A/N: You have now gotten to know Melena (somewhat) and now it's Mariah's turn. Please read, review, and most of all enjoy.
Songs for this chapter: Falling slowly by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, Chasing Pavements by Adele
Cupid's Practical Joke
(Mariah's POV)
A ball of warmth forms in my chest every time I see his face in my mind. I don't know how but thinking of him, of those eyes...I know I love him, that it isn't just a "crush" I truly love Bill Compton. I find it amazing that of all the men I could have fallen in love with it had to be Bill, a vampire my Mom couldn't stand. The same vampire that had broken Aunt Sookie's heart. Even knowing all this I still fell in love with him. I think Cupid just felt like playing a cruel joke on me.
Whatever the cause it doesn't change the effect. All I think about is Bill; fantasizing about him declaring his love for me, asking me to marry him, us together on our wedding night...
I stopped writing to wipe a redish tear from my eye, then kept going.
All of it is a dream though. I can never be with Bill. Not only am I too afraid to disappoint Mom, Bill is much older than me technically and physically. I'm really only four years old! Even if Bill could look over that fact he probably couldn't get past me being only 16 physically.
Lets face facts, even if Bill could look past all that and fall in love with me, I'm too much of a coward to be with him. How could I tell Mom I was seeing a man she hated? How could I explain to Aunt Sookie that I was dating her ex? The only person who I believe wouldn't mind would be Jessica.
Jessica's like a big sister to Melena and me, helping out Mom with the vampire stuff when we were younger. Jessica had been like us when she was just starting out as a vampire; bloodthirsty, confused, and out of control. Jessica says it's still a constant struggle trying to not let herself go, and that is absolutely true.
Sometimes I'll look at a person and all I can see is the trobbing veins in their neck, the thought of their blood in my mouth...
I stopped writing and sighed, frustrated. I was writing about my feelings for Bill, so how did I end up talking about veins? I hated when that happened. I would be writing something and then all of a sudden go into a tangent about blood and arteries. My sister and I didn't really need blood. Being half vampire we could go without it. We would only lose our glamour power and our special abilities. Melena's was flight mine was shifting.
I could take the form of a bat (please don't laugh). When I first shifted I did it completely by accident. Melena was flauting her flying at me, so I started wishing I could fly too. I imagined myself soaring through the air and before I knew it I was, as a bat. I felt so happy (even though Melena nearly died laughing) because I had a special talent that distinguished me.
I went to Sam and Tommy, the only shifters I knew, and they taught me how to control the shift. Through these lessons I became close friends with Sam and Tommy, the two being like my brothers. Melena didn't really like Sam because she could tell he still had feelings for Mom and Tommy was too "lowbrow" for her taste.
I liked the shifter brothers, especially Tommy. I could tell he liked me; I would catch him looking at me when he thought I wouldn't notice, he would make up excuses to come over to the house to see me, and he got jealous whenever he saw me talking to some guy.
I wished I could have fallen in love with Tommy; he tried to act tough but he was really a sweet boy and Mom adored him. Instead Cupid (or whoever is in charge of love) made me fall for Bill Compton.
I remembered the first time I laid eyes on him. I was twelve (technically three) when Mom invited Bill to our house. On any given day Mom would never let Bill step even his baby toe into our house, but she was sick with worry about me and my sister's rapid ageing and needed to consult a vampire who had been around awhile. It was either talk to Bill or go to Eric so Mom went with Bill.
When Bill stepped through the door my heart literally skipped a beat. It wasn't like I hadn't been around older men; Sam always visited (much to Melena's chargin) and Uncle Jason never stayed away for long. Curious about Bill's affect on me I stayed when I normally would have hid, what I always did when company I didn't know came over.
When I finally met eye to eye with Bill something amazing happened. I was falling into twin pools of blue. I didn't know if I was afraid or brave, real or fake, alive or dead. All I truly knew was that I was happy. As happy as I felt the moment I came from my mother's womb and saw her face for the first time, and then saw my sister who I had thought I lost (when the doctors delivered her I thought someone was stealing her).
For a long moment I didn't move and neither did Bill. We kept staring at each other, in a world where only we existed. It wasn't until Mom slapped him in the face (she thought he was glamouring me) that the great connection between us was broken.
I tried to brush it off but that moment nagged at me until I found myself thinking about Bill non-stop. When I dreamed it was about him, the only time I dreamed of someone else was the night before when I dreamed of Eric. I had no clue as to why though.
I closed my eyes and laid my head down on my pillow. I had to tell Bill my feelings, even if he didn't feel the same way I wanted him to know. Even if I told all of Bon Temps I loved Bill it wouldn't matter because I didn't tell him.
A plan started forming in my mind. What if I shifted and flew over to Bill's mansion? It was impossible to walk even twenty yards close to the place before his guards converged on you (I know because I tried sneaking to his house once). They really wouldn't notice a bat flying near the manor. I would go through an open window, shift back, and tell Bill my feelings. I would do it!
When Melena came into the bedroom I told her my plan. Her reaction was unexpected.
"You are not going to Bill's place." Melena commanded me.
"Yes I am." I tried to sound strong but my voice faltered.
"No you're not," Melena reached under our bunk-bed and pulled out her favorite chess set that had glass pieces. "You're going to stay here and play chess with me and try to forget about Bill."
I groaned. Melena was only the "don't-do-anything-stupid" sister when it concerned me.
"Mel," I said miserably, "I love Bill and I have to tell him. He'll probably reject me but that will be for the best. I don't have the spine to actually be with him anyway."
"So you want to sneak off in the middle of the night to profess your love just to get your heart broken, or if he does love you too, to tell him you can't date? Ri-Ri that's dumb."
"Please Mel," I pleaded, "I really have to do this."
"No," Melena said coldly, "I'm not letting you go make a fool of yourself for some guy. You are gonna play a game of chess with me, go to bed, and forget about Eric."
"Eric?" I asked confused, "don't you mean Bill?"
Embarrassment and panic muddled Melena's features.
"B-Bill? Right, we were talking about Bill. Not E-Eric." Melena stammered.
I stared at Melena oddly then I remembered that random dream I had about Eric. Thinking it was impossble I asked,
"Did you dream about Eric last night?"
Melena pretened not hear me and continued setting the pieces on the board.
"You want the clear pieces or the opaque pieces?" She asked innocently.
"Mel did you dream about Eric Northman?" I wouldn't stop asking until she gave me an answer.
"So what if I did?" Melena shot back her eyes on the chess board. "How did you know anyway?"
"We shared the same dream, again." Often when one of us had a dream the other would dream it too. It was like a having a mental link.
"I was so confused," I told Melena, "for a whole year dreaming only about Bill then out the blue having a sex dream about Eric."
"Sorry." Melena mumbled.
"I'm not mad at you, I mean how many times have you dreamed about Bill because of me?" I laughed.
Melena smiled, her face brightening.
"So which pieces do you want?" She asked again.
"Clear pieces." I answered.
Ten moves later I had Melena in checkmate. I could tell during the whole game she was distracted and I think I knew by who.
"So will you help me?" I asked.
"Hell, why not? I mean how many times have you covered for me?"
"Thanks!" I exclaimed and hugged Melena tightly, "you're the greatest sister ever.
"Of course." Melena laughed.
Melena got out of my bear hug and stared at me with a business like expression.
"What's the plan?" She inquired.
"It's simple; you pretend to be me, I'll shift, fly to Bill's manor, and pour my heart out."
Melena's eyebrow twitched.
"So if I pretend to be you, then Mom will think the twin missing will be me?"
"While I'm pretending to be you I'll tell Mom I'm going out." I reassured her.
"Umm, did you forget that I'm grounded for three months because of that Fangtasia incident?" Melena asked slowly.
"Damn it I forgot!" I slapped my forehead.
What now? I asked myself. Melena watched as my face wrinkled in frustration and defeat.
"Pretend to be me," Melena said softly, "I'll take the heat from Mom."
Surprised I looked at Melena to make sure she meant it. The look in her eyes didn't make me doubt her choice for a second.
"Thank you." I said tears in my eyes.
Melena leaned over and wiped a redish tear away with her thumb.
"Come on," Melena stepped out the bed and stretched her arms above her head, "there's no time like the present right?"
I was gliding through the cold night air, feeling an adrenaline rush down to my bone marrow. The only other time I tried to go to Bill's mansion was when I went to the library one saturday. I had lost track of time and tried to hurry home. It didn't occure to me until I was half way home that Bill would be awake at that time. On impulse I ran over to his place only to have a bunch of guns on me when I got within reach.
Good thing Aunt Sookie had been walking near by. She came over, said I had been looking for her house but took a wrong turn, and pulled me away from the gun weilding guards. Sookie used that same lie when Mom called her looking for me (leaving out the detail about Bill).
This was the first time I ever purposely went somewhere Mom didn't want me to be. It felt exhilarating, I figured that was how Melena felt everytime she snuck somewhere in the middle of the night. I never could understand the appeal of it, but after that night I did. The feeling of blatantly disobeying rules was addictive.
Soon the manor came within view. I dipped low and soared with more enthusiasm. I'm gonna see Bill! I cried happily in my head, flapping my wings madly, After a whole year I'll finally see B-
My thoughts were interrupted when my head collided with a window. I fell to the ground dizzy and on impact my shift was undone. I stood up, naked and bruised, right before the steps of Bill's home. Before I could think of what to do next five guards approached me and fixed their rifles on me, all five red dots right on my heart. I knew the bullets had to be wooden, or at least silver. I knew silver wasn't a problem, it never had an affect on me or Melena, but I didn't know if wood was safe or not and I began to panic.
"Announce yourself!" One guard ordered.
"I-I'm Ma-Mariah Mott." I stuttered hands in the air, too afraid to be embarrassed that my goodies (as Melena called them) were in clear view. Why I didn't bring extra clothes I'll never know.
"What business do you have with the King?" The same guard asked harshly.
"Umm, it's private." I mumbled, my face feeling hot.
One of the guards earpiece crackled. He press his first two fingers into it and listened. After a second the guard nodded to himself and put his rifle down.
"The King said let her through." The guard told the others.
All at once the rifles went down and I was able to breath. I thanked the guards and let myself in the mansion. It was lavish, more than I had dreamed. I felt out of place being in such an extravagant environment. I looked around, so amazed I didn't notice when someone walked into the room.
"Mariah," Bill greeted, "or Melena?"
I looked at Bill, my lungs empty and heart racing. He looked just the same as I saw him last; pale, blue eyes gleaming, dark hair neatly combed. Bill was wearing a black suite with white stripes and a red tie. He looked perfect.
"It's Mariah." I said smiling, the smile fell when I remembered that I was nude. In panic I covered my front with one arm and below my waist with the other. I had to be red as a tomato.
"Here." Bill took off his black and white suite jacket and handed it to me.
I didn't move, feeling touched that Bill made such an offer. When I didn't move Bill walked up to me and wrapped the jacket over my shoulders. He was so close that his sent intensified, the smell of him feeling my skull. He smelled like the grass after it rained.
With the jacket in place Bill stepped back and smiled at me.
"So what did you want to see me about?"
"Oh, umm." I didn't know how to start.
"You don't need to be afraid to tell me anything," Bill assured me, "I've known you practically your whole life."
"Right." I whispered.
I breathed in and out trying to gain courage. I gripped the jacket tighter around myself.
"Bill do you remember that time when you visited our house?" I asked.
"Yes." Bill answered carefully.
"From that moment when I saw you...I felt such a feeling of ..." I trailed off. There weren't enough words in any language to explain my feelings for Bill.
"Say it." Bill gently pushed.
I closed my eyes, breathed in, and then exhaled.
"I love you Bill. I've been in love with you for a whole year. I haven't been able to stop thinking about you, Bill. There is never a moment when you are far from my thoughts." I spoke slowly, making every word distinct, "I have never felt this way about anyone, I know you think I'm too young to know what love is but I know Bill. I know I love you just by the way I fill when I write your name in my journal."
I felt several pounds lighter.
"How do you feel about me?" I asked.
Bill licked his lips and spoke in a soft voice.
"Mariah you're a kind, intelligent, beatiful younge woman," Bill paused and ended coldly, "I can never love you."
Empty, hollow, those words are the closest to describe how I felt at that moment. I expected tears to come but they didn't, I guess I was feeling to crushed to even cry.
"I see," I croaked, "well I'm glad we cleared that up."
I took Bill's jacket off (not caring if I was nude), gave it back to him, and walked to the closest window. I opened it and concentrated. In no time I was a bat going out the window with only the purpose of flying far away from Bill Compton.
To Be Continued...