Chapter 136: I might even like her
~ODETTE’S POV~
SLAP!
"Touch my friend and talk to her like that again and I’ll whip you personally as punishment for disrespecting someone’s status who is above your station." I barked at Tersea.
"You... You..." She stuttered.
"You will get the fuck out of my face before I slap the other side to make your cheeks match. And your humiliation reeks." I didn’t hold back, plugging my nose, pretending it was that bad.
You don’t treat my friends like that. And someone like her, they enjoy abusing their station and status for increasing their power. Let her struggle with losing her place to Em.
"You’re going to regret this." She mumbled low. I pretended not to hear her and watched scurry out of the kitchen like the little rat she is.
I looked at Em whose eyes were wide. She couldn’t believe I did something like that I guess.
"Why did you say my status is higher than hers. It’s not. Even as your personal maid, My status isn’t higher than hers." Em spoke so softly, if it wasn’t for my amplified hearing I wouldn’t have heard her.
"It will be once she’s demoted for threatening me and you get the promotion from personal maid to my secretary." I winked at her.
"What! Your secretary. But I don’t know anything about that stuff." She yelled frantically. "No. No. No. I can’t, I’ll mess it up."
"Yes you can!" I defended my decision. "I plan to stay, with you, with Ambrose. To here. If I’m going to be his wife one day, I’ll need someone to help keep my schedule organized. Come on, pleaseeee..." I gazed at her with big puppy eyes and a pouty lip.
"I don’t know. I don’t want to mess it up and embarrass you." Em confessed.
"I think you’ll do just fine as a secretary." Raven said walking in surprising both of us. Maybe even herself.
"I didn’t think you’d join us." I told her.
"Yeah, well. I’m not saying I was wrong about you. But can’t help wondering what the hell I missed all these years I’ve watched you." She confessed openly.
"You didn’t miss anything; you just weren’t shown it. I had two friends, dude. One of them didn’t even stay with me, she transferred to some fancy art college. You know exactly who I am." I told her.
And she did. She knew exactly who I was with people I didn’t care for. She saw the me who kept myself safe, away from people who would never be my actual friend. Everyone always wanted something from me, and they never had anything I wanted. So, the relationships were doomed before they even had a chance. People were fake, frauds, liars and cheats. I couldn’t trust anyone. It was a lot lonelier than I realized.
"If that were true, you wouldn’t be friends with Emalea." Raven leaned against the doorway with her arms crossed.
"Yeah, because she’s my friend, she knows a different me." I insisted.
He looked at me so confused. I felt like I needed to elaborate.
"If you aren’t friends, than I’m not friendly. But if we are friends then I’m friendly. It’s simple, don’t look so stumped." I used a teasing tone.
"How are they both the real you? That doesn’t make sense." She repeated.
"Okay, look. You don’t like vampires, right? So, you’re not friendly to them, right? I dislike everyone equally, and just like you, I’m not friendly with them. But are you the same with vampires as you are with the Ambrose or Damon? No. You’re friendly. Get it now?"
"I look really stupid now, don’t I?" She asked.
"No, you just forgot how to speak English for a few minutes, it happens to everyone." I teased.
And she smiled, just a little.
"Odette, what happened back in the room?" Raven asked about the elephant in the room.
"I’m not as weak as I look. That’s pretty much it. I train too. I’ve always held back because I wasn’t allowed to show my real strength. It also scared people. Now you know. I’m a baddie, huh?" I winked at her.
"You really went there?" She raised an eyebrow, her smile getting bigger.
"Sure did."
"Wow..." she paused, looking like she was doing her best to hold a laugh in.
I shrugged but a smirk rested on my lips. Emalea stood smiling at stove.
"It smells really good, what are you making?" I asked Em.
"I call it Frilled Cheese." Em smiled "It’s a grilled cheese with spinach and sun roasted tomatoes. And a small bowl of extra creamy tomato soup."
"I’ve never had a grilled cheese before. I’m really excited. What is it?" When I asked this, Em dropped the soup spoon in the pot and both her and Raven had jaws hanging wide.
"Are you for real?" Raven was asked first.
"Yes. I live in a manor full of vampires, you anything with the name grilled cheese is going to make it on the menu list. When even the soups are in languages I don’t know."
"That’s insane, I couldn’t imagine honestly. I love simple meals like these, they’re wholesome and filling." Em said.
"And cheap, when you eat on a budget, this meal is gourmet." Raven added.
They both giggled. And even though I didn’t get it, I didn’t feel left out.
"Well, I’m excited to give it a try. Thanks for sharing this with me." I smiled at her.
I could feel Raven’s eyes examining me. I chuckled inwardly. She had no idea who I am with people I like.
The rest of the day went smooth. We sat around the staff table laughing and talking. Like we’ve all been friends for so long. Yet it was the first time Raven, and I have ever had real conversations. Never once have we had a real interaction that wasn’t us at each other’s throats.
I found that I didn’t hate her.
I might even kind of like her.