Destiny

First date

A chill of pure terror ran through me. The Webers being vampires? Popular culture says they are immortal, never age; besides, they were as pale and beautiful as the characters in any literary novel. But something didn't fit the profile. And most importantly, what would Matthew become if his parents were really creatures from a fantasy book?

"Do you have any plan to find out for sure if such madness is true?"

"I know what we need to do," Ariana leaned over the table and whispered. "Although it's risky, I'm going to find out what Matthew Weber is, about his family, and what he did to my sister. Therefore, we can investigate other things, like going to that health center in Peabody that his family ran in 1950."

"Wait, Peabody?" I lowered my voice when I realized I spoke aloud, as a group of girls at the adjacent table turned to look at me with frowns. "Ariana, you said that center was here in Salem."

"I didn't say that exactly. But over the weekend, I researched everything about it. Look at this," Ariana hurriedly pulled out the same old newspaper she had shown me at her house and spread it out on the table, turning to the page with the news about the center. "Do you remember that there were parts where the ink was blurry?"

"It's to be expected; that newspaper is older than our parents."

"However, it was my father who clarified what was written there. He said he was sure the uncle moved to Peabody and traveled to Johnson St., where the health center was. My dad went to Peabody last year for work and passed by the building. It must be a horrible, abandoned building now, but you know that in Massachusetts, everything is preserved to become part of history. I think there should be information about them there, something we can..."

"It can't be that you're thinking of going there," I interrupted, looking at her in disbelief.

"I wouldn't go alone; you have to come with me."

I laughed, puzzled.

"Ariana, you can't be serious. We can't go all the way there."

"I know there must be something there," she insisted while putting the newspaper back in her bag, "something tells me."

"We'd have to leave the city."

"I can take Mom's car. We can go after school; Peabody is only 4 minutes away from Salem by car."

"Ariana, I..."

"Please, Bianca."

I looked at her, wondering if I would have gone so far to discover what happened to my dad's death.

Yes, I would have.

"Fine... Do you know how to drive?"

Ariana smiled innocently.

"No, I was hoping you did."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to find mental peace.

"Yes," I said when I opened my eyes.

"Thank you, Bianca." Suddenly, Ariana looked over my shoulder, and her relieved expression disappeared. "It looks like Matthew is coming over here. Are you two friends now?"

"No, but he has been kind over the last week, and we talked at his house for a moment. It was nothing," I lied.

"Bianca Roose," Matthew's vibrant and animated voice reached my veins, making my blood flow a little faster. He stopped beside me and leaned in. "Can we talk?"

I glanced at Ariana, who was already picking up her food tray.

"I'll see you later, Bianca."

Neither of us said anything before Ariana left. The tension between my friend and my... what were Matthew and I?

"Your friend really hates me," Matthew commented with a smile as he sat down on the bench next to me.

Right now, Ariana didn't worry me as much as the stares from the hundreds of students in the cafeteria who were very attentive to us. I guess it must have been an anomaly for Matthew to sit at the same table as a girl.

"I thought you wouldn't come to class. You missed Math."

A mischievous smile appeared on his lips. I still found it hard to believe that this was the same Matthew I met the first time.

"I had some things to take care of. Have you never missed class?"

"I don't like missing class; some of us care about college."

"I care about college; it's a good place to kill time."

Sometimes I didn't understand the way Matthew said things.

"I want to invite you out after class."

"Oh," I laughed, "it almost sounded like you were a normal guy."

He raised an eyebrow with a curious glint in his eyes.

"Do you want a normal guy?"

"No. Well," I laughed nervously, "who cares? And honestly, I don't really know what that is; I haven't had a normal teenage life."

I chuckled a bit at myself and how strange it sounded to admit that after so long. I looked at Matthew again.

"Are you serious? Are you asking me out?"

"I'm not joking with you, Bianca."

I was left speechless by the seriousness of his words.

"Where would we go?" I asked, quickly changing the subject.

"That's a surprise," his mischievous smile reappeared. "I promise it will stop being a surprise once you see it."

I sighed.

"Okay. After class."

Matthew stood up from the bench just as the bell rang.

"After class," he repeated softly and tapped the table gently before leaving.