"Oh, so it's possible? And how come her partner didn't burn up!? Amazing, I think no one has ever come up with such a use of superhero powers!" I practically clapped my hands. "You're brilliant, Jane Storm, my hat's off to you, your awards are well deserved," I said, finishing watching the third video for today, and then my eye caught the clock in the corner of the screen.
- 10 am!? I've been sitting here for too long, it's time to call MJ. I hope she's not busy... in every sense of the word.
After digging through my contacts, I found Mary-Jane's number and dialed her. She didn't answer right away, only after about the third time, after I messaged her on messenger.
"Well, who remembered my existence! And what does our human rights activist do, deigning to call me for the first time in a year?" came a mocking voice from the receiver. Yeah, my bad, what can you do? It would be strange if she weren't angry.
- And hello to you, Mary-Jane. How can I tell you, I've been having some problems, and...
"And that's why you've forgotten how to use a phone?" she asked ironically. "And what were the problems that made you boycott it for a year?"
"I'd like to tell you, but this isn't a phone conversation. I'm calling because I have a business proposition for you, but first, do you know if Percy is okay?"
"Business proposals also require a face-to-face meeting, in case you've forgotten. And as for Percy, why should she be out of order, and why don't you ask her yourself?"
"I wrote to her, but she didn't answer. We had a little argument, so that's probably it, but I'm still a little worried."
"Have you tried calling her aunts and uncles? Anyway, she's fine, she's just swamped at university, and Connors isn't there to cover for her, so she has to make up for her regular absences and lateness. Well, you know her," Redhead chuckled.
"I'm rather surprised she hasn't been expelled yet!" I chuckled. "Anyway, thank you, it's a relief."
- You're welcome. Speaking of your business proposal, I'm happy to hear it out tonight at seven o'clock at the Starbucks on Front Street near the Brooklyn Bridge.
- Are you asking me out on a date, Miss Watson?
"Someone has to, maybe I'll be able to heal you," the girl joked.
- Be careful what you wish for, redhead, or it might come true.
- I'll be only glad, Parker.
"Listen, I'd love to go anywhere with you, but New York isn't really my thing. Maybe we can meet halfway in Jersey City?" I asked hopefully.
- Jimmy, if you want to sell me something, you'll have to get off your ass and drag it here. By the way, where are you? I still don't know where you ran off to.
- To Newark.
- So you'll get there on time.
- Damn, okay Mary-Jane, I'll come. Are you going to take the laptop, or should I take care of that?
- Don't overexert yourself, man, I'll take the computer.
- Very funny, redhead until the evening.
- See you soon, Parker.
***
I decided to leave a little early so that no traffic jam would prevent me from arriving on time. Of course, in this world, guys are allowed to be a little late, but that doesn't apply to business meetings. Not to mention that old Jimmy and I both preferred to be punctual. And it really pissed us off if someone else let their schedule slip.
In short, if this were a date, which unfortunately wasn't quite it, I wouldn't have been late either. But my insistence on always being on time backfired. I didn't encounter any traffic on the way to New York, or through Manhattan. Because I left at three, it was only four in the afternoon by the time I arrived. And I needed something to occupy myself with. Central Park seemed like the perfect place to relax. There were plenty of people there, of course, but the park was big enough to find a relatively deserted spot where I didn't have to worry about the people making me hungry.
But the Universe didn't give a damn about my desires. Not that I'm complaining, but eating so frequently is a significant drain on my budget, for now. So, finding a more or less deserted spot, even finding a bench there, I sat down and began to relax, putting my headphones in.
Apparently, I started humming to myself. Because how else could I explain a passing beauty coming over to introduce herself? Or maybe it's just that I'm a man, and there aren't many of them around here.
"Not a bad voice," said a pleasant female voice. It seemed to be humming after all. I reluctantly opened my eyes and was about to politely ask her to leave me alone when a beauty with dark brown hair and green eyes hidden behind glasses appeared before my eyes. She also had impressive breasts, despite her somewhat baggy clothes. But it wasn't her appearance that confused me, well, not entirely. The problem was that I recognized her. But I needed to be sure.
- Thank you for the compliment, beauty, and you?
"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt," she said sheepishly, which only fueled my suspicions. "My name is Darcy. Darcy Lewis and I... I think I'll be going," she said, getting ready to run away. I cursed silently. The MCU had decided to knock on my door, because Darcy wasn't in the comics—I remembered that for sure; she was a character created specifically for the MCU.
And the MCU. The MCU is a piece of cake, ladies and gentlemen. And somehow I don't feel like crumbling into ashes because some blue-faced bastard with a God complex is planning a radical solution to overpopulation. As if such a crude solution could help. The Third Reich killed a third of the world's Jews, and half a century later their numbers have recovered, if not increased.
Genocide is an ineffective solution to achieving your goals unless it's all-encompassing. And that's practically never the case, unless Thanos decides to wipe out the entire universe, not just half of it. Brrr, why can't this raving lunatic stay home? Oh yeah, he destroyed his own house (or she did, for God's sake, I have no idea what gender this monster is), and yet his habits remain. It's a physiological need to kill, and there's nothing you can do about it.
So, I've been really lost in my thoughts, thinking about what kind of mess I've probably gotten myself into, or maybe I haven't. I don't have much information yet, but I can do that later. But right now, I need to catch the girl. I'm not a complete idiot to pass by such a beauty after I've made a good impression on her.
"Wait, Miss Lewis, you're not bothering me at all. In fact, I'd even like to ask for your phone number. You know, in case we want to spend some time together," I winked at her.
- R-r-really!? No... it's like... Dad told me not to trust pretty boys, especially if they're interested in me... that's it, - she stammered.
"Your father was certainly right, but I can assure you that I had no ill thoughts about you, Darcy. I simply couldn't pass by such a beautiful girl."
"Do you say this to all women?" the brunette asked, blushing.
"Only the ones I like. Come on, what do you have to lose?" I asked.
"You're the first guy who's ever asked for my phone number," the girl said, embarrassed.
"Have you really only ever interacted with blind men before?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You're laughing at me!" the girl exclaimed.
"Not at all, you're just being funny and embarrassed," I couldn't help but say.
"You're laughing after all," Darcy said quietly, but I heard.
"Forgive my sense of humor, it's just that I don't often have the chance to talk to anyone, so I let off steam this way. Besides, don't think you're the only one feeling awkward; any man would feel out of place next to such a beautiful woman," I scratched the back of my head apologetically.
"Why do you have such a communication deficit? Excuse me if I'm butting in," she muttered immediately.
"Oh, come on, I brought it up myself, and there's nothing wrong with curiosity. As for your question, I work from home, so I don't really talk to anyone," I said, keeping quiet about the reason for my seclusion.
- I understand you, I am a person of science myself, that's why I rarely go outside.
"Are you a scientist too? In what field? I'm a biologist, for example. Well, a genetic engineer, to be precise," I smiled.
"I'm an astrophysicist, or rather, I'm studying to be one. I'm Dr. John Foster's assistant, you might have heard of me," she said.
"Yes, I've heard about it, but he doesn't pay any attention to you at all?" I asked cautiously. Was I really too late and had already been taken away, and now they were laughing at me.
"It's not advertised, but he doesn't notice women in this sense at all, if you understand," Darcy shocked me.
"It couldn't be clearer. But every cloud has a silver lining. Does this mean you're free, Darcy?" I asked suggestively.
- Y-yes.
- Great, that means I have a chance.
"You're all joking," she grumbled.
- Darcy, what can I do to make you believe I'm interested in you?
"How about a kiss…" Damn, it'll be hard to hold back with such close physical contact, but I really want it. Hell, I won't even be able to reach for the flask; she'll think it's just too much for me with beer, or worse, she might figure out I'm drinking. It's not like I'm going to keep my true nature a secret until the very end—I'm not some kind of Soup—but until we build a trusting relationship, confessing is out of the question.
It may seem like my reflections led to a prolonged silence, but in reality, it was no more than a moment. Looking into her eyes, I decisively removed my glasses, deciding that the pain in my own eyes would help me restrain myself.
"Can I take these off?" I reached for her glasses, and after a slight nod and noticing she swallowed, I removed them. Leaning forward, closing my eyes, I covered her lips with a tender kiss, gently sucking on her lower lip. She was a little taken aback by the fact that I'd actually decided to do this, but her stupor lasted for half a second at most, after which she wrapped her arms around my neck and began to kiss me passionately.
You could say I was melting during the process, and a separate line of pleasure was brought to me by the fact that the kiss coincided with the closing of my eyes, so that the pleasant sensations from the kiss coincided with the relief from pain - an incredible feeling.
And everything was just perfect until she decided to deepen the kiss by using her tongue. I wasn't ready for that. The problem was, I was afraid I might lose control and accidentally bite off her tongue. It's a damn boneless muscle filled with blood! If I accidentally scratched it, that would be the end.
But fortunately, I don't know how, but I managed to restrain myself and nothing terrible happened. I even liked it; I think I like to walk on the edge, something I've never noticed before. I should nip such traits in the bud, I'll live longer. After half a minute, we finally broke apart. And I put my glasses back on.
"Meow-meow," the girl breathed out, "that was my first kiss," she whispered.
- I hope you don't regret it?
- No, I've already dragged this out for too long, so let's be informal.
"I don't mind. By the way, I'll tell you a secret, this is my first kiss too, in this life, with a girl," I thought to myself.
- Come on!?
"Well, with a girl, I mean," I said, somewhat embarrassed.
"Have you kissed guys?" Darcy asked, shocked.
"Y-yeah, but I've already stopped! Teenage experiment and all that," I defended myself. "It's all your fault, old Jimmy. I have to wriggle out of it, but one way or another, she would have found out about this unfortunate fact of my biography, so I decided to strike preemptively, so it wouldn't come back to haunt me later."
"Y-you're not gay, r-right?" she asked, her voice tinged with despair.
"No! Did it seem to you that I didn't like it?" I objected indignantly.
"So you don't mind repeating it?" Darcy narrowed her eyes slyly.
"Absolutely!" I declared, taking off my glasses again and capturing her lips in a demanding kiss that lasted even a little longer than the first.
"Phew, I believe it!" she said, catching her breath.
"Well, of course," I responded.
"Damn, we've already kissed twice, and I haven't even asked your name. Don't get me wrong, I'm not the type to hit on you, not ask your name, and then dump you," she blurted out.
"My name is James Parker, I'm a biology student at Columbia University, a masculist," I introduced myself.
- Is that why you don't wear makeup?
"Yes, and I was born beautiful," I joked, although I really wasn't.
"You pay yourself in restaurants, pull out chairs for ladies, and kiss their hands instead of offering yours?" she bombarded me with questions, or rather, assertions.
"Yes, all of the above, and I earn my own money too. I hope you don't mind?" I asked, a little nervously. After all, she's the first girl here I've proposed to, and my nervousness is understandable.
"I don't mind. I don't understand who started this fashion for pretentious wimps, ha-ha," she laughed a little nervously. Apparently, public opinion does mean something to her after all. Well, it would be strange if it weren't so.
"When a man leads in a relationship, it's not so bad, Darcy. And besides, I promise I won't publicly embarrass you. So, how about you, give me your phone number?" I asked with a smile.
"Only after you," she smirked in response. "He thinks who calls whom first is a matter of principle for me. Not really."
"No problem," I said, rummaging through my phone and giving her my number. Her eyes widened in surprise for a moment, which was rather cute. But she quickly got her bearings, saved my number in her contacts, and sent me a test call. Having saved her number, I glanced at my watch; I still had half an hour before I had to leave Darcy.
"Listen, if you're a student, why do you work from home and rarely interact with people?" The astrophysicist found inconsistencies in my story. I wonder how quickly she'll figure out I'm a vampire if I don't tell her first?
I've been studying remotely for a year now. I currently live in Newark.
- Oh, why did you come to New York?
- Well, I have a business meeting in Brooklyn. But honestly, I didn't want to go back to the city.
- Are you a local? Why didn't you want to come?
"I'm from Queens, and frankly, I really don't like this city. Too much bad stuff happens here, in my opinion."
"At least it's not boring," the girl smiled.
"I can't help but agree, but I still prefer peace of mind to the risk of a skyscraper falling on my head. And I can watch clips of superhero fights online. You don't have to live in the Big Apple to do that."
"Superheroes do useful things too," Darcy countered.
"Nobody's arguing. When it comes to thwarting cosmic threats, there's no alternative. Just like when it comes to confronting dangerous madmen with powers and abilities like Victoria von Doom and the like. But you have to admit—superheroines are pretty careless."
- Many of them lack experience, but what else can they do if the government can't protect us.
"Another good question: why isn't the government doing anything? Did the entire US population suddenly stop paying taxes? I don't think so, they could at least pay superheroines, make them FBI agents, or something like that. Someone would agree, I'm sure. Instead, what do we see? The main question on the Senate agenda is: are mutants subhumans, or are they still human? And while those in power are deciding: is the swastika stylish, or is there something wrong with this country?" I said.
- Wow, you should go into politics, you have incredible potential!
"I might want to go into politics, but as a proud penis-bearer, I have to stay home and raise my children. There's no way I'll get higher than the district administration; that's just the way our sexist society works," I concluded sadly. And that's not to mention that I'm a real Untermensch myself, even worse than mutants in the eyes of most.
"It's sad, I would have voted for you," she sighed.
- Well, you're a scientist, and we tend to have progressive thinking, but unfortunately, not everyone is so sensible.
- Unfortunately.
- Well, it's worse for them that the great me won't rule them.
- Just a little bit...
- Too much?
"You need to work on your accents," the astrophysicist advised.
"Okay, then…," I began, but was interrupted by a melody coming from her phone.
- Hello! Yes!? I'm on my way! - the girl said into the phone.
- Is the trumpet calling?
"Yes, we need to get back to the lab immediately. I'll text you, don't disappear anywhere!" the girl said and was gone.
"Damn, she just dumped me for a job," I muttered. Damn, I got myself a girlfriend, and I still haven't figured out how to keep her from going away. Well, I've figured out how, but I haven't put her to use yet. I hope Mary-Jane doesn't screw me over. I wouldn't want to find some random group to promote myself with instead. I prefer to work with people I trust.
Glancing at my watch, I decided to head off to the meeting. Just because I hadn't hit traffic yet didn't mean there wouldn't be any this time. But Stan Lee was kind; I got to Starbucks forty minutes ahead of schedule. MJ hadn't arrived yet, so I decided to save us a table, ordering an espresso for the sake of propriety, which I had no intention of drinking.
It's not that my physiology prevented me from consuming human food and drink, but it was of little use. I mean, absolutely no use, and the smell of coffee alone made me downright nauseous. But Starbucks served almost nothing else, maybe some fruit smoothies, but drinking those just didn't seem right. They'd probably mistake me for a local, Brrr.
After 20 minutes of waiting, Mary Jane finally showed up. I wonder why she showed up so early. Couldn't she have waited to meet me?! Or am I suffering from terminal egocentrism and inflated self-esteem?
Meanwhile, the redhead's keen gaze noticed me, she waved her hand at me, went to the counter, ordered coffee, and joined me at my table.
"A miracle has happened, the elusive Jimmy Parker has honored me with his presence," the redhead began the spanking.
- And I'm very glad to see you, MJ. I didn't expect to see you here for at least another 15 minutes.
- You were free earlier, have you been waiting long?
- Not really, I was afraid of being late because of traffic jams, that's why I ended up here so early.
- Okay, are you ready to lay all your dirty secrets on the table, Parker?
- And I thought we were going to have a business... dinner?
"Of course it will, but one doesn't preclude the other. And besides, Jimmy, you understand yourself that you can't just take a year off, sever all social ties, and then come back as if nothing happened."
"Fair enough, but in that case, can you guarantee that my secrets won't become public knowledge?" Yes, I was going to tell her, because I know, and old Jimmy knew, that if anyone could be trusted, it was Mary-Jane.
"You obviously mistook me for Liz Allan if you thought I'd gossip about personal matters. So, are you going to share the reasons for your escape?" the girl said indignantly.
"Do you want the long version or the short one?" I asked.
"Which one is more exciting?" the redhead asked, taking a sip from her mug.
"Where should I begin?" I asked thoughtfully.
- How about starting over?
"Okay, I'll try, but first, how much do you know?" I asked, squinting.
"About what?" Damn, and how could I hint to her so that if she didn't know, she wouldn't guess. I wasn't going to betray my sister's secrets—it was her job to decide who was worthy of her trust. But my story would be a little difficult to retell without revealing her alter ego.
"Well, let's put it this way, why does my sister skip school so much?" Mary-Jane tried for a second to understand what I was hinting at, when it suddenly dawned on her and her eyes widened in shock.
"You know!" she declared, pointing her finger at me accusingly.
- You too! - I repeated her gesture.
- How long have you known?
- From the very beginning, and you?
- Likewise, have you told anyone else?
- No, God forbid! MJ, do you only know about Percy, or about her team too?
"You know about them too!?" the redhead's eyes widened even further.
- Just like you!
- Wow! - Mary-Jane drank her coffee in one gulp, and, having calmed her mind a little, asked, - but Jimmy, if you knew for a long time, how is this connected with your move a year ago?
"Nothing, but it's directly related to recent events, because of which I've started visiting New York frequently again," I explained.
- Are you talking about the fight with your sister?
- Including. If we start from the very beginning, - I lifted my upper lip, revealing a fang.
"You got vampire teeth, why?" the girl asked, puzzled.
- Let's just say they became like that themselves, you see?
- Go away!
- Exactly, that's what I did. To go through a period of adaptation, away from my friends and family. But not long ago, my sister found me. She had some genetic issues, and I helped her resolve them. Then we had a falling out for a number of reasons. We were practically constantly arguing, and eventually she returned to the city, and I went about my business.
- Wait, but if you are a vampire, then how do you walk in the Sun, or am I missing something?
"No, you understand everything correctly. It's just that, as I said, after Percy left, I went about my business, and as you can see, it turned out pretty well. To preempt your next question, I wear glasses because my eyes remain overly sensitive to light."
"And I thought that the sun shines for the criminals even at night and that's the whole point," she grinned.
"Where did you pick up such jargon?" I mutter irritably.
- I'm sure you understand that, given the type of people with whom most of my girlfriends often have to interact, some professional deformation is inevitable.
"I'm already scared of what turns of phrase I might hear from Felicia," I shuddered.
"Let this be a surprise for you, Mouse," the redhead purred.
- Is it that bad? And why "Little Mouse"?
"It's not catastrophic, but sometimes she gets carried away. And about the nickname, isn't it obvious?"
"Will it stick to me now?" I asked hopelessly.
- You don't like it?
"Well, that's not the worst you could have come up with," I admitted the nickname was acceptable, at least coming from a pretty girl. Although I wanted her to call me Tiger, like the classic Spider-Man. But apparently it wasn't meant to be.
"Just to clarify, you don't feed on people, do you?" MJ asked, raising an eyebrow sarcastically.
"Not usually, but there's this red-haired beauty who looks absolutely delicious. Honestly, I can barely hold on," I licked my lips demonstratively.
"Flatterer! Be careful, otherwise I might think you really lust after me," the redhead shot her eyes.
"And you'll be absolutely right," I answered coquettishly, casting a carnivorous glance at her figure.
"Bullshit!" she exclaimed.
"Is it easier for you to believe that I became a vampire than that I changed my orientation?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
- You're the only rainbow fan like you, so yeah, I find it hard to believe.
"Vampirism changes everything, at least in my case," I chuckled.
"Poor Flash, this will break his heart," the girl sighed dramatically, "unless of course you're lying to me," Mary-Jane narrowed her eyes skeptically.
"I wouldn't lie about something like that, MJ," I said reproachfully, "and besides, I already have a girlfriend," I added more quietly, but the redhead heard.
- WHAT!? When did you have time!? – the girl exclaimed.
"A couple of hours ago in Central Park," I admitted.
- You're quick, who is she?
"An aspiring astrophysicist, her name is Darcy," I said tenderly, remembering the taste of her lips.
"As your best friend, I demand details!" she declared, comically feigning importance.
"Nothing special, really. I left early and decided to take a stroll through Central Park, humming to myself. She was interested, and I was hooked, too, so I didn't let her run away when she panicked. We got to talking, kissed a couple of times, and then she got called into work, and I came here, and that was it."
"Damn, Mouse, you can't fall for every woman you catch your eye. It didn't matter when you were light blue, but now you need to learn to say no when you want to say yes," MJ said in a teacher's tone.
- It seems you weren't listening carefully, I lassoed her myself.
- Exactly! Why do you need a wimpy woman who can't show her true colors and is afraid of challenges?
"Mary-Jane, haven't you forgotten that I'm not a househusband who needs to be looked after and everything decided. Maybe I like girls who need to be taken care of."
- I forgot how feminine you are, Parker.
"I'd call that proper masculinity!" I emphasized, raising my index finger.
- Whatever you say, but that won't change social norms. So what are you going to do next?
- Are you asking about something specific?
"Have you always been a one-woman man? Has that changed, or are you going to devote yourself entirely to Darcy now, like you did to Flash?" the redhead asked, and I wondered if she was jealous. She just spat out my first girlfriend's name.
"Well, I certainly don't plan on stopping there. But honestly, I don't know what to do with even one girl yet. I'm a vampire, after all, and that imposes certain restrictions on physical contact, which, unfortunately, I can't overcome at the moment."
"You didn't tell her about your essence correctly," MJ stated, rather than asked.
- This is not something you talk about at the first meeting, I was afraid of scaring her off.
- Are you going to keep pestering her about sex until the very end?
"Well, there is a solution. If I eat well, I'll have perfect self-control, even during orgasm, I'm sure of it. But for that kind of self-control, I need three to four liters of blood a day, and that costs a fair amount of money."
- Where do you get the blood? Will animal blood do?
"Animal blood is suitable, but only as a temporary measure. I buy blood online; I think it comes from donor centers."
"Well, it's better this way than stalking passersby at night. And how are you going to solve your financial problem? You want me to lend you money, is that why you called me here?" Mary-Jane began rummaging through her purse, looking for her wallet. It seems I've been misinterpreted.
- Stop it, Ryzhik, I won't take your money. I wanted to offer you a joint venture. Are you and Gwen still playing in your garage?
"Recently, it's been rare. The blonde's 'hobby' eats up all her free time, so what?" she asked, stopping rummaging through her bag.
"Well, I've developed a talent for writing, and I wanted to offer to write lyrics and music for you. Just imagine my genius, channeled in the right direction... and we'll split the money, everyone's happy."
"Don't be offended, Mouse, but your genius is directed in a slightly different direction. If I remember correctly, you gave up music in eighth grade. Why this sudden change of priorities?"
"First look at what I brought you, and then criticize it," I bristled.
"Okay, give me the flash drive," MJ asked, "and I need more coffee."
- Do you want regular freshly brewed?
- It's nice that you still remember.
"How could I forget?" I gently squeezed her shoulder and went to get her some coffee.
When I returned and brought her a fresh cup, Mary-Jane had already taken out and turned on her laptop, and began looking through what was obviously a file with texts.
"So how is it?" I asked, handing her the coffee.
"Don't bother me," she waved her hand, but accepted the invigorating drink.
After 15 minutes and two cups of coffee, the redhead finally tore herself away from the screen. My cold espresso was also used, but MJ didn't even notice.
"How?" the girl asked dejectedly.
- What do you mean? - I didn't understand.
"How did you manage to write twenty masterpieces without ever having attempted music before!? The girls and I have been doing this for eight years now, but we haven't been able to create anything even close to this quality!"
"A talented person is talented in everything. I don't know, maybe loneliness affected me that way."
- Damn, but be that as it may, the group has essentially broken up, I'm afraid I won't be able to convince Gwen to take music seriously, she has more important things to do, - Mary-Jane said angrily, - and I have a modeling career and act auditions from time to time, - she grumbled upset.
"Maybe I'm butting in, but get your head out of your ass, MJ. I'm offering you a practically guaranteed shot at a huge breakthrough, and you're not even willing to try. Where else could you get that big that quickly, other than music?"
- You're probably right, but...
- But who else is in your group besides Gwen?
- Liz Allan, you know her, and Gwen's younger sister, Jill.
"Okay, we need to try to convince Gwen to return to the group, but first, talk to the other girls, inspire their enthusiasm, and then all together you can press on the eldest Stacy. If she's adamant that her 'hobby' is her priority, we'll find another drummer."
"Isn't that a bit harsh, especially considering all the tools are hers?" the girl remarked skeptically.
"Then be as convincing as possible. I wouldn't want to lose Gwen myself; she plays well, as far as I remember, but the sooner you start rehearsing, the better. And the instrument issue is solvable."
"If you're so smart, why are you dumping this task on me?" MJ muttered.
- I told you that I had a fight with Percy, I'm afraid Gwen, as her best friend, might also be a little angry with me.
- What happened between you that you don't want to talk to each other?
"Well, Percy, she was angry that I hid my new identity and orientation from her. She also consistently ignored all my advice, resulting in a woman's death, and she didn't even bat an eye. She also insistently demanded that I either take the cure for vampirism or join her cosplay team," I listed.
- Yes, she was quite demanding, but what about you?
- What about me?
"You're not to blame for the conflict?" the redhead raised an eyebrow.
"Well, maybe I was teasing her the whole way, not sparing her feelings, but in my defense, I want to say that I needed it to relieve tension and compensate for the lack of communication. And besides, it was all a hell of a lot of fun."
"It's good that at least you realize you got on her nerves. The bad thing is that you don't pay much attention to it," MJ scolded me.
- She touched me much more.
- Maybe. I wasn't there, but you realize you acted like a child, right? Come on, let me tell you something. This year, for the first time in her life, Percy was left without the support of her twin brother. It was hard for her, but she respected your privacy. She moved in with Gabriella, and you know how pompous and bitchy she can be.
- Osborne? - I asked.
"Yes, needless to say, her emotional state is a bit shaky. Naturally, she tried to get her brother back, by any means necessary, even, as you say, trying to drag him into her hobby club. She needs you, Jimmy, talk to her, show maturity."
"Who are you so wise after?" I said, giving her a playful bow.
"Like her father. So will you talk to her?" the girl smiled.
- How can I refuse you, Ryzhik?
"Why would you do something so stupid?" MJ laughed.
- Really, why? Is that what we agreed on?
"About the band? Yeah, I'll try to work it out. At worst, you can ask Gwen out on a date as a bribe," the redhead giggled.
"I don't really mind. Blondie, we have a pretty girl here, and a good character," I began to reason.
"I've already set my sights on her too. I completely forgot about old Mary-Jane," she pretended to sob.
"And Mary Jane, keeping me insane and doing someone else's cocaine. I haven't forgotten about you either, Ryzhik. We're on a date right now, aren't we?" I smiled predatorily. The beauty's complexion began to match the color of her hair.
"We'll discuss this when you solve your hunger problem; I don't want to become your dinner. And I still haven't gotten used to your new orientation, and anyway, this is too much news for one evening, don't you think?"
"I agree quite a bit," I said without pushing.
"By the way, getting back to music, would you like to join the band directly? We could use a keyboard player," MJ suggested.
"First of all, I doubt you have a keyboard right now. Secondly, regularly performing in front of a herd of sweaty fans tempting me to devour them is a bit reckless, don't you think?"
"The offer still stands if you change your mind and want to become a rock star," the redhead egged me on.
"Maybe one day I'll accept it. But enough about me, tell me how your last year went, and don't forget about the others," I demanded.
- Well then listen...