Everpure

by Michelle Areaux

  I was stacking clean coffee mugs on the counter when I began to overhear part of Edgar’s conversation that seemed to gain my interest.

  “There’s that nice woman we met yesterday,” Edgar said, as he pointed out the window.

  “Yes, I remember. She was very pretty and had a lot of questions about the town. She must be interested in sticking around,” Eloise agreed.

  As I turned to see who they were talking about, I spotted a tall, lean, and beautiful woman standing just outside the coffee shop. Her long, fire-red hair seemed to glow like fire against the dark, night sky. She stood next to a sleek looking, black sports car; and her stance seemed protective, as if she were expecting an attack. Normally, I wouldn’t be interested in other people’s conversations, but something about the prospect of a new person in Shady Oaks had alerted something deep down inside of me. A primal side that told me I needed to focus on my surroundings. Maybe it was the animal in me or the human nature to eavesdrop, but regardless, I knew I needed to see who and what they were talking about.

  The woman was beautiful, but there was something else that kept me looking in her direction far too long. It was the fact that she was looking at me like she knew me. Our gaze held for a moment before I heard my phone buzz in my pocket.

  Reaching down into my jeans, I retrieved my phone and saw a message from Maddox.

  Maddox: I’m here. I want a hot chocolate and a chocolate chip cookie.

  Me: I don’t care.

  Maddox: Yes, you do. Be there in five.

  Me: You are so spoiled.

  Ever since we were little kids, Maddox and I would come into the shop and get cookies and hot chocolate as our parents sipped on coffee or tea and ate scones. Now as a good-looking teenager, Maddox had warmed his way into the heart of Mrs. Allan, and she always had a cookie and cup of cocoa ready for him.

  I rolled my eyes as I placed my phone back in my pocket and reached under the counter to get the treats I knew she had left there for Maddox. If I worked, she knew he was going to come in.

  As I glanced up again, the woman was gone. I stared out the large, open windows that overlooked the small town, but there was no trace of her anywhere. Edgar and Eloise had gone back to their decaf coffees and were rambling on about which television show they would be watching tonight.

  As Maddox appeared rounding the corner outside, I tried to hide my worry about the unknown woman and the effect she had on me. Entering the store, Maddox read right through my facade.

  “What’s wrong?” he questioned, as he approached the counter. He was wearing an old baseball jersey, and his hair was a wavy mess on his head.

  I placed the bag with his cookie in front of him and then turned to place his cocoa in the microwave to heat.

  “Nothing,” I lied, as I pretended to be busy with my task. “Did you have batting practice?” I asked, trying to get his attention off my mood.

  “Elle give it a rest. Of course, I was at batting practice. My schedule never changes. You know you are a terrible liar. Besides, you can’t hide anything from me. Your face gives you away. You display all of your emotions on your face,” he laughed.

  I huffed because he was right. “Drink your hot chocolate and be quiet,” I said, as I placed the steaming liquid in front of him.

  Eyeing me carefully, Maddox’s face turned serious. “What is wrong?” he asked again, all trace of humor gone. “Is it Asher? If he did anything, I will…”

  I cut him off before he could finish. “Stop. It’s not Asher,” I began. Leaning over the counter, I looked around before I continued. “Edgar and Eloise were talking about some woman they met today. She was just standing outside the coffee shop watching us. It was really weird,” I admitted.

  Maddox quickly jumped off the stool he was sitting on and began walking toward the windows. He looked all around the shop, but like me, he saw nothing. “No one is there now,” he said, as he walked back to the counter. As he passed by Edgar and Eloise, they stopped him.

  “Maddox how are your parents?” Edgar asked, with a smile.

  “Good sir,” Maddox replied, using the manners he reserved only for elders.

  “Great. You have grown into such a fine young man,” Eloise said, as she winked my way.

  Chuckling, Edgar looked between me and Maddox. “Eloise don’t flirt with Maddox. You will make Elle jealous,” he laughed.

  “What?” I almost yelled.

  “No,” Maddox said, with a shake of his head.

  “You mean to tell me that you two aren’t courting?” Eloise asked.

  “Aren’t what? Does that mean…?” Maddox began.

  I stopped him before he could embarrass himself. “Sorry Edgar and Eloise, but Maddox and I are friends. Best friends. You all know that. We have been hanging around here since we were little kids,” I said.

  “Well, it is only a matter of time until one of you open your eyes,” Eloise stated, with a nod.

  I wasn’t sure what she was hinting at, but they had it all wrong. I didn’t understand why people just couldn’t accept us as friends. Why was it so weird for a boy and girl to be best friends?

  Clearly confused, Maddox just offered a goodbye wave and rushed back to the counter. We didn’t talk anymore about the strange woman who I saw or the weird conversation with Edgar and Eloise. By the time my shift was over, I was exhausted and ready to go home. Asher had to help his dad with some work, so Maddox walked me to my car.

  Saying goodbye, Maddox got into his truck and drove off. As I began to pull out of the parking lot, I spotted a pair of headlights at the far end of the lot. Ignoring the other vehicle, I pulled onto the street and pulled up to an awaiting red light. As I waited for the light to turn green, I heard a loud squeal of tires; and all I saw as I looked into my rearview mirror was bright red lights speeding away.

  Weird I thought as the light turned green and I began to drive home. It wasn’t until the next day that I realized in my world, nothing ever happens by accident. Everything in your life was put there for a reason-- whether you like it or not.

  Chapter 8

  The next day at school, Asher met me in the parking lot. Opening my car door, he scooped me out of my seat and placed a sweet kiss on my lips.

  As much turmoil as Asher and I had dealt with during our short relationship, one thing was definitely certain; we had an intense connection.

  “What was that for?” I asked breathlessly with a big smile. I loved how Asher still held a power over me that made me feel butterflies and breathless whenever he was around.

  Taking my hand, Asher and I began to walk toward the school building. “I have just really missed you lately. There is still so much I want to tell you about being a Vampire and the experiences I want to share with you. I guess I am just a little excited that I no longer have to hide myself, the real me, from you anymore,” he said, with a warm smile.

  Part of me wanted to cringe at his admission. It was true that Asher was now starting to open up to me more, but I was still deeply hurt that he had hid his true identity and self from me, especially when he was present for a huge shift in my life and who I was. However, I had promised to go into this with an open mind, and I was learning to deal with my hurt and anger one day at a time.

  “That is awesome,” I stated. “I am ready to hear everything,” I urged. It was true, I did want to know everything about Asher. Angry or not, I still loved and cared for him with a burning passion that couldn’t be destroyed.

  “How about tonight? Let’s go for a walk and we can talk,” he asked.

  “That sounds perfect,” I sighed.

  Stopping, Asher turned and faced me. “What’s wrong?” he questioned, as his baby blue eyes pierced right through me.

  I couldn’t help the frustrating smile that appeared on my face. “You know, for someone who hates Maddox, you two are very similar,” I teased.

  Raising his eyebrows in confusion, Asher looked at me like I had just grown two heads. “What are you talking about?”


  “I just mean, last night while I was working, Maddox came in and asked me the same thing when all I did was sigh,” I said.

  “Oh,” Asher said. His smile seemed to fade as he realized just how much more time I had been spending with Maddox since our fight.

  “Don’t get upset,” I said, as I moved closer to him. “I guess as much as it frustrates me that you both know me so well, it is also endearing.”

  With that admission, Asher seemed to perk up a little bit. “Well, I hate being compared to Maddox, but it is good to know we both are there to look out for you and can read you very well,” he teased. “Anyway, you are avoiding my question. What is wrong?” he asked again.

  Knowing I couldn't’ deflect the conversation anymore, I bit my lip with worry before beginning. “Well, last night when I was working, a couple came in, and they spotted a woman they had met earlier that day. She was just standing outside the shop watching me,” I said.

  I watched as Asher swallowed slowly and his face went rigid. “What did she look like?” he asked, carefully.

  Thinking back to the image of the strange woman, I realized I hadn’t really gotten a good look at her. The only thing that stood out to me was her hair. “She was tall and thin, but the thing I remember the most is her hair.”

  “Her hair?” Asher asks.

  “Yes, her hair was red. Almost the same color red that dances in the flames of a fire. It was unlike any red I had ever seen before. Sure, Melanie has red hair, but this was different. Almost...evil. Something about her just gave me the creeps,” I admitted, as I shuddered.

  Draping his arm around me, Asher held me close to his chest. I couldn’t help but feel myself molding to him. When I was with Asher, I felt safe and protected. “If you see her again, let me know. But, it might just have been a woman checking out the shop,” he said, as he tried to comfort me.

  Even though his words sounded sincere, his tone showed that he, too, was worried about this new person. If I were stuck on her and felt fear, then something must be terribly wrong. Looking at one another, we heard the morning warning bell ring, alerting students that class would begin in five minutes. Rushing inside the large double doors of the school, Asher and I made it to our first hour class just in time.

  ***

  Later that day, I met Maddox and Melanie in the cafeteria for lunch. Thankfully the room was crowded and loud, a nice distraction from the quiet in my own head. I didn’t want to think about Shifters or Vampires or the strange woman I just couldn’t get out of my head. I wanted to be carefree and relaxed, and a normal teenager. If there were such a thing.

  “Hey, why are you so quiet?” Maddox asked as he threw a chip at me.

  Picking up the salty snack, I threw it right back at him. “No reason. I guess I kind of like the noise today,” I said.

  Nodding, Maddox seemed to understand what I meant. We were just in tune with one another like that, I guess.

  “I hate how loud it is in here,” Melanie chimed in. She was oblivious to the silent understanding between us.

  “Anyway, what are you all doing this weekend?” I asked.

  “I don’t have any plans right now, but I heard the ice skating rink in town will finally be open Saturday. We should all go,” she said, as she smiled brightly at all of us.

  “Ice skating?” Maddox asked, as he pretended to gag. “I don’t think I would be good at that.”

  “I haven’t skated in years. It might be fun,” I urged, as I turned to look at Maddox.

  He brushed a wild strand of loose hair off his forehead and noticed that both Melanie and I were watching him closely. “You guys won’t let me say no. Will you?” he asked, in mock frustration.

  “Nope,” Melanie said with a sweet smile.

  “I will talk to Asher about it this evening. We have a date,” I said.

  “Great,” Melanie said.

  “Ugh,” Maddox groaned.

  Rolling her eyes, Melanie looked between us. “What is it with you and Asher?” she asked, zoning her eyes in on Maddox.

  I sat back and crossed my arms in front of me. This should be fun to watch Maddox try to explain his nonsense reasons for hating my boyfriend.

  “Well, first the guy gives me the creeps,” Maddox began, as he averted his eyes quickly to me.

  I held my breath, praying he wouldn’t say something that could potentially put all of us Shifters and Vampires at risk. Sometimes Maddox could be a wild card and say the craziest things.

  “The creeps?” Melanie practically screamed. “Are you kidding, he is gorgeous,” she said. “No offense Elle. You know I would never try to steal your man, but I can appreciate his beauty.”

  “No offense taken,” I laughed. I wasn’t blind. I knew Asher was the most beautiful guy that people in this town had ever seen.

  “Whatever,” Maddox groaned. “I just think he is a little too overprotective of Elle sometimes,” Maddox finished.

  On that, Melanie almost choked on the drink of water she had just taken. She patted her chest before finding her voice again. “Seriously? Maddox, you have like GPS or something on Elle. You never let our girl out of your sight. Maybe you are just jealous,” she teased.

  With his face growing red, Maddox stood and pushed his chair back with a loud scrape against the floor. “You both are crazy,” he argued. “I am going to head to class now,” he said and then turned and left without even saying goodbye.

  Melanie was still laughing as I watched Maddox leave. Turning back to her, I gave her a glare.

  “What?” she pretends scoffed.

  “Why do you like to argue with him so much?” I asked. “All of that jealousy talk upsets him,” I added.

  “Elle, you are so blind sometimes. Maddox is in love with you. He hates Asher because Asher is your boyfriend and he is not,” she smiled.

  “That is not true,” I argued.

  “You will see,” she said, as she stood and began to gather her discarded lunch items. “Come on, let’s get to class,” she said.

  Following her out of the cafeteria, I tried to keep my mind focused on everything around me and not the twisted mess of emotions floating around in my head.

  Chapter 9

  After school, I raced home to change for my date with Asher. He had texted during our last class of the day to tell me he would be by around six. I’d told him about Melanie’s idea to go skating; and although he wasn't excited, he agreed to go anyway.

  My parents were in the living room watching the evening news when I finally made it back downstairs. I had selected a pair of tight, dark denim jeans, black boots, and a plum colored sweater.

  “You look nice,” my mom noted, as she looked at me when I entered the room.

  “Thanks. I am going on a date with Asher. He plans to fill me in on his life as a... Vampire,” I said. I struggled getting the last word out because I still couldn’t believe Asher was a Vampire.

  “I think it is great that you are taking the time to learn about his world. While it may seem strange to some Shifters and Vampires that the two of you have paired up, I think it shows progress with our kinds,” dad said with a smile.

  “I do too,” I agreed.

  I sat on the couch next to my mom and talked about school as I waited for Asher to arrive.

  With his attention now on the evening weather forecast, my dad turned up the volume to hear what the man was saying.

  “A large cold air pressure is building in the north and seems to be traveling down to our area in Shady Oaks,” the man began, as he pointed to a map of the United States behind him. Blue and pink colors dotted the screen. “Large amounts of accumulating snow with possible ice are expected. We could even see a blizzard out of this storm,” he said, before my dad turned the volume back down.

  “Wow looks like we will be getting some cold weather coming soon. We might need to hunt and prepare for days when we are unable to leave the house. I will call the Presley’s and make sure they can join us,” my dad spoke to my mom.r />
  “I think you are right. Let’s plan for tomorrow,” she added.

  “If the weather keeps up, we might have a white Christmas this year,” he laughed.

  That idea sounded wonderful. I would give anything for some peace and rest from the outside world. Even just for one day.

  Just as I thought that, I heard Asher’s car pull up in the driveway. I bounced from my seat and rushed to the front door just as my parents yelled a goodbye and to be home before eight. Waving goodbye, I met Asher just as he stepped out of his car. I jumped straight into his arms and wrapped my hands around his neck as I hugged him tight against me.

  “Wow, this is a nice greeting,” he whispered, into my ear as my hair and face surrounded his.

  “I guess I am just really excited to spend some time alone with you,” I responded.

  Gracefully placing my feet back onto the ground below, Asher kept his arms firmly around my waist. “I am glad to hear that. With everything that has happened lately, I just want to make sure that you and I are still alright.”

  Nodding, I understood exactly what he meant. “We aren’t perfect yet, but we will be,” I said, as I stayed close to his side.

  “Are you ready for that walk?” he asked with a slight grin.

  For some people, taking a walk through the woods on a cold, winter's evening wouldn’t be an ideal date. For us, it was absolutely perfect. The forest and surrounding wooded areas were like an oasis for us. We could be shielded from prying eyes and the chaos of the outside world--if only for a little while. Taking my hand, Asher began to lead me toward the clearing that would take us to the tree lined area. As we entered into the shadowed forest, I admired the bareness of the trees for a moment. The limbs seemed more like arms, reaching out to hug and protect us than inanimate objects. I loved the calmness that took hold of me whenever I entered the woods.

  As we walked, we listened to the sounds of nature. Crunching of our feet against debris and broken limbs. Small animals scurrying away as predators walked past. A slight breeze swirled around us and I shivered as the icy, cold air touched my cheek.