Afterlife (Afterlife Saga) (11 page)

“Ok, ok, I was just saying, you know they go crazy here for the English accent.”
She actually winked at me which had me quickly rolling my eyes.

“Umm.... well in that case I'm just gonna have to practice my American accent then.” I couldn't keep the smirk from my face. I got up to take the second mug of tea that Libby had poured me back upstairs, when I heard Libby ask about my book. I stopped in the hallway and backed up a few steps.

“What did you say?”

“Did you find your book?” She
asked
mouth still full of cereal.

“Umm, when did I lose it?” I was confused, did she take it and was she the one that attached my hair clip to it?

She looked even more confused. “Yeah yesterday, you wer
e asking me if I had seen it...
remember?” She looked slightly worried at my non-responsive face. I honestly didn't remember even speaking to Libby after she had dropped me off after the mall. My mind was a blank and Libby was shifting slightly in her seat and had put her spoon down waiting for me to answer her. Her face was about to quickly shift to panic so I decided to lie.

“Oh yeah sorry. I found it under the bed, must have forgotten. I've slept since then.” I smiled trying to play the part of a fool. Only my acting skills weren't my finest attribute.

She answered me with a nod and picked up her spoon again, which indicated that she was at least satisfied with my response.

Once upstairs in my room I examined the book again and read the entire page over and over, trying to make sense of the significance. It was the part in the book where Jane had returned from her aunt’s house after she had died and she was returning to Mr Rochester. She felt like she was home. Wherever he was, was her home. The thought lingered there in my mind like a lost memory trying to find its way back through the fog. I gave up making sense of it all and put it down to coincidence.

I got into my baggy jeans and double layered top, which had long grey sleeves, and a plum coloured outer t-shirt. I also put on a thick knitted cardigan that was far too big for me. I decided to do some housework and take the burden off Libby. I started in the bathroom, which was really my own personal en suite, it was the only other room on the top floor but as there were three bathrooms in total, it was at my disposal.

It only had a sink and a toilet in it but it was big enough to house a bath. It had a big
cupboard that
was more like a wardrobe. It had a white washed paint effect and an antique smell. But it matched the rest of the room perfectly so I could understand why Libby had put it there. Plus it could hold my body weight in towels and blankets. There were empty shelves that were put up in a little alcove in the corner waiting for some of my personal things to fill them.

There was also a beautiful wooden mirror that was also painted white with an arched top and a little shelf at the bottom which had a candle upon it. It was hung over the sink and at the moment beheld my very white face staring into it and matching its frame. I looked at how my blonde hair made my face look even paler and made my eyes stand out even more. They looked more like a stormy colour today and darker than usual. I had always been told I had unusual eyes. Some days they
looked bluer but the colour changed with my mood. These days they did look more black than blue.

Libby walked in just as I had finished the sink. She was dressed in a black suit that looked fantastic on her. It was tight fitting and had a thick belt under the chest. A bright white shirt showed underneath at the collar and cuffs. She wore heels that looked far too high to be comfortable, the type that I would most definitely fall down in.

“You look nice.
” She smiled and tried to twist a stray curl back into her bun.

“Thanks. And you’re sure that you don't mind me going to work, it's just that this client has brought the due date forward and…..”

“It's ok, you don't have to explain,
I
told you I will be fine.” I would have hugged her but my rubber gloved hands that smelled of bleach wouldn't have mixed well with the power suit.

“I'm just going to do some housework and maybe try and get some reading done ready for next week.” This wasn't a lie, so how come it didn't sound so convincing? I think I could now add paranoia on to my long list of failing attributes. After all I didn't really have much else to do around here and it was raining cats and dogs outside, so a walk was out of the question. I couldn't wait to start work and college, I was getting seriously bored. But that still didn't make the but
terflies in my stomach ease off.
A
s much as I was looking forward to tonight I was also a little bit terrified.

“Ok, well I'm off.
Frank's already gone so you've got the whole house to yourself. What time are you meeting up with the 'Goth Gang'?” This was no doubt her new nickname for my hopefully soon to be friends.

“Umm, I'm not actually sure on that one, she said she'd ring but I will ring you on your mobile to let you know the details.”

“Don't you mean cell phone?” She said in her best American accent, which was about as good as mine, which was weak.

“Oh yeah, don't want the locals getting all rallied up 'cause there's a stranger in town, ha
,
ha.” God my red-neck accent sounded more German. I laughed at myself.

“Nope but I think the town will be more pre-occupied with the other newcomers, the scarier ones.” She said this bit in a dire tone and she wasn't laughing. Why did she dislike them so much, had she even seen them, from the sounds of things, not many people had.

I spent the rest of the
day trying to find things to do and c
onsequently my list of jobs didn't take as long as I thought they would have. RJ had called to confirm I was still 'up for it'. I think she was excited about being the one to introduce me into society. “
The Goth rock” society that is
. To be fair, any would do at this point. I just needed to get out and would have joined the chess club to have got me out! And after all my little day dreaming incidents, the last thing I needed was more time on my own to allow my imagination to get even more out of control. It made me miss my little ford fiesta. What I wouldn't do now to just be able to get in a car and drive around and explore the place. Well tonight I was going to get that chance and to say I was a bit nervous was a huge understatement.

After ringing Libby on her “cell” and informing her of the plan, I finished
getting dinner ready. I had made a casserole so all they would need to do is heat it up. I'm sure even Libby could handle that without burning it. Or maybe I should put in into bowls ready to just shove in the microwave. That way she wouldn't have to light anything. I chuckled to myself as I remembered the pizza on my first night here. I decided to leave it in the pot, not wanting to hurt her feelings, the bowl idea was a bit obvious about what I thought of her cookery skills.

I decided to get a shower and start getting ready for tonight. I had done the girlie thing and asked what RJ was wearing tonight, not wanting to stand out even more. Not that I ever really wore anything to stand out, but still I had to check. I had been quite relieved to find out that the place wasn't really the “dress code type”. So I was just going to stick to my old faithful blue jeans that weren't as baggy as my usual ones and a long sleeved black top with a v neck but had a bit of black embroidery across the neck giving it a bit more of a layered look. It was a top my parents had brought me back from their holiday in Spain. It had a gypsy look to it that gave it a bit of a retro feel. I thought it would pass for the alternative look that I was aiming for.

It clung quite tight to my skin, which showed off a little too much of my figure than I liked, so I added a hooded top which was also black with red piping around the edges. It had a huge hood that would give me lots of protection from the weather should we have to queue to get into this place. It also had long sleeves that went right down past my knuckles, which was a wining factor for me. It meant I didn't have to wear my gloves. Even though
for me
that would be quite hard. I had become so used to wearing them everywhere I went that they had become a sort of security blanket for me. Maybe I would wear some just in case, but the ones that only covered my scars and went to just before the elbow.

I had dried my hair, which had taken me the longest part to get ready, it always did, it was just so long and thick, it looked more like a shaggy rug hanging down to my waist. My hair had always been a head turner. I used to enjoy the compliments I received, but now I just wanted to hide it away, tonight being no exception.

I tied it into a knot and secured it up at the back with my strong metal clip. I had this down to a fine art now as this was how I wore it most days. The shorter bits at the front fell down around my face, a fringe that I had been growing out had now changed to blonde curtains that framed my face with one side thicker than the other. I pushed them back with a plain black headband, completing my mundane look. I examined myself in the long mirror in my room and I was satisfied that I didn't stand out yet hopefully didn’t look too much like the newbie I was.

Libby was already downstairs finishing her dinner off and was mopping up the juice with the French stick I had asked her to get when I called. She looked as if she had enjoyed it.

“A bit of a change from fast food!” I said as I joined her at the table. She would have replied with some sarcastic response, I could see it in her eyes but the last remaining evidence of a casserole that had once filled her dish was stuck to one side of the bowl that she was trying to soak up with more bread.

I loved watching people enjoy my food. I had always enjoyed cooking, ever since my dad had shown me how to make potato cakes with left over mashed potatoes from Sunday dinners. He would then get out the video camera and I would
pretend I was a TV chef explaining the process in detail to the lens. After that I was hooked, so much so that everybody, including myself had thought this was going to be my career choice. But it was my other passion of history that took centre stage.

“Yummy, that was delicious, thanks. Frank is going to love that when he comes in, can't I say that I made it and win some brownie points?” I smiled gratefully at her.

“Since when do you need brownie points, Frank adores you?” I removed her plate before she started to try and eat the pattern on the bowl.

“Umm, is there...” I changed direction from the sink to the stove before I had chance to get the bowl wet, I dug the big spoon in the mixture and poured her another bowlful.

“Only if there's enough.” But this last statement was said while she was digging into the hot mixture of meat and vegetables.

“
It’s
fine, I made enough for leftovers, I know how Frank eats and anyway you didn't answer my question.”

“About?” she said with her mouthful.

“Brownie points.
” I said dragging out the words in a reminding tone.

“Yeah well he may adore me but not my feet and I could kill for a foot rub, those shoes were crippling me by the end of the day and well you see he's got these really big, strong hands and...”

“Ok, ok, I get it! Please spare me the details,” I said making a gagging motion but getting it all wrong as I laughed.

“You look nice, didn't want to wear
your
hair down? No I don't blame you in this weather.” She said answering her own question. I mean, I never wore my hair down any more, she knew this or did she think that once I moved here I would change. Back that is.

“You not eating before you go?”

“I had some... earlier I mean.” I answered way too quickly but was hoping she hadn't noticed. She hadn't and I thanked my cooking skills once more for gaining her attention long enough not to notice my bad lying. I had tried to eat something but I found myself too nervous to appease a hungry stomach.

Libby nodded her head toward the clock on the wall and I followed it dreading what it might show.

But it only confirmed my fears. It was nearly time to leave.

Chapter 6 - Big Night out