BEAUTIFUL MONSTER

28 : Don't Flatter Yourself

Leo stood there with a mocking curve to his lips, his highlighted hair brushing his eyebrows in thin strands and still sarcastically clapping. "That was quite a show, I mean, I felt your anger, it was powerful and just...dreadful. Did it make you feel any better?" He made a face, almost squinting. "I'm curious, really. You must've felt terrible not being able to save your friend."

"Are you still going on about that? It was ages ago." I said off handily, looking at my nails.

He looked momentarily surprise before he grinned maliciously and said. "See, I knew it! I told Orion that you were putting on a show; you didn't really care about that boy. He was annoying as hell."

I looked at him, checking to see if he was serious before I scoffed. "Shut up, you idiot,"

"So, what are you going to do now?" Leo asked, looking at the sucker with pretend sadness. "Prepare it's funeral? Cremate it?"

"No, I'm going to try to learn how to pick up sarcasm."

"You're so unpleasant. Here I am, trying to make civil conversation and you're being a bitch. It's no wonder Orion dumped you."

"Excuse me?"

"My apologies," he made a face. "I've been around too many children lately and the way they speak is catching."

"I don't ...okay, just forget it." I sighed. "What are you doing?"

"Following you, Orion told me to shadow you."

"He did?!"

"No." He snapped, giving me a mean look. "Stop flattering yourself."

"I question the purpose of existence, Leo. I seriously do." I was still holding onto the knife and Leo glanced at it with an uninterested look.

"You can put that way, I'm not here to fight with you -not like you can defeat me- and there's no more of the undead conveniently hanging around."

"Wait..." I narrowed my eyes at him, suspicion flitting in my thoughts. "Why are you exactly where I am? Where a sucker is?"

"Coincidence," he shrugged.

"You're such a dick. You set that sucker on me, didn't you?"

He pursed his lips. "OK. Yes, I was hoping it'd get you but... Unfortunately, you've managed to kill it somehow."

"I really don't want to deal with you right now, Leo," I turned away from him, intending to walk away.

"Is it wise to turn your back to me?" He called out.

I didn't glance back as I started going the opposite direction. "If you were to attack me you would've done it sooner, not stopped for idle chit chat."

"Wait."

I had no idea why I stopped but I did, and I turned around, raising an eyebrow. "What?"

"Wouldn't you like to get revenge? That looks like a pretty severe injury and I know exactly where Ethel is." He smiled mysteriously, his eyes icy and testing. "I'll take you to her if you wish."

"What's in it for you?"

"Free entertainment; seeing the two of you fight and hopefully happiness; if she kills you."

I thought it over, remembering how she wanted to eat me and how she had slammed my head against the ground. Revenge sounded sweet and my temper was already flaring up - but then I shook my head, common sense kicking in. "No thanks, it's a death wish and I have a couple of things on my bucket list left before I go."