Chapter 6
The Name Game
The next morning when I rolled out of bed and looked in the mirror, I thought my eyes looked different. I even asked Kathy and Lindy about them. Kathy just shrugged. Her morning routine was much quieter than any other time of the day: she had to do her yoga; she had to eat her bran, and then get ready for school. We loved mornings with our roommate.
“Well, they may be a little puffy, but other than that, they look fine.” I stared at my sister’s eyes and then peered back into the mirror as Lindy looked closely at me.
“No, something is different. They don’t look exactly like yours anymore.” I pushed at the eyelids; I pulled on my lashes. “Something is not right.”
“You’re crazy! Get ready for school, or you’ll be late and then you’ll be in a mood.” Melinda was right; I hated to be late.
I finished up in the bathroom, threw my things into my backpack and grabbed my coat. “See you all later,” I called, just before pulling the door shut.
Kathy was still on the floor like some crazy contortionist as Lindy called after me, “Love you, sis.”
Bright sunlight poured in through the outer glass doors nearly blinding me. But it was great to finally see the sun again after the past week of gray skies, and when I stepped outside, the air felt thick and humid. Little brown sparrows twittered about chirping with glee. I watched a squirrel jumping from limb to limb in a red maple tree, and out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of something black. I turned to see what it was, but it had disappeared behind the corner of the building. I shrugged. My eyes had been playing all kinds of tricks on me this morning, so I didn’t think much of it - until my walk to Anthropology class when I sensed someone watching me. And even though it was broad daylight, the ever-increasing notion of being followed began to unnerve me. I wanted to turn around and look, but I just couldn’t; instead I quickened my pace. I wondered if the unsettled feeling from last night added to my over-active imagination today. Or was this fear warranted? I started walking even faster, and just as I broke out into a cold sweat, I arrived at Gaige Hall. Safe, and feeling somewhat silly.
After my first class I headed over to the Horace Mann Hall to the walk-in computer lab. The sun was still bright and high in the sky, and much warmer than it had been in weeks. I looked down at the colorful, swirling leaves as they crunched under my feet, and noticed my short shadow following me as I hurried along the sidewalk. Out of the blue, my pulse suddenly quickened and my mouth went dry. I pulled my water bottle out of my backpack and took a long drink. No time for fainting spells today, please!
The lab was all but empty, and I was sure to find an open computer. With so few students hunched over keyboards and monitors, the room was eerily quiet, except for the sound of the familiar clicking and tapping as text was typed. I claimed an open computer, put my backpack on the floor near the table, hung my coat on the chair, and signed in.
I had decided to do a bit of research since I had some time to spare. Names always fascinated me - their meanings, the culture of the people surrounding their origins. So, of course, I had to look up his name- even though, in all likelihood, I would never see him again. His name was so different, so unique: Emrys. As I opened the search engine, I marveled. How did we ever get along before we had Google?
In no time at all, I found a website that listed names and their meanings and included a search-box for specific spellings. I typed in Emrys, guessing at the letters. I watched and waited, and when the meaning popped up, goose bumps scurried all over my body and a quick shiver jerked through me.
Emrys: Welsh form of Latin Ambrosius meaning immortal.
Was this some kind of sick joke? I took a breath, and then tried his middle name. Blake: Old English byname for a person with unusually dark hair. And finally, his last name - Bertrand: Medieval French form of Old High German Berhtram, meaning bright raven. Okay, so he’s an undying, dark- bright raven. Laughing out loud, I attracted a few glances my way from other students. I checked the clock and thought - as long as time was being wasted here, I may as well keep going, and punched in my own name.
Elizabeth: God is my oath. Since I nearly died at birth, perhaps our mother felt my life was a miracle from God, but I had no clue about my middle name: Amarande. I typed it in. The internet hung, leaving the little hourglass on the screen draining and turning and draining.
“Oh, flaming hell,” I muttered under my breath.
I waited, tapping my fingers. Perhaps I should be doing something more constructive - like looking over my notes for my next class. I was just about to forget this whole little extracurricular activity when the computer was back in action and the page opened. The words leapt out at me, nearly knocking me off the chair. Was this an auspicious omen?
Amarande: A variation of Amarantha -Greek origin meaning unfading – also the name of a mythical flower that was supposed to be immortal.
Same as Emrys. Okay, this couldn’t possibly get any weirder.
I remembered that Melinda’s name meant black or dark in modern English, but when I looked it up I was surprised to see the Latin origin meant sweet. Our only baby picture showed that we both had pitch-black hair at birth, but not many people thought of Lindy as being sweet! I decided to see about her middle name.
Anastasia: Feminine form of Greek Anastasios meaning resurrection.
The universe must be toying with me. In one way or another, all of our names referred to living forever. Fine - I could play along. What if all of these coincidences meant something? And perhaps it also had something to do with our plan to attend the party which would give us specific choices regarding our eternal futures. It only made sense then, that I should get Melinda to ask Emrys to join us. Maybe he’d like to live with me forever and ever! My heart skipped a beat. What a flaming crock! This was all so juvenile. I leaned back in my seat and stretched my neck muscles for a minute. There was time for one more, I thought with a snicker.
I decided to look up Fiona just for fun.
Fiona: Irish – Gaelic origin meaning fair-white.
That was quite appropriate. I had to think about her middle name for a few seconds. Oh, yes, it was Ameretat. Another unusual one. I frowned as I typed it into the search box hoping I had spelled it right, and noted casually that all our middle names began with an “A”. After the page loaded and I scrolled down to see the meaning, I went cold. An acute chill prickled the surface of my skin, and another cold sweat engulfed me. Was this even possible?
Ameretat: Avestan name meaning immortal
Was this just another coincidence, or was this for real? But why isn’t Lindy’s second name like ours? I reached over to the mouse and clicked back a page or two, finding it a second later. Resurrection is different from never dying, but dying and being brought back was close enough. My mind reeled as I tried to make sense of it all. My strange dizziness returned, and I feared I might have another fainting spell. I pushed my chair away from the desk, leaned forward and put my head between my knees pretending to pick up a dropped pencil - in reality trying to get the blood to return to my head. I didn’t want to collapse in the computer lab - that was for sure. What was up with me lately? I was not usually one to faint. When I thought things were back to normal, I eased myself up again. Strange silver slivers darted here and there, evidence that I had not fully recovered. In fact, my vision had definitely been going haywire today because again I thought I saw a black form - this time, exiting the main door. Once more I checked the clock and realized I had to get going, so, dizzy or not, I gathered all my things and ran.
My next lecture was a blur; it was close to impossible to concentrate. Not only did I have all our names and their meanings running through my mind, I was now consumed with thoughts of the party and how I could get Emrys there. Surely he’d think I was crazy. I had no way to find him in time, other than to sit in the pub and hope he got th
irsty or something. That, in and of itself, was weird. If he is on vacation, why would he hang around a pub that caters mostly to college students and serves only greasy fast food? Why indeed. Unless, he was meant to meet me! What a grand thought. We were meant to be together...yeah right.
These sarcastic and nonsensical thoughts irritated me like a static radio station that wouldn’t come in clear. But I couldn’t shut them down no matter how I tried. Every other turn of the knob brought me back to the party, or to Emrys.
At lunch, I went to The Café - as usual, but Lindy wasn’t there. Fiona wasn’t there either, and I had to eat alone. It was not good for me to be left alone with my own thoughts right now. I needed a diversion. As I took a bite of my apple, I looked up and saw Mark stroll in wearing a big smile. He came over to say hi and I asked him to sit, please. He’d do as well as any other diversion. I drilled him with questions regarding my sister and his feelings for her.
His blonde head bobbed up and down as he answered, “Yeah, she’s something else. I really like her spunky attitude.”
I caught him eying me closely. I would venture to bet that he had been speculating the possibility that I was actually Melinda! All she’d have to do is not curl her hair; he’d never know. And if all the questions I asked weren’t convincing enough for him, the surprised look on my face would have revealed the truth. My mouth dropped open when he said they’d be out of town Saturday and Sunday – he and Lindy had planned a trip to Boston and hoped to return on Monday. I sat dismayed; she had not even bothered to tell me about it. This was serious; we are drifting apart. I supposed it was inevitable; we couldn’t expect to live together forever. But it made me sad.
Mark asked me what I had planned for the weekend, and added, “Hey, what’s going on tonight? It’s kind of driving me nuts that Melinda wouldn’t say much - just that it’s a girl’s night out.” He looked sullen as his mouth puckered, but it looked cute on him.
“It’s no big deal. We’re just hanging out- Fiona, Lindy and me.” I wished he hadn’t mentioned it; now I couldn’t stop thinking about it again. My answer must have been comforting. He gave up with a quick smile, glanced at his phone and said he had to get to Quantum Mechanics. I wished him good luck as he raced off.
One more hour, and I could get out of here for the weekend. For the most part, I had enjoyed all my Anthropology and Sociology studies; however, the professor in my next class seemed to have it out for me. And with all that was on my mind, it would be difficult enough to concentrate without having to deal with her rudeness. We’d already had a few minor disagreements, but since our last meeting I thought I’d have a hard time showing any respect for her at all. I wasn’t against constructive criticism by any means, but she had said something to me during class which should have been said in private.
A few days earlier, as she handed back an essay, she peered at me over her glasses and said in a condescending tone, “Tsk, Tsk, Elizabeth. I expected better from you.”
My face had burned - three shades of crimson. Why would anyone want to embarrass another person in public, anyway? Just to show their superiority? I hated that. I hated my face when it gave my feelings away and I hung my head down hoping my hair covered my embarrassment.
I knew I couldn’t listen to her after she made me feel like a fool. She had been thoughtless and mean, and I no longer cared about anything she had to say. I doodled in my notebook and never once looked back up at her. She had let her profession go to her head, and it made me angry. I got quite a surprise when I finally turned my essay over after class that day. I had figured I got a “D” on the paper. No. I got a “B”. And now, two days later, I still couldn’t look her in the eye.
I sat down in my seat prepared to ignore her for the next hour, and with everything swirling through my mind, it was even easier than I had imagined it could be.
When I arrived at home later I was surprised to find Fiona had gotten there already. Lindy was in the shower, and Kathy was nowhere to be seen, so we’d be able to talk and hear ourselves. Fiona wore white dress pants and a slinky green tank top with lace all around the chest. The color brought out her green eyes and made her look less pale. I didn’t say so, but I thought the top looked more like sexy lingerie - not something I would ever wear, but then, according to my sister, I had always been a prude.
“What on earth should I wear, Fiona? I’ve never been to a vampire gala before!”
“You’re so funny...” She went to the closet and started rummaging through our clothes - Melinda and I shared everything. “You could wear this red dress!” she suggested, calling over her shoulder.
She turned to face me and, with the dress still on the hanger, held it up to herself. It happened to be a fancier dress Lindy had bought for a Christmas party last year. Even though it was lovely, it was too low-cut for my tastes.
Before I had a chance to voice my opinion, the bathroom door flew open and Lindy leaned out, wrapped only in a towel, and shouted, “No! I’m wearing the red one!”
Decision made. The bathroom door closed again and Fiona drifted back to the closet. I had been so busy thinking of a way to ask Lindy if we could stop at the pub to see if Emrys was there, so she could invite him to the party, that I all but ignored the outfits Fiona kept shoving into my face. Until she brought out the shimmery, cobalt blue dress that I forgot we owned. It had short sleeves, was trim fitting, and had a low scoop neckline - not so there was cleavage, just low enough to show some skin. The color was outstanding, and I gave her a wide grin as she held it up to me. “Lizzy! This makes your eyes look like sapphires!”
I chuckled, “That’s so funny! I meant to tell you that your top made your eyes look like emeralds!”
Melinda stepped out of the bathroom with her makeup all finished. All she needed was to get dressed and add a few more curls to her hair. We both looked at my sister and laughed when she held up the red dress.
“Yes?” Lindy asked with a huge smile.
“Yes!” Fiona and I chimed together.
I hopped into the shower and washed as fast as I could. Of course, I did my hair first so that the intense cream rinse and conditioner could stay on as long as possible. With our hair, we spent more on hair-care products than we did on food. As I patted myself dry, I peeked out of the window to check on the weather. The wind had picked up a bit and I shivered at the thought of what we were about to do. For a brief moment I felt a dizziness come over me and I stepped away from the window, bent down to let blood flow back into my head, and then stood slowly – this time it worked. I was able to finish my routine of powder and lotion without another episode of light-headedness or chills.
When we were just about ready, I grabbed Fiona and pulled her into the bathroom.
“Please, let me do this. You want to meet the love of your life tonight, don’t you? Well, he shouldn’t have to see you so pale just yet, right?” I teased.
She gave in and sat down on the toilet and let me play makeup artist. I put a soft layer of foundation on her whole face, a little pink blush on her cheeks, and light green shadow on her eyelids. I found my medium brown eyeliner and lined her eyes, adding as a final touch, a bit of mascara. Since she hated lipstick, I handed her some pink lip-gloss, and as I hovered over her like a mother hen, she applied it with a reluctant grunt.
“There! Are you happy now?”
“You look stunning, Fiona. If your perfect someone doesn’t fall madly in love with you tonight, he’s blind as a bat!”
She rolled her emerald eyes at me and smiled. When she left the bathroom, I heard a low whistle - my nutty sister letting Fiona know how ravishing she looked.
For once I thought my hair had turned out perfect; it hung to my waist in long, shiny strands. My makeup was good - not too much, not too little - and I put on my red lipstick. When I walked out of the bathroom, both girls whistled. I laughed, and then saw my sister. The red dress was eve
n more revealing than I had realized. It showed far more cleavage than I’d ever be comfortable with; but she did look fabulous. Her upper-arms were thin and well toned; and even though we worked out together three days a week doing exactly the same reps, I was positive her arms appeared thinner than mine. Sometimes I wished I could be as brave as she was, dressing so sexy. The hem of her dress came to mid-thigh, and her legs were shapely and smooth. At times like this, it amazed me how different we could be. She turned toward the mirror, finished her last curl, and unplugged the iron. We were ready.
“I have to ask you girls a question before we leave,” I announced. “Would you mind if we stop at the pub to see if Emrys is there? I thought if he was, then you could ask him to come with us, Lindy. You didn’t invite anyone, did you?”
They both glanced at each other like I was insane. Did they know something I didn’t know?
“What?” I asked, doubling the syllables in the word. I was totally in the dark here.
“I filled Fiona in on your so-called date the other night with Emrys, since you hadn’t mentioned it yet,” Lindy started. “She asked me what he looked like, because the whole concept of you flitting around a guy you didn’t know was so strange... so I told her.”
“Told her what? That he’s tall, dark and handsome? That he has eyes to die for and he sends volts of electricity through me when he touches me, and I want to ravish him?” I stood with my hands on my hips.
Fiona’s mouth fell open. “No, she said he had long dark hair and beautiful eyes. What’s wrong with you, Lizzy? Why are you so weird lately?”
“I’m not being weird,” I said in defense. This conversation annoyed me and I wasn’t sure why.
Lindy continued, “When I told her what he looked like, Fiona mentioned she may have seen him that night her random guy invited her to this party.”
I glared at Fiona and snapped, “Explain!”
“Well...” She took a breath. “Remember that day when we went to the mall? After I dropped you guys off, I stopped at the coffee shop for a quick pick-me-up. I knew I had to stay up late and study,” she added, still guarded. “You already know how the random guy invited me to the party. After I said yes, he went to a table and joined a guy that had long black hair. I saw him glance over for a minute, but I didn’t actually see his face. I was next in line.” She shrugged. “I honestly have no idea if he was your eye man or not. I never caught any names. And by the time I got my coffee, he was gone.”
“What was he wearing?” I had to know if it was Emrys or not.
“I don’t remember, Lizzy.” She shook her head and flipped open her cell phone to check the time. “Chances are it wasn’t even him. Let’s get going, we can’t be late! And if you want to make a pit stop at the pub, we have to hit it now,” Fiona added, looking flushed. Or, maybe it was only the blush - I couldn’t be sure.
Most often, we’d walk to the pub, but since Fiona’s car was just outside and we had to drive to the dock anyway, we rode the few blocks in her VW. Luckily we were all small girls; it was a tight fit, especially all dressed up for a night out.
When we strolled into the pub, there wasn’t an eye in the place that didn’t turn and stare at us. We heard a few whistles, but ignored all the ogling. A couple girls that Fiona knew came up to us and asked us where we were headed in our fancy clothes.
Fiona did her rendition of fast introductions by saying all our names, followed by: “Nowhere, just out, here and there. We stopped in to see if Lizzy’s new friend was here.”
I elbowed her hard.
“Ouch! What was that for?” She looked at me through squinted eyes.
The chubby girl called Natalie leaned toward me and whispered, “I think I saw him earlier just outside of your building! Doesn’t he usually wear a long trench coat?” I could only imagine she’d seen us here together on Thursday night. My stomach curled into a large tight ball. I tasted blood – from biting my tongue so hard.
“I never told him where we lived,” I said using my fake calm voice. Fiona and Lindy stared at me, waiting for my reaction. “I guess he must have been looking for me too.” I said, trying to reason it all out. I could not, for the life of me, imagine who would have told him where we lived. I shrugged, pretending this news didn’t bother me, smiled at Natalie and said, “Thanks” just as I realized I hadn’t answered her question about his coat. “Yes, a trench coat, I think.”
Melinda saw the mortified look on Fiona’s face and said, “Nice meeting you both, but we’ve got to head out now.”
The girls scooted back to their game of darts after giving us one more round of compliments on our appearance, and as soon as they could no longer overhear us, Fiona grabbed my arm - a little rougher than necessary.
“Lizzy, why would he be looking for you tonight? You told him you were busy, right?” she asked in a frenzied whisper.
“Yes. But I didn’t tell him where we’d be going. You don’t think he would try to follow us, do you?” I began to feel a bit panicked now - my hands grew sweaty and my head spun. I didn’t want to ruin Fiona’s night. If you allowed anyone to come that wasn’t invited, the consequences were simple - you would be uninvited. And I for one didn’t want Fiona to pay for any mistakes I may have made, even unknowingly.
We hurried out the door after looking around one more time. No men with long dark hair at all.
Back in the car again on our way to the Marina, Fiona glanced into the mirror and touched her hair. “Do you guys think my hair is too curly?”
“Fiona, don’t be silly. You’re beautiful exactly as you are.” I had no patience for any of her insecurity right now, but I was glad she wasn’t concerned with uninvited guest mishaps any longer.