Vatra in Ruins

Chapter 2

I will admit that the guilt was eating me alive. The lip-gloss was burning a hole of shame in my pocket. Mavros dropped me off at home a while back and I have been pacing in my room ever since. I heard a knock at my door and went to open it when it almost burst off its hinges.
“Are you trying to walk a crater in your floor or are you just pacing in here to drive me crazy?” Aspida Valentino, my other best friend and soul sister, nearly yelled my head off. I saw the small twitch in her blonde eyebrows, indicating that she was indeed really frustrated with me. She got a look of concern on her face when she saw my expression.
“What’s wrong Mel?” she sat down on my bed as I started to fidget with my hands.
“Aspida, I made a big mistake and I need to fix it!”
“Something tells me that Mister Mavros was involved.” She said his name like it tasted bad on her tongue. They never really ‘clicked’ and often got in each other’s hair. I always tried to bring them together but I ultimately decided that it was a lost cause.
The first time they met, Aspida wanted nothing to do with Hermes. She was, and still is, very intimidating and back then, I thought that that was the reason for Mavros’ verbal absence. Other than the fact that she was tall, taller than me, had long blonde hair and beautiful grey eyes, she was a natural born vampire. Her parents died when she was twelve and ever since then she has been living with my uncle and I. We have been friends since childhood, though she has always been a very serious person. We never really had any other friends and with the extension of Mavs, my social life was next too non-existent.                                                       “He told me that I couldn’t steal something because I am a goody-two-shoes, so I had to prove him wrong and OH MY GOSH, Aspida, I shoplifted!” I all but shrieked at her.
“Would you please come with me to the store? I need to return it!”

 
We arrived at the store a while later.
“Do you want me to come with you?” I stared at the store and gave her a mumbled, “No, I think I need to go in alone.” “Alright, but just in case, I will keep the car running.”
“HAHA, very funny!”                                                       I went into the store and asked one of the employees to take me to the manager. When he saw me, his face literally resembled a tomato.
“YOU!” he stood up so fast that his chair almost fell over.
“Hi, sir.” Awkwardly shuffling closer, I nervously looked him in the eyes.                   
“I came to return this-” I placed the lip-gloss on his table. “-and this…” He gave me a sceptical look when I placed double the original amount of money that the lip-gloss costed on his table. Taking a deep breath, I started again.                     
“I was dared by my friend to steal something. He doesn’t know that I am here, I’m not this kind of person and I can’t tell you how sorry I am for what I have done. The lip-gloss was not opened and it’s the only thing I took. Promise.” He stayed silent for so long that I wasn’t sure whether he was going to call the police or pass out.
“In all my thirty years of management, I have never been in a situation like this.” He scratched the back of his head then gave me half of a smile.
“I guess I could let you off the hook. I mean technically you did just pay for it.” His smile grew and he held out his hand for me to shake.
“Pleasure doing business with you Miss. And be sure to keep your friend out of my store.”

 
“Why are you smiling so big?” Aspida asked me when I got back in the car. I probably looked like a crazy person, just smiling at nothing. But I couldn’t help it. The weight that left my shoulders after I spoke with the manager was so relieving.
“You won’t tell Mavs that I gave it back, will you?”               
“No.”
“Oh, Aspida. Always so serious.” She gave a snort at that. We drove home in a comfortable silence while listening to the radio. My birthday would be in a week. It would just be Mavros, Aspida and my uncle. Nothing big. I plan on having a picnic out in the woods near our house, like we always do.

When we got back, I saw my uncle coming around the corner of the house.
“What have you girls been up to on this lovely Friday?” Aspida saw where this was going and luckily changed the subject.
“Uhh...what have you been doing back there, Mister Thomas?” He gave me a very secretive look.
“Just finishing the birthday present. Top secret business.” I knew he said that just to peak my curiosity, however, I still had to ask, “What is it? You can’t just leave me hanging here!” He made a motion to his lips, ‘locking’ it and then throwing away the ‘key’.
"Meanie!" I scowled at him and made my way into the house.

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ASPIDA’S P.O.V

After Melmii went inside, I made my way towards Thomas. He was busy washing the dirt off his hands.
“Do you think it will start on or after her birthday?” He sighed and looked up at me with tired eyes.
“I wish that it would never happen, but there is no guarantee for when the first one will come.”
“She still doesn't know. Do you not think she will be more prepared if you told her?”
“It was my choice to become her guardian. I will protect her with my life and if that means I have to keep things from her, then so be it.”