a folder full of printed documents.
“The Main Office at the University said that I should try him here.
I thought of just leaving them in the mailbox,” he continued, with
a shrug of his shoulders, “but these are very important documents.”
The young man smiled, “Not to mention that I am still trying to
make a good impression, you know, I don't want to come off as
incompetent or forgetful – I would hate to appear as a
slacker.”
“I'm sure he will be pleased,” Coralie
said, allowing herself to speak.
“Ah, I've won you over already, have
I?” Xavier said, with a smile.
Coralie relaxed a bit, allowing
herself to smirk and extend her hand as a friendly gesture. “I
guess so, I'm sorry, I should probably introduce myself ... I am
–”
“Coralie Collier … I know who you are.
Your father speaks very highly of you. He is very proud. Very
proud, indeed ... as I can see why...”
“Thank you … that's very nice to hear.
He's pretty great, my Dad...”
“Yeah...?”
“Yeah...” she started with a smile,
feeling a minute sense of something, resembling trust. “Would you
like to come in and wait? My parents shouldn't be too much
longer...”
“No, thanks ... I must be
going...”
Suddenly, Coralie's feeling in the pit
of her stomach had begun to slither back in. “But surely, coming
all this way ... I mean, I would hate for you to feel that you came
all this way for nothing.”
“Oh – I don't feel that way at all,
Coralie – none at all...” he said, with a smile.
There was something in his smile.
Something that did not feel right. Something that did not feel so
friendly anymore. Something that felt quite unnerving, and quite
familiar in the same.
“Thanks, again, but I really should be
on my way. I will see you soon, Coralie.” Xavier said, with an
unsettling grin. His eyes of black pearls glittered in the
luminance of light. “Very soon...” He turned to descend the
steps.
Coralie watched him, walk away with
such ease. Ease. This was something she did not feel. Something
about him was so discomforting. She couldn't place it. Something
about Xavier was just not right.
Just as Xavier had reached the bottom
of the front steps, Coralie called out, “Wait, Xavier – didn't you
have something for my Dad?”
“Oh right – umm, it can save until
tomorrow.”
“But, I thought –”
“You know, some things are just better
done in person ... see you around, Coralie Collier.”
“See ya,” Coralie said, trying to
sound nonchalant.
She closed the door and locked it
swiftly behind her. That feeling in her stomach – the unsettling,
shaky, unnerving, feeling – had returned. She felt much more
sickened than before.
Something about Xavier, something
about his house call, seemed all wrong.
Coralie took the phone from her bag
that lay in the foyer arm chair, where she had tossed it as she had
entered the front door.
She began to walk toward the kitchen,
opening her phone and dialing numbers from memory. She looked out
of the kitchen window.
No taillights. Complete
darkness. Strange.
Coralie, without looking, moved her
finger toward the top of the phone. Send.
Not even a full ring had sounded
before Court answered. “Coralie? Are you okay?”
“Yes, it's just –”
“What wrong? Who – I mean, what just
happened?”
“Forget it – it was nothing, really
... I just got a little spooked, that's all.”
“I'm on my way –”
Coralie paused, hearing the front door
open. “Coralie, honey?” she heard her mother call out.
She sighed in relief. “Court, my
parents just walked in –”
“Are you sure that you don’t need me
to come over?”
“Yes – I’ve got to talk to them about
tonight’s visitor ... something was off...”
“I'll be on standby, if you still need
me,” Court said, reassuring.
“Thanks, I’ll see you soon, Court,”
she said, then pushed End.
“Mom?” Coralie called out. “Dad? ...
I'm in here –”
“Hey, kiddo!” Cal said,
“The Main Office at the University said that I should try him here.
I thought of just leaving them in the mailbox,” he continued, with
a shrug of his shoulders, “but these are very important documents.”
The young man smiled, “Not to mention that I am still trying to
make a good impression, you know, I don't want to come off as
incompetent or forgetful – I would hate to appear as a
slacker.”
“I'm sure he will be pleased,” Coralie
said, allowing herself to speak.
“Ah, I've won you over already, have
I?” Xavier said, with a smile.
Coralie relaxed a bit, allowing
herself to smirk and extend her hand as a friendly gesture. “I
guess so, I'm sorry, I should probably introduce myself ... I am
–”
“Coralie Collier … I know who you are.
Your father speaks very highly of you. He is very proud. Very
proud, indeed ... as I can see why...”
“Thank you … that's very nice to hear.
He's pretty great, my Dad...”
“Yeah...?”
“Yeah...” she started with a smile,
feeling a minute sense of something, resembling trust. “Would you
like to come in and wait? My parents shouldn't be too much
longer...”
“No, thanks ... I must be
going...”
Suddenly, Coralie's feeling in the pit
of her stomach had begun to slither back in. “But surely, coming
all this way ... I mean, I would hate for you to feel that you came
all this way for nothing.”
“Oh – I don't feel that way at all,
Coralie – none at all...” he said, with a smile.
There was something in his smile.
Something that did not feel right. Something that did not feel so
friendly anymore. Something that felt quite unnerving, and quite
familiar in the same.
“Thanks, again, but I really should be
on my way. I will see you soon, Coralie.” Xavier said, with an
unsettling grin. His eyes of black pearls glittered in the
luminance of light. “Very soon...” He turned to descend the
steps.
Coralie watched him, walk away with
such ease. Ease. This was something she did not feel. Something
about him was so discomforting. She couldn't place it. Something
about Xavier was just not right.
Just as Xavier had reached the bottom
of the front steps, Coralie called out, “Wait, Xavier – didn't you
have something for my Dad?”
“Oh right – umm, it can save until
tomorrow.”
“But, I thought –”
“You know, some things are just better
done in person ... see you around, Coralie Collier.”
“See ya,” Coralie said, trying to
sound nonchalant.
She closed the door and locked it
swiftly behind her. That feeling in her stomach – the unsettling,
shaky, unnerving, feeling – had returned. She felt much more
sickened than before.
Something about Xavier, something
about his house call, seemed all wrong.
Coralie took the phone from her bag
that lay in the foyer arm chair, where she had tossed it as she had
entered the front door.
She began to walk toward the kitchen,
opening her phone and dialing numbers from memory. She looked out
of the kitchen window.
No taillights. Complete
darkness. Strange.
Coralie, without looking, moved her
finger toward the top of the phone. Send.
Not even a full ring had sounded
before Court answered. “Coralie? Are you okay?”
“Yes, it's just –”
“What wrong? Who – I mean, what just
happened?”
“Forget it – it was nothing, really
... I just got a little spooked, that's all.”
“I'm on my way –”
Coralie paused, hearing the front door
open. “Coralie, honey?” she heard her mother call out.
She sighed in relief. “Court, my
parents just walked in –”
“Are you sure that you don’t need me
to come over?”
“Yes – I’ve got to talk to them about
tonight’s visitor ... something was off...”
“I'll be on standby, if you still need
me,” Court said, reassuring.
“Thanks, I’ll see you soon, Court,”
she said, then pushed End.
“Mom?” Coralie called out. “Dad? ...
I'm in here –”
“Hey, kiddo!” Cal said,
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