Chapter 7- homecoming

Ethan's POV

I was hugging my sister tight. I felt terrible for making her upset. Just as I'd let go I was hugged again, this time by my mom.

'why were you gone?' she said immediately after she let go of me

'I, I can explain.' I went with my hand through my hair, a nervous gesture.

My mother did not even wait for me to explain. 'do you know how worried we were?!' she almost got drowned in anger and started to shake.

'mom, please, calm down. I'm here now. ' I reassured her.

My mother's pale face met mine and it seemed as if she had gotten older since the last time I had seen her. she turned her back to me and held her hand in front of her mouth. I knew she was crying even if she tried to hide it.

'mom?'

'listen' she said 'I'm not mad at you because I know you would never just disappear and to this to us but please promise me that you will never let this happen again?' my mother wanted an absolutely honest answer which I couldn't give.

'yes' I said feeling a little guilty.

'but what happened?' Jane asked and I realized she hadn't moved since mom had entered the room. Jane's expression looked curious but afraid too as if she was prepared to hear something really bad.

'I, well, it's kind of complicated'

'you have to tell me what happened Ethan, were you kidnapped? or did...'

'no mom!' I waved my hands in the air. 'that's not it at all.'

'you know that you are getting grounded until you tell me the truth.' My mother looked deadly serious, but if she was she would have to ground me for the rest of my life.

'I can't tell it mom, really.'the i paused and met her gaze.

'Can you just forget about it?' my mother suddenly went still, her arms fell at her sides and she was staring right through me.

'of course, nothing happened' she muttered. She shook her head as if she was forgotten why she was mad at me. 'what's going on?' she looked from me to Jane and back at me.

'uhm, nothing' I said quickly.

'alright, because it's time for you to go to bed.' Jane's eyes widened in confusion

'hello? Mom! Don't you want to know where he has been anymore?'

'he hasn't been anywhere, Jane' without saying anything else our mother returned to the kitchen were she was cleaning the last dishes.

'but, but. MOM!' Jane yelled. when mom didn't react she looked at me with an accusing glare. 'Ethan what did you do to her? she acted like a zombie'

'I don't know' i said. I honestly didn't know, but my sister thought I did because her glare became even more suspicious.

'you're lying, Ethan. Just tell me what it is' Jane sighed and grabbed my hand. 'you're cold' she muttered and led us to her room so that our mom couldn't hear us talking.

Jane pushed me inside her typical girls room. She looked if there was no one in the hallway and quickly closed the door behind her. she gestured for me to sit down at her bed which was pink and filled with sweet stuffed animals.

'now tell me the truth' she crossed her arms and wore a stern expression on her small face.

'I don't have to tell you anything' I said and stood up. This was getting ridiculous.

'so you are hiding something you haven't told me?' she asked and blocked my way. 'listen Jane...' I picked up a smell of something weird and was momentarily distracted. Where did it come from? it smelled…good. I shook my head trying to concentrate.

'I don't have time for this!' Jane wasn't about to give up that easily and started firing questions at me.

'is it a new seer ability? Has Benny tried out a new spell.' The last one was dangerously close.

'you could say so' I said with a bitter smile.

'that's not an answer.' She finally gave up when I shoved her aside and walked to my own room and closed the door just in time so she couldn't get in.

'Jane, leave me alone' my sister sighed hard and not long after that I heard her walk away. now that Jane wasn't irritating me anymore I finally had time to think. Had I compelled my mom? The thought of it freaked me out.

But what had even shocked me more was the weird smell that appeared whenever I came close to mom or Jane. Blood, it was the smell of blood, and I liked it.

'oh my god'I muttered to myself and curled up in my chair, hugging my legs. This was getting worse and worse.

Then I remembered Benny's backpack. I opened the backpack and stacked the vials of blood on my desk. I had to shove several school papers aside to make enough place.

I didn't have any desire to drink the substitute made by Benny's grandma but the thirst had to be sustained or soon I would bite someone. It was my biggest fear at the moment and I had no idea how I was going to hide the fact that I was a vampire from Jane and my parents.

I sat down in my desk chair and slowly reached for a vial. I inspected it from up close, letting the liquid slide through the vial.

'okay. Eth, you can do it.' I said to myself and gulped the entire content down until the last drop was gone.

'eww' this was really the most gross stuff he had ever drunk. Luckily The burning feeling in his throat did fade away as much as it could.

The thirst would always be there only now I would be able to ignore it, for how long I didn't know.

I hid the vials under my bed and went downstairs. I still didn't know what I had done to mom. Had I hypnotized her? I didn't know how I had done it.

as I sat next to Jane, who was still glaring at me, at the kitchen table I prepared for a confrontation with my dad. To my relief he called later that night that he was stuck in a traffic jam and he wouldn't come home for at least a day.


Sarah's POV

'Sarah? What are you doing here.' I could see Ethan wasn't happy to see me.

'it's almost midnight, remember? I'm coming with you .' tonight the moon would be full and Ethan would meet Jesse. But of course Jesse was my ex and I felt kind of responsible for him. Therefore I didn't mind spending some time with Ethan.

'but Sarah, it could be dangerous. We can't trust him!'

'when you're going I'm coming with you. You saved my life, remember? It's the least I can do'

Ethan sighed and gave up. 'all right.'

'let's go then' I was already walking away from his house, I wanted this to be over as soon as possible.

'wait, Sarah!' I turned around to see that Ethan hadn't moved yet. 'you're human now, I don't want to lose you again.' he blushed and looked at his feet.

I threw up my hands.'come on, don't be such a coward, we went through a lot already and yet, here we are.' I knew I had convinced Ethan because he clicked of the light in the corridor and followed me outside after closing the door behind him. Before we took off he looked back only once. All the windows were dark, no one knew he was gone. Suddenly the light of his sister's room went on. I saw Ethan hesitate. He wanted to go back, make sure his sister wouldn't freak out or tell his parents anything once she knew he was gone, again.

'we don't have time for this' I grabbed him by his arm and forced him to run with me. I was afraid to see Jesse again, especially after we'd left him for dead.

Did he want revenge on us?

I hoped not because knowing Jesse, he would do anything to reach his goal.