Wobbling, I stood up and rubbed my head. The ruckus was still going on but no one had seen me fall.
I was glad. If they had they probably would have been suspicious at my lack of injuries.
Falling out a window may not be great but it sure had its silver linings, like the fact that I was no longer inside and could wag school without anyone noticing.
Smiling, I strolled out the gates, if boring the papers that floated down around me from the classrooms.
Our schools, Charlesten Senior School, and WPC were located on a street that was just around the corner from the shops and cafes. This made it extraordinarily easy to hide, except for the fact that the shops keepers were pretty strict on not serving students during school hours unless it was our lunch break.
I had been to Charlesten several times but even now, living here, I never really had the opportunity to explore it on my own.
I walked past the tiny cafes ignoring the looks the people sent me since I was still in my uniform. There were a few cafes that the school kids frequented but those were mostly the places where the cool 'hip' people hung out.
I didn't really like that.
A sign flashed in my peripheral vision and I took a few steps back and looked at it.
Darcy
I had been there before. Pushing the door open, a bell tinkled and I went inside.
The shop was a mixture of a clean clothes store and an antiques shop. I stared around, acknowledging the changes that had occurred since the last time I had been there which had been around a few years ago.
"Hi, welcome to my shop," a young woman's voice said.
I spun around and saw a slightly overweight girl wearing a bandana and fashionable glasses, standing behind the previously vacant counter.
"Im Darcy as the name suggests."
"Oh, I-"
"Should be in school, shouldn't you?" She said, patronizingly. She moved around the counter and towards me. "I swear, you kids are always getting me into trouble with the authorities. I want you oh- hey," she pointed her finger at e, squinting, her voice changing from icy to warm in a matter of seconds. "I remember you."
I gulped and backed away. "Oh, do you?" My back hit a shelf and I braced my hands against it.
Her pouffed dyed red hair made her seem urban and terrifying.
"Yeah, you came here with your brother a couple of times," her face lit up and she snapped her fingers. "George. I think I have his number on my phone."
I eyed her widely, unsure of where she was going with the conversation.
Then I realised what she said. She had his number. She could call him at any time and alert him to the fact that she saw me.
Recognition hit me and I realised I had to leave.
"Uh, I don't have any brothers," I said, backing towards the door. "You must be mistaken."
She grabbed my arm and came closer. "No, I definitely remember you. You have the same scar on your chin." She angled her head and leaned closer. "And your eyes. They're that weird dark green that looks black."
Shaking her off, I began backing out of the door. " No, I'm sorry, I don't know who you're talking about. You must have me confused." I didn't even face the door as the bells tinkled when I left. I just backed away, staring at her warily.
Pushing my way into the nearest secluded cafe, I chose a seat in the corner that had full view of the street fr the window.
Okay, I could have handled the confrontation better but I just hadn't expected it. At first, when I had 'woken up' I expected to see people I recognised, but so far, nothing had happened. Just as I had accepted that I had to move on from my old life, a stranger recognises me.
Sighing agitatedly, I rubbed my face and pushed my hair back.
The ruckus Dean had caused had brought a lot of unwanted attention to me, that I could deal without.
Needing to get rid of him was one thing, since I had a feeling he would keep following me and taunting me til he had what he wanted - whatever that was. Making him stay away was another problem. Hopefully today had sorted him out and made him stay away, but most likely not.
A waitress showed up at my table and asked if I was ready to order. Ordering a latte, I wasn't usually fond of anything coffee, I handed her several dollars.
Thank God they served students during school hours.
The waitress came back a few minutes later and set my cup down in front of me. Wrapping my fingers around it, I sighed gustily.
What was my life at the moment?
I really needed time to figure things out.
Just as I thought that, the worst possible thing that could happen to me in that moment happened.
The door opened and in walked Mercury, wearing sunglasses and having his hair immaculately styled.
My breath caught and every single fibre in me urged me to turn invisible. I did not need this.
Ducking down in my seat, I tried to ignore him.
Please, God of the Superpowers, or just God if you're listening, turn me invisible, give me the power to teleport or just get rid of my unwanted imaginary friend. If you value my sanity in any way, please fulfil my wishes.
Guess what powers I was given.
Go on. Guess.
That's right. None.
Mercury pretended to look around, spotted me, grinned, then sauntered over, pulling out a chair.
"Why, hello there, stranger," he purred. "Have you missed me?"
I kept my face passive as I looked out the window, pretending he wasn't there. Maybe it would work and he would leave me alone.
"Oh, so we're playing the ignoring game are we?" He asked, his tone friendly. "How cruel. I've been thinking about you all this time. Oh, how I can't wait to just rip your hair out and hang it from the ceiling," his voice grew sultry. "I wonder how soft your skin would be when I remove it from your body.
I'm not scared. I'm not scared. I can beat this (hot) guy. I'm not scared.
I took a sip of my drink.
"I'll practice with your clothes first," he said lowly, leaning in to whisper in my ear. It was hard not to acknowledge him. He ran a finger down my arm. "We'll have some trials first, so that later I can fuck your brains out.
My rabbit instincts were urging me to run.
I took another sip and tilted my head, as if I saw something interesting outside.
How was it that he seemed so real. I could swear on the bible - it would probably burn in Mercury's presence - that he was as physical as I was but to the waitress in the shop, I would probably look companionless.
That thought helped me reign in my fear.
"I've prepared myself," he said and grabbed my hand, placing it very high on his upper thigh. He'd better watch out. I could punch his no-no zone. "After all, I'm a creature of imagination, and let me tell you just how wild you are in my imagination. Biting into your hot flesh and you scratching me, begging for more..." He shivered pleasurably and I knew he wasn't just exaggerating. "Ooh, you slay me, Eveny."
I tried not to gag at his innuendo and resisted the urge to slay him there and then. It wouldn't work. He would just come back twice as annoying. I had tried.
Pulling my hand off his thigh, I casually scratched my arm and then took another sip of the latte. Feeling his scrutiny, I picked up a magazine from the table beside me and began reading, laughing at some stupid celebrity, who had no table manners.
Mercury apparently - or more like obviously - didn't like the lack of concern in his direction. His eyes narrowed and he leaned forward until he was half behind me and half on my side.
In a quick and sure movement, he plunged his hand down the front of my uniform.
I let out a shriek and my cup went flying in the air. It tipped upside down, midair and landed all over me.
Myself, the two other customers, the waitress and Anthony all stared in a stunned silence.
Well, Mercury's silence was more smug.
Being the first - technically non-existent- to speak, he whispered in my ear, "I must say, this wet uniform look works well on you. I think I'll have to do this again "
Not a drop had landed on him and I mentally cursed him with about a hundred existing and made up insults.
Stupid FOMI not existing and having to deal with physical problems.
I ignored him and looked up at the waitress who looked pissed off at having to deal with the mess.
"Sorry, I squeaked."
Standing up shakily, pissed off and feeling very violated, I pushed out from behind the table, making sure to kick Mercury's chair as I moved past. It slid along the ground but Mercury was already out of the chair, following me.
I pressed some money into the woman's hand and apologized again. I practically ran out of the cafe, trying to avoid Mercury.
Storming down the street, I practically ran to get away from him, trying not to look weird as I searched for a place to change get new clothes.
"Careful," said Mercury, as he strolled beside me. Curse him and his long legs. "I might get jealous if someone tries to check you out."
"You have no right to be jealous," I snapped. I probably looked mad, with my wet latte shirt and wild hair. "You're imaginary and have no claim over me. If anything I should be the one controlling you."
Walking beside me, he looked down at me, a grin on his face. "Sweet heart, you can control me any time you want to," he reached out to pull my shirt from the back, so that it stuck to the front. I shrieked and tried to kick him from behind but I connected with empty air. I tripped and landed on my elbows.
People walking past stared at me or shook their heads, like I was just another teen wagging school and being an idiot.
Which I wasn't.
I stood up with a huff and brushed my wet shirt off.
Walking at a faster pace I headed for a clothes store hoping for a place to change.
"Im a bit disappointed though," said Mercury, appearing beside me, mid stride, as if he had been there the whole time. "Why aren't you wearing a sexier bra? Sports bras are fun sometimes but they're not the most sexy. I can barely see anything."
"You're harrassing me," I snapped, looking straight ahead as I walked, trying not to look like I was talking to no one. "Leave me alone, I'm not up for your antics."
I pushed my way into a teen clothes store. No one except for the attendant was there so I walked around looking for a shirt that was cheap enough for the wet cash in my pocket.
At first Mercury trailed behind me, then as I began looking for clothes, he drifted off towards the racks and began sifting through them.
Finding a blue shirt that was only three dollars, I slung it over my shoulder and headed to the dressing rooms that was out of the sight of the attendant.
I was just about to close the door when Mercury stuck his foot out. Without a word, he slung several pairs of clothes onto my shoulder and said, "Dont wear the dresses in front of anyone but me." Pushing me inside, he closed the door and held it with his hand, pushing so I couldn't get out.
Trying to push against the door, he tsk ed. "Be a good girl and get dressed Eveny."
Turning to the door, I muttered a sentence that rhymed with 'duck you.'
He laughed.
Pulling the clothes apart I saw that he had chosen a pair of short, short jeans and a semi transparent top that was supposed to be worn with a bra. The dresses that he chose were something I'd imagine a girl at a strip club wearing.
Fuming, I pulled my shirt off, pulled on the blue one and knocked on the door.
Mercury opened it, an expectant look on his face.
I threw the clothes at his face and moved past him, kicking his shin in the process.
He hissed and pulled the clothes off his head.
Walking to the counter, I pulled the tag off my new shirt and handed it to the lady to scan. Handing over three dollars, I waited for the lady to scan my items.
" Sorry," she said, not sounding sorry at all. " We don't serve students during class times."
"Are you serious? An asshole spilled coffee all over me this morning, please just let it go this one time," I begged. "My mum will kill me if she sees my shirt in this state."
She lady smiled and clicked her long ass nails against the counter. We staring her down I hoped she would give in and feel mercy.
Apparently not. She pointed to the changing rooms and I let out an annoyed sigh.
Slamming the door, I changed out of the clean. Shirt and into my dirty one.
Walking out, I slammed the door and began walking home.
"Girls" I heard Mercury mutter. He caught up and walked beside me. "I thought you'd like the clothes I picked for you. They really make it look like you have something to show."
Ignoring him, I continued walking, trying not to hear all his suggestions about breaking into people's homes and stealing or trashing the place.
"You're a bitch as well, though," he said. "You deserve to have your scalp cut off. Perhaps I'll sell your body on the market when I'm done with you. I'll get a fair deal for your eyes, too, maybe I'll keep one of them for myself."
Did he really want to do that? Probably, it was somewhat understandable as to why he hated me.
I was responsible for the painful way he was extracted from my mind.
"I really, really want to eat you, you know," he said, sounding pained. "I don't think you realise how much I adore your blood. Someday I'll drink it and bathe in it. That will be the day I will be at my happiest."
"Your bloodlust scares me," I admitted, not looking at him.
"It should," he said. "I'll be the one relishing your slow death. I intend to make it torturous, and slow. So. Slow. Don't worry though, I'll make you enjoy it. I'll have youbhegging for your death."
"It's not your threats that scare me," I said. "But the fact that your bloodlust is essentially my bloodlust. I didn't know I had any blood lust."
It was only then that I realised I had been walking to my old house. the one with Dante and George.
I stopped abruptly and my chest tightened as the familiar pain of missing them came back.
Morphing my face into a glare, I tried to push down the homesickness.
I spun around and began speed walking back the way we had come.
Sensing my mood change, Mercury watched me. "You know," he said. "You should just go home and give them a heart attack. It would get then back for our childhood."
"It was my childhood," I said harshly, my hatred for him flaring. "Not yours. You happened to be an unfortunate part of it but it's not yours. Technically, nothing is yours."
I sped up, leaving him behind.
Even though we were several metres apart, I still heard him perfectly.
"I do exist," he said quietly.
I spun around, super pissed off. Oh, I did not need to be arguing with someone imaginary.
I told him as much.
"You are imaginary!" I shouted, pointing at his chest as I marched over. "You are imaginary. You. Don't. Exist!"
He was looking at me quietly, his ashy hair blowing in the air. I found it strange that my imagination included that little detail.
"I do exist," he said, quietly, coming to stand closer to me. "I'll prove it to you."
"You don't exist," I spun around ,annoyed that I had lost my temper. I began walking away, but his hand snagged my collar and he spun me around. "What-"
Grabbing my collar with both hands he pulled me to him.
"I do exist," he said, his voice rough. "I do."
Before I realised what was happening, he bent down and kissed me.
His lips moved over mine hungrily, his gaze searching mine, like a hunter searching for signs of weakness.
Unsurprisingly, his lips were cool and smooth, and his kissing was wild and rough.
I tried pushing him off but he wouldn't budge.
Grabbing his hair, I made to pull him off but he opened his mouth and his teeth scraped along my teeth and gums.
Blood began to flow and I thought he would let me go. Instead, he wrapped his arms around me and began sucking my face. Literally.
He licked the blood from my gums and groaned. Moving against me erotically.
Okay, I so did not need my imaginary friend - actually, he's not even a friend. Stuff it, he was a stalker that was a figment of my imagination - sucking up my blood in broad daylight, or at any time to be honest.
I wondered in the back of my mind, how weird I looked to a passerby.
Lifting my hand up, I punched him him in the eye.
Staggering backwards, with his head falling backwards, tipping back on his heels, I laughed meanly, then stormed up and kicked him right in his imaginary manhood.
Sadly, he didn't have the extreme reaction I usually got and hoped for.
Wincing, he stood up straight and touched his eye.
Then he grinned. "Oh, Evvie baby, you're gonna regret that," he promised. "Can't wait for your reaction then."
"Oh, for the sake of the holy spoon," I muttered. "Can't you just die?"
"I've died once, already," he shrugged. I ignored the tiny, miniscule pang of guilt that I felt. Then he smiled wolfishly and all my guilt evaporated. "Besides, my manhood isn't so weak that a kick would hurt me."
I rolled my eyes. "No, you don't need to kick the place where you're most sensitive to disarm you, just a well placed punch will do the trick."
"You punch like a girl."
"No, I don't," I said confidently. I may not be good at much but I knew how to throw a good punch. "George taught me how to punch, so don't even try and deny my skills."
Anthony scowled. "Bastard," I heard him mutter.
Smiling, and feeling much better, I began walking away.
"Feel free to walk with me," I laughed. " We can talk about how far you staggered back from a girl's punch."
"No thanks," he snapped poisonously. "You're so boring. And you wish you punched well." He disappeared.
My smile grew even wider.
I was so glad there I was still immature.
Mercury reflected it so well, he was doing me proud.
***
For the first time that day, I felt relaxed and cheerful.
I had escaped school, managed to piss Mercury off.
Sitting in a little cafe, I ate a cheesecake to celebrate the lack of his presence.
Humming and shaking my foot in time to the beat of a song on the radio, I smiled as I looked out the window.
The door opened and voices filled the shop. I didn't see who came in since my back was to the door, but I wasn't worried. It was probably some college kids.
"That was funny as fxck,' someone commented. " That chick was hilarious."
"Dean's such an idiot though," a girl commented in annoyance. "He's really annoying."
"We all see how you look at him," another voice said, drily. " Your jaw hangs open every time he passes by."
Girl #1 probably blushed because a few seconds later she stammered out, "I d-do not. He's just...He's just..." she let out a frustrated squeal. "Alright, I like him."
Wow, someone liked that dipshit. What a surprise.
My mouth hung open as I listened in to their conversation. It was mostly about Dean's butt so I stopped listening.
The door opened again just as I finished my last bite.
"Hey girls," said a voice.
I stood up to leave and then saw Dean in the door way.
Crap, I didn't want to be permanently banned from this cafe. I ducked down and pushed myself in the corner of the booth.
Order and leave. Order and leave. Order and leave. Then I'll escape. Order and leave. I don't think his butt is that great. Order and leave, please.
I must have been muttering it out loud because a few seconds late a head popped from around the booth and looked at me.
"Are you alright?" Madhuri asked me. Then she saw who it was and rolled her eyes. Before she could go I grabbed her arm and pulled her into the booth.
"You have to help me."
"No I don't."
"Yes, you do," I said. "If I end up killing Dean, the police will be at our building for weeks, knocking and prying their nose into out business."
She looked thoughtful then reluctant. "Fine, I'll help you. Do you need a ride home?"
"I just need you to distract him so that I can escape."
She glared at me then stood up. "This better not become a regular thing or I'll invite the police over, myself."
I nodded quickly, thanking my lucky stars she was there. She walked over to Dean twirling her hair. Running a hand down his arm, he looked at her with mild interest. " Hey, Dean," she spurred. "I hear you're the guy to go to if I want to have a good time."
Eyeing her warily he shrugged. "I don't deal with CSS kids much."
"That's not what it looked like with that chick you were yelling at before," she said.
" That wasn't yelling, that was winning," his voice was confident. "In gonna make her love me."
"And after that?" The girls from before piped in.
He shrugged. "I don't know, probably go on with my life."
"Then what's the point of getting her to live you?" The girl who confessed she liked Dean earlier, asked. "Isn't that a waste of time?"
"Not really," he said, then smiled like a champion. "I'll just prove to her that everyone loves me."
I saw Madhuri's face twitch and I smirked. If he didn't watch himself, he'd find himself with one less perfect nose.
Oh, I would pay cold, hard cash to see that.
I'd bet all my money on Madhuri, too, not the lanky stuck up boy.
" She won't be able to help but fall in love with me."
Ha, over my dead body.
Oh, wait, my body already died, so maybe not. How about, I would rather stand in front of a vampire- actually, no. Vampires are....*shudders*
The point is he won't be getting none from this girl.
"The point is Dean," Madhuri said, twirling her hair again. "I really, really, really like you. Maybe we should go and talk and get to know each other. Maybe you'll like me more than the other girl you were yelling at "
Was it just me or was her voice forced.
The girl with the crush on him scowled.
"Dean, this curry munched is from CSS," girl with the crush on Dean snapped. "You can do so much better than a girl who will be stuck calling up for IT services."
She did not just go there.
Madhuri's mouth hung open in indignation. Crush girl's friend laughed. "Shut you mouth, sweetheart," she said, meanly. "We don't want to smell your disgusting curry."
Mad, I sent all the light in the room directly in front of the WPC kids and flared it, so that they were temporarily blinded.
Jumping from behind the booth, I grabbed Madhuri's hand and ran out the cafe with her.
"Im so sorry," I felt so bad for making her go through that. "If I knew that would happen I would never have asked."
She frowned down at me in annoyance. "They can insult me, they can insult IT workers, but they can never insult my curry," she said proudly. Despite that, her eyebrows furrowed and she frowned.
"Come on," I said, pulling her arm gently. "I'll buy you something to drink."
She let me pull her away and we walked in silence. The streets were starting to get slightly cold so we sped up, looking for a place that wouldn't be crowded. All of charlestens cafes were either clumped together or very far away
We were going to the far away one.
We stopped at the ice cream shop and bought a cone, the mood still slightly tense.
WPC had just proved themselves to be real assholes.
As we stepped out of the shop, we walked on the walking path that was heading up hill.
After being called 'Valerie' for a few months, I had gotten used to it, so I was shocked when I heard someone calling my name. it took me a few of my names to notice but when I did I had the sense not to acknowledge it.
"Eveny," said Sam, a blonde man in his forties wearing a light yellow grey suit, glasses and his hair slicked back hipster-style. "I didn't expect to see you here."
He put his hand on my shoulder and I turned around, looking at him blankly.
I recognised him immediately.
Sam Clare was a well dressed hipster-looking man. He had a clean accent, a kind face and spoke the language of business.
As I looked him over, my parent's Secretary smiled at me, completely oblivious to the inner turmoil I felt.