CALIRE'S DIARY. DO NOT READ UNDER PAIN OF VIOLENT DEATH
What I should probably tell you right now, straight up, is that I'm a vampire. Or will be, on my sixteenth birthday. Another thing that may change your opinion of this fact is that
I DON'T WANT TO BE.
Just to get that out there to mull over.
I am sitting on my bed, which has heavy black drapes that I never pull across, because they would probably disintegrate as soon as I attempted to. I live in a castle, but not the posh converted type, but the howling damp and drafty type. Most of the stuff in it probably dates back to the 17th century, when my parents first moved in. I'm the only person in the family with a bed. They all sleep in coffins. They includes my dad, who is really tall and scary looking, but like a kitten once you have him wrapped around your finger. Like I have. My Mum is gorgeous. But in a weird pale toothy goth kind of way, with long red hair that hasn't seen sunlight in 500 years. The final member of they, which I mention only because he is my family, no matter how much we hate one another, is my brother, Sebastian. Always Sebastian, never Seb. Trust me. You do not want to get on the wrong side of him.
So I am the only person with a bed. It comes decked out with all the Gothic extras, but its still, fortunately, a bed. My whole room is pretty depressing. The cobwebs come with the natural ambiance of the castle, and no matter how often you get rid of them, they come always come back.
Please do excuse me for a moment. My stupid brother has stormed in like a moody teenager with PMS. Does he exist to wreak havoc on my life?
He wanted to know where the T.V remote is. The Telly is a recent concession of my parents, who were very strict about everything human. Naturally, Seb is addicted to all the lamest programmes. I may be 15 and still watch SpongeBob SquarePants, but he has the emotional maturity of a blueberry scone with none of the sugary goodness. He likes all the hospital dramas, because they all have injured bleeding people in them. Yuck. I get dizzy watching stuff like that. I like cartoons, and scifi, and fantasy, anything with strong butt kicking feminists are great. Buffy, Dark Angel, Charmed, Alias.
So that's who I am right now.
My parents would kill me! I haven't told you my name. It's really long, and stupid, but thats vampires for you. I am Calire Elisaveta Movroven Genievae Devere Hengist. Or you know, Calli, for short.
I am all written out, and I have school in the morning.
22nd October 2007. My bedroom, Castle Filveniero, the top step of the west wing staircase,
Italy. Around Fiveish in the evening.
I'm thinking I should probably start with a little history.
I was born in this very castle 15 years, 9 months and 12 days ago. My parents are the vampire world equilevant of ambassadors, which means we travel a lot. It also means visits to a whole lot of Vampyr Clans, some of who are really scary and imposing. The good thing about living with parents who drag you around the globe a lot is that you learn loads of languages. I am proficient in 14, and fluent in 12. Italian is obviously my native tongue, but I can speak English, French, German, Check, Russian, Mandarin and Japanese, to name but a few.
I'm trying to get the obvious stuff out of the way.
Bear with me.
What else? I go tho school. This may seem normal to any human, but this is another recent concession of my parents. Vampires are not supposed to have breather friends. Breathers are for biting, not befriending. My best friend is named Alexis. Boy, not girl. I have only known him about three months, but he is the only breather to have learned my secret. I trust him absolutely.
Sebastian is the most major idiot to walk the planet. We leave for America tomorrow, and he is tearing around looking for a 'special' pair of sunglasses. He is undead. He can't even walk in the sunlight.
"STUPID TOSSER" is what I have just yelled at him own the staircase.
School was really fun, I don't think the novelty will ever wear off. Well, it was fun, apart from Lucia De Toledo teasing me because I'm so pale. Compared to all the tanned breathers of Italy, I am an albino, having slept like my family, rising at night and sleeping at dawn since three months ago.
This however, I fully intend to remedy, as we're going to Florida tomorrow! I'm secretly excited, not because of the Clans we're going to meet, but because I can finally get a tan on the beach, and maybe when we move on t California, learn to surf.! But don't ever tell my family that. They would have kittens.
24th October, Florida! Hotel Suite. Jet lagged at around 3pm. which is some godforsaken hour in the morning in real time.
Have been trying and failing to argue case with parents for being allowed out during day. I do it at home, let me enjoy the sunlight while I still can, etc. They wont budge. I am too tired to argue.
29th October, BEACH! Florida. Mid afternoon
My parents finally caved and basically let me do as I want. Its because they're having some trouble with the Ukelis clan, and they don't want me underfoot all night. Which is excellent by me! My pasty glow is fading fast, and when we get home I will be as tanned as Lucia De Toledo. I'm loving Florida, everyone is really nice, this guy just came up and asked for my number! I used my big brown eyes to my full advantage and spoke in charming broken English with my lovely lovely Italian accent. Too bad he'll never know I can speak his language better that he can. He was hot. But we leave for California in two days, so... :weeps: it can never be!!
1st November, California, forgotten the name of the place again. um... Newport, I think. 11pm.
I've hardly written at all, cause I've been having SO MUCH FUN! I have adopted the accent of a true Californian, man! It is way colder than I though it would be, but its still gorgeous. I'm sitting on the beach with my parents, who felt like they had been neglecting me. I hadn't noticed their absence, to be honest, sun, sand and a limitless credit card will make you do that, but I appreciate the effort.
I don't feel like I'm giving a good account of everything. I am crap at keeping a diary, but once we get home I'm really really going to try to describe stuff better. The sea is really beautiful, the light from the moon is hitting it and the ripples of the waves make the light dance. See, I can do it! Now my parents have settled beside me on the sand, and put their arms around me. And now mum is trying to see what I've written...
Later on...
I had to stop because my Mother was trying to read my diary not so surreptitiously. It was kind of fun, actually. We had a play fight on the beach and me and dad ganged up on mum and shoved sand in her clothes. My parents aren't often like that, you know, uninhibited. It was nice. When we were lying on the sand, panting with exertion, (well, I was, they don't really breathe,) Mum said, " Me and your dad wanted to talk to you, sweetheart. About, well, when you turn." I didn't really know what to say. It wasn't really a subject we had ever breached before. I had made myself clear in the past about my feelings on becoming a vampire. My Dad could see me tense up, because he said,
" Don't worry, darling! We know how you feel about the change... But... you know, it is going to happen, and there are things we can do... me and your mum can do... to make it easier for you."
I didn't really know what to say to that. Other than...
" What things?"
My mum's eyes sparkled. She stroked my hair.
" We're going to England on Saturday." she said softly, as though this explained everything.
"Why?" I blurted out, "I thought we were going home!"
"Change of plan, old bean," My dad said jovially.
And they got up, and left me sitting on this beach, wondering, wondering. Why could going to England make the change easier for me? And why they hadn't told me more.
2nd November, Lucy's cafe, Newport, California. 2pm.
I've been going over the conversation with my parents in my mind all morning. I still cannot figure it out. I asked Sebastian this morning before dawn, but he was not vry forthcoming with information.
The conversation went something like this:
Me: Sebastian, Do you know why were going to England on Saturday?
Sebastian: If I did, Cal, Why would I tell you?
(he give me an evil leer)
Me: Because its important!
Sebastian: (sighs) All I know is that we're going to a place called Stokely, and we're going for a while. And... (he stops abruptly)
Me: And?
Sebastain: And I think you'll really get on with Vladimir. (evil chuckles, shuts coffin lid, end of conversation)
Which only gave me more to mull over wuite frankly. Sebastian is often like that. Giving you just enough information to make you wonder, and than cutting off suddenly. The was he said "You'll really GET ON with Valdimir."
WHO IS VLADIMIR? My head is just buzzing with questions right now, with no one to answer them.
There is only one solution. I'm ringing Alexis.
The pier, Newport, California, 5pm
Alexis' theories were very very disturbing. But even more disturbing was that they kind of... made sense.
He said:
"I don't want to worry you Cal, but it sounds kind of... ominous, you know? Like, they way you described Seb's tone, "You'll really GET ON with Vladimir?" It sounds... kind of dodgy. Can you remember anyone called Vladimir?"
"No," I replied. " But, Alex, You don't think I'm being... well... over the top do you? That I'm reading into all this too much?"
"No I don't" he sighed. "Be careful, will you?"
I feel a bit lost, A bit alone. Talking to Alex made me realise how far I am from home, and Seb's words told me I may not be back there for a while.
4th November, California
Tomorrow we leave America and all of its pleasures, but instead of going home, we're going to England. I whined and cajoled with the parents, but they were adamant. It's too bad, I am really kind of homesick. I thoroughly expect to hate my time there, and this mysterious Vladimir, and I can't wait to either go back home or come back here. I'm going to miss Newport, despite my parents' complaints that I am now far to tanned for a respectable vampire. Whoever this Vladimir is, he is going to hate me on principle, cos I have a tan. Sebastian says there is Vladimir, his sister, Ingrid, and their father. But that is all he'll tell. I am pretty certain they will all get along famously and lock me in cupboard for the duration of the visit.
5th November, Yucky Yucky England, Middle of nowhere.
God knows what time it is. England is meeting all my expectations of crap-ness. It is cold cold cold, desolate and FOGGY. I am SO incredibly BORED. There is nothing to look at out of the window but white fog banks and no one to talk to because they are all tucked up in their coffins.
Still 5th November, Not so Yucky Stokely, 11:45am
We are here. I didn't think it could be possible in my mood, but I find Stokely to be a very nice place. The Castle, on the other hand, is about as depressing as it can get. My parents, naturally, love it. They settled in almost as soon as we got here. A pustule ridden servant type creature was all there was to greet us, because "The Count" was obviously asleep. What that didn't explain, was where everyone else was. Stokely is so... quaint. it's really pretty, and it also appears to be the only place in England that is not foggy. One thing I hadn't noticed until now was how freezing it is. Well, I knew it was a bit cold, but my toes have just fallen off with the ambient temperature, which must surely be below freezing. I'm wearing shorts and a t-shirt in November in England, and I'm asking why I'm cold! Duh. In California the temperature never dropped below 20 degrees centigrade. But its still nice. For somewhere I felt sure I was destined to hate after sunny California. Although... I think I could still manage to hate the castle. And I was only there about 10 minutes before scarpering.
Yucky Castle. 1:15pm
I had to come back here in the end. Stokely was all very nice and everything but there was nothing to do. Not that there is anything more to do here. I wonder if it is a specific design trait of castles to be colder on the inside than on the out. At home its colder indoors, but here that is taken to a whole new level. It's a bit like sitting in a fridge. There is a hoodie on the arm of my chair, however, and I don't care who it belongs to, anyway, possession is 9/10ths of the law. And I'm frozen solid. The jet lag is starting to kick in. That ugly smelly little man said I had a room somewhere, but I was trying not to die of asphyxiation whenever he opened his mouth, so I wasn't really paying attention. Renfield, that was his name. Ugly bugger. Anyway. First room I see is mine. Possession 9/10ths of law, and all that.
Yucky castle. About 7ish.
I woke to someone shaking me violently. I sort of dragged open my eyes to see who it was a muttered "Whaaaaat?" in whiny sort of way. "Your in my bed," said he. "Who are you?" said I.
"You're wearing my jumper" said he.
"Tired. Sleep." said I.
"Are you a breather?" said he.
"Vaaaaampire. Calli. " said I. And promptly fell asleep again.
I woke up about an hour later, and the first thing I hear is this little whiny voice whining "But you're to tanned to be a vampire!"
I didn't know where the hell I was. The bed looked a lot like my bed, all black drapes and fourpsteryness, but the bedspread and pillows were a riot of colour, All orange and yellow and red. The room had that typical vampire ambiance, the cobwebs and the candles, but it also had colourful clothes strewn everywhere. Non black attire in a vampire? I had thought I was the only person who did that. I sat up to look around, and there was this giant wolf glaring at me with its fangs bared. I screamed. And a hand came down over my mouth to stop me.
"Hello," said the owner of the hand." I tried to ask you earlier, but you were a little... " he trailed off. He took his hand from my mouth and I turned to face him. And gasped. He was gorgeous! Tall, dark and wonderful hair. I have a hair thing. I like boys hair. He held out a hand awkwardly. "I'm Vlad." I took his hand silently, gaping.
"You're not really what I was expecting." I said, peering up at him from beneath my eyelashes.
"You're... who exactly?" he said confusedly.
"Calli Hengist. We arrived this morning." I explained.
"Vampire? But you're so tanned!" he exclaimed.
"You're not doing to well on the whole vampire colour regulations either Vladimir," I quipped. " I don't think I've seen blue and yellow on the vampiric regulation colours list."
He stared at me with his mouth open. I sat up and pulled my legs into the lotus position I learned at yoga classes. I took off the hoodie I presumed belongs to him, but he said, "Keep it. It looks like you don't have a whole lot of clothes." It was like he had never seen a girl in a vest and shorts. "So where's your T.V.?" I asked.
"We don't have one. Dad got addicted to the nighttime T.V."
I pulled in lungfuls of air and screamed in despair.
"No T.V?" I wailed, "what am I going to do for however long we're stuck here? Wander round a quaint English village?! The new series of Smallville starts in two days!"
"My Dad didn't tell me a lot about you and your family, but you're not really what I expected, either." he mused.
"Well Vladimir, you are failing every evil test. I was expecting to be locked in the dungeon by Sebastian for the duration of the visit, and also expecting no protestations from you."
"Sebastian?" he asked.
"Evil brother. Wears a lot of black. You'll probably have to endure meeting him at some point." I grinned.
He grinned uncertainly back, like his smile was unaccustomed to being on his face.
"Dad should be up by now." he stated.
There was a whooshing sound and out of nowhere a man was standing behind Vlad's left shoulder. Seb does it all the time, but I still jumped.
"Ahh, Vladdy, my boy!" the vampire I presumed was Vlad's father crooned. "You've already met the youngest Hengist. Splendid. But my dear..." he whispered glaring at me, "you look so... alive."
"I was in California yesterday. The sun is kind of hard to avoid, " I muttered.
"Ahh. Yess." Vlad's father glared at me again, with raised eyebrows, and whooshed away.
"Sooooo... Valddy, my boy," I imitated his father badly. "Got a chocolate stash?"
Vlad looked at me oddly.
"What?"
"I have to keep my sweets at Robin's house. Or my Dad finds them. But... How did you know I liked chocolate? We're not exactly supposed to, are we?"
"Can I ask you something?" I said musingly. He nodded.
"Do you want to be a vampire?"
"No way! I love my Dad, but I don't want to be evil. I've got... your parents would go mad at this... I've got breather friends. And I go to school." He breathes out a shaky breath. "Go and tell you parents then, and they can report back to the Grand High Vampire."
I smile at him and shake my head.
" I have a feeling I know why my parents brought me here, Vlad." I say confidentially.
6th November, 2007. 10am, Stokely Grammar School, French.
I am at school. In England. Yuck YUCK YUCK!
The teacher just asked me to face front, and then looked shocked when I answered in French:
"Oui. Soyez suspendus sur un moment pendant que je finis d'écrire dans mon journal."
I don't think he's even met someone who can actually speak french before, because he looks like I just flew or something.
I stare at him and tell him that I was just replying in the same language.
"Que ? Vous m'avez demandé dans le français, je réponds dans la même langue."
Now everyone else is staring. GREAT! The poor baffled Mr. Garner asks,
"Sprechen Sie irgendwelche anderen Sprachen?"
"Yes of course I do," I give him a scowl, and carry on writing.
11am, STILL Stokely Grammar School, Breaktime on a bench.
I was going to describe what happened to get me IN school, but the stupid french teacher got all red and excited and kept asking annoying questions in Polish, which I'm rusty in.
It all started with, "I'M NOT GOING TO SCHOOL!" which I shrieked.
"On the contrary my dear, I think it will be enlightening." said my mother, despite the fact that she has not seen the inside of a school room for a good 6 centuries, and has no intention of doing so.
"MUUUUUUM!" I moaned.
I grabbed the packed lunch Renfield so kindly made for me, fully intending to throw it in a hedge.
"Your eyes are black, " Vlad observed cheerfully. We then set off down a tiny country lane. School had put him in a good mood. Sure I like school, AT HOME. Not while I'm on HOLIDAY! I watched his face surreptitiously from behind a sheet of hair.
"You like school. Normally I like school. But this is supposed to be a holiday." I whined.
"Sorry Calli," said Vlad, patting my shoulder pityingly.
And that's when IT happened. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but it happened, When we touched, a fizzle sort of happened. Like an electric current running between our skin.
And I felt... a pull to him. It was really creepy. We just sort of stood there his fingers resting on my arm, fizzling. And then there were voices around us, and I pulled away, sharpish, because it probably looked really weird us just standing there looking at each other. I just remember his eyes. Like deep brown pools that I could feel myself falling into. And his gorgeous hair. Cut to frame his face, almost scenekid, but not quite. I told you, I like hair, OK?
And now? I feel really odd. Like something in me wants him. Obviously I liked him in a "Oh you're hot" kind of way. But this is different. I don't know what this is.
3:20pm, Walking home form my first day of English school.
It's a bit hard to walk and write at the same time, but I'll do my best. Lunch at school was really awkward, I couldn't look at Vlad, except for little glances when he wasn't looking.
He has two lovely friends called Robin and Chloe, Chloe is gorgeous, all long blond hair and smiles. She's smart too. Well, whereas I am good at languages, she is taking a degree level class in physics. At 14. And Robin's really into vampires, which he told me was the initial reason for befriending Vlad, before he realised that Vlad makes a rubbish vampire.
He said,
"Aah, I remember the first day we met, he threw a cape at me and told me that I couldn't tell anyone because they would form an angry peasant mob and burn us at the stake, and I told him he was definitely underestimating social apathy in Stokely."
I like Robin. Its like, you think he's stupid until he says something really profound or witty and you just LIKE him for him. So the people are OK. Its just this electricity thing that's the problem.
7pm, Vlad's room, The Castle, Stokely.
It all started with an argument. In Romanian. Which I happen to suck at. It's Vlad's first language, which I never would have guessed. But then, I don't think anyone would guess I'm Italian. Anyway...
It went something like,
"Look, I don't know what's going on but we need to talk about the electricity thing." I said.
"What WAS that Calli?" Vlad just paced up and down frustratedly.
"I don't know. But, I've been feeling weird all day." I confessed.
"That's the school lunches," Vlad joked. Then his eyes went serious again.
"Give me your hand," he motioned.
I held out my hand, but pulled it away when he reached out for it.
"I'm not sure I want to go down that road." I said baldly.
"We have to try it!" Vlad yelled.
"No we don't! I yelled back. I lowered my voice. "Look. When we touched, it made me feel things."
"What things?" Vlad questioned sharply.
"Things that I don't want to feel. Things... for you." I said softly.
"Like... More? More than just... liking me?" Vlad asked.
"Like more." I confirmed miserably.
"Me too." Vlad slumped onto the bed. "Which is why we should find out what it is." he argued.
"We should ask our parents, then." I said.
Which was when Ingrid swept in dramatically and said,
"OY PEST, Dinner's ready."
"Ingrid..." Vlad wheedled, "tell us what's going on."
I thought we wouldn't get a reply, as Ingrid glared at him with a look that could kill, but then she opened her mouth and...
"Yes, Vlad. I'll tell you," came out, in a flat monotonous voice.
"What?!" I yelped, leaping off the bed to stare into her face. It was like all the lights switched off in her.
that's when it got weird.
Vlad's eyes had gone all yellow and scary.
And I reached out and shook his arm, forgetting about our contact issues. And he looked at me. And it was like everything just became clear. For the first time in my life.
Vlad smiled wolfishly at me, his mouth suddenly full of fangs, and a single drop of blood dripped from a wound his own teeth had made. I felt like I was left with one clear instinct, and it had to do with Vlad, the bed, and significantly less clothing than we were wearing. I could feel myself edging closer like we were magnetically drawn to each other. And he kissed me. That electricity thing that our skin does? Nothing compared to that kiss. It was... words cannot describe how sparkly that kiss was. Everywhere we touched the air crackled. The next thing I knew, somebody was coughing rather pointedly, and Vlad was pinning me to the bed, his hands entwined in my hair. I blinked, and the world, sort of, came back into focus. I turned bright red.
"Good." Said Ingrid. "I'll just..." and she sidled off.
Vlad clambered off me sharpish, with none of the predatory grace he had just exhibited.
"I told you!" I said irritably. "I told you we didn't know what would happen, and you just... and then I had to...!"
"This is bad." he said softly. "this is bringing out all the things about vampires that I don't want to know about."
"This is worse than that stupid dreamworld place!" I yelled furiously. "Being killed while you're awake is enough to worry about, but having to worry while you're asleep? MAD! And now this stupid... I don't know what this is!" I gestured at him wildly.