Decisions Ch. 03

"One minute, nonna!" A soft voice replied from the kitchen. I pulled out Stasi's chair for her, grinning at her abashed expression at my gentlemanly conduct. "Fool.." She murmured, her pale cheeks still tinged red. I walked over to my side of the table, scraping my chair out and sitting down. The woman set down two menus in front of us. "My granddaughter will sort you two out. Enjoy your lunch. " She said, patting me on the shoulder, leaving behind white specks of flour on my shirt.

"Thank you." I said, trying to ignore Stasi, who was burying her face in her menu, trying not to laugh. The woman nodded, smiling at me before heading back into the kitchen. I glared back at Stasi, who was peering at me over the top of the menu.

"You have something on your shoulder." She giggled. Although I could only see her eyes, I knew she was smiling. Widely. Whenever she smiled, her eyes had that beautiful twinkle in them. I gave her my best "Are you kidding?" look. Stasi shrugged, before diving back into the menu to decide what to eat.

My eyes flitted down to the menu, trying to also decide what to eat. I was absolutely starving. Everything looked and sounded absolutely incredible. I was debating on whether to get a steak piadine or pasta when our waitress finally came over.

"Whew! Sorry about that, we're trying to teach my little nephew the ropes of dishwashing and he thought it'd be funny to splash around like he was in a pool." She said, before stopping at our table, looking at Stasi with wide eyes. "Anna?" She asked, baffled. "Emily?" Stasi replied, equally confused. "What are you doing here?"

My normally great memory was failing me at the moment. I had certainly seen the girl before and heard her name. I wracked my brain for it, before it finally hit me. The quiet girl who was in our biology class. Her brown hair was done up in a tight bun and she was wearing a button up with slacks, but it was definitely her. I tried in vain to remember her name, but grasped at nothing but air.

Emily pointed to her name tag, where Emilia was printed on it in loopy cursive font. "My family owns the restaurant and I work here on weekends. Now what are you doing here?!" She chattered, excitedly. So that was her name! Emily Scaletta, the werecat! It was at the tip of my tongue.

"I'm on a date. The restaurant up the street couldn't serve us, so the manager directed us here." Stasi replied.

"A date?" Emily inquired. Her eyes finally left Stasi and it looked like she was just noticing I was sitting there for the first time. "Christopher Williams!?" She asked. "Oh, it's so great to see you, Chris! Both of you. You two look like such a cute couple together. I can't believe it. My little brother is going to be so jealous. He's a seventh grader and thinks you're the most coolest thing since sliced bread."

I felt my cheeks burning at the compliment. I didn't handle praise all that well. "I'm... not all that special." I admitted, awkwardly.

Stasi laughed. "No need to be modest, Chris." She said. Emily nodded in affirmation. "Seriously, a lot of people, and not just at our school, know your name. Not just for your football skills, either! I don't think the local news reported on anything other than you the entire week, and you can expect even more attention after that win over Jefferson. Monster Rights Activists have been going absolutely off the wall over that one... even more so with what you did" She said, pointing her finger at Stasi.

"That moment when you kissed Chris in front of the entire school. That was so romantic. I don't think the local newspapers have reported on anything else. You two have been all the talk on social media." She gushed. My eyes widened at the thought of my entire love life and private life being put on blast for the entire public to see.

"Thanks." Stasi stammered. Now that the spotlight was firmly on her, it was her turn to be flustered and have her cheeks blush. "It was honestly a heat of the moment thing. I didn't plan it or anything, it just... happened. I saw him and I just did it."

Emily sighed. "I wish I had someone to do that to." She said, wistfully.

"Her brother is single." I offered. Lord knows that guy needed a girlfriend.

"Whose brother? Hers? Viktor Sokolov? Ha, fat chance of that happening." Emily laughed. "Although, he is pretty cute, I don't see myself dating a sophomore."

"He's a junior." Stasi remarked.

"He is? Goes to show how much I know about him, then." She said.

After a moment, she clicked her pen, taking out her notepad. "Alright, now... i've procrastinated on taking your orders long enough. You two look like you're starving, and there's always time to talk after you get food. My grandmother's cooking is absolutely off the wall. You guys ready to order now, or what?"

"Uh... yeah, i'm ready. Stasi, are you?" I asked. Stasi nodded her head. "I'll have the chicken alfredo, with a water..." Emily nodded, jotting it down. "Would you like a synthetic blood pack on the side?" She asked.

Stasi shook her head. "No thank you... and no garlic in the pasta please, thank you very much." She said, handing over her menu. I buried my face into my menu, snorting, which consequently earned me a swift kick under the table to my good leg. "Ow!" I yelped. Emily looked at me in the middle of taking Stasi's menu, puzzled. "Everything OK, Chris?" She asked.

"Yeah." I mumbled. I wasn't even mad. I earned that kick. Even though Stasi was a massive foodie, she just didn't find garlic pleasant to her palate. Much to her ire, I always found the stereotype comical.

I reached down to gingerly massage the spot of the kick. Having taken a few years of Taekwondo and other martial arts with Stasi, she had a pretty hard kick when she wanted to have one. Of course, this one wasn't as hard as it could've been. "I'll have the steak piadine, please. Water as well." I said.

Still a tad bit confused at my outburst, Emily scribbled the order down. "Alright, so that's one steak piadine and a chicken alfredo, with two waters..." I nodded affirmatively. "Great! I'll just give this to my nonna, one moment." She said, taking my menu. She turned around, heading towards the kitchen to deliver our orders.

When I was sure that Emily was gone, I turned back to Stasi, a look on my face. "That kick was so unnecessary." I said, exasperated.

"No, it wasn't." She replied, childishly. She stuck out her tongue for good measure. A soft, pink, spongy tongue that i've gotten acquainted with in the past week.

"Yes, it was." I insisted, pushing those thoughts out of my mind.

"Oh, come on. I didn't even kick you that hard, dummy. What? Can't take a hit?" She taunted, a silly grin gracing her lips.

We bickered back and forth as if we were children in elementary school again. It was like the time when we were arguing who was taller (she was, until the eighth grade when I finally hit my growth spurt and shot over her.) Our arguing came to an abrupt end when the doors to the kitchen swung open, revealing Emily, who was clutching a large glass of icy water in each hand.

"Ok," She murmured. "That's one water for you, Anna... and another one for you, Chris." She set the glasses down in front of us. She wiped her wet hands on her apron, leaving a dark hand print shaped stain on the fabric. "You guys good? Need anything else? No? Alright, i'll be back in a moment with your food." She gave us a low wave, departing back to the kitchen.

I watched her retreating back, a wistful smile on my face. A part of me wanted her to stay and pull up a chair. I was sitting stiffly, as if I was worried that i'd ruin the date on accident at any moment. I took a deep breath and flitted back to Stasi, who was sipping her water through her straw coyly and staring back at me.

"What?" She asked. "Too scared to argue with me, anymore?"

"Nope. Just admiring how lucky I am to have a beautiful girlfriend such as you." I answered. Smooth as butter, I was.

That line got her blushing and took the air out of any fight she had in her. She slid her glass of water away from her, leaving behind a trail of condensation. "Any more compliments and you'll make my head big. But, it's not you that's lucky... it's me. I just can't believe how perfect my life is right now, with you." She sighed, happily.

She propped her chin up on her hands, her wide smile still present. Her fangs were pronounced, as they always were when she was happy. Sharp teeth that accentuated her smile. "So, hockey season is coming up. Are you excited?"

"We barely won our first game yesterday and you're already thinking about hockey?" I laughed.

She shrugged. "I'm always thinking about hockey... or just winter sports in general. I mean, I like football as much as the next person, but didn't you say you liked hockey just a little bit more?"

I thought on that for a second. Had I said that? I probably did. "That's true, but football is far from over. I wouldn't be doing my team a favor if I was thinking about another sport with only 10% of the season under my belt... but yes, i'm excited for winter in general. I can't believe how lucky we were that Belcourt had a rink already."

Being a disused establishment that served the more affluent part of San Francisco, many of Belcourt facilities were top notch. We had everything pre-made for us, all we had to do was settle in. We already ranked far higher in terms of quality than the other boarding schools dedicated to monsters littered all throughout the state and the country. It was a tad bit unfair, but hey, c'est la vie.

"Totally. You should ask Principal Finch if she'd let us take it for a spin. I'm pretty sure she likes you more than me." Stasi chirped. "Do you remember when we used to figure skate? That was so fun."

"It was." I agreed. Stasi was the most graceful person on ice, gliding as if she was floating. Whenever she figure skated, it was absolutely beautiful to see.

"Let's go ask Principal Finch if we can start going in the winter," I continued. "After they treat the ice and all. You should go with me to her office and give her the 'eyes'. No one can resist those."

Stasi laughed. "Sure. It's a plan."

We continued our small talk, our conversation ranging from school, to family, to whether or not I could convince my parents to finally let me adopt a dog, and even the ski trip our families planned to have this Winter. Normal talk, talk that would've filled any conversation we had between us prior to us dating. I realized she was still the same old Stasi. We just made our relationship better, is all.

After a few more moments, Emily finally appeared through the kitchen door, holding onto a platter of food. Smiling, she placed our steaming hot plates of food in front of us. "Anything else you need?" She asked once she finished, hands on her hips. Stasi shook her head. "No, thank you. This all looks delicious." Emily smiled pridefully, before bidding us a good meal and returning to the kitchen.

The rest of lunch was uneventful, passing through with light conversation while we ate. Even though she was a vampire, Stasi inhaled her food as if her life depended on it. I certainly ate as if my life depended on it. We were that hungry.

It was as if we were honored guests at the restaurant, with Emily always making sure our glasses were full as well as our bellies. It wasn't until I was finally stuffed did our waiter bring our check... except it wasn't Emily.

The waiter was tall, around my height, and lanky. He wore wire-rimmed glasses and was balding. He strode over to us, walking authoritatively and proudly. As he came to the table, I couldn't help but notice four other heads pop out from behind the kitchen door to watch. As soon as I saw the small black leather folder the waiter was holding in his hand, I discreetly moved by hand down to my lap.

"Oh no you don't." Stasi hissed, reaching into her purse as soon as she saw me try to subtly reach for my wallet.

We always fought over who paid for who when we went out to eat. More often than out, we'd simply concede and split the check, but this was our first date. It was my duty as a boyfriend to pay after the crappy start we had to our day.

"Nuh uh." I said, sharply. "I'm paying."

"No way. I was the one that invited you to go out anyways. I should be the one paying."

"Incorrect, Anastasia." The waiter smiled at the both of us, the way a teacher would look at their favorite pupil. "Your meal is on the house."

Stasi looked at the waiter with a confounded expression. "How did you know my name?"

"Giovanni Scaletta knows all." He said mysteriously, before chuckling. "I know all my daughter's friends, whether they are acquaintances or best of friends. She told me about you, and of course, it's all the San Francisco Pack can talk about, the daughter of Antonov Sokolov, renowned vampire politician, is dating Christopher Williams, a human!"

The waiter gave a bark of laughter and clapped me on the shoulder. "Christopher, you are going to be remembered a long time. Emily hadn't told you about her little brother, has she? He's a big fan of yours. He wants to be an astronaut, the little twelve year old that he is. But unfortunately, because of what he is, he can't reach for the stars. But then again, who knows what he could do in the future?"

"You have a good heart and you're a good man. It was a pleasure for my family to serve you here at Scalleta's. You, Anastasia, your families, they are are welcome to eat here anytime. Know that you have friends in this city's Pack." He placed the check on the table, opening it at a 45 degree angle, revealing two chocolate mints and a piece of paper with a large zero written on it. He clapped me once more on the shoulder. "Good luck with your endeavors, Christopher. You as well, Anastasia."

He patted me once more on the shoulder before turning to the kitchen. My eyes travelled down to the black leather folder encasing the check. The name of the restaurant was imprinted onto it in silver, along with an outline of a wolf. I swiftly snatched the check before Stasi could grab it, placing it on my side of the table.

"At least let me split the tip with you." She begged.

"No."

"Please?" She pouted, sticking out her bottom lip. I almost balked under her wide, watery eyes. The old sick-puppy dog look. My only weakness, but with thirteen years of experience with them under my belt, they weren't so much a big weakness anymore.

"No." I said, my voice adopting a steely tone, hopefully to avoid belaying my wavering resoluteness.

She leaned forward. Our table was small, so she could've easily reached for it and taken it had she wanted it that badly. But, I had a feeling she liked playing this game more. Her face came close to mine, a small smile upturning the corners of her mouth. "Please?" She whispered, huskily. "I'll make it worth your while when we get back home."

And... I have a new weakness.

My breathing grew labored at how close she was, and I found myself leaning forward ever so slightly to meet her soft lips in the middle. "I'll let you win." I murmured. "Just this once." She smirked, reaching for the check with her left hand, but using her right to wrap it around the back of my head. She pulled me towards her, closing the gap and allowing our two lips to meet in a soft kiss.

When we finally broke the kiss for air, I had a noticeable bulge in my pants. Thankfully, the tablecloth was covering my lap. We set about splitting the check right down the middle. Just as Stasi began to collect her purse, the elderly woman, Emily's grandmother, came streaking out once more from the kitchen, holding a digital camera.

"Wait, wait!" She yelped. "Please don't leave yet! I want to take a picture of the both of you so we can put it on our wall."

My eyes travelled over to Stasi. She was always a bit shy on camera, never liking her picture taken much. She scrunched up her face thoughtfully, before shrugging. "Why not?" She said. The elderly lady beamed, holding the camera up to her eye. Me and Stasi leaned in close, both of us grinning happily as the woman snapped a photo of us.

Chapter: 4

I was driving this time around, back to Stasi's house. Even with my bum leg and all, I was still a very... alright driver. Pulling up onto her street, I parked on the curb next to her house, pulling up the E-Brake. I realized I probably could've driven here blindfolded. Stasi leaned over the center console, staring at me with merriment.

"A bit shaky driving there, Lightning McQueen." I snapped my head towards her upon hearing her verbal jab. "My driving's not that bad!" I argued.

She nodded her head, thoughtfully. "I guess it isn't. You could've done a lot worse." She admitted. She gave me a peck on the lips, stroking my cheek affectionately. "My driving is still way better though."

I snorted. "It so isn't." I opened the car door, exiting my car. "It totally is." Stasi called out before I closed the door on her. The passenger door opened, her head poking out.

I crossed around my car, holding onto her hand and hobbling towards the front door. "What? No snarky retort about how you're driving is better than mine?" She prodded. I shook my head. "No, i'm not taking that bait." I said. "You're no fun." She huffed, bumping her shoulder softly into mines. We arrived at the front door and she let go of my hand to stoop down, reaching under the 'Welcome Home' doormat for the house key.

While she was unlocking the front door, I looked at the driveway. Judging from the car still out on the driveway, a sleek silver Mercedes with tinted windows to ward off the sun, at least one of her parents were home.

She unlocked the front door, pushing it open and walking inside with me in tow. "Mama, Papa, i'm home!" She called out. A voice called back in Russian. "We're in the study!" Judging from the feminine tone, it was Yulia, unless Anton somehow hit reverse puberty where his deep and intimidating voice turned up a few pitches.

Stasi looked at me, shrugging, before walking to the study with me to check in with her parents.

"What do you think they're doing?"

"Hm..? Oh. Probably working. You know how my dad gets when he works. He doesn't make any decisions in his life without consulting mom... sort of like a special someone I know." She mocked, smiling at me widely.

"I'll have you know that I can make some decisions on my own, thank you very much."

"Yeah right." Stasi said. "You couldn't choose which courses to apply for without blowing up my cellphone."

She had me on that one.

We arrived at the entrance to the study, a wooden door slightly ajar being the only thing in the way. There were a lot of unspoken rules in the Sokolov Household. One of them had to deal with doors and the proper etiquette regarding them. A closed door firmly meant no barging in without knocking (Elena was the least privy to this rule). A slightly ajar door meant you could enter, but you had to announce you were coming in. A wide open door meant open season.

Stasi knocked politely on the door, opening it slowly. "Mama? Papa?" She called out.

"Come in, Anna! Is Christopher here? I thought I heard his voice."

"Yes, mama, he's here." Stasi opened the door, entering the study with me. Even though i've been in this room an innumerable amount of times (there were some excellent hide and seek spots in here), my breath was still taken away.

The study was a large circular room, easily one of the biggest rooms in the house. An incredible collection of books, making up the entire private library of Anton, was tucked away neatly in five large bookshelves off to the side.

A portrait of the Sokolov family, taken a few years ago, hung in the center of the room above the desk. When I say Sokolov family, I don't mean the five people that I knew and loved. I meant the entire family, including cousins, aunts, uncles, everybody. There were almost a hundred people in that portrait and Staring once told me that wasn't even the whole family.