All My Friends - Kodaline

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I sighed heavily and leaned onto the counter. "Is my shift over yet?"

"You'll be here until three, Evie." Laura said with a smile. "But my shift is over."

There were only few people in Starbucks at two in the morning on a Thursday night. Eight including staff and me. I'd been working since nine and I only had one more hour left before the end thank God but it felt like I'd been here for years.

It always did on a night shift. 

Laura came out from the back, her apron in hand.  "Sid and Mark are around back doing stock. I doubt many will come in, in the next hour you'll be fine. I'll see you on Monday."

Before I could say goodbye, she was out of the door waving. I sighed and leaned against the counter, turning the radio up slightly to keep me and everyone else in here awake. There was a couple on a table by the window with their heads together talking about God knows what at this hour. 

The music playing overhead was relaxing and I couldn't blame the man in the corner for falling asleep. I recognised him from a few of my other night shifts. The brunette with his long curly hair in a distinct bun came in around the same time every time, two o'clock in the morning, and I would leave before him. I cleaned a few tables but then jumped when I felt my phone vibrate. I technically shouldn't have it on me but this was the shift my boss wasn't on so getting caught wasn't too much of a big deal.

I looked down at the caller ID and mentally counted the three hour time difference between New York and Vancouver. Maybe something was wrong... "Is everything okay? Are you okay? Is the baby okay?" 

There was silence and my heart sunk but then she said, "You know what truly sucks at half five in the morning?"

"What?"

"The fact I have pregnancy hormones, I'm hungry, little bit horny and I'm feeling fat and it all hit me at once plus it woke me up."

I sighed out a laugh and leant against the counter. "So you decided to call me and tell me about this because...?"

"Because who else am I going to tell?" She half yelled and I started laughing harder. "Why are you laughing? I'm being one hundred percent serious. John's left me here to fend for myself for the night whilst I slept so he could feed wherever there was to feed in New York. I feel so bad for him, he's barely fed since he'd found out." Amy suddenly sniffed. 

This wasn't the first I'd been on the other end of her pregnancy hormones. Having a half vampire baby only enhanced her emotions more. Once she'd laughed so hard she started crying at the fact she hadn't laughed that hard in weeks. Another time she cried because she was watching a rerun of Friends when Rachel and Ross broke up. Usually our phone calls ended in crying on her part.

"Ignore me." She sighed. "Were you asleep?"

"No, I'm working; my shift ends in twenty five minutes."

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I'll go. Should I call later?"

"Hold on a minute. You haven't told me how you're feeling?"

Amy sighed. "I'm tired. But it's expected right?"

"Yeah, it is."

"Celia said the other day that when she was pregnant, Ethan fed her his blood to keep her strong and to satisfy the baby."

I blinked. "Is John giving you blood?"

"Well, Celia only started drinking his blood on the last few months but every few days during her third month he gave her a little."

"So that's a no?"

"That's a, in his words, 'hell no.'" She laughed. "He'll do it when he has to, he doesn't want to subject me to it just yet. The baby might not like it or the baby might like it too much."

"That's fair though, Ames."

She mumbled something completely incoherent before saying, "Anyway I should let you work. I'll call you...?"

"Call me in the evening." I said. "Love you."

"Love you too."

We said our goodbyes' and hung up and lucky I did because Sid popped out replacing one of the quarter empty milks by the machine. He sent me a look before rolling his eyes and going back into the storeroom. He must have heard me. 

I had fifteen minutes left of my shift. No new customer's had come in and none had left. I lay my head in my palm against the counter and shut my eyes. Just fifteen more minutes and I can go home. On these late shifts Michael always insisted on picking me up because he thought it wasn't safe. I thought he was over exaggerating and I was literally going from shop to car. I always parked right in front of the store and I've been doing these late nights twice a week since the increase of vampires. 

I felt the brush of wind and heard heels click against the floor. At around this time there were a few partygoers entering getting a cup of coffee to sober them up before they went home so I didn't open my eyes until they were stood right in front of me.

However when I opened my eyes and stood up straight I was shocked down to my very soul to see the woman in front of me. Or really, I should say vampire. 

She hadn't changed. The only difference to her beautiful features was her shorter hair. The first and last time I saw her, it cascaded down to her waist but now it was shoulder length. A smile graced her full lips and her violet eyes sparkled with nothing but mischief. She was in a black leather biker jacket, a pair of denim high waist jeans and a black low cut top. She looked damn well magnificent. 

But being as beautiful as her doesn't excuse the evil in her cold heart and soul. 

"You look surprised to see me here." She purred, leaning forward on the countertop. 

I leaned away as she did so, her strong and horribly appealing scent travelling up my nostrils.

"Can I have two chai tea latte-"

"Get out." I gritted ignoring the fast patter of my heart.

Florence tilted her head to the side and smiled wider. "Are you refusing me service?"

"I have the right." I swallowed.

She leaned further forward, her pupils enlarging and shrinking. "But you don't have the choice."

Before I realised what was happening, I was moving around the machine and making the lattes. My limbs weren't my own as I did the necessary routines to make the hot drinks. Damn her. She'd compelled me without me even... I was in trouble and I knew it. I was only human I couldn't do much against a six hundred year old vampire. The trick's I'd learnt from Lewis wouldn't help me with her. For one thing, I didn't have any of the stakes on me.

I presented the drinks to her on the table and tried to step away but she laid her warm palm on my wrist. "Why don't you join me?"

"No."

"Do you want me to force you, Evangeline?"

My name coming from her lips made me shudder. I glanced toward her hand before picking up one of the chai's with a shaking palm. My watch read 2:49.

I came out from behind the counter and followed her over to a deserted table away from the windows and near the opposite corner of the sleeping man. She sat down before me and gestured for me to join her. 

Reluctantly, I sat opposite her and watched as she sipped on her chai. Her vigilant eyes ran over my face and my exposed neck before she swallowed and leant against the table. Unfortunately for me, it was a small table.

"You must be wondering why I've made myself present."

"If you're here to kill me then just do it and stop torturing me." I mumbled shakily. I wouldn't cry in front of her. I wouldn't give her the satisfaction.

"Kill you? I wouldn't kill you. Well, I wouldn't kill you here. How boring. A coffee shop with no one to witness but these sleeping humans? Don't you think I'm more creative than that? After all, for a good few years I assumed you were already dead."

A chill swept through my bones at the reminder of her forcing her blood into my system and stabbing me with the stake from my own hands. 

"I assumed you were mine." She continued with a sigh. "You would have made a spectacular vampire if you had turned." Her gaze lingered on my neck and I knew she was staring at the scar. 

I stared down at my hands in my lap as she resumed her drink. It was 2:58.

"How's college?"

"Fuck off."

"I'm taking an interest." Florence insisted. "You know you shouldn't be cruel to me. I may not want to kill you but there are other things I can do."

"What do you want, Florence. Why show yourself to me now?"

"Because, I have my own plan. You and your small little group of vampires may be looking for me but what help is that against the increase of new vampires in Burnaby and Vancouver? Give me your hand."

My eyes widened and I met her glare. "What?"

"Give me. Your hand."

I started to shake my head but she leaned forward, the veins on her face rippling all over her high cheekbones and along her neck. "Lean. Forward."

Immediately, I did as she said. My body leaning against the table our foreheads almost touching. "I'll give you something. A gift. It'll last a few days." She took my hand and my body screamed in protest. I tried to yank away, I tried to get up and leave but my body wasn't mine to control anymore. She brought the pad of my index finger to her mouth and before I could look away or even prepare myself, she bit the inside. The pin prick of pain lasted only a moment as I turned my head away. She sucked miniature amounts of my blood for approximately five seconds before pulling away.

"Your gift is my venom in your system for a few days. You'll be dreaming and seeing wonderful things, I assure you." She bit the inside of her own thumb and rubbed it over my finger, her blood healing the small wound. "So Michael doesn't know." She voiced.

"I will tell him." I hissed.

That brought a vicious smile to her lips. "What makes you think you'll remember this?"

My eyes widened and I tried to move again but once again my body failed.

"I can understand why Michael indulges you every once in a while. I had forgotten you tasted wonderful." She rested her head on her palm. "Sooner rather than later, probably tomorrow evening, Michael or Nathaniel will realise that your nightmare and odd behaviour was caused by vampire blood and knowing them they'll compel the answers from you because you won't 'remember'. I'll make this so they're able to get every detail of this night from you with them just asking what had happened tonight. You may think that I'm crazy but sweetheart you don't know shit." Her eyes became serious very fast as we sat nose to nose. "I will make your life hell. I will make everyone that you love suffer. Including your friends in New York."

A treacherous tear escaped. "What do you want?"

"You know who I want. I want Michael and I want Nathaniel back with me where they belong."

"Why the new vampires?"

"I'm not that stupid Evie; I won't reveal everything to you." She grinned slumping against her chair. "Michael will be furious about this you know; that I was able to get this close to you. Speaking of which it's almost quarter-past three. He'll start to get worried so. I better wrap this up. A shame you didn't drink your tea. That was for you."

Her palm grabbed my chin forcing me to look into her violet eyes. "I didn't walk into this cafe. You won't remember me ever being here. However," Florence's thumb brushed against my jaw with a smile and I cringed. "Everything that happened in this past half an hour... is still recoverable."

**

**

My body shook over and over again but I couldn't figure out why. Where... Where was I? 

"Evie?"

Was I sleeping?

"Wake up," The voice whispered harshly. "Evie."

My eyes fluttered open and I caught a pair of beautiful green eyes staring directly into mine. 

"W-" I started but then I looked around. I was home. But how... when-?

"You were shouting." Michael said as he sat me up against the headboard. The back of his palm wiped across my forehead. "You're sweating... Were you having a nightmare?"

....was I? When did I get off work? Come to think of it how did I get home? "Um..."

"What's wrong?" His fingers tipped my chin up. "What were you dreaming of?"

The last thing I remember was cleaning the tables, then Amy called me, then I hung up, but then... I went home? "I don't remember." I sighed, running my hand through my hair.

"Are you sure?" 

"Yeah. When did I get home?" I wondered. 

He frowned. "Around twenty-five to four."

A scene of me saying goodbye to Sid and Mark entered my mind. I'd left work around quarter past three. "Oh, yeah."

"Did something happen last night at work?"

I shook my head. "Amy called."

Michael stared at me for what felt like forever before he asked me what Amy talked about. As I explained I felt like something was missing but for the life of me I couldn't figure out what. And I sure couldn't figure out what I was dreaming about. Michael had his suspicions, I could see it in his eyes but he didn't say anything.

I spent fifteen minutes in the shower racking my brain over those lost thirty minutes. Did I clean tables... serve any more customers? "Dammit." No one could help me with this.

I didn't have class or work today and my dissertation was in. I didn't know what to do with myself. Michael wasn't here, Kate was in class and I didn't know what Nate was doing. I felt tired, so I decided on a nap in the study. Which, by far, was the worst decision I could have ever of made.

I was in the hands of none other than Florence Huddleston. I relived that night in the cabin where she sunk her teeth into my neck. I felt the excruciating pain that emitted from my bite as the blood was sucked out of me. But instead of throwing me to the ground as she had in the cabin, she continued. My life draining away in mere minutes, my gaze being clouded by blackness. Michael and Nate's faces watching without even attempting to help me. And when I felt my body go limp, when I felt a splintering ice cold feeling sweep throughout my body and saw nothing but darkness I awoke.

Michael was stood on the far side of the study next to Nathaniel. Were they actually... conversing? Katherine and her great-grandmother Anastasia were sat at the desk with vials of substances I sure as hell couldn't identify and a bowl. 

I wiped my sweating cheeks and looked at the people within the room. "What's going on here?" I managed to grumble holding my palm to my abnormally fast heartbeat.

"I don't know why I didn't notice this morning." Michael mumbled but it sounded more like he was talking to Nate. "When's Callum coming?"

I swung my legs off the couch and lay my aching head in my palms. What was this feeling? I'd never had it before. The doorbell rang and Nate disappeared. 

"Evie,"

I lifted my head to meet Mike's stare. "What's going on?"

"I came home about two hours ago. I couldn't wake you."

Two hours ago? Oh. I'd been sleeping all day. I sighed heavily, running my hand through my hair. "I'm fine-"

"You're not." A foreign voice said from the side.

A man entered the study. A man I just about recognised. He had thick eye brows and somewhat of a beard. He looked like one of those cliché art students that didn't leave their art studio. "Wait," I said. The brunette with the bun grinned. "You're the guy from Starbucks. You come in around the same..." I paused as realisation hit me. "Have you been spying on me?"

"For good ol' Michael yeah. Callum Dodd. Pleasure." He gestured a circle with his pale hand and bowed. His chocolate brown eyes sparkled with amusement. "I'm a friend of Pamela's from Britain. Heard of Manchester?"

I sent a glare Michael's way before nodding. "Yes, I have. But let's get back to the fact you said I wasn't fine."

"Oh, right. Michael you're going to have to compel her." 

Both mine and Michael's eyes widened. "W-"

"It's the only way you'll find out what happened last night mate. I can do it if-"

"No, it's fine." He kneeled in front of me with pursed lips and solemn eyes. "Alright."

"Why in the hell does he have to compel me?" I argued looking away from him. "If you want to know what I was dreaming about I can tell you. We were back at the cabin with Florence-"

"Florence?" Michael's hand guided my face to look at him. "What happened last night at work Evie?"

"I told you I can't... remember."

His pupils dilated to an abnormal extent and I found my body relaxing. His thumb brushed over my cheek, my heart finally lowered its tempo. "Evie, think. What happened before you left work hm? Try to remember piece by piece."

And as if a floodgate had opened, everything that happened from that half an hour surfaced. Everything.

"Evangeline?" Moisture trailed down my cheeks. "Evie."

"She came into Starbucks." I inhaled deeply and explained everything. From chai teas to the bite to my forefinger.

"Dammit!" He stood with pulsing eyes. "I knew, I just knew you'd had someone's blood. The signs were obvious."

Callum crossed his large arms over his chest. "As soon as she'd compelled you, she left. I don't think she suspected me oddly enough."

Michael stormed across the room to Katherine and Ana whom I'd forgotten was sitting only a few meters away. Kate turned to me and smiled sadly. "We have two things for you, Eve. Something to stop the dreams and something to... well, give you the choice to obey compulsion. A rare flower called Bellevalia grown around The Middle East. A sprinkle in your tea a day and you should be fit as a fiddle." She handed me a vile filled with a blue powdered substance. "And this will stop the dreams. It'll burn that tiny bit of her venom right up." This vial had a clear liquid in it.

A steaming cup came into view. Nate sent me a smile as I took the cup from him and poured the clear liquid into it. Michael was pacing in the corner, the veins on his face growing darker with each passing minute. Nate stood watching his estranged friend running his hands over his hair in frustration.

Florence had a plan. It was obvious from the start but now we knew for certain. Using me as a pawn was only the beginning of this game. The new vampires weren't her first move using me was and now... hell, I didn't even know. What was there to do? The only thing to do was to wait for the next move. I sipped on my drink and cringed. Ew. Tasted like cinnamon powder.

Callum sat a fair distance beside me rubbing his hands together. I watched him warily and raised a brow when he held out his hand to me. "Pleasure to meet you though." He grinned sheepishly.

This one was going to be a handful.

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Picture of Callum on the side