I poked around at my pretzels and turkey sandwich. I wasn't very hungry. My stomach was all knotted. The sun was down, the moon was up, and a creepy chick was hounding me.
Rena cut up her apple into eight perfect slices. She systemically put a dollop of peanut butter on each one. Delicately she popped one into her mouth. Chew. Swallow. In went the next. I watched with fascination. I became fixated on watching her eat. The monotony of the task drove everything else out. A minute or two passed before she became fully aware of this.
“Is there something on my face?” She grabbed a napkin and dabbed around her mouth.
“No. I'm just, uh, thinking. Sorry.” I dropped my eyes.
“You look down,” Patrice said from behind me. She plopped down in the seat next to me. She was wearing an orange maxi dress, with a white shawl over her shoulders. She looked like a safety cone and yet, still she looked good. She grabbed some of my pretzels.
“Just having a few problems.”
Rena and Patrice exchanged looks. Everyone knew my problems. This did not mean I wanted to talk openly about them over turkey, apples, and pretzels.
“I heard those two agents talking about a missing vampire-”
“You mean you were eavesdropping on them?” If I survived this ordeal I would never take part in her gossip circle again.
“Call it what you want. So, you okay? This can't be easy for you.”
I grimaced and put my hands in my lap. If I ran away and hid I wouldn’t have to look into all the eyes that offered me pity. Instead I said nothing and looked away.
“Poke her in the eyes. Like I said before, having speed and strength is useless if you can't see.” She smiled. Yes, her very sound advice of poking out eyes.
A vision of those eyes trying to bend me flashed in my mind's eye. Patrice's suggestion was easy to imagine, but harder to execute.
“It'll be alright in the end. You'll see.” She grabbed another pretzel and smiled another beautiful toothy grin. She got up, patted my shoulder and left me with my food.
“Yeah,” Rena said quickly. “You're tough. You can take on one, newly turned vampire.”
I wish I was as confident as she was. I gave Rena my best smile.