Hey! Here's our update. I'm excited, I really love this chapter! I hope you do too, as always.
Oh, and MERRY CHRISTMAS! Hope this is a good present. :)
--
Reviews: Thanks to everyone, I don't have the time to actually reply individually this time. I've got to help make dinner.
--
Chapter Four: Lollipop
--
The night was winding down, that time of night when everything seemed more or less… still. It wasn't morning, 'it's always darkest before the dawn' as they say. It was completely quiet, unmoving silence that goes unnoticed unless you yourself are immobile.
But downstairs, Jessica and Hoyt were just getting back, and they brought company.
I stayed quiet, focusing on the sound of the wind outside rather than their conversation, not that this lasted very long anyway.
Jason Stackhouse stood in front of the stairs, I couldn't see this, but I knew it to be true since every time he was in the house, he felt uncomfortable moving from this area, even when prompted by Hoyt. I'm not sure why, it wasn't like Jessica or I were planning to do anything inhumane. This state of discomfort may have been due to the break-up; Jason and I haven't spoken since then. Not as if there was much to talk about. Conversation with Sookie's brother never really moved forward in any intellectual or distinguishable sense. This was only further enforced when Hoyt laughed loud enough to break my concentration, gasping out a, "That is not funny." Wholly untrue, he was laughing.
"It's not," Jessica said, more darkly, "There's no way she would ever go for that."
"Whatever," Jason muttered, "Next time she comes down you should take her by the bar. Maybe we'll actually have a few drinks."
"I don't see that happening," Jessica laughed.
I heard some shuffling, probably Hoyt moving to set a hand on his friend's shoulder, "It is time to give up. Not every female you run into is going to…" I smiled a bit, picturing him looking at Jessica, unsure of what to say.
"Fuck," Jessica said, "Is the word he's looking for."
Jason laughed, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. But man, if I had someone like that teaching at my high school… I would be actin'."
"Yeah, like you could act," Hoyt said, "Jason Stackhouse, shouting out Shakespeare. That's a sight I'd wanna see."
"Shut up."
"It doesn't matter," Jessica said, "She's still not into you."
I heard some shuffling, and then Jason finally said, "Don't change a thing. She's… gorgeous, classy—"
Jessica scoffed, "Exactly, you're out of her range of vision, she's married to a lawyer. A real stand-up guy, someone who actually is classy. It's not like you're going to drag her away from that because you work out."
"You-"
"You should probably go," Hoyt got out, before Jason could say anything.
I started down towards the kitchen, the back of my throat was tingling with thirst. Jessica smiled at me a bit, and Jason was suddenly agreeing with Hoyt—now was a good time to go.
"I'll see ya tomorrow, Hoyt," Jason said, and then looked back over at Jessica, "You're telling me the next time she comes into town."
"Don't think so," she called.
"I think so," I walked out of the room to see Jason poke his head back in the door to say this, and Jason looked over at me and nodded once, "Bill."
"Jason," I said, leaning against the wall, bottle of synthetic blood warm next to my leg. His head disappeared and Hoyt shut the door. Jessica turned to face me instantly.
"When are you leaving?"
I shrugged, "Later."
She smiled a bit, "Now that Jason's finally gone, you're safe to leave," she laughed at her own little joke, and Hoyt smiled from his place at the door.
"You know he's just joking," Hoyt said, "He's not dumb enough to think he has an actual chance."
I could feel the side of my mouth twist upward into a smirk, and I looked down. Jessica turned to look at me, "Did you call her?"
"No, I'm just going to drive around until I smell her," I said sarcastically, taking a drink.
She smiled, "You need a hobby, you know that? If you spend all of your time wallowing in your own self-pity the only thing you're doing is being annoying." She rolled her eyes, realizing that if she actually expected me to pick her friend up on my way to the bar, she needed to be on my good side. Even if it was her birthday.
"What do you suggest?" I asked, pulling an eyebrow up and taking another drink, my phone suddenly vibrating in my pocket, "Hold on—Hello?" I turned around to gain some sense of privacy.
"Bill?"
"Abby?" Jessica walked over, trying to stretch around to look at my face, as if by doing so she would be somehow included in this conversation.
"Um, hi," she said, sounding breathy, and a bit nervous—but she usually sounded nervous when she talked to me, like she was trying to speak in a different language, unsure if she meant whatever it was she was saying. "I hate to possibly drive you out of your way, but I can't make it home. I'm at this party—and I do want to leave, don't get me wrong, but can you pick me up elsewhere?"
"Sure," I said, down the bottle quickly and chucking it into the recycling bin, walking over to grab my jacket, "Where are you?"
"Have you heard of the Huntingtons? On 25th?"
"Yeah," I said, stopping in front of the door, "You mean the—"
"Mansion? Yeah. The gigantic house on 25th. I'm there."
I smiled a little, "Why are you there?"
"Husband's party. He brought in this account, he works for Mr. Huntington."
"Your husband's fine with you coming?" I asked, putting my hand on the door and nodding to Jessica before walking outside. She jumped from the door and followed after me, yelling stuff about me needing to hurry up mixed with disgruntled mutterings I couldn't hear.
She didn't answer for a moment, but said hello to some woman who had suddenly started talking to her and then addressed me, "He's almost all too happy to see me go," she sighed, "I didn't mean that. I'm just… not very good at this whole party thing." Her voice had a bitter edge; she sounded almost sad.
"Well, Jessica will be happy." I opened my car, sliding in and leaning forward, "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," she said, "I just… I have to go. Call me when you get here."
"Of course," I said, "I'll see you soon."
"Bye, Bill." She hung up.
I fell back against the seat, waving sarcastically to an open-mouthed Jessica, who was currently running towards the car, "What'd she say?!"
She stopped in front of the window, waiting impatiently for me to tap the button and roll it down so she could lean in. I sighed a bit, "She told me where to get her. What were you expecting?"
"I don't know. Maybe she wanted to ditch her lame family and come live with us." She grinned, laughing to herself, "I—I don't know." She looked down, as if she was unsure of what she was going to say.
"Well," I said abruptly, "I should go."
"Yep," she said, "Bill?"
"Yeah?" I answered, looking up at her after starting the car, and waiting expectantly.
She looked at me seriously, "Please don't introduce her to Eric."
I raised an eyebrow, "I thought you liked Eric."
"I like Abby more," she muttered, "Just… don't. Not that you would."
I smiled, "Yeah."
--
I shut my phone and set it on the dashboard. I turned my head to the side, looking out at the home, a gigantic house, white, almost eerie in its brightness. Compared to the dark all around, it looked like it didn't belong.
I ran a hand through my hair, then nervously smoothed it all back in place, before glancing back out at the house. The lights illuminated the inside, like it was some kind of nightlight, and when the door opened, a sliver of gold darted out onto the lawn, and then vanished back inside just as quickly.
Abby glanced back into the house, as if someone had called her name. Her shoulders shrugged as if in a sigh, and she reopened the door. I looked forward again, and the next thing I knew I heard a tapping on the glass.
"Door?" she mouthed, pointing down at the lock and wiping off the moisture from her face as the drizzle started to finally reach her, making tiny dots on her blue dress. I quickly unlocked the door and she slid in next to me, her head angling down to look at her feet as she sighed, closed her eyes briefly, and then looked up at me and smiled, "Hi."
"Hi," I replied, and she slid down in her seat, pulling her feet out of her shoes and crossing her legs. "You look…"
"Stupid," she muttered, "I hate this dress. I look like some sort of… debutant." She rolled her eyes, and pulled off some of her jewelry, sticking it into her purse, and pulled her hair out of its bun, "Better?"
"Sure," I muttered, looking back at the road. I didn't really have an opinion; she looked great either way.
She bit her lip, and I started the drive away, "Um. How have you been?"
"I've been well," I said, "You?"
She shrugged, "Ready for a break, I guess." She looked over at me quickly, "Not to say I'm running away from anything, I just… have you ever looked around, and wondered what the hell you were supposed to be doing?" she uncrossed her legs and leaned forward, studying her reflection in the windshield, and thinking for a second, "Like, you're in a desperate need of some sort of… reality check? That things are spinning out of your control and you'd do pretty much anything to just be able to get a grasp on it, understand it… concentrate." She leaned on the dashboard, hands weaving through her hair as she shut her eyes again, before springing up and sitting back, sighing to regain composure.
I looked back on the road, and just nodded a little, knowing somehow that she knew I would agree, without even looking at me.
"I feel stupid," I could hear her smiling, that sort of ironic self-pity that comes with a bad day.
"You're not stupid," I said, almost laughing a little, "Just frustrated."
"I know," she muttered, "But you're also obligated to make me feel better, that's part of being a good person." She smiled wryly, "I don't belong in places like that. I'm way too… awkward, and it shows, because it's prevalent, and it makes me uncomfortable. I feel okay playing parts, but the irony of my tragic existence," she chuckled to herself, "Lies primarily in the fact that I can't handle playing me. Not that that isn't me," she sighed, "That came out wrong."
"Most things do with you, hm?" I questioned, glancing over at her. She was so demonstrative when she talked, her motions making her seem so alive, so… passionate about everything she was saying. It was like watching a cartoon character.
"I," she frowned, searching for the correct words yet again, "I don't know. Point is, I'm out of that house, I'm away from—"she stopped herself short, "That also came out wrong. Maybe I'm a bad person for feeling this way. It's like I'm… neglecting my… myself. Or," she sighed, looking out into the rain-spotted windshield with a look of disdain. Even frustrated, she looked so pretty. Her eyes, a clear crystal blue were sparkling brilliantly, framed perfectly by her dark lashes contrasting her white skin, the blush of pink on her cheek —I didn't understand how she could be unhappy with anything, really, looking as perfect as she did. She seemed perfectly fine, except for the current disarray she seemed to be in. Flustered, she looked over at me, interlocking her hands for a moment and then saying, "Or… I'm neglecting something else entirely."
I looked over and she bit her lip, eyes flickering away from me almost instantly.
"Do you think," I asked, looking at the road in front of me, "that maybe you're overreacting?"
"Of course I'm overreacting," she said, smiling, "But… I overreact a lot. It's like we're always fighting. And when we're not fighting, we're having sex!" I glanced over at her for a second, and then moved my head back to the road incredibly fast, and kept staring in that general direction, "And when we're not doing that, we're not around each other."
I didn't know what to say, so I didn't say anything. Luckily, she kept on going.
"And, a lot of the fights are my fault. I just get so angry. I feel like there's always something missing, and I'm just never really happy. He's never home, I'm never home. We don't even have a pet. It's like we're two strangers living in the same house, and even when we're asleep in the same bed, even when we're really together… it's empty. It's like there's… something missing, I just don't know what. I'm making you uncomfortable," she said, looking over, touching my arm as she apologized, "I'm so sorry. This must be really weird for you. I don't know why I feel the need to tell my life story to everyone I come in contact with."
"No," I said, my eyes drifting from the road for a moment, "Don't be sorry."
"Well, from what Jess tells me, it appears you aren't very accustomed to such a strong flow of personal conversation," she laughed a little nervously, and continued, "Not like I blame you though. The stuff with your ex is crazy. I wouldn't want to talk either. Okay, that's a lie, I'd be pissed, which means I'd talk. But not you—which is actually a good thing. You're much more pensive, you're not too irrational. I wish I was more like that."
"I wish you were too," I joked, earning a laugh from Abby.
When we pulled into the Fangtasia parking lot, I killed the engine and looked over at her. "You do not have to come inside. But, I do."
"I don't want to sound scared or anything, but I don't want to be left out in the dark, vampire-infested parking lot," she rushed, unbuckling her seatbelt and turning in her seat to face me, "But I'm sure the vampires are inside as well." Suddenly, her eyes got huge, "Not like I'm afraid of you! I just—I've heard stories, like every human has. I mean, you've seen what they put on the news, what they show at the school is even worse. I am sorry, I just… I feel safer when you're around."
I smiled, "I understand." It was cute, how awkward she suddenly became, "It's going to be pretty scary in there," I laughed a little, "You're lucky you look good in that dress."
"You think I look good?" she asked, flipping her hair and raising her eyebrows, "Why thank you, Mr. Compton."
"You're welcome," I said simply, "Let's get this over with."
"What if someone asks who I am? What should I say?"
"I'd lie," I looked back at her, "If I were you. Especially if Eric asks. If he knew that Jessica was keeping in touch with someone from her past, he might become a little… wary."
"Why?" she asked, "We're completely fine."
"Some humans don't take well to vampires, you know," I said, "And some vampires tend to lash out at their human families because of this. Or, they lose control. It happens more than you'd think. That's why she's living with me."
"Oh," she said, running up next to me, heels clicking on the wet ground, "That makes sense. Eek!" She jumped, and grabbed my arm as thunder boomed above us.
"I'd also try not to be so jumpy," I said, as we passed through Pam and another vampire guarding the door, and walked through, looking for Eric on our way to the back. As we walked into his office, Eric followed us in, eyes seemingly attached to Abby. Sookie was nowhere to be seen.
"A human was attacked last night. Just under a mile away from here," Eric said.
"That's horrible," I said, looking over at Abby, who seemed fine, mainly just interested, and looking at Eric with a face that I couldn't necessarily read.
"It's a serious inconvenience," Eric said, "The locals are holding the bar responsible, we're getting a lawyer," Eric seemed amused by this, and looked over at the girl next to me, eyes dancing up her body.
"How does this involve me?" I asked, looking at Abby again.
Abby leaned over whispering, "Why is he staring at me?"
"Because he can," I said aloud.
"Oh," it was a mixture of a response to my statement, and an 'Oh, he can hear me.' Surprisingly enough, she didn't seem embarrassed by it.
"Who is this?" Eric asked.
Abby looked up, "Alex," she answered simply, smiling half-heartedly and pushing some of her hair behind her ear. I tried to hide my surprise at the introduction of her new identity, of course, and just glanced as she nodded, bouncing a little, in greeting.
"I'm surprised you bring a human here, especially after what happened to the last one," Eric said, smiling to himself. I could feel the anger swell in me, but I clenched my jaw and kept quiet. This emotional repression I've taken upon myself in Eric's presence was obvious, I knew, not only to Eric, but to Abby, whose grip on my arm tightened reassuringly.
"He figured he'd just get it out of the way, besides my house is surprisingly close to this place."
"You're his..." Eric searched for the most accurate word, "girlfriend?"
She just shrugged, not answering in the most perfect way possible. The side of her lips perked up into what some would call a smirk, while those blue eyes held a definite spark of slyness—it seemed as if the whole interaction with a 1,000 year old vampire was just a game. She completely disregarded the fact that in the time it took her to snap her fingers he could have pushed me aside and lunged for her flawlessly elegant neck. She was still naïve, despite the change in name.
But she was holding her own. Her personality held with it enough brazen attitude to earn Eric's sympathies. She wasn't dumb enough to push anything, I hoped. It wasn't like she had the same sense of security Sookie had with Eric, there was no way Eric was going to need Abby for anything. She was just a minor faction of my life that has crossed with his own.
Which was a bad idea, of course. Why, I had yet to realize, but anything involving Eric was bound to be bad.
"They're suspecting that I'm letting the vampires get out of hand," he said.
I shrugged, "Under a mile away, you'd think that's something you would see coming."
Eric looked up, "They weren't from the bar. They aren't even sure if it was vampires—the bodies are unrecognizable."
"Ew," Abby breathed next to me.
"Then why are they looking into you?"
Eric leaned back in his chair, legs crossing upon his desk, "There has been an overwhelming anti-vampire movement striking throughout Louisiana."
"Hasn't that been happening since the Revelation?" I joked.
"This time it's getting personal. People without any religious convictions are starting to see us as a… menace to society," he grinned, "which, obviously, comes with a problem."
"The bar is going under a higher level of scrutiny?" Abby asked, "Isn't there some sort of… vampire policing that goes on? Not to be rude," she rushed.
"Of course," I muttered.
She looked at me, "What I'm trying to ask is, aren't there people who talk to humans about these things? A hierarchal system of… government within our own? Shouldn't they have the methods to work with the humans?"
"That's Eric's job," I muttered. "He's a—"
"Sherriff," Eric said, suddenly appearing in front of the two of us, Abby jumped a bit, hand still clenched onto my arm, but she wasn't totally afraid, just startled. "She's catching on."
"I'm a fast learner," she said, smiling a little, and then looking back down.
I stepped a little in front of her, "What do you want?"
"Eyes," he said, "Keep a look out. Especially on Sookie. She refuses to move here, so having you near her could only be beneficial."
"And?"
"We're sending out for a form of legal representation," he said, "There are certain things we need to be sure are kept quiet."
Vials of vampire blood flashed though my mind. Would that man be in some sort of danger? Would Sookie be in some sort of danger?
"We don't know what these humans are capable of, we've learned not to underestimate them, of course." I supposed he was referring to the explosion back in Texas. The beginning of the end, you could say.
"Wait," Abby said, "Humans are pressing charges against you?" She laughed a little, "What would the sentence be for a guilty vampire?"
"I would imagine death," Eric said, "Or something more creative." He turned to me, "I'll meet with you soon."
I nodded, "Okay."
"Keep your eyes peeled," he nodded towards Abby, "Keep her around, too. Sookie would like her."
The fact that he even had an opinion on what Sookie would like make me twinge. Abby's hand slid towards mine, and she tugged on it, "We should be going. It was very nice to meet you…"
"Eric," he said, smirking. She nodded, and started dragging me out the bar, walking in front of me very purposefully, with a new sense of conviction, confidence. I watched her carefully, eyes moving up her legs, before we reached the door, hitting the wet air. She looked at our hands, and, shocked, dropped mine quickly, smiling reassuringly before jogging to the car.
--
Well, I hope you liked it.
Please review, as always.
New chapter will be up soon enough, I hope. BUG ME if I don't update!!!!!
