A Girl in the Shadows

Chapter Four

It had been a long time since I'd felt there was something in front of me that I was unable to process. A dying man laid before me on the sidewalk. In a delayed reaction, pain was beginning to shoot through my shoulder. I looked at the boy, looked down at the dying man, grabbed his gun, and started walking back towards campus. The boy, once frozen with fright, crossed the street, and ran over to me.

"Hey, are you okay? Did that guy shoot you?" he asked, not coming too close.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking." I turned back to the drying man once more. "Call the police when you get back to your dorm. Tell them you know martial arts and it was you who jumped him. You never saw me...and don't you check your campus email? I don't know how many times they've said not to walk by yourself on Cove Street at night."

Walk away, fool. Just keep walking away from him. I held my shoulder and pushed forward. They boy followed.

"You know you saved me, right?" he asked.

"No need to thank me, but if you really want to express your gratitude, you'll do as I suggested. Get out of here. Go back to your room. Call the police. You go your way and I'll go mine."

He didn't answer, only following closely behind. I was too tired to argue. I went past the parking garage and into the courtyard. It was desolate, besides the few girls walking past in their short skirts and tight dresses, some clumsy ones tripping over their heels. The rest were moseying at the tables in groups of two or three, still in their sweat pants. Sunday, I learned long ago, was unofficially declared as "hangover recovery day."

"Are you sure you're okay?" The boy asked as I rounded the side of The Van. "You were shot."

"You're seeing things. You're drunk. The guy punched me. I wasn't shot," I said, trying to make the situation more believable.

"Let me go to the hospital with you," he said.

"Get lost. Go to your room." He caught up to me and placed his hand on my back. I threw it off. "Do me a favor. Tell me your name."

"I'm Tristan," he said.

"Great...Tristan," I said, giving him a perfect, fake grin. "Get lost."

His eyes ran back and forth over me, as if he was searching for something. My tongue ran over my fangs, which had grown back in, and I covered my mouth with my hand, then pushed him and went in the other direction. Of course, he followed. Tristan was a stubborn drunk, my least favorite.

"Listen, I don't know who you are or why you're wearing a Halloween costume in the middle of September, but—"

"Costume, I'm not—" Be smart. For once in your damn life, Tali, use your brain. "Yes I...I'm quite fond of Halloween...and you get a great deal if you buy things in advance, you know, because we're all broke college students."

"Yeah, totally," Tristan said.

I rounded the side of Vanderbilt Hall. My sneakers started to hit the cobblestone. I could still hear his flip flops behind me. I kept my eyes forward and said, "Please, stop following me."

"I just wanted to make sure you got back to your room okay," he said. "It's the least I can do."

"Do you like to make deals, Tristan?" I asked.

"Uh...I guess, girl in a vampire costume," he said, shrugging.

I took a step towards him. "I'll let you walk back to my room if you promise you'll go back to yours."