Chapter 10: Small Flames

In Amanda's car, the silence and tension were so thick, Jeremy was smothering. Amanda never looked his way, and Mr. Hall only focused on the road ahead, as he was the one driving. The two in the back were rather embarrassed about what Cerberu had said, Jeremy especially. He knew it was totally obvious now, anyway. He'd grown to 'liking' Amanda. It wouldn't be long until it got worse, unless he did something about it...

"You both are very brave," Hall said stately, "standing like you did. It takes great courage to stand in the face of that great beast. But now he is dead, and he will trouble us no more." He went on a tangent about how bold spirits seemed to dwell in both of them, and that they were a right royal pair when it came to the courage they showed in that great battle. Amanda zoned out, seeing as how she was now overrun by questions about what had happened. Everyone seemed to be altering somehow. Nothing was the same... Chris had been acting strangely at school, and Gary and Bethany were following suit. The Halls, too, seemed to be acting different. All because of Jeremy, she reasoned... and now he was adding to the strangeness. His fingernails - she saw him seemingly try to gnaw them shorter, with lengthened canines - had grown amazingly long, in such a short time. What was he? The question rang in her mind again... What are you?

Jeremy kept clutching his stomach out of pain, and he was quickly seeing just how fast he was beginning to return to normal. Dizziness plagued his head, and he had to keep closing his eyes as he stared out the window to keep from falling sick. The pain was becoming too much... he broke into a cold sweat, and began moaning somewhat quietly. He had no idea he was even doing it.

Mr. Hall's eyes remained half on the road and half on him as they finally drew close to his and Amanda's home, and they all began to go into a mad frenzy when he pulled into her driveway. Amanda at first tried to help Mr. Hall and Jeremy manage to get inside his home, but the former finally snapped and shooed her away. Once inside, Jeremy was writhing about in pain, and Amanda was still shunned, this time by both the Halls. At last he'd fallen asleep, but even then they paid little attention to her. Instead they spent all their breath mourning and lamenting about how the "poor young lad" was suffering. At last Amanda forced them to give her mind.

"Mr. Hall, what was that thing?" she asked, stepping between both of them and speaking loudly and directly to the man. Instead of an answer, she received a chide from his wife about how she was too loud for "the poor dear" to sleep. At that point the young girl snapped, taking Mr. Hall by the shoulders. "Mr. Hall! That thing in the park, what was it? And those birds! And..." Here her voice lowered. "And Jeremy! Didn't you... you saw his teeth and fingernails!" She was beginning to get overly anxious. "And you! You killed it!"

"Amanda! Amanda, dear!" Mr. Hall said, trying to calm her down. "You must have been blinded by fear! The beast was nothing more than a creature let loose from the zoo, I assure you of it! And the birds were along for the ride."

"They talked to us!"

"A trick of the mind," he said, dismissing it promptly. "And killing the animals was nothing too difficult. Honestly Amanda, the things you saw on the boy here were also tricks of the mind. Come now, little Miss. Now you need to go... My word! Amanda, you're bleeding!" He wheeled her about quickly, observing the bloody gash on her back and the few lines of blood on her arm. That explained why she was now feeling a little dizzy and was pale. He immediately set her down on a chair near the couch where Jeremy slept, and Mrs. Hall began tending to her wounds. Instead of answering the frantic questions she posed, Amanda just sat there and let herself be tended to. She was sick and tired of it. If they weren't going to answer her question, she wasn't going to answer theirs.

Her eyes kept wandering to the man asleep on the couch, her stomach turning in anxiety as she thought of what she'd seen. Whoever... whatever he was, the beast had wanted him. She was just the bonus kill. And he was referred to as a "king" and "Sire", and all that. That explained the authoritative appearance he had, that stern look he could give... she blushed a little as she realized that, though his methods were... strange... he'd fought to try to protect her. He wanted to keep her safe. And she was just going to repay him with thoughts against him.

Breathing became laborious when she ran over what Cerberu had said in the park: human lover, the king and his lady. And Jeremy had reacted in a way that was obviously giving it away. Only a few days and he was... he had a crush on her? A man, two years older than she was, that she picked up from the streets, and nursed back to health - who might not even had been human in the first place - ... liked her? Impossible, she decided. But he'd flushed. He'd colored. And so did she.

No, no, Josh Stewart, the quarterback, was her crush, not... Jeremy. But Jeremy was so much... he was almost more handsome than Josh was. Josh was cute. Jeremy was... she couldn't describe it. She knew that no one else would say so, but... Her ears burned. Mr. and Mrs. Hall were staring at her now, as the latter finished applying a bandage to her injured arm and the former picked out the last splinter in her hand. She hadn't even noticed. "Should... should I take Jeremy home with me tonight?" she asked, a little dazed from the experience.

"Yes, but we need a little bit of time alone with him," Mrs. Hall answered, feeling the cold shoulder she had been given before. "If you'd like, you can go home, and we'll help him over when we're through with him." She tried to smile, as if to repent for her misdeeds before. Though grudgingly, Amanda silently forgave her. She also took her up on her offer, and went next door to her home, taking a seat on the couch without much thought to anything else.

"I'm losing it," she murmured, shaking her head as she laid down. "I'm seriously losing it." Amanda, taking advantage of being alone, began to reflect vocally, as she thought it better to think that way. "I mean... seeing some big monster in the park, seeing Jeremy so... messed up..." She paused. "Jeremy in general. I can't believe I actually... and that he..." She blushed at the thought. He'd come to liking her, and she was starting to feel like... she'd come to liking him. A shudder ran through her body; it just didn't feel right, and yet...

The phone rang in interruption, and she silently thanked whoever was calling - Chris, if the caller ID was right - for taking her out of the embarassing thought. Still... what if she spilled it? She picked up the phone, spoke into it, and received a shouted scold from the other line. "Chris? You okay?"

"Okay? Okay?!" he chided, and she felt like a whipped puppy. "You almost got yourself killed out there!"

"You heard about it?" she gasped, realizing that word definitely travelled fast.

"Oh, I, uh..." There was a pause on the other end of the line. "I... Yeah."

"Who told you?"

"Mrs... Mrs. Hall."

"Really?" She couldn't really make herself believe it. She knew Mrs. Hall hadn't called anyone while she was there, unless it had been just as she left. "Wow, she can move fast."

"Yeah," Chris said, and she detected a sigh of relief. "Listen... I... I need to talk to you tonight. Just you."

"Shoot," she said, shrugging.

"No, I mean... in person. Can you... y'know... come over?" He seemed more nervous than ever as he spoke, which struck her as odd. "Please. It's really important."

"Do you need me over right now?"

"No... yes. Just come on over..." His voice trailed off, until it came back in a half-shouted impulse, "I'll have dinner, if you... haven't... had any..." She replied that she hadn't, and that she would enjoy it if it was okay. He sighed again with relief and hung up. She half wondered by he didn't just come over himself, but figured since he'd came the last time, she should return the favor. She dressed to leave again, being careful around her wounds, and began to leave for the door. Something in her gut, however, told her to check the flaming plant Jeremy had sitting on the dresser. Not knowing why, she did.

The flame was small, almost out, even, It flickered a little, and she didn't try to start it up or put it out completely. Chris had a reason, she figured, just like he probably did now. She didn't even know why he always seemed to know what was going on, even before she or the others did... just a quirk, she'd decided. Still... something about the tiny flame made her shudder. Things were to come she wasn't going to particularly enjoy.

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Chris smiled as he opened his door, hurriedly ushering her inside and clearing out a spot for her on the couch by moving the large number of books he'd left. On the coffee table, where he had drinks resting, he'd turned Humanity and the Relevance Thereof over, so that the back faced up, and just told her to use it as a coaster. "It's thick," he said, grinning, "it can handle it."

She'd laughed too, unaware of what she was using. Chris' dinner turned out to be just take-out, as he admitted that he didn't really have anything ready when he called. He cringed a little when she began asking him why he invited her - to dinner, mostly - but his expression softened as he fudged something to tell her. He couldn't bear to tell her why he'd told her about a dinner. Everything else though... it had to be said.

"Amanda," he began, not sure on how to say it. "Uh... it's... about Jeremy..."

She angrily set her cup down on the book, sighing with frustration. "It's always about him! Why does everyone care so much? He's just some homeless guy I'm taking care of, that you helped get in. What else is there? It's not like he's important to anyone..." Her voice trailed off now, and he visibly winced, a metaphorical stab to the heart. What he'd feared was coming true.

"Amanda, as you saw in the park today, he's not... stable," he said, messing around with the food he'd arranged on a plate to make it look like he'd cooked it. "Not... I don't know... I just know that he's not safe for you to be around. Especially in the coming days."

She shook her head. "Why does everyone act like this? Why won't someone just tell me what is going on?"

"It's not that easy!" he snapped back, unaware of how he was using his voice. "There are just some things you have no business knowing about."

"What, are you guys in some kinda cult?" she asked, all seriousness on her face. "Are you? What's this about, Chris?"

He tried to silence her, or at least quieten her down. "Listen, if you had any idea," he whispered, "what was really going on, you wouldn't have anything to do with any of us anymore. Especially Jeremy. Oh, your favorite man has his own problems! Didn't you see him? His teeth are longer for a reason, Amanda. His fingernails are longer for a reason. He fights like he does for a reason, Amanda!" His whispers had become harsh chidings again. "I act like I do for a reason. The Halls do too. We have our reasons, Amanda."

"Just tell me what they are," she begged, not even trying the food now that she was into this conversation. "Please, Chris! I want to know who... or what... is in my house, and who or what my friends and neighbors are. I want to know why Jeremy..." She fell silent. Chris looked up now, their eyes meeting.

"Why Jeremy... what?"

"He's... he's so... Chris, he's..."

"Spit it out!"

"He's the cutest guy I've ever seen!"

Silence.

"... Chris?" More silence. "Chris?" He didn't answer. "Chris." Finally he looked up, though had a solemn, unreadable expression on his face. "I... I think I like him. Like... like him. I mean, he's nice, he's cute, he's... he's just..."

"Dinner was nice," he said, interrupting her suddenly. "Don't you think you should be going home? I mean, school tomorrow and everything." His face was still unreadable as he cleared off his mess and took it to the small kitchen in the next room over. She followed, taking her own plate. He just placed them in the sink and walked back to the living room, something unusual for him. She did the same, and followed him back out.

"What's... what's wrong?" she asked, her hand resting on his shoulder.

Chris just shook his head as he began. "I drop hint after hint after hint. I've said it in front of you once, and you look the other way. I've been there for you in every way possible since our freshman year. Freshman year! I'm there for you whenever you need me. I just put aside whatever I'm doing and run straight to you if you need it." The sound of his voice was a steady crescendo into fury, his hand motions becoming more and more emphasized. His breathing even became somewhat shaky, his eyes watery. "What about it all don't you get?"

She was still oblivious. She told him that she didn't know what she was talking about, and that just sent him off the deep end. "Amanda, I like you. As in, I like you. I've dropped every hint I know how to in your face, and you never even see them! Gary figured it out! Bethy figured it out! Jeremy probably figured it..." He stopped. "What does Jeremy have that I don't? Height? I've got that. Just not as much. Strength? In his state, I could probably beat him. What does he have, Amanda?"

She stammered in a struggle to reply, but he went on. "It's not that hard to come up with something, apparently. I've known you for four years and you still don't see it. He's known you for, what, a week? Less? And you like him? Amanda, I... I love you!"

This time, the silence was on Amanda's part. He opened the front door, holding out his arm. "Go on. I don't need to tell you anything. You can walk into your own fate, like everyone else! Amanda, I've been giving you help for the future. Now this... just leave." He held the door open wider, and she started to walk out. Before he shut the door, she turned to face him a moment, and, for a brief moment, he found a tear falling from his eye.

"I'm sorry," she answered softly, shaking her head a little as she backed off his front step. "He just feels... right."

He slammed the door, and proceeded to go on a rage-filled swearing spree all the way to his bed.

Erilis: Teeensiooooon. Feel it. Cut it with a knife.

Diego: 'Kay. R&R.