“What’s wrong?”
“Blood smells different, stronger.”
“Like nickels?” – Andrew, Spike (Angel: Damages)
It took them a few minutes to get to Emily’s apartment. Cal and Emily took her car while Arthur and James took Arthur’s. It was near Arthur’s old apartment, even in the same building. The large cement structure was imposing and uninviting. It could almost be called rundown. Just add a few more broken balconies, a couple more peeling paint jobs and one more handful of depressed looking people.
Emily’s apartment was made up of four tiny rooms. How they were decorated, though, made them look much bigger than they really were. It was sparsely decorated with third-hand things well taken care of. A couple chairs scattered around the couch in the living room. A small television sat on a cheap particle board table which teetered precariously to the right. A water-ringed coffee table sat directly in front of the couch. Emily led the boys into the living room and sat down on one of the chairs.
“How long have you lived here?” Arthur asked. “I used to live in this building.”
“A few months,” she answered giving Cal a short glance
“You do realize you could have hocked that bracelet you’re wearing and move to a much better place,” James said.
Emily nodded. “I know, but—” she shrugged.
“I’m hungry,” Cal said. “And I can’t believe you live in this shit hole. I would have believed it of Arthur, but not of you.” Emily blushed and looked at the pictureless walls. Arthur noted that she had a look of longing in her eyes coupled with embarrassed shame.
“It’s your fault, meathead,” James retorted. “She moved here after you kicked her out of the mansion after you moved her here from Nevada.”
Cal pointedly ignored him. “You got any food here?”
Emily walked over to the fridge and opened it. It was very empty. “Nope, sorry.”
“Why don’t you have any food?” Arthur asked.
Emily shrugged. “I just sleep here mostly. I’m at work all the time. I eat on my way to work, on lunch break and on my way home.”
Cal pouted and sat on the ground by the couch.
“I can go out and get some.” Emily looked at Cal a variety of emotions flashing across her face. Arthur tilted his head to look at her before glancing at Cal. He can’t make her go out and get him some food. It wouldn’t be right! She obviously isn’t paid well and has no money to spare when he swims in it every night!
Cal shrugged and pouted some more. “No, I’m alright.”
“No, it’s fine. I should go shopping anyway. Stay here. Keep him safe.” She told Arthur and James before grabbing her purse and running back out the door.
Arthur glared at Cal. Cal rolled his eyes in response and grabbed James’s necklace as James sat down behind him on the couch. He took out the coin and gave the necklace back. Arthur sat down in a chair across from them. It was old with stuffing that was well worn and sunk in the middle. It was very comfortable once Arthur got situated.
The guys lounged around the living room. Cal flipped the coin over the backs of his fingers. James was braiding Cal’s shaggy hair. Arthur looked around and wished he had a harmonica to play. It just seemed right. Even though the three didn’t always get along, in fact they usually didn’t, there was a peaceful sort of silence between them.
Cal flipped the coin in the air and caught it with amazing accuracy. He looked around at James and Arthur. “Ya know, I’ve been thinking—”
“You had a thought? Cal, that’s great!” James said, still intently braiding Cal’s hair.
Cal shook James off and resumed speaking, while James resumed braiding. “Why are you two doing this?”
Arthur sat up from his slouch. “What d’you mean?”
Cal gestured with his hands before giving up. “I know why I’m doing this – to help Sabrina.” Cal glanced out the rooms only tiny window. “Maybe I can bring her back to normal,” he said, his voice taking on a wispy quality. He shook his head. “But you two don’t have to be here anymore. There’s not world threat.”
That’s a good point, Arthur thought. Why am I still here? “To help you, I guess. I have this weird need to help people who… are in need. And the greater good needs to be served. People are in danger from a vampire.”
“So what are you going to become a vampire slayer now? Arthur the Vampire Slayer? Doesn’t have a good ring to it. Do you think she’s the only vampire in the world? Someone had to have turned her,” James said continuing to braid Cal’s hair.
“So why are you here, James,” Arthur responded irritably. I’m not calling his actions into question. Why is he questioning my good intentions? “Out of all of us, you are the one with the least reason for being here.”
James held up his fingers. “One, this would make a great story, if I clean it up a bit. Two, I’m using up my too many sick days. My boss was about to make me forcibly go on vacation. Three, I enjoy annoying Cal.” He grinned.
Arthur rolled his eyes. “Lovely.”
“I think so,” James replied and turned Cal’s head to face Arthur. “What do you think?”
Arthur snorted. The braids had shortened his hair considerably. Cal’s hair was sticking up all over his head.
“What? What did he do?” Cal stole James’s phone from his pocket and took a picture of himself. He looked at it and his face turned a peach color. “James! Undo these right now!”
James snickered. “No, it makes you look…”
“Wonky. Kooky. Obnoxious?” Arthur suggested.
“Exotic,” James finished.
Arthur and Cal gave him a look that clearly said they though he was crazy. They lapsed back into a comfortable silence as James took a picture and started undoing the braids, until Cal spoke up again.
“I’m hungry. When is Emily going to be back?” He twirled the coin on his finger like a basketball. Arthur paused to admire Cal’s slightly vampiric agility. I wish I had dexterity like that. It was a weird thing to notice, but Cal’s hands looked more feminine and more taken care of than before.
“I would’ve thought she would have been back by now,” Arthur said looking at his wrist before realizing he didn’t wear a watch. He stood up. He started pacing the room slowly. His shoes squeaking slightly on the linoleum of the kitchen.
“Do you think we should go look for her?” James asked and stood up as well.
“If we must.” Cal gave the coin back to James. He had little red marks on the back of his fingers. James put it back in his necklace. Cal walked toward the door and opening it, he quickly closed it again, his fist over his mouth.
“What’re you doing?” James asked and walked over to the door. He opened the door and closed it again too gagging slightly.
Arthur sighed exasperated. “What is it?” He walked over and opened the door. Pinned to the door by an Italian stiletto dagger was a note written in what looked like drying blood. Arthur was surprised no one had heard Sabrina put it there or the neighbors seeing it and calling the police before he remembered what kind of neighborhood this building was in.
“I don’t believe it,” Cal said. “Sabrina wouldn’t do something like this.”
“I think she would,” Arthur said and ripped the note off the door. Apparently so do you or else you wouldn’t have jumped to that conclusion first. He ripped the note off the door careful not to touch the knife.
“What does it say?” James asked.
“If you ever want to see your whore again, meet me in Italy where we had our first vacation,” Arthur read. “Your lover, Sabrina.”
James turned to Cal. “I think it’s Sabrina all right since it has her name on it!”
Cal made a face at him and leaned slightly away from the note.
“How are we going to get to Italy,” Arthur said dejectedly walking over and setting the note on the coffee table.
“Hello? Gajillionaire.” James pointed at Cal.
“Is that even a real number?” Cal asked.
“Yes, I just made it up and I’m a journalist, so I can do that.”
James picked up the letter and Arthur pulled the dagger out of the door before closing it. He turned back toward Cal.
Cal wrinkled his nose and turned away. “Can you not point that near me?”
“Why?”
“I can smell the blood and it’s making me nauseous.”
“What does it smell like?” James asked interested.
“Like regular blood, dumbass, only stronger and slightly tangy.”
“Tangy?” Arthur asked confused. He’d never smelled blood closely before and never tasted any other than his own out of the small cuts.
“Yeah, like Emily tastes, strawberry and vanilla and… something else, I’m not sure…” Cal stuck his tongue out toward the dagger and hair.
“What the heck?” Arthur moved the dagger away from Cal.
“I figured I could taste it better or smell it better if I opened my mouth… You know, like a snake…”
“Vampire,” James muttered not very quietly.
Cal glared at him and opened his mouth to yell at James before Arthur interrupted and earned him a glare of his own.
“You two argue like a married couple.” Arthur put the dagger down. “Are we going to Italy then?”
“Of course! Emily actually likes me, unlike the vampire here,” James said.
Cal tightened his jaw and said, “Yes, we are going to Italy to save Emily.”
“Good. I like her, she’s cool,” Arthur responded. “And her life is probably in jeopardy. I wouldn’t put it past the Sabrina vampire to torture her.”
Pulling out his cell phone, Cal speed-dialed his butler, Bradford, who coordinated everything in his life. Bradford transferred his call to the ‘keeper of the jets’ as Cal called him. “I need the jet. Get it ready for when I get there… What do you mean it’s gone? . . . You didn’t notice she had a kidnappee with her?!” Cal paused, almost pure white, and took a deep breath. His face flooded with color again. “Get the silver jet ready for a trip to Rome now!”
“I take it Sabrina took the 85?” Arthur asked.
Cal nodded, color slowly still coming back.
“Wow! You should have seen you! You were almost shiny you were so white. I didn’t notice that last time you got angry.” James pointed out innocently.
“Shut up!” Cal stomped out the door and slammed it behind him.
Arthur gave James a look of exasperation.
“What?”
“He’s going to kill you some day, you know, if you keep making him angry like that,” Arthur said seriously.
“I’m just trying to get him to be able to control his temper,” James lied unsuccessfully.
“Obviously it’s not working.”
“Well, it’s not going to work right off. These things take time,” James said. “Don’t you know anything about psychology?”
“It wasn’t my area of study in school,” Arthur responded. “Come on, we’ll lose him.” He grabbed James and pulled him out the door.
Author's Note: If you want me to continue updating I need to know at least someone is reading. Is anyone reading? All you need to do is push the buttons below the story... That would be nice. Anyway, here is the next part. I'll get right on the 10th part.
