Chapter 20: Chapter 20

Larry is really a good company to have in times like this. We talked for more than an hour, and I never got bored because he's so comical, and quite a debater when it comes to some issues. The conversation shift to the book also, where I have to tell him that I kept it a secret as I have promised.

Carl comes back to get him off Larry's flirting-self, which is also funny by the way and walks me with him to the outside.

"I know a bar, just minutes drive from here. Please do me the honour, come with me and let's go have fun there. I am extremely tired of greeting guest as if they're going to die tomorrow." Carl's forehead is wrinkled which gives away his tiredness. Why would I want to punish him more?

"I came with you, so wherever you say you want to go to, I'll come with you." I say to him. His facial expression changes instantly to more happier one.

"You're such a cutie."

"Don't."

"I have already started." He says cheerily and he pulls my hand, forcing me to jog along with his long legs to the car.

Carl is in an euphoric state throughout the drive. He gets down the car when he turns off the engine after parking, few meters from the bar and comes over to my seat to open the door for me.

"Thanks."

"No need to mention."

"You know I'll always mention." I tell him, and he rolls his eyes.

"Anyways let's go." He pulls my hands, helping me out to stand upright. We approach the bar in a side-by-side gait.

Entering the area, I take in the unexpected nice smell of the bar. I had thought of it to have some not-cool smell, perhaps bit nasty, but seems like the tables have been turned round. My expectations were drawl otherwise. My earlier bad expectation about the bar was resurrected because the bar is petty and antiquated-like in its wooden structure.

We occupy the booth, next to a Hawaiian shirt man with green shorts. The lady behind the counter smiles a flashy smile at Carl that my naughty subconscious smells the change in mood of the lady when she sees Carl.

"Carl. What can I get you?"

"Actually, I came here with someone, Lola. Can I get two Coke?"

"Sure thing." She beams at him, and turns to the fridge to bring out Carl's order.

"Hope you like Coke?"

"Yeah, I do. Thought you were going to order something alcoholic before." I say.

"Here." Says Lola. She passes the Coke to Carl, and he carefully places one in front of me.

"Thanks." I mutter, while he takes the last for himself. I watch the connection during when Lola gives Carl his drink and how she acts so gently with him, as if she doesn't want to fuck up at all, or rubbish anything when it comes to him.

"She likes you." I point out.

"What?" Carl catches up on what I meant. "Oh, no. That's just Lola being Lola. She does this to lots of customers." Carl sounds as if he's protecting himself that he has nothing to do with her.

"Before she gave us the Coke, she served two male customers, but didn't act that way towards them." I say. I don't even know why I'm saying this. Why I'm defending her. I can't force him on her, so I should stop.

"Nevermind. Rayne was just being Rayne." To redeem the moment to a lively one, I mirror Carl's words.

Before he could say anything, a hand on his shoulder jolts him up into a defence mode which surprises me that Carl could actually use his muscles to fighting. Cool!

Larry burst out laughing at Carl's anger, who takes back his seat next to me, but due to how we are sitting, he is opposite from me. Matteo comes into view and takes a seat in sync with Larry, who's still laughing off his ass.

"Boss, that wasn't fair at all. You left us at that party to suffer? Fortunately, I remembered this bar when we came last week." Larry says, before he orders a beer and so does Matteo.

"Guys, I need to visit the restroom. The way?" My question is mostly directed to Carl. He raises his gaze at me since I am now standing, which makes me kind of tower over him.

Without a word, Carl points to a corner. "You will find the door."

Hurrying, I pass by the guys and sets of stools by the booth to the corner. As told, I find the door and enter the room. When I'm done reliving me, I go to the basin, open the faucet, lather a soap into my palms and cleanse my hands. For an unknown reason, perhaps because of the mirage the mirror, I bolt off the ground and turn to my behind. There, Lydia is glaring at me with a strange eyes where the brownish colour seems to be glittering. I panic and look around me. There's no one here except Lydia and I. What if she hurts me badly?

"What are you doing here, Lydia?" I begin, trying to be nonchalant and passed.

"This is a bar. Anyone can come here."

"Oh, didn't know then." Lydia's forehead wrinkles. "I didn't know you do go to petty bars. Aren't you the principal's fancy daughter?"

Lydia says nothing further, but paces in front of me, who's leaning too close to the basin. Far too close as though I can disappear into it. I don't want to see Lydia. For her to be here which truthfully must be for a reason because she can't come to a bar like this, she has a reason. A bad one. Very bad one. What has she had in plan for me?

"I'm not here to chit-chat with you, Rayne. I came here for a far more important matter." Lydia says. God! Her tone is different. Her expression and way of walking is so different.

She's like the woman version of James Bond, or rather Jackie Chan. She doesn't look like one who fears anything at the moment. I feel my heart race in fear. I try to control my nerves, but they won't just obey. They are so much in alike with my subconscious.

"You left school, Lydia. You made your Dad a horrible person. He became totally a depressed man, all because you left. What happened?" I manage to choke out from my throat that seems to be tiny than it was ten minutes ago.

Lydia chortle, releasing an evil-kind chortle. I recoil. "You seem to have much inquisitions. I will explain."

Suddenly she's in front of me, I don't know how. She was there before, but then, as if she runs twice how Jamaica would run when he's almost finished the line, and stands in front of me. So close to me that I can feel her exhalation breaths, fanning onto my squirming face. I am afraid. Hell, I am. And Lydia knows so.

"I wanted to kill you before, but I've decided not to because I've been watching you go out with the Wildings boy for some days now. Stay away from Nicklaus, or I will make you. I will find every trick to hurt you if I ever see you with him. He has turned me into one of them. Into an Originals and I won't allow you to be the reason why he won't fully take me in. That night, I gain the key to taming him to be mine and that happened because you stopped him. This is one of the reason why I won't be killing you today. And about the book, it should help in some ways—"

A bang like punch on the door stops Lydia. She darts her eyes there before she places her attention back on me. Her brown eyes resplendent some kind of reflection.

"Wildings boy is here to save you."

"Rayne!" It is Carl. How did he know I'm in trouble? The question comes to me in a blur. I really need help right now and that's all that matters.

"Shush your mouth, or—" Lydia's hand is on my throat, forcing me to keep mute willingly. I realize that I've been breathing harshly due to my heart racing like its doing marathon. As though it wants to run out of throat, in the process chocking me, and leave me non-hearted.

"Rayne!" Carl hits the door more forcefully, while I squirm beneath Lydia's mysterious, turned-self, while she smiles.

"See you later, Rayne. Nicklaus is mine. That's why I wouldn't accept the change. I don't want a mate, but him. Only him." She sounds insane, and lustful and possessive. I wouldn't comment outside though.

The moment the door to the restroom opens, Carl races towards me. I feel the pressure Lydia's creating against me and that's when I just realize she's gone.

"Are you okay?" Carl is quick to ask. He has a panicking look on his face as he's helping me to stand upright and not fall to the floor. My legs are too shaky to hold me up.

I couldn't respond, and Carl doesn't care about it. He helps me walk out of the room.

"What happened, Rayne?"

"How did you know I was in trouble?" I know that question isn't anywhere the least logical question to ask, but I have to ask.

Carl gives me a total confused look.

"Is something wrong?"

"Answer me." I raise my voice at him and he is thrown aback at first. He steps closer to me, but with the help of my just-recovered legs, I back away.

"Rayne?" He is confused. But on the inside, I know he is not.

"I don't understand you. I don't understand her. I don't understand him. I understand none of you all." Tears brims my eyes. The sight of seeing Lydia threaten me that way makes me hate myself, but on another part, I don't. I think I can't handle her. She doesn't look so human or herself. That wasn't the bully Lydia I met before all this occured. She's changed and Nicklaus is concerned in the matter. He must know what's wrong with her. Perhaps that's why he left school.

"You all are mysterious to me." Carl lands his hand on mine to calm me down, but I retract, and head for the exit. On my way, from my peripheral vision, Larry and Matteo is no where to be seen.

The pure air runs into my nostrils once more and I suck it in, letting it calm my nerves and stops my cry.

"Where is Larry and Matteo?"

"Gone on a hunt. They perceived the threat as well as I." He explains, as usual riddling. I scoff.

"That's it. This is what I don't get. What is with the quizzical words? You could have told me things in a way where I would understand." I raise my voice more than earlier.

Carl keeps cool, his demeanor not changing. His gaze is fixated anywhere but my eyes. He can't look me in the eye.

"I need to get you back home." He says.

"Sure." I sniffle, and wipe my tears with the back of my palm. Facing heavenwards for a while, I turn to the back and enter, making sure to jam the door after my entry. Today's already been spoilt for me surely.

While the drive last, I didn't talk to Carl and neither did he. Though, every now and then, he would glance over at me, but I never return his glimpse. I'm burning with unexpressed fury. I don't understand why he won't let me know things. He is no difference to Nicklaus, who keeps things away from me too. It's as though they want me to go insane from having different perspective of how things are when it probably couldn't have been that way. I am not even that sure of the stupid research I'm doing. What if I'm wrong? There's nothing like real Vampires or Werewolves or other myths. Their secretive-self has made me to think of them as this fantasy imaginary stuffs.

As the engine stops working and the car is parked, I prepare to get down, but Carl's firm hook on my hand stops me. He holds me with such strong hand.

"What?" I shout. He remains unaffected. After a while of staying in this fixed position where he wouldn't leave my hand alone I start to calm.

"I'm sorry that today became a mess for you." He apologizes calmly and drawls each words, letting them sink straight into my brain. I begin to feel bad for talking back at him. I should have calm too. At least, he did nothing. It is not like he's the Lydia who came to threaten me with deadly words. I wonder if her father knows she's became someone he can never be proud of anymore.

"I'm sorry too." I turn my face to Carl's, who's looking back at me as well.