Chapter 11 Rosie #3
“I know. I’m me, after all.” Casey shakes her head before tipping her head down the bar. Then I see my target: Geraldine.
Geraldine is the most emotionally driven being I’ve ever met, and that’s saying a lot for a vampire. She can cry at the drop of a hat, from clips of cute animals to a story about finding a penny on the side of the road; it really doesn’t take much to send her into a tizzy.
Vampires are highly emotional beings, wearing their hearts on their sleeves, but Geraldine takes it to a new level.
She’s nursing a glass of wine and eyeing everyone who comes near her.
I think about leaving Jack at the bar with Casey, but the kiss bond makes me feel unnaturally connected to him, and I don’t want to have him out of my sight.
“Hey, Geraldine,” I say, moving over to where she sits at the bar. “How are you?” She looks up at me, eyes already red and watery, and gives me a sad smile.
Oh, thank god it’s one of those nights for her. That will make this so much easier.
“Oh, you know. Making it through.” If I didn’t know this was a regular event, that just about every Monday at seven o’clock she has a bit of an introspective moment, I would be concerned.
But because I know she’s just a sensitive gal, I’m not.
I pull out the stool next to her and sit, looking at her with wide, concerned eyes.
“Oh no, is something wrong?”
“It’s just…” she sniffles before looking at me.
“Have you ever watched Magic Crusaders?” I fight the furrow of my brows before nodding about the show from our childhood.
“I just… I can’t believe they did that to us.
” My brows furrow, confused, before I force them to even out so as not to irritate her. I need her melancholy, not annoyed.
“What did they do again?”
“They were on a mission in the last season, and they beat the goblin so everything was fine! But when the friends were walking back into the castle, everything went dark, and the episode ended. I thought we were in for another season but they just cancelled it!” If I recall, the screen did in fact fade to black when the main character triumphantly walked back into the castle, but at the time I assumed it was because it was a the end moment, not next chapter.
Not that I’ll be telling her that.
“You’re so right, I never thought of that. We never really got confirmation that everything was safe and they all lived happily ever after.”
“Exactly! And Jamison had already been through so much, I think we deserved to know that he got to live as the dragon master happily! And that Carla and Dane stay together! Instead, we just got that ominous ending!” She starts crying then, and I reach into my bag and hand her a handkerchief.
“Thanks, Rosie. It’s just hard, you know?” she says, accepting it and dabbing at her tears.
“Oh, definitely. A fourth season would have been amazing.” The tears start in earnest now.
“I just can’t believe they left us all hanging.
That was cruel.” The sniffles turn into wails, and thanks to the bond, I feel instead of see Jack step back, probably in panic, but I lean in, patting Geraldine’s back.
“It’s so nice to know I’m not alone in this,” she says as her small body wracks with sobs.
Poor thing. There’s a good chance someone in the area is having a rough day because while Geraldine is always a little touch and go, it seems a bit much today, especially over a show.
Before they find their mate, vampires are extremely susceptible to others’ emotions.
Just like me, they normally wear an amulet crafted by a witch to hold them at bay, but at Ghastly, they aren’t allowed.
Personally, I’ve always thought Geraldine enjoys coming here to try and find a mate, but also because this is one of the few places she has the excuse to let all of her emotions out.
“It’s okay. I know. I know, get it out, my girl,” I say with a quiet tone, patting her back comfortingly. It takes her another moment before she’s sitting back and taking in a deep breath, crying jag over.
“I’m sorry. That was silly, I know. I just loved that show and I was thinking about it, and, well, you know.” I give her an understanding smile.
“Totally. Happens to me all the time. Sometimes I remember a scene in a book and just start crying.” And honestly, it’s not a lie, because that does happen—it just doesn’t happen nightly or in a public place.
“Thanks, Rosie. You’re a real friend,” she says before looking at the sopping wet handkerchief in her hand and cringing. “I could wash it, if you’d like—”
“Oh, no, that’s not necessary,” I say quickly, taking the handkerchief from her and popping off the stool with a smile. “I’ve got it. I’ll get started on a petition, okay? See if we can get them to give us at least a few episodes?”
“Thanks, Rosie. Send it to me once you have it. I know a lot of people in the community would be willing to sign it.”
“Of course.” Casey slides a new drink to her, winking at me as I turn. I put a hand to Jack’s arm and slide the kerchief into a bag then into my purse.
Now to get out of here before any chaos erupts.