Chapter Text
I am a 23 year old student looking for someone to live with! 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 1 wicked roommate...
Black denim jacket. Black denim jacket. Lena’s eyes scanned the patrons of the cafe, searching eagerly for the woman she’d arranged to meet. She had only arrived a few minutes ago, but her excitement was in opposition of fighting off impatience. Her search proved futile for now, so she returned to scrolling aimlessly on her phone. She had about fifteen different apps open, alternating between them without really taking in what was on the screen.
Her frustrated tapping was interrupted by a waitress arriving at her booth bearing a latte. Lena thanked her as she lowered the cup and saucer to the table, the glass clinking quietly against the ceramic. Just as she was about to reach for the sugar, the door opened and she did a double take. Someone tall… Very tall, wearing a broad brimmed black hat, almost comically oversized sunglasses- Black denim jacket!
The newcomer was looking around, clutching the strap of an expensive looking handbag tightly. Lena started waving wildly, raising to a half-sit-half-stand and attracting the attention of several confused looking patrons before finally catching the eye of the person at the door. Relieved, she plunked back down onto the vinyl as they made their way to the booth.
“Hey there!” Lena exclaimed, barely giving her new companion time to sit down. “It’s-”
She blanks. She had spent the whole walk here going over the name in her head, but clearly to no avail. Of course.
“It’s…?” Blank replied, uncertainly.
“It’s… Nice to meet you! I’m Lena!” The pause is unnatural to say the least, but Lena figures it’s a lot safer than trying to guess the name.
“It’s nice to meet you too, Lena. My name is Amélie, as you probably know already.” Amélie responded, settling into her seat.
Amélie- which she didn’t know already, but thank you- removed the floppy hat and placed it on the booth seat. Underneath was long, glossy black hair, tied up into a sleek ponytail. Sleek was a good word to describe Amélie, Lena thought- everything seemed streamlined, from her high cheekbones, illuminated by the booth’s soft lighting, to the long fingers she rested on the table.
“It was kind of you to invite me out. I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long,” Amélie said.
“Nah! Don’t worry about it. I only got here a few minutes ago,” Lena smiled. “And it’s not that kind! We’re here for business, don’t forget it!”
Amélie’s shoulders tensed up a little at the comment.
“Of course, yes. Was there anything in particular you needed to ask me?” she said, stiffly.
Lena laughed, slightly alarmed at how seriously she had taken it.
“God! No. I was only joking. I just thought it’d be a good idea to meet up so you can decide if you really want to live with me!”
Amélie’s shoulders dropped again.
“Thank god. I hadn’t studied or anything,” she said, her accompanying laughter still tinged with nervousness. “But I suppose if there is anything you need to know, I’m happy to answer.”
Amélie had answered Lena’s roommate ad via email, referred via a friend of a friend on facebook. Lena had noted as she read it how stuffy-sounding her typing was- she was surprised to see it carry over into her speech.
Before Lena could reply, the waitress returned to the booth and asked Amélie if she’d like to order something. Amélie politely declined, and Lena felt kind of sheepish about the untouched glass of coffee on the table. She hastily grabbed two packets of sugar, shaking them in her hand before tearing them open and mixing them in. Amélie adjusted her sunglasses as she did so- now that she was closer, Lena could see that they were slightly too big and slipping down her nose.
“Is it too bright for you in here?” she joked, tapping her spoon on the edge of her glass.
“Yes, actually,” Amélie said coolly, satisfied with the adjustments she’d made. “I have a sensitivity.”
Lena raised both eyebrows and nodded in response, her mouth being occupied with the lukewarm coffee. Smooth.
“Anyway- about our arrangements,” Amélie said, lacing her fingers together on the tabletop. “This will be my first time living away from home, but I am more than capable with housework and the like. And I think I’m fairly unobtrusive.”
Lena’s finished skolling her drink, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand when she was done. Amélie’s lip curled slightly as she did so, but the brief expression escaped Lena’s notice.
“Sounds great!” she exclaimed, only pausing to take a breath after. “And you’re not gonna murder me or anything, right?”
Amélie adjusted her sunglasses again.
“No, I am not,” she said plainly. She had a stern expression on her face, shoulders squared again in the picture of seriousness.
Lena threw her head back and laughed, attracting the attention of a nice looking couple one table over. Amélie winced as she saw them exchange looks, and readjusted her sunglasses.
“I already like you. You’ve got a good sense of humour!” Lena giggled. She furrowed her brow and put on a deep voice, attempting to imitate Amélie’s accent. “No, I am not.”
Her impression made her start laughing again, but when she looked up, the frown on Amélie’s face proved that she was not as amused.
“Awh, I’m sorry Amélie,” Lena said, hunching her shoulders guiltily. “I didn’t mean it. It’s just that-”
Before she could finish her sentence; Amélie collected her hat and stood up from the booth, her heels clicking menacingly on the cafe’s floorboards. Lena could swear that she shivered.
“Please, Lena. Meet me outside,” she said quietly, straightening the strap of her handbag.
Lena watched bewildered as she turned away, suddenly reliving high school memories of being called to the principal’s office. She was kicking herself for making such a terrible first impression- Amélie seemed nice, if not a little unusual- and definitely sounded like good roommate material. She hurried up from her seat, running over ways to apologise in her mind as she made her way over to the counter to pay for her coffee.
Amélie was just outside the cafe, standing just inside the alley that separated this building from the next; fingers flurrying across her phone screen in some serious speed texting. Her expression looked more worried than angry from behind her sunglasses, which Lena was thankful for- but she wondered what kind of conversation Amélie was having to evoke it.
Amélie’s head snapped up when she noticed Lena’s presence. She clicked her phone off and tucked it into her handbag.
“Sorry about that,” she said. “Before I… Continue, I want you to know that I’m not upset with you.”
Lena could practically feel question marks appearing around her head.
“So- Because about what I said then, I mean-” Lena stammered.
“You were just joking around, I understand,” Amélie interrupted. She inhaled and exhaled very deliberately. “Although I did not exactly appreciate it, no.”
The hint of venom in her voice matched up with Lena’s expectations, and she almost felt relieved.
“Well, I really am sorry,” she replied. “But, anyway, what are you continuing with?”
Amélie looked aside, clenching her hands around her bag strap again. She took a moment to compose herself before turning back to face Lena head on, lowering her sunglasses slightly to make eye contact.
“I feel obligated to inform you that I am a vampire,” she said, her voice a strained monotone through her clenched jaw.
Beneath the lenses of her sunglasses, Amélie’s eyes flashed yellow; the colour of citrine. The events of the morning rolled through Lena’s head like a movie reel. Amélie’s strange, stilted behaviour, her ridiculous sunglasses, her apparent offense at the suggestion of being a murderer- that certainly made more sense with context. She frowned, cocking her head left and then right and then left again as she processed the information.
She was dragged out of her deep thought by the sound of Amélie’s laughter, coming slightly muffled from behind her hand.
“Whatever this is, I suppose it’s better than running off,” she observed.
“I mean, you’re for real, yeah?” Lena said, with her head still tilted to one side.
Amélie nodded.
“I wouldn’t exactly lie about this sort of thing. Especially considering I’m trying to sell myself as a good roommate.”
Her tone was dryly humorous, but Lena noted how her voice still maintained an uncertain quality. She paused thoughtfully again.
“I mean, I know that there are vampires and stuff… But I’ve never met one,” she concluded.
Although Amélie had since replaced her sunglasses, Lena could tell she was rolling her eyes.
“I’m sure you have met quite a few, actually,” she said derisively.
Lena flushed red. She’d had similar conversations with others before, minus the whole vampire thing.
“You’re probably right! God. I don’t… Think it’s weird or anything, though,” she said, stumbling through her words. Amélie raised an eyebrow.
“I’m sure. Anyway, I am still interested in rooming with you, but it is entirely up to you. And although I am a vampire, I’m not the type to… Murder you, or anything.”
“God!” Lena cried, hiding her face in her hands. “I am an idiot. I’m sorry about that. I wouldn’t have said that if I- You know-”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s a perfectly reasonable concern when looking for someone to live with, I think. And I admit I may have overreacted. But like I said, I’ve never lived away from home before, so I’ve never had to…”
She trailed off, and Lena’s shoulders dropped.
“Yeah, I get it. But hey! Let’s make your first time a good one, right?” She said, smiling broadly.
Amélie leaned backwards, and folded her arms together tightly.
“You don’t have to make up your mind so quickly, you know. Wouldn’t you like some time to think about it?” she asked.
Lena shook her head.
“I mean… Maybe, but I’m kinda sick of living alone! Besides, I said I liked you, right? And I meant it. I think we’ll get along fine!”
Amélie squeezed her shoulders inward for a moment, casting her glance aside again. Although she was grateful for Lena’s enthusiasm, she couldn’t help but think it came from a lack of understanding- or worse, from pity.
“How about this. If I am to move in with you, I’ll do it this weekend. That’s the most practical way to do it, and it gives you more time to decide. If you’re still happy to have me by then, we’ll go ahead with it.”
Lena nodded, impressed with her coolheadedness. Her last rooming arrangement had been very spontaneous- and while it was fun at the time, it probably provided an explanation for why it didn’t last very long.
“Sounds like a plan! Can I get your number in the meantime then?” Lena asked, already producing her phone from her pocket.
“Oh, of course,” Amélie replied, doing the same.
As Amélie’s phone screen flashed on, Lena noticed a string of message notifications running from top to bottom.
“Oh my god,” Amélie groaned. She dismissed the messages and opened her contact book.
Lena looked at her inquisitively.
“That was- a friend of mine wanted to know how this was going,” she explained.
“Oh!” Lena exclaimed. “Is that what you were texting so furiously about earlier?”
“That… Would be it, yes.” Amélie sighed. “I was struggling to keep up.”
Lena snorted. “Maybe I’ll get to meet this friend in the future?”
“God. Be careful what you wish for.”
Lena laughed, and this time Amélie joined in. The two of them exchanged numbers, heads bent down over their phones tapping away.
“Thanks again for inviting me out, Lena,” Amélie said, slipping her phone back into her handbag.
“No worries! It was nice meeting you. Hopefully I didn’t make TOO bad of a first impression,” she replied, her ears burning red again.
“I can only say the same for myself. Perhaps I will see you this weekend?”
Lena couldn’t stop herself from smiling at the thought, and nodded enthusiastically. Rooming with a vampire wasn’t exactly what she was expecting when she put her notice up on facebook- but she wasn’t about to complain. Amélie seemed super cool- cooler than Lena was used to- and she was excited at the prospect of gaining access to the top shelves in her apartment for the first time.
“I’ll see you around then,” Amélie smiled.
“Right-o! See ya!” Lena replied, waving to Amélie as she turned away.
Once she was sure Amélie was out of sight, Lena turned back into the cafe. She was going to need another coffee.