant he was, about his interests in music and history, how he wanted to travel the world, that he was born in Wales and that we were practically inseparable. She grinned the whole time, taking in every word.

“He sounds amazing, Alex!” she said once I finished droning on about him. “When do I get to meet him?”

I blinked, not expecting that response. “Wow. I don't know. Maybe we can make plans to do something together.”

“I'd love that,” she was back to grinning, “you’re… you know... together, right??”

“Right,” I said, mimicking her grin. A rush of butterflies fluttered through my stomach. “What have you been doing?”

“I just got a part time job at Howard's, thanks to Jason recommending me to the owner,” her pride was obvious in her tone, but I couldn't blame her. “We work pretty much the same shifts, so we get to see each other all the time now, just like school.”

“Is there anything going on between the two of you?” I said with a sly smirk.

She frowned. “No. I think he has his eye on somebody else.”

“Oh,” I groaned, worrying that he was still stuck on me, “that sucks.”

Karen shrugged and sucked down the rest of her latte. “I'm glad we’re still friends at least, though. My car broke down about a month ago; he offered to drive me to work and back until I can afford to have it fixed.”

“That's good. About him driving you, not about the car breaking down,” I laughed, “who knows, maybe all that time you two are spending together may spark something!”

“Maybe,” she said hopefully. “It was nice seeing you, Alex. We should really get together more often…like we used to. And I am especially anxious to meet this boyfriend of yours!”

I blushed again, “Right. We’ll have to set something up on one of your days off, maybe.”

“Well, I’m off this coming Friday, so just let me know,” she said with a wink as she left to dump her cup in the garbage.

“I'll have to ask Salem what works for him first, too, can’t make plans without letting him know,” I said, secretly hoping he would say no.

“Great! Well, I need to go get some new clothes for work,” she grinned at the sound of her words, “want to come with?”

“Sorry, I can’t,” I mumbled, staring down at my cup as I tried to come up with an excuse. “Salem and I already had plans later today.”

“No problem,” she replied, “have fun. Call me when you figure that out about Friday!”

“I will.”

“And Alex…”

“Yes?”

“Let’s never go that long without seeing each other again, okay? I miss you. Jason misses you.”

“I know. I’m sorry it’s just that lately…”

“I know. Salem. He’s obviously important to you Alex. Just don’t let him make you forget about us.”

“Never.”

She smiled half-heartedly and headed out the door.

For roughly ten minutes I sat at the lonely booth sipping the last bit of coffee that remained in my cup. I hadn't even noticed the annoying sucking sounds I had begun to produce until an older lady in the booth in front of mine cleared her throat and gave me a nasty look. I sent her an apologetic smile, dumped my cup and headed through the arched doorway. A welcoming warm breeze brushed against my skin and rustled my hair. My feet led me to my Alero, but I stopped in shock when I reached it.

“Claire?” I muttered, finding her leaning against the back wall of the café. She was eying me suspiciously as I inched closer to my vehicle.

“Alex,” she answered with an unexpected coldness to her voice. It didn't sound quite as musical now. “I was hoping I would catch you out here. Didn’t expect to have to wait so long, though.”

“Oh…I was just finishing my coffee,” I replied. “Did you need something?”

“I just wanted to thank you,” she said, the melody coming back into her tone. I stepped back some as she approached me. “Don't worry; I don’t bite,” she laughed a little and rolled her eyes.

“What are you thanking me for?” I asked, obviously confused.

She was mere inches from me now. The wind blew the scent of vanilla from her skin all around me. With one swift, delicate movement, her hand was on my shoulder. I wasn't sure if I had imagined it, but I was certain I felt an electric jolt flow through me at her touch. “I wanted to thank you, for being there for Karen.” She gave me a warm, friendly smile.

“Oh,” I said awkwardly. “I haven't really been there for her much lately, though.” A pang of guilt ran through my entire body once again.

“I know, but every little bit counts, and I do appreciate it,” she smiled once more, a slight dimple forming in her cheeks.

“Oh, well…no problem.
I love Karen like a sister. Was that really all you wanted, though?”

“That was it. I'm sorry to hold you up, I’m sure you’re busy,” her hand lowered from my shoulder and she stepped away. “I hope to see you again soon.”

“Yeah, you too...” I whispered and quickly climbed into my car. As I was pulling out, I spotted an empty styrofoam cup and a puddle of caramel liquid beside the building – I could barely make out the black ink across the side of the cup, but I was almost certain it said her name. Claire's topaz eyes were locked on me the whole time as I left the parking lot.

I hastily ran towards the front doors of the Victorian as a sudden downpour fell from the sky. It took me just seconds to get to the door and I was already soaked. Salem was sitting at the dining table when I entered, his face hidden behind the screen of my laptop. He peered up over the top of the device and frowned at me.

“You are drenched,” he said.

“Thanks there Captain Obvious,” I replied, a little harsher than I had intended.

“Captain who?” he said, looking a little confused.

“It’s just a saying…never mind. I'm going to run upstairs to change out of this mess.”

After pulling off my soggy clothing, I dried off quickly with a towel and pulled on some fleece pajamas. I was back in the dining room within ten minutes. Salem hadn't moved an inch. I pulled up a chair beside him.

“What have you been doing?” I asked, eying the laptop curiously.

“I have been struggling to find answers to Hannah's whereabouts,” he replied sheepishly.

“I thought you had given up on searching because it was practically impossible.” 

“It's not easy to give up,” he sighed and shut the computer gently, then reached his hand out to touch mine. “Did you have a good time?”

I shrugged. “It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Karen sort of wants to meet you...”

“There is no harm in that,” he smiled. “I hope you didn't spend the whole time rambling on about me.”

“Pretty close,” I blushed and looked away. “I’m just glad that there wasn’t anything to make me turn.”

“I told you there was nothing to worry about.”

“Yeah…something weird did happen, though,”

Salem looked uneasy. “What happened?”

“Karen's cousin was acting kind of bizarre,” I replied, “When I mentioned I had a boyfriend she immediately got up and left. Then, I went out to my car and she was standing there waiting for me...she said she just wanted to thank me for being in Karen's life. The weirdest part was when she touched me...it was almost like a bolt of electricity went through me.” I shuddered as I recalled the feeling.

“Maybe the subject of significant others is a tender one for her, you can never tell. Although the rest does seem a little odd,” he replied. “What was her name?”

“Claire,” I shrugged. “She didn't give a last name.”

“Had you ever met her before? You had told me that you and Karen were inseparable as youths, did she ever mention this cousin?”

“Not specifically, but her family is spread all over the place. She’s mentioned cousins plenty of times but I don’t think she has ever named names. It’s probably nothing, but anyway…I am starving. I thought we were going for lunch but it was just coffee. Can I have some lasagna or something?” My stomach had begun growling ferociously.

“Of course,” he replied with a pleasant smile and I watched his eyes glow violet temporarily. A plate with a square of lasagna on it appeared before me.

“Thanks,” I said gratefully, “if I’d have known she had just meant coffee I would have definitely had something more than just that little bit of yogurt for breakfast.”

“Coffee,” Salem said with obvious disgust, his nose wrinkling, “one of the worst smells there is.”

I laughed. “I guess it would smell awfully strong to you.” I began eating the meal Salem summoned for me. It was warm and delicious. “This is better than any lasagna I have ever had!” I commented between mouthfuls.

“I'm glad you are enjoying it. It was hard work,” he flashed me a bright smile and retreated quietly to his shelves of books. As I ate, I watched him sit in the armchair beside the bookshelf. He was deeply engulfed in whatever he was reading, completely unaware of my watchful eyes.

After consuming my square of lasagna, I dumped my plate in the trash. I laughed quietly to myself when I imagined what it would be like if Salem kept every dish I ever used. The counter tops would be stacked to the ceiling with them! He didn't appear to notice me as I walked passed him and curled up on the sectional. My mind was filled with memories of this afternoon.

There was something unsettling about the way Claire had behaved. Part of me hoped I was making something out of nothing, but another part of me knew there was something going on. I sat up and stared out the window at the moon as it lingered above the lake, casting a magnificent silvery reflection against the watery surface. My thoughts grew depressing as I considered how many nights Salem had spent on this planet, compared to how few I was going to have. How many nights had he spent staring up at the sky in all its glory? He could sit through an entire sunrise and sunset without losing a second of his life. I was going to grow old and weak, while he maintained the same flawless, youthful body he was trapped in forever. I wasn’t sure what had brought on these thoughts or feelings, but they were persistent…and saddening.

I shut my eyes, feeling a tear trickle across my cheek. Had he ever considered this? It was frustrating how he could so easily read my expressions when I rarely knew what he was feeling or thinking. Maybe this was why vampire and human relationships never worked out, I mused. When I felt confident that my tears had dried, I turned to glance at Salem.

“I'm going to bed,” I said, my voice cracking toward the end.

His eyes narrowed as he looked away from his book. “Is something wrong, Alex?”

I shook my head and faked a yawn. “I'm just really sleepy.”

Salem looked unconvinced and set aside the novel. “If something is bothering you, you should tell me,” he frowned when he sat beside me and noticed the faint lines left from the moisture on my cheeks. “You have been crying.”

My eyes lowered, “I was hoping to avoid this.”

“What were you hoping to avoid exactly?”

“Talking to you about what is on my mind,” I mumbled.

He stared at me impatiently. “Tell me, Alex, please.”

“Someday...” I paused, knowing if I spoke any further I would start bawling. “Salem, someday I'm going to be old and brittle. I won't stop aging.”

He reached across the sectional and cradled my face in his hands and smiled – how could he smile after that? “If only you knew how much of a gift that really is.”

“Gift?!
I’m sick of that word. This isn’t one of those ‘the grass is greener on the other side’ kinds of things, Salem. Don’t you get it? If I don’t get killed hunting vampires or something first, I will eventually die of old age!” 

“It is better than being this cold, husk…this monster. I would gladly-”

“Right, I know. You would gladly be human if you could, blah, blah. We’ll see how you feel when I’m some wrinkled up old woman and you still look eighteen.” I wasn’t sure where all this was coming from. Perhaps it had been building up in the back of my mind. As harsh as it was, it was still all true.

“Alexis, I will always love you no matter what. And when you are gone, so shall I be.”

This wasn’t helping. “Or you could just turn me! We could be together forever.”

“No! You don’t understand what you ask of me. Trust me; one normal life is better than eternity like this.”

“Whatever, Salem, forget I brought it up. Let’s just go to bed. I’m exhausted.”