3. H O W?
IS T E P P E D B A C K. "T H A T 'S I M P O S S I B L E."
He scoffed. "What you see is the biggest threat to your life."
I shooke my head. "You'll never hurt me."
He sighed. "I guess I'll have to prove it."
He suddenly slung me on his back and started running. It was faster than I'd ever imagined anyone could run. It was. . .amazing.
He suddenly stopped and set me down on my feet. "I'm faster than you."
He walked over to a thick pine tree and punched straight through it. "I'm stronger than you."
He came back over to me and wrapped his arms around me.
He brought his lips to my ear and whispered, "I can trick you into doing almost anything, because you trust me so much."
He kissed down my throat then let go and took a step back. "How would you ever resist me, much less get away? Phhh! You'd be dead before you could blink. My fangs. Could slash you up. You have no idea how much I want your blood. You just don't. If you did, you'd be calling the F.B.I on me."
I put my hand against his chest. "OK, here's the thing: I don't care. I don't care if you kill me. I want to be with you."
He shooke his head and stepped back. "I can't let that happen. I can't let myself kill you. And if we're together I can't control my thirst."
I threw myself into his arms and buried my face in his chest. He smelled like AXE coloane. "I'll do whatever it takes. I'll make sure I listen to you and stay at a safe distance or whatever you want. I'll do anything." I started sobbing into his jacket.
He put his arms around me and kissed my hair. "Stop crying. Please stop. I can't handle it."
I gazed up at him. "Alvin Seville, I love you."
He let go of me. "You shouldn't. Find someone you can really love. Someone who doesn't want to kill you."
I sniffled and wiped the tears from my eyes. "I don't want anyone but you."
He sighed. "I'm done trying to convience you."
I smiled. "Does that mean?"
"It means I'll think about it." He replied.
"Will you kiss me?" I questioned.
He pursed his lips. "If you don't make any sudden movements or get too into it."
I nodded. "I won't. I promise."
He somehow made his teeth and eyes return to normal. He put his arms back around me and hessitantly pressed his lips to mine. I slowly took his hood off his head and knotted my fingers in his hair. Once again it wasen't a steamy kiss it was careful. He stroked my back and slowly moved his lips against mine. We leaned away from each other and caught our breathe.
He put a hand behind his neck. "Um. . .I should get you home. It's almost sunset and we've got a long walk ahead of us."
I glanced at the horizon. A bright ball of orange was about forty minutes from disappearing behind a vast row of trees. "Can't you just run us there? I mean, your the fastest guy ever."
He flashed me a modest smile. "Well, that running is called flitting, and it takes up a lot of my energy. And we'll have more time to. . .talk."
I sighed and kicked a pinecone. "OK. Yeah, your right."
We started walking; saying not a word to one another.
"How did you become a vampire?" I asked, breaking the silence.
He got a far-off look on his face. "Well. . .remember the summer before I moved?"
I nodded.
"When we went to Ruby Falls in Chattanooga I went exploring by myself and a whole gang of bats swarmed around me and this really huge one with red eyes came and bit me. I passed out on the spot and when I woke up I was like this. This guy came and told me what I was and everything. That's the reason why we had to move. When we came back and I came around you I suddenly had an uncontrolble urge to drink your blood. I knew I wouldn't be able to stay away long so we left." Alvin explained.
I slipped my hand into his. "There's no way to turn you back?"
He frowned. "No. I'm stuck a monster. Forever."
I stopped walking and stepped in front of him. I caressed his cold cheek with my thumb. "Listen to me, your not a monster. Don't ever say or think that. Your not."
He stepped back slightly. "I am. I have fangs, I drink blood, and I kill. I'm a monster."
I wrapped my arms around his neck. "Say what you like, but to me your my lifesaver."
He sighed. "You have no idea. . ."
I let go of him. I groaned and started to feel lightheaded. I wobbled for a moment and fell back.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Brittany, are you alright?" he questioned, catching me in his arms.
I suddenly passed out.
"Brittany wake up." Alvin said, gently lifting me off the ground and into his arms.
I groaned. "What's going on?"
He brought his lips to my ear. "We're being followed."
I glanced around. "By who?"
He let out a low growl. "Another vampire."
I brought myself closer to him. "Is that bad?"
He nodded. "Hang on tight. We've got to get out of here."
He started running. I closed my eyes and buried my face in his chest. In minutes we were stopped. We were in a familiar place. Alvin's backyard.
I gazed up at him. "Who was that?"
He shooke his head and carefully set me down on my feet. "I have no idea. I only know one other vampire around here so far."
I sat down on the picnic table top and put my face in my hands. "My head is throbbing."
He sat down beside me and rested a hand on my shoulder. "Do you want to go inside and cool off? I think your overheated." He pressed a cold hand to my forehead.
I nodded. "If it's not too much to ask."
He smiled. "Britt, it's not. Now come inside."
We walked in through the sliding door to the kitchen.
I let out a sigh of relief as cool air washed over me. "That's better."
He chuckled and pulled an ice-pack out of the freezer. "Want to put this on your forehead? It might help."
I brushed my bangs away from my forehead and pressed the ice-pack to it. "Thanks Alvin. Um
. . .could I have some water?"
He nodded. " Course." He reached the fridge and handed me a water bottle with dark crimson liqiud in it. He pulled it back. "Sorry, that's mine." He grabbed a real bottled water and gave it to me.
I set the ice-pack on the counter and opened my water. "Uh. . .was that. . .?"
He bit his lip. "Blood? Yeah."
I felt a little akward then. "Who's?"
He smirked. "It's animal blood. I'm kind of like a vegetarian."
"Have you ever slipped up?" I questioned, taking a sip of water.
He flashed me a grin. "Almost. Today actually. When we kissed."
I flashed him a shy smile and took another sip of water.
I heard footsteps and jumped.
He laughed. "It's only Simon and Theodore."
I glanced at them and smiled. "Hey guys."
"Hey." they greeted at the same time.
"Alvin, what did you do?" Simon questioned Alvin, noting my ice-pack.
Alvin rolled his eyes. "Calm down, I didn't bite her. She just passed out."
Theodore cocked his head to the side. "But Alvin, if you didn't then why did she pass out?"
"I just got overheated. That's all." I explained.
Simon took off his glasses and started cleaning them with the sleeve of his shirt. "That's a little unlikely. It's the middle of winter."
I put my hands on my hips and Alvin crossed his arms.
"I haven't really eaten much today." I said.
"Me either." Alvin said, smiling at his own private joke.
We rolled our eyes.
Theodore headed for the fridge. "Hey, do we have any cake left Simon?"
Simon shrugged and put his glasses back on. "Check."
I felt Alvin's breathe in my ear. "Let's go up to my room. It's. . .uh. . .getting a little crowded in here."
I started blushing for some reason. "Er, uh, OK."
His hand slid to the small of my back and he led me out of the kitchen, up the stairs, and into his room. I expected to see a coffin but nope. Not even a bed. His walls were painted red and boardered with black. The carpet was black with a huge white skull and cross bones in the middle. He had a black polished dresser with a TV on top, matching nightstands, a red mini-fridge, a lot of black CD shelves, a black beanbag chair with a white skull on it, a small red boardered black table and a couple of matching chairs.
I stood there for a minute. "Um. . .you don't have a bed?"
He walked over to the opposite wall of the dresser, pulled down on a short rope sticking out of the wall, and a bed came down. It had crimson covers, sheets, and pillows.
"I do. I just don't have to sleep. But I have a bed cause hey, you never know." He gave an insidious look and raised an eyebrow.
I put my hands on my hips.
He plopped down on the bed and patted the space beside him. "Want to sit down?"
I slowly walked over to him and sat down beside him. We didn't say anything for a moment.
"So. . .have you thought about us yet?" I questioned, breaking our silence.
Alvin's eyes darted to mine. He leaned in and lightly kissed me. "Still thinking."
I sighed and laid back. "Could you tell me what your thinking? It's not like I can read your mind."
He laid back and propped himself up on one arm. "Well, I can read yours and your thoughts are very interesting."
I snapped my fingers. "Stop that!"
He got an innocent look on his face. "Stop what?"
I blushed. "Your trying to seduce me."
He moved a lock of hair from my face. "Nope. I'm not. That's, like, my special charm. All vampires have one. I seduce people without even realizing it."
I shifted slightly. "Try not to. Your hard enough to resist on your own."
He smiled. "Right back at you."
I bit my lip and fought my urge to kiss him at the moment.
He gave me another insidious look. "And you say I seduce you. Your driving me crazy!"
My phone started ringing in my pocket. I sat up and answered it. "It's Britt."
"Brittany, dear, where are you?" Ms. Miller questioned.
I glanced at Alvin. "I'm at Alvin's."
Ms. Miller gasped softly. "You didn't tell me Dave brought the boys back!"
I shrugged. "Well, I just found out myself."
"Oh tell them I said hello!"
Ms. Miller says hey. I thought to Alvin.
He chuckled. "Hey Ms. Miller."
Ms. Miller laughed softly. "Alvin sounds so much older!"
I tussled his hair. "Well, yeah, and he looks a lot different now too."
"Tell Alvin their welcome to come by any time." Ms. Miller offered as Alvin raised an eyebrow and tussled my hair.
"Alvin! Stop that! I just fixed my hair! Oh, uh, sorry Ms. Miller Alvin was just being. . . Alvin."
Ms. Miller laughed. "You two still argue, huh? Hopefully it's not as bad as when you were younger."
"Oh, it's far from arguing." I reassured. Alvin winked at me.
"Oh, is that so? Well, you two had better not be kissing."
I blushed. "Ms. Miller!"
Alvin laughed and took the phone from me. "No Ms. Miller. We haven't been kissing. . .much."
"Alvin!" I grabbed the phone back and shoved him away.
"Well, Brittany, I suppose it's time you come home."
I groaned in disappointment. "Ms. Miller! It's not that late! Can't I stay a little while longer?"
Ms. Miller tsked. "Sorry. It's getting late and you've got homework to do."
I sighed. "OK. I'm coming."
"Bye-bye dear."
"Bye." I shut my phone and shoved it in my pocket.
I pursed my lips and glanced at Alvin.
He sat up and stood. "Want me to walk you home?"
I nodded and stood up also. "Sure. But I live just around the corner."
He wrapped an arm around my waist. "I want to make sure you get home safe."
I pulled away. "I'll be fine Alvin." I walked to the door.
In a split second he was blocking the door. "I'm coming with you."
I sighed. "OK. Now move."
He hopped onto the railing of the stairs and slid down it.
"Show-off!" I called as I jogged down the stairs four steps at at time.
He went to the fridge and took out a bottle of blood.
He drank down the whole thing and wiped his mouth. "OK. Let's go."
I wrinkled my nose. "How does that taste?"
He shrugged. "Pretty good."
I brushed my bangs out of my eyes. "I don't see how."
"Well, you probably wouldn't unless you were a vampire." We headed for the frontdoor.
"Is there other ways someone could become a vampire?" I asked as we walked out the door.
He kinda seemed uncomfortable. "Yeah, but. . .you don't really need to know, do you?"
I blinked. "Well, I was just wondering."
He scratched the back of his head. "Some other time."
He walked me home without a word.
