The Faerie Slayer
Chapter 7

Abby's POV

I had been occupied with my phone, fingers racing to type out a text to Caleb since I hadn't been able to respond to him earlier. I let the shadow of Ben's back guide me out of the school and onto the field where we could have lunch. My phone was suddenly snatched and my hands were now empty and hanging in front of my face.

"Ben!" I screamed out and rushed to where he was taking his seat on one of the benches. I flung my arms around his neck in an attempt to grab the phone back but he'd already hid it underneath his shirt.

"Oh my god Ben!" I shouted and took my seat by his side," at least let me hit send first."

"You're going to go blind staring at your phone like that," he handed me a piece of apple dipped in peanut butter," eat."

I munched on the snack, my stomach rumbling at the smell of food. I examined Ben for a couple of seconds, wondering if I should ask him something that teased my thoughts.

"What?" He half chewed half grumbled.

"What are you doing tonight?"

"I have a hot date with a number two pencil my English homework, why?"

"You should come out to have a drink with Caleb and I."

The look on his face was exactly what I'd imagined. He was staring at me as if I had just grown a second head.

"Excuse me, what?"

"You might find that he's a nice guy after all if you would just give him a chance."

"Why are you going out with him again? I thought we agreed you didn't like him?"

"I never said that."

"I think I'd rather do my English homework, but thanks," he concluded and slid a ham sandwich into his mouth. Crust off, since we had been kids. I smiled to myself at the thought of Ben at seven am in the morning, cutting the crust off of his white bread

"Please Ben," I pleaded," for me."

"Not even for Ozzy Osbourne."

"What ever happened to that girl from Saturday night?"

"What about her?"

"You said you wanted to take her out during first period. Ask her to come out tonight!"

"Like a double date?"

"Yes!"

Ben looked to be considering it. I took the moment to snatch my phone back from where it had slid down onto his lap.

I'd love to meet for a drink tonight. Can I bring a few friends?

I sent the text to Caleb and looked to meet the gaze of an unimpressed Ben.

"Well, what do you say? Come on, it will be fun."

"I guess if we aren't alone I can't make a fool out of myself."

"I bet ya still can."

"Do you want me to come or not?"

"Fine fine," I retracted," so you'll ask?"

"I'll text her now."

I peered out into the far past the crowds of teenagers and breathed in the cool air. My eyes landed on the strip of bushes lining where the grass meets the gravel and thought about what I would wear tonight.

Later that day, I had gotten home from school and greeted both parents with a kiss on the cheek. My mother who had just returned from walking Snowball had asked me why I was so cheery and my reply was," have you seen the weather? It's beautiful out."

I raced up the stairs although I had three hours before I was to meet with Caleb and the others in Boerum Hill. After a shower, I carefully examined every piece of clothing that I owned. I wanted Caleb to want to kiss me tonight. If I could have an effect on or control his desires just the slightest with the very least, my clothing and makeup, then I was going to make it count.

Half an hour later and my bed was now hidden from sight, concealed by a mountain of dresses, skirts, tank tops and sweaters. Mentally and physically I was beginning to become drained.

You're over thinking this, I thought to myself, he's just a boy.

I sat at the edge of my bed or what was left of it. I thought about the worst thing that could happen tonight.

He could find me revolting and never talk to me again.

I convinced myself that if that were the case, then I would have dodged a bullet. I heard the sound of something flutter by my window. I was quick to my feet and rushed to the glass. Outside, the cool air was being flurried by hurried wings of the largest bird I had ever seen. I could not see the front of the creature, but the back was patterned with burgundy feathers.

"I've never seen a bird so red," I spoke to myself. At my feet, Snowball was now barking.

"It's alright," I crouched down and ran a soothing palm down the back of my pet," it's gone, you're fine."

It was around seven pm when I finally left my house in a pair of ripped denim jeans and a t-shirt crop top. On my feet were sneakers that I had replaced a pair of tacky wedges with last minute after one last glance at the mirror. Three metros later and a ten minute walk and I was finally at the address that Caleb had texted me. The front windows were decorated with guitar-shaped neon lights and multi coloured graffiti. At the top, a flashing red sign read La Belle but B was not lit. I could hear the loud banging of the rock music that seemed to shake the place.

If it was this loud out here, I wondered how much more deafening it would be on the inside.

With a will to discover, I stepped inside, past the security who I suppose was stationed to demand an identification card but after a quick up and then down glance at me, he thought against it and leaned back against the black painted walls.

It was dark, the only light came from neon wires that lined the perimeter of the bar. I walked past a pool table where four or five people entertained a game, to the very back corner where a bench was parked to host my three dates for the night.

Ben's seemed uncomfortable, even from there I could sense that. At his arm, a small girl, seemingly a year or two younger with black and pink hair and heavy eye makeup. She was laughing at something Caleb was saying and I found myself struck with jealousy. He had his back to me. Ben grinned a toothy smile when he'd caught sight of me and stood up. When he'd realized my arrival, so did Caleb. I looked at the two men, both awaiting a hug from me. I approached Ben first, a quick but intimate embrace and when it was Caleb's turn, I felt goosebumps on my skin when he kissed my cheek.

"You look beautiful," he whispered into my neck and I could have sworn I would have fainted from my swoon. I kept it together and thanked him then I took my seat beside him and across of the girl.

"I'm Jess," she yielded a hand out to me that I was eager to shake.

"Abby, it's nice to meet you," I was happy to be making a female friend," has Ben driven you insane yet with his dad jokes."

"I don't know about her, but me definitely," Caleb mumbled into a half empty glass of something brown and some ice.

"You're not much of a hoot yourself," Ben remarked and I kicked him under the table.

"What's everybody drinking?"

"I'm having a whiskey on the rocks," Caleb was the one to reply," their having something girly and sweet, can I get you anything?"

"Margaritas aren't girly," I heard Ben grumble.

"Yes, a whiskey too please whenever the waitress comes."

"You don't drink brown liquor," Ben stated and I fought the urge to kick him harder.

"I don't not drink it, it's just not my usual."

"It makes you sick."

"Too much of anything can make you sick."

I did not want Caleb to assume that I did not drink whiskey due to any lack of experience or maturity. He was already two years older then me, for me to order something childish would be proving any doubts about me that he probably already had. Ben clearly did not understand.

There was a loud silence for a while until finally Jess spoke.

"So how long have you two dated?"

"Two days," I answered at the same time as Ben said," they aren't dating."

Caleb peered at Ben as if entertained," I haven't asked Abby to be my girlfriend yet. That doesn't mean we aren't technically dating."

"But it does though," he replied.

"You mortals are so banal," Caleb said as if he had meant to think it.

"Did you say mortals?" Ben practically screamed and Caleb rolled his eyes, but did not answer. His eyes were glued to Jess's drink as if in a trance. She lifted the glass to up to him as if to offer him some," want a sip?"

"What is that on the rim?" He leaned forward.

"Sugar."

"I'd love a sip."

His fingers practically shook as they replaced Jess's grasp on the cup. He placed the sugar rimmed drink to his lips and chugged the entire thing in one swing. We all watched in stupefaction as he seemed to grow hungrier for the contents inside. A long slightly forked tongue licked at the edges, completely devouring any sugar that was left.

I wondered how I never realized it before, that he had forked his tongue into two.

"He seems to really like that," Jess mumbled, her mouth still wide open.

"Girly drinks my ass," commented Ben.

I placed a hand on Caleb's shoulder as he set the glass down," are you alright? Do you need some water?"

"Where can I get more of that?" He suddenly demanded.

"Y-you can ask for it, when the waitress comes, or at the bar over there-"

"I'll be back. I'm going to the bathroom."

I nodded and watched as he rushed out of his stool and out of my sight. When I turned back to face the two, they were laughing.

"You really know how to pick 'em," said Ben.

"What the hell was the matter with him," this time it was Jess.

"I don't know, maybe he had a bad day," as an attempt to defend him, I tried deliver an explanation but even I could not explain," I need a drink."

I looked out into the rest of the bar for a server but there were none in sight. The place was starting to fill in slowly. A group of four guys by the entrance caught my attention. All of them were tall, although one of them hovered over the rest. They were built like they worked out for a living, bulky arms bigger then my thighs and they all shared the same sleeve tattoo that I could not make out. One of them in particular, the second tallest met my eyes across the floor and I could have sworn I had seen him somewhere. His face reminded me of seeing strangers in a dream, and then later on in life, meeting a person that resembles that sleeping encounter. Although it was not possible that my imagination could have rendered such a face all on its own. He was the true physical form of magnificence. He quickly turned away and disappeared with the hostess. I looked around for either a waitress or Caleb, but none seemed to be within sight.

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