Lust For Blue - Kaylor

The Great Return

AN I was so thrilled with the last amount of feedback that I decided to work a little and update the next chapter. Excuse any grammar mistakes, I'll fix those after
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Taylor hoped that after her adventurous night with Karlie the girl would visit more frequently. But just as she had done before, she is left alone for days to wonder where the girl could be. Karlie doesn't show up for a whole three weeks this time and Taylor begins to worry immensely about her.

She paces around her bedroom at night, hoping that she would hear that familiar shuffling from downstairs. Sometimes she falls asleep on the sofa in the den only to be questioned by her concerned mother in the morning. Taylor makes the same excuse each time, saying that she was studying late. She mopes around in her garden, idly planting to distract herself. Ed decides to surprise her one day with a letter from the Royal Academy but it nearly makes her heave with guilt.

He has included a quick sketch of a severed hand alongside some loose fangs.

Once she had been so keen on Ed's courageous victory but now she wishes he really was a globe maker in a little shop somewhere. She could visit him everyday and watch him carve wooden spheres before painting the great big world onto each one. There was just so much out there. And Ed just had to become a vampire hunter.

Taylor sighs into her hands as she lies on the couch. It's a late Friday evening. Dad is working overtime in the fields and Mom is out in the city to help a friend at a linen factory. The school week has been agonisingly long and now she just wants to be sad some more about Karlie. Maybe she'll lock the windows tonight. Maybe she won't fall asleep downstairs in the kitchen. Maybe she'll just give up.

"Taylor?" comes a voice from above.

Taylor jolts awake and peers through tired eyes. It's Demi and Abigail.

"Oh, hi girls," Taylor murmurs, rubbing away sleep and slowly sitting up.

"Uh... We've noticed you've been looking a little down lately," says Demi, holding a basket of fruit muffins. "So we want to hang out with you for a bit."

"Is that okay?" Abigail asks, looking pitiful.

"That's very kind, thank you," Taylor says, tiredly.

"My goodness, you do look drained," says Demi as she plops down beside Taylor on the sofa.

"Thanks," Taylor huffs.

"Hey, I didn't mean—"

"Oh, it's all right. Don't mind me, I'm just stressed out," Taylor moans, bringing her hands over her face and leaning back.

"About what, exactly?" asks Abigail, sitting down in front of the two.

"I don't know," Taylor mumbles under her hands.

"You can't not know," Demi says.

"I don't know! Everything?" Taylor says, a little too loudly.

"Is this about Desmond?" Abigail asks.

"What? Who's that?" Taylor groans, not exactly caring much about the answer.

Her friends share a look of incredulous confusion. Abigail chuckles nervously, "Desmond? Your neighbour's son whom you are to marry soon?"

Taylor freezes. She takes her hand away and looks at Abigail. "I... I completely forgot about him", she says in a whisper. Taylor is expecting complete outrage and disgust from her friends but instead they burst out laughing.

"What a good fiancé you are!" Demi giggles.

"Marriage isn't a big deal here, Taylor. You'll be fine! And Desmond's father has workers in Great Valor City. You're going to be very well off," Abigail sighs, dreamily. "With a load of children and wealth, all before you're even twenty six."