Chapter 36Where She Meets

"Eh... Hi, Hitori." I was still blushing and Valerie's giggling beside me wasn't helping.

"You know this guy?" She asked, hardly containing her giggle.

Hitori smiled. "It's good to finally find you again. You disappeared so quickly after the accident, you had me worried!" He looked a bit downcast. "I wondered if I did something wrong."

I didn't understand this. I basically bit the guy, made him bleed all over his clothes. Well some of it. And he's apologizing to me? Does he feel worried that I left him because he did something wrong?

"I..." I swallowed. "I left because I bit you, all that blood over your clothes. It... I just felt like such a monster." I almost cried... I wish I could say it was fake, but I felt so confused.

I wanted to run away.

"oh that?" He smiled apologetically "Well, it did wash out and after the girl calmed down she apologized for falling on you." He grinned. "It was kind of funny, she was all panicky but still tried to apologize. The nonsense that came out of her mouth was unbelievable."

His smile and his grin ... soothed me. It was so nice that he just played it off like nothing really had happened. And I was glad, he was interesting. Kinda.

For a guy.

You know... Just interesting.

"Amy?" Valerie's voice got me back to the real world.

"Eh... yeah, this is Hitori. I met him last night. There was a little accident... with... eh.."

Hitori finished for me. "A girl fell on her and her teeth cut a nasty gash in my neck. But it healed really well. It's almost gone already."

Valerie looked from me to him. "Hitori, will you give me a moment?"

Hitori nodded as Valerie pulled on my shoulder and took me a bit apart.

"No."

"No what?" I asked in surprise.

"Be careful with what you do with or to him. I think he likes you." Valerie looked so serious my internal thoughts got thrown completely aside.

"He... likes me? But... but we've only met once." My voice a little too enthusiastic I thought.

Valerie grinned. "Once is all you need sometimes. Do you want to go in?"

I looked towards the doors. I didn't really want to go. It felt like a place where I had made a horrible mistake, something I didn't want to face yet. "No, I want to go somewhere else."

Valerie nodded. "Tell him."

We turned back to Hitori, who had just waited patiently and was still smiling. I didn't know exactly what to say but I guessed the truth... well, half the truth would be easier.

"Hitori, I don't really want to go in there. I feel like too much of a monster after... you know..."

Hitori nodded. "Okay, I understand. So where will you go?"

I looked to Valerie. "Pub?" She spoke with a shrug.

I nodded demurely. "A good a place as any."

Hitori seemed to fiddle with something until he spoke. "Mind if I come along?"

Valerie shrugged again. "I don't mind."

I looked from her to Hitori. What was I supposed to do? I knew I'd drink on him again... I mean, I couldn't let him see me drink on another, could I? But if I did it carefully he wouldn't even notice. But he probably still had a little less blood because of last night. But... but...

I sighed, I'd really like it if he came along, even if I didn't know why. "Eh, I'd like it if you came along. At least to make up for last night."

He smiled. "Give me a moment." He went back to the group of boys he walked away from and said a few things along the lines of. "Going with those two" or something. The crowd made it hard to concentrate on his voice specifically. The cars weren't really helping either. I could hear their replies a little though. 'you lucky bastard' and 'why do the geeks get the hot girls'. Their words had me blushing even more.

Valerie poked me. "You do look quite pretty you know." She must have been listening to them too.

I looked around to her, she must have been so much prettier then I, her red dress so nice and figure-hugging. her raven-black hair so much more lovely then mine. I guess I was jealous...

Valerie poked me again. "Wake up, Hitori is coming back." And a little softer when Hitori was closer. "And you look much cuter then I do." Making me blush again and hating her for making me blush in front of Hitori.

He smiled. "I'm ready to go."

We walked onwards, along the streets, I was still blushing a little but managed to talk to Hitori.

"So, what did you do last night after everything?"

Hitori shrugged. "Well, went to the toilets, tried to clean my clothes a little but went home right after that. You know... it was really weird, that wound in my neck didn't seem that large to bleed so much. In fact I had a feeling as if it was already healing then."

I grimaced, hoping he would not find out why that was. Valerie just giggled softly next to me. "So Hitori, you know any good pubs around here?"

Hitori smiled. "That depends, do you like Irish and Celtic music?"

"Sounds good enough." Replied Valerie.

"And you Amy?"

"Fine with me!" I happily replied.

"Alright", said Hitori, "Then I know just the place."