Karolien Aerts

This is a little scene I’ve taught of for a while since I heard the song “Seventeen” from the musical “Heathers” I think it kinda fits? Enjoy reading, and yes there is singing involved.

I know something is wrong. I feel it in my gut. The door of the cellar is slightly open. I push the door open and wait before I proceed further into the dark abyss. Muffled voices can be heard, one of them clearly belongs to my best friend. My partner in crime. My lover. I take a deep breath and make my way down the stairs.

"All? Are you here?" I ask. I know that if he is thirsty for blood again, he wouldn't harm me. I hear complete silence before I hear his calm voice.

"Yes dear, I'm here. But please, I would prefer it if you could call me Alastor." I sigh with a hint of a little laugh. He prefers it that I call him his stage name when he has a 'guest'.

"Where are you?" I ask eager to see him. Wondering if he is alright, and longing for his touch.

"Why do you need me, love?" He asks. I follow the direction his voice came from, or I hope it does.

"Just checking on you dear. You have been gone for quite a while now." I explain. I hear a amused humming.

"You are quite close, but I'm fine Angelica. Go back upstairs. I long for a cup of tea and cuddling by the fireplace." That does sounds lovely. But I proceed to make my way to him. I wish I didn't tho. There I see my mom, laying on the ground. Fear filled her eyes. She is still alive. Alastor is standing there with a bloody knife. His back is turned towards me but I see his head tilt slightly in my direction.

"All, love, put the knife down. You are not feeling well. You would never hurt my mother." I try to reason with him.

"She wants to take you away from me! I cannot let het do that! We are ment to be, and everyone who stands between us will be removed!" He is clearly not fine. At all. I know it will be cliché but my singing usually calms him down in times like this.

"Fine, we're damaged. Really damaged. But that does not make us wise." I begin. His shoulders relax a bit and he let's his head hang.

"We're not special, we're not different. We don't choose who lives or dies." Hah, ironic, since we are the one who killed his parents in order to let Alastor be free. “Let's be normal, see bad movies. Sneak a beer and watch tv. We'll bake brownies or go bowling. Don't you want a life with me?" I ask him. His eyes grow wide.

"Yes, of course I want to." He responds. I step closer to him and take his free hand.

"Can we be seventeen? That's all I want to do. If you could let me in, I could be good with you." I reassure him. He let the knife fall and take my other hand. “People hurt us." I admit.

"Or they vanish." He spits.

"And you're right that really blows. But we let go-" I say as I stroke his cheek.

"Take a deep breath." He says in my rhythm as he does that.

"Then go buy some summer clothes. We'll go camping." I say with a smile.

"Play some poker." He smiles back.

"And we'll eat some chilli fries. Maybe prom night." I giggle.

"Maybe dancing." He answers while he replaces his hands on my hips.

"Don't stop looking in my eyes." I say as we lock eyes.

"Your eyes." He chimes in.

"Can't we be seventeen, is that so hard to do? If you could let me in, I could be good with you. Let us be seventeen, if we still got the right." I take over the song and kind off serenade to him.

"So what's it gonna be? I wanna be with you." I ask him.

"I wanna be with you." He answers.

"Yeah, we're damaged." I say with a sad tone.

"Badly damaged." He strokes my hair.

"But your love's to good to lose." He is taken aback from what I said.

"Hold me tighter." I say while I hug him.

"Even closer." He lifts up his shoulders and lays his head in the crook of my neck.

"I'll stay if I'm what you choose." I say while my fingers pull on his jacket.

"Can we be seventeen?" He asks, giving me chills because of the vibration of his voice in my neck.

"If I am what you choose." I say rubbing his back.

"If we've still got the right." He says while looking at me again.

"'Cause you're the one I choose." I say with a smile.

"You're the one I choose." He smiles and gives me a small kiss on my lips. "I love you, my angel." He confesses. I feel my blood creeping up my cheeks.