The Chloenicles #1 [COMPLETE]

CHAPTER 18: Good news, I am still in danger!

Paul Herford's and Miranda's cute friendship moment was interrupted by a waiter, who came over to ask us what we wanted to eat. Even though I had studied the menu in detail before to have something to do during an awkward silence and avoid eye contact, I could not remember one single item they offered here.

Story of my live.
Instead of taking another panicked look on the menu and order the first thing I saw or asking the waiter if he would come back again in a couple of minutes (both of these options would have made me really uncomfortable), I decided to order what Miranda ordered. She had not looked happy with the thought of having to eat a gluten free, vegan burger, so I trusted that, with her having been here before and all, she would find something that I would like, too.
When the waiter was gone, we fell silent again.
How come that there was not one of us at this table who was good at making conversation?
To his credit, Lars tried to get us talking by saying: „So, Miranda, I just told Chloe the story of how Eliza became Queen."
Miranda yawned. „Good for you."
„She actually wanted to hear the long version of it."
„Well, good for her."
„How about,", Paul Herford interrupted this very promising and fruitful exchange, „we start our meeting and talk about what we came here to talk about?"
Miranda nodded and Lars leaned back in his chair.

„Okay." Paul Herford sat up a little straighter and folded his hands on the table in front of him.
„I think we can all agree that the AML is still on our tail, especially now that the humans are looking for us, too. Which means that we will be staying for a while, at least until things have quieted down a little, right?"
„Right.", the other two agreed.
„Good. Then I'll let the queen know tonight from the secure line in the safe house."
A secure line in a safe house?
If this was what it sounded like, it would make up for me not having gotten my secret layer.
I had always wanted to stay in a safe house.
It made you seem so important.
I wondered what it looked like and how safe and secret it would be.
I just hoped that it would not be a shop that sold alarm systems or something which was just called ‚The Safe House'.

„Now we just need to figure out if it's safe to send Chloe home."
Ouch.
Miranda's words pulled me right back to reality.
I had not even thought about the fact that I might had to leave.
I had always assumed that if I ever decided that everything became too much for me, I would be the one who decided to break it off.
In the beginning of our journey they did not want to let me go because if the AML got a hold of me I would be in danger and if I had told them what I knew, I could have put the two of them in danger, too.
I think somewhere along the way I must have started to interpret their practical way of thinking as feelings of friendship.

How stupid of me.
Why would they want me to stay, I could not contribute in any way.
I was not as strong as Miranda.
I was not related to the Queen or had special knowledge that would justify me being kept around.

I was useless.

But I also did not want to leave.

I realized, that that was probably selfish of me.
They would be better off operating without having to think of me or my safety.
Me gone would equal one less thing to worry about.
But I really, really wanted to stay.
And it was not even just because the things waiting for me at home would be worse than this.
I mean, it still would be worse than this. I still would have no direction, no real idea of what to do with my life.
But choosing the lesser of two evils was not the reason I wanted to stay here anymore.
I realized that I had started to care.
I had started to care about all of it.

I cared about Paul Herford, who, with being immortal and everything, probably had to be on the run from the AML forever. There was no end in sight, seemingly no resolve for his situation.
I worried about Miranda, who I knew wanted to quit, but apparently felt too responsible to leave her friend hanging just like that which in return seemed to affect her marriage in a bad way.

I realized that I wanted her to be happy.
I wondered about the vampires. Something told me that what I had learned about them and their way of life had just scratched the surface of what there was to learn and know.

And what about the Queen? I still had not decided wether to think of her as a genius or a somebody who was just very good at brainwashing.
I wanted an opportunity to make my mind up about that.

And I had a strong feeling that I had to learn more about the AML in order to do so.

I did not think that I would find anybody in the environment I was currently in who would give me reasons for the Queen not being the best thing that has ever happened to vampire kind.
Even though I was scared of the AML ( I mean they followed me around for weeks and tried to kidnap me twice), I was also intrigued by them.
What were their motives?
There must be a reason why they wanted to overthrow the monarchy, right?
And if this was their only goal, what did they need Paul Herford for?
Other then leverage over the Queen, I mean.
Why did they want to know how to turn humans into vampires?
Although I was not in the best state of mind at the moment, I had to laugh at myself a little.
Not out loud, the laugh was just in my head, but still, I just had another realization.
I, Chloe Williams, believed in the existence of vampires.
Cool.
As if people needed another reason to think that I was a little off.
But somehow this just motivated me more to stay here, in an environment, where people knew what I knew.
And I wanted to know so much more.
They could not make me care about them and dangle all this possible knowledge over my head just to take it away again, could they?
...
Could they?
I looked at them and all three of them were looking right back, contemplating what to do with me.
I guess they could take everything away.
„Well,", Lars finally said, deep in thought, still looking at me, „I think the question is wether her going home would help us or not."
Miranda nodded in agreement.
„What do you mean?", I asked. I could hear how desperate my voice sounded.
„There are two possible scenarios that could happen if you went home.", Miranda explained in her business like manner, „First scenario: You return home and the police and people would stop looking for us. The AML would leave you alone because they don't want to risk everyone looking for you again. Now, they can pin it on me, but if you went home and cleared my name and then disappeared a second time, the possibility of some of their faces appearing as sketches on the news would be pretty high. I bet they'd like to avoid that."
I nodded slowly.
That sounded like I could go home safely.
Damn it.

I hoped that the other option would be more dangerous and therefore more promising.

„Second scenario: You return home and the police would not stop looking for Miranda and Paul, even if you told them to." This time Lars spoke. „They think this is drug related, they might smell a big bust and then—"
„And then the AML would have no reason not to get me.", I completed is sentence.
I have to admit, I liked this option far better than the first one.
„Well yes, but forget the AML for a second. If the police thinks you are somehow involved with a drug cartel and you decide not to give Miranda up as your contact person, you might go to jail.", he pointed out.
Oh, right.
Did he not say something about repercussions when you do not follow the law earlier?

„So.... What do you think is more likely?", I asked hesitantly.
Miranda and Lars looked at each other. They held their gaze while they were considering both outcomes.
After a few seconds, which felt like a really, really long time, they said in unison: „The second scenario is more likely."
They looked at me again.
Did that mean my return home would put them in danger and they could not afford to let me go?

Yes!
„I mean we cannot be sure.", Miranda continued, „I wouldn't stop you if you told us you wanted to go home, but I think that if you'd stay with us a little longer it would be safer for all of us. What do you say?"
„I have no problem with staying with you a little longer!", I had to force myself to not show too much excitement in my voice. „I mean.. If I am not a burden to you guys."
Why did I just say that?
I got what I wanted why did I have to remind them that keeping me around could potentially be very annoying and stressful for them?
Why did I have to make myself smaller?
Paul Herford laughed. „It's actually very fun to have you around, Chloe!"
Miranda smiled. „Yes, we don't mind."
„Okay then!", I felt very relived.
And to make things even better, only seconds later our food arrived and I had to admit that my burger, despite of being gluten free, was the most delicious thing that I had ever eaten in my entire life.