What i Found In You (16 page)

              “Yeah, sure you aren’t,” said Hector with a wink, cutting him off. “She will come around,” he whispered. “She may not be with you, but seeing how you look at her, you are with her.”

              Elen came over to stand with Sam and me while Alik and Sam’s father talked about cars with Sam slowly drifting over to them. What is with that family and cars, I thought.

              “Give either of them something shiny with four wheels and they have to discuss it,” Elen pointed out, next to me.

              “I don’t know how you stand it.”

              “Years of practice blocking it out. Looks like I might need to give you a few tips.”             

              “Yeah, a few years of car talk and I will lose it.”

              “So you’re thinking about a future with this boy?” she asked slyly.

              “Oh, I didn’t mean it that way,” I didn't know why I was getting embarrassed.

              “Dear, I can see he has thought way ahead; you shouldn’t pass up on someone like him. He’s gorgeous, too. If only I was a few years younger…” she trailed off with a smile.

              “You have a way like my mother to ruin the thoughtfulness in your statements at times,” I said.

              “I’m just saying, dear. Sam may not go after him, but I hold no such loyalties.” She smiled

              “You’re married!”

              “I can’t want a nice pool boy on the side? Just be careful no one else takes him from you.”

              She walked over to her husband as my father came down the walkway.

              "Everyone ready?" asked my dad as my mom locked the front door.

              "Yeah Joe; we’re all set," Hector said, clapping Alik’s shoulder.

              I held out the key to Alik when he hopped into the back seat of the car. "To Ithaca, driver," he said, looking at me, the picture of ease as he was stretched over the two seats. I glared back at him.

              "I’m not driving this thing all the way to Ithaca."

              "I'll do it then,” Sam offered, holding out her hand while I gave her the key.

              "Well, at least we will make it there before the parents now," he teased.

              My dad had now backed out of the driveway and we followed him first to the gas station, then onto the freeway. It was right after rush hour and the freeway was clear, but my dad refused to go over fifty five.        

              "You know, if you hit that little button there on the Sat Nav, I programmed the route to Cornell into it," Alik said.

              Sam pushed the little button and a woman’s voice spoke: "Keep southwest on the highway for the next 70 miles." Sam smiled, signaled, and shot off past my dad with the wind rushing through our hair.

              We got to Cornell well ahead of our parents and everyone turned to watch us as we parked the car in the dorm parking lot and got out. Sam and I went to check in with the RA's outside the dorm and got our keys, but our parents still hadn’t gotten here. We walked around and had lunch in a Burger King that was off campus. Our order number had been called and Sam went to get the food.

              "Has it changed since you were last here?"

              "I never told you I went to this college," he said, looking shocked.

              "I could tell you were remembering something here when you were walking."

              "I forget that you can read me like a book. It does look the same; I even considered coming back."

              "You could have done that?"

              "Would you have liked that?"

              "No, you sticking around would ruin any dating opportunities," I joked.

              "Yeah, you around all the time would ruin the dining opportunities."

              "Oh ha ha."                           

              Sam got back with the food and just as we were finishing, my phone rang. Somehow Alik got away with not sipping the soda and still making it disappear. My dad told me they had just arrived outside of the dorms and were waiting for us, so we finished up and got back to the dorms and in a relatively short time, everything was moved in and set up. Tomorrow was the opening ceremony and our parents were going to spend the night in a nearby hotel to watch, but Alik would be heading back to the city. He managed to get me alone for a moment even when surrounded by five other people.

              "I have something to ask you," he said.

              "What?"

              "Right after your first semester ends, on December 31st, there is a gathering; the Elders and all vampire of power will be there. Will you come with me?"

              "You want to take me to another vampire party?"

              "Yeah, it’s something like that. I’d really like you to go with me. My mother has expressed something along the same lines as well. If I’ve read her overwhelming hints accurately, that is."

              "Where will it be at?"

              "Tanzania, Africa. It’s near the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro."

              "Are you serious?" I was shocked.

              "Very."

              "What’s the party for?"

              "It’s more of a ritual; the Elders believe that Aaliyah's prison is beneath Kilimanjaro and every year, they make a trip to it on December 31st. It translates to the day Aaliyah was betrayed by Lucifer on the modern calendar. There will be other humans there as well."

              "Other humans?"             

              "A diplomat or two, some political figures, and some businessmen: the pets of some vampire."

              "Am I going to be your pet?"

              "No, you will be my date. Kind of like taking your cousin to the prom." He smiled.

              "Alright, I will get my passport from my mom when I get back."

              "Thank you," he said in a low voice, as we had slowly been getting closer together unconsciously. I found my lips against his, I’m not sure who kissed who but I didn’t care. I told myself that I wasn’t going to let this happen; I’m not supposed to get attached to him like this. Although, I also told myself that I didn’t want to become a vampire as well, but I had found myself considering it an option after school ended. We broke apart and he looked into my eyes. "Sorry," he apologized.

              "Don’t be, I didn’t stop you."

              "I will behave myself from now on, I promise. Do you still have your phone?" he asked and I pulled the crystal square out of my pocket.

              "I never go anywhere without it."

              "Call me when you want to see me and I will be here."

              "I will."

              "I’m going to say goodbye to everyone. Will you walk me to the car?"

              "Yeah."

              We found everyone and Alik said his goodbyes and we walked out to the parking lot where a group of kids were standing around his car. He got in and lowered the roof and gave me one more look before starting the engine. "Remember, call me and I will be here." A moment later, he was speeding down the street. I looked down at the phone Lilith had given me and had to stop myself from calling him back.

Vanessa Stanton

Chapter 23.0

              I always had a problem falling asleep in a bed other than my own so I ended up needing Alik more often than I would have liked in the first few weeks. On my call, he would be here in under an hour to let me fall asleep and wake up in his arms without Sam ever knowing he had come. I didn’t seem able to leave the newfound comfort Alik seemed to create in me. Our talks allowed me to tell myself that this was harmless, that he wished to be with me this way. With some effort, I slowly began to call him less and less, till I made it a full week without him about two months into the semester. Without Alik here every night, I began to let my new life at school take over.

              I thought back to that speech Jenny the valedictorian gave, about our new beginnings after high school and thought maybe the teachers who wrote those speeches were right in some ways. I could feel the start of a new life here in this place, but they said "leaving for college was the start", so was that leaving home? Or walking out the doors of the school for the last time as a student? When I walked out of those doors in that gown, it was free reign from that point on for anything to walk into my life and for me to seize it if I desired. Alik had walked into my life, was I going to let him slip away? It took a long conversation with myself not to call him that moment, and I drowned myself in thoughts of my classes.

              My design studio professor assigned a group project the next day. We were to develop a small, secluded section of land to a very open and flowing home for a family with two with children, and that was the day I met Phil formally. Phil was a very nice guy with bold ideas on new age design; he was very passionate about his work. He might even have seemed a little overbearing to anyone outside of the Architecture major. He had long black hair and green eyes with tanned skin. His smile would make you smile back even when you didn’t feel like it. When the professor finished handing out the project he immediately came over to me to see if I would work with him I'm assuming because in our first assignment he really took a liking to my work. We had to do quick sketches on a place for teens to hang out, he seemed the most intent during my presentation and gave the most comments and asked the most questions.

              "It's Vanessa, right?" he asked me, walking over as I pulled my computer from my bag.

              "Yeah, and you are..." I tried not to blush as he reached a hand out. I totally forgot his name.

              "Phil, I’ve been watching your work. I know we are only on our third project, but I really admire what you do."

              "Thank you."

              "How about we get a cup of coffee and work out a few ideas for this family."

              "Is this your way of asking me to be your partner or on a date?"

              "A little of both, I suppose," he smiled sheepishly.

              "I'd like that."

              I put my things back in my bag and we left heading to a starbucks just off campus. He bought my drink and I found a seat out of the way and he brought everything over.

              “So if we are going to be partners maybe I could get to know you a little better?”

              “What would you want to know?”

              “Whats your favorite color?” I laughed when he asked that, “Is there I joke I’m not getting?”

              “No its just every time someone asks me that they never understand what I mean.”

              “Well try me.”

              “It’s clear,”

              “So like glass, I can see that in your work.” I was blown away by that simple answer, no one had ever understood till I explained. “How long have you wanted to be an Architect?”

              “Umm…” I was still thinking about his answer. “Since I was a little girl,” I recovered.

              “I didn't figure it out till I was almost done with highschool. I really liked art,” He reaches into his bag and pulls out a large sketch book and hands it too me.

              I begin to flip through the pages and its just page after page of the most realistic sketch art I have ever seen, A little girl on her fathers knee in time square watching a street performer, A boy at bat in a baseball game, It was so real it almost felt like black and white photographs.

              “This is amazing,” I said a little breathless, then I turned the page and saw myself, I was working on a drawing at a drafting table. I looked up at him, “when did you draw this?”

              “It was right after our first presentations that you caught my eye, So I watched you work for a little while... Wow I hope that didn’t sound as creepy as I thought it did.”

              “No,” I was still looking at the sketch, Even my plans were perfect in it. “You have a gift,”

              “I like to think I am just good at drawing, I was really close to trying to get into a more automotive design but then I just sort had a day where everywhere I went I saw a house or high rise and thought I could do better, I will do better. Do you think thats conceded?”

              “Not at all, I have just kind of lived and breathed this from a young age, its all ive ever wanted to do. My parents have tried to steer me towards other fields but I always drift back to this.”

              “I like that.” He smiled taking a sip of his drink. “So whats your favorite food,” The rest of the day was just us throwing questions at one another until he got bold and asked. “So… Is there anyone special in your life?” I froze.

              “What do you mean?”

              “A boyfriend/girlfriend kind of special.”

“I wouldn’t say that?”

              “But thats not a no...”

              “What about you?” I asked flipping this on him.

              “I honestly I’m a virgin, I’ve kissed a few girls but I was a coward in high school.”

              “What about now?” I leaned in and placed a hand on his, his eyes went to it for a moment then back to mine,

              "Again it was kind of like with architecture, All of my friends were girls and they were in and out of terrible relationships and I was kind of their go to guy. I like to think I designed the most comfortable friend zone possible but one day I just thought I could do better than the guys they are dating so I started to speak up. It's gotten me noticed but no one has really interested me. However that was only two months ago.”

              “How can that be,”

              “Well that's not completely true considering im here with you.” He said turning his hand in mine and moving it to his lips for a soft kiss.

              After that the project had us meeting for hours after our other classes ended. Sam even made a joke about us: if she wanted to find me, she just had to look for us by the lone light that lit a single window on the fourth floor of the studio building. Even after the project ended, which we passed with flying colors, I was still spending most of my time with him. Sam often remarked that she began to feel a bit lonely, despite her amazing ability to find or start a party wherever she was. Study dates, lunch dates, dinner dates, movie dates, and any kind of date you could think of we would go on. Then one night, he kissed me. Walking back to my dorm in the hall, he stopped me and turned me around to look me in the eyes. His lips were warm and soft like mine and made my heart race. I looked at him, blinked, and took a step back, my heart still racing. "Good night," I said in a low and shaky voice, and it was like when I kissed Seith. I had such a hard time getting my key in the lock that he had to steady my hand. I glimpsed his face as the door closed, a mix of confusion and sadness. I hadn’t said anything about the kiss. Sam was out and I was glad because for some reason, after the door had shut and Phil was walking away, I began to cry.

              In the studio the next day, Phil came straight to me and slipped his arms around my waist and kissed me on the cheek.

              "That was nice, but I still like the first time more," I said. Can you tell I was confused?

              "Really?" he asked surprised.

              “If you were expecting me to react in anger, why did you do it?”

              “I guess I just couldn’t stop myself.”

              "Well, I haven’t slapped you so it was a good thing.”

              "I like the model by the way; nice use of aluminum foil on the railing," he pointed out, trying to change the subject. There was something on his mind and he didn’t seem like he was sure if he should say it or not.

              "Thank you."

              "I have a question for you," he said, spinning my chair so I could look him in the face. "What are we?" The look on his face was so intent on my expression for any signs of hesitation.

              "What do you mean?"

              "If I were to call you my girlfriend, how would you react?" he asked, still intent on my reaction, so I leaned in to kiss him and when I broke it off, he stood there for a moment, blinked, opened his mouth, and then blinked again. "I was hoping for something along those lines," he said, a grin breaking across his face and he lit up.

              "Now, hand me that glue over there," I said, spinning back around.

              I had been cornered and I reacted without really thinking. We spent the studio class finishing project models and talking as I was still getting to know him. Although, I don’t remember anything that we talked about during that class because my mind was on other things. I should feel horrible to get trapped like that, but I didn’t; I wanted to feel horrible, but I felt at ease. That was until I was alone and broke down again. I told myself that I got my wish and started to slowly cry as I walked back to my dorm. I laid on my bed for a while until I reached for my little crystal phone and called Alik.