A Friend to the Darkness. Katherine Rathbone
laughed without humour. “God doesn’t have much to do with me.”
“I can’t believe you heard that.” I was mortified.
“Well, this is awkward. Sorry, I thought you wanted to talk.” Seth eyed me uncertainly.
“I do! I did. Ugh. I appreciate the company?” I drew my legs up and sat cross legged, rubbing my face, before looking at him between my fingers.
He smiled gently. “Hiya, Katie. How was your day?”
I sighed. “Shit thanks, Seth. How was yours?” He didn’t answer me, just waited for me to keep talking. I rubbed my face again. “Ugh, so there’s this guy.”
“Woah, woah woah. I don’t think I’m qualified for this conversation!” He looked panicked. “How about I go fetch Sera?”
I raised an eyebrow at him. “Really? Sera?”
“Ugh, ok, point taken. So this guy. Do you want me to kill him for you?”
“Could you?” I was curious.
“No, actually. We’re not allowed to kill humans. I was just trying to be supportive.” He looked worried. “Do you really want me to kill him?!”
I sighed. “No, not really.” I rubbed my face again. “He seemed really sweet. He’s new. We’ve been chatting, and I guess I was kinda starting to… I dunno, like him, I guess.”
“Is he prettier than me?” Seth teased.
“Well, he’s not a creepy old man, so yeah.” I shot back.
Seth rolled his eyes. “I keep telling you, I’m practically your age. So what’s with the past tense? What happened?”
“I saw him at recess and said hi. He completely ignored me. I thought that was kinda weird, but went off to the library to read.”
“You are such a badass.”
“Fuck you.”
“Promises, promises.” He smirked at me.
I rolled my eyes. “Anyway, I went to sit with him at lunch time, and he got up and left. Just totally ignored me.”
“Ouch.”
“Yeah. But then Carmen came over.”
“Oh, that bitch!” I’d complained about her to my friends before.
“Mmm. Her. She was laughing at me, and she said, ‘you didn’t really believe someone like that could like someone like... you?’ She laughed again, and said, ‘it’s ok. I rescued him. I told him how much a slut you were.’”
“Hang on, that made him not like you?” Seth sounded confused. I rolled my eyes at him. “No seriously, who cares who you sleep with?”
I shook my head. “Humans.”
“Man. Humans suck.”
“Sure do. Anyway, that’s why my life sucks at school. No one talks to me because of that bitch.” In spite of myself, tears pricked my eyes. Seth handed me my chocolate, and I laughed at him, wiping my eyes. “Perfect response. Thanks, man.”
“I aim to please.” He grinned at me. “But, if I am not mistaken, your mother is due home soon, and I should get out of here. You ok?” His voice was gentle at the end.
“I am. Thank you, Seth. It’s nice to know you’re listening out for me.”
He grinned at me. “Just try not to think of me when you masturbate. That could be awkward.”
I threw my pillow at him, but it sailed through the space he had occupied as he disappeared.
The next day at lunch, Carmen sauntered over to me. I watched her warily. She seemed to be walking… differently. “Katie!” She called out.
“What do you want, Carmen?” I asked suspiciously.
“I have something I need to tell you, Katie.” She spoke loudly, even for her.
“What?” I was braced for anything.
“I need to tell you why I am such an insufferable bitch.”
“Huh. I thought that’s just how you were born.” A crowd was gathering around us. Carmen looked around at everyone, and seemed satisfied.
“I am so cruel to you, Katie, because I am completely jealous of you. I wish I was half as smart as you, and even a quarter as pretty. I tell guys to stay away from you because secretly I would fuck you myself, if I could.” It was a small country town in the 90’s. It shouldn’t have mattered, but she had just committed social suicide. I stared at her, my mouth agape. Everyone around us was in uproar. She smirked at me. That looked familiar.
“Seth?!” I whispered incredulously. ‘Carmen’ winked, and walked away.
That afternoon, I rushed home from school, said a perfunctory hello to my mother, and raced into my bedroom. As I expected, Seth was there. I turned my stereo on, and whisper yelled, “What did you do?!”
He preened. “And the Oscar goes to… this guy!”
“What was that? Other than fucking amazing, that is.”
“Just a minor case of possession. And not the drug kind.” He grinned at me.
“Holy shit! You can possess people?” I was incredulous.
“Katie? Who are you talking to?” Mum called out from the living room.
“Ah, no one, mum. Just singing.” I yelled back.
Seth spoke quietly. “Yeah, we can. It’s fun, but really hard. Really, really hard. I’ve had to hang out topside all day to rest before I could teleport home.”
“You did that for me?” I was touched.
“Absolutely. That bitch shouldn’t bother you anymore, dear one. But I really need to get back. See you this weekend?”
“Ah, yeah. See you. And thanks, Seth.”
He grinned and disappeared. I collapsed onto my bed, and reflected on how nice it felt to have friends that would stick up for me, and call me pet names.
The next day at lunch, Carmen cornered me near the toilet block, out of sight of the teacher on yard duty. She was surrounded by a diminished number of lackeys.
“What the fuck did you do to me, bitch?!” Her face was contorted with rage.
I grinned. “Nothing like what you want me to, apparently.” Some of her companions tittered.
“SHUT UP!!” She screamed at them, without looking away from me. “You put a spell on me, you fucking witch!”
I laughed in her face. “A love spell?” I taunted.
She came for me, fists flying, and landed a decent punch on my face. I felt my eye puff up immediately. I returned the favour, and then we were on the ground, rolling around, pulling hair, scratching… bitch fighting. I landed one more good punch, then leapt to my feet and stood over her threateningly. “Stay away from me.” I hissed, turned on my heel and stormed off.
That afternoon, mum sighed when she saw my face, and got an ice pack from the freezer. “Did you start it?” She asked resignedly.
“No, mum.”
“Good. Did you finish it?”
“Yes, mum.”
“I suppose that’s a good thing.” Her tone was grudging.
Four.
That Saturday night, I met my friends down by the river. They were accompanied by a fourth being this time. As I stepped closer to the fire, Seth leapt up and took my face in his hands.
“What