A Vampire and a Daemeon

After Jared had left Clyve, he navigated his way through the maze of racks and clothes. As he was turning a corner, he bumped into something soft and white. “Ouch,” As his luck would have it, he had once again bumped into none other than Azrael Daemeon. Azrael had traded her dumpy black outfit for a pure whit Couture gown. Their collision had knocked both Azrael and Jared off balance, but before she fell, Jared was able to catch her. Ugh! Now why on earth did I do that? He thought before saying, “Better clothes don’t seem to have any effect on that problem of running into people.” Azrael’s head snapped up. “Well excuse me,” she seethed. “I didn’t think I had to be very careful because, in case you haven’t noticed, this part of the store is pretty empty, so I didn’t think I need worry about running into anyone and I doubt you’ve ever worn high heels! And besides,” she said, winding down, “you’re the only one I’ve ever had the displeasure of bumping into on more than one occasion so how do you know that I’m the clumsy one?!?” Her face flushed with anger as she looked up at him. Jared smirked and then started laughing. Azrael, feeling confused at his behavior, and embarrassed to find that he was still supporting her said, “What’s so funny?” He took his arms away from her and used one hand to wipe away the tears that had appeared from his sparkling green hazel eyes, and placed the other hand in his pocket. That little outburst of hers certainly was unexpected. Perhaps I’ve found someone who can keep me amused. He let out one last chuckle before looking at her. “I’m sorry; it’s just that no one that I know has the nerve to talk to me like that. I suppose it’s rather refreshing.” He was just a bit startled at the truth in his words. Have I been longing for change? He closed his eyes and breathed in deep, peeking at Azrael through his lashes. Azrael had bent over to pick up a book Jared hadn’t noticed. “Pride and Prejudice?” He had snatched the book from her before she had time to hide it in the bulky jacket that she had forgotten in the changing room. “It’s highlighted? Is it for school or something?” he was flipping through the book and holding it just out of her reach as she flailed uselessly. “Give it back! You’re going to tear it!” His eyes were already zooming through the words, memorizing everything he saw. After he had flipped through the whole book, he looked at his diamond encrusted Rolex. It had taken him about 3.02 seconds to read the book and memorize it, a new personal best! He smiled as he weighed the accomplishment. He felt a soft scratching on his arms and realized that Azrael was now trying to grab his arm and get the book that way. He started to toss the book from one hand to the other and his smile only grew wider. “Why is it that you’ve only highlighted the parts where Darcy’s and Elizabeth’s growing romance between each other becomes evident?” She blushed and he laughed. “I only did that because the story is obviously one about love. I was merely reinforcing the evolution of their feelings regarding each other to remind me of that. Plus,” she added, “I hear Jane Austen is usually talked about in college literature and English classes.” Jared’s eyebrows disappeared behind his light, almost orange, brown hair. “College? I thought you were still a junior.” She took her gaze away, briefly, from the book he still had right above her and looked at him. “Well, I am still a junior, but I’ve been nominated for a college English program where I take actual college courses at an actual college.” Jared couldn’t help but laugh at her smug attitude. “‘Very impressive’, is what, no doubt, you expect me to say, is it not? What college will you be going to?” Her eyes traveled back to her book, disappointed that he was not more impressed. “I believe it was Evans Academy.” At this a look, that Azrael couldn’t quite place, came over Jared’s face. “Do you know who your teacher will be?” His strange expression, she realized, was the exact same look she had seen when the other girls at school hadn’t told her that her fly unzipped. He’s hiding something from me, an inside joke. There was a short pause as Azrael tried to check her fly “inconspicuously”, momentarily forgetting that she was now wearing a dress. “I’m sorry, but what did you say?” she asked, finally breaking out of her thoughts. He smiled, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking and finally relinquished the book. “I asked whether or not you knew the name of your teacher-to-be.” As soon as the book was in grabbing distance, she snatched it fiercely out of his hands. “His name’s really weird. I think its Kewlish or Coolbish or something.” Jared momentarily seemed to lose some of the color in his face. “Do you mean Collbish?” In trying to remember the name, Azrael had been staring at the floor with an intense expression but at the name she snapped her fingers and smiled. “Yeah! That’s the one! Do you know him?” The color returned to his face and he was already smiling. “I suppose you could say that.” He chuckled. “What’s so funny?” Azrael asked, with a mounting suspicion. “It’s nothing, nothing.” He said as he glanced at his watch. “Oh shit!” he mumbled, “If I’m late she’s going to kill me.” Then, looking up at Azrael and adopting his former apathetic air said, “Well, I have a former engagement that I must attend to. So long.” He had already started to walk away when Azrael yelled, “Hey! I don’t appreciate being left out of the loop!” He turned and the sight of her made him lose his composure. Her hair was a tangled mass of black that framed her perfectly white face. Her dress was coming loose and the left shoulder strap was already slipping. He didn’t know whether he should be amused or embarrassed. He felt his face flush and then started laughing. “I told you not to worry about it. You’ll get it later, but I’m not really at liberty to talk about it.” As he spoke, Azrael’s face grew grimmer and grimmer. “We’re not in the military you know Mr. ‘I’m not at liberty’. I’ll bet you think its hysterical teasing me.” He laughed and before she could blink, he was behind her. “Well there’s that too,” she felt his hands come up to the sash keeping her dress on and for one sickening second she thought he was going to untie it, but then she felt the loose strap become tighter. “Wow, you really suck at tying a bow. Try to be more self-conscious about your appearance, I mean aren’t you a girl?” Azrael moved her arms out of Jared’s way so that he could reinforce the strap by wrapping it around her. “Well that’s why I dress the way I do. When I start thinking about something, I just kind of lose myself so completely that there’s no room for anything least of all feminine modesty, and since my thoughts are rather sporadic, I go into these dazes all the time.” As she was talking, Jared just kept looking at her dress. When she came to a close, he placed both of her shoulder straps on the precarious cusp of her shoulder. “That’s how it’s suppose to look.” He said, laughing at her expression. He glanced at his watch again and cursed. “Ok, this time I seriously have to go. I’ll see you later!” he called as he ran and waved his hand behind him. Azrael, now completely alone, observed her refection in the full length mirror that was framed in silver with cherubs in the corners. She couldn’t believe that just by moving her hair from her face and fixing her dress properly could make her look so much like a model ready for the catwalk. Her eyes glinted purple and she smiled.