“Sorry…” Why was she apologizing, she wondered, frowning at thescowling enigmatic Goth, who apparently despised her?
She startledwhen he slammed the door shut behind him, and followed her into thekitchen. “Don’t you have classes today?” he asked, stalking pasther and pouring himself a cup of coffee. He inwardly kickedhimself. Why should he care what she was doing running around halfdressed in the yard? Yet he did, and it rankled him to thecore.
“Yes,” she said with a frown, still thinking about Kelley’swords and his abrupt departure. “It’s only seven o’clock,though.”
“Then why are you up?” he grumbled, uncomfortable with thedirection his feelings were going in regards to the silly littletwit. Where was all this concern coming from? Look at her. She obviously thoughtshe was bigger than she actually was. Didn’t she realize thatanyone could simply snatch her off the property and be off withher?
“Why are you up?” she challenged him.
“Fuck off, dormouse. You’re irritating me now.” He scowled,dismissively shooing her away with his hand.
“Yeah, well, you suck!” she yelled, stomping out of the kitchenand all the way up the stairs, ignoring Dorian as he passed her inthe hall.
“What was that about?” Dorian asked, reaching thekitchen.
“How the hell should I know?” Crispin muttered unbothered. “Thegirl’s obviously unstable.”
“Right.” Dorian chuckled, reaching for a mug.
***
Later that day,spying her from their usual booth at the diner, Dorian knocked onthe glass as she walked by and waved her over.
“What did you do that for?” Crispin grumbled. “Can’t we have amoment’s peace anymore?”
Dorian shookhis head and looked at Crispin like he had two heads. “She walks byhere everyday. She knows we’re here yet she never comes in,” Dorianstated with a frown.
“She obviously doesn’t like us very much,” Crispin snickered.The girl still startled every time he walked in the room. Sheclearly hated him, despite having fallen asleep on his lap theother night.
“You’re the one who doesn’t like her,” Dorian scoffed. “Or atleast, you like to let her think you don’t.”
Becky didn’tdare believe she could simply join them in the diner. Ever sincethat fateful day when they’d scowled at her, she just assumed thatshe wasn’t welcome at their booth.
Even thoughthey were now housemates, she didn’t think they’d appreciate herhanging out with them in and around campus.
But sinceDorian had so obviously invited her, Becky didn’t hesitate. Goodthing, too since the temperature had dropped dramatically the lastfew days.
This time whenshe entered the diner, she held her head up proudly and walkedstraight over to where Dorian sat smiling at her.
“Hey, you,” Dorian said, sliding over to let her in besidehim.
“Hi,” she said, trying very hard not to let Crispin’s scowlbring her down. Despite her good mood, she couldn’t help but bedisappointed that Kelley wasn’t there. She had been worried abouthim ever since that morning.
Dorianplayfully wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her infor a quick hug. “Tell me something, Becky. Where do you go everyday for lunch?”
“The park,” she said self-consciously.
Crispin raiseda perfectly lined eyebrow and sighed. “The park?” he repeated.“Whatever for?”
“To eat,” she said with a frown.
“All this time? You’ve been eating your lunch in the park? Allby yourself?” Dorian asked incredulously. “It’s freezing outthere.”
“Well, I can’t exactly go home for lunch. It’s too far a walk.It would take me too long to get there and back before my nextclass,” she explained, averting her eyes from them both.
“Why wouldn’t you just come in here? You know we’re usuallyhere at this time,” Dorian said with a curious smile.
She shruggedself-consciously. “I don’t know,” she said quietly.
“What do you mean, you don’t know?” Crispin asked impatiently.“Speak up for yourself, girl.”
Lookingdirectly at Crispin, she resolved herself and found her voice. “Ididn’t think you guys wanted me here.” She finally admitted with apathetic pout. “Especially you. You’re always glaring at me,Crispin. You obviously don’t like me.”
“Told you, it was all you,” Dorian said accusingly.
“Oh, now here it is. It’s all my fault, as usual,” Crispin saidwith a roll of his cool grey eyes.
“Becky, of course, you’re welcome here. Don’t pay any attentionto Crispin. He can be a tiresome old dolt sometimes,” Dorian said,ruffling her hair. “Silly girl, you’re family now.”
She smiledappreciatively at his affirmation. At least, Dorian seemed to care.Crispin, on the other hand, said nothing more on the matter.Instead, he changed the subject altogether.
The guys talkedback and forth about their band, songs and classes. Then, ofcourse, being Goths, things always had a way of veering towards themacabre. Mostly about how the world was going to shit and how muchthey didn’t care because soon it was all going to come to anend.
Having heardmuch of the same talk at home, Becky didn’t really care tocontribute so much as she was just happy to be warm and dry.
“Want something from the counter?” Dorian asked, taking his mugup for a refill of coffee.
“Um… sure,” she said, reaching for her satchel. “Coffee,please.”
“It’s on me, today,” Dorian said, walking away before she couldprotest.
“Oh… okay, thanks.”
“Aren’t you going to get something to eat?” Crispin asked,jarring her attention back to him.
Honestly, shedidn’t know what to think when it came to Crispin. He sat in thebooth with his arm resting casually across the headrest, lookinglike he owned the place. His long wavy hair was perfectly partedand shiny and appeared ever so soft to the touch. He had gorgeousgrey eyes, lined in smoky charcoal. His nails, meticulouslymanicured and painted black. The man was so painfully handsome, shemight even be tempted to describe him as beautiful.
Yet, he couldbe so cold and hateful. He had an air of contempt for everythingand everyone, especially her. The enigmatic Goth wore a perpetualscowl on his otherwise flawless face. No wonder, people avoidedthis booth as they passed by on their way to the restrooms at theback.
“I brought my own,” she said, covertly pulling a sandwich outfrom her satchel. “Do you think they’ll mind if I eat it in here?”she asked, cautiously looking over her shoulder at the employeesbehind the counter.
“Like they would dare to come over and complain,”
