Chapter 471) Differently The Same

“Great things never came from comfort zones.”

~Neil Strauss

Newcrest
The Bachelor Pad
A Friday night, weeks after Nolan and Alessa officially became a couple

At some point Noah was staying over at Nolan and Connor’s, and in a rotten mood, especially since finding out another party was planned for that night.

“You can always spend the night at mom and dad’s.” his brother Nolan told him.

“No.”

“My parents have a room free …” Connor offered.

“No!”

“Well, we’re not cancelling the party just because you are feeling some type of way. You could …” Connor tried but Noah cut him off in mid-sentence.

“NO! Look, if you don’t want me here, just say so!” he roared, waking Connor’s dog Morpheus, who had been napping in a corner, but now prophylactically headed downstairs to stay away from what might become hoomans yelling at each other.

“Whoa, bro! Chill. Of course, we want you here, it’s just that Alessa might stay over and … Keira’s coming too, so …. ya know.”

“You are afraid the crazy reject brother/cousin might get jealous and have a meltdown in front of you two and your chicks as you live out your personal Mayberry moments? Nah, I am used to it by now. Maybe I should take a late-night stroll through Avalon Park all night to see if I can find me a girlfriend there too.”

“Nice. You need a Snickers, brother! Look, Alessa is bringing her roommate, the one I mentioned to you a few times and …”

“Not the roommate again! NOT INTERESTED! For the last time!! Stop trying to pimp me out to randos! I am not desperate for a chick! I can still find my own bitches to nail, if the urge strikes, don’t need my damn brother to find me girls now, thank you very much!” Noah stomped off.

“Hm, your brother, the Grinch. That’ll be a fun party …” Connor mumbled.

“Tell me about it.” Nolan replied.

Later that day, the party now in full swing ...

Noah heard and sensed someone walk up to him. His already low mood sank further.

“A lot of couples at that party. Disgusting, right?” he heard a female voice.

Without ever turning around to her, he grumbled

“Lemme guess, you’re the roommate. Not interested. Just piss off.”

“Wow. Nice to meet you too.”

“Yeah, well, bye then.”

“Nah, I think I’ll stay RIIIIIGHT here. Free country.”

“Except I was here first, and this is someone’s home, and that someone isn’t you.”

“Not you either.”

“My brother lives here! I have more right than you to stay here! Get lost already.”

“What are you? Five? Fine, I’ll play that game. Your brother is dating my best friend, so I have rights too. I am staying.”

With a sigh and a groan, Noah turned to walk away but she cut him off by stepping in his way.

“Wow, you really do look exactly like Nolan! How trippy is that? Sorry, I have never actually met identical twins before.” the girl said.

“Wow, you are actually decent looking and not the gargoyle I expected. And glad I could broaden your horizon by being a twin. Now either fuck off or get out of the way and let me fuck off, your choice. I am more than done with this shit! You are so annoying.”

“Aw, you’re so sweet. I bet you say that to all the girls.”

Noah couldn’t help a small smile wanting to creep into his face, which he fought hard, her snarkiness was somehow refreshing.

“Look, I just want to be alone.” he grumbled.

“Well, at least you are attractive.” she said in a regretful tone, shrugging.

“What?” Noah was annoyed.

“Considering you have to be pretty dumb to go to a party to be alone …”

“You are kinda rude.”

“Don’t like the echo? Kinda sucky, huh? I am Holly.”

“And I am leaving. Look, Holly, let’s not pretend you don’t know who I am. So, you want an autograph? Selfie? Tell your friends you met Noah Grainger at a party?”

“Guess what, Noah. Yeah, I know who you are, but I am not a teen fangirl in some hormonal rage as soon as I lay eyes on you, I am an adult who works for a living. The reason I came to talk to you is that I heard some people talking about your situation and wanted to tell you that I have been where you are. It sucks. Really sucks. But I wanted to assure you, things will get better. Eventually. I am not quite there yet, but better than I was before. And I remember that I couldn’t see a silver lining for the longest time, only pain, heartbreak and darkness. Slowly, but surely, I can find joy in life again. You’ll get there.”

“Love the enthusiasm for motivational speaking, but I wouldn’t quit my dayjob if I were you, because you suck at it. I promise you; you have NOT been anywhere near where I am at and you don’t know the half of my ‘situation’, nobody does, except Nolan and he is sworn to secrecy. Mine is a one-of-a-kind bullshit story Iike no other. Also: Women collectively suck. Personal observation.”

“Take it from me, men aren’t much better. And without trying to throw shade on your current love-gone-awry-drama, I got one of those one-of-a-kind BS-suck-stories too. Not as rare and definitely not as unique as you seem to think. Most people have been there.”

“At least you didn’t get dumped for what you are, something you cannot change. I have, after knowing her for many years, dating for a big chunk of those years, being each other’s firsts, suddenly she decided she was disgusted and fearful of me only because I was truthful with her. How dare I be honest with someone I cared about? So inconsiderate of me.”

“You mean that you’re a vampire? Wow, if you had to tell her, she was either dumber than a box of rocks or her rose-colored glasses must have been thick as coke bottles. I mean, maybe from a distance, but up close it’s hard to miss, I have already seen your fangs a dozen times, if not more. I knew within a few minutes of meeting Nolan, and since you two are identical twins, logic dictates that you are like him. When I mentioned it to Alessa she said she had known since he helped her at the park, and that she felt the fangs during their first kiss, said it felt strange but not scary at all. Obviously, she doesn’t care, neither do I. It’s cool. At least as long as you don’t look at me and think ‘snack’, if that starts, I may change my mind in a hurry.”

Noah couldn’t help but chuckle even though he didn’t feel happy.

“No worries. There are very firm rules about all that. My great-grandfather Caleb would kick my ass one time around the globe if his own kin were to break the rules he established. He’s pretty strict about all that. And he ALWAYS finds out.”

“Take it for you going to great-grandpa’s home doesn’t smell like old furniture and semi-melted, partially unwrapped candies with pocket lint on them?”

Noah chuckled, while shaking his head.

“No. Smells like ancient castle walls, always damp and drafty, the smell of soot from the fireplaces throughout and old paper. He loves books, has walls full of them, most older than dirt, so brittle they look as if they would fall to pieces if you look at them sharply.”

“A castle? Are you serious?” Holly didn’t seem to know what to think.

“Yeah. It’s a vampire thing I guess, some of the older generations have been around for a while, so they had time to accumulate some cool ancient crap from back in their days. Not really my thing, but I guess living in a castle is – different. Plus, he’s the leader of the local coven, highest-level position for the vampires, kinda like a president or king among mortals, so he needs to represent. His castle is super-old, his old childhood home or something, he had it brought over from Italy, stone by stone and rebuilt here. None of us younger ones really cares for it. I mean, it’s a castle. Cool, but ya know. Favorite threat parents tell their vampire kids in my family is that if they don’t behave, they’ll go to the castle for a weekend. Works better than grounding and no tech and all. Great-grandpa is nice, really, but also strict and loves giving hourlong lectures. He’s like a walking Wikipedia. There is like nothing he cannot talk about for hours. It’s painful. Ears bleeding, brain imploding, followed by comatose state.”

“That’s actually pretty common for going to elder relatives’ homes for mortals too, war stories and ‘back in my day’ encore. Plus, I had some profs at college like that. At least you can zone out while he’s talking his lips chapped, it’s a lot worse when you pay money for the banter and actually have to pay attention so you don’t flunk your classes.” she giggled.

“I had some profs like that too. Trust me, great-grandpa’s still worse. After graduation you are rid of the chatty profs, but great-grandpa will ALWAYS be there with yet another lecture. Literally.”

“You went to college? Where?”

“U-Brite. Graduated early last year.”

“Me too! Look at that, we’re alumni. Alessa too. She and I are communications majors. You?”

“Fine Arts Degree. Just like Nolan, but he specialized in painting, I obviously in music.”

“Oh, so you are a career musician who actually knows what they’re doing. No auto-tune studio magic for you, huh?”

“I hope I don’t need it! So, what do you do?”

“Sit my butt flat in an office, where women hate me because I am young, and men try funky stuff because I am young, and nobody really takes me seriously because I am young, even though my name tag reads ‘manager’. Living the dream. So worth the tuition I will be paying off for-freaking-ever at my salary. At least Alessa works there too. Coffee and lunch break buddies.”

“Sounds dreamy. On the bright side, your butt doesn’t look so flat to me.”

“Why, Noah, I do declare! Did you accidentally say something nice to me? Are you feeling all right? Could you be – gasp – flirting with me?”

“Nope. Don’t flatter yourself. Just an observation that your behind is not flat but … well… acceptably shaped. Remember, women suck and I never want to have anything to do with one again.” Noah said it with a smile, she smiled too when she countered.

“Yeah, you’re right, we women are a terrible bunch, not as bad as you men, but yeah. You know what sucks worse than men or women? Relationships! Especially when your roommate slash bestie meets this guy in the most romantic way imaginable and you continuously get your face rubbed in their uber-sweet happiness. It’s disgusting!”

“Yeah, I know. Tell me about it. Same here. If I go home, I am lonely AF, when I go hang with family, everyone knows that ‘nice girl whom I REALLY have to meet’ – yuck, no thanks – and when I come here, I wanna do nothing but puke, cos if it’s not Connor with Keira, it’s my brother with Alessa, and when I am really lucky, both. Urgh!” Noah admitted.

“At least you have options. They all might suck, but I have nowhere else to hide. When not doing the 9-5 thing, which in reality is more like 7-7, my weekend social life is non-existent now that I realized that all my friends were also my ex’s friends, and I just can’t hang around them anymore. Instead it’s now me coming out of my room once I managed to scrape the heap of self-loathing faintly-resembling-a-human-being off my bed to drag myself to the kitchen for a desperately needed coffee, or two, or twenty, which I sip while ignoring the telltale sounds from Alessa’s room upstairs, where she and Nolan usually disappear to, while the only thing I am nailing these days is the term ‘hot mess’, minus the hot part. So, there I am still in last night’s baggy and stained I-don’t-have-a-social-life-since-the-breakup attire, already preparing myself for yet another lazy day in bingwatching some random shit for hours on the couch while ridding the world of as much junk food as I possibly can, my hair a mess, pimples encore, looking like death warmed over, only to have the lovebirds join me, both barely covered but looking rosy-cheeked and happy AF, while I am over there still licking the emotional battle scars my last relationship left me with, hating on myself and the rest of the world. Well, before I talk myself into a deeply depressed clinical trauma, you know what Noah? How about you watch my acceptably formed non-flat butt walk back inside to try and find the bar Nolan mentioned and get us some alcoholic mood enhancers? What’s your poison?”

“How about you watch my yet unrated butt lead the way? I know where my brother hides the good stuff.”

“Best thing I heard all night.” she smiled and let him walk ahead to find Nolan’s secret stash.

Noah grabbed two bottles from Nolan’s secret hiding place, then hid with Holly on one of the balconies upstairs, they had only been able to find one glass, so Noah drank straight from the bottle.

“Wine? I expected something a lot stronger.”

“Oh, trust me, this is plenty strong. It’s a special reserve, contains more alc than some whiskeys, but goes down smoother. You’ll see. After these two bottles we’ll both need help getting off this couch. That’s Nolan and Connor’s problem, they’ll do right by us.”

A few glasses in, both were feeling the effects, their voices slurrier, brains foggier and lips looser.

“You’re actually pretty cool, Holly, especially for a chick. Probably the alcohol talking, but I could sure use a friend right about now if you are interested in one with fangs. The platonic kind, I mean. I am not interested in anything else.”

“Neither am I. As long as you keep those fangs to yourself, I could be persuaded, I can always use another friend, especially considering I am down to just Alessa since the breakup, cos somehow the friends I had were also his I am just not going there. He can have them, or they him. And back at ya, for a dude, you’re not bad. When you are not acting like a miserable and mean asshole, you are actually kinda fun to be around, dare I say it: a nice and smart guy. But I get it. I did that too, total bitch mode all the time to keep everyone away. Which is probably why your behavior earlier didn’t scare me off. That was literally me some months ago. I normally don’t go up to guys at parties like I did with you, especially when I don’t even know them. Glad I did, you are easy to talk to. And polite, if you want to be. Color me positively impressed.”

“My parents will be thrilled to hear that you think they raised me right after all. Fuck exes, amirite?”

“I drink to that. Fuck ’em all! Cheers Noah.”

While both made pretty clear to the other one that they were all about 100% platonic, Noah started feeling the urge to spend more time with Holly. Not to try anything romantic, just because somehow she had a way to make him feel better about it all. Not great, but not as permanently miserable. Being with her was like a mini vacation from being stuck inside his own head.

Newcrest 
Alessa & Holly's home 
A Friday night a week after the party

Noah was over at the girls’ place with his brother Nolan getting ready for a movie night together, when a guy came over. Tall, athletic, blonde, tan, the typical surfer-dude type many girls would drool over and Noah got tense and agitated staring at them after Holly let him in and was laughing with him by the door.

He nudged Alessa.

“Hey, is that Carl?” he asked, pointing at the guy.

“Oh, gawd no, Noah! Carl would never dare show his face around here if he knows what’s good for him. That guy is the opposite of Carl! He put Carl into the emergency room after what he did to Holly. That’s Jesse, her older brother. They’re close. Kinda like you and Nolan.”

Noah smiled relieved, which he regretted as he could physically feel his brother’s knowing grin followed by a wink when his and Nolan eyes met, before Noah quickly looked elsewhere, his cheeks and ears burning red hot.

Walking home to Nolan and Connor’s home later that night, where Noah was planning to crash that night, Nolan of course brought it up.

“You know, I think it would be kinda cool, you and Holly. I think you’re good together, Alessa agrees.”

“Me and Holly what? We’re just friendly. That’s all. Quit acting like one of mom’s sappy romance novels. I am not dating, neither is she, let alone each other.”

“Chill Noah.”

“I AM chill! This is chill me telling you to back off a bit! As soon as I as much as look at a female – heaven forbid talk to one – everyone is thinking girlfriend! I don’t want or need a relationship right now. It’s too soon. Same goes for her. I just thought it was that Carl-dude who hurt her so. Still don’t know what he did, she won’t tell me, but the way she evades questions it must have been pretty big.”

“It was big. Alessa told me in confidence. It’s not pretty. Best you don’t know.”

“Wait, you know what happened? Why do YOU know, and I don’t? I was the one talking to Holly at the party and most of tonight! Why does nobody trust me?!”

“It’s not about that. Alessa knows because she was the one to find Holly after it happened. You heard what her brother did and that is why. Even now, many months after Holly is still traumatized and probably can’t talk about it even if she wanted to.”

“Wait, are you saying what I think you are saying?”

“Yes. Leave it alone. And give her time. Look, Noah, you can claim and deny all you want, I know you. I can see you like her, be it as friend or whatever, I don’t care. But whatever you decide, be careful with her. All I ask is that she doesn’t end up on your one-night-stand list. What happened was very rough on her, she has a lot of healing to do, and major trust issues. She seems fine, but Alessa knows her best. There is a lot more to this story, none of it good. So, now you know all that I know.”

“Thanks. Maybe that’s why she and I clicked. Both broken inside. And by clicked I mean as friends. Maybe not even that, if she finds out my story. Especially if that baby ends up being mine after all.” Noah muttered, then quiet fell between the brothers as they arrived home. Both turned in for the night shortly after.

***

Hope you enjoyed this chapter, it will be the last one for a good while, no worries, we’ll be back eventually. Consider this a temporary hiatus.