Boy in the Mist (Vampire BoyxBoy)

Job

     After coming there after school, Isaac realized that James and Andy had a part of the store he didn't even know about: a bunch of guitars. They were all neatly arranged on the wall, price tags attached on each. The prices were actually pretty good, considering how nice they were, but Isaac still didn't have the kind of money they were looking for. It upset him- he wanted a new guitar really badly.
     Isaac had played guitar for years before moving, and he still had a passion for it. His right fingers were still calloused beyond repair. He hoped to pick it up again to get his mind off of college stress, but he decided not to bring his with him. It would have been too much to look after.
     He had to save up, and that meant getting a job.
     "I would get you something here, but Dad doesn't pay us that well, the bastard," James had told him, pulling out a cigarette from the package. "Besides, we hardly do any work anyway. I know there are lots of places around here looking for people though."
     "Yep." Andy spoke up from behind the two, shuffling CD's into place. "The grocery store, a few clothing places..hell, I'm sure that bland old bookstore could use some life in it."
     Isaac had been in that bookstore, and Andy was right. It was bland. There was nothing unique about it, and Isaac was sure it had been something else beforehand. The floor was white and tiled, and the walls were brown and undecorated. Sure, they had some good selection, but what was the point?
     So Isaac picked what he thought was the best choice: he walked into the grocery store and asked if they were hiring.
The people he talked to said that they could probably offer a position in the afternoons, which would leave Isaac with a busy day. He was okay with that, though. They told him to come back later to schedule an interview, and so Isaac bought some junk food and left. That was easy. This town really was small.
     Isaac wanted to go home, but he decided to run by the mausoleum. He wanted Raymond to stay over again, since he was worried about him being on that hard mattress. Plus, it got so cold.
     Lucky for him, Raymond was awake, and he looked really glad to see Isaac. "Hey there," he said, setting down the book he was reading. "How was class?"
     "Boring. As always." Isaac paused. "Wanna stay at my house again? I have some stuff to work on, and I liked having you there last time."
     Raymond was up in a second. He was back in his suit, having left Isaac's clothes folded neatly on the couch. His hair looked shiny.
     "You can shower, too, if you need it."
     Raymond sighed in relief. "Thank you. Hold on." He bent down and grabbed one of the bottles, glancing up at Isaac. "If you don't want to see this, don't look," he said, taking the cork off. Isaac didn't turn away; in fact, he looked on defiantly as Raymond took a small swig from the bottle.
He had no reason to be afraid now.
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Raymond took a quick shower at Isaac's house, and they put his suit in the washing machine. Isaac gave him back the t-shirt and sweatpants, which seemed to make him really happy.
Now the two of them were in Isaac's bed watching TV, with Isaac trying to scribble down notes for an essay. Raymond had seen a television before, but he never really had the chance to sit down and watch one, according to him.
The darker it got outside, the happier Raymond seemed to become. His skin was still light and bony, but it was no longer yellowish and veiny. His hair, now fluffy from the hair dryer, was healthy looking. His eyes were a brighter red.
"Do you, like, get stronger at night?" Isaac finally asked.
Raymond shrugged. "I have more energy. I feel as good as a human would in the daylight."
"You don't strike me as one of those..I don't know, angsty vampires."
"Yeah. Living for over a hundred and fifty years gives you some time to get over it."
"So will you just keep living forever? For another hundred and fifty years? And then another?"
Worry crossed Raymond's face. "God, I hope not. I mean, surely there's got to be some kind of cure for this. Or maybe I'll get so sickly I'll just rot away."
"That's not something you want to think about. Be positive. Maybe there is some kind of cure."
"Why are you so nice to me?" Isaac expected this to be accompanied with a smile, but Raymond looked genuinely concerned. He avoided eye contact, instead choosing to play with the blankets.
"Because I like being nice." Isaac raised an eyebrow. "And it makes other people feel good."
"I'm not used to it. I've met lots of people, but none of them were willing to just..take me in. None of them let me use their shower, or let me wash my clothes, or let me sleep in their house."
"I'm trying to be your friend, Raymond." Isaac touched his arm. "I think that's what you need."
"I just hate being the way I am. Yes, I've accepted it, but I still don't like it."
"Ray, you're smart and polite and charming. You can waltz into any place in this town and get a job- hell, that's what I did earlier today. You can stay with me. You can go to school. Switch to a different kind of blood. You can change your whole life right now."
A faint smile appeared on Raymond's face. "I suppose I could. I just worry about my sleep schedule." He chuckled awkwardly.
"You could work for an hour a day and get paid enough to help with bills. Work the night shift. I don't know."
"I want to be as determined as you."
"Then do it."
Raymond sat up. "Right. Yeah. I think I will."
"Good."
"Thank you." He slipped his left hand into Isaac's. Then the right. Then, after a long while, he leaned in and kissed Isaac on the lips.