Torn

Chapter 4

I woke up the next morning on Kevin’s couch. My whole body ached from the training we had done last night. We had started with karate, and I soon found out that I was a natural at martial arts. Something I had never known. Kevin had told me, before I went to sleep, that with the speed I was learning things, I would be out patrolling in no time. I guess that was I good thing. I got up, with a great deal of trouble, and walked into the kitchen. Kevin was standing by the counter reading the newspaper and drinking coffee when I walked in.
“ ‘Morning!” I said with a hoarse voice. You know, the one you have in the morning when you’ve just woken up.
He turned around and smiled,
“ Good morning sleepyhead! Did you sleep well?”
I smiled,
“ As well as could be expected!” I tried to sit down at the kitchen table, “ Au au au au au!”
“ Aching muscles?” he asked with a sympathetic look in my direction.
“ How’d you know?” I asked in mock surprise.
He started laughing, while simultaneously making his way to the table,
“ Don’t worry! It’ll only hurt in the beginning.”
“ Yeah I know, but it still hurts like hell!” I said. I co’t h’t help but laugh too. “ What time is it?”
“ Ten thirty. Why?”
“ Well, I have to get home. I’m meeting my friends tonight, remember?”
“ Yeah, but you have to train everyday, so could you maybe just pick up some clothes for tonight and then come back here?” Kevin asked.
“ So basically you want me to move in with you is that it?” I asked slightly laughing.
Kevin raised his eyebrows,
“ Sure! If you want to!”
“ Um…no!” I said, surprised that he actually took it seriously, “but maybe sometime in the future!”
“ Ok…but will you come back or not?” he asked getting serious again. I wondered if this guy knew how to really have fun. He was so serious most of the time.
“ Don’t worry, I will.” I said.
I got up, and made my way to the bathroom to get ready to go home.
“ If you want, I can drive you home?” he offered before I left the room.
“ No I think I’ll just walk, thanks though!” I said, and finally left for the bathroom.
When I was finally ready, I started my walk back through the park where I had met Kevin the day before. I was enjoying the heat and the sun, perhaps even more, now that I knew I would be working the graveyard shift so to speak. I had already come to terms with the fact that I would have to wander the streets most of the night, in order to do my new job. But, somehow, I still had a feeling that I would start missing my usual routine, perhaps even my job at the restaurant, soon enough. I savored the birds chirping, the leaves flying over the path I walked on as a breeze picked them up from under the trees they had fallen from. I even enjoyed the moist heat of the late summer. Something I had never enjoyed before. I finally made my way home, and called up Howie as soon as I got in the door.
I returned to Kevin’s place a couple of hours later, dreading the training I knew I had to do. All I could think about was meeting my friend later that evening. Howie and I had agreed to meet at our usual club, The Wave. Why, I don’t know. Old habit I guess. I sure as hell wasn’t looking forward to an evening checking out people, not to comment on their clothes, or whether or not they were cute. I knew I would be checking out people to see if I could spot any vampires.
Soon Kevin had me going through all of the stuff I had learned the night before, plus some new moves that I didn’t have any problems learning. He also showed me the different types of weapons I’d need, when I went patrolling, including the inevitable stakes. By the end of our training session, I felt that I would very soon be prepared to start patrolling. Kevin agreed, but said, that he insisted on going with me the first couple of times. Of course I didn’t object. I would be nice to have someone watching my back. After reading for a couple of hours, some more about vampires in general, and Nickolas in particular, it was time for me to get ready for my night on the town. I was about to head for the shower when I turned around,
“ Hey Kevin?”
“ Yeah?” he looked up from his mountain of books in front of him on the desk.
“ Why don’t you come with us tonight?”
“ I don’t know…I really should be catching up on this.” He said gesturing to the books.
“ You can do that tomorrow…come on…it’ll be fun!” I said, in my most convincing way, “ you can stake out the territory of the vamps!”
“ Fine!” he said exasperated, “ I’ll go!”
He was trying to sound like he only agreed because he didn’t want to discuss it anymore, but I knew he really wanted to go. I c tel tell by the look in his eyes.
I smiled as I walked into the bathroom. I knew he’d fold.
When I was done in the bathroom Kevin went in to get ready. As soon as he emerged, we made our way to his car and started driving to the club.