8. New Home

This was the second week living on my own.

For a few days I crept back silently to that little park bench, sometimes sleeping, sometimes staying wide awake, watching the stars. Occasionally I would bring a girl-or two-to the park for a romantic evening. Then sex, but you know, it was romantic at the start. Then they would scurry away before the sun rose so their parents didn't worry about where they had been all night.

Then as I grew tired of the smell of grass and the sounds of trees constantly moving, I moved towards a homeless shelter. I didn't like it, but Jason had all the money, not me. I wasn't old enough yet. No one asked questions because they were all too eager to help a homeless teenager. I got decent food every day, and in exchange for a home I helped around the place. It wasn't a burden, but I never really did like work.

So my life began as a routine of living on my own. I woke up early, cleaned every bathroom in the place, ate breakfast, went to school, practice, then came back here to do homework. Then after I consumed a lot of food for dinner, I went to work outside, helping some of the weaker humans do their jobs. Sometimes, if I was in a good mood, I would do their work for them, but that wasn't very often.

I didn't do much other than that, but I watched with wide eyes, the world the humans had to face. In a way I was shielded from this way of life, living in a big house, having eons of money to dispose of, good food, and a nice family. These guys had nothing. Now I wasn't going to go on a "Save the World" rampage, but it made me think more highly of the life I have.

Life I had before Jason kicked me out.

At it was all going pretty well, though it first killed me when I found out I couldn't have girls over here, until I started having dreams. And they were all the same! A girl I didn't recognize was talking to me. And we spoke about things I didn't remember later, but I knew they were important. It seemed like she was warning me from something that I didn't understand. She would flip her hair impatiently each night, like she knew I wasn't paying that much attention to her. It was like she was real and she was waiting for me to take this all in.

"Jonathan, pay attention!" the girl slapped my face harshly before I turned to look at her again.

"To what? There's nothing about me you know."

She closed her eyes and pinched her nose. "I know far more about yourself than you do, but you're not getting the bigger picture. You need to be careful, they will destroy you and your family."

I barked out laughter. "My mom is dead and my family has abandoned me. What else can I do but protect myself? I can do this on my own."

Her eyes, a color that I couldn't name, filled with a great sadness as I spoke of my mother, but she shook her head vigorously again. "No, Jonathan, you can't. You need Jason's help."

I hissed. "I don't need anyone's help but my own! Jason doesn't cant me and I don't want him to. We can't help each other for there is nothing to help! Jason is not stronger than me, there fore I do not need his assistance."

"You blind fool! Do you not get what I am telling you? Its like speaking to a wall." the girl took a deep breath, calming herself. "I'm here to warn you, but first you need to get that you and your father are equal. More equal than you will ever know."

"Then go harass his dreams and leave me alone. Tell him to request me back and maybe I'll think about it. And I don't even know what you are warning me about! How can I get help when I don't know what will soon be attacking me."

She sighed and looked around frantically. "Quickly, for they are coming. You need to train yourself to fight-

And that's where the dream always ended when my alarm clock went off. As I sat there, eyes closed, I could think about what we had talked about, but when my lids opened ever so slightly, the knowledge of our conversation vanished. And like always, I sat up with a major head ache to start my day.

Wonderful.

I scrubbed the tiles floors and swept any loose dirt away. I cleaned the shower with bleach until I could see it literally sparkle. I sprayed the mirrors hastily, hearing my stomach grumble. I refused to look at my reflection, almost thinking that if I did I would see a monster staring back at me. I finished this process for five bathrooms, cleaning like a neat freak. When I was done I flung the dirty towels down the laundry shoot, ditched the bowl in the cabinet, and put various cleaning supplies in their proper places.

I walked down the hallway with silent foot steps, as normal, so I wouldn't wake up anyone. I opened the door to my room with the same silence and ruffled through my clean clothes. I sniffed around for my favorite cotton shirt with my eyes closed, a little test I liked to put myself through. I smiled as I found the black shirt that Skylar had gotten me a few years ago. It said "Bite Me" on the front and it had little vampire teeth on the back. I always found this hilarious; it was my favorite gift I had gotten for some time.

I slid on some blue jeans with a rip at the knee and sat on the bed, springs barely creaking. Then, trying to kill time like normal, I took stock of the room.

It was pretty much the same size as my old room, but this one was more square. I had put the mattress over by the corner of the room, away from the light of the window, so I could have more room. There was only one dresser, which I put all my work out clothes in, boxers, jeans, shorts, that sort of thing. I hung up all my shirts in my closet, from light to dark. Call me OCD, but I liked it this way. My shoes were stuffed in the back of the closet, but in easy reach if I needed a quick get away. There was on carpet that I put by the door for people to track their muddy shoes, but it didn't really bother me that much, because no one came to visit me.

Not that I wanted them to. If anyone at my school found out I was living in a homeless shelter, it would be the end of my dating career. But then again, maybe girls would think that its hot and would want to have me more. Huh, I hadn't really thought of that. But still. I was symbolized as weak here. I was a teen living on my own, with no money, no family, no anything really. All I had was my duffle bag that I brought here full of clothes. The only important thing that I thought about bringing here was the picture of Jason and Claire. Once I got here I laid that picture on the nightstand next to the bed, it being held up by the lonely lamp.

When Denise, the owner, walked in when I first moved here to see how I was doing, she stopped and picked up the photo. She smiled. "This your girlfriend?" she had asked simply

"No. It's my father's wife." I told her, taking back the picture once she was done looking at it.

"Well, you look very much like him." she smiled again and walked out of the room without a second glance.

That was the only conversation I ever had with her. I never saw her walk around much, but when she did she was always busy, shuffling around with papers, and then introducing new members to the shelter.

When the clock on my night stand beeped, I looked over to see the time. Seven-thirty. Time to eat.

I pulled myself off the bed and stretched my muscles. My back cracked in a few places as I felt each muscle get warm for the day. I stepped out into the empty hallway. It wasn't a very nice hallway, dingy and even rotting in some places, but to these people who had nothing, it was home to them. The doors on each side were lined with even spaces, some decorated by the kids that live there with their single parents. Some, like me, not even having parents here. I slid down the rail and once my feet hit the floor, I could smell eggs and bacon.

I walked to the kitchen room, immediately assaulted with different scents of food, that were so strong. I felt my mouth water, but as my throat burned, I knew I wasn't hungry.

I was thirsty.

Moving cautiously through the room, I grabbed a tray anyway and filled it up with ham, bread, eggs, some cereal, two muffins, a half a pound of bacon and some two percent milk. I wolfed it down like normal, feeling the eyes of the kitchen staff burn holes in my shirt from their stares. I tried hard to keep my breathing light, afraid that if I took in their delicious human scent, I would be too weak and pounce on them. Once I was done I put the tray into a pile of dirty dishes.

I walked out of there without a word, as usual, when I heard movement up stairs. People were staring to wake up for their breakfast, but that means any one of them could become mine. I took the stairs two at a time, not breathing, grabbed my book bag, and jumped the stairs before a soul came out of their rooms.

I opened the door, taking in the fresh air of the morning, and turned around. The outside of the building was a creamy white, almost soft brown. The walls were cracking in some areas, while moss and weeds were scaling the wall as a constant rate. The ground around it was full of bugs and dead flowers covered in snow. Taking a few steps, I felt small little snow flakes hit my face. Trudging through the snow wasn't bad, but I bet people were gawking at the crazy kid with no jacket on. Hey, its never cold for a vampire.

So here I walked away from the place I called home for now. It wasn't as good as my old place, but I was lucky I didn't need very many things. Around me the streets were lined with cars, waiting to get to work. People rushed through the side walks, barely missing me by inches, too busy to notice a kid trying to get to school. Some guy shoved over a little girl, who was calling for her mother desperately.

Infuriated, I gave the girl my hand and hoisted her into my arms. "Do you know where your mom went, sweetie?"

She shook her head quickly, obviously full of fear.

I sniffed around her, taking in her scent and her mother's, but for a moment, I wasn't filled with a burning desire to eat her.

I followed the trail and soon found the women, who too was searching for her daughter.

"Excuse me, but does this child belong to you?"

The women turned, her eyes darting to her daughter's face. She lit up with a smile and took to girl from my arms, kissing her head and holding her close. "Thank you." she told me.

I didn't really respond other than a short nod and proceeded to the woods, where there I found a buck.