by Eli (aka Lucas)
The building was empty. All that remained were the remnants of a good time that had taken place a good fifteen minutes ago. The party at the manor had ended abruptly, the music cut short and the announcement from the host that everyone should leave. Before anyone could ask why, Sidney had simply told them it was over. Go home.
A strange sort of quiet had set over everyone, an abruptness that had turned the lively room into something like that of a funeral. People quietly muttered their disappointment, some trying to save the mood by offering to go party at a bar close by. Lucas hadn’t engaged in any conversation, his eyes on the door Sidney had disappeared behind, until he felt his shoulder shook by a new friend he’d made. They’d offered to take him with them to the next happening spot, and he’d quietly agreed, thinking it best to give his friend all the space he needed in his home. Having been given the bum-rush, Lucas had left with the others.
He was not but a block away from the hill when he reached around for something in his pockets. His new friends– he couldn’t remember their names– turned around, asking if everything was alright.
“Oh yeah- sure. Forgot my lighter. I’mma head back, but hey, I’ll meet you there.” “You can just borrow mine,” said a smiling brunette, the lids of her eyes painted in a tempting gold and blue color. He shook his head, explaining the lighter was a gift from a deceased relative, a story he’d made up on the spot.
“I’ll catch up,” he said, and walked away.
He would perhaps never see them again beyond this night, he thought. This sat well and fine with him. It was common practice for him to meet people, have an exhilarating time and then drop them all together as they dropped him in return. It was safe, easy. No history, no reason to get attached.
Yet, even still, with the comfort of temporary friendships, there was something about those he’d come to know here in San Giles that kept a pull on him. He knew when Martin was having a bad day by the strain in his smiles, knew when Justin was hiding his feelings by the way he’d stutter and shrug. So maybe Sidney’s emotions tonight were a little more overt– it wasn’t as though nobody caught on to the vampire’s foul mood. He still had the nagging feeling, that despite demanding to be alone, that perhaps that wasn’t the best idea.
He lightly jogged back up the hill to the old manor. The front door was still unlocked, so he let himself in. He closed it behind him, and force of habit, locked it behind him. He looked about the space, noticing now without anyone else around how trashed the pace. Just fifteen minutes ago it had been a real rager.
He stepped around the discarded empty cups, torn down streamers, and someone’s underwear, looking about the empty entrance hall. He wasn’t sure if he should call out; in truth he’d never really done this before. He’d wasn’t practiced as some in comforting their friends beyond sharing a beer and maybe heading out to an empty lot to go destroy things. He wondered if any of those things would help his friend now.
As he wandered further into the manor, old habits of burglary making his footfalls quiet and his ears perked for the slightest noise, a splash caught his attention. He turned in the direction of the sound, waiting a moment, before heading in that direction.
“Sid?” he called out, looking around.
He reached the other end of the manor and stepped outside to the backyard. A beautiful, big, pool lay there. In his previous drunken stupor he’d been tempted to leap right in, maybe pull a beautiful looking red head with him should she be up for it.
His eyes narrowed, observing the surface of the water. It was still disturbed. He remembered the splash and approached the edge. Was someone in there?
He leaned forward, looking down into the depths. His eyes widened, heart leaping to his throat with shock. There, laying at the bottom, was Sidney! His eyes were closed, and he was unmoving.
“Sid!” he yelped, panicked. Without a second thought he dove in and clawed his way to the bottom. His denim jeans and shoes made it somewhat difficult to dive completely down, but he managed, clumsily kicking his way until his outstretched hands grabbed Sidney by the front of his clothes. He pulled him as best he could back up to the surface, and despite the flailing, managed to haul him to the edge of the pool. The both of them grabbed the edge of the pool and hauled themselves up. Sidney remained upa moment, coughing and retching up lung-fulls of chlorine-mixed pool water. Lucas stared at him, on his hands and knees, his panicked-stricken face looking him over for any sign of damage.
“Sid,” he said, “Sidney, you okay? Jesus Christ–”
“I’m fine,” the other finally managed to gast, the sting of the water stingin at his sinuses.
Always an unpleasant sensation, dead or alive.
“Who did this to ya? Did someone get the jump on ya? Was it someone at the party? Is that why you–”
“Lucas, shut up,” said Sidney.
His somewhat casual, if not slightly irritated tone, cut through Lucas’s noise, and he obeyed. Sidney noticed the sudden silence and turned to look at him, studying the other’s face. He looked pathetic, like a wet puppy freshly rescued from a burlap sack. His brow was knotted at the front with concern, his eyes wide, his mouth slightly ajar as he breathed. Ah, so he hadn’t given up on breathing yet.
The panicked sight moved Sidney to laughter. He hadn’t meant to guffaw in his face in the manner that he did, but the absurdity of it all burst forth.
Lucas, meanwhile, watched his friend spiral into what he was sure was a fit of madness.
He remained still, studying him warily.
“You moron,” Sidney laughed, “You absolute idiot.”
“Wha-what are you talking about?” asked Lucas, frowning. “Why’d you jump in? Look at you, you’re soaking.”
“Am I the crazy one? You were at the bottom of the pool! Your eyes were closed, you weren’t breathing and–”
“We’re vampires!” he exclaimed with another laugh. Lucas blinked.
“We don’t have to breathe, Lu,” he said, fighting back the urge to laugh longer. “You should have seen the look on your face!”
Lucas leaned back, still watching Sidney as the laughter steadily died down. Sidney eventually calmed and turned to look at him, but seemed displeased with what eh saw in the next moment.
At first, he’d thought Lucas to look irritated, maybe even embarrassed, but no the expression was not that. He was peering at him with some caution, or maybe skepticism. Either way, it seemed to quickly grate on Sidney’s nerves.
“What,” he asked, smiling. “‘S wrong, Lu? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” “What’s goin’ on with you, Sid?” he asked.
“What do you mean?”
“You host a wild party outta nowhere, and then half way through it you throw us out. And then I find you here? Like this?”
“What are you tryin’ to say?” “Just tell me what’s wrong man.” “Nothing’s wrong.”
“Bull shit.”
“Well maybe it’s that I got some kid yammering in my ear after dragging my ass up when no one asked him to.”
Lucas frowned, but held his tongue. This was strange behavior for a normally put together person like Sideny. Or perhaps, he was seeing him for what he really was for the first time. He recognized in this person some hint of loss, and it unnerved him slightly. Whether it was his direction in life or something more he didn’t know. And now that he sat there and thought about it, he really didn’t know Sidney. They’d hung out a fair amount of times, and Sidney had even been kind enough to show him the ropes in many different areas of his new life. The credit of adjusting to San Giles and vampirism was partially due to him. Yet now that Lucas really thought of it, he realized that the person in front of him now, in the moment, was a stranger.
“I’m sorry…” Sidney muttered. “I’m just– nevermind. Look, honestly… ‘s nothing. It’s no big deal,” he said, his speech slightly slurred.
Lucas remained, unable to respond or move. He watched him, feeling strangely outside himself.
“Go home, Lu,” said Sid, before pushing off the cement to roll on his back, looking up. “Go… out, go party. Go do something you like. You’re young, go enjoy it.”
The words stuck out to him; but surely Sidney couldn’t have been much older than Lucas. Not enough to warrant something he felt some aged vampire might say. But then again, who was Sidney? He wasn’t sure he knew.
Lucas laid himself down where he’d sat, looking up at the same starless Californian sky as him.
Sidney clicked his tongue.
“You don’t have to stay here, you know.” “Are you kicking me out?”
Silence.
“Seriously, man, I’m good.” “I’m sure you are.” “So…?”
He felt the other shrug.
“I dunno… can’t a guy just… be next to his friend?” He decided not to argue any further.
“Look,” he heard Lucas start. “You don’t owe me anything, so you don’t gotta talk about anything you don’t wanna talk about. I’m not here to pry anything or force some sob story from you. Just…” he breathed, “just seeing you at the bottom of that pool… knowing something was wrong… look I know I can’t do much, but I can be here. So, if it helps, I’ll just be, with you, and we can just be… together.”
A pause.
“Lame,” Sidney smiled.
Lucas scoffed. “Man–”
“But…thanks,” he interjected, you know, for… coming back, and all.” He could feel the other relax again into the cement.
“Yeah… no problem.”