#Neil Wozniak & Harley Rydel

[justmoreocs-writing]

‘If you had to be any supernatural creature,’ Farid asked, causing me to groan into my drink, ‘what’d you be?’ For some reason the idea of magic was one he had to bring up at every opportunity. We could be sat in a lecture and he’d lean across to pose a new theory to whoever was with him at that precise moment. To be honest, I think it extended way beyond our little group as well, but I have no idea.

Around the table, the others made various sounds of mock irritation and genuine thought. It didn’t matter how many times we heard this, they always had a new view on things.

‘Vamp for sure,’ Neil said with conviction. ‘Forever young; killer looks – ’

‘Aversion to garlic and sunlight?’ Sue asked, carefully putting her newly drained glass on the table.

Some of Neil’s bravado dissipated, and I patted him consolably on the shoulder.

‘Allie couldn’t be a werewolf,’ Harley said, a smirk on his lips as he leaned conspiratorially towards Farid. ‘We’d all be dead within a day with double time of the month.’

Farid scoffed, and even Neil managed a smirk as I swore at the youngest of our little group.

‘You’ll be a ghost if you’re not careful, Harley,’ I assured him with an innocent smile.

‘What about you though?’ Farid directed the question my way. Usually, I found a way of worming out of answering. Knowing Creatures, I was more than content being human. Too many restrictions kind of sucked the fun out of it all, and everything they were currently talking about being arguments for or against the cases were wrong in at least some way.

‘Doesn’t matter,’ Sue said, waving my reply away absently. Her attention was over my shoulder, tracking the progress of someone through the canteen. ‘Hot young man alert.’

I rolled my eyes as Neil groaned. Harley shifted, trying to get a good look for himself. Farid turned his attention back to the research book he’d been slogging through when we arrived. There was no point trying to continue. We’d lost the others completely.

‘Miss… March?’

Shit. I cringed ever so slightly at the familiar voice; at the fact Sue’s mouth dropped open and Harley shot me an openly hostile look. He was already accusing me of hiding this, and he didn’t even know what this was.

Slowly, I turned to face Marcus. There was a bright smile on his face, a hint of amusement behind his eyes. However he’d found out my alternative name, he was finding my confusion way too entertaining for my liking.

‘Dr Whitmore,’ said Neil, awe touching his voice, ‘you know Allie?’

‘Neil, how many times?’ Marcus jokingly chastised. He shook his head before looking back to me. ‘May I have a word, please?’

Every instinct Sooty had instilled in me screamed to deny him. Terrible things could happen to warmbloods when vampires were around. And yet…

‘Sure,’ I said, slipping off my seat. Confidently, I left all my things where they were.

Marcus nodded ever so slightly, obviously agreeing to my silent terms. He motioned me to go first.

I surveyed him for a moment before walking away from the others. The familiar weight of my knife in the sleeve of my jacket was a veritable comfort. If he tried anything it might do very little, but it was the only thing I had. The only vague surprise.

As soon as we were outside I gathered my jacket a little tighter. Something pulled at Marcus’s lips, but he didn’t comment.

‘Doctor?’ I asked, eager to break the uneasy silence.

He scoffed, sounding more like the twenty-year old he resembled than the however-old vampire he was. ‘I’ve had more than enough time to earn that.’

‘What do you want?’ I asked, deciding to cut straight to the point.

Suddenly, he looked serious. ‘I think we might need your help.’

With a sigh, I ran a hand over my face. Today was going to be a lot longer than I’d anticipated.