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Chapter One - What is wrong with the world today?
“I-I can't do this anymore, Terry. You have to go,” my mom's voice drifted into my bedroom from the lounge. This was why I wished we lived in an actual house instead of a tiny apartment – then maybe I wouldn't be forced to listen to the constant arguing.
“I have nowhere to go!” Dad retaliated, and I heard a door slam, or perhaps it was his fist smashing into the wall. Wouldn't be the first time.
“Move in with her!” Mom screamed, and I sighed, flopping back against the pillows. This was the thirty-fourth time they'd had this particular fight, and I wasn't in the mood to hear it all again.
“I've told you, her place is too small! As soon as we can afford a freakin' house, Miranda, we'll be out of here, I promise you! We won't be in your hair any longer,”
I could almost feel Mom's heated frustration from inside my bedroom. I reached under the bed for my headphones and groaned when I realised that, once again, my iPod battery was dead. I really needed to charge it up – when I had the time.
“Listen, Terry, this is my home. I'm not having you cluttering up the place with your grotty suitcases anymore – the divorce will come through next month, and I want you to be miles away from here by then. So get out,” Mom hissed, “Now. Or I'm calling the police,”
“Where the hell am I supposed to go, Miranda? You want me to live on the streets?”
“There are plenty of motels open at this time of night. You'd better go, Terry. I'm serious this time.”
Dad's voice was a hushed whisper when he replied, “At least give me a few minutes to say goodbye to Alex.”
“She doesn't need your goodbyes. She's sixteen now, Terry, in case you forgot. Anyway, you can call her later. When you've calmed down.”
“I am bloody calm! You can't keep me from seeing my own daughter-”
“You can see her at the weekend – unless you'll be too busy with her,”
I heard Dad rummaging around in the hall, and then my bedroom door opened, no knock. I guess I wasn't really expecting one.
“I'm leaving, honey.” he said, the fury leaking out of his voice. I nodded slightly, discarding my Physics book on the bed beside me. I glanced quickly out of the window – darkness was closing in on us.
“Okay,” I murmured, not really knowing what else to tell him. Dad held something out to me – an envelope. I took it with trembling fingers, knowing this would be the last time I'd ever see my father – despite his desperate promises to pick me up every weekend. I got up off the bed and slipped my arms around his waist, hugging him close to me like a favoured stuffed animal.
“I love you, baby,” he told me, speaking softly into my ear. I nodded against his chest.
“You too, daddy,” I replied, my voice only just audible. I felt hot, stinging tears prick at my vision, and I buried my face deeper into his t-shirt so he wouldn't see.
“I'll call you tomorrow – as soon as I've settled down somewhere. I promise,”
Yeah. Promises meant nothing to me anymore – there had been too many broken already. I didn't say anything, just slowly released him from the embrace and watched him step back, his bulky, middle-aged frame filling the doorway.
“Bye, sweetheart,” his voice broke on the last word.
“Bye, Dad,”
And then he was gone.
I think I cried for a while – I can't really remember. All that was running through my mind was the fact that my father was gone – and he was never coming back, not this time. I'd known about the divorce for a long time – obviously. I wasn't young enough for Mom to keep things from me anymore, and I'd pried too deep into their affairs this time – and found information that I never, ever wanted to hear. I wished I'd kept my paranoia to myself – then maybe all of this wouldn't be happening. I'd triggered Mom's annoyance switch, and she had totally took it out on my father.
When I had collected myself enough to move, I tore open the envelope that he had given to me, expecting a long letter detailing how sorry he was. But all that slipped out was a business card and two tickets.
I picked up the business card first, inspecting it, turning it over and over in my hands until the words were spinning around in my mind, over and over. I felt sick, my vision blurring, the world turning grayscale. How could this be happening? Where the hell did he get the nerve to do this to me?
Moonlight Spa
Main Street
Firmington
Grace Wilson
Written on the back of the card was Meet tomorrow outside the spa, noon.
All that my father had left me was his new girlfriend's business card and a scribbled message to meet her tomorrow. Was this his idea of a joke? A sick, humiliating joke?
I only glanced at the tickets, but even that was enough to send my heart into dizzy palpitations. What the hell was wrong with me? No, more importantly, what was wrong with the world?
The tickets were for a cinema showing of a romantic comedy, something that I'd been pestering my parents to let me see for ages. One ticket had my name on. The other had Grace's.
“Alex? Baby, are you okay?” Mom asked, slightly alarmed by the tear stains on my cheeks. I managed a half-hearted nod, making my way through to the kitchenette to make myself a sandwich. I felt my mother's hand on my shoulder while I was taking the cheese and pickle from the fridge.
“I'm sorry, honey. You knew this was coming, didn't you? I couldn't take it anymore, Alex...”
“I know, Mom. It's just... nothing. I'm just gonna miss him, that's all,” Well, it was only a half lie. I would miss my dad. But the tears over that particular problem had ended long ago.
“D'you want to watch a DVD or something?” Mom suggested, forcing a plastic smile. I shook my head, biting into my sandwich.
“That's okay. I think I'm going to call Will, see if he wants to meet up or something. I need to... take my mind off of things.”
“Of course, honey. Just don't be out too late – it's pitch black out there,”
“Right. Yeah. We might catch a movie or something.” I carried my sandwich into the lounge and flopped on the couch, wishing my best friend was there with me. He was better at dealing with these things than me – when his father had passed away four years ago he'd been nothing but practical.
“It'll get easier, Alex. When he's out of our lives for good... I promise you that.” I hadn't realised until Mom had spoken that she had entered the room after me. I wanted to snap at her, tell her that all this was her fault – but that was the problem. It wasn't. Goddammit, it was Dad's.
“I know,” I admitted, switching the TV on to drown out her voice and my thoughts.
It turned out that I didn't have to call Will – my cell phone buzzed before I had chance to. I flipped it open and his cheery voice came out of the receiver.
“Hey, Will. How's it going?” I asked brightly. There was a pause on the other end of the line.
“It's going fine. What about you?”
“Oh, same ol', same ol'. You wanna go somewhere?”
“Like...?” he prompted warily, and I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to muster up patience from somewhere deep inside.
“The movies? The park? We can go to goddamn Antarctica, for all I care,” I gabbled, finally losing it. I heard Will's intake of breath before he replied.
“Sure. What movie d'you want to see?”
“Well, I have free tickets to that rom-com...” I said, smiling to myself. I'd scribble out the name – the guy at the box office probably wouldn't even notice.
“Yeah. Whatever. You know, totally not my thing, but hey. I don't say no to a bargain.” I could imagine his grin. I said a quick goodbye and ran into my room to change out of my battered jeans and shirt, into something a little classier. The evening was looking up.
Will honked his horn half an hour later, and I kissed Mom on the cheek before grabbing my purse from the couch and heading outside. Our apartment was on the bottom floor of our building – so there was no need to complain about the broken elevator.
“Hey,” I sighed, slipping into the passenger seat. Will's gaze flickered over my face, then down to my outfit – black jeans with an embroidered rose pattern running down the leg, and a purple silk blouse. Only when he was finished scrutinizing me did he eventually speak.
“I didn't know this was an occasion. I would've worn something more...” he trailed off, apparently lost for words. I frowned. What the hell was wrong with everyone today? First my father went crazy, then Will? Seriously, I mean, people-
I glanced at Will's wardrobe – he looked pretty awesome, actually. Faded blue jeans and a checkered shirt, buttoned only halfway up, revealing a triangle of tanned chest. I smiled to myself.
“You look... great,” he told me, and I blushed. Why was he being so embarrassing?
“Thanks, I guess. Can we, er, get going? Please? I really need to get away from... this,” I admitted, gesturing back to the apartments. He nodded knowingly, and revved the engine.
“So, what's wrong, anyway? Something happen at home?” Will asked once we were headed down the freeway. I stared into my lap, fiddling with the strap on my purse.
“Dad... h-he left. For good, I assume.” I told him. He frowned at me, reaching over with his free hand to pat my knee. I bit my lip before continuing, not sure which parts to cut out and which to include. In the end I just spilled the whole can of beans instead of just a few.
“And he left me Grace's business card. He wants me to meet with her... tomorrow. And he... he gave me the cinema tickets, but they were intended for us... I mean, her and me. I can't... I don't think I can go through with it, Will. And Mom has no idea... I can't find the right words, you know? To tell her, I mean. He's broken her heart one time too many. I don't really expect you to understand, you know, girl stuff? But... it hurts.”
His expression clouded over with concentration, and I knew it wasn't for the road. After a few moments' awkward silence, he turned to me in his seat.
“I get it. You don't want to meet with her, right?” at first I thought he truly did understand, but then, “Then don't go. Stay home or something,”
I felt the little bubble of hope burst inside of me. He didn't get it – as I said, girl stuff!
“But... I need to know he's okay! Dad, I mean. This might be the last opportunity I get to meet with him, before... well, you know. Before it happens. And if she's there... well, it's just part of the bargain. I can't see my father without seeing her, so maybe I should just get it over with, right?”
“Uh, right?” Will guessed, and I smiled slightly, shaking my head at him. He totally didn't understand. But, what did I expect, really? Although he was my best friend, and he put up with me through... well, through everything, I guess, he was still a guy. And guys weren't exactly in touch with their inner emotions.
“Then I should go, right?” I pushed, and he finally nodded, then changed his mind and shook his head.
“Oh... I don't know, Alex. Do what you want to do.”
“Right.”
I wasn't surprised that the remainder of the drive to the movie theatre was in silence.
I had a tiny flash of guilt when I was waiting in line at the concession stand, but it was smothered as soon as I handed the Coke and popcorn to Will. I had delved into my pocket for the snacks, and paid for Will's, too. It was the least I could do, since he was offering to put up with a whole movie full of soppy romance and my complaining about my family for the whole evening.
We found our seats and settled into them, and, while the opening credits were rolling, Will slipped his arm around the back of my seat. When I sent him a puzzled look, the only explanation he offered was, “What? Just getting comfy... You read way too much into things, Alex.”
So the rest of the movie was spent like that, and, sometime near the end, Will nestled into my shoulder and began to snore – not loudly, just soft little noises that let me know that he was sleeping because the rom-com bored him out of his mind.
“Wake up, you lazy-” I groaned, shaking him as everyone flooded out of the theatre. Will stretched and got slowly to his feet, sniffing the air.
“I smell food. D'you smell food? Hey – maybe it's a sign. We should go eat. Like, right now,” he grinned suddenly, took me by the hand, and towed me right out of the cinema, leaving a trail of popcorn crumbs in our wake. Before I knew exactly what was happening, I was being bundled back into Will's car and we were both giggling like little girls. We drove to the nearest diner, ordered our food, and sat across from each other in a private booth. I should have taken this as a sign – not necessarily a bad one, but a sign nevertheless. Will reclined in his seat, folding his arms across his chest, staring right into my eyes. I shivered, and not from the cold.
“Alex... I've been meaning to tell you... I don't want you to be freaked out, but... I think...” he trailed off, glancing out of the window nervously, as if someone was going to sneak up on us and steal the plates of steaming hot food the waitress had slammed down in front of us.
“Spit it out, then,” I demanded. Will grinned sheepishly.
“Okay.” Sigh, “This is more difficult than I thought it would be. Okay, here goes,” Another sigh, “I think I love you,”
It was so sudden that I burst out laughing, snorting Coke out of my nose and spluttering it all over the table. Before I could stop myself, I was laughing hysterically.
“You-you're serious?” I managed after a long couple of minutes spent roaring with unanticipated hysterics. Will looked sullen – I had to take his hand in mine before he would accept how sorry I was.
“It was just... unexpected, that's all. Okay. You love me. Ri-ight. I can totally handle this. Totally. Okay. Phew.”
“Forget I ever said anything. Please. Just forget it – this conversation never happened, all right?”
“Um... okay?” I said unsurely, then sobered up, “Will, honestly, I'm fine with it. And, you know, with you looking all dashing tonight, I might even do something about it.” I attempted a seductive smile, but it didn't really work with my best friend sitting across from me declaring undying love. Besides, I didn't do sexy. Cute and confused, maybe, but... sexy? Me? I really didn't think so.
“Nothing much changes now, right? I mean, just because I'm admitting that... you know, it doesn't have to mean anything. You don't feel the same way, do you? I mean, if you do, then that's great, but if not, I'm fine with that-”
“Quite the romantic, aren't you?” I giggled, and moved to join him on his side of the booth. I would have done something hot and passionate but I wasn't that kind of gal. I kissed him briefly on the lips, experimenting with the sensation, and pulled away again. There was a moment of gazing into each other's eyes, totally in the zone, and then there was a scream from the counter, and, before I knew what had happened, I was on my feet.
“What is it?” Will asked, jumping to his feet in a reflex boyfriend protection stance. I put a finger to my lips and peered around the side of the booth, kneeling on the cushioned seat so I could see what was going on without the danger of an armed burglar or serial killer spotting me. Will did the same.
But there was no serial killer, no burglar. Just a teenage boy, only a little older than Will and I, and he'd collapsed onto the floor and was writhing around in obvious agony, with... a wooden stake protruding from his chest. I bit back a squeal, and rushed over to help, wondering why the waitress hadn't run out to from behind the counter.
I found out the answer to that question pretty quickly. The poor woman had passed out cold. Gosh, even I wasn't that squeamish in a crisis. Great help she was.
I knelt beside the victim of the attack and whispered, “Can you hear me?”
His reply was a moan. I gestured for Will to come help, and we both got a good grip on the stake. I was pretty sure that I shouldn't be helping him – God knows, I'd already had enough trouble with vampires to last me a lifetime – but, hey, I couldn't just sit around and watch him die, now, could I? Besides, I didn't think they were all the same. Maybe he'd be nice. Normal. He seemed pretty normal, apart from the, y'know, stake thing.
While we were busy tugging at the stake (it wouldn't budge, let me tell you) I got a good look at him. Black hair, flung back onto the grease-stained floor, and bright blue eyes, half-closed from the pain. He wore a black t-shirt and a leather jacket, with deep blue jeans, and sneakers. It was hard to believe he wasn't human, looking at him. And, God, was he handsome. I didn't know what was wrong with me – teenage hormones firing up when I least needed them? I wasn't sure, but I knew I didn't like the new me.
“Okay. On three. One... two... three!” Will and I pulled at the same time, neither of us expecting the stake to come out, so we were startled, to say the least, when it slid out of the bloody mess that was now the guy's chest, and sent us both tumbling backwards. I grappled for something to grab onto to break the fall, failed to find anything, and groaned when my head smacked on the floor. Will was stood above me instantly, offering me a hand up. I took it gratefully, and tiptoed warily to the bloody floor where the vampire had once lay. He was gone now, leaving a pool of gore and a few bloody footprints behind. God, had he healed that quickly? Whoa.
“Where'd he go?” Will asked, glancing briefly around the diner. I shrugged, and shrieked when something landed on my shoulders, knocking me to the ground with the force of the blow. Something – or someone – was on top of me! I struggled, attempting to roll over onto the floor so I could glimpse what (or who) my attacker was.
A sharp pain in my neck brought a gasp from my mouth, but no sound came out. The world slowed down, and I had time to hear Will cry out to me before everything went black, and then I was swimming in darkness.
I woke feeling groggy, wondering why my bedroom lamp was so bright. I blinked imaginary sleep from my eyes, to find Will leaning over me, frowning with concern.
I think I tried to make a joke, something light-hearted about why he was so worried, but my thoughts were crippled by an agonizing pain and a ferocious headache. I grimaced, bracing myself against whatever I was leaning against (it turned out to be the table we had previously been sat at) and just about managed to mouth 'what the hell happened', before it all came flooding back.
“Are you alright?” Will asked, and I glimpsed a bunch of paramedics moving in behind him, their attention on the waitress who was sitting slumped against the cashier desk, breathing heavy and quick, attempting to tell the story of what happened without throwing up. I swore under my breath, and gestured to Will to get me the hell out of there before they rushed over and started making a fuss, but he shook his head.
“No way. You're going to the hospital,”
“I don't need to go to the hospital-” I started, but the pain made the remaining oxygen in my lungs rush out in a hiss. Will crouched beside me, smoothing my hair back from my face, and gave me a warning look.
“Alex. Let me take care of you. Please,”
It was so sweet that I conjured up a smile from somewhere deep within, and forced myself to nod. Two female paramedics were approaching, and I gripped Will's hand as she began firing questions at me.
“What's your name, miss?”
“Alexandra Middleton,”
“Can you count backwards from ten, Alex?”
“Yep.”
“Would you care to demonstrate?”
“Nope.”
“I really need you to help me out here, Alex. Please, count slowly back from ten,”
“Ten, nine, eight, seven, etcetera etcetera.”
“I'm serious.”
“So am I,”
Sigh. “How many fingers am I holding up?”
“Why, can't you count?”
“How many fingers?” her tone was more serious this time.
“Three.”
“Good. Follow this light, please.”
This time the sigh was from me, as I did as she asked. I glanced at Will while she was busy unpacking bandages from a first aid kit, and he smirked at me. If I had any energy left, I would have strangled him with my bare hands, and enjoyed every minute of it.
The paramedic, who had introduced herself as Molly, rubbed the wound, which I had not yet had a chance to inspect (I suspected it looked like what it was, two neat puncture marks) with alcohol, which made me squeal. I wasn't used to this sort of stuff. My life was normal – once.
I allowed Molly to fix the bandages, and sat patiently while she tested my blood pressure and heartbeat, not making a single sarcastic remark (okay, maybe one or two). I gritted my teeth while she measured my temperature and asked if I had a headache. I lied and said no, then finally lost it when she told me I would have to go down to the hospital for more tests anyway. I wanted to scream at her – but I kept my cool and looked to Will for assistance.
“Alexandra Middleton?” a voice asked. I turned, expecting more medical staff, maybe with a stretcher to carry me out in style, but it was a uniformed police officer with a crumpled notepad in his hands. I nodded warily, and he smiled, though not quite reassuringly.
“I'll need to hear your statement. As long as you're all done here, we can go over there to talk, by the window,” he suggested, and I nodded. Will gave me a thumbs up, and I got shakily to my feet, wanting more than anything else to be out of here, and far away. I was suddenly exhausted, and crawling into bed that night would have been a real luxury right then.
“Okay, Alex. This is nothing at all to worry about – just a routine check. You'll have the opportunity to press charges, but that's your decision.” he told me, placing a voice recorder box on the table.
“Wh-where is he? The vampire, I mean,” I choked, and the police officer nodded towards the corner booth, where the vampire was sitting, handcuffed (there was probably silver embedded in the chains, so he couldn't get away), talking to a female officer. I clasped my hands together in my lap to stop them trembling, and started to speak.
“We, uh, Will and me, we came in here after... after the movies. To eat. I heard screams, and then we saw him, uh-”
“Sebastian,”
“Yeah. He was lying on the floor, with the stake in his chest. Will and me... we tried to pull it out, but it was real difficult, and we managed it, but I kind of... tripped. Anyway, I got up again, and he was gone, and the next thing I know, he's on top of me. B-biting me.” my voice quivered on the last part, “I guess... I guess I passed out,”
It felt funny, admitting to that part. I'd never fainted before. Never. I felt pretty... weak.
“I don't... I don't want anything to escalate from this. Sebastian, uh, he wasn't in his right mind, I guess. He was hurt. That's instinct, isn't it? For... vampires?”
“That's fine, Alex. You've been a great help. That'll be all,” the officer replied, smiling genuinely this time. I scraped my chair back, wincing slightly at the sound, and went back to join Will, who had just finished giving his own statement. He grinned at me.
“You done?” he asked, just verifying, I think. I nodded, forcing a smile. Will took me aside by the elbow and leaned over to whisper in my ear.
“Are you sure you're all right? You were out a while.”
“Yeah. Will, I promise, I'm absolutely fine. I'm great, actually.”
He snorted, “Did you press charges?”
“No, of course not. It was an accident, I suppose. There's no point going through all the court nonsense – and I don't think he'd be too happy, either. I don't want to risk my life over something stupid,” I said, touching my index finger to my neck, feeling slightly self-conscious.
“Wha-at? Why the hell didn't you stand up for yourself? That bastard bit you! You could have picked up any amount of diseases!”
“They don't carry diseases.” I stated nonchalantly, and he rolled his eyes, frowning at me.
“How can you be so blasé? The freak bit you. It's not like this is an everyday thing, Alex. It's not like you're in a relationship or anything. It's... It's weird, if I'm completely honest with you. Real weird,”
“I know that part, dumb-ass. Didn't you listen to a word I just said? The guy could kill me. In my eyes, I got off lightly. It was just a bite,” my voice sounded small, fragile. I reached out to touch Will's arm, and he let me.
“I saw what he did to you, Alex. I watched, and I couldn't do a damn thing about it. It was like he was sucking out your soul or something. And... his eyes turned red. Seriously, the worst horror movie I've ever seen, and you were the main character.”
I laughed at that, and took a sip of my Coke, sitting abandoned on the countertop. The paramedics were packing up, and the police were busy unlocking Sebastian's handcuffs. Will took my hand, and we began to make our way out of the diner.
“Hey-” Sebastian started when we passed. I stopped abruptly – I hadn't expected him to actually speak to me. I had no idea what I was supposed to say. Hi, it's great to meet you. Just for future reference, did I taste any good? My friend here says you seemed to enjoy the whole feeding thing. I'm pretty self-conscious about how I taste, actually. Maybe we could discuss it over dinner one evening? Say around midnight? Yeah, right.
“Don't speak to her. She doesn't want you to go near her again, so do one, okay? Just leave us alone,” Will spoke for me, and I smacked his arm.
“Will! Hey, look, I'm sorry about him. He's a little protective, I guess. You know, after the whole fangs in the neck situation.”
“Yeah. I'm real sorry about that. I wasn't thinking straight. Honestly, those hunters caught me off guard.” Sebastian's voice was eerily seductive, as if he were inviting me to spend a night under the covers in his bedroom instead of apologising for almost killing me. Maybe that was the same thing, in a vampire's eyes? I'd have to look into it.
“Hunters?”
“Yeah. Guys chased me right through the woods, caught up with me in the parking lot. I don't know how I made it in here this far, actually.”
“Oh.” I murmured, lost for words. Then, luckily (or unluckily, depending on how you evaluate the situation) I found some.
“Are they just scared of you guys, or like... What's the word? Homophobic people don't like homosexuals... but is there a word for people that don't like vampires? Except slayers, of course. Hey, did you ever watch that TV show, Buffy the vampire slayer? That was awesome. Only caught a few episodes, but, hey. Quality not quantity. Is that the saying? Or is it-”
“I think you'd better get her to the hospital. She could have a serious case of concussion.”
“She has a name.” I remarked snidely while Will began to prepare an argument.
“Don't you think you should be the one making sure she's alright? Paying for hospital expenses? You're the one who put her there in the first place-”
“Hey, I'd take her if you'd let me. You're the one who had to get right up my ass and told me to stay the hell away-”
“Guys, guys, stop fighting. I'm fine. Honestly. I don't have concussion, just maybe a bad sense of humour and not knowing when to shut up. I don't need to go to the hospital. I'm going home, and I'm going to sleep for a very long time, and when I eventually do wake up, I may even have time to be mad at one of you. So, goodbye, Sebastian. I'd say it was nice meeting you, but... yeah. Guess I'll leave that part out. See ya,” I took Will's arm and began to tow him steadily outside.
“Hey – I didn't catch your name.” Sebastian called after me. I turned to look over my shoulder at him.
“It's Alexandra. He's Will.” I pointed at my best friend (did that term still count? Or did I have to say boyfriend now? I wasn't even sure if what we were doing was even dating. Huh. I'd think about that later. After a nice, relaxing nap and maybe a bath. With bath salts. Was veering away from the point a symptom of concussion? Maybe it was just little ol' me).
Sebastian nodded, and smiled, but the smile was sad. He looked forlorn, like the whole world was resting upon his shoulders.
“See you around,” he said, and I gave a little wave goodbye. Will opened the passenger door for me to clamber inside and we left the parking lot pretty quickly.
“The paramedic told me to take you to the ER. I really think you ought to go-”
“Will, for the billionth time – I don't need a hospital. I'm fine. Just... take me home.”
“Stay the night at mine. Mom's on holiday for the weekend with a friend, so the house is pretty empty without her. You can stay in the spare room.” It suddenly seemed so inviting that I couldn't refuse. I found myself nodding eagerly, slightly alarmed at how enticing Will's spare room sounded. Maybe because his house was closer that mine. Maybe because, at that point, I would have slept in a damp field, I was so tired. Maybe because a small part of me was in love with him.
We arrived at Will's ten minutes later, and, after making a brief phone call to my mother telling her where exactly I'd gotten to, dragging my shoes and jeans off and leaving them in an untidy heap on the floor, I crawled into bed and fell into a deep slumber.
I woke at ten a.m, a time I considered to be bright and early, and hopped out of bed with a spring in my step – until I recalled the events of last night and what I had to face today.
I dressed quickly, in yesterday's clothes, and brushed my hair with the comb I kept in my purse. When I looked at least presentable, I left Will's spare room and scribbled a note to him, which I left on the kitchen counter.
The morning air was fresh and cool, but my forehead still broke out in a cold sweat when I turned onto the main street. It had only taken me fifteen minutes to walk into the centre of town from Will's house, and, although I knew he would have offered to drive me there, I would rather have taken my time and grabbed a bite to eat before I met up with Grace. I stopped at a deli bar and ordered a sandwich, and munched my way through it as I searched for the spa. We weren't due to meet up for another hour, but it was her own business – she'd already be there, I hoped. It took me a good ten minutes to find the spa's location – it was tucked away between a mini-mart and a video rental shop.
I opened the door of the spa, praying it was unlocked and that I wasn't going to have to hang around in main street for the next fifty minutes, and, thankfully, my prayers were answered. A bell above the door tinkled as I entered, and a flustered-looking receptionist hurried to the door to assist me.
“I'm dreadfully sorry, miss, but we aren't open for business yet. If you'd like to come back in, say, an hour or so, we can fix you up with an appointment-”
“I'm here to see Grace – she told me she wanted to see me. I'm Alexandra.” I tried to speak clearly but my voice shook. It would take everything I had not to lash out at my almost-stepmother. I wanted to kill her already – and I knew this meeting was going to be a disaster. Why the hell was I putting myself through this?
“Oh, certainly, dear. We weren't expecting you so soon, that's all. Right this way.”
The receptionist led me down a small, cosily furnished corridor with several doors leading off on either side. She didn't break her stride when she opened the last one with a flourish, revealing a tiny office with no windows – only a mahogany desk and a metal filing cabinet. Behind the desk sat a petite woman with brown hair pinned back in a neat ponytail. She wore no make-up, but even without it she was beautiful, with flawless, pale white skin and plump pink lips. She smiled at me and gestured that I sit down. I did so, on the plush chair opposite hers. It struck me how difficult it was to believe she was almost three-hundred years old.
“Good morning, Alex. I didn't think you'd make it here so early. Coffee?” she pointed to a coffee machine at the end of her desk, with a cup of steaming hot liquid already brewed, sitting underneath. I raised my eyebrows slightly, impressed.
“No, that's okay.” I told her, feeling awkward. I'd only met this woman once before, and that meeting had been brief, with a lot of screaming and slapping from Mom, and sheepish smiles from Dad. Grace had handled it all extremely casually, allowing Mom to get all her rage out on Dad's new girlfriend before she collapsed Into tears, and Grace grabbed her pathetically flailing wrists and pinned them to her chest, signalling for my father to take her home before she hurt herself. Like Grace actually cared. She'd been the one to break Mom's heart in the first place.
“So, Alexandra. What would you like to do today? We could go shopping, or we could stay here at the spa... I believe your father bought you some cinema tickets?”
“No, he didn't. At least, he didn't give them to me,” I lied, trying not to blush. Grace nodded knowingly, sensing that I hadn't told the truth. Damn.
“It's your choice. We can do whatever you like.”
“Is Dad coming?” I blurted, and she smiled at me, exposing her fangs. I shrunk back a little, alarmed, and she chuckled, closing her lips again.
“I'm sorry my dear. Old habits die hard. Yes, your father will be along later on – he's got a few errands to run,” Oh, so she had Dad doing her dirty work for her, too. Funny.
“I know what you're thinking, my dear. He has just gone to collect a few things from his office and, I believe, to pick up some of his remaining things from home,”
This time it was me who could sense the lie. My father had already taken all of his things with him, out of fear that Mom would throw them out onto the street or something, and he'd resigned his job weeks ago. I tried not to spit in her face, and balled my hands into tight little fists, concentrating all my anger on that movement.
“I don't care what we do. I just came to see my dad,” I told her bluntly, and she didn't even hesitate, just pretended I hadn't spoken. She sipped at her coffee – huh. I thought vampires could only drink blood. You learn something new every day.
“Very well, then. What do you say to a little retail therapy?
We ended up in the mall – not the poky little one my mother and I usually visited, but the fancy, incredibly expensive one at the other side of town. We drove the whole way in Grace's limousine, complete with a chauffeur. He wore the traditional outfit – a tuxedo, complete with tails, and a top hat. Very fancy. Strangely Victorian. A total waste of money. It only occurred to me on the drive there that I had nothing left whatsoever – I had spent the last of it on the deli I ate for breakfast. Oh, well. It wasn't like I could actually afford anything in there, even if I hadn't paid for the popcorn last night.
“Drink, Alexandra?” Grace offered, and I noticed the soda machine embedded into the car door. My eyes widened a little – I couldn't help it. I found myself accepting the drink, selecting a coke from the machine, and watched Grace pour it, mesmerized. Of course, I'd seen stuff like this before – but only on reality TV shows and the odd movie. I took the soda from her, tempted to 'accidentally' spill it all over her posh upholstery, and sipped it slowly. I feared, irrationally, I'm sure, that she might have spiked my drink and she was going to tie me up and throw me into the trunk of the limo, but it tasted fine, and didn't make me sleepy in the slightest. Maybe she wasn't as bad as I thought. Was it possible that I was just biased because my mother had been hurt in the process of my father leaving? Naw.
The chauffeur dropped us off by the entrance of the mall, and we stepped out of the car. The limo had tinted windows, so I hadn't realised just how many people were staring until we were blinking under the harsh rays of sunlight. Grace's shades firmly in place, we climbed the steps to the doors, ignoring the public as best we could, or at least I did. The mall opened up into a marble entry hall, with an intricate fountain spurting water in the centre. I closed my slightly gaping mouth and followed Grace further inside.
We went in the most expensive shops – Grace actually browsing the rails and picking up the odd garment, me hanging back with wide eyes, avoiding the price tags like the plague. Once or twice she'd disappear into the fitting room to try something on, and reappear looking stunning in a brand new, two-thousand dollar dress.
“If there's anything you'd like, Alex, just say so. I'll pick up the cheque.” Grace smiled, and, awestruck, I could only mumble a reply. Anything I wanted? My, was she trusting. The daughter of a man who had cheated on her own mother with another woman, a woman who was now attempting to shower the daughter in gifts. I could have chosen anything just to break the bank of this woman, all for Mom's benefit. Hey, I could take advantage of this deal and not feel the least bit bad about it.
“Uh... thanks.” I replied. There was nothing of interest in the first shop – shopping for clothes bored me almost to tears – but in the second I discovered a jewellery stand with real gold lockets, with additional space to insert a photograph, and even dared to check the price. Two hundred and fifty dollars. I reeled back in alarm, and Grace appeared over my shoulder.
“That's a beautiful necklace.” she said in an almost dreamlike tone. I nodded, rendered totally speechless, while she unhooked the locket from its perch on the rack.
“Hmm, and not a bad price, too. It matches your eyes.” And she added it to the basket, while I stood there, still unable to speak. When we exited the shop, she fastened the necklace around my neck, without waiting for me to ask.
We stopped at a sushi bar for lunch, although I insisted the price range was way too high and that we should probably stop at a greasy-spoon instead. Ha. I couldn't imagine Grace sitting in a dingy cafe, feasting on fattening chips. But, hey. Couldn't hurt to try.
“Honestly, Alexandra. Relax. We'll treat ourselves to lunch, then we'll go back to the spa and get ourselves a massage. What do you say?”
I gave in to her and nodded. A massage sounded great, and besides, I was ravenously hungry. I helped myself to sushi, which turned out to be quite tasty, actually, for raw fish, I mean, while Grace sat and commented on the clothes she had bought, unable to eat any of the food. I wanted to ask how that worked, exactly, but I was afraid of what she'd say. I made a mental note to check it out on the internet when I got home, and continued to tuck into my sushi.
“So, how is Dad?” I worked up the courage to ask the question that had been biting at me all morning. Grace didn't look up from rummaging in her shopping bag – although rummaging doesn't seem like the right word. Her actions were so graceful, so elegant, it seemed like she knew exactly what she was searching for, and exactly where she would find it.
“Your father is fine. Coping with the divorce as expected of a... human.” she hesitated on the last word.
“Has it... has it already happened?”
“The divorce? Hasn't your mother told you, dear? It's due to come through next month-”
“No, I'm not talking about the divorce. I'm talking about the... the other thing.”
“Ah. I'm going to be honest with you, darling, because you're old enough not to be lied to. The... change hasn't taken place yet, but it will. Soon.”
A shiver ran down my spine. I fought the urge to run screaming from the room. Grace looked so... inhuman when she said that. So... vampire.
“Okay,” I breathed, feeling queasy. I repeated the words 'it's fine' over and over in my head until they became jumbled and incoherent.
I finished my sushi pretty quickly after that, and we boarded the limousine again and allowed the chauffeur to drive us all the way back to the spa. I suddenly didn't feel that I wanted a massage quite as badly as before.
Grace led me into the main spa room, which was decorated with paintings of beaches and flowers, and contained a coffee table stacked full of magazines and ten comfortable-looking chairs. Four more doors led off from that, and she held one open for me, and locked it behind us. Uh-oh, I thought, this is the part where she turns on me and goes all vampire. Major ass-kicking time, and I'm the first victim.
But she just gestured for me to get ready and told me that 'someone would be right along to deliver the massage.' This is when I totally started freaking out – I wasn't sure I wanted to go through with this. I mean, a complete stranger, seeing me stark naked? No, this really wasn't for me.
“Um, Grace? I'm not sure... I don't really want to do this.” I admitted, and she smiled.
“Of course, darling. What do you say to a mud bath? Facial treatments? You name it, we have it,”
“Uh, that's... that's okay. I think I ought to go home, actually. Mom'll probably be worrying. Thanks for, uh, the food. And the locket.”
“But don't you want to see your father, dear?” Well, I guess she had me there.
“I could call back later-”
“Nonsense. It's fine, darling. We can just sit and talk, if you'd prefer. Or I could leave you alone for a while...”
“Um, yeah, okay. T-thanks.”I mumbled, and she gave me a silent nod. She turned away and unlocked the door again, an action which released a great tension from my shoulders. She left me in the main room, and the time alone allowed me to sit on one of the chairs and unravel my headphones from around my iPod, to think for a while. I don't know how long I sat there like that, just dwelling, but after a while the door burst open and made me jump. When I had wrenched my headphones from my ears and looked up, the result made me squeal.
“Dad!” I yelled, and rushed at him, caught in a moment of pure, childish innocence. My father caught me in his arms, held me tight, tousled my hair with his big hands. I could have stayed that way forever, and it certainly wasn't me who pulled away first.
“Sweetheart – I've missed you,” my father grinned, and led me gently over to the armchairs again, ignoring the pile of messed-up magazines that I had scattered in my wake. Try as I might, I couldn't keep the smile off my face.
“It's so great to see you,”I smiled, trying, at least, to mask some of my eagerness. Maybe... maybe the after wouldn't be so bad. Maybe we could work past our differences and I could suffer just a little in Grace's presence.
“Have you two had a good day?”Dad inquired, and I nodded, reaching into my shirt to pull out the locket so I could show it off to him. I hardly noticed when Grace sat down beside us in a flowing motion.
“We went shopping, and for lunch at-”I cut off halfway through the sentence, telling myself that this was all a dream, that I would wake up soon enough. The fact that he hadn't even tried to hide it-
“Alex? What is it, honey?”Dad asked, like there was absolutely nothing wrong at all. I felt bile building up in the back of my throat, but I wouldn't break. Not now.
“Dad... you said... s-she said... You both told me that it hadn't happened yet. You promised.”I choked. My dad frowned... and then realised what I meant, his hand shooting up to his neck to cover the bite marks. I ignored the fact that I had a pair of matching ones – I'd peeled the bandage away this morning and they had faded away to an almost invisible scar that was only noticeable at close inspection.
“It- it hasn't. Not yet.”Dad said solemnly, and I swore at him, batting his hand away when he tried to put his arm around my shoulders.
“How can you sit there and lie to my face? I'm not stupid. I know what a freakin' bite mark looks like!”I screamed, and Grace stood slowly. I followed suit, jabbing a finger right in her chest.
“You... you'll stay the hell away from my father, you understand?! You fucking better stay away!”I bellowed, and she raised her hands in a surrender position. My dad tried to speak.
“It's not what it looks like, Alex. It's just a bite. Not the bite,”It took me a while, but I finally understood. She had fed... but he was still human. For a while, anyway.
“Oh. Oh, so you think that makes it better, do you? How can you let her do that to you?! It's disgusting. It's like having a leech stuck to your neck and you can't get it off-”
“You sound as if you're talking from experience.”Grace cut in, calm and collected as usual. I bit my tongue while she spoke, “Alexandra, you are old enough to accept the fact that your father and I are in love. It is no longer your affair. You must accept the fact that this is going to happen – whether you agree with it or not. Your father is happy here.”
“No. No, before you came along, he was happy with my mom. He had a perfectly healthy relationship in which he didn't have to give up anything!”I was panting by now, but I didn't stop, “He didn't have to die,”
“It's not death, Alex, honey. I'll still be here. I'll be here... forever.”
“You'll outlive your own daughter, forever captive in a forty-nine year old body. Is that really what you want? To stay middle-aged forever?”
“It doesn't matter. I love Grace, Alex. I'm sorry, but it's true.”
“Your children are supposed to come first! You aren't supposed to just... leave. Just because you've found someone better. Someone who's a better wife, a better cook, a better lover. Is it because she's rich, Dad? Because she has a steady business? Or is it just the sex? Huh? Answer me that.”
“We're in love,”he said, as if it was that simple. I shook my head sadly, as if I was scolding a naughty toddler instead of my own father. He was acting more like a child than an adult, actually.
“Your mother meant the world to me, Alex. In fact, she still does. But she doesn't make me happy, not anymore. Don't you remember the fighting? The constant arguing? Surely you must...”
“Of course I remember. Mom was upset. You aren't supposed to walk out on someone who's just upset.”
“Sit down, honey, please.”Dad begged, and I did, not because I wanted to please him, or because I planned on staying here, but because I would need something to catch me if I fell or fainted in the next few minutes. Besides, I was beginning to feel stupid standing up.
“I asked you to come here because... I need to ask you something. Run something by you.”Dad began, and, after a warning look from Grace, continued warily. The only way he could have looked more afraid was if a guy came in screaming with a bomb strapped to his chest, and that would probably only be because he was frightened of ruining Grace's spa.
“Ask me, then. Go ahead and ask.” If only stupid little me had seen this coming, she would have ran, screaming, for the hills. But, obviously, I didn't expect what was coming, especially after my little rant at them both, so I stayed glued to my seat like it was coated in sticky tar.
“If... if you didn't want to stay with your mother, there's still a place for you here, you know. It's just like any other divorce.”he took a deep breath, as if saying this wasn't already enough to make my head spin, and continued, “But there's something else. If you'd like... if you wanted to, you could... you could change too. I don't want to push anything on you, and I certainly won't be offended if you reject the offer... I just wanted to lay all my cards on the table,”
I had no idea what to say to him, but I could feel my jaw drop. Speechless, I stood quickly, feeling ever so slightly queasy, and made it all the way to the door that led back to the lobby before I said another word.
“When's it happening?”I whispered, the words almost inaudible. Dad's eyes widened, as if he thought that my asking of this question indicated that I was totally in – I would go the whole way, along with my dad. That made the little voice inside my head scoff – as if. That wouldn't happen ever in all of hell froze over.
“N-next week.”he replied, his voice trembling. I nodded at him, my whole body shaking, and turned to leave.
“I guess this is goodbye, then, Dad. I'll see myself out.”
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Originally Posted by Sir Roberts
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