How to love a devil

and emotionsless.

Wow, Edgar is just amazing! How he fights two enemies at once!

For the first time, I stand by the fence, both hands on the bars, and watch spellbound as the emo skilfully dodges Darrly's shots, uses his barrel roller to his advantage, and bucks him with his scarf whenever it gets close enough.

Defeated! WOW that was crazy! But who is that over there- Oh no, Jacky! Her drill is impossible to avoid once she gets close enough to one! But stop! Edgar doesn't seem to weaken her attack at all - on the contrary!

He swings his scarf and after a fierce fight he manages to defeat her too!

Unbelievable, just amazing! Yay, Edgar is first!!!

I cheer enthusiastically, but he doesn't seem to hear me.

"Impressive, isn't it?"

I turn to where the voice spoke and see Professor Mortis and a tall, burly man with black hair, an animal skull for a belt buckle, and an enormous nose ring.

As befits the unassuming, slightly odd long-distance student, I first greet the melee instructor before turning to the muscular man at his side.

"Good day. Are you bull Edgar's father and feared hand-to-hand combatant? The brawler who can smash through walls with just his skull???"

Damn! I really must get used to the avalanche of questions!

"Don't forget to take a breath, little one, but yes, I am. I hear you know that handsome fighter down there."

Good looking?! Yeah, that's right, Edgar is brilliant and strong and cute and wait what?! Stop, not now! Stay on topic!

"Can I have your autograph?" I ask Bull, holding my scrapbook in front of his face. Surprised, he signs a page and hands it back to me.

"Yeyyy! Thank you very much! And Professor, I wanted to ask you something too."

"You already have my signature dear." Mortis turns to me in surprise.

"It's not about that at all, it's about something else." I explain to him.

"I recently noticed that my canines look a little weird. I mean, I've always had longer canines, but now they kind of look extra-long and pointy."

Curious, the vampire bends down to me and looks into my mouth.

"These could easily be vampire teeth, you also have the pale skin, I wouldn't be surprised if you had vampires as ancestors. But you aren't one yourself, otherwise you would be much more sensitive to the sun, like me."

I look at Mortis. True! He wears a long, dark cloak, has the wide brim of his top hat pulled low over his face and is covered in at least a litter of sunscreen. In contrast to him, I'm standing here quite normally in my blue sweater and my dark leggings with the pink stripes on the left and right.

No, I'm certainly not a vampire!

-----

"May I ask you something else Mr. Blackthorn?"

"Of course. And call me Bull. It's not fitting for a biker to be addressed first."

"All right, Bull. Well...Edgar told me he was adopted by you... uh I mean you..."

"Are you, his girlfriend?"

"WHAT?! No! I mean yes! NO! I'm a friend, not his girlfriend just a girl as his friend! I guess..."

Am I Edgar's friend? I mean a purely platonic normal companionable friend!

Contrary to my expectations, Bull throws back his head and his uproarious laugh shakes the entire area.

"So that's it, I get it. I was just wondering. The kid doesn't usually tell anyone about it."

"N-Nobody?" So, I was right in my assumption.

"That's how it is, when my daughter Bibi just turned four, I found out that my deceased ex's will had been found during the demolition of a very shabby residential block. She was very young when she was... well... killed, so it was thought there was no will. I was notified that she had asked me to babysit Edgar because she didn't think her husband was capable of babysitting."

"But how can it be that Edgar is older than Bibi?"

"Well...well, the whole thing between me and Celan was more or less...well...a secret affair, while she apparently already had a son with that third-rate drunk, as I found out later. Maybe it was one of the reasons why he had killed her. Bibi was just born, to this day I don't understand why the idiot didn't realize she was pregnant."

"So, you're saying, sorry, I mean you're saying that Edgar's mother Celan was involved with a drug-obsessed burglar - what's his name? – had a son; him. Then she had this affair with you and had another daughter, Bibi. The other didn't realize she was pregnant the whole time and when Bibi was born, he killed Celan, after which he went to prison, Bibi to you and Edgar to the orphanage?!"

"Well, it might sound crazy, but that's exactly how it was. I can't remember the name of Celan's friend, he certainly wasn't quite right in the head and was constantly drinking and gulping. Don't know how Celan put up with him for so long, but also had some sort of mental illness, dear. Robbed a lot of shops, once even robbed a bank, I don't know how she even took care of a son in her condition."

Incomprehensible! And even more unbelievable that Bull just tells me all this! Is it okay for Edgar that his "father" lets everyone into his secrets like that?

A lump is spreading inside me, and my skin is tingling again unusually. My shoulder blades suddenly itch incredibly badly. I shouldn't have asked, but before I know it, my stupid mouth is starting to speak again.

"Wow, okay... and then when you found out about Edgar, what did you do then?"

I'm such a damn information seeker! My head just can't be satisfied with just parts of a story!

"I asked about him, then found him at an orphanage, took the will and adopted him. Was seven then, had the same eyes as Celan and Bibi. Raised him for nine years, taught him how to fight and ride a bike, did a thing or two with him – if you ever get questioned by the sheriff about the dynamite thing in the saloon, you won't know anything, okay?"

I nod and he continues. What dynamite?!

"Anyway, I didn't want Edgar to be the same pathetic thief that his father was - or like me, which is why I contacted his grandpa Byron so I could send him to the academy last fall. The fine gentleman is not really his grandfather. More like brother-in-law to one of Celin's wacky aunts."

"But you're not a pathetic thief Bull, you're a celebrated brawler and a great father." I protest. Bull smiles weakly at me.

"I'm only a hero in Star Park. In other regions... phew, it doesn't look so glorious..."

Completely fixated on Bull, I only notice the cheerful chattering voices when we are already surrounded by brawlers.

Edgar!

"Clean performance students. As promised, Mr. Storm has agreed to train you for the Hot Zone today! Please follow me."

After a brief nod to Bull, Edgar's gaze wanders over the other participants and finally gets caught on me.

It's like sticks of ice piercing my heart.

All of this must have been incredibly difficult for Edgar. The death of his mother, the years before that, moving to the orphanage, the years there... Is that why Edgar cried on the night of the party? Sure, he even told me about it afterwards! I'm an idiot!!! How could I have missed that?!

Even though I already knew the story a little bit, I was completely blown away by it. My eyes glaze over and before I burst into tears, I quickly break eye contact, say goodbye to Bull and the rest of those present, and run away.

I don't care where I'm running. Just away.