Chapter 7: Snowballs and Bloodsuckers
It was particularly cold Saturday. The night before had frosted the ground with even more snow then that week, making the day perfect for a snowball fight. She had woken up that morning to a sweet text from Finn. After a hot shower and a warm breakfast, she dressed in thick layers and walked over to Mike's house. She had gotten the layout of much of the town rather quickly, despite her utter lack of directional ability. Also, Mike's house was not too hard to find. It was down just past the general market and the last home before the woods, making for one hell of a back yard. She decided to walk there, as taking her truck would simply waist much needed gas. It was a little difficult to make her way through the thick bank of snow, but she managed. It reminded her faintly of crunching watermelon. Her mind went back to her life in Boston...
She spent the first half of summer with her friends, and the second half up in Forks. So, during the hot days in Boston, she spent most of her time sitting beneath cooling fans in her bathing suit, eating watermelon and talking with Cristina. What an insane creature. Cristina was the kind of girl who would throw a wrench in everything just to see what it would do. Loud and somewhat obnoxious at first, Meredith had grown used to Cristina's wild stories and yammering voice. So much so that it felt so odd to not hear it. She would have called Cristina as much as she called Finn, but Cristina was not a real "phone savvy" person. Ironic, considering how much she liked to talk. If you weren't in front of her face, she couldn't seem to start a conversation. It was just the way she was. Besides, Meredith knew she'd be busy. This year was her last as a high school student. She was probably jumping through hoops just to graduate; she hadn't been the best student over the last three years, so she had to make up a good amount of work this last year. Meredith wondered what she was doing now...
When she finally did get to Mike's house, she was glad that she was the first one there. It gave her a chance to warm herself up and drink some homemade hot chocolate, topped off with a generous amount of whipped cream. As she nursed the liquid, she and Mike got a better chance to know one another. He was quite funny, but not so much in the over-zealous way that Cristina was. His humor relied more in wit and one liners then over exuberant antics. Almost in the way Finn held his own charm. She laughed quite a bit that morning. She was just finishing up her hot cocoa when Jessica walked in, unravelling her scarf.
"Hey!" she said from the hallway. She walked in to find Meredith and Mike on the couch. Meredith noticed something in her face. It was an odd look that she spared the Arizona native. However, it left just as soon as it arrived, and her charming smile returned. "Am I interrupting?" She walked over and sat close to Mike, probably more then she should have, and laid her head along his shoulder.
"Not much," said Mike. "Just getting to know each other. So, are the others on their way?"
"Yup," said Jessica, sitting up. "They should be getting here pretty soon."
Meredith shifted in her seat. "Oh... I invited someone, too. But I don't think he'll come to be honest."
Jessica turned her gaze to her, a bit surprised. "Really? Who?" She paused and then turned her mouth to a frown. "Don't tell me you invited Creepo..."
"Please stop calling him that," said Meredith, hands in her lap. "I just... I saw him getting picked on in the hall and... well, maybe some compassion could do him good."
"Who are you guys talking about?" Mike asked, clearly out of the loop.
"Derek Shepherd," said Jessica, folding her arms.
"What?" Mike turned his face to Meredith. "You know that guy's trouble, right Meredith?"
"Apparently not," his girlfriend said.
"He might not be that bad," the blonde suggested.
"The entire town begs to differ," said Mike with a grunt. "He's a total nut case. Do you know that he hangs out at the old sawmill? The dude's a total freak."
Meredith sighed. "Well like I said, he might not even come. He probably won't..." She glanced out of the window, but the clouds were heavy. There was still a slim chance of him arriving...
Very slim.
Soon, everyone had shown. After a new round of hot chocolate (they soon ran out of whipped cream), they headed out of the house, adorned in scarves, boots, and snow mitts, and chose sides. It soon resulted into boys against girls, as there was nearly an even number of each. The girls had an advantage of one player. And considering Meredith's throwing arm, it wasn't much of an advantage. They all took to the thin part of the woods that was their battlefield for the day. The trees watched in amusement as they bickered over which plot would be whose land, and where the safety was. However, as Jessica informed her, most of this was merely formality – in the heat of the fight, they almost always forgot the rules and simply focused on pelting each other mercilessly. So, once everyone had their territories set up, they all barricaded themselves and created their ammo. Once that was finished, the war began. Snowballs flew back and forth through the air like bullets. Many of them disappeared in the already white frosted trees. Meredith became an easy target, as she didn't quite have the speed to duck quick enough. Thankfully, she was able to hide behind a tree, while whimsically throwing clumps of snow blindly out from the side. Things were going well, the laughter fluent from everyone present, including Meredith herself. That is, until Tyler noticed something from the thick of the trees. He tapped Eric and pointed, the game stopping for a moment. Confused, Meredith turned to see two eyes peering at the group from afar.
There, standing beside the bark of a tall redwood, was Derek Shepherd. He had a strange look on his bony face, almost as though he was unsure about joining. His features portrayed that of a sense of longing to join the others, but his body kept him back, his hands clinging to the bark. Meredith glanced at the others, particularly Jessica and Mike. While Mike stared in disbelief, Jessica was busy glaring at Meredith. She felt herself cringe inside but turned back to Derek. A long, awkward moment ensued. Slowly, Meredith left her spot and moved up to him. He stared at her, his nails digging slightly into the flesh of the tree. Meredith felt her heart bang in her throat. She had never tried to touch Derek up till now, probably in the fear that he might bight off her hand. However, she swallowed her uneasiness and moved her hand forward, taking his elbow. Derek's eyes kept to hers, his jaw tightening. However, he did not pull away. She turned and lead him to the others, a few backing up as he entered into the group. Meredith cleared her throat as they all kept their distance from one another.
"Um... Derek this is Jessica... Mike, Eric, Angela..." She introduced each one of her friends by name, and vice versa. "Anyway... I did invite him." She smiled at the newcomer, very happy that he came, despite the tension he brought along with him. She bent down and made him a snowball, putting it in his gloved hand. He stared at it as though it were some foreign object. He then looked back up at Meredith, expectantly. She figured that he didn't know who to hit, and it was clear that no one would dare move to strike Derek. So, she supposed she'd have to take the initiative. She scooped up a small mound of snow and flung it lightly at his arm. He looked at it and looked up, though his expression didn't change. She bent down and shoved a bit more into her palms. She hit him again. He huffed a bit this time, but still didn't retaliate. With a bit of a smile, she began to hit him over and over with blobs of powdery white, until finally, he did throw the snowball she had made him. For the first time, she was able to dodge the oncoming ball. Unfortunately for Jessica, who was standing behind her, she wasn't so quick. The white hit her square in the face, sticking to her skin like whipped cream. Meredith's smile faded, in fear that she would be even more upset now as she wiped the snow from her eyes. However, her furious gaze was not directed at Meredith and Derek, but rather Mike, as he was the one who was laughing at her expense. To try and shut him up, she picked up her own snow and threw it at him, which wound up hitting Tyler. What happened next was a strange and almost cartoon-like chain of events. Tyler aimed for Jessica, who still was throwing at Mike, who was throwing randomly, which struck Angela and Derek, who were both throwing at Meredith. As though someone had hit the play button, the scene was back to the playful, laughing game that they were all enjoying prior to Derek's arrival. While Meredith hid behind her tree, she let her eyes fall to Derek's face. With his guard finally down, a handsome smile came to his lips. There were even flashes of his fangs, though she was glad no one was paying that much attention to him anymore.
Finally, the sun became scarce above their war, and both sides (not that they really existed at this point) had thrown up their white flag, so to speak. After warming up a bit inside, they all split off from one another, heading home. Because it was dark, Meredith coaxed Derek into walking her home. After all, Thatcher wouldn't be off for a few more hours, and all the others were getting a ride or driving back. Besides, she wanted a chance to talk to him after this. She was proud of his breakout from his anti-social norm, after all. She smiled as they crunched along the snow.
"I'm glad you came," she said, breath steaming from her mouth. Derek shrugged, but Meredith knew that he was glad too. It was apparent by the smile he wore that day. "So, what made you decide to go?" Derek thought for a moment, looking off to the side.
"No one's ever invited me anywhere," he admitted finally. He kicked a little snow off the top of the sidewalk. "I... figured I might as well go." Meredith's smile became warmer, but she said nothing to the comment. They walked in silence for a little while longer. "So... do you do stuff like that that often?"
"Sometimes," said Meredith. "I've never been in a snowball fight before, but I go with them places." She nudged him. "You should come too. It'll be fun." A glimmer of a half-smile came to his face.
"We'll see," he said, looking up to the dusk ridden sky. Once the street lamps came on, he felt it safe enough to take off his hood. He ruffled his hair and sighed. It was then that Meredith noticed that his breath did not make steam as hers did. She stared at his mouth in wonder.
"Hey..." He looked to her. "Are you dead?" He stopped in his steps, and she did as well. It was the question that she had always been meaning to ask, but it never found its way out. He didn't seem upset or offended. Instead, he truly took the question into consideration. He then took off his glove and put his finger to the inside of his mouth. Derek pricked it with his sharp fang, then held it up to her to show her a small leak of red blood.
"I don't think I am," he concluded, sucking on the tip of his finger. They began to walk again. "I mean... I bleed and sleep and get hungry..." He frowned. "It's just... different than what I remember as a human. I can't really explain how." He rubbed his hands together, putting the glove back on. "Almost like... my body and soul aren't really connected."
"Hm..." Meredith tried to imagine what it that would be like, but her mind ran a bit of a blank. They walked for the rest of the time without speaking to one another. Finally, they arrived at her home. Thatcher's car was not there, nor were any of the porch lights on. Derek looked out towards the town. "When is your dad coming home?"
"Probably in an hour or so," said Meredith. "Maybe longer." She walked up to her porch and opened the door. She paused and looked to him. "Do you want to come in?" He once more took his time in answering. He nodded and walked up to the porch. However, he didn't follow her inside. She paused and stared at him. "...You ok?"
"You have to say it." Meredith merely blinked at him. "You have to say that I can come in."
"Why?" He gave no answer. "Alright fine. You can come in." After that, he crossed the borderline in her doorframe and looked around her house. As he did, she shut and locked the door behind her. Derek wandered his way into the kitchen, peering out the back window.
"It's a nice night," he remarked. He turned to look at her. "Do you want to come back outside with me?" She found the question strange. They had just been outside for the entire day. But she agreed and the two went into the back yard, which – like Mike's house – doubled as the edge of the dense forest. As he walked, he stripped himself of his jacket and gloves, closing his eyes. He then stood in one place, staying as still as the trees around him.
"Won't you get cold?" she asked, rubbing her own hands close together. He shook his head.
"I hate wearing my jacket," he said, his eyes opening. He looked up to the canopy above them, as of staring at something magnificent. "I forgot what the sun feels like..." Meredith stared at him for a moment before walking to his side. He looked over to her.
"How long have you been like this?" she asked softly. He turned his eyes back to the trees.
"A while," he admitted. "Almost a century, actually..."
Meredith followed his gaze, watching the leaves glisten with ice in the twilight. "Why did you come to the high school?" Again, the question was one that she had wanted to ask, but never really got around to it. A low chortle came from his chest. He turned to look at her, an ironic grin on his face.
"I wanted to feel normal."
Meredith couldn't help but laugh at that, and he actually joined in. However, his laughter suddenly cut short, his smile dropping from his face almost immediately. Like a cat sensing danger, his back went stiff, his eyes narrowing as he gazed through the dark. Meredith looked around as well, now alert that something was wrong. What it was, she wasn't sure.
"What is it?" she asked quietly. Derek was about to answer, when someone interrupted him.
"Good evening, Mr. Shepherd."
The two turned to see a man leaning against the tree, staring at the two of them. He had black hair that hung around his face, which was a gray, ashy color. At one point, he might have been black, but his pigments had seemed to drain from his skin. His eyes were sharp and dark, like Derek's, and his face was curling and snide. He put his fingertips to his chest.
"Nomads," Derek sneered, the hair on the back of his neck standing up.
"It's such a pleasure to finally meet one of you. Your clan is infamous, of course." He bowed his head a bit, keeping his eyes glued to Derek's face. His voice had a faint French twinge to it. "My name is Laurent." His eyes then slid over to Meredith. The girl felt her body freeze over as he smiled, fangs immodestly in view. "Ah... didn't mean to interrupt a meal."
"Perhaps he can be a good little host and share...?" Meredith's head whipped around, her eyes landing on another vampire. This one was female, her voice quite similar to that of a snake's. Her bushy hair was a vibrant red, her eyes as piercing as a hawk's. She slithered from the trees, her fingers playing with a couple pieces of bark.
"Now now, Victoria," Laurent chided playfully. "It's rude to feed without being asked. Isn't that right, James?"
Meredith could feel her body curl within her as a low grunt sounded behind the two of them. The third vampire – James – was perhaps the most intimidating of the three. He wasn't as coy as the others, and remained silent, shadows over his eyes almost to the point of making them invisible. His greasy hair sat behind his head in a ponytail, and from beneath a ripped, jean jacket, sat lean, burly arms. Meredith could tell by the growling that he was the main hunter of the group. He stood only a few feet away, causing Meredith to back up, trembling slightly. Her heal came down on something and she fell into the snow. Victoria found the act to be quite enjoyable and she let out a slight shriek of laughter, her red hair bouncing against her neck and shoulders. Meredith got back up and looked to Derek. His eyes were on Laurent, though something told Meredith that he kept most of his senses on James.
"You know this territory is claimed by my clan," said Derek, authority in his voice. "Nomads are warned to stay away from here."
"Ah," said Laurent slyly. "Forgive us, we must have forgotten."
"Well now you remember, do you not?" Derek said in a dangerous tone. Victoria gave a faint hiss under her breath, sensing Derek's threat. "I know myself and my clan would appreciate it if you left." Laurent clicked his tongue.
"Come now, we just got here," he said, his hands raised up. "Surely you can – "
"No," said Derek shortly. "Forgive me, but my clan doesn't make a habit of entertaining your kind."
Laurent's face twisted in a slight scowl. He seemed offended by the phrase used to describe him and the other two. "What rude hosts," he commented darkly. His eyes once more drifted to Meredith. "Then perhaps you'll give us a parting gift? We won't kill her... But we are a bit parched. Long journey, you see..." He stopped, however, Derek's hand gripped Meredith's arm a bit tightly.
"That is out of the question," he growled. Victoria snickered.
"Possessive of your food?" she simpered playfully. "How selfish."
Derek shot her a look. "I guess you can say that. Rather, I don't like sharing with brutal, filthy creatures like yourself."
Laurent became even more heated. "Are you suggesting you're better than us?" he snapped.
"Oh no," said Derek cockily. "Not at all. I'm telling you flat out. Myself and my clan refuse to stoop to your low level of beast-hood. The fact that our two ways of life can even be compared is a complete insult. You and yours are nothing but weak-willed animals who lack no inner strength to even try and preserve your former, human selves. You're disgusting and repugnant. Just your stench is enough to send the lowest demons of hell cringing at your arrival."
In a sudden flash, James was right in front of him, hand on Derek's throat. Just as quickly, Derek did the same to James' throat. They strangled each other with one hand, their nails digging into one another's skin. However, neither waned or even flinched. Victoria snorted at Derek's comments, while Laurent stood up straight, glowering at the other vampire. "Victoria, James... Come along." He turned on his heal and left, Victoria close behind. James leaned in close to Derek, his lips pointedly revealing his sharpened fangs.
"Watch yourself... Shepherd."
With that rough warning, the two let each other go, and the three disappeared, leaving Meredith and Derek alone. Meredith looked to him, terror in her eyes. "Are... are they going to do something? Derek...?"
However, Derek didn't answer. He just stared at the spot they left in; lips closed tightly around his teeth. His head turned a bit and he picked up his jacket and gloves. "Your father's on his way," he said, turning from her. He paused. "Meredith... is there a cross necklace anywhere in your house?"
Meredith thought for a moment. "I... think so. In my grandmother's old jewelry box."
"Wear it. Don't take it off for anything. Understand?" Meredith nodded. With that, Derek left as well. The girl then scurried into her house, afraid of being left alone after such a scene.
