Chapter 1: If I Stay

It was late and I had been driving nonstop from Manheim, PA all the way to I have no clue because southern highways lack proper lighting. I knew I was driving longer than 20 hours. I know, I know, this stupid girl is going to fall asleep at the wheel and this story will be told from a crazy comatose dream. WRONG! I was actually looking for someplace to park for the night but as I said: Highway. At night. In the dark. Not exactly anything around and the law wouldn't like it if I park here to sleep. My truck would become a traffic hazard one way or another. I decided to chance it driving. I mean, it's not a good idea anyway you look at it but at least there aren't any other cars out right now. I keep glancing left and right to find a turnoff and that's when I catch sight of something that I never thought I could be happy to see! NO! It's NOT a vampire! I'm not gonna jump the gun on the details and give you the "important" info clear off the bat! My version of important is the FULL truth and nothing short. This is my story so sit back, relax, and don't have a cow because I already passed no less than 33 barns that were full of them. And "it". Definitely "it". Behind a detour sign sat, what I assumed was a traffic cop so I pulled over and rolled down the window. "Excuse me, Officer? Can you tell me how to get to the closest town?" I asked as soon as he saw me and walked over. "What in name o' Sam's heck ya want in Shreveport? Ain't nuttin' over dere 'cept that damn fanger bar." he replied. "I just need somewhere to park for the night. I don't go looking for trouble because enough just finds me anyway. Is there anywhere closeby?" I didn't quite care for vampires but I definitely didn't care for his instant prejudice. They weren't all bad and quite frankly I've dealt with more human monsters than I ever had with vampires. Anywho, I'd heard him mutter something about damn tourists while I waited patiently but I was ready to snap.

Most people know not to pester the sleep deprived and he was really pushing it. He sighed and said, "Well, Bon Temp only gots itself one vampire and he seem tamer than most. It's a lil' ways off but worth it for safety and I ain't sayin' jus' cuz I happen to be one o' the best detectives the town has." I weighed my options and decided Bon Temp didn't sound too terrible so: "Alright. How do get there?" He smiled a little and started going off on a tangent off directions I couldn't grasp. He listed highway numbers and if I pass the old schoolhouse I'd gone too far and all the things that weren't helping when a yellow 1981 honda civic pulled up and a blonde haired girl who looked a little bit too much like me rolled down her window and said in sweet accented voice, "What's goin' on, Andy? Ya got some sorta car trouble?" I rolled down my other window and explained. "No. I just don't know the area all that well and I was asking for directions to the closest town. Detective here was just giving me directions to Bon Temp." "Well that's not the closest. The closest would be Shreveport and then maybe Bon Temp if ya wanna skip a few trashy trailer homes in between. Any particular reason you wanna go to Bon Temp?" "Well, I admit to not really wanting to chance trouble by being so close to Fangtasia and not because I'm prejudiced of vampires because I have dealt with humans who are much worse. Scarier and uglier. Heh. I just don't quite feel like crossing paths because I can be a little….well...we'll just say I'm snippy when I'm sleepy and I don't think they'll like my...snippiness all that much." She stopped and really looked at me. I thought she was starting to notice how much we look alike but just when I thought that that's when she really seemed to notice. She did a double take and got out of her car to walk over to mine. I got out of the truck and walked slowly towards her in pretty much the same fashion. We were identical. "Sophee? Is that...is it really you?" she asked. "...How do you know my name?" She grabbed me suddenly in a near bone shattering hug and sobbing so hard she was shaking. I rested my right arm across her shoulders but I was pretty weirded out by all this.

I knew I was adopted and the family that took me in "graciously" reminded me of that fact every day until I turned 18, got in my car, and left but I was told from the foster home I had no family that claimed me so I assumed they were dead or didn't care. I used to dream about this shit but I threw the idea out the window after seeing the system for kids in my kind of case. This wasn't happening. "I'm so sorry! We looked for months b-b-but we were told n-n-not ta 'spect much afta so long! We missed ya ev'ry day since! Mama an' Daddy died in the flood an' we jus' assumed that's what happened to ya!" she blubbered on a while longer and took out her phone to call someone by the name of Jason and more blubbering. This wasn't happening. When she hung up, she turned to me to explain. "That was Jason. He said he'll come with Bill to drive your truck home He is so happy to get a chance to see you again but I gotta ask, where were you? Oh! That can wait until we have a chance to celebrate you coming home an' all! O' course, I'm gonna have to ask ya not to say nuttin' to nobody. Not until I get a proper chance to pull a leg or two, at least! Andy? Promise me ya won't go tellin' nobody?" "I 'spose there's no real harm. Just don't try to pull nuttin' on me cuz it won't work an' no one makes a fool of me an' gets away with it. When you're feelin' up to it Soph, I'd 'preciate it if you'd come down to the station and answer a few questions so we can legally close the case." the detective replied. This was not really happening. "Wouldn't dream I could pull anything on Bon Temp's finest." she replied in an all too obviously innocent voice. "Sure. I don't mind but I think you might have the wrong Sophee." I told the detective.

The Other Me and the detective looked thunderstruck and then, Other Me being the first, both started to laugh. "The wrong Sophee! Have you really looked at her?! It's like I'm seeing double! Shoot….Now that is funny!" guffawed the detective. "Are Ya alright? No offense but you look kinda sick." Other Me said "I'm just exhausted. I've been on the road longer than I expected" "Where're ya headed?" Other Me asked. "As far as I can go. I was only driving until I ran out of gas. My money's gotten rather tight and technically I need food to live. I kinda was planning on settling wherever I stopped. At the very least, I would have settled long enough to get what I need to keep moving on." I answered honestly but I immediately regretted it. Other Me was already to start crying again. "But that's so sad. What about family? And friends? Ya can't jus' live outta your truck forever." "It's not sad. I get to see all sorts of cool things one never really sees unless you step out of their own world. There's so much you probably have never seen right here in your own town that a traveling girl like me could find with a mere walk through the town. As far as family, I never really had one to speak of and friends...well...I don't really have any and I'm not really good at it." I reply. "Ya can't jus' keep on movin' like that. Hell, I can sleep in this here car once...maybe twice before I miss a real bed. 'Sides, ya ain't got no room ta sleep in a pick up like this." the detective reprimanded. "I have an air mattress and a tent and a lot of cushions for me to sleep in the bed of the truck. Not to menti-" I began only to be cut off by a new face that appeared out of nowhere. "What happens if you were to run into a vampire? No tent can hold against a vampire. You may as well walk around with a sign that reads 'bite me' on your back at all times!"

"Bill, where's Jason? Did he refuse to come pick you up because I'll kill him if he did?" Other Me addressed the fresh vampire face and his response was, "Hello Sookie. And no. We have a bet going and I'll need you to call him whilst I have a word with your common sense challenged sister." Bill answered. "Please do. Anything at all if you think it'll help." Sookie acknowledged as she started dialing Jason. "You have my word." He then turned to me. "My name is Bill. Sophee, is it? Let's talk in private." he lightly took my arm and escorted me to the other side of the road as I threw Sookie a mock look of disgust. She pointed to where Bill was headed as if she were sentencing a child to sit in the corner while she talks with daddy on the phone. I knew he only held me lightly because he knew he could pick me up and throw me if he wanted. What he didn't know was that I could get right back up and kick his ass. He looked me in the eye and said, "You will not engage in dangerous behavior as long as you hold contact with Sookie. You will stay a while and behave as a sister generally would and be happy to have found your family as well as grateful to know they want you in their home. Do I make myself clear?" Bill demanded and I kept my face as blank as possible as I responded. "Crystal. Do you glamour everyone who involves themselves in Sookie's life or am I special?" He looked affronted for a second before he switched to a look that showed he was trying to gauge whether or not I was faking and when he was satisfied, "No. Not everyone." and with that he started to look away but I forcefully grabbed him and slugged him in the face.

"Sophee! What the fuck?!" a new face, this one human, exclaimed. "Try to glamour me ever again and I will burn you alive! Go ahead and try!" I shouted. I was furious! My fists were balled so tight that they dug into my skin. I sent him back a few feet and all eyes were on me and him. He got up and closed the distance slowly. Carefully approaching me, he apologised. "I am sorry. Truely. I want to make a better impression than this. Will you let me?" "I'm in a foul enough mood to throw you in a wood chipper lined with silver but you feel free to try again some time after… oh...well...whenever you get up should be good but don't make it the first thing you do when you catch sight of me. Silently gauge the mood from a distance that would make it impossible for me to catch sight of you. For now, think about the pain in your face and contemplate this, if I was found by an unfriendly vampire in the middle of the night while I sleep in my truck, who's the one that's really going to be in danger?" I retort. I gave him a lot considering the load of shit he gave me. He seemed to want to genuinely try again but I think that it was more for Sookie than me."Bill! You tried to glamour her?!" Sookie demanded. "It's alright Sookie. I already slugged him. Just kiss him and make it better." I joked and walked over to Jason and said, "Is this your truck? Because if so I'm going to take the passenger seat and sack out until we get wherever we're headed."

"Sure thing. It's good to see you. I mean, you two look alike but I remember when it was just the three of us and stuff. Aw, hell. I said I wasn't gonna cry...come here you." he pulled me into a hug and I could feel something I hadn't felt for a long time. I'll admit it. I cried. And I was scared. But more than anything, I felt a thirst to know what happened all those years ago. The only thing was that if this was true. If this was my family. If I leave, will they still love me? If I leave, will I want to come back? If I leave, will I miss them? Out of all the "if's" the one that scared me the most was the one I had never thought would cross my mind. If I stay… Jason gave Bill a hard look, walked over, and slapped Bill's hand! I was a bit skeptical of what I just saw until I caught sight of the bet money. "You ever try a stunt like that again, I'll Helsing your hide in a grave you won't walk away from." and he got in the truck and waited. When I got in he asked something I wasn't ready for. "How the Hell is your hand not shattered and he's the one bleeding. "Can we leave it at I'm made of tougher stuff?" I asked hopefully. "Yeah. You know what? I don't want to know. Put on your seatbelt."