Author's note: Hey everybody! New fan fiction haha. I'm sorry this chapter is so long but you gotta start up the story! I hope you like it and I hope it doesn't sound cheesy at all, because sometimes vampire stories are hard to write convincingly.
My name is Kirra. I'm seventeen years old and my life is a living hell.
I have no idea who my biological parents are but what I do know is that they were vampires. Most people think I'm lying but I'm not. To prove it, I'm one of them too.
I've been with four foster families in my life and the first three found out my terrible secret. The family I'm with now doesn't, only because I've learned to control myself. Plus, the invention of synthetic blood helps significantly. It's my first glimmer of hope of living a normal life.
The synthetic blood is easy to get your hands on, now that vampires are becoming more of a common occurrence. Vampires have realized that they can turn others into one of them by biting them but they can also mate, such as in my case.
My second glimmer of hope is my current foster family, the Olds family. I've never exactly felt love for others before but I'm almost certain that what I feel for them is love. Mrs. Olds is the only mother out of all my foster homes that I actually call Mom, same for Mr. Olds.
The Olds boys, Solomon, Jacob, and Josh, are my best friends. I could probably trust them with my life.
This supportive, fun-loving family is just what I need.
But now Jacob is going and ruining my chances as living a normal teenage life with a normal family.
Why does he have to go to war? And in two days! He just got back from Basic Training and now he's being shipped off again.
We're having a farewell dinner for him, consisting of his favorite southern foods: fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans cooked with bacon, a few other small side dishes, and peanut butter pie for dessert.
"Gosh, I'm gonna miss your cooking, Mom," Jacob says in his southern drawl. It's no wonder I haven't started speaking with a drawl too. "I'm gonna miss this house and I'm gonna miss being here in Georgia."
As he speaks he glances around the dining room's pale yellow walls, vaulted ceiling, large bay window, antique china cabinet, and twinkling chandelier. I can almost see the memories of this house playing in his mind.
"Well, we're gonna miss you," Mom says matter-o-factly.
"You know what I'm gonna miss?" Solomon, the eldest brother, asks. He licks the last bit of pie off his fork before speaking. "I'm gonna miss comin' home from college and seein' you and how you randomly sing when you talk and how you help Josh and I with our hair because we're so clueless." He chuckles, and fingers the choppy, black hair that Crouton had cut for him. "Oh, and I'm gonna miss our band."
"Family Force 5," Jacob sighs.
"Yep," Solomon says and claps him on the back. "I love you, bro. You're gonna make this country proud, and before you even turn twenty!"
"Thanks, Soul Glow Activatur," he says, using Solomon's nickname. "I'm gonna do my best."
"You're welcome, Crouton. I bet you will. Fatty?" He looks straight across the table at Josh. "What will you miss about Jacob?"
Josh scratches at the stubble on his chin in thought. "I'm gonna miss sharing a room with my twin brother."
Jacob smirks, surprised. He usually doesn't look too much like Josh's twin but when he makes that face, they look exactly the same. "Really? I thought you'd be happy with the room to yourself."
"Maybe on the first night, but then it would get lonely. I guess I'm just used to your snoring."
Jacob rolls his eyes. "Oh, shut up." He crumples up his napkin and throws it across the table at his twin. It hits Josh in the face and then lands on his shoulder, partially hidden beneath his long, brown hair.
Josh jumps up and reaches across the table, making like he's going to smack Jacob on the face. He doesn't, and everyone knows he wouldn't, but Jacob flinches all the same.
"Boys," Dad chides playfully. "I'll tell you what; I might just miss you guys horsing around all the time. I can't believe you're leaving."
"I'm gonna miss my baby," Mom croaks, holding back tears. She leans over and pats his shoulder feebly.
I swallow a lump of peanut butter filling and whipped cream then clear my throat. My family looks at me expectantly. I feel the need to show Jacob how much I'll miss him, no matter how ignorant I am to expressing love. I decide to just speak from the heart.
"I'm going to miss you practicing your drums at ungodly hours and your singing. I'll miss you and Josh teaming up on me. I'll miss you teaching me how to play videogames. I'll miss seeing you at school and working on homework with you and sitting across from you at dinner and…and…" I had kept my eyes down, looking at the lacy tablecloth the whole time. My throat feels thick. I finally look up into Jacob's eyes as I finish. "Out of all the families I've been with, this one feels sincere and real and it kills me to lose a member of that."
Tears bubble at the corners of Jacob's eyes. I hear the rest of the family sniffling. Their reactions make my own tears break loose, coming down my cheeks in torrents.
"You're not loosing me, Kirra. I'll be back soon," Jacob chokes out.
"I-I know," I whimper, "but…" I'm not able to get the words out. I push my plate away and rest my head on the table, sobbing. After an awkward silence, I hear plates and silverware clinking and chairs scooting. They want to give me a moment alone and I'm thankful.
As they pass, they each pat my shoulder sympathetically. The room steadily grows quiet. The sound is now in the kitchen just down the hall. It's quiet and I know I'm alone now.
Until someone strokes my hair.
I peek out through the curtain my black hair has formed around my face. Jacob is sitting next to me now. The sad look on his face makes me cry all over again. He pulls me into a tight embrace. I lay my head on his chest and stain his shirt with salty tears.
"Be careful, okay?" I tell him once my fit has died down. "I don't know what I would do if something happened to you."
"I will; I promise," he murmurs into my hair.
"Good," I sniff.
I feel him swallow. "Kirra?"
"Hmm?"
"I love you."
I hesitate. "I…I love you too." The words sound foreign. I've never said them to anyone, not any of my foster families, not even to Nick, my best friend. I feel a pang of sadness for that boy back in Massachusetts; I miss him. I push the thought away; this isn't the time.
Jacob takes my chin in between his thumb and index finger, tilts it to look up at him. Next thing I know he's kissing me. At first, I think it's just going to be a friendly, sibling-to-sibling peck on the lips but his mouth lingers. Even with my lack of experience I can tell the kiss isn't demanding, only curious.
I'm frozen and so lost. What am I supposed to do? My hands fall into my lap hopelessly.
I mean, Jacob is my foster brother. Do I love him in anyway besides a sibling? I'm not sure. Does he feel that way for me? I guess so because, even though I'm not exactly human, I'm pretty sure that a human wouldn't kiss a sibling like this, blood relation or no blood relation.
I pull away and bite my lip. "Um, I've got to go." I dash up the stairs and hide in my room, not wanting to see him.
I gasp for breath. What just happened?
*****
I don't come out of my room all evening. I feel like such a coward. Mom almost comes in to check on me. I hear her shuffling across the carpet in her house shoes.
"I wouldn't," I hear Solomon say quietly. I picture him resting a hand on her shoulder. "She probably just needs some time alone. It's been a long day."
They have no idea.
I lay on my bed, on my back, staring unseeingly at the plain white ceiling. I'm fighting internally with myself.
I can't love Jacob like that. Wouldn't it be illegal or something? Maybe but I have no idea. Plus, I wouldn't even be able to have a normal, human relationship with him. Family relationships were easy. With those it's easier to keep your distance and your secrets and there is rarely a lot of close physical contact. In boyfriend/girlfriend relationships there was all the talking and the kissing and the hugging and the…
No! I push the thought away. I'm not going to think about that.
Maybe I should go talk to him, before this drives me insane. I make my way to the door and pause with my hand on the doorknob. Maybe this isn't the best idea.
I lay my forehead on the smooth wood of the door. If I don't address this, it'll kill me for however long Jacob will be gone. And what if he doesn't come back?
My mind's made up. I gather up my courage in one deep breath, venturing out in the hallway. It's late but I can hear Josh, Solomon, and Dad yelling at the T.V., probably football. Mom's voice is weaved into their voices but she isn't addressing them. I suspect she's on the phone.
I tiptoe across the plush carpet, past the bathroom, past Solomon's room, to Josh and Jacob's room. The door is ajar. I peek inside and see him lying on his stomach on the pillow before him. His side of the room is so barren; a lot of his belongings are packed into boxes that are shoved against the wall.
He jumps when I enter the room. He flips around so he's sitting up, back pressed against the wall, and tosses the book onto Josh's bed.
"Oh, it's you," he says, face flushing slightly.
"Yeah…" I linger in the threshold.
"So, what's up?" he asks but I know that he's aware of what I'm about to say.
"I wanted to talk about, um, earlier."
"Oh, that." He rakes a hand through his glossy, black hair. His eyes seem anywhere but me. "You must think I'm such a freak."
I sit down next to him on the fluffy mattress. "I do not; I just want to know why."
"I-I feel something when I'm with you. I just…couldn't control myself. It's hard to explain."
I nod. "Hmmm," I say plainly, deciding to think that through later.
"So, did you, you know, feel anything?"
"I don't know. I was too surprised to think."
"I'm more than sorry. That won't happen again. I can control myself."
I chuckle, not necessarily finding it funny but wanting him to feel better. "It's alright."
We hug for a moment. I rest my head on his shoulder. I can feel his heart thudding.
My own heart speeds up.
My throat feels dry, like I'm thirsty.
I know what's coming.
"I have to go. Goodnight," I say hurriedly. I keep my mouth partly closed to hide the dagger-like teeth that had retracted in my mouth.
"…Okay. Night," he says.
And I run away from him for the second time that night.
Reviews=love! And get ready for the next chapter, it's gonna be intense!
