Chapter 35: Chapter 35

"I sure hope you weren't bullshitting me."

Eris's sense of fashion was nothing if not consistent. She was wearing a slightly lighter-colored baggy hoodie and a different pair of pants, with a black fanny pack attached. It seemed like she applied more eyeliner than before, giving her that same mixture of nerdy and gloomy look, just amplified. Standing in the magazine aisle of a convenience store near the end of my home street, a place she chose for the meetup, she stopped leafing through a video game periodical to give me a quizzing look.

"It's for real," I said. It felt strangely empowering to tell someone else I had supernatural powers—mostly because of the fact I had built up the courage, not so much because I thought anyone would believe it were she to tell them. Eris scrutinized me for a few silent moments and closed the mag.

"Alright, mister magic, show meee..." she let her last syllable hang quietly and started turning around on her heel, "... there!"

She pointed at the cashier, a bored-looking girl with curly, red hair and thick-rimmed glasses, who seemed busy with her phone. I looked around and saw that nobody besides us was in the store.

"What?" I asked, confused.

Eris leaned towards me and whispered, "Do it on her. I’ll watch."

I never suspected that Eris would make this into a test, though it made sense, looking from her perspective. Even though I had no plan, and even though at that point I still wasn't quite sure how this supposed power of mine worked, to my own surprise, I confidently walked up to the register—Eris right behind me. Yet, the feeling of tension in my chest and throat I would have experienced just a month ago was completely gone. I put a couple of candy bars down on the counter and Eris added the periodical she was leafing through earlier, shrugging when I looked at her. I gestured at the cashier to count it separately, and Eris pouted.

"That will be five ninety-nine," the cashier announced dispassionately while I turned to her, counting the cash I had.

Her eyes seemed to glaze over when our hands touched while she was handing me the change. The look she gave as our skins grazed one against the other seemed stuck somewhere between confusion and excitement.

"Hi, I'm Matt," I said, trying to figure out what I’ll say next.

"Ah, Anne," she introduced herself, an awkward smile briefly flashing on her face.

"I like the glasses," I said, to which she first raised one eyebrow, then, realizing I was talking about hers, looked down and to the side, giggling and shielding her mouth.

"You come by here sometimes, right?" she murmured, almost incomprehensibly.

"Yeah," I confirmed waited until she looked back up again.

"Hey, Anne, I was wondering, could I get your number," I asked. My voice was calm, but I could still feel my heart beat twice as fast as usual.

"Ah, yeah, um... I'll just enter it for you..." she said, gesturing for my phone, and asked with a faint smile, "Do... do you live around here?"

"Yeah, I'm nearby," I said and looked aside at Eris, whose eyes kept moving from the cashier to me and back. Turning back, I continued "listen, do you wanna meet up after work some day?"

"Ah...," she hesitated while I held my breath. "I can do... Thursdays are best... What hour?"

"Five?" I asked and exhaled.

She blinked rapidly.

"O-okay..."

"You know any good pubs?" I asked. "There's one called 'The Tap' right down the street."

"The Tap?" Anne replied after a moment of hesitation. "Oh, I have seen it, it's to the left of the barber's!"

We were just about to finish setting up when I heard Eris sigh. She rolled her eyes and started walking out.

"Hey, wait!" I called to her and walked behind her. Anne waved at me awkwardly and I waved back with a nod.

I caught up with Eris about a dozen steps out of the store.

"What's wrong?"

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She gave me a disappointed look and cocked her head.

"You said 'demonic'. I didn't see 'demonic'. You're just being a playboy."

Her tone caught me off-guard. Once more I felt like things were crumbling under me.

"No, wait, Eris," I said and tried stepping in front of her, but she dodged me.

"Whateverrr," she drew out the "r"s as she slowly and lazily walked forward.

"Wait! Look!" I yelled and she turned and gave me a scrutinizing look. I turned and looked back at Anne, who was at the entrance, watching us with an awkward expression.

Eris stepped a few paces behind me and looked on as I approached Anne and, without saying anything, put my hand on hers. She gasped and looked at me.

"Would you mind taking your top off?" I said and heart Eris do a stifled inhale, a nasal sound as if she was trying to hold back a roaring fit of laughter.

"My... top..." Anne replied, eyes slightly squinted.

"Your shirt and bra," I explained.

"Y-yes, I know..." she responded and, after a moment's hesitation, looked to her left and right and gestured me into the store.

Eris stayed back, looking wide-eyed. She stood at the store window, peeping through and repositioning to eye us while Anne led me to a section slightly to the side of the cash register, shielded from most of the outside by a wall behind and a column in front. This forced Eris to also come into the store, sneaking behind us in a half-crouch. She hid behind the magazine rack, which was next to another column.

"They... can't see here..." she said quietly and nodded at the cameras.

I watched with awe when she started pulling up her shirt, exposing a little heart tattoo she had on her belly. We stood there in complete silence, Anne looking away from me and blushing as her shirt hit the ground. It all had the atmosphere of a girl wishing to impress a boy she really fancied. She began reaching behind to unbutton her white bra.

I turned to where Eris hid and mouthed, "Believe me now?"

Her eyes wide open, eyebrows raised and mouth agape, she kept looking at me, then back at Anne. Just when the dazzled cashier was ready to pull her bra off, a chime at the door announced a customer coming in. I quickly gestured at the cashier to put her shirt back on, which seemed to return her to her previous state.

"Ah, shit!" she said with a hushed voice, ducked under the counter and got clothed before the flip-flop wearing, balding guy at the entrance glanced in our direction, first seeming distracted by Eris's attempt at stealth. I wasn't sure if he saw me, but I pretended to just be a regular customer as I sneaked around the column and went down another aisle, then quickly made it to the exit. Anne was still glancing at me nervously while scanning the new customer's packs of cigarettes.

I didn't manage to get a good look back at Anne when I felt a tug. Eris grabbed my forearm through my shirt and we both almost ran out of the store. I felt like I had just committed a robbery. Having turned a corner, we stopped to catch a breath and I saw her looking at me with a worried, but fascinated look.

"What the hell... was that?"

"What I told you about... By the way, I don't think you paid for this magazine," I replied and pointed out the glossy cover of the journal she was holding.

"What? I left the money at the counter!" she insisted.

"Oh, sorry then."

"Well, if I didn't, I guess it's too bad," she looked at me and hid it behind her back. She kept on scrutinizing me with her eyes before taking very over-the-top small steps towards me, tilting her head. "At any rate..."

Our eyes met and I saw a strange, curious desire in her gaze.

"I want to see more..." she said, lips curling into a sly smile.

That was a first. I've never been this bold, nor felt this... invigorated, like a new life force was poured into me.

Behind me, I heard Ra'zizi scoff. That one was also a first, as I couldn't tell for sure, but I felt certain that it sounded almost jealous.

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