‘Sorry, and you are?’ He realised he had not asked.
‘I’m Ingrid.’
A vague memory surfaced. He was sure he had seen her before. Unable to place the occasion, he asked, ‘I don’t mean to sound rude, especially after spilling the drinks on you, but how do you know me? I think I might have seen you a few weeks back, but I’m sure I never talked to you.’
‘I don’t know you,’ she answered, her right hand on her hip.
‘If you don’t know me, then why did you just say my name?’
‘I heard your friend out there mention it. Where I come from, we always use Christian names if we know them.’
‘Right, that would explain it.’ He remained unconvinced.
‘Are you a first year student?’ She took her hand off her hip and clasped her hands together in a distinctly girlie pose.
‘I am.’ He could not help being curious about who she was. She was not the usual type he saw around here. ‘Are you?’
‘No, I’m not a student at all. I’m just visiting a friend.’
That explained why he did not think she was a student.
‘Right,’ he paused. ‘Sorry for getting you wet. I have to go and top up these drinks. I might see you around.’
‘Sure, I’ll look for you,’ she replied. He was sure she batted her eyelids. He was used to girls flirting with him, yet the simple gesture unsettled him.
After he had restocked, he turned carefully, whilst holding the tray with both hands. A casual glance, revealed Ingrid chatting to some friends nearby. He smiled in her direction when she glanced up, and she mouthed, ‘Be careful.’ It made him chuckle.
‘What took you so long, Steven, did you get lost?’ Grace teased, as he placed the tray on the table.
‘Mind your own business,’ he snapped back. He resisted the urge to give her the finger. He was not in the mood for her antics.
‘Someone a bit sensitive today? You know, it’s women that are supposed to suffer from P.M.T.,’ she cackled.
Something about her really reminded him of a wicked witch. He glared and sarcastically added, ‘Thanks for the drink, Steven.’ Drink in hand, he made his way over to the pool table, eager to get some distance.
As he leant against the wall watching other students play, a friendly face came up to him.
‘Do you want some company?’ Ingrid’s voice was now husky, alluring.
‘Sure,’ he answered. Her proximity unnerved him.
‘So, seeing as you’re not with your friends anymore, would you like to go for a walk with me?’
Even though he liked Caitlin, nothing had actually happened between them. He could think of no reason to refuse. ‘Why not? I could use some air.’
As they were leaving the student bar, Steven caught Adam’s eye. Adam grinned from ear to ear and gave him an enthusiastic thumbs up.
‘What’s your halls of residence like?’ She was definitely batting her eyelashes.
‘Would you like me to show you? I can even make you a cup of tea, if you like?’
‘I’d love that,’ she beamed.
‘Okay.’ He was sure all she wanted was to see where he was staying. Surely, there was nothing more to it.
After a few minutes, they walked in through the ground floor corridor and he led her to the kitchen. ‘So what would you like, tea or coffee?’
‘What’s your room like?’ She twirled a strand of her hair between her fingers.
Stumped, he stalled. Something told him she was after something. ‘I can show you. Shall I make the drinks first?’
‘We can come back for the drinks. Show me your room,’ she pleaded, her lower lip in full pout. ‘I’d like to see what a man’s room is like.’
For some strange reason, he found the fact she’d called him a man flattering. He shook his head, now slightly bemused. He doubted she would want to see his room for an ulterior motive.
‘Okay, why not?’ At the entrance to his room, he unlocked and stood aside after flicking on the light switch by the door. ‘Ladies first.’
Ingrid waltzed in, placed her hands on her hips, and surveyed the surroundings. ‘Basic, I like it. But, the walls are too bare. I like it better when there are posters up. You need some,’ she said, as she focused on the books on the table. She picked up a huge book on Contract Law and smiled, ‘This is heavy – do you use it for weight training?’
‘It’s not a bad idea,’ he laughed, as he walked towards her. ‘So, do you want that drink now?’
‘In a minute,’ she sighed, as she moved towards the entrance. Eyes fixed on his, she closed the door shut and walked slowly towards him. ‘I really like you.’
Before he got the chance to answer, she thrust her lips onto his. Even though taken aback by her forwardness, he could do nothing to stop from responding. As she kissed him, she slowly made her way towards his throat. His nerve endings reacted and he groaned aloud.
Chapter 8
Confusion
The relentless sound of his alarm clock pierced the morning silence. With a grunt, Steven pushed it off the bedside table. It crashed on the floor – still ringing. Irritated, he moved to turn it off. He rubbed his eyes hard and tried to think. The last thing he recalled was kissing Ingrid. He could not remember anything else. They were kissing and then… nothing. A quick glance at the clock made him stare in disbelief as he realised it was already nine o’clock in the morning.
He was going to be late.
He threw his legs over the side of the bed and jerked up. His head spun and he collapsed back on his bed. He was sure he’d only had one drink. Slowly, but surely, he made another attempt. Even though woozy, he could stand. Something told him today was not destined to be a good day.
Half an hour later, he rushed down the street to get to his lecture with a piece of hastily buttered toast in hand. He could have easily turned back and returned to the comfort of his bed, but he had to hand in his first assignment and he did not want to suffer a penalty for tardiness. Ten minutes late, he opened the door to the lecture hall and snuck in the back. He took the seat next to Adam.
‘Where have you been? Did you get lucky with the hot blonde last night?’ Adam raised his eyes in a suggestive manner.
‘I don’t know, I can’t remember.’
‘Wow, I’ve heard of being knackered, but that sounds amazing – an all-nighter!’
‘I can’t remember, so how could I have had an all-nighter, you idiot!’ Steven grumbled.
‘I just read it as I see it man, that’s all.’
‘Whatever.’ He gave up. Adam was not likely to be sympathetic.
‘Sensitive. If it’s any consolation, you look like shit.’
‘Thanks a lot,’ Steven said, ‘It’s good to know who my friends are. With friends like you, who needs enemies?’
Adam held out his hand. ‘Give me your assignment, I’ll give it in for you. Then beat it, you need to go and recover from whatever you did last night. I say no more.’
‘You’re a pal, after all.’ Steven slipped his hand into his rucksack and took out the plastic wallet with the essay. He handed it to Adam and snuck out again. He crouched down as low as he could to avoid being spotted.
At the end of University Road, he turned to the right to get back to his accommodation block. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Ingrid ahead, completely still, like a statue. She lifted her hand and waved, breaking the illusion. She was only wearing a thin, long sleeved top and a pair of cut-off jeans. It struck him as odd. The weather had turned. It was now bitter and cold.
‘Steven, it’s nice to see you,’ Ingrid said. She gave him a beaming smile. It was a nice smile; he had to give her that. She had the most perfect teeth.
He did not know if it was his imagination, but something about their meeting felt premeditated. ‘Can I talk to you for a minute, or do you have to be somewhere?’
‘Do you want to go and grab a drink?’ Her gaze followed the direction of the coffee shop.
‘Why not,’ he
paused, ‘Aren’t you cold?’
‘It’s not that cold. I’ve experienced worse.’
He was not about to ask when.
Inside, they headed straight for the counter. A dazed teenager looked up from behind the glass display. Transfixed by Ingrid, the boy gave a broad smile. It revealed a set of braces. ‘What can I get you?’
The question was directed at Ingrid, but Steven answered, ‘I’ll have the bacon roll, with a latte.’ He turned to Ingrid, ‘What would you like?’
‘I don’t know.’ She twirled her hair around her index finger and studied the menu on the board.
The boy continued to stare. Drool would appear soon if she did not hurry.
Mind made up, she said, ‘I’ll have an orange juice.’
‘No problem, coming right up.’
Steven handed over some money.
‘Thanks,’ Ingrid said, with a half-smile.
‘If you sit down, I’ll bring it over,’ the boy said. His cheeks blushed as he turned away to get the order ready. It was obvious he could not keep his eyes off Ingrid.
Steven thought the boy’s reaction was amusing. It was unfair to call him a boy; he was only a couple of years younger.
‘So, are you from England?’
She barely gave him the chance to sit down. He took the seat opposite and answered, ‘Born and bred. You’re not though, are you?’
‘No, my accent gives me away. I’m from Sweden, but my family moved to England for my dad’s job.’
‘That explains that.’ From what he knew, it was cold in Sweden during the winter, so at least that explained her attire. He tried to figure out the best way to broach the subject of the previous night.
The boy brought the order over and placed it on the table. ‘Enjoy,’ he remarked, glancing at Ingrid again. For a few seconds he stopped, then shook his head in embarrassment and shuffled off.
Ingrid lifted her glass up to Steven’s and made a toast. ‘Cheers!’
‘Yes, cheers.’
She took a sip from her juice, and surveyed him from the rim. ‘How old are you?’ Her intense green eyes seemed huge, dazzling.
‘That’s direct, how old are you?’
‘I’m twenty,’ she answered immediately.
‘Fair enough, I’ll be nineteen in September.’
She gave a slight nod, and then took another sip of her drink. ‘Are your parents from here?’
‘My dad is, but my step-mum is Spanish.’
‘Really, is your dad divorced then?’
Amazed by the interrogation, he paused and glared.
‘I’m sorry, am I asking too many questions?’ There was a hint of an apology in her tone.
‘It’s okay. My dad never married my real mother. She left us when I was young.’
Ingrid’s eyes seemed to come alight. ‘But, you’re okay about it now, right?’
‘I didn’t have a choice, did I?’
‘I guess not.’
Finally, Steven plucked up some courage. ‘What happened last night?’
She gave a half smile. ‘What do you mean?’
‘We were kissing and then I woke up. Did anything happen?’
‘You must be hallucinating. You spilt your drink on me and then I did not see you again, until now,’ she laughed.
‘Really, that’s weird.’ He shook his head in confusion. ‘I’m sure you came back to my halls of residence.’
‘But, if you’d like me to kiss you and come back to your room, I’d be happy to oblige,’ she teased, interrupting his line of thought.
‘Erm, it’s okay. Thanks for offering.’ For once, he wished he was not so damn polite – she was definitely lying. After putting a few squirts of ketchup on his bacon roll, he took a large bite. He was starving. He chewed quickly, got the first bite down, and then took another larger mouthful.
‘Don’t let the dust settle,’ she giggled.
‘Yeah, I don’t know what’s up with me this morning. I feel weird.’
‘It happens. You know when you start to make things up; it indicates the first signs of madness.’
‘You have a strange sense of humour,’ he scoffed.
‘I have to go, but I’ll see you around,’ Ingrid said. She downed her juice, got up and made to go.
‘Okay then, I’ll see you.’ As he watched her leave, he could not help admiring her form.
The boy came up to clear the table as Steven picked up a local newspaper left on the rack.
‘Is she your girlfriend?’ The boy was in awe.
‘No.’
The boy collected the plates and whistled as he left.
Steven appreciated the fact Ingrid was attractive. He just did not know why he could not trust her. It could have been a dream. The problem was it felt real.
Casually, he flicked through the pages. There was nothing much of interest, other than the usual advertisements and local stories. A sports article showed how the athletes had fared at their latest meet. Everyone looked so pleased with themselves. He remembered the countless swimming competitions he had taken part in. There was nothing like swimming up and down a pool to drown out crazy ideas.
He was about to put the paper down when the main article on the front page jumped out at him. The heading read ‘teen suicide was tragic and avoidable.’ Usually, he did not read articles about death, especially when the person that had died was close to his age. However, he was drawn to read it, the death of Georgina still lingered on his mind. The article revealed that the suicide victim was a boy, aged seventeen. He had been found lifeless in his room, after an apparent drug overdose, a note left behind said he was sorry. He pushed the newspaper aside and stared at the floor. It was just a sad story of another wasted life.
***
The lifeguard had been working at the leisure centre for a month. She was getting tired of watching the water for the looming accident and had been practicing a gaze that wouldn’t make her look totally gormless. “Talent” was the only thing that kept her awake on most evenings. She was pleasantly surprised to see the tall, dark and handsome student exit the changing area. Finally, something worth her while.
A total of five people graced the pool with their presence. Two of them happened to be in the fast lane. The lifeguard watched him dive in at the deep end, before storming ahead. In no time at all, he managed to catch up with one of the swimmers. After five minutes, he seemed to ease into his stroke. He was very fast.
A scenario popped in her mind. He might ask her on a date. Dreaming was free.
After watching him go up and down the lane a lot of times, she started to lose interest. Finally, he stopped and climbed up the side of the pool to leave. She stared in shock as she wondered what that was. As a matter of caution, she hopped off the seat and walked over.
‘Hi, sorry to bother you, but I think you should get that checked out. I thought you were bleeding from a distance,’ she explained, whilst she pointed at his neck.
He put his hand to his neck, and tried to turn to get a better look. There was no way he could see from that angle.
‘Thanks, I’ll check it out now,’ he said, and then rushed in the direction of the men’s changing room.
Now wouldn’t have been a good time to remind him running was not allowed on poolside.
She resumed her position and wondered what that strange mark was. She could have sworn it looked like some sort of love bite. She gave a sly smile as she wondered who the lucky girl had been.
***
Paranoid, Steven checked the changing room for occupancy before he made his way over to the mirror. He had a red wound on his neck, just below his ear. Getting closer he noticed that the edge of the mark was purplish. It looked like a bruise. It reminded him of the effect left on his arm when he had donated blood months earlier. Moving closer, he noticed two tiny pinprick points. Shivers ran down his spine and he recoiled. It looked like a bite mark – the kind of bite mark normally associated with vampires.
Why would he think of vampir
es?
As far as he was concerned it was just a gory story, something made up to explain the macabre. Or, something to make children laugh – he always liked watching Scooby Doo. Yet, the marks, they looked remarkably familiar. Creative makeup used to convey the perfect movie scene. Only, this was not a movie. The marks were real and they were on his neck.
Chapter 9
Revelations
The street was practically deserted as he made his way back to halls. The eerie silence did nothing to settle his mood. Ingrid had lied. She was the only person who had got close enough to bite him. Ingrid claimed they had not been together, but Steven was convinced she was holding something back – his dreams were never that vivid.
As he lifted his head to cross the road, he froze. Ingrid was coming out of the shop, carrying a plastic bag full of what he assumed were groceries. She caught his eye and smiled. After checking it was safe to cross, he made his way over.
‘Ingrid,’ he said, adopting a casual tone. He had to try to act normal.
‘Steven, it’s nice to see you. Have you been working out or something?’ She pointed at his wet hair and the towel he had strategically placed around his neck.
‘I’ve just been swimming to get my mind off things.’ He was tempted to say more, instead, he added, ‘We need to talk.’
‘Again? I am popular today,’ she scoffed.
‘I think you left a few things out earlier,’ he said, his right hand in a fist on his rucksack straps.
She frowned and then replied, ‘I don’t think so, but okay then.’
He could not believe she still feigned ignorance.
‘I’ll walk with you. I’m not in a hurry to get back.’
The words tumbled out of his mouth. ‘Did you give me a love bite last night? If you want me to refresh your memory, look at this.’ He pushed the towel aside and revealed the mark. ‘I just want to know what happened.’
Ingrid gave a hysterical laugh. ‘Nothing happened with us. I didn’t do that. Whatever it is, it looks like you got lucky with someone else.’
Steven felt his free hand go into a fist. Through clenched teeth, he spat out the accusation, ‘Don’t lie to me. I remember us kissing. You went towards my neck before I blacked out. It was you.’ He grabbed her hands and searched in her eyes. He could see her eyes flinch; he had caught her off guard.
Hybrid (The Evolution Trilogy) Page 6