[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]13/05/09[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Cardiff weaved in and out of the lingering students easily and skipped up the stairs. She tended to stay away from areas where she knew a lot of people – it hurt too much – but the college was one of her sources of new things. Two days ago she had met a girl who could see her outside the law classroom, and it was that girl she was looking for.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]A tall, dark-skinned blonde woman veered off-course in order to avoid her, and Cardiff sighed glumly. She cheered slightly when she saw a short, curvy blonde girl at the end of the corridor.[/FONT]
“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Alex!” said Cardiff, rushing forward. The other girl's face soured when she caught sight of Cardiff.[/FONT]
“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Not here,” she hissed, dashing up another flight of stairs. Cardiff shrugged to herself and followed her.[/FONT]
“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Hi!” said Cardiff when they were alone in one of the seldom-used conference rooms of the business studies department.[/FONT]
“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]What do you want, babes?” said Alex, twirling her peroxide blonde hair in her finger.[/FONT]
“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Why can you see me? And hear me?”[/FONT]
“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Well, like, it all started a year ago. Um. Don't really want to go into it, to be honest, but like, yeah. There's a reason, babes, don't worry. You're not a vampire, are you?”[/FONT]
“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Are vampires real?” said Cardiff, head tilted to one side. Alex frowned.[/FONT]
“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Don't know. It'd be lush if they weren't.”[/FONT]
“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Why?”[/FONT]
“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Well, because, like, then I'd have to kill them,” said Alex matter-of-factly, shrugging. Cardiff snorted.[/FONT]
“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]What are you, Alex the Vampire Slayer?” [/FONT]
“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]No! I hope not, anyway. Buffy dies. Like, twice.” Alex clutched her over-sized bag to her likewise over-sized chest. “My tits are too big, anyway.”[/FONT]
“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]They are a bit,” agreed Cardiff. [/FONT]
“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]So what are you, then? Are you a ghost? You don't like, look like one. And I can't even sense any evil in you, so you're not like, a demon or anything. I think that means I don't have to kill you. I'll ask Tom. He'll know.” She paused. “You don't mind if I have to kill you, do you? That'd be lush. Usually they fight and then I get like, ectoplasm all over my clothes. I killed this thing last week, right, and it ruined my new top from River Island. Weren't happy.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Cardiff blinked.[/FONT]
“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Um. No? I'm already dead. I died a few weeks ago.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Alex combed her body with her eyes and then reached out to touch her. She took Cardiff's hand in hers, tracing her warm, blood-filled fingers over Cardiff's ice-cold hands.[/FONT]
“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Well. That's weird. Are you sure you're not a vampire?” She appeared almost hopeful.[/FONT]
“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Yes,” replied Cardiff. “Um. No. I haven't sucked anyone's blood, though! I don't think I'm a vampire. I might be a zombie.” [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]It was something she had considered. Dead things that appeared, reanimated, and had no need to suck blood were called zombies, she had thought.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Alex shook her head.[/FONT]
“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]You're not a zombie, babes. I don't know what you are, though. What's your name?”[/FONT]
“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Cardiff.”[/FONT]
“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Oh? That's a—oh my God you're dead.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Cardiff frowned.[/FONT]
“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]I know, I just told you...”[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Alex shook her head.[/FONT]
“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]No, like, you, you're dead. I know you! You're like, Katie's friend's twin sister! Oh my God I'm going to the cinema with Katie later!”[/FONT]
“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Is that a problem?” [/FONT]
“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Well, like, I mean, not really, but she already thinks I'm weird because I've got like, crossbows and stuff, and I never tell her anything since last year... Why did you have to be dead!?” she demanded, frowning.[/FONT]
“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Sorry.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Alex looked at her watch.[/FONT]
“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Look, um, sorry babes, but can we do this again? It's Orange Wednesdays, see, and it's half-day today, and I'm meeting Katie in Swansea in a bit...”[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Cardiff's face fell.[/FONT]
“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]No, look, um! I'll speak to Tom, he'll speak to Scott and then I'll see what I can do, okay babes? Look, you're lush, I like you and stuff, but I have to go meet Katie... I missed her birthday, see, and she was funny with me for weeks.”[/FONT]
“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Okay, I—Friday?”[/FONT]
“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]You're sure you're not a vampire, then?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Cardiff nodded.[/FONT]
“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Well... I'm supposed to be going out Friday because Sophie's boyfriend cheated on her with a boy, but … meet me by Neath Abbey Tesco at quarter to four? You can walk me home and we'll have a chat then, okay?”[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Cardiff nodded.[/FONT]
“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Okay, deal.”[/FONT]
“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Right, babes, I'll see you later...” said Alex, slinging her bag over her shoulder and rushing out of the room. Cardiff stayed a while longer, staring out the window toward the science block.[/FONT]