AUTHOR'S NOTE AND A WARNING TO READERS: An assertive girl that knows what she wants pursues an innocent and shy classmate. Please check the tags and make sure that you are comfortable with them. The reluctance aspect is light, but still worth mentioning. The story is quite graphic, so be prepared for that in advance if you decide to proceed.
All of the characters in the story are eighteen or older.
All of my stories are copyrighted, including this one.
--- THE WOLF AND THE LAMB ---
Under the shadow of the enormous bookshelves, perched upon the floor with a pencil in her hand - the back of it grotesquely chewed, as usual - Calista let out an exasperated groan, which immediately drew an aggressive shushing from the librarian's lips, scowling at her from behind her desk. The young student, with hair like a blackbird's plumage, stuck out her tongue at the old woman the moment she looked away. Childish for a woman almost in her 20's. She knew that, but some bad habits die hard.
Around her, in a semi-circle, various books lay open - on ancient folklore and traditions from all over Europe, from trolls to faeries, the celebration of Beltane from early Gaelic records, and an illustrated page about the goddess Ostara on her right. Why she insisted on studying bundled up on the floor, when there were perfectly comfortable seats not ten feet away was a mystery even to Calista herself. But it felt more efficient somehow! Maybe comfort birthed indolence?
Outside of the wide windows, the sun hinted at the time, warming everything inside its radiant embrace. It must be early evening, Calista thought, for the sun was in the west - and with the beginning of summer only a few weeks away, the weather outside had been surprisingly pleasant as of late. She'd have much rather been out there, instead of stuck between dusty tomes and a librarian staring daggers at her, if given the choice. But this was one assignment that was not to be avoided. Because she had to hold a presentation, in front of the entire class. And Evelina would be watching.
Sweet, innocent, adorable Evelina. A shy and delicate flower, with freckled cheeks and hair like a fire serpent. Not conventionally attractive, perhaps - her button nose tilted upwards a smidgen too far, and her cheeks looking round like a greedy hamster - but Calista was smitten. Something about the way the young student seemed so frightened by the world around her made Calista want to wrap her arms around the petite little bundle and protect her from all harm. Whisper that she was safe now. And the red-haired cutie's constant blushes and her quickening heartbeats whenever she had to speak to other people only stoked the embers in Calista's heart. Timid girls were her weakness.
She sighed out loud, a warm smile spreading across her features upon the library floor, thinking of the other woman. But it was a challenge to get close to someone so easily intimidated. The petite little thing had a clear and vested interest in mythology, however - especially the more esoteric aspects of it. So the plan was simple; impress the young lady with a presentation that showed Calista had clearly devoted a lot of time to her research, and then attempt to get close enough to Evelina to pounce like a hungry she-wolf.
Calista popped the gum out of her mouth and stuck it underneath one of the shelves - a premeditated attack on the librarian's sacred grounds. She knew the old woman would find it one day, and she smiled to herself at the thought of the tantrum that would follow. But she would be long gone by then, of course. And although the librarian would know it was her that had done the deed, she would never be able to prove it! With that amusing image in mind, she returned to her studies, feeling much more content.
--- 2 ---
Evelina wore the branding of 'nerd' like a badge of honour. She was a social outcast, and she was absolutely fine with that - in fact, she wished people would just leave her alone entirely. Every encounter with another human being was mildly painful, and excessively awkward. It's why she preferred staying inside to going out, listening to talking, video games to parties. Her mother had always said that nerds are happiest alone - but she'd meant it affectionately.
Often found buried in her books - always on the pursuit of answers as to who we really were as a species and our origins. She loved folklore for that reason - it gave a unique insight into the beliefs and cultures that preceded our own, and how those cultures developed from what came before. But Evelina liked reading about other things too. All manner of monsters and mythical beasts. She didn't study because she had to, but because she wanted to.
But now she had to brave the outdoors. Her fridge gaped empty like a hungry maw demanding sacrifice, and her cupboards weren't looking much better stocked. Unless she wanted to eat dry cereal and canned white beans in tomato sauce for dinner, a trip to the grocery store was necessary. She pushed the glasses back up the bridge of her nose for the 10th time in the past hour, and took a deep breath, before grasping the door handle and stepping over the threshold, leaving the comfort of her safe space. The dangerous world full of strange people and potential awkwardness lurking around every corner. A little too dramatic perhaps, but still..
She walked out of the little flat she rented just off campus, located in a brick building severely lacking personality. The two potted plants near the front door had been dead since before she even moved in, yet they remained there nonetheless. As her Converse shoes touched the street outside, the cold wind hit her like an invisible fist, making her shiver immediately and regret her choice of attire - dungarees and a thin blouse, although long-sleeved and buttoned all the way up. Evelina didn't like showing off any skin. Short and curvy, she didn't love the shape of her body. But she enjoyed exercise even less. Birdsong could be heard from the nearby treetops, and the pollen in the air made her nose itch. Summer was not far around the corner and yet the gusts still brought a chill along with them, reminding her with an unwelcomed sincerity that spring was not yet fully over.
A sophomore at the university, she still had not managed to truly find her bearings. Despite the months passing by, she couldn't shake the feeling that she didn't quite belong. But at least there were no noisy neighbours next door - thankfully - or rattling, busted air conditioning vents. Those had drove her to madness when she still lived back at home. Not to mention all the traffic outside back in Boston. The university town of Marbella Springs was old-fashioned. That meant twisting and winding cobblestone roads near the town centre, many of them only suitable for one-way traffic and full of pedestrians. Traversing by car was often slower than simply walking. But everything was just a stone's throw away - most of the shops and cafeterias all located along the main street, with the campus in between and all around, merged into one entity. It was easy to tell the place had been built by British immigrants, and that the city planner had been left back in Europe.
Walking into Trader Joe's, everything felt just a few shades too bright. The fluorescent lights reflected on the tiled floors, making the whole store feel as if it was clinically clean - even though Evelina could spot at least two minor stains on the floor not twenty steps away from her. But various fragrances tickled her nostrils. Breads, mostly. And cardamom? She wasn't sure. But the place looked busy and the redhead instantly regretted that she had not come here earlier in the daytime before it got so crowded. She let out a little noise of dismay, but then grabbed a plastic basket and began walking up and down the aisles.
From her front pocket, she retrieved her shopping list. Getting groceries without a properly planned list of necessary items was unthinkable. Evelina liked structure. Liked knowing what to expect, where to walk, and what to buy. It made life predictable, and predictable felt safe. So she walked the most optimal route through the store, loading her basket with fruits and vegetables, eggs and milk. A piece of chicken with a short expiration date was drastically reduced in price so she grabbed that too, despite deviating from her original plans. She felt proud of herself for that. However, that feeling of satisfaction faded quickly as she grabbed several cups of instant ramen, grimacing in the process. They were not her favourite but the food budget of a student was limited at best and certain sacrifices had to be made. Then she headed towards the snack aisle for some peanuts, and maybe a bar of chocolate - but as she got there, her feet involuntarily halted, making a squeaking noise with the rubber of her soles.
The girl was there. The one that always stared at her. Calista. With the ebony hair and the ivory skin, dressed in an airy tank top showing a moderate amount of cleavage, and a cobalt blue skirt at least a few inches too short for Evelina to ever consider wearing it herself. 'Oh fuck,' she thought to herself as the two of them locked eyes - and Evelina felt her cheeks turn warm with rapid urgency as the ethereal visage of beauty in front of her gave her that silky, subtle smile.
"Hey there!" the dark-haired woman called out. Her voice was like that of an alluring siren's - smooth, but it seemed a little dangerous.
Evelina stood there, frozen, just watching the other lady for several second without speaking a word or taking a single step. She swallowed audibly, and moved forward, pretending to be confident. But the dark-haired lady, with her hair falling down in graceful waves, was standing right by the peanuts she liked. Damnit. So she hovered a little bit, waiting for her turn, and it was only then that she realized that she had not said hello back - scatterbrained in social situations. But just as she opened her mouth, the other woman spoke again.
"You're in Mrs. Gallvanti's class. Evelina, right? How's your presentation coming along?" Calista moved aside, a bag of candied mixed nuts clutched in her hands. She had painted fingernails - blood red, just like a vampire's, and something in her eyes only added to that 'creature of the night' image. A thirst, perhaps, but for what? Evelina didn't know. Not yet, anyway.
