The afternoon was calm. I looked at myself in the mirror and noticed the changes in me, I had grown a little and I definitely wasn't as skinny anymore, I had put on a black t-shirt and some jeans. It wasn't formal at all but it wasn't home clothes either.
I sighed. I had even put on some perfume for when Felicia arrived.
I lay down on the bed and looked at the blue screen in front of me "System, templates can be bought, right? Can you show me the whole list?"
[Understood host. Filtering elements....]
1. Doctor Manhattan - Watchmen / DC Comics (95,000 shop points)
2. Saitama - One Punch Man (90,000 shop points)
3. Son Goku - Dragon Ball (87,000 shop points)
...
Of course, I couldn't afford a super OP one. "System, show me the cheapest ones."
[Sure! Filtering elements...]
1. Jerry Smith - Rick and Morty (20 shop points)
2. Nobita Nobi - Doraemon (25 shop points)
3. Jonny Bravo - Cartoon Network (30 shop points)
I didn't even know what to say, I scrolled down for a few minutes watching several names pass until I got bored. "System, show me Tony Stark's template."
[Error! Host, to avoid conflicts with the universe you are not allowed to have templates of characters that already exist within this one. But I can show you characters of greater or equal intelligence]
"No, I just wanted to see the costs." If they really were as smart or smarter than Tony then they weren't going to be cheap. Out of curiosity, I tried to think of more names until I thought of someone specific.
"System, show me Magneto's template," I said with an eager smile. Magneto was going to be expensive but I'd save every point for his template.
[Error! Host, to avoid conflicts with the universe you are not allowed to have templates of characters that already exist within this one]
The smile on my face froze. Was Magneto real in this world? It was already weird that Peter was a teenager before the events in New York. But I thought it was all part of the Marvel cinematic universe and that there wouldn't be more changes.
"System, show me Reed Richards' template."
[Error! Host, to avoid conflicts with the universe you are not allowed to have templates of characters that already exist within this one]
Damn. There was still no news about him so I guess right now he must be in college and still unknown.
"Blade's template?"
Blade - Marvel (10,000 shop points)
Ok, maybe this was a little disappointing. In this universe Wesley Snipes didn't exist as Blade.
"Lastly, I want to know if Deadpool's template is available."
[Error! Host, to avoid conflicts with the universe you are not allowed to have templates of characters that already exist within this one]
Well, this cheered me up a bit. A lunatic in a suit running around would definitely be bizarre and fun. Could he break the fourth wall of this fic?
BROOOM!
"What's up, monkeys! Were you expecting Damon? Well no, it's me, Deadpool. What did you think, that the fourth wall fixes itself?"
"And yeah, I'm talking to you, the one reading hidden at work, and also to you, the one who should be studying. Don't pretend, I can see you from here."
He placed the last strip of tape, sighing loudly."Uff, I'm done, my ass was already sweating. And believe me, spandex doesn't help at all."
At that moment, a black portal opened behind him, slowly sucking him in. Deadpool clung to a brick with both hands.
"No, no, no! Don't you dare cut my cameo short! They promised me 5 minutes!"
The portal swallowed him as he kicked around.
"I'll be back, bitches! And when I do, I'll charge royalties!"
====================================================
'What the hell was happening?' I asked myself as I tried to remember the last thing I had just said.
DING DONG
Felicia. Instantly, I brushed off the previous event and went down the stairs. I ran a hand through my hair and adjusted my shirt, hoping the perfume I had put on would be enough, and opened the door.
The evening sun fell over her silhouette, making the white of her hair look almost silver. She was wearing tight jeans down to her ankles, a little worn at the knees. On top, an AC/DC short-sleeve t-shirt, with the logo slightly faded from use, and a short black leather jacket.
"Hi, sweetheart. Are you going to let me in or just stare at me all day?" she said with a smile.
"Sorry, I was just admiring the view," I said, a smile on my lips.
She laughed, her voice like a purr.
"Why are you laughing? I'm just telling the truth," I said with a bigger smile.
I stepped aside to let her in. She walked in, and the air in my house filled with her perfume. It was sweet like candy. She took off her jacket and hung it on the rack by the door.
I invited her upstairs and took her to my room. She walked in with a smile, her eyes stopping on my comic shelf. She approached and ran her fingers along the spines of the books.
"So?" she said without turning to look at me. "What's our genius project going to be? The classic baking soda and vinegar volcano?"
"We could do the volcano, but I'd like to know if you have another idea."
She turned with a smile on her lips.
"You're the one with the imagination, Damon. I'm just the girl that helps with the building, you know... I'm really good with my hands."
My smile widened more, the double meaning she used made my heart race. She knew she had me, and it's not like I wanted to stop this game with her.
She got up and went to my desk, looking at the textbooks on it. Her perfume made me feel a little dizzy.
"Don't worry. We'll do the volcano. I like the idea of something exploding."
Her gaze met mine. Her green eyes sparkled with a kind of amusement that made me feel like she knew something I didn't. It was a cat-and-mouse game, and I had no idea who was the cat and who was the mouse.
We spent the next hour gathering ingredients for the volcano. We went to the kitchen, got the baking soda, vinegar, and some red dye to make the "lava" look more real. She laughed as she poured the dye into the vinegar, splashing some on the counter.
"What are you thinking about?" she said with a smile. "You look like you're on another planet."
"Nothing in particular, just that you look great in those science glasses."
She laughed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
When we finished assembling the volcano, we brought it to the kitchen. We put it on the table, and we were about to see the eruption when the front door opened.
"Damon! Are you home already?"
It was my mother's voice.
"Yes, mom! I'm in the kitchen."
My mother walked into the kitchen with a smile on her face, but her smile grew bigger when she saw Felicia. Her eyes moved from me to Felicia, surprise flashing on her face.
"Mom, this is Felicia. She's my partner for a chemistry project."
"Oh, how wonderful!" my mom said, smiling. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Felicia. I'm glad Damon brought such a charming girl home. You can call me Eleanor."
"Mom, please," I said, feeling my cheeks turn red. I felt like all the progress I had made with Felicia just went down the drain.
"What? I'm just telling the truth," my mom said, smiling. "Well, leave your things and let's have dinner."
"Don't worry, Mrs. Eleanor, I was just heading home," Felicia declined politely.
"Nonsense. Don't tell me you're not hungry," my mom said with a smile. "Come, Felicia. I'd like to get to know you a little more."
"Sure, I'd love to," Felicia said smiling.
I froze as I heard Felicia change so quickly.
My mom served us dinner, and we sat at the table. The smell of grilled meat and fries was delicious.
"So, tell me about your parents, I'd like to know about them," my mom asked, smiling.
"My father is an accountant and my mother is a lawyer."
My mom nodded as she cut a piece of meat on her plate.
"And what do you like to do in your free time, Felicia?"
"I like to read, watch movies, spend time in the city, and annoy Damon."
Her gaze met mine. A small sparkle in her eyes told me she wasn't lying.
My mom laughed.
"Damon is also a big fan of the city."
I felt a bit more nervous.
"Well, I don't go out that much," I said, trying to change the subject. "I like to stay home."
"That's not how it seems," my mom said with a smile. "He likes going out and taking a walk."
Dinner ended after an hour, and Felicia stood up.
"Thank you for dinner, ma'am," she said with a smile. "It was delicious."
"You're welcome, sweetheart," my mom said with a smile. "I hope to see you again."
"Of course," Felicia nodded with a smile.
"Give me a minute, I'll get my jacket to walk you home."
"What a gentleman," Felicia said, raising an eyebrow.
"Blame the lady next to you, she raised me that way," I said as I went upstairs to my room. I could hear my mom talking to Felicia but couldn't make out the whole conversation. I just grabbed my jacket and went back down.
She said goodbye to my mom while I promised to return soon, and we stepped out into the street. We walked in silence, the sound of our steps echoing on the empty street.
"Your mom is really nice," Felicia said softly.
"Yes, she's... very direct," I said with a smile. "Sometimes, a little too much."
"I like direct people," Felicia said with a smile.
"You like direct people?"
"Yes, I like them to be direct," she said with a purr. "That they know what they want and take it."
We reached her house, and stopped at the door.
"Well, here we are," she said.
"Yes, it was an... interesting night."
She leaned toward me, and her lips landed on my cheek. The kiss was soft and tender, and it sent an electric shock through my body.
"See you at school, Damon," she said.
She turned and headed to her door, the last thing she said sounding like a sigh.
My mind recalled when she said, "Yes, I like them to be direct. That they know what they want and take it." My heart started racing. I didn't know if it would be a mistake; what I did know was that everything was happening so fast between us.
"Felicia!" I shouted before she entered her house. She stopped and looked at me. Somehow her green eyes shone even brighter.
I closed the distance between us in just a few steps. The chemistry between us was so overwhelming, so undeniable, that I couldn't ignore it. I had just met her, but she was already driving me crazy.
I didn't say or think anything else. I just leaned in and kissed her.
Her lips were soft and sweet. For a moment, she froze in surprise, but then she relaxed and kissed me back. I placed one hand on her waist and the other in her hair, feeling the world fade away around me.
The kiss lasted only a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity. When we pulled apart, both of us were out of breath.
"Damon," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
I didn't give her time to say anything else. I kissed her again, this time more intensely. It was a deeper, more passionate kiss, and I felt her responding with the same intensity.
My hands slowly slid down from her waist until I heard someone clear their throat. Felicia and I stopped. We saw her father standing in the doorway with a frown.
"Felicia, you'd better come inside," he said in a voice so hoarse it reminded me of the previous night.
Felicia looked at him and smiled. She looked at me and gave me a small kiss before running into her house.
Her father's face turned red with rage. "Felicia!" His gaze turned to me and gave me goosebumps. "Go home before I take my shotgun out of the garage and chase you for corrupting my little princess."
His voice had come out as a whisper but I clearly heard everything he said. I ran, I could fight but not yet against a shotgun. In the distance, I saw him turn around and go back inside his house.
I stayed there, alone in the street, my mind in a whirlwind. The night was cold, but my cheeks felt hot and my heart was still racing. By the time I got back home, I was greeted with a bunch of questions from my mother. With the chemistry contest also came some more competitions, I felt it was time to start writing some songs from my previous life.