Chapter 11

Right from the morning my mother started to get ready for the evening when the Lockwood family would come. She was already making some food that will be served. Even dad was helping around the house by finally fixing some little things that he had been putting off, Magdalena was running around home and putting up some decorations. What’s the point in trying to look better if it’s all pretend? That won’t make them like us more. And what if he didn’t even like me...?

“Are you going to Vincent’s?” My mom asked as she marinated chicken.

She usually never cared if I was meeting him, well... maybe she did but she didn’t like it so she never even asked. “Of course.” I answered her, it was obvious that I would go to his place, I had always gone there.

“Then on the way there you need to pick up your dress from a tailor.” I rolled my eyes at her. Was it really necessary? Ordering a dress for me. I could just as well borrow something from Magdalena, she was a little skinnier but surely there would be something I could use.

I walked to the tailor and as I entered Mr. Miller was clapping his hands together. He was an old man with white beard and round figure and he always wore little round glasses that made him look cartoonish. He didn’t dress well as fashion icons would but in his store’s window there were always the prettiest dresses.

I didn’t dress in his style but I could still recognize the fine taste.

“Finally!! I am so excited for you to meet your dress,” he said and started pacing around. “Your mother gave me a little different directions but I made the dress for you not for her.” He explained and picked up a huge box that was tied with glitter ribbon. “There are also shoes for you to match.” He said excitedly. I was about to open it but he shook his finger in front of my face. “Don’t even think about it,” he said. “I want you to see it only before you put it on.”

I was not sure if this was the occasion to wear something so mysterious and magical. “Thank you,” was all I said to him, I knew that this would be a pretty dress, he never made anything ugly. But I would rather wear my clothes. Especially on an occasion I dreaded so much.

I looked at the clock in the store and I needed to rush if I wanted to make it in time before Vincent was put on sleeping pills again. I took the box in my hands and ran to Vincent’s. It wasn’t heavy. Just uncomfortable to carry.

Jasper opened the door for me. “I almost thought you wouldn’t come,” he said and I half ran upstairs.

I entered Vincent’s room heavily breathing but as I opened the doors I noticed Death standing in the corner with a watch in his hands... he looked at me through his eyebrows... Last time I saw a watch like this he took that man’s soul. This couldn’t be it right? I thought to myself.

“My light, my rain, my thunder. You look shocked. Are you fine?” He asked me.

I took my stare off the Death. “Of course, just rushing a bit,” I explained, closing the door behind me, taking a seat on my chair next to his bed.

“What’s in the box?” Vincent asked as I put it down on the floor next to my chair.

I chuckled. “Don’t worry it’s not a gift for you.” He hated gifts, and who even knew what you could give to the man that already knew everything and said that material things didn’t mean anything to him.

“Like a birthday gift, but a death gift,” he joked.

I tucked my hair behind my hair because I felt they were messy and out of control from all the rushing. “It’s a dress... for tonight,” I said, answering his previous question.

“Specially made dress for your fiancé must be important then,” he said but he knew it wasn’t like that.

I heard Death’s steps creeping up. “Well why didn’t you tell me?” he asked in a high pitched voice. “I would have brought an engagement gift,” he said. “Didn’t realize your heart was that easily available.”

Easily available? I wasn’t entirely sure what he meant by that but it was sure it was no flattery.

I didn’t like it. Didn’t like hearing him speak when Vincent was near.

“He is not my fiancé,” I whispered. I didn’t want to call him that, it didn’t feel like that. I wasn’t sure to whom I made that statement.

“He will be... but then...Well then I just wish it works out for you well,” Vincent said, he must have accepted that fact better than me. I didn’t think he ever thought that I would be the one to marry someone only for companionship and not for love.

“It won’t,” I mumbled. I knew my fate. Fate wasn’t always something happy but it was something I needed to accept.

“Why so sure?” He questioned. “Yes. I said it is bound to fail, but… maybe I am wrong… if you believe that then believe it to your fullest.” Vincent wasn’t acting like usual. Maybe he was just psyching me out? He would never think this was the right decision.

“There is a reason it hasn’t worked out until now,” I said.

“And that reason is that you haven’t found the right one for you,” he said but I didn’t want to answer him, I didn’t want to talk about my loneliness in front of Death. He clearly didn’t want to know anything about me.

“Maybe.” Was all I said?

Vincent knew something was up when I gave him one word answers. “Why so quiet?” He asked.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” I snapped at him, but shook my head when I recognized my rough tone. If only Vincent knew it wasn’t for him.

From the corner Death spoke to me.

“Oh, Love, don’t be bothered by me being here, you can talk about your love life all you want… I would love to hear more about the way mortals think about it,” he said the last part in an irritating girlish voice. I didn’t answer and it must have irritated Death. “I don’t think it plays such a big deal if some individuals are ready to give all the little years they got for just anyone.”

I just ignored him until Jasper came in.

“Time to sleep!” Jasper said to Vincent. But he just nodded. When he gave the pills to Vincent he looked at me. “You will stay?” He asked.

I nodded. “A little.”

I waited till Vincent fell asleep and turned to Death and as I did that he looked up at me. “That watch ?” I asked worriedly.

“Not yet...” was all he said. And it was a huge relief.

But still I wanted to be prepared. “Then... when?” I asked him.

He shook his head. “Not yet,” was all he said and I figured he wouldn’t tell me.

It was disappointing, he must have noticed how unpleased that made me. “What a useless gift of seeing Death if you still don’t get your answers.”

I could have agreed with him. I would think that meeting otherworldly entities could benefit me... right now it didn’t do anything except terrified me.

“Do you know everyone’s time?” I asked and he just nodded. He was not talking much this time, something seemed off but I didn’t mention it.

Maybe I could get something from him. I stood up from my chair and walked a little closer. My hands locked behind me making a wobbly walk. “What’s mine?” I asked.

“Not telling,” he said looking down.

“Do you know how?” I asked but he just shook his head no.

“What hurt it does for you to tell?” I questioned.

He shrugged. “It doesn’t. It’s just not the way.”

“What if I die tomorrow? I could be wasting my last hours.” It was good enough reasoning.

“Your not going to die tomorrow.” He argued.

“I could still be wasting my last year.” I continued the banter.

“You have more than a year.”

“Five years are not much either.” I threw my eyes up at the ceiling, keeping him answering.

But he didn’t. I shot my head at him. So he couldn’t be tricked into telling me.

His eyes disappeared in the ground, zoned out.

“Are you alright?” I finally asked him but he just laughed at me through a smirk. Was it that stupid to ask him? I believed even Death could have problems… or maybe I was just his main problem…

When he didn’t even answer I spoke again. “Why are you here? And the first time I saw you, do you need to be here?” I asked.

“Sometimes when someone is slowly dying people say that they feel Death in the air... that’s me... I like to be around the ones who are waiting for me. And he.” Death pointed at Vincent’s bed. “Vincent is waiting for me, not like others who despite me and try to get away even when there is no chance of escaping, but the wise ones are never surprised by Death, they are always waiting for me,” he explained.

“You want for people to like you…?”I asked but he kept his expression in deep thought. I figured the conversation wouldn’t be pleasant with him, so I walked up to my box and picked it up. “I have to go,” I said to him.

“Will you come tonight?” He asked but I was confused by his question.

“Why wouldn’t I?” I asked.

“Sounded like you had plans,” he said, referring to that dinner. I swore I felt disappointment in his voice. Or maybe I was too good friends with delusions.

“If I said I would help, I will,” I said. “Might not be the best thing to do, to trick death.”

“Why do you even bother?” He asked. Our eyes met for a moment too long and I stupidly had to stutter my breath. I didn’t like it when he watched me like that. Like he saw through me. “We have no deal. You have no use of this.”

I didn’t know why I agreed so easily, why I agreed at all. “I don’t have many friends...” I started but he felt the need to cut me off.

“We are not friends,” he said, quickly clenching his jaw.

Of course that hurt a little bit, even if we weren’t friends, and I knew we were not, it still clenches the heart when someone was so against being your friend, and I had experienced it too many times already.

I needed to fix what I said. “What I mean is... I don’t usually have anyone who asks me for help... at least not this kind of help, it’s always about the pack’s stuff. I just... I like to help others with more personal stuff... I don’t know why... It just gets boring sometimes and this makes it less... mundane.” I tried to explain but it still wasn’t enough. “Anyways... I need to go.” I said and gave him a forced little smile.

“You lie.” His face showed no doubt. He was sure of it.

“You don’t know me as well as you think.” He tilted his head at me. Waiting for me to give him the true answer. I strongly exhaled with my eyes closed. “Everyone has always wanted to get away from me. Wouldn’t want you having to be stuck with me for the next seventy years.”

It wasn’t that I really needed to go. I just wanted to be away from him for a little while. It was just that his presence still made my heart race in fear from him.

I shut the door behind me. Didn’t want him to question or even look at me.

I spent my day working under Betas commands. We were sorting out the archive, a lot of outdated data. I didn’t have anything else to do.

And I made sure to go home at the very last minute.

“Finally you are here,” mom said and I noticed that she and dad and Magdalena were already dressed up. Why did they need to dress up? It wasn’t like they were marrying. “You need to go get ready right now! They will be here in twenty minutes.” My mom was pushing me to the staircase and Magdalena pulled the box from my hands and walked in front of me.

“I’ll help you,” she said, looking back at me with a wide smile.

“I hate this,” I mumbled under my breath but Magdalena still heard it.

When we were up she turned towards me. “You said it’s fine. I told you it isn’t right,” she looked worried. She only told me that marrying me off is bad because I accused her of being a bad sister.

I didn’t want to make her worry for me and it’s not like it would make any difference. “I mean... this whole preparation, I...I don’t like it. It’s just that mom is panicking and all that,” I lied to her and her smile came back. How easy it was to lie to people that didn’t really know you.

“Well then we have to dress you up!” She said excited and her excitement made me sick. How delusional could one actually be? She really didn’t see how this was affecting me.

We entered my room and Magdalena opened the box and it revealed white dress with beautiful flower embroidery. It had long mesh sleeves with a slit in them, still exposing my arms but making them covered. It had a beautiful V-neck cut and the part that made me smile was the slit on the leg that all my other dresses had. “It’s beautiful,” Magdalena said with a wide mouth.

I took out the shoes that were there and they were with the same beading sandals with a little heel. I never talked to that tailor… but he somehow knew me.

Magdalena did my hair curling it a little more than it usually was, because usually they were wavy blown out. She carefully did my makeup, putting sparkly eye shadow on my cheekbones. She made me look pretty... like I was trying to make him like me.

When I put on my dress and shoes I finally walked up to the mirror. And I didn’t remember when the last time I was this dressed up was, the dress was simple but it had details that made it look elegant and expensive. It made my waist look smaller than it was. It complimented every feature in me. I hated that when I felt so beautiful I needed to do it for someone I didn’t even care about...

“It’s time to go,” Magdalena said and we both walked downstairs. In the living room I heard some unfamiliar voices. As we walked down I noticed two older people I guessed were his parents. A big built man and a woman that was too kind looking. I doubted she was as kind as her eyes looked. He could definitely be as he looked. Long frown and eyebrows that went over his eyes.

And then I noticed the man.

Xavier…

He noticed me and I saw that even my mom and dad were watching me astonished. “Hello Meredith,” he said in a low voice. He looked at me with dreamy eyes and a wide smile.

Why was he so happy? Like we were friends? He had only spoken to me once.

I needed to say something back. The pressure was about to get the best of me. “ Xavier,” I simply said, not even trying to smile. I wasn’t so happy to meet him. But he did smile at me and he gave me a bouquet of flowers…. How I could instantly tell that this would be a long night…