Keaira pushed Rei away and whipped her mouth. Blood was everywhere. She glared at Rei but he merely licked his lips and fangs clean grinning at her madly. She was appalled, turned on for sure, but appalled all the same.
"What what that!" She pushed him down from the bed to the floor jumping up on the bed to put that little bit of distance between them. Laughter poured out of his mouth as she "moon walked" across the bed and jumped off the opposite side from him.
"What?" he smiled in an attempt to fake innocence. "That kiss?"
"THAT KISS!!!" her hands were balled into fists at her sides. She couldn't believe he did that. Why that...that....that!! She shook her head and tried to calm down. The kiss was more than just magical, she'd felt it's work before. She knew what he was trying to prove, still she didn't know why he was trying to prove it. His parents and her Grams knew all along that they were soul mates, but they also knew that something had torn the two apart. It was some unmentionable tragedy that they thought was near impossible to overcome. Somehow in the mix of their high school years each others names were scarcely mentioned in the others home. Keaira would ignore her grandmother when she would bring news about something she had heard or seen Rei did or do. And Rei, he would snarl at his mother and father if they mentioned that Keaira was a wonderful girl, and rumor was she was turning out to be a fine witch. The occasional moan or groan was all the Parental Units would receive from the two about each other.
Yet just at this moment, she felt lost in his eyes. Damn him! Damn everything about that stupid bloodsucking jerk! She couldn't take his stare anymore, she had to focus on something else. Yes...focus on something OTHER than Rei. With a deep inhale she found a subject worth starring at, her copy of "The Outsiders". It was one of her favorite books, and she had the movie stashed away in her closet, watching it if she was alone on a weekend. A brief memory flashed through her mind. Rei had bought her that book. They were at the bookstore together as kids, she wanted to buy it but she didn't have the money, pay day wasn't until that weekend, a long week to pass during a lazy childhood summer. At the soda shop where Rei bought each of them Orange Sherbet Smoothies he insisted that he'd forgotten something at the bookstore, and that she go on home without him. Without a thought she did as he said. That night when she went up to her room she found a copy of it on her pillow with a note tucked inside reading: "I know you want this so bad, and I could never refuse you anything that would make you smile. Take this as a token of my love and appreciation for our friendship. Yours in love with you always - Rei" That note was still her bookmark. She swallowed and her eyes returned to his gaze. Were they sharing the same memories? Rei nodded and sent images to her, memories of the movie version of "The Outsiders" was shown on television, they stayed up late together in the den of his house to watch it, nearly falling asleep on each other toward the end, it didn't matter though, the copy of the movie she had stashed away in her closet now, was the copy he was making that night, after all her birthday was soon. She lowered her head.
"You were the best friend I ever had. You didn't care that I was a witch even then." she swallowed feeling guilty now. "You didn't care that I had chores and a job to do everyday after school, you were there outside the shop on your bike waiting on me every time." she took a breath.
"Then you left me." He whispered. Slowly she started to remember how the end all started. It was eighth grade, she had been elected to study overseas for a year, an entire school year! And even more than that she was going to be able to stay with her Great Aunt Rosengurtal in Germany while she did so. Germany where part of her family was from, Schwitzen, her mothers maiden name. Her mothers family. A slight nod. She remembered now, it was a great year, she'd hit a growth spurt while she was away, her chest growing out, her hair taming, her braces being taken off. By the time she returned she was almost a new girl. And she spoke German fluently, very fluently.
"I never meant for it to be that." she sighed and looked away. "I just...I couldn't pass that up...I missed Aunt Rosie--"
"That's a lie you couldn't stand that nasty old wrench!" Rei interjected.
"Yeah...SO!" she sighed. "I just wanted an adventure...was that so wrong of me?"
"I could have given you an adventure..." he grinned. "Anytime."
"Rei." She warned giving him a harsh look.
"Sorry....All the same you weren't the girl I knew when you came back." He crossed his arms.
"Yes I was!" Her temper was starting to flare. "You just started to tease me like the other boys did!!" her fists were at her sides. "You'd do the same cat calls, you...you'd yell the same pick names and write the same embarrassing lies on my locker at school!!" Her mouth twitched. "You turned your back on me!!" She pointed a small delicate finger at him.
"Whoa! Hold on a second! You were the one who went artsy all the sudden and started taking advanced classes--"
"You could have taken the same ones Rei Morgan!" She crossed her arms again. "Why do I even bother...it always goes back to this!!" she sighed. "I'm going down to open the shop...occupy yourself...I don't care!" she stormed out of the room. Both thought themselves the fool, they couldn't change...that was obvious.
