The Aristocratic Cavalier

Chapter Two

{Mike}

Finding my way home was no joy ride. The streets were dark, and it seemed like Oregon didn't even know what a street light was, but once I found my way back to the apartment complex, I ran to the comfort of my studio. I struggled to find my house key, it seemed like all of my keys were twisting out of my fingers grip. My hands shook, and I found myself constantly looking over my shoulder. What if that creep followed me home? What if he was going to kill me when I was fast asleep?

Well, there goes my plans for sleeping tonight.

"Having trouble?"

My keys slipped right through my fingers when I heard the stranger's voice, basically jumping out of my own skin in the process. Without looking at the man, I responded. "No, I'm fine."

I snatched my keys up from the floor and jammed one of them in, finally opening the door.

"You must be new," he continued. "Here's a tip, when the door isn't opening, kick it."

"Kick it?"

"Yeah. Abuse it. Beat it up. Treat it like you're the bully who used to steal its lunch money."

I barely cracked a smile before moving my gaze to the stranger. He had dark, straight hair and his eyes a striking green. A crooked smirk implanted on his face, he towered over me by at least a foot, and a black lip ring circled around his bottom lip idly.

"Mike."

"What?"

"My name, it's Mike."
"Oh," I responded in a squeak. I was still pretty on edge from what happened, but of course that is to be expected. Besides, I never really knew how to make small talk, but this time I had an excuse for seeming so awkward.

"And your name is...?"

"Luna."

"Okay, Luna. Are you alright? You act as if you were just chased down by an axe murderer."

"You could say something like that," I mumbled and pushed my door open.

"Leaving me so soon? I thought what we had was special..."

I looked at him, narrowing my eyes slightly before getting his joke. The joke was that he was joking, not being serious. Laughing nervously, I shoved my hands into my pockets and lowered my stare to the ground.

"I need to get to bed, but it was nice meeting you."

"The same to you, Luna."

"Oh! If you see a miniature husky with a blue collar on, it's mine. He ran off earlier and I couldn't find him."

"Alright, I will keep an eye out. Sleep tight."

I sat awake all throughout the night, twisting and turning beneath the itchy sheets. The flashes of that monster chasing me down the alleyway, and the masked vigilante coming to my rescue. It was all a big blur when it happened, and to be honest, it still was. I don't completely understand what happened.

Around four in the morning, all hopes of sleep diminished, and I began to unpack again. The distant sound of teenagers laughing outside blended into the silence, and then it was morning. The sun peered past my sheer, beige blinds; my apartment floor littered with packing peanuts and used masking tape..

Something clanged against the floor as I began to tidy the place up. Looking down, I found Caesar's food dish still halfway full. A small frown came across my lips. I plopped down on my sofa and watched the ceiling fan whirl around in circles for what felt like hours, but couldn't have been more than a few minutes. Who would have thought that a twenty-one year old girl would be sulking in her apartment when she was on the other side of the united states, away from all parental control for the first time in her life. Having a mother like mine was like having your own personal police officer that told you everything you did wrong. It was good to escape it, but why didn't it feel that way?