Forever (Original)

Forever [20: He Who Returns (Gets Punched in the Face)]

Forever: He Who Returns (Gets Punched in the Face)

It was the crack of dawn when Vincent’s eye opened up just a sliver. Around him, all of his friends were sleeping, snoring, muttering, and drooling. He laid there for a few more seconds before a sudden urge hit him. Scrambling out the blankets, he rushed out of the room and down the stairs to the bathroom.

When he left the bathroom, he found Cadan and Mark seated at the island in the middle of the kitchen.

“Morning,” Cadan greeted.

“Morning.” Vincent’s voice was still a bit scratchy and deep.

They all three were still for a moment before they began to move around the kitchen.

“I’ve got the eggs,” said Mark as he crawled over the island with a carton of eggs tucked under his arm.

“I’m covering the bacon,” said Cadan. “And don’t forget – Maria, Jane, and Kirsten are like clones, they all like their eggs the same way.”

“French toast or pancakes?” asked Vincent.

Cadan and Mark stopped and looked at each other and back at Vincent.

“Both,” they said in unison.

Just as Mark was about to start the eggs, they all heard a knock on the door.

“I’ll get it,” said Vincent. “You two just go on ahead.”

He set down the pancake mix and walked into the living room.

“What the hell…” he muttered as he peered through the peephole. Flinging the door open, he glared harshly. “What do you want, Nigel?”

“Um,” Nigel paused and ran a hand through his dark curls. “I came to see Maria.”

“Well too bad for you, she’s asleep,” Vincent said coldly.

From the kitchen, Cadan recognized Nigel’s voice and stormed into the living room. He shot out the door and grabbed Nigel by the front of his shirt. Thankfully, he was taller than Nigel by several inches, or he would never have pulled this off.

“Why the hell are you here?” he growled.

“I’m here to see Maria!” Nigel repeated.

“So let me get this straight,” said Cadan. “You ignore her for weeks, and then all of a sudden, you’re all happy damn unicorn farts on the front step?”

Nigel did nothing but try to pry Cadan’s hands off. Cadan let go and shoved Nigel off the porch and into the snow.

“Just leave!” he snarled.

“It’s not exactly your house,” said Nigel as he picked himself up all off the ground.

“No, it’s mine,” said Maria from the door. As she stepped barefooted onto the icy porch, her blue eyes showed nothing but hatred. “So I suggest you get off my lawn before I call the police.”

“I know you better then that, Ria,” said Nigel.

“Don’t you ever call me Ria again!” Maria shouted, her cheeks flushing with anger. “Now get the hell off my lawn before I really do call the cops!”

Nigel looked somewhat broken as he took a few steps back.

“You know I won’t give up on you,” he said before he turned and walked away.

“Well I wish you would!” Maria screamed after him. She whipped back around and stomped back inside, yelling every foul thing she could think of about Nigel at the top of her lungs.