Being Grey (Beings Trilogy) (5 page)

“So what’s the opposite of ‘Gifted’?” Robbie asks.

“A loan?” I try

“Or to take?” Annabel questions.

“I like that one better. Let’s call them ‘Takers’
Adrian
.” Poppy adds.

“What if it’s too late to save this Jason? What if there is a ‘Taker’ out there and they realise his potential for something evil?”

“It’s not too late for him.” I say the words quickly, maybe too dramatically. They all look at me as I’m standing defiantly. I don’t remember standing.

Adrian
frowns.

“I understand you’re interest in this boy, Alice.” He says.

The room falls silent, but all eyes are on
Adrian
now. I sit back down again. Poppy slides her hand over mine and gives it a little squeeze. I love this girl.

“I have taught you all I can about destroying them, how to cover your tracks; how to make it look like an accident or a suicide; how to even distance yourselves from the kill. But there is one more lesson for you to learn.”

“I’m not learning the Tango.” Stefan smiles brightly. We all laugh. It’s broken the tension.

Adrian
smiles, “No. You don’t have to learn the Tango. But you do need to learn how to selectively hunt. There are times when we need to
use
those with damned
Beings
to draw out the people mentoring them, to get to the ‘Takers’. There are times we need to keep damned
Beings
alive.

“When you encounter the damned, they are unaware of you. We have the advantage of surprise. You will sense a ‘Taker’ by a feeling of being drained, weakness. The first time it will take a while for your strength to return. Be very careful at this point. Don’t forget their ultimate goal is to kill you.”

“I felt a bit sick, but that was more to do with the shock than anything else.” I say.

“Adam is not a ‘Taker’, Alice. You would have known if he was.”

We’ve all gone very quiet. Stefan can’t think of something funny to say; Poppy isn’t laughing and Annabel doesn’t have any input. We’ve lived all of our lives knowing that our main purpose was to find good people. There was always the element of danger, the ‘dark side’ involved, but this has elevated that danger. This is serious. Really serious. But is Jason worth taking the risk over?

I picture him in high school, tie pulled loose and his stupid cute little grin. Yes, worth the risk.

“Then we if all agree, let’s keep Adam alive and go for the ‘Taker’.” Robbie sounds too enthusiastic.

I’ve done the unthinkable to Poppy. I’ve invited Annabel over for lunch. Poppy arrived home twenty minutes ago, and it’s taken me that long to drum up the courage to tell her.

“Please Poppy don’t give me that look. I thought it would be nice for the girls to get together and giggle about boys before my date tonight.” I plead.

“The
girls
are already here. The girl troll is on her way over.” She pouts.

We don’t hate Annabel by any stretch. And making fun of her is just our way of releasing a little of the tension that’s still left over after our meeting.

Even though she’s pulling the most miserable face ever she starts giggling before I do. “She’s not a troll.” I try, hoping this doesn’t turn into a full scale scathing attack. “But yea, she does look a little like one.”

“Big foreheaded troll with buggy eyes” she’s giggling so much it’s almost hurting her now “and a jutting out chin.”

Annabel doesn’t really look like this. Unless you squint slightly. Naturally that’s when the doorbell rings so we have to try and compose ourselves. We both run to answer the door and as we open it we take one look at Annabel, look at each other, and then break out into giggling fits again.

“What’s so funny this time?”

For no reason at all, that just makes us laugh more. Poppy has to take a bathroom break so I’m left to make up some lame excuse as to why we’re both crazy.

“We were just guessing what colour blouse you’d wear and we were both wrong. Silly really.” I attempt.

“Yes.”

Eek, no more giggling with that response.

“I thought we’d just go to the café around the corner if that’s ok with you. I wanted to fill you in on my date tonight and ask you for some older girl advice?” Trying to be nice.

“Sure. I’d enjoy that.” Wow, did she just smile at me? Is there really a girl inside the troll? Oh no, am about to start giggling again so run upstairs to change my shoes.

We’re seated next to the window in the local café. I love people watching from here. Living in
Wimbledon
, I always expect to see god like tennis men strutting about in their white shorts but truthfully, it only gets crazy here for 2 weeks of the year, and there’s no white shorts. Just wet people wearing cagoules and eating strawberries.

“So, you really like this Jason then?” Annabel asks.

“I, I don’t know. I used to think I’d marry him when I grew up but that was a long time ago. He certainly looks good but obviously he’s gotten in with the wrong crowd. I don’t think you can know if you’d like someone after one dinner.”

Annabel and Poppy look at each other and start laughing. I’m shocked. One, I didn’t know Annabel
could
laugh but more importantly two, she’s laughing with my best friend. About me!

“I don’t think you can know if you’d like someone after one dinner.” Poppy imitates shrugging her shoulder and fluttering her eyelashes. I didn’t do that. Maybe once.

“OK. He’s cute. Really cute. And I got jelly legs. Did I really look like that? The way Poppy looks when she hears the name Stefan?” You know when you say something and wish you could take it back?

To my surprise, Poppy doesn’t look mad. On the contrary, she has that faraway look that means she’s daydreaming about their wedding day.

“Yes, pretty much like that.” Annabel laughs.

We tease each other for a while and I’m really surprised at Annabel. She’s usually so bossy and a know-it-all but the mention of boys and she becomes as giggly as me and Poppy. I like this side of her.

Annabel continues, “Did you ever see Robbie with his shirt off? Now that’s really something. Almost illegal but 5 years from now you’ll be fighting the ladies off him.” This catches me by surprise. I think of Robbie as a (not much) younger brother. “And he’s fast. We were out one night and I saw him move towards a damned
Being
. Literally came at him with such speed and just punched the guy right in the chest. I bet the medical examiner is still wondering what killed him with such force.”

I have a moment of unease. If anything ever happened to Luke what would become of Robbie?

“What are you going to wear tonight?” No prizes for knowing Poppy asked that question.

“Uh, jeans and that blue blouse I had on last week I guess.”

“I don’t think so.” They both squealed in unison.

So off we go to rummage through stores to find the appropriate ‘darrrrrling’ little dress for tonight.

Chapter Nine

“I’m not nervous. I’m petrified. I have been on dates before but not with long legged gorgeous Jason. Who I may either fall in love with or I’ll kill. And I’ll definitely kill his friend. Just not as quickly as I’d hoped. Does it mean I’m crazy that I’m holding a conversation with myself out loud?”

I look in the mirror and apart from the look of horror on my face, I look good. The girls talked me into buying a red dress. It’s got a plunging neckline that I know I’m going to either be fidgeting all night with or I’ll end up taking my ‘old faithful’ black cardigan with me and throwing that on. Its knee length and sleeveless and I’ve got my black shoes on that I wear only on special occasions where I won’t have to walk too far for fear of death by crippling. I want my jeans.

“You look beautiful.” I turn away from the mirror and there’s Poppy on the verge of tears.

“Oh come here silly. I’m not going to run away and marry him and leave you.” I hug her like only best friends can.

“But he’ll fall madly in love with you looking like that.” She suddenly bursts with a smile. “The good news is his
Being
will rot with all the disgusting thoughts he’ll have!”

There’s a knock at the door so we run downstairs and Poppy hides in the kitchen when I open the door.

“Wow, you look amazing.” Jason says.

As does he. In jeans. But with a white shirt that would make any washing powder advert proud.

“Hello Jason.” Poppy says as she emerges from the kitchen. She’s wrinkling her nose, trying to sense a damned
Being
. “Off anywhere exciting tonight?”

I can see that she’s struggling to smile. She darts a look at me that I interpret as ‘that’s worse than I thought it would be.’ I smile back at her reassuringly. I can look after myself.

“Just thought as it’s such a beautiful evening we’d have dinner in the
Beer
Garden
in town. I won’t keep
Alice
out late but don’t wait up.” He teases.

She looks like she wants to kill him.

As I turn to leave she’s right beside me. She squeezes my hand and takes my ‘old faithful’ cardigan that I thought I’d successfully smuggled. Then she darts upstairs. Damn.

It really is a beautiful evening and Jason drives the short distance in to town. Whatever awkwardness there may have been the other day is gone now. We laugh at stories from years ago and fill in the gaps of the last 5 years easily.

As the night progresses the darkness around him seems to let in a little light. I think I can save his
Being
.

I ask him to tell me more about his group of friends. I’ve told him a little bit of my friends, mentioning very vaguely we met during martial arts classes.

“Well, Adam you know,” he starts, giving me a look that says lets leave him alone for now, “and I moved in with a guy named David that helped me get my job. We work together and live together so gets a bit much sometimes.”

I nod, I understand as I spend virtually every day with Poppy. Love her but sometimes you need your own time and space.

“And then there’s Ian. Not sure how the others know him but he’s a funny one. Rich family but he’s not one for airs and graces. Quiet. People watcher.”

Well none of them sound pure evil.

“I am so glad we met up again
Alice
. It’s always good to see you.”

Dinner is over. We’re outside, he looks gorgeous and I wonder do things get any better than this?

“It’s good to see you too Jason and I’ve had a wonderful night. Even if you did have to bring up that story about the time I got my skirt tucked in my knickers.”

He laughs. “Can you believe it’s almost 11 O’clock already?”

 
“Well I guess we’d better get going.” I say regretfully.

We drive home and there’s that horrible awkward moment where I wonder do I kiss him on the cheek; will he walk me to the front door, is he going to want to see me again?

“I’ve got plans with Adam and the guys in the week,” moment spoiled, “but if you’re free on Friday maybe we could do something?”

“I’d love to.” I had fun; he’s still a great guy, regardless of the colour of his
Being
.

“Great. I’ll call you later in the week.”

I get out of the car and fumble around in my bag for my keys. I’m walking to the door when I feel a touch on my arm. I turn around and he’s close. I didn’t even hear him get out of the car.

“Goodnight
Alice
” he murmurs and then pulls me closer to him.