Hope you liked that last chapter! I don't know whether Steve actually is the Vampaneze Lord – but anyway! Uh, I'd rather not talk about the whole 'River' thing – all you have to know that he's real – except that's not his name, and that, well, I think we're over, okay? It's true – he was my boyfriend. If I went missing my parents would definitely blame him… here's why… read on!
I own only Tamza, me, the Grays and River.
The Vampire Child, Chapter Three
"Have you heard from your girlfriend yet River Spring?" Chloe joked, elbowing her foster-brother. River frowned and looked down at the floor. How cruel had it been for his father to have a last name like 'Spring' and call him 'River'? He'd been teased ever since he was knee high. "How can I? Internet's not set up yet, dumbo!"
"That's enough River!" Dad hissed. "I'm done anyway!" River cried, storming upstairs, furiously. Chloe stuck her tongue out. She loved winding him up. David and Kelly in the front room looked up at their brother, solemnly. Why does Dad always side with Chloe? Kelly wondered.
River hammered his desk, furious. He desperately wanted to shake some sense into his foster sister but he'd be grounded if he did. "She's three years younger than you River, do you really expect it to be a fair fight?" Dad said. River frowned and slapped the side of his laptop. They'd been here less than two weeks and already the house's atmosphere was strained. He so badly wanted the Internet working again – just so he could talk to Hannah. At least the Broadband guy was coming in tomorrow.
"Why would they blame him?" Steve asked, curious. Hannah looked anywhere but at him and wiped her eyes. "You wouldn't understand," she hissed. Steve shrugged. "Try me,"
"Just take me back!" she howled, kicking him right where it hurts. Steve's face flashed red and his eyes widened. "Why you little-"
He stopped, hearing the sound of a car outside. No… not a car… a van… Hannah started breathing in pants and Steve slapped his hand across her mouth. Someone was coming… Oh God, he isn't here already...
"Internet's on!" Dad cried up the stairs and River muttered 'Yes' under his breath. He turned his laptop on immediately and went on his Yahoo account, ready to read Hannah's mails.
There wasn't that many compared to the usual. It was strange – because normally when they didn't talk for a while she hammered him with emails. He opened up one of the newest ones, hoping it bore an explanation. He leant closer to the screen and gaped at the words: You lied to me. Short and sweet, that was the message.
He shook his head in confusion, and read them in order, from the oldest to the newest.
Hi babes, I can't believe you'll be here on Wednesday! Love you lots, HannahI really need to talk to you Rev, it's important.
So are you here yet? Are you going to New College? He paused. He wasn't going to New College – he was going to Swindon College. Dad had got mixed up with the application forms. He wondered for a minute… then started panicking. He read through the rest. One was from her dad.
I don't want you talking to my daughter anymore. I know you're moving down and prefer it if you would stay away from her. No more emails, phone calls, anything.
He froze and he realised that he was shaking. Not again… All the other mails were the same, except for the last one. Basically they all said: "Are you here yet?" and "Call me," The last one didn't. The last one said:
Are you still talking to me? I don't know what I could've done wrong but I don't care. You lied to me. You told me you were going to New College but my school rang them up and they've never heard of you. I don't know what I'm supposed to think. But mainly I think it's over. I've met someone else. Sure, I've met him today in town and I've never seen him before but – do you know what? You're my boyfriend of seven months and I've never seen you before either. In fact – I've never met you, not even seen your face! You could be forty for all I know! And I love this guy. I did love you but you blew your chance when you lied to me.
His name is Darren, Darren Shan (like the books). And do you know what? He loves me too. In fact, we're happy. He's the same age as me, not older or younger. He knows what I like, I know what he likes. He has a face! Unlike you, I've never seen yours. After seven months surely I should've seen something! He's kind and caring, funny and smart. He's gorgeous! And I never, ever want to hear from you again. My dad was right. You did mess up my head – big time.
And that was where it ended. He'd begun crying as soon as he read the second line and now he was howling. It was all one big mistake and now she was in love with someone else. He didn't know whether to tell her that she'd got it wrong – she wouldn't believe him. His Hannah? Gone? After seven months where they'd stayed true and now this? All because of their stupid parents!
River was shaking and within an instant, his stationary and paper on the desk was on the floor. He screamed louder than he had in his whole life and shut the PC off. "DAD! Get me the phonebook!" he yelled down the stairs, flinging his door open. Whoever this 'Darren Shan' was – he was going to get it… big time.
River didn't know that that instant, Hannah's friend, Chris, had sent him a message. It went as follows: You brd! Where is she? Where's Hannah? Why would you take her? Why? What did she ever do to you except fall in love with you? I should've never ever let her trust you. Give her back now you pervt!
But of course, he couldn't reply saying that he didn't have her – no one would believe him. He was already too busy looking up 'Shan' in the phone book. When he couldn't find it, he tried the operator and was sent straight through to a block of flats, where a woman called Natasha answered the phone.
"Is Darren there?" he asked, face red.
"Well… he's in the other flat, hang on – do you want his number?"
"Yes please," he replied, tightly. Natasha read out a number and immediately afterwards, he dialled.
"Hello?" Darren picked up the phone, Mr Crepsley fast asleep in his coffin. He spoke quietly, so as not to wake him up. He felt emotionally and physically drained, it was a struggle to keep his eyes open. "Is that Darren?" said a voice that sounded oddly like Mike Skinner (The Streets).
"Uh, yeah, who's speaking?"
"Does it matter?" the other guy hissed. Darren's eyes snapped open. It occurred to him that this might be the vampaneze who kidnapped Hannah. "Stay away from my girlfriend!" They both screamed at the same time. Darren was holding the receiver at arms length, as was River less than three blocks away. They were both crying, wanting to reach out to the other and flatten them.
"I don't know who you are but let her go…" "She's my girlfriend, Darren, not yours!" Suddenly, Darren stopped. He realised that this must be the person Hannah had told him about - the ex-boyfriend. "Wait…"
"No! Leave her alone, okay? She's got it wrong – I never lied to her!"
"No listen! Don't you know-?" Darren began. The other person stopped. "Know what?" he snapped.
"Hannah's gone missing. She's been missing a day now. No one knows where she is…"
River dropped the phone, his face turning as white as a sheet. He felt like he was going to be sick. There were shouts coming from the phone, trying to grab attention. Slowly he bent down and picked it up, shaking violently.
"Whatever you think, I didn't do it… and if you did - I'll kill you," he said, speaking like a psychotic murderer – slowly and deadly.
"I didn't do it. I know what the person looks like, roughly, but…" Darren spoke, reassuringly.
"People are gonna think I did it!" Hannah's ex-boyfriend croaked, sitting down on his bed.
"Why would they think that?" Darren asked, curious.
"Because I met her on the Internet and just moved here. Her dad told us to separate – they might think that I'm a paedophile or something. They're gonna think I raped her!"
Darren's eyes widened. So that's why Hannah had replied to 'Do you have a boyfriend?' that way. Darren could tell, with his vampire powers, that this guy was telling the truth. He was eighteen or so, and madly in love with Hannah just as Darren was. And he was terrified. He would be taken into jail if he couldn't string evidence together to prove his innocence. Because he was innocent – and Darren knew that nobody would believe him.
Hannah fell out of the front door and was caught by Gavner before she hit the ground. She looked up at him, smiled, and fainted. Steve – inside the house, hiding – watched out of the window as the girl he'd captured was taken back home. Under his breath, he muttered the words: "I didn't know he would come so soon…"
"What has he done this time?" Dad asked the policeman on the doorstep. He didn't need to ask who they were after. River had bunked off school so many times before he wasn't surprised he needed to pay a fine. "We're looking for your son - River Spring?"
"Yes, yes, what's he done?" Dad asked, frowning, his arms folded.
"He's supposedly kidnapped a girl by the name of Hannah Parker, can you vouch for him?"
Dad's mouth opened and he turned to the stairs. "But that's my son's girlfriend he wouldn't… River! River there's someone here to see you!" he called up the stairs, clicking his tongue, impatiently. Slowly, a dark haired boy trudged down the steps, slowly and painfully.
He spotted the police officer and groaned. "River?" the policeman smiled slightly. "We're here to ask you a few questions regarding your girlfriend." He said it as if he couldn't quite believe it, as if he wasn't in a relationship with her at all. River felt sour. He loved her, and if he loved her – it
"I didn't do it," he whispered, crying. "I'd never hurt her… I love her, I… I haven't heard from her for two weeks…"
The policeman nodded and looked to River's dad. "Can I come in? I won't be long,"
"Of course," Dad opened the door and the officer sat down in the front room, River opposite him.
"So, River – you said that you hadn't heard from her in what, two weeks?" River nodded in reply. The policeman smiled, stiffly. "That was what she said too, to her parents. Now I need you to tell me the truth, son, will you do that for me?" River nodded, scowling at the fact that the man had called him 'son'.
"Have you ever met her?" River shook his head. "Did you ever want to?" River nodded. "Would you have ever considered sleeping with her?"
"What kind of a question is that?" Dad fumed, storming over, furiously. The police officer nodded in quiet agreement. "I know, but it's my duty. Well?" he directed the last to the teenager opposite.
River nodded but he raised his eyes. "But I'd never have done it if she didn't want to," he glanced a look at his dad, who was slightly pink. The police officer nodded.
"Do you think she would have run away?"
"No,"
"Would she have gone to look for you?" River shook his head again. "She was going to dump me…" his voice trailed off and he stared into the distance, not really seeing or paying attention. Tears were streaming freely down his face.
"Where were you yesterday at around eight o'clock in the afternoon?" "Here,"
The policeman looked at his dad, who nodded, and wrote down in his notepad he'd been carrying ever since he'd arrived on the doorstep.
"You do realise that we are not running on much evidence."
"I know someone who thinks he saw the person who took her…"
The policeman looked up, curious, his eyes narrowed. "Your friend was there when she was kidnapped?"
"Not my friend," River spat, trembling. "The guy she likes. I was jealous, I rang him up, I found out she was missing – nobody else had told me. He told me that she was at his house," he gulped but then carried on "And had answered the door to a stranger. His neighbours saw the guy take her. They told him what he looked like,"
"Was this a boy by the name of Darren Crepsley?" the man asked, itching his neck. River narrowed his eyes. "No… I mean, uh, Darren Shan," he was getting confused.
"Yes, the boy is 'Shan' on his mothers' side. So, you contacted him – did you have an argument?"
River laughed under his breath. "A very short one – he told me she was missing and then we were talking about… about…" he covered his face with his hands and started sobbing. His dad had never seen him so wound up and was fidgeting – he didn't know what to do.
The policeman put his notepad away and nodded. "Sorry to have taken up your time. I'll probably be back to ask more questions. In the meantime, come down to the station if you think of something that might be of use." Dad took the card, showed the policeman out, and turned to his distressed son.
"Rev…"
"I don't want to talk about it," he growled, storming out of the room. His dad's mouth dropped open, but he said nothing, and went into the kitchen to make a very strong coffee.
The phone rang around midnight. It was the police. They wanted to talk to River. Grumbling, Dad put him on the phone – muttering something about 'why at this time of night?'
"Really? … You have? … Is she okay? … Oh, thank God!" came the sound of his son's conversation. He ran out into the hall, only to see the phone back in it's holder and his son beaming. "They found her! She's all right!" he grinned, going to bed. One message repeated itself in River's mind: At least I'm in the clear…
"I, uh, talked to your ex-boyfriend earlier," Darren smiled, even though it didn't reach his eyes. Hannah frowned and looked down at her bed linen, rubbing it. "Oh,"
"He seems nice," Darren nudged her, playfully. "Darren…" Hannah began, staring up into his eyes. "Darren, I…"
"It's okay,"
"No, you don't understand… I-"
The doorbell rang. Darren grinned. "Wait here," he told her. Hannah grimaced. "Like I'm going anywhere!"
The half-vampire disappeared down the stairs only to come back, a second later, with someone slightly taller, with the same brown hair. He had brown eyes and he looked as if he'd been crying. His cheeks were pink slightly and his hair tussled where the wind had blown it.
He saw Hannah lying in the bed and opened his mouth. "Hun?" he whispered. Hannah froze and her hand flew up to her mouth, tears suddenly spilling down her cheeks as she heard him speak. He sounded… as Darren had deducted… like The Streets.
"Rev?" Hannah whispered, eyes widening. The figure laughed and stepped forward, holding out his hand, which was grasping a bouquet of red roses. Hannah was in fits of tears and Darren was stood in the doorway, staring at his new friends. He didn't know what he felt then. Happiness? Sorrow? Anger? Jealousy? He figured that he felt all of them.
Gavner had found Hannah when he'd got a tip off from a phone call – the vampaneze said he wanted to hand the girl over and he'd be long gone before they got to her. He told him the place and Gavner appeared, where Hannah stumbled out right on cue. She was taken home (that was yesterday at around nine o'clock – after questioning) and was sent to bed immediately.
"My parents will kill you if they see you here," Hannah laughed, placing her hand on his cheek. River nodded and turned to look at Darren. He grinned. Darren grinned back, if not a little weakly, and the two seemed to communicate with silent words. They understood each other.
"I just came to give you these – Darren told me where you lived. And I, uh, want to tell you that I never lied to you. My dad got mixed up with the school applications and… well, you can even ask him! He's waiting outside… Look, if you want to go with Darren, fine, but I'm telling you now…" River stopped, looked over his shoulder at the younger boy and grinned. "You won't be getting rid of me. You see, I'm one of Darren's best mates now, and if you want to see him then you'll still have to see me – get it?"
Hannah laughed. "Rev…"
"Look, I'm sorry I didn't send you my picture and I suppose if I were you, I'd have thought exactly the same thing. But there is one thing. If you want to be Darren's girlfriend, like I said – fine, but there is that little thing called unrequited love and I'm feeling it right now. You've broken my heart, hun, but I will always love you. Even when you and Darren are planning to get married, I'll still love you. I don't think I can get over you, so – all I'm saying is-" he sighed, and got down on one knee as if proposing. "Be absolutely sure you know who you love."
Hannah was thinking about this for a long time. She looked at him and then Darren and then back again. Was she going to throw away seven months of love for a guy she'd only started reading about at Christmas? For a vampire?
In Darren's favour – he was famous, he could go where he wanted, he had lots of money, her parents would approve and she loved him. In River's favour – he wasn't a vampire so they could have kids, he had the cutest voice (and face – now that she'd seen it), and she loved him.
One major thing stuck out. With one she was alive and fertile, the other she was undead and barren. Both she loved, both loved her. Her mind was ringing with questions.
"Hannah," it was Darren who broke the silence. "Don't think that you'll be barren. You are one of us – but you are special," he was trying to make it blatantly obvious what he was talking about without alerting River. Hannah twigged and listened in. "You would be able to have kids and grow up. Whoever you choose for your partner is your companion for life and father to your children – even if he is a vamp… I mean, one of us,"
Hannah nodded and looked at Darren hard, and then at River. Se didn't know, she couldn't decide. It was making her shiver. Either way, she'd have to lie. With River, she had to lie to her parents about being with him, with Darren she had to lie to everyone that he was normal. The trips to Vampire Mountain … the ageing rate…
"Wait! Are you saying I'm a vampire, Darren Shan?" Hannah hissed, not caring if River was listening at her side. Darren rolled his eyes but nodded.
"It was why you were kidnapped. You are the Vampire Child, and… oh, is it okay if he listens?" he asked, pointing to River. River was looking about, confused – staring at both of them as if they were talking backwards.
"Hey! I have no idea what you're talking about. Maybe it would be safer for all of us if I just waited outside!" he laughed, leaving the room and shutting the door behind him.
Darren sighed and started to explain everything to Hannah. When he'd finished, she was staring at the ground.
"Steve," she murmured. Darren stared at her. "Steve? What about him?"
"He was the one who kidnapped me." Darren's face went red and Hannah could imagine the steam coming from his ears. "He let me go, Darren. I told him what happened between you and him. I told him it was a misunderstanding. He's forgiven you, Darren." He stopped shaking and simply stared.
Suddenly, they both found themselves saying: "What now?" as they had on the bench not many days ago. This time, neither felt embarrassed. Darren walked over to Hannah and knelt by her.
"If you choose River – like he says – fine. I really don't care."
"But Darren…"
"I know what it's like – I'll get over it. I did with Debbie,"
Hannah studied him, silently. The way his eyes twitched when he said he'd 'get over it'… the way they seemed to shine, the way his mouth quivered…
"I'm not Debbie, Darren. You love me, you won't get over it." She stated. Darren nodded in agreement and the next instant they were so close they were breathing the same air. They didn't know what was going on until their lips touched and they were kissing.
All the while, one thing ran around in Hannah's mind – breaking the speed limits.
River. River. River. River. River. River. River. River.
