The school let us go to the city. They let us all. "You have done exceptionally well," Chasan stated, "As a treat, you may go into the city. You all have my pardon to. Remember though, stay out of danger, and steer clear of the Black Hoops. That is all, have a fantastic night." Naomi, Bill, Scorpio and I sat at a cafe. Scorpio had agreed to pay for something for all of us, at the cafe and at a shop. "You really don't have to," I scratched the back of my head, "I don't want to use your money." She shook her head, "I'm not taking no for an answer, Jamie." I sighed, "Fine. But I won't enjoy it."
"Trust me, you will."
We all sat at a table. Simon and Ivan walked over to us. "Naomi, right?" Naomi nodded, "You mind if we sit here?"
"Not really. Scorpio?" She shook her head. "That was one hell of a match," Simon scratched the back of his head, "No hard feelings, right?" Naomi shook her head, "Nope. That was the most fun I've had in ages."
"That was impressive back there. How long have you been a vampire?" Naomi put her finger on her lip, "Uh," she stared into space, "I think three, four years maybe? Why?"
"That explains it," Ivan cut his finger on Simon's blade, "Fairy blood is poisonous to vampires. It's a defense mechanism Angels gave us in direct opposition to the Demons giving Vampires the ability to drain blood." Bill and I looked at each other. 'Do you think he knows?' Bill mouthed. 'I doubt it' I replied. "Well, it makes sense," Brit sat down next to me, "Demons were created with the idea of direct opposition of Angels, so Angels would want some upper hand in their next generation."
"Honestly," Scorpio sighed, "Can we cut the needless exposition for one night? We're supposed to relax, kick back." Brit sipped out of a straw in a chocolate milk bottle, "Well sorry, that's how I relax." Scorpio rubbed the side of her head, "Fine. You can talk with the ones who want that, anyone going downtown with me?" Bill and I nodded, "Yeah," I looked at Bill, "And besides, there's somewhere I want to show you."
We walked to a bridge. "It's a bridge," Scorpio looked at a plaque on the side of it, "my family helped pay for this, why did you bring me to it?" I sighed, and sat under it. "This," Bill put his hand on the side of it, "Was our last living space. If you were to ask me," he chuckled a little, "I hated it. The way it's built, the only comfortable way to sleep under it results in you hitting your head when you wake up."
"Shut up," I punched him in the arm, "You liked it, if you didn't, you wouldn't have kept letting me sleep under here." He started walking under the structure, "It's gotta be here somewhere-" He felt around the wall, "Ah ha!" He pulled out a brick, and there was a stash of money behind it, "I always put one dollar behind this when I had enough to. Eventually, I'd trade with other people who were looking to use these for, less than reasonable reasons. It even got to the point where I'd managed to get a hundred dollar bill behind this."
I slapped him, "You had that money for how long?!"
"About three months before we went to school, why?" I slapped him again, "We could've used that!" He sighed, "I know, but I had a reason," he put the brick back in, and pocketed the money, "I was gonna use this to get us both a bus ride to somewhere better. Or at least, somewhere where we wouldn't be living on the streets." Scorpio wiped her eye. "A-are you crying?"
"No, I, just, you two act more like siblings than my sister and I do. Since we failed to bring our mother back from the dead, she's been, isolated." She grabbed her arm, "It's kinda funny. The arm Alucard injured is the same one she lost. Well, I said we're here to relax. So, let's go find something." Bill handed me the money he had, "Since you don't want to use Scorpio's." I sighed, and reluctantly took it, "I meant I didn't want the use money that's not mine, but I'll take it. You kept it hidden all this time anyway."
We walked downtown. "Anywhere you two want to go?" Bill shrugged, "Somewhere where I can get some new clothes, these ones are getting dirty, and personally, I'm tired of having to hide in the bathroom whenever I do my laundry." Scorpio and I looked at each other. "Do we really need to explain why you have to?"
"Isn't there a place a block down that sells clothes," Both Scorpio and I knew he was purposefully changing the topic, "Let's check that place."
We walked into the storefront. It was the largest singular room I'd ever seen. Scorpio leaned next to me, "You sure you don't want to borrow any money?"
"Yes. Besides, we're here because Bill said he wanted clothes, not me." She looked at me condescendingly, "You're saying you don't want any clothes? Nothing? Come on, we all fulfill one stereotype." I sighed, "Fine, but I'm using my money."
Scorpio and Bill looked for an hour. I spent the whole time waiting, walking in circles around racks, and buying one t-shirt. Everything was too focused on fashion for me to really like. I've always been more comfortable in clothes you'd see on a homeless person, even before my mom died. Bill walked out of a changing room. "Well?" I looked at him. He had definitely gotten new clothes. His dark gray jacket was now black. The t-shirt he normally wore had a different sign on it, and his shoes weren't made of Swiss cheese. I shrugged, "It's kinda the same overall." He nodded, "That's the point!" He knocked on another changing room door, "Scorpio, you almost done in there?"
"Uh, yeah, just a second. Jamie, you mind giving me some help?" I sighed, "Sure." I opened the door, to find her standing there, with no visible issue.
"What is it?" She rolled her eye, "I need help deciding. I'm trying to limit spending for my dad's funeral, so which do you like better." She held up two t-shirts. One was black with the Scorpio zodiac sign on it, and the other was the same, but white. "They're the same. If I have to choose though, go with the black one. It fits your personality more."
"Alright." She folded the black one, and opened the door.
We all sat at McDonald's. "You weren't here when we fought Alucard, weren't you Akumura?" Naomi didn't even bother trying to chew before speaking. Akumura nodded, "Nope. I was stuck babysitting Brit, remember?" Brit scoffed, "It was closer to me babysitting you," she took a quick drink, "and besides, I didn't even need any." Bill and Scorpio looked at her. "Really? Because from what I remember," Scorpio adjusted her glasses, "When we left you alone last week you nearly set the dorm on fire." Her ears flattened, "That was once. And besides, I wasn't the one going to try and take on members of a gang that even the police are too afraid to take on." Naomi shot up, "THAT JUST MEANS WE'RE BETTER THAN THE POLICE!" Everyone looked at her. She chuckled and sat back down, "Sorry..."
"Honestly," Akumura crossed his arms, "Is it really necessary for you to feed? You are always so energetic." She nodded, "It keeps this energy, like drinking an energy drink!" We collectively sighed. "Well, we should finish up," I put my trash on the tray, "curfew's at 9." Naomi groaned, "Why must we be cursed with such strictness?" Bill looked at Akumura, "Good luck getting her to sleep tonight." Akumura just glared at Bill, "Yeah," He started cracking a little smile, "I'm gonna need it."