A Different World

IX: Disagreements

"What do you mean you saw the king?"

"I mean, I was walking back to my apartment, ran into a man and the man happened to be the king."

"Are you sure it was him?"

"I am 90 percent sure it was him."

"That is not good enough" Melissa stood abruptly from the couch seeming to have an idea before disappearing from the small living room area and coming back several seconds later holding a book. She reclaimed her position on the couch and flipped the book open knowing exactly what page to turn to. "Is this the guy you saw?" Her finger landed on top of the man's chest as she pointed out the figure in the photograph. The picture did little to depict the true beauty of the powerful man and though the picture was smudged, there was no doubt in Scarlett's mind that the man in the picture was the same man she had contingently run into only hours earlier.

She took the book from Melissa's hands and dexterously flipped through the thin pages of the century-old book only stopping to read when the king's name was scribbled on the no longer white pages.

"It's him," she spoke, her voice coming out as a mere whisper as she continued to read through the text that contained the years of history before her time. 

Melissa silently observed Scarlett, unsure of what to say. She did not know whether she should be frightened at the prospect of Scarlett running into the leader of all kings or the undeniable attraction his presence would bring to the city of New York, making their job all the more difficult.

The latter seemed to frighten her the most. Whilst the probability of the city crowding with more vampires was undisputedly probable, the likelihood of Scarlett running into the king wasn't.  They needed to formulate a plan and contact the others without causing any rouse.

"We have to go to Eleanor," Melissa exclaimed as she stood, once again, from her plush, baby blue, couch. She closed her eyes quickly and shook her head as she sought to fight the dizziness that rang through her head do to her abrupt standing.

Scarlett, in alarm, stood and made her way towards the door, standing in front of it as to not let Melissa through. "We can't," she declared.

Melissa simply waved her off with a roll of her eyes thinking that Scarlett's actions were nothing but overreactions.

"Scarlett, we have to tell her and the others. We are actually obligated to tell her as she is our mentor and leader." Her annoyance towards Scarlett was eminent in her voice. She stood in front of Scarlett trying to gauge a way out but even with twenty years of training in the institute and three with Scarlett, Scarlett was, in every sense, stronger and smarter. She would be a fool to cross her.

"I know that but I can't risk going there right now." The threat of someone watching her still loomed over her head and it had only intensified with the realization that the man she had bumped into was, in fact, the king. Scarlett had already put someone she profoundly cared for at risk, she could not bear to do the same to someone else.

"Why?" There was a challenge to her voice, almost as if there was nothing Scarlett could say that would change her mind but she wanted to hear what reasons she had for being so foolish in a situation that called for a lucid mind.

"Someone is following me," Scarlett explained.

"Did you see someone following you?" Melissa had reached a new level of annoyance, something that threw Scarlett off guard.

"No, but –" She was quickly cut off by Melissa.

"Then you can't possibly know if someone was following you." Melissa pointed an accusing finger at Scarlett, her words seething with vehemence as she made to make a point.

"I am the best at what I do, I have been doing this longer than you if I say someone is following me, it is because someone is following me and you would do right to believe me as I am the only one that can protect you." It was Scarlett's turn to be furious, she had allowed Melissa to disrespect her long enough and she would no longer tolerate it. She loved Melissa like a sister but here was only so much nonsense she could take from her.

"I don't need your protection," Melissa spat back, determined to not lose the battle.

"Save your tougher-than-you-act, if the person following me is the person I believe they are, I am your only hope." Scarlett had come to Melissa in hopes of receiving support from a friend she deeply cared for and instead was hit in the face with the door that had been so welcoming in the past three years. 

Melissa seemed to quail a little, suddenly consumed by an overshadowing fear for her friend's life. She stopped pacing around the room and opted to sit in one of the armchairs facing the door, clearly defeated.

"It's not an act, I am tougher than you," she said, though it was not meant as a backlash at her best friend but a simple playful joke. Melissa could only hope that one day she could be half the hunter Scarlett was.

"Please, I can take you down blindfolded." Scarlett was all but happy to be back to their playful banter and forget their foolish fight.

Seeing that she no longer needed to stand guard at the door, Scarlett proceeded to make her way into the living room area and take a seat across from Melissa.

"We really do need to tell Eleanor," Melissa spoke tentatively, afraid that the mention of Eleanor would stir another fight between the two.

"I know but right now is not the right time," she said for the second time that night.

"What if you call her?" She offered another alternative.

"They might have my phone tapped for all I know."

"Then I'll call her and have her come here. This person knows you are here but they don't know you're with me or that Eleanor and her group are in anyway affiliated with you." Melissa seemed determined and Scarlett was exhausted, she could not put up another fight with the girl sitting in front of her.

"Fine, call her."

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Picture of her friend Melissa :)

Till next time....