Selmont, Massachusetts
2011
I felt numb. I didn’t cry, I didn’t yell, or any other way people act when they hear such news. No, do you know what I did? I sat on my bed, a blank look on my face. How do you act when you find out your boyfriend has cancer?
People like to say that when they find out that their significant one has cancer or any other life changing illness that they never thought about leaving them. Can I say the same about myself? I will admit, I actually thought about breaking everything off with Xander. I sat on the bed with these thoughts running through my head.
How much longer does he have? Is it worth it? Are you kidding me? Of course he’s worth it! You are talking about Xander, sweet and kind. How can you even think about leaving him? My conscience was the one that won that round.
“What are you going to do?” Charles asked, hesitantly. I looked up from where my gaze had rested on my hands.
“The only thing I can do,” I replied. He examined my face slowly; maybe he could see what I was going to say before I said it.
“What would that be?” he asked.
“I am going to stay with him and be very supporting girlfriend,” I answered.
“You make it sound as if he’s running for president or something. Isabelle, you cannot tell him you know,” Charles said seriously.
“How do you even know?” I questioned.
“Everyone has their secrets, don’t they?” he grinned as I frowned, “I plan on keeping mine hidden.”
“Someday, Charles, you will tell me. I know you will,” I assured. He just smiled and held my gaze.
-----
It was a week after Charles told me the news. How was I handling it, you ask? Pretty well, if you ask me. I didn’t break down crying when I saw Xander the next time I saw him, of course even if I wanted to I wouldn’t be able to. After all I was sworn to secrecy, I bitterly smiled at the thought.
Would Xander ever tell me, I asked myself many times. Though how do you tell your girlfriend that you’re going to die soon? Same way you tell your boyfriend that you are actually a four hundred year old vampire, and yes he kissed someone older than his great grandmother. Very slowly and carefully, though I didn’t want him to have enough time to pull out a crucifix. I frowned, would Xander hurt me?
“Can you please try to be a little gentler?” Kaitlyn pleaded as I plucked her eyebrows. I smiled and shook my head.
“Pain is what it takes to be beautiful,” I laughed. I stood in front of her dressing table; she sat on a black chair.
“Which is why I will not ever be a model,” she laughed lightly, grimacing as I plucked another hair.
“You have the looks,” I said.
She grimaced, “I do not. I am still not sure why you are helping me.”
“I was a hairstylist in a previous life, it’s my job,” I assured. I did have a previous life, but unfortunately it had nothing to do with styling my own or anyone else’s hair. Of course though I had learned over the years.
“Even if you were, I doubt you can do anything with my hair,” she muttered. She blew her bangs out from her eyes, but they just fell back down. I chuckled and in return she glared at me. I shrugged and took the hair straightener from the table.
“Operation straighten some hair,” I stated darkly with a smirk. It took twenty minutes, but I eventually got her hair neatly straightened and her bangs out of her face. “Please tell me you have some contacts around here,” I muttered, hoping she did. I looked at her in the mirror and smiled.
“Yeah they should be somewhere,” she replied, looking around the room, “Look in that drawer.” She pointed to the top drawer of her nightstand.
I took a step towards the nightstand, then hesitated, “When was the last time you were contacts?” I questioned.
“I’ll get back to you on that one,” she answered. She turned to look at me. I nodded and continued to walk to the nightstand. I braced myself when I placed my hand on the handle. 1,2,3, I pulled the drawer open quickly, waiting for something to jump out at me. When nothing did I looked down slowly.
There were candy wrappers, dozens of them. From Hershey’s milk chocolate to Smarties. “Because you are female and a college student, I will not comment on all these candy wrappers,” I assured, as I pushed through the wrappers. Maybe I shouldn’t be doing this, something could be hiding in there.
Finally I found the small blue plastic case I was looking for. I released a triumphant ‘yeah’ and grinned. I grabbed it gently and held it with two hands. I closed the door with my hip and walked back to Kaitlyn.
“I present to you, Madame Kaitlyn, contacts,” I presented in a posh accent; probably over exaggerating the importance, okay I knew I was being dramatic. It seemed to work though because Kaitlyn giggled. Her shoulders were still tense, but her fists weren’t balled together anymore.
“Okay, I shall ask again, when was the last time you wore these contacts?” I asked, looking her reflection in the eyes.
She answered hesitantly, “When I was eighteen, for freshman orientation.”
“Five years ago?” I asked, shocked.
“Um, yeah,” she answered, darting her eyes away quickly.
“You remember how to put them on though, right?” I asked, the plastic box still clutched in my left hand.
“I think so,” she answered, hesitantly. I handed her the box and watched as she took them from the box. After several failed attempts she managed to get one in her eye, and then proceeded to put the other one in her eye. By failed attempts, I truly do mean failed, she jabbed herself in the eye.
“Round two, completed. Okay now stand up,” I ordered, making an upward movement with my hand. She obeyed and stood up slowly. She had dressed before I did her hair.
She wore a black pencil skirt and white tucked in blouse. Her cheeks were a pale pink and her blonde hair fell to her shoulder. Her clear blue eyes shined brightly. I whistled which made her cheeks even redder, I laughed.
“Let’s rock and roll.”
YOU ARE READING
The Scent Of Roses
VampireIsabelle Staten, a four hundred and thirty year old vampire just trying to get on with her afterlife. She has been witness to horrors that many cannot even imagine. Isabelle thinks she has finally found something normal when she moves to a small tow...
