Hometown Hero

Chapter Four: Talk

We sat at the kitchen counter, my hands steadily chopping garlic for the risotto. Putting the knife down, I walked to the fridge. I grabbed the bunch of asparagus out of the crisper drawer, and wondered if I had enough chicken stock to cover the rice while I recanted my story.

“...And then he got up and left.” I shrugged, looking up “It's been almost a week, and he hasn't come back. Do you think I did something wrong?”

“Well, you did spill coffee on his manhood.” replied Emma, grinning suspiciously “That doesn't exactly scream 'come back soon'.”

I covered the pot with the rice heating, and looked up “It was an accident. I wasn't really gonna do it.”

“That's how it starts.” She shook her head “Always with the meet-cutes. Just don't hit him with your car, Lorraine.”

I rolled my eyes, sighing “I think my dads are starting to rub off on you.”

She smiled, “Good. Anyway, back to this guy; does he have a name?”

“Yes.” I cut the ends of the vegetables, listening to the rhythmic sound of the knife on the cuttingboard “His name is Indie. He's--”

Emma jumped, “Not...” I glanced at her, seeing her struggle, looking a little more than surprised.

I put the knife down “Something wrong?”

Pulling out her phone, she spoke quickly “You said Indie.”

“Yeah? It's short for...”

“Independence. I know.”

“You know him?” I asked, but she already had her phone glued to her ear. I watched her, wondering what she was doing.

“Nicky.” She spoke, glancing up at me “He's back. Yes, I'm sure. Because someone saw him at Benny's. I don't know; a week maybe?”

I interjected, “He came into the diner about two weeks ago. The first time, I mean.”

Emma stared, and a strange feeling crept up on me. Something wasn't sitting quite right with all of this. When Emma hung up the phone, I couldn't figure out why she'd called her brother to tell him what I knew.

“What's happening?”

She stood up, walked over, and took my hand “Look, you should probably sit.”

I stood, seeing her pace through the kitchen. Whatever this was, it was big news, and it hadn't broke yet. Which seemed odd, considering the first time I'd seen Indie had been longer than it would take to knock on everyone's door in town and tell them so.

We moved to the table, and she sighed, looking at me with a sad expression “You haven't lived here very long, so you don't know the story yet. Indie Adams, he's...He's not really like the other people you've met in Watford.”

“Is he a vampire?” I joked, smiling “A wizard? What?”

Emma lifted her glasses to pinch the bridge of her nose, breathing deeply. Releasing, she looked at me with unblinking eyes. She spoke slowly, “Indie Adams...has a reputation. He has a particularly unusual situation, and the people here don't really like to talk about it.”

I nodded, “It's bad?”

“Not...” Emma cocked her head, “all bad. But it was the talk of the town for a good year and a half. Everyone had a free seat to the Adams Horror Picture Show.”

Pulling my knees up to my chest, I rested my chin and listened to Emma as she talked about Indie. He'd been a year ahead of her in school, and was sort of...on the cuff. He wasn't popular, but nobody picked on him. He had friends, but spent a lot of time alone. And then there was Erin.