Alex ordered a double scoop of mint chocolate chip, and I got a single of the cookies and cream.
He ached an eyebrow.
"I'm still full from eating half a pizza. Otherwise, I'd get more."
He grinned and paid before I could offer. "My treat."
We got our cones and went outside. I took a deep breath once we had some space around us.
"Let's find a bench, and we can eat before we head up," I said.
"Good idea."
We sat, and I put some very serious attention to my ice cream. It was some of the best I had ever had. "I'm guessing this isn't the ice cream to eat if you're counting calories."
Alex laughed. "No. We can always go for a hike later, if you want. It's pretty safe up around the observatory, even after dark."
"That would be good. Even without the ice cream, I would like to stretch my legs. I feel like I've been sitting a lot this week, with classes and all."
"How do you like it here?"
I hesitated, not sure how much I should say. I needed to warn Alex. It was so farfetched that there was a pretty hard-core criminal element in such a peaceful mountain town. Supernatural, or otherwise. I wasn't sure I would have believed it if someone else had told me until I experienced it myself.
My thoughts strayed to Doc and the brothers. I really didn't need to be thinking about them while I was here with Alex. What would I do?
"Sofia, are you okay?"
"Hmm? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Why?"
"You sighed pretty heavily there."
"Sorry, just thinking. I guess I do miss home a little. It's so beautiful here, and it's nice to already have friends. Victoria is great. I'm enjoying my classes so far. I guess I like it pretty well." I just couldn't think of how to say anything about the magic mafia without sounding completely crazy, so I stayed quiet.
"That's good. Think your parents will come up any time soon? Or anyone else in your family?"
I shrugged. "Dad's pretty busy with the oil field. He always takes either Thanksgiving or Christmas off. The dorms are closed, and they talked about renting a condo or something for a week or two up here, but they didn't say when yet. Mom may come sooner. She likes mountain towns." Did he want to meet my parents? It was a normal enough question. I was so on edge that it felt weird.
"Well, if you end up with a holiday alone, you're welcome to spend it with my family."
That was so normal, and kind, that it made my vague fears feel stupid.
"Thanks. I really appreciate that. Between you, Victoria, and the guys I'm sure I'll not have to spend a holiday alone."
Alex's expression darkened slightly before he shrugged. "Likely."
I wondered if I shouldn't have mentioned the other guys. Probably not. It also probably didn't hurt to remind him that I had more than one interested party. Choices... At least I didn't have to make one right now.
I finished my cone, and he stood. "Ready?"
"Yeah, thanks."
We walked back to his car and he opened the door for me. I grinned and slid into the leather seat. It folded around me, and I relaxed when Alex got into the driver's seat.
Alex didn't say anything while he drove. He glanced at me once and smiled.
The light faded completely as we drove, leaving only a faint glow illuminating the mountain tops to the west. We wound out of the valley in the opposite direction of the lodge Alex had taken me to the weekend before.
We followed a paved road all the way up the ridgeline, and before long, we pulled into a parking lot lit with a few lights. A couple of other cars were there, and Alex parked near the building.
"We'll go up on the roof. They should have several telescopes set up."
I followed him into the low, square building. It looked like it might be two floors, and was constructed of local stone, like some of the buildings on campus. The inside was sparsely furnished with a few stone benches and had a gas powered firepit in the center. Around the walls were stations describing something space related, like satellites, or planets and those sorts of things. I was passingly interested in the subject and would have to come back up sometime on my own to investigate. It looked like there were a bunch of classrooms off to one side. The stairs up to the roof were wrought iron, and fairly ornate, especially for school buildings I was used to. The building reminded me that this particular college had quite a lot of funding and it wasn't cheap. My parents didn't mind spending the money, and I would feel like I was wasting it if I went home early. They would let me, and it would be okay, but I didn't want to disappoint them. Of course, I didn't really want to get kidnapped by the magic underground, either.
Alex took my hand while I pondered and walked with me up the stairs to the roof.
I thought about telling my parents what was going on. They probably would go to the police. That wasn't necessarily bad, but I really didn't know if that could affect Dad's job or not.
Maybe someday, Victoria and her parents and all the other activists would solve the legal status of the supernatural beings. Until then...we needed to hide.
∞ ∞ ∞
An attendant sat on the roof near another gas-powered fire pit. A couple of students used one of the telescopes that was out, and we went to another. Alex looked through and made a few adjustments before leaning back and gesturing for me to take a look.
I leaned forward and put my eye up to the lens.
"Is it in focus?"
"Yeah. Wow, that's amazing."
"That's the Andromeda galaxy."
"Beautiful," I whispered.
Alex put his hand lightly on my shoulder but didn't try to pull me away. I straightened and stepped closer to him. He grinned.
"Next
