Lara had been alive long enough to understand that hatred was a waste of time. However, when it came to Outreach Day she was willing to make an exception.
Why should outcasts be the ones to reach out? She had always wondered. What even made them the outcasts? She had gone through a phase of believing - and spreading the belief - that normies were the actual outcasts. She was not yet out of that phase and perhaps never would be. Who determined what made you an outcast?
The normies decided - they were obviously biased.
It was not a popular opinion and it didn't win her many friends. But if she was going to live forever, she may as well be authentic while doing it.
For the past few decades, Lara had loathed Outreach Day. It was all work for nothing in return except the occasional grimace or insult. It was mandatory, though and there was no getting out of it, even for a student like her, who usually got privileges owing to how long she'd been at Nevermore.
Lara got stuck waitressing. Again.
No normie wanted to see someone with fangs serving their coffee. She quite frankly did not want to be serving normies anything.
Not to mention the manager had a lot to say about her speckled scarf. He wasn't the boss of her but she had to tuck it into the side of her blazer, hidden from all who might see the bit of colour and be blinded.
It irritated it to the point where she was ready to leave.
Still, Lara plastered on her nicest - toothless - smile and prepared and served the coffee orders. One after the other, the normies treated her the same way, not even bothering to mask their distaste for her.
She served so many orders with a compulsory smile that her face began to hurt. The customers had not been nice. None smiled back at her save for a small girl whose mother immediately scolded her for it. None of them bothered to tip her and several had requested another waiter. She had been happy to oblige but it was not always possible.
It was nearing the end of the day when two girls walked in. Lara could practically smell the bigotry exuding from them through their pristine clothing and air-headed giggles.
They didn't even glance her way as they passed and sat at an empty table. It wasn't Lara's table but the other waiter had left and it was up to her now.
She internally cursed the day before adjusting her apron and approaching the table with a smile. "What can I get you guys?"
"I forgot it's Outreach Day." The one said with a slight eye roll. Her eyes trailed Lara's body from her face to her toes and back, her grimace growing with each second.
"How could you? These freaks are everywhere." The other replied and then turned to Lara. "I won't have my order taken by a vampire."
Lara missed Nevermore at that moment. Nobody treated her like this there.
She couldn't retaliate, even verbally to their abuse because of course she'd be in the wrong regardless. She pulled her lips up. "Well, I'm the only waitress available right now. You're more than welcome to leave if it's a problem." Her tone was light, she fought hard to keep it that way and to not pounce on them. They had no idea the amount of restraint it took every outcast to not react to the normies' sick comments.
The girls exchanged a glance and were making their way out of the booth a second later, ponytails swishing back and forth in time with their steps
The taller one gave her a once-over. "You should watch the attitude when you're on our side of town,"
Lara said nothing. She was finally able to exhale when they left and her job was done.
She had half the mind to go after them and teach them some manners. What use was being wealthy if they couldn't afford class?
All normies were like that, though.
She tugged off her apron just as the door opened. She was not going to serve another normie, she did not care what the consequences would be. Luckily, it was only Xavier.
"You look happy to see me." He remarked.
"After the day I've had, even your face is a lovely sight." She sighed. "What did you get stuck with?"
"Helped some clothing store sort out their storage room."
"You mean you didn't have to interact with these horrific normies? I envy you."
"Bad day, then?"
"Terrible."
"What happened?"
"I'd rather not talk about it."
He nodded and pursed his lips. "I wanna order something, then we can walk back together."
"Sure." Lara waited as Xavier ordered two coffees to go.
The barista set them down and just as Lara was going to offer to pay for hers, Xavier picked up both and ran out of the shop. She questioned nothing and followed him, laughing as the barista yelled after them.
His shouts soon became a distant noise, the canopy of trees above blocking out all elements of the normie world as they reached the woods.
She sipped on her coffee, ignoring the irritating crunch of the leaves beneath her feet. After a long day, Lara found everything annoyed her. Today has been an exceedingly long day.
"I'm sorry you had a bad day," Xavier mumbled.
"It's not your fault my day was shitty. "
"You can talk about it if you need to."
Lara had been verbally abused, spat on several times and not tipped once in the past few hours. As much as that warranted a breakdown; she would not give in. She did not need to speak about how some rich normie kids thought they could treat others. "I do not need to talk about it. Vampires are the most hated outcasts, Xavier; I'm used to this kind of treatment."
"You shouldn't have to be."
"I know, but don't worry about me." Lara did not plan on attending the next Outreach Day. Or any of the ones after that.
"I do worry about you."
She stopped in her tracks. "Why?"
Xavier was a few steps ahead of her. He glanced back, realized the severity of her tone and went to stand in front of her. He shrugged, "I just do."
"All of a sudden?"
"What do you mean?"
"You never gave a damn about me until a few weeks ago. You didn't even know my name and now you worry about me." She scoffed. "What changed?"
"Is it so hard to believe that I saw you and wanted to get to know you?"
"Yes."
"Lara..." He groaned and threw his head back dramatically. "Nothing changed, okay? You're a pretty girl; I came to speak to you and found that you're actually really cool."
She did not believe him one bit, but his comment had blurred her judgement. "You think I'm pretty?"
How long it had been since she'd been complimented. An age, really.
"Undeniably beautiful." He said it with no hesitation.
Her face flushed, cheeks heating to a temperature warmer than the coffee. He was looking at her so intensely she wanted to hide or break eye contact, but she couldn't. He was so nice to look at.
Xavier's hand came up and brushed against her cheek. He was very close, their faces inches apart now and he was only getting closer. Lara knew she should push him away, but she didn't want to.
A car sped past at that moment, scaring a flock of birds that retreated into Lara and Xavier in a squawking nightmare.
They jumped apart, spilling coffee all over each other. She was grateful for the wake-up call. She didn't know what she'd been thinking.
"Lara..."
"We should get back to Nevermore. It's getting late." Lara said and trudged ahead of Xavier.
A pink tint coated her cheeks - they had almost kissed. She could not allow herself to fall for him, not now. Not so close to the end.