by Joshua Laack
Chapter 20
It was after three o'clock in the afternoon by the time the red sports car pulled into Andrew's driveway and he was starving. Before he could even ask, Johari answered his unspoken question.
“I have to check in with the council and meet up with Michael, the other Blood you met. I'm not sure how long it will take, but I will stop by later if you would like.” Andrew smiled at her.
“I swear you are a mind reader, no matter what you say. I will be around whenever you stop by.” Andrew climbed out of the car and headed for the house as Johari drove off.
Andrew's parents were both in the kitchen when he walked in. They both smiled at him as he walked through the kitchen door and headed for the fridge.
“No wonder you didn't want to come along for breakfast. You had better plans,” joked John. Andrew shook his head.
“Not better, but good plans all the same. How was breakfast?”
The three of them chatted for a little while as Andrew ate a sandwich and drank some juice. His parents wanted to know if he and Josefina were dating, a question that Andrew didn't have a good answer for. They had kissed and talked a bit about the foreseeable future, but they hadn't defined anything. Until his parents' questions, Andrew hadn't thought about needing to define anything, but he began to wonder where this thing was going.
Did they have a chance to be a couple? Could she even see him that way since she was so much older? Not to mention, she had likely loved and lost enough times that she wouldn't have any interest in loving again. These were troubling thoughts and Andrew cringed from the dark that no longer came. The reaction was smaller and easier to squash than before. Not for the last time, he grinned at the freedom and possibility his future now held and he was certain that it would work out.
“Why the grin,” his mother asked him? Andrew realized that he had been quiet in thought for a moment.
“I just realized that things will work out. I think Josefina likes me a great deal and I like her too. I am pretty sure that we will end up dating. She is an amazing girl with qualities that I didn't even know to look for in a person and I feel that she can bring a lot to my life. I think I can bring some things to hers as well, but only time will tell.” He grinned again at his parents, gave them each big hugs and left to work on some homework until the beautiful woman he had a question for showed up.
He didn't have to wait long. He was working on some notes for the English paper and beginning to put together an outline when he felt her behind him.
“Hi there,” he said to the paper in front of him before turning around. She was sitting on his bed, small half smile on her face at his words, though there was still a question in her eyes. Andrew didn't understand how he felt her presence. He thought it might have something to do with the connection they had shared with the destruction of the demon, but then again, he had reacted to her presence before that. He shrugged to himself. He would figure it out in time.
“Hello.” Johari patted the bed beside her and Andrew moved to fill the space she indicated. He didn't move with the speed or grace that she did, but neither one of them minded as his hand took hers and the little current of their connection began to spark back and forth. For an instant, Andrew thought he could almost see the white sparks leaping about the skin where they touched, but he must have just imagined it since he couldn't spot them again.
They were quiet for a long moment before Andrew recalled that he had an important question for this beautiful creature.
“I have a few questions if you don't mind.” Johari nodded.
“I thought you might. Ask away.”
“Have you dated a lot over the years?” She was quiet for a moment.
“I have dated a little, but I haven't had much desire for relationship after the results of the first one. There hasn't been much opportunity either. I have not been idle despite my long years. This is not a fight that ever lets up. Why do you ask?” Andrew's first thought was that this was a good thing. If she hadn't dated much, then maybe she wouldn't be tired of dating and relationships and might be more interested. Then he had a thought to the other side. What if she just said that she hadn't dated much because she didn't want to date? What should he do? Did he ask what he had intended to or not?
He sat there for a moment and then remembered his new goal for life. He wasn't going to let opportunity pass him by anymore. If she said no, then so be it, but if he didn't ask, then she couldn't say yes.
“It sort of leads into my next question. Earlier we sort of kissed and I have been feeling a strong connection to you and was wondering if we needed to define what this is and I just...” Johari touched her finger to his lips.
“You're babbling, and I would say that we more than just sort of kissed.” Using the finger on his lips, she turned his face down and pressed her lips into his once again. After a long moment of the explosions of ecstasy as the light within him writhed, she pulled back. “In eight hundred years, I never met anyone like you and though I have kissed a few different people in that time, none felt quite like that.” She smiled. “Andrew, I like you a great deal. I also like kissing you.” Her hand grabbed his, “But I just don't know that I am ready to define this just yet. People have disappointed me over and over in this long life, and I need more time. I would like to continue to spend time with you and see where this goes. Is that enough for now?” Andrew wasn't sure what to make of that answer. It seemed that eight hundred year old women were just as confusing as girls his own age.
She hadn't said no, just that she wasn't ready. It wasn't what he was hoping for, but it still meant that he would get to spend time with her and even kiss her once in a while. The problem was that he knew that wouldn't be enough to last him forever. Maybe she would come to trust in time that he wasn't going to be one of those people who disappointed her. Of that he was certain. He would not be the one to leave her.
“I am fine with that. I just wanted to know where you were at.” Johari gave him a half smile and squeezed his hand.
Her head turned to the door and a moment later, the door bell rang downstairs.
“It's your friend Jason,” she said. Andrew felt a little bad for his friend. He often hung out with Jason on the weekends. Jason's dad worked and left his son at home alone. Today, he had been too distracted to call his friend.
“I can go,” offered Johari. Andrew didn't like that idea either. He shook his head.
“Maybe we can get Mikayla to come over too and play some cards or something.” His eyes lit up. “Can we go to the race track with them tomorrow? We could tell him the car belongs to a wealthy guy you know.” Johari paused for a moment and then nodded.
“I don't see why not. No secret sharing though.” Andrew smiled at her.
“As if he would believe me.” Andrew heard the steps on the stairs outside. “Oh, I just thought of something. My parents don't know you are here. Can you go around and ring the bell and come in that way?” Johari nodded and vanished.
“Come on in Jason,” he called to the figure on the other side of the door before his friend could knock. The door opened to his friend with a confused look on his face.
“How did you know I was there? I didn't even knock.” Andrew shrugged.
“Turns out I am psychic.” Jason grinned and shook his head.
“That stuff is a bunch of baloney.”
“Ding dong.”
“What?” As Jason asked the question, the doorbell rang, echoing through the house and Andrew's friend jumped. His eyes narrowed. “Alright then, I will bite. Who is it?” Andrew closed his eyes as if he were concentrating.
“It feels like Josefina.” Jason snorted. “Wait, I feel more. She will come up and as soon as she sees you, she will think of inviting Mikayla over too for some cards.” Jason shook his head.
“No way man. You are just pulling my leg.”
“Come on in Josefina,” Andrew called, again without waiting for the knock. Jason hadn't heard her steps outside the door. Andrew wondered at that h
imself because he had never noticed the sound of footsteps outside of his room before either.
The door swung open and there stood Johari. She stepped into the room and with an exaggerated excitement, she looked at Jason.
“Jason! I didn't know you were going to be here. We should call Mikayla too. Maybe we could play some cards or something.” Jason looked back and forth between the two of them, both with strait faces staring back at him.
“Okay, that had to have been planned. Please tell me it was planned because otherwise I am going to freak out a little.” Johari and Andrew held the strait faces a little bit longer and then both burst into laughter.
“Yeah, it was sort of planned,” Andrew admitted when his laughter died down.
“I actually already called Mikayla for you. She is in for tonight and for tomorrow.”
“What's tomorrow,” Jason asked?
“A friend owns a sports car and we are all going to the track to test drive it.” Jason grinned.
“Yeah right. What kind of car is it then?”
“You will just have to wait until tomorrow to find out,” Andrew said with a smile. His friend was in for as much of a surprise as he had been today.
Before long, Mikayla showed up and the four of them sat chatting and playing cards. Supper time came and Andrew's parents ordered a pizza for them, though Andrew wasn't starving after eating lunch so late. Johari passed of course, claiming that she had eaten right before coming over. After pizza, they went back to cards and having fun avoiding Jason's questions. Mikayla was also curious, but didn't prod for answers the way Jason did.
Jason started the yawns at about ten thirty. Pretty soon all four were yawning, though Johari's yawns seemed a little off to Andrew since he knew they were fake. Jason and Mikayla didn't notice though. They lasted until almost eleven and then Mikayla ended it.
“I have to go to church in the morning. I need to go home and get some sleep.” Jason nodded.
“Me too.” Andrew smiled.
“Church?” His friend hadn't been any more interested in that than he was.
“Yeah. I've gone a few times with Mikayla and her parents.” Andrew was surprised, but then again maybe not. He looked at Johari. If she wanted to go to church, he would go with her too. And once again, he felt certain for a moment that she could read his thoughts.
“I would like to go with you and your parents tomorrow if they wouldn't mind,” she said.
“Ah... I will have to ask them, but I'm sure that it would be fine.” Actually, they would be thrilled. Anything that brought their son along would be more than fine with them. The thing Andrew didn't understand is why Johari would want to go in the first place.
They hadn't talked much about religion since their first conversation about what she was. She had mentioned a creator, but could it be possible that the creator she believed in was the same one that Christians believed in? Andrew had promised himself to keep a more open mind about things, but on this one, he was just going to have to wait and see.
Andrew saw all three of his guests off at the front door and then headed back up to his room. She was already there again, sitting on his bed. He grinned and went to sit down beside her.
“That was fun,” she said. “We should do things with them more often.” Andrew nodded his agreement.
“Yeah. I'm glad to see my friend so happy too. He just can't seem to stop smiling when Mikayla is around.” He paused. “Come to think of it, I can't stop smiling either.” Johari took his hand and they sat there in silence for a bit.
“Are you sure you don't mind going to church with me and your parents?” Andrew shrugged.
“It's not that I mind. I'm just not sure what I believe about the whole thing yet. It surprises me a little bit that someone who has existed so long and seen the suffering in the world would believe in an all knowing God who is supposed to love everyone so much.” Johari nodded to acknowledge his thoughts.
“Yes, there is a lot of suffering in the world, but none of it comes from God. He put me and my kind into the world to prevent as much of it as we can. Humankind demands free choice, but then turns around and blames God for the problems that are here because of those choices. They see the bad things that do happen, but have no idea the number of things that He does stop from happening.”
“Well, I guess I never thought of it quite that way. I just don't know what to think.”
“That's okay. Just keep it in mind and the truth will come to you.” Andrew was fine with that. He didn't know which way he would fall on the issue, but he would do his best to try to understand her point of view before he made a decision. If that meant going to church for a little while, so be it.
They spent the next hour or so just sitting there, sometimes talking about mundane things, sometimes just sitting in the quiet and enjoying each other's presence. Andrew had never imagined that just sitting with someone could be so nice.
It wasn't to last though as Andrew began to yawn again. Johari smiled at him.
“Looks like you aren't going to make it much longer. In a way, I envy you. It would be nice to escape the world for a bit.”
“I think I would enjoy the extra time, but I can see how it might be nice to have the break. Are you going to go then?”
“I don't mind staying here, at least for a while. I might leave after you fall asleep though. Watching people sleep is fine for a while, and then it just feels a bit creepy and awkward.” Andrew laughed.
“I suppose it would at that. You can stay as long as you want, but I understand if you want to leave.”
Andrew struggled to remain awake a while longer because he didn't want Johari to go, but after a while, sleep stole him away.