The Date Auction

Chapter 14: Helena's Big News

Blaise drove me back to campus the next morning. Jake was waiting for me when we got there. We caught up quickly, with our usual good chemistry. I was very interested in him. Jake. I told Jake about the night Blaise and I had spent at the hotel.

"That's unfortunate, but I'm glad you found a solution to make everyone comfortable," he said. He was very interested in all the details I had about Blaise, as any attentive boyfriend should be.

"I'm thinking I'll catch up with Blaise tomorrow," Jake said, "Meanwhile, Helena seemed worried about you? She asked me to give you her number."

I texted Helena, "hey friend! Brunch tomorrow? :)" and we quickly made plans. I was so glad I could be friends with Jake's cool friend.

When I got back to my apartment, I found I'd forgotten to clean it again, and whatever dark fluid I'd used to scrawl those unfamiliar sigils on the wall had dried. Now it was going to be even harder to clean up. I'd been so distracted I couldn't even remember drawing them. I really was going to have to choose between Blaise and Jake soon.

The next morning I headed over to Pancake Babel, the local brunch place that served stacks of pancakes tall enough to offend God and switched the language of its menus every day. Helena had already gotten a table.

"I hope you know what you want," Helena said, showing a menu written in an unfamiliar alphabet. My dad, before he went missing in the Grand Canyon, had also studied ancient languages, and would have been able to read it.

I ordered their third smallest stack (two and a half feet), after extensive attempts at non-verbal communications with the waiter. I sipped a mimosa.

"How are things on your end?" I asked Helena.

"Well..." she said, "at least I'm alive." She stood up and only then I saw her arm was in a sling, and one whole side of her was bruised and scratched.

"Oh no!" I gasped. How had that even happened? Probably a gym accident. Jake had those occasionally. I decided it would be rude to ask. "Yikes!" I continued, weakly, "Got anything good happening, at least?"

"Well," she grinned devilishly, "I recently learned that two of the boys I grew up with started dating? I've known both of them a long time, you know? And we kinda all run in the same unusual circles, so I'm extra happy for them. How are you feeling about it?"

"I love it when people date," I said, "romance is the only meaningful connection that exists,"

I felt a sudden tingling in my neck, like I was being watched. I looked around, and a strange man had sat at the adjacent table, and was staring at me unsettlingly.

I met his gaze and he languidly rose to his feet before walking over.

"Hey there lassie," he said, "Name's Pence Vilehand. I'm new in town. How about you show me around sometime?"

"Hey, fuck off," Helena said. Pence looked taken aback. He hesitated a moment, as if wondering whether to push the issue. I waited, tensing up for some reason I couldn't articulate.

Before the tension could break, I lost sight of Pence Vilehand as an enormous stack of pancakes was placed between us. By the time I'd eaten it down low enough, Pence had vanished.

"I think work calls." Helena said, smashing her napkin between her hands. "I have some research to do,"

"Let's hang out again soon!" I called as she sped off.