“Yo, Ian! It’s that creepy girl again. I think she’s checking you out, man.”
Ian looked up from his basket of fries to see what Nick was talking about. “Oh. I already told you, Nick, her name’s Ophelia. She volunteers at the animal shelter, just like me.”
“And you don’t think that’s creepy as shit? She’s there, like, every single time you are. She’s always staring at you, too.”
Martin joined in with a nod. “Seriously. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her blink.”
Ian shook his head. “ The shelter’s around the corner and she just happens to live in the area. Why does it matter to you guys, anyway? She’s my friend, not yours.”
Martin’s eyebrows shot up, nearly disappearing into his hairline. “Oh, it’s friend now, huh? Last week she was only an acquaintance!”
“Oh shit, are you into her?” Nick goaded. “No way dude, I can’t believe it. Just look at her, man. She’s like… so skinny. And her hair makes her look like that one girl from the movie about the videotape. You know, the cursed one? Shit, I wouldn’t be surprised if she was some kinda ghost or vampire or something. ‘Tis the season.”
Martin jabbed Nick in the side. “That’s Christmas, dork.”
Nick jabbed Martin right back. “You’re supposed to call them the holidays now.”
Ian rolled his eyes. Nick and Martin were good friends, but they could be the biggest jerks sometimes. A lot of times, actually. But they were good company, on occasion, and his dad approved of them. Couldn’t let Benjamin Steel, head of Steel Incorporated, be the slightest bit disappointed in his son. No, Ian could only hang around other rich kids, create bonds with people whose families had money and power in equal measure. At least Nick and Martin were occasionally tolerable, even if they took things a little too far a little too often.
“You know what? I’m gonna go talk to her,” Nick said, his freckled cheeks parting in a vicious grin. Case in point. Ian shook his head. “No chance, bucko. You stay right here. I’m going to go talk to her. She deserves better than you two boneheads.” Nick’s cheeks flushed a funny shade of red. Martin cackled. Ian slipped away.
He’d never admit it, but Nick had struck quite close to home with his assertion about how close he was to Ophelia. Or at least, he liked to imagine he was that close. He could never quite tell with her. The girl was quiet and withdrawn, but she could keep up with any conversation. She always seemed quite happy to talk with him about just about anything. Dogs, cats, the best vacation spots, her favorite books. She had an odd sense of humor, but that only made him like her more. She was a real person, with all the quirks and foibles that came with being one. Not like most of the stiffs at his university. Those people only wanted him for his family name, or to join in on whatever torture they were inflicting on those poorer than them. Maybe his dad would be into that, but not him. He hated the way they delighted in the teasing and the taunts. That wasn’t him. Then again, its not like he’d ever done anything to stop it.
Ophelia lit up as he drew closer, pulling a seat away from the table so he could sit in it. “Hey there, stranger!” she said in that accent of hers, the one he found so alluring yet could not place. If he had to guess, it was somewhere between Eastern European, Scottish, and American Southern. It added an air of mystery to the girl, even though Ian felt as if he knew her quite well at this point.
“How are you, Ophelia? Is your dad doing okay?” Last time they’d spoken, she’d seemed thoroughly worried about something. He’d asked her about it, and she’d explained that her father was in the hospital, sick as a dog.
“Huh? Oh, yes, yes, he is fine. Actually, it is mighty convenient that you came over here to talk to me, since I was about to do the same to you. Once your friends were out of the way of course. Oh, that was a bit rude of me,” she said, mildly shocked by her acerbicness. Her brown eyes were slightly wider than usual, her lips slightly parted. Ian wondered what it might be like to kiss her.
“It’s fine. Nothing they don’t deserve, trust me.” Nick and Martin were watching the conversation intently from their table in the diner, even though Ian was sure they couldn’t hear them over the hustle and bustle of the busy lunch rush.
“I will take your word for it, I suppose. Today is Saturday, yes? No school? And you didn’t show up to the shelter this morning.”
“Yeah, there was a big exam yesterday and I guess I just wasn’t feeling up to it. I love those little cuties, but sometimes I need some time to myself. To recharge, you know?”
She nodded gracefully, bowing her head slightly. Her pale skin was glowing with the afternoon sun. It only made her more gorgeous. Ian sucked in a breath, gathering himself for the question that was threatening to burst out of him. Finally, he could hold it back no longer, and he--
“Would you like to get out of--” “You wanna go on a date?” They talked over each other, but Ophelia stopped first, listening intently as he finished his question. Ian blushed. Just like him to mess up a normal, human thing like this. Stupid, stupid--
“Yes. Of course, yes,” Ophelia breathed, eyebrows pressed together in obvious relief. Ian let out a long, whooshing breath, palm over his heart. “Oh, good. I was really scared I messed that up there.”
Ophelia shook her head rapidly. “No, no. This is all good. I…I really like you, Ian. From the first time I saw you at the shelter, I wanted to get to know you. And now… I do not want to wait any longer. Let’s go somewhere. I want to show you something special,” she urged, reaching forward to squeeze his hands for emphasis. Ian nodded, somewhat absently. He could hardly believe it. She’d wanted this just as much as he had. And now…they were gonna on a date. LIke, right now. Oh wow.
It took him a few seconds to realize that she was waiting on an answer. “Yeah, yeah, we can go now.”
“Are you sure? What about--”
Ian waved away his friends. “They’ll be fine. Come on, let’s go. I wanna see whatever you wanna show me,” he urged earnestly. Nick and Martin, for their part, did a good job of pretending as if they hadn’t spent the last two minutes watching their every move.
“Okay,” she muttered, a brief look of guilt flashing across her face before vanishing as if it had never been. “Let us go! I have a lot to show you.”
Ian didn’t let himself worry too much about the strange expression. He wasn’t sure how he hadn’t realized it before…how much he actually enjoyed Ophelia’s company. How much he’d enjoy being with just her, alone someplace. He felt himself drifting away, even as he followed her out of the diner, hand in hand.
They crossed the road, going block by block until they reached what seemed like a more residential area. Funny, he’d never been in this part of the area, despite the many, many times he’d come out here to volunteer. It was pretty normal. Cars, streets, apartment buildings… and then Ophelia ducked into a nearby alleyway. Not exactly the typical route for a romantic date, but Ian didn’t hesitate to follow her. On and on and on they went, down the alleyway and then they turned… into another alleyway. All red-bricked walls and assorted street detritus. Another turn, and things began to look stranger. The bricked walls grew taller, and the streets neater, until eventually, they seemed to be made of cobblestone, not asphalt. The buildings were no longer as tall, most of them settling in at around two or three stories. And the architecture was all different, too. More old-timey and… almost fantastical in their construction. Stone arches and thick glass windows. Not pre-fabricated and machined…built by hand…or by something greater. Ian’s eyes widened.
“Is this the one?” An unfamiliar voice drawled. Ian looked up to see a woman standing there, her long black hair tied back into an impressive braid draped over one shoulder. She was slightly older than him or Ophelia, and she bore a strong resemblance to the latter. Like a cousin, maybe, or an aunt. She was dressed outlandishly, in a long, sleeveless black robe that trailed all the way down to the ground. Metal bracers clung to her biceps and wrists, emphasizing her obvious fitness and strength. The expression on her face was…unpleasant, to say the least.
“Huh? The one what?” Ian asked, clueless, although it was beginning to dawn on him that this was not the sort of thing that happened on a date. The woman scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest.
“You didn’t even tell him? Wow, Ophie. That’s some cunning deception on your part. Not that we haven’t done worse before. But it actually seemed like you liked this one. I figured you would’ve at least asked.”
Ophelia shot the older woman a death glare. “Shut up, Marisa. I am not in the mood for this kind of teasing.”
Marisa placed a hand over her heart with a look of mock pity. “Aww. You really do like him. That’s so sad.”
Ophelia shook her head and then turned to Ian. When she let go of his hand, a sudden clarity swept over Ian. Here he was, in a strange place, with someone he truthfully barely knew and a cloaked stranger who had nothing pleasant planned for him, if the look on her face was anything to go by. Ophelia had brought him into this weirdness on purpose.
“Ophelia, what is this? What’s going on? Where are we?!”
Ophelia raised her hands in appeasement. “It is-- I will explain, Ian. This is the city of Trivale, in Otherworld. Marisa and I are witches.”