Fangs & Fins

Chapter 25: "A New Way of Seeing"

Please don't say it, please don't say it, Rose thought. She knew who attacked Lewis. Well, not who, but what. It had to be a vampire. Who else could do all that damage? But still, she didn't want it to be true.

"We don't know who, but we know for a fact it was a vampire." Lily explained to Rose.

Rose was so not in the mood for this right now. She had had enough of vampires.

"Rose? Can you help me with Lewis?" Lily asked. Lily also knew that she couldn't do this alone.

"Guys, I'm fine. It's no big deal." Lewis murmured.

"Lewis, no you're notཀ You are the exact opposite of fine." Lily told him. Then she turned to Rose. "Rose? Are you gonna just stand there or what?"

Rose wasn't even listening to Lily; she just kept staring at Lewis' wounds. His bites and marks that were caused by a vampire.

"Rose? Hello? Earth to Rose?" Lily said annoyed. She tried to get her younger sister's attention.

"Whatཀ?" Rose finally managed to say.

"What is with you? I know you've had a thing with vampires lately, but this is ridiculousཀ" Lily retorted.

"Lily, you don't get itཀ" Rose tried to explain. But it was no use, she didn't understand.

"Get what? How one guy just so happened to be a vampire whom you fell in love with for like what a month or so? You wanna know what I think?" Lily was sick of her younger sister trying to be such a little martyr.

Rose didn't even say anything, she just kept on saying nothing as usual; like the old blase Rose.

"I think that you're acting ridiculous. Why can't you get over it and stop acting like such a drama queen little bitchཀ Life moves on." Immediately after Lily said those last sentences, she instantly regretted them. "Rose, I didn't mean it-"

"No, it's fine. Sorry if I've been such a burden on your life. Enjoy your drama free life." Rose ran downstairs and instantly out of the Collin's home. She could start to feel the tears stream down her face. Come on Rose, stop being such a little baby and grow up, Rose tried to tell herself. It was no use, the tears came anyway.

"Is there a problem?"

Rose glanced in the direction of the voice.

It was none other then Byron, standing not farther then her.

"No, I'm fine," Rose explained, trying to quickly wipe away any evidence that she was crying a minute ago.

"Well, you don't look fine," Byron said, glancing at her current state. "Anything you want to talk about?" Byron started to inch closer to her.

"No, not really." Rose just wanted to get out of this awkward situation.

"Come on, you can tell me. We're friends aren't we?" With every word he said, he crept closer and closer to her.

Rose finally caved in. "It's just, nothing has ever gone right for me. I'm just so sick of itཀ I just want to feel happy againཀ"

Byron was near inches from her face. "I think I can help with that."

And then the next thing Rose knew, Byron was kissing Roseཀ And he was right, for the first time, she felt happy; she felt aliveཀ

Soon enough, the kissing had grown intense. Byron had moved from kissing her lips to kissing her neck.

Rose wasn't even aware of what was going on, she was just amazed to be feeling this rush of excitement. Doing something that she obviously doesn't do.

But then something strange happened. Where Byron was kissing her (still on her neck), she could have sworn that she felt something sharp on her neck.

She winced and screamed in pain.

Turns out that Byron was sucking her life away.

Rose woke up with a start. She was breathing heavily and immensely freaked out about her freaky dream. She touched her neck, no sign of any scratches or bites, thank goodness.

Rose had no idea what was up with that dream. She was sure that it was real.

She then quickly looked around at her surroundings.

She was in Elliot's room; she seemed to be here a lot lately.

She could hear Lily yelling, "Please Rose, come out, I didn't mean it. I'm sorry."

Rose had no clue how long she was asleep for, but she knew that she didn't want to see anybody or do anything for that matter.

She waited a good five to ten minutes until she couldn't hear Lily outside the door.

I have to get out of this room sooner or later, Rose thought.

She moved from the bed and gripped her hand on the doorknob. She didn't know what she would find behind the door, but she figured it couldn't be any worse then what she just dreamt.

I could have sworn that dream was real, Rose thought.

She turned the lock and ventured out, hesitating every step.

So far so good, Rose thought.

As she made her way further down the hall and down the stairs, she noticed that no one seemed to be home. Lily probably went to get someone to get me out of Elliot's room, Rose thought.

It was as she made her way to the livingroom did she see him.

Byron; just sitting there watching TV, like nothing was wrong.

Well obviously Byron didn't know what happened in my dream, Rose thought.

Byron turned around when he noticed Rose's presence. "Finally done crying in my room?"

Rose couldn't help staring at him and imagining him smiling with fangs.

"I have to go," Rose muttered.

"What'd I do?" Byron asked.

But before he could get an answer, Rose was on the run.

Rose had needed to get out of that house. Away from it all. She knew the perfect place to escape to. Besides Mako Island, where she always went when she was moody or upset about something, the next best thing was the beach.

When she was a little girl her family always had an annual picnic every month or so at the beach and Rose had loved every minute of it. She used to always help her mom make the sandwiches and get everything ready before they headed out.

Stop thinking about it. It'll only make you more sad and upset, Rose tried telling herself. But it didn't work, the tears starting rolling down her cheeks.

What is with me crying all the time?

"Hey Roseཀ"

Rose definitely was not in the mood to talk. But Rose looked into the direction of the speaker anyway. She was quite surprised when she found out who it was.

Ben.

"Ben, what are you doing here?"

"Well, I always love checking out my next victims and the beach is the perfect place."

Rose just stared at him, completely disgusted.

"That was a joke, you can laugh you know."

Rose didn't find it funny.

"Is everything ok? You seem upset."

Rose was shocked that Ben was talking to her and not once had he tried to use a cheesy line or anything.

"I'm fine." Rose replied.

"You know, I don't buy that. Come on, you can talk to me, I won't bite." Ben smiled at his own joke.

Rose couldn't help but laugh and smile.

"Hey, there's the Rose I know and loveཀ" Ben then raised his arms and in the air and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, she smiledཀ"

No one on the beach seemed to really care.

"I don't think they care."

"Well, then screw them. Now Rose, what is really on your mind? Don't say nothing."

Rose figured it was better that she talk to someone (even though it was Ben) then to just keep her feelings hidden deep inside of her. "Well, I'm just tired of feeling like thisཀ I want to just be normal againཀ"

"But you're not normal. No one is. What is normal anyway?" Ben replied.

"Well...I want to be happy at least. I don't think I've ever been truly happy."

"I beg to differཀ I saw you when you were with James. You were head over heels in love with that guyཀ If that's not happy I don't know what is." Ben told her.

"And, I'm also just so sick of...vampires, no offense."

"None taken. But why? Why are you so hung up on this? I thought you teenage girls were supposed to be obsessed with us?"

Rose then told Ben the whole story on her mother, her brother and their tragic deaths.

"That's why."

"That stinks. But you know, not all vampires are like that. I know one handsome lad that certainly isn't."

"Ben, it's so not you."

"I wasn't talking about me." Ben paused. "I'm talking about James. You know he's really devastated about this whole situation."

"Really?"

"Of courseཀ He's probably as miserable as you if not moreཀ Trust me." Ben explained.

Rose was quite confused about something. "Ben, why are you talking to me? Why are you being so nice to me?"

"Because I care about you and I don't want to see you like this."

"You care?"

"Hey, that hurtsཀ" Ben said.

Before Rose knew it, an hour had passed, and they were still talking.

Rose glanced down at her watch. "We've been sitting her for an hourཀ"

Ben laughed, "Time flies by when you're having fun."

Rose glanced down at the water. She was glad that she didn't go to Mako, she was actually enjoying herself here...with Ben.

"Feeling any better?" Ben asked.

"Yeah, much. Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

And Rose did something she thought she would never do. She kissed Ben. On the cheek.

"What was that for?" Ben asked.

"For being there for me." Rose replied.

Sorry for the long wait once again. It's been about 2 months since we last updated. :(
But hey, we're back so...YAY!
What'd you guys think? Like it, Love it? Hate it? I personally think it's ok.
REVIEW!!! :)
And Maddie&I are working on some other F&F related stuff, you'll just have to wait & see what those things are!

until next time,

-Kelly