___

  I saw something out of the corner of my eye — I wasn’t even really sure what it was at first. My eyes had been drawn to something outside the window. Something brown, out in the street below me.

  No, I realized as I looked and saw the shape move again. It was orange. The fox had come back.

  ___

  After seeing the fox again, part of me wanted to run outside to see if I could catch up to it, but it quickly scurried away down a side street as I watched. And besides, I reminded myself, I had a roommate to reassure.

  I made sure Tanya had already finished showering, I gathered up some cleaner clothes from one of the piles and headed to the bathroom to get ready to go out tonight. Tanya hadn’t told me where we going, I realized as I turned on the shower, letting the water heat up. I hoped it wasn’t a club.

  Tanya looked me up and down as I stepped out of the bathroom, fully dressed. My hair was still down in it’s natural curly ringlets as I used my hand to scrunch them gently and hoped they wouldn’t be too frizzy once they dried.

  “I just have to put some mousse in my hair and I’ll be ready to leave. Did you need the bathroom or—“

  “No, I’m fine, but you…” She trailed off as she stood with her arms crossed and hair straightened. Her eyes and lips were both lined with makeup that I’m sure were picked out specifically to suit her light complexion. She had on tight black jeans and flowing grey tank top and long rectangle earrings that almost hit her shoulders.

  Not her clubbing clothes thankfully, I thought, then looked down at what I was wearing. Jeans that I had worn to work the last three days and a sweater that I had thrown on. Rolling my eyes at Tanya, I gestured to myself with the hand that wasn’t holding the towel and my old clothes.

  “I was supposed to be doing laundry tonight, I don’t really have anything else. Besides, you haven’t told me where we’re going.”

  “Actually, I figured we’d go somewhere a little bit more your style. We’re gong to “The Buzz”, the little cafe restaurant place with the library feel to it. You know, the one you dragged me to a few months ago?”

  I knew the place, and I had taken her there a few months ago, but not for any of the reasons she probably guessed. The basement had a hidden ingredient store, and I hadn’t had any money for transportation. Tanya doesn’t have a vehicle either, but she has friends that do.

  “Oh, okay. Well, am I okay in what I’m wearing?” I asked, more of a formality since I wasn’t lying about not having many clothes options.

  “You can wear whatever you want, but I sort of invited Ryan too.” Tanya wouldn’t meet my eyes, focusing instead on her painted nails. But I caught the smirk when she glanced up at me.

  “What?” I walked to my room and threw my towel and clothes onto my bed, turning to face her. “I’m really not in the mood to be set up with one of your friends tonight.” I glared at her and she met my stare.

  “It’s not just Ryan, they’ll be others too, like Becca, Mya, a few others that you know. Know was a rather loose term in this case. She meant that I knew them, by saying a quick “hi” in passing as Tanya walked out the door with them to go out. “C’mon,” Tanya pleaded again. “You can’t back out now, I already told them you were coming.”

  “Oh? And you told this Ryan guy I was coming too?” I raised an eyebrow, annoyed.

  “Ryan’s different. He’s not really a part of my group, he’s a friend of a friend, like you. He’s always alone and mysterious.” She crinkled her nose. I laughed at that.

  “Is that what you think I am? Mysterious?” I laughed again and wiggled my fingers at her, like casting a spell from a movie.

  “Well, yeah, kinda. So, I’ll let you raid my closet, let’s go find you something.” Tanya grinned as she turned and I followed her.

  #

  As much as I usually hated going along with Tanya, I had to admit that she had good fashion sense, and borrowing her clothes was kinda fun. She even managed to come up with an outfit that not only looked good on me, but that I was also comfortable in. Tighter blue jeans and a leather jacket, and one of my own longer necklaces meant that I would at least look a little presentable.

  Normally, I wouldn’t worry too much about those things, but I also didn’t know these people tonight. And I was a bit nervous.

  “Stop that,” Tanya snapped at me for the fifth time.

  “Sorry,” I muttered as I moved my hands down and made a show of sitting on them. I chew my nails when I’m nervous. Tanya’s friend Becca had picked us up, and then we stopped and were joined by a guy whose name I had already forgotten. But we were finally headed to the restaurant.

  Thankful for the window seat, I could stare out the window and not have to make conversation with the others. The fox I had seen earlier was still on my mind, but I was starting to wonder if maybe I had imagined the whole thing. Or maybe the second time it had been a different fox entirely. There had never been a fox near our apartment before, and what were the chances that it was the same fox—

  “Kara!” Tanya shouted my name and elbowed me, which brought me back to the present.

  “Sorry, I was thinking,” I said as I rubbed my side. The lights of the street lamps we passed illuminated just enough of Tanya’s face that I see her roll her eyes. I was probably embarrassing her, I realized. My face heated. “Sorry, what were you talking about?”

  “They were asking about what you’re studying in school.” I didn’t like small talk, and this was a pretty dry subject. I could hold more interesting conversation about the myths of wolfsbane.

  Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

  “Oh, I’m studying Psychology.” I answered simply. They all nodded and started talking about what they were studying, or what their jobs were. I tried to pay attention, and pretend like it mattered. But my brain was on other things, like my brother, and where the fox had gone. I hoped I would see it again.

  After a bit more driving we finally arrived at the place, but had to circle the block twice trying to find a parking spot. The streets were so busy, the driver, Becca, couldn’t even stop to let us out. So instead, we parked a block away and walked as a group to the restaurant.

  By this point, I was enjoying the night air, the lights and the noise from the crowds. It had been a long time since I’d gone out at night. My spell-work had been keeping me busy into the late hours.

  From the outside of the restaurant, you’d never guessed they were involved in spell-work at all. Unfortunately for me, after paying Tanya rent, and whatever tonight would cost me for supper, I didn’t have much money for ingredients.

  Not that it would make a difference anyway, I reminded myself. I had hit so many dead-ends in my search for resurrection spells, there wasn’t any point in me even making an attempt to visit the basement this time.

  “Why are you scowling?” Tanya whispered to me, nudging me out of my thoughts again. We were waiting just inside the doors, trying to see if the others from our group were already here.

  I apologized again, and looked around. It was small, with old fashioned looking light bulbs hanging from the ceiling, an fairy lights decorating the railings that lead up to a higher mezzanine with more tables for larger groups. Everything was either wood or lights.

  It gave the place a rustic feel, even more so with the bookshelves set into the wall, lined with used books every few feet. Signs saying that you could read them while you were here, or buy them at the front desk were hanging in between them. Even without taking into account the ingredient supply store downstairs, the restaurant always seemed busy.

  “There they are!” The guy whose name I couldn’t remember called out and waved to three other people at a large round table in the corner. We moved to join them, and Tanya quickly made introductions, and I found it hard to remember them the second after she told me. Except for Ryan.

  Ryan had stood up and shook my hand from across the table. His hand shockingly cold, and motioned to the chair next to him, even pulling it out for me. I gratefully accepted and tried not to stare at him.

  Tanya had been right saying he was different. He didn’t look like he belonged in her group at all. Most of the group had a “popular” vibe to it, but Ryan had barely talked to anyone other than introducing himself.

  He also wasn’t immediately launching into stories like the rest of the group. Instead, he leaned back as I sat down, lifting his arms up behind his head. He wore blue jeans and had an eyebrow piercing. His brown hair was clipped short, and there were black lines hinting at a tattoo at the collar of his blue dress shirt. And where he had rolled up the sleeves, black swirls were inked down his right arm.

  I tried to focus on the menu, but he looked so different from the rest of them, I couldn’t help but wonder how he had met Tanya and the group originally. I told myself that I was judging him from his appearance and that I didn’t actually know anything about him. Even with Tanya’s clothes, I probably didn’t look like I belonged either.

  “What are you ordering?” I leaned to my left and asked Tanya when there was a small pause in their conversation.

  “Um, I don’t really know,” Tanya laughed, followed by the rest of the table. They had been too busy catching up on gossip to bother looking at the menu yet. Part of me envied their easy friendships, but I also knew my current situation didn’t have room for friends. Not one’s I couldn’t tell the truth to, at least.

  A movement to my right caught my eye. Ryan brought one hand down and placed it around the coffee cup that sat in front of him. It looked like black coffee, too bitter for my taste.

  Ryan caught my gaze and raised his pierced eyebrow, questioning my stare, and I looked down at my menu again.

  “Coffee is okay, but the pasta here is even better if you’re wondering what to get.” I looked up at Ryan’s voice, thinking that maybe he had been answering someone in the group, but instead, I found his piercing gray eyes on me. Looking at him was daunting at first, his gaze unmoving on my face, and I didn’t know what to say.

  “I can’t handle black coffee, too bitter.” I told him quietly, making a face. He didn’t say anything, and instead took a sip of his coffee. Maybe he hadn’t heard me over the noise? But then he scoffed slightly, his voice both quiet and low.

  “I’m sure they’ll bring you cream and sugar if you ask.” He stared at me again over his coffee cup, and one side of his mouth moved upwards. He was making fun of me. I dropped my gaze, but this time it wasn’t from embarrassment.

  He was too confident. Ryan knew he didn’t fit in, and he seemed to like it that way. I didn’t respond and ordered a rice bowl when the waiter came. Petty, sure, but I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of ordering what he had suggested.

  I drank only the water that had already been placed on the table, and Tanya gave me an odd look. I couldn’t blame her, I practically lived off of coffee.

  “So, Ryan,” Tanya crossed her arms in front of her on the table and leaned forward to talk around me. “You have tattoos, what are they?” Again, he smirked and brought his other hand to rest around his coffee cup, running him thumb back and forth across the rim.

  “You really want me to strip in the middle of a restaurant?” He grinned at her, and she stuck out her tongue.

  “Well, by all means, I’m sure there are lots of people here who would enjoy that.” Tanya teased him. To my surprise, Ryan’s gaze lowered, and he looked at me instead of Tanya as he spoke.

  “Pass.” He said jokingly, and Tanya moved back to squeal at some new rumor Becca had told the group. I tried to listen, but the truth was, I really wasn’t interested.

  Thankfully, our food had come, so I had an excuse to just listen, and keep to myself. Ryan had ordered pasta, unsurprisingly. Tanya had ordered a hamburger. My mind wandered to a new forum I had found online. Someone had trying to remember if any of the spells had used dandelion root, and if I had some at home.

  “Are you usually this quiet?” Ryan leaned over and whispered to me. I finished chewing my food before looking over to him. He had turned to face me slightly, and I noticed more black designs tracing down the outside of his right arm. They looked similar to the ones on his neck.

  “I just have some things on my mind.” I tried to smile politely and turn back to my food, but he spoke too quickly for me to turn away.

  “Like what?”

  “Nothing,” I shrugged and quickly ate more rice, trying to dissuade him from asking further.

  “Oh, c’mon,” Ryan said, putting his utensils down and grabbing his coffee, leaning back in his chair again. “You obviously aren’t one for gossip and small talk like the rest of the group, so tell me what’s on your mind.” I was watching him as he spoke this time, and unlike me, he didn’t feel the need to break eye contact. It was unnerving, though I felt something else I didn’t have a name for yet.

  My eyes roamed the room as I searched for an answer I could share. Not the full truth of course, but maybe I could share a bit of it.

  “I found a fox outside of my apartment as I was walking home today, and then I think I saw it again when I looked outside my window. It seemed odd to me, so I’ve been wondering if it could have been the same fox, or a different one.”

  “Are there usually foxes around your home? Did you feed it?” I blushed, of course that’s why it had followed me. I had fed it.

  “It’s not normal, but I did give it a cracker.” I admitted. Ryan didn’t seem bothered by this admission so I continued. “We get the odd squirrel, but it’s too loud with cars around. The rest of the animals keep to the woods, but I guess it must have gotten hungry enough to brave the streets.” The sudden feeling that I was talking too much came over me, so I took another bite of rice.

  “I think that’s interesting, actually.” Ryan said, sounding mildly curious.

  “I don’t know. It’s probably nothing.” I kept my eyes back on the group at the table, and finished eating. Then I could feel Ryan’s gaze on me, and I barely heard him whisper.

  “I don’t think it’s nothing.”