Chapter Four: Left Alone, If Only For a Moment
September had come and went in no time flat and the twins were settling in quite easily. July worked four days out of a seven day week, leaving Winter with nothing better to do other than hang out with Henry and Vlad. It took Winter longer than July to ease into the school due to having so many classes with Meredith and feeling like she was under the watchful eye of a sniper. But a routine came into play ever since the first week of school. Henry would leave a head of Vlad and Winter, leaving the two of them to walk back to his house together so that the two would get more bonding time, and it seemed to have worked. Every class Vlad and Winter had together that they were without July they were practically inseparable. Winter finally felt like she had real friends, real connections with people other than her brother. The greatest holiday of the year was fast approaching and Winter still knew nothing about Bathory. Luckily, Vlad and Henry would be changing that soon.
"Ah!" Winter screamed as Henry picked her up and flung her body over his shoulder. Winter dug her nails into Henry's shirt, holding on for dear life. "Henry! Put me down!" she laughed as he ran from the steps of Bathory High across the parking lot. "Vlad help me!" she screamed, reaching her hand out to her other newly found friend. Vlad laughed and walked behind them, Snow and October at his side laughing along with him. "No one can save you!" Henry said with an evil laugh as he opened the back door to the car and threw her in. "This isn't funny Henry!" She screamed as he closed the door on her. Vlad slid into the front seat as the girls got in the back with Winter. "Why am I being kidnapped?" she asked as she crossed her arms. "Because it's time to go costumes shopping." Vlad said smiling. "I don't have money for a costume you guys." She said as she leaned to the front. "What were you planning on doing for Halloween then?" Snow asked. "Not sure, I was thinking about just giving out candy this year to kids and watch horror films in my living room." She said with a shrug of her shoulder. "Seriously, those are your plans?" October asked with a laugh. "Yeah, pretty much. July said he might be working this Halloween anyways." Winter mentioned. Snows eyes dulled a little. "So I'm guessing he wouldn't be able to go to the party with us." "He might go after work if anything." Winter said reassuringly. "Don't you worry, we'll find you something." Vlad said with a smiled. Winter blushed lightly and nodded her head smiling.
"So this is the costume store for your town, hunh?" Winter asked as she walked through the ratherly large store. "Pick something you like!" Henry said as October pulled him away to help her find a costume. Winter laughed and looked around for Snow who was looking at some undead maid outfits. Winter walked around for a while when Vlad walked up to her, his pearl white smile causing once to rise on her own lips. "Find anything you like?" he asked "Nope, not a thing." She giggled. "Seriously?" He asked in surprise. "I'm not exactly into that 'slutty is scary' idea that is in most Halloween stores." She said with a smile as she sat in a chair outside of the dressing rooms. "It never appealed to me either. I mean seriously, have you ever seen a scary movie where the monster is sexy?" Vlad laughed. "Exactly; porcelain is scarier than these costumes." Winter joked. Then an idea finally clicked in her head and she stood up grinning. "I know what I'm going to dress up as." She said excitedly. "Walk me home Vlad, I need to get started on putting the costume together." She said happily, and then really looked at him. "What's happening with your costume?" she asked as Vlad and she wondered the store looking for Henry. "I'm not sure what I'm going to be this year. Henry and I did a vampire and victim last year." Vlad laughed. Winter smiled and really looked at him. "I have an idea for your costume; that is if you don't mind doing a vampire again?" she asked with a smirk. Vlad gave her a strange look and then let out a sigh. "Just don't make me look like Edward Cullen." He said sullenly. Winter made a gag sound. "I said scary, not a fairy." Winter laughed as they approached Henry. "I'm gonna go ahead and take Winter home." He said through a laugh. "Ok, you two be careful!" Henry said with a sly smile. Vlad glared at him as Winter waved bye to everyone and headed out of the door.
"What size shirt do you wear?" Winter asked as they walked closer to her home. "Um medium, why?" "Good, you and July wear the same shirt size!" "Oh no, what are you going to do to me?" "What kind of vampire did you do last year?" Winter asked completely ignoring his fear filled question. "It was kind of like Dracula." "Ah, ok. I'm thinking modern vampire." Winter smiled. 'If only you knew a modern vampire looks like me' Vlad thought with a smirked. "Well, more like a gothic modern vampire." She laughed as they turned up to her house door. "Ok then." He laughed. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" He said as he scratched the back of his head. "You can come in you know." She laughed. "Oh, ok." Vlad gave a sheepish smile as Winter unlocked the door and walked in, throwing her bag on the couch. "Is anyone home?" Vlad asked. "Nope, everyone's at work." She said as she slipped off her jean jacket and hung it up. Vlad hadn't really been looking at Winter's body too much since the first time they met. But being alone with her knowing no one would be home for hours made him feel like he needed to look at her. Winter was sporting a tight V-neck t-shirt with the words 'Queen of the Damned' on it, a pair of ripped jeans with space leggings underneath and neon colored converse. Winter then pulled her pair into a messy bun and turned to smile at Vlad. "You ok over there?" she asked with a giggle. "Is it ok to be alone in your house?" He asked feeling a little nervous. He could feel his hunger increasing slightly. "Yeah, my uncle knows I won't do anything bad." She smiled and headed up her steps. "Come along kiddo." She called from the top of the steps. Vlad took a deep gulp and followed her to July's room.
Winter rifled through her brothers stuff until she found a pair of trip pants from hot topic and a vest that was visual kei styled. It looked like a steam punk sort of style mixed with Gothic completed in the colors of black and red. Winter threw the clothes at Vlad and smiled. "Try that on and tell me how it fits." She said happily as she opened the door that connected to her room in her brothers closet. "Where are you going?" he asked her as she slipped away into her room. "To my room, get dressed and call me when you're done." She said as she started rifling through her own things looking for her old Lolita outfit she bought a few years ago. "I'm ready Winter." Vlad said shyly. Winter walked through the closets again and blushed lightly. "wow." She said with a chuckle. "You look really good like that." She said in a breathless sort of voice. Vlad's body never really showed through his normal cloths but in the vest Winter could clearly see that his chest and arms weren't exactly scrawny. The cuts in his arms were much more visible now and Winter could barely take her eyes away from him. 'Seriously Winter, come on kid! You like Henry, remember! But then again… Maybe I don't…' Winter thought for a moment as she walked closer to Vlad, her face reddening more and more as she approached him. Winter could feel her heart pounding so hard against her rib cage that she thought it was visible through her skin. 'Ok, I guess I don't like Henry… He has never given me this feeling before.' Winter swallow hard and stepped directly in front of Vlad. "It fits really well. Do you find it comfortable?" she asked as she touched his chest lightly. "Yeah, I can move in it and it's breathable." He said nonchalantly. When he realized how close Winter was, his hunger started acting up again. Vlad felt like he lost control of his body was he quickly and swiftly grabbed Winter by her waist, closing off that space that was between them. Winter felt as though she could barely breathe in anticipation 'Holy crap does he like me too? Is he actually going to act on it?' Winter thought nervously. Winter closed her eyes shut, waiting in anticipation to feel his lips on her own. 'Oh hurry the hell up, I can't take this Vlad!' she screamed mentally. Vlad pulled Winter even closer to the point where her body was up against his. Vlad eyed her neck hungrily and went for the plunge.
"Hey you guys get back ok?" Henry called from the bottom of the steps causing Vlad to stop. Complete realization hit him and he pushed Winter away from him quickly and took a few steps back, his face beat red. 'Oh no, please don't tell me she knew what I was going to do.' Vlad thought hopefully. Henry walked into July's room seeing it opened and looked at the two confused. "Did I miss something?" Henry asked with a goofy smile. Winter glared at him a little, her face red as a tomato. "I hate you Henry!" She screamed and ran into her room through the closet and locked the little door. "What just happened Vlad?" Henry asked as he cocked his eyebrow. "I'll tell you later." He said completely embarrassed as he started changing back into his clothes and folding the other clothes and put them on the bed.
Vlad tried knocking on Winter's door before leaving but instead left a note letting her know he didn't take the clothes and that he left them on July's bed. Winter was balled up in her bed, hugging herself tightly. 'Winter, get a hold of yourself kid. You've only known him for a month, how could you like him. Why is it being so close to him makes me feel so in-mobile. I can't do this, this isn't me!' She mentally screamed in her room. Winter finally lay down and rolled onto her side while hugging a pillow. "Then again, I am with him constantly. We are together for most of my schedule, I sit with him at lunch, he walks me home, he rides with us in the morning and I hang out with him Monday thru Friday after school every week… That is enough time to get to know someone and develop feeling." Winter sat up in her bed and stared out the window. "But he's such a mystery. I am with him on a constant and I still feel like I know not a thing about him and yet…" Winter stared down at her pillow in her arms as she released it slowly. "I am so attracted to him; I can barely breathe when I'm near him…" Winter let out a deep sigh as she fell forward on the bed, her face buried in her pillow. "Being a girl sucks man" she murmured out.
"So what happened with you and Winter upstairs." Henry said with a sly smirk as he ate from a bowl of chips. "I almost bit her." Vlad said as he flipped through channels in a voice of agitation at himself. "Dude are you serious?" Henry asked in surprise as he looked at his best friend. "Yeah, why would I joke about that?" Vlad asked as he shot him a quick glared. Vlad let out a heavy sigh. "I'm guessing her blood smells as sweet as Meredith's or Snow's?" Henry asked as he continued to eat from the chips. "It smells even sweeter, strangely enough. Like there is something in her blood that no one else has." Vlad said as he sunk into his seat. "You do know, that she probably thought you were going to kiss her, right?" Henry asked with a laughed. "Oh my god, are you serious man! No!" Vlad covered his face with his hands. "She most likely thinks you totally cock blocked us Henry!" Vlad said with a laugh. "How am I supposed to tell her that I wasn't going to kiss her?" "Don't." "What, why not?" "Do you NOT want to kiss her?" "I never said that!" "Then there you go." Henry grinned. "But what if she wants to later and I come off as a jerk." "You won't, don't worry." "How do you know I won't? "Because you'll kiss her when the time is right." Henry said with an all knowing smile as he flipped the channel once and came across Freddy vs Jason. Vlad had absolutely no come back and just snatched the bowl of chips from Henry and smirked. "I hate you Man." He laughed. "Look at you, already sounding like her." He laughed and stole the chips back.
