~Whispers in the Dark~

Kim's POV:

How long were we kissing you ask? Well I know it was at least five minutes. Never though anyone could kiss that long. Straight. Not stopping. Not once. This is the sort of thing you can either be disgusted and/or proud about.

Jack's POV:

{Sorry hers is short just wanted to give his opinion}.

I have been living for around what? 200 years. To be technical it's 73000 days but anyway best kiss. I'm 150% serious. When we broke apart, wow.

5 minutes before:

Kim's POV:

We and our lips were fighting with our body to keep kissing. When we broke apart it was as hard as tearing a heart to pieces. I look away from him, gasping for air. How much I dread him and air at the same time. Weird. I look at him. His face is red, gasping for air too. He notices me looking at him. He grins.

"Might as well me playing with lighting right?"

He says, mentioning the song that had just played. I roll my eyes.

"Let's just get inside."

I say, jumping out of the truck grabbing my purse. While I'm walking up the front steps, Jack calls to me.

"Hey Kim."

I turn around.

"Yeah?"

"Am I an awesome kisser or what?"

He asks, putting my bike under the front porch. I lean against the brick house casually.

"You could've been better."

I flip my purse up and down catching it. Jack grabs it in the air.

"You're just jealous aren't you?"

I stutter.

"Why would I be jealous of you?"

"Cause you can't do this."

He tosses my purse around like a basketball, teasing me. He hands it back to me, satisfied with what he did.

"You're on."

I said he won't win the next round. I toss the bag around faster and quicker than he did. He watches me astonished. I throw it up, catching it with my head. I grab it with my hand, unlocking the door. I pat his chest before walking in.

"Close your mouth, you'll catch flies."

He chuckles, following me.

"Okay you did when this round. I'll win the next."

I walk down stairs to my room. When I get to the bottom I realize I left the outfit I'm going to wear for the date. On my bed. I look at Jack walking down stairs. Then the outfit. Jack. Outfit. Jack. Outfit. I stop Jack before he turns the corner. I step in front of him.

"Can't I come down here?"

"NO."

I blurt out, louder than I should have. He raises his eyebrows.

"Ok. I'll go back upstairs then."

He walks back upstairs. I stop him again.

"Is this a game or something?"

"No. Just stay down here. Please?"

He kisses me on the lips for a spilt second.

If it was any long we could've killed each other.

I thought. I run in front of him, grab the outfit before he sees it. I put it in the bathroom before he can even glance at it. He sits on my bed comfortably.

"Don't you need to change your shirt?"

"Why don't you like it?"

He says sarcastically. I give him a look.

"Chill out Crawford I have one in the truck."

"I'm going to get ready."

I walk into the bathroom, locking the door.

Jack's POV:

Like 10 minutes later she comes out in her outfit. I hold back and not say that, this and it. I nod in approval, appropriately.

"Nice."

I start walking up stairs. She brushes her hair on the way up. Once we get onto the front porch she braided it down her back. She looks the door and the deadbolt. We both hop into my truck. I slip into my other shirt, taking the other one off. I notice we haven't talked about the kiss.

2 kisses to be exact.

I turn to her before starting the truck.

"Kim?"

"Yeah?"

She looks up from adjusting her knee high converse.

"Since us….."

I use hand gestures than words. Kim finishes for me.

"….kissed…..twice….today…."

I get a little grin on my face.

"Does this mean were…?"

Kim bites her lip.

"No. Just because we kissed doesn't mean were together."

I hide my disappointment. I start the truck. Kim looks out the window.

"Only if you want to."

I tap my fingers on the dashboard.

"Do you want to?"

She doesn't look away from the window.

"Yes."

She says, with no hesitation. I chuckle.

"Go on the shortcut."

She points to another gravel road. I turn on the shortcut.

"So you want me?"

I say, chuckling.

"I do not!"

She faces me her face red. Can't tell if it's blushing or embarrassment.

"I was kidding Kim. Chill out."

She gives me a punch in the arm. While I'm trying to recover I keep the conversation going.

"Well were going on a date."

"Yeah but like it means anything."

"Because it doesn't."

"After this we won't even see each other."

"Only at work."

"And at school."

"Maybe several times around town."

"…Yeah….."

She says uneasily.

I turn into the parking lot of Strike & Spare. I suck at bowling. All my life I've tried but never got a strike. It's either bad luck or I seriously suck at bowling. I sigh, Kim looks at me.

"What's wrong?"

"I suck at bowling."

"You can't be that bad."

She gets out of the car swiftly, shutting the door. I make myself get out and lock the doors. We walk inside.

Bright pictures on the wall of bowling pins and bowling balls blind me. People laughing, talking and bowling fill the building. I squint trying to find Cat and Jerry. Over the heads of teenagers I find Cat and Jerry siting in front of a computer, putting our names in. I tap Kim's shoulder.

"Hey Kim?"

"Yeah?"

"There they are."

I point where they are.

"I don't see them."

I realize I'm looking over people to see them while Kim isn't tall enough. I grab her hand.

"I'll show you."

I lead her through the crowd of people. Not sure if they are naturally crazy or drunk. When we get to Jerry and Cat, Cat is whispering to Jerry about something, and Jerry is laughing. Never thought I'd see him with a girl and laughing. Jerry's laughter dies down, he raises his eyebrows.

"Hey Jack?"

"What?"

"Is she your girlfriend or somethin'?"

"What? No what do you…?"

Before I even finish my sentence I realize me and Kim are holding hands. I look up to meet Kim's eyes. We both jerk our hands away at the same time. My face gets red. Jerry gets up, patting my back.

"We are going to get drinks."

"Wait what….?"

Without letting the girls tell him what they want he drags me into a storage closet. That's Jerry for ya. I roll my eyes.

"Now were in a closet."

He shuffles around for a light switch. Once he finds it he still has his eyebrows raised.

"Is she you're girlfriend or not?"

"Why do you need to know?"

"We tell each other everything bro."

He is right. Were like two peas in a pod. Not like that. Were just really close GUY friends.

"No she's not."

I lean against the wall, shoving my hands in my pockets.

"Well you guys were holding hands. She blushed when you took you're hand away."

He says, gnawing on a piece of gum. I jerk my head in his direction.

"She did?"

"Yeah…"

He looks off into the distance. He smiles big and looks at me.

"Hey!"

He wiggles his index finger in my face.

"What?"

I shove it away.

"You like her!"

"No I don't!"

"Yeah you do!"

"No I don't!"

"Yeah you do!"

"No I don't!"

"Yeah you do!"

"Yes I do! I like her!"

Jerry laughs. My mouth drops open.

"I don't….."

Jerry cuts me off.

"Dude, I'm not going to tell her."

"Thanks man."

"No problem bro."

We do our hand shake. Then we hug for like two seconds. You can always trust a friend. Through thick and thin.

Kim's POV:

Jerry drags Jack away leaving me and Cat confused. I feel the strength of Cat pull me down into a hard plastic chair next to her. Never thought Cat had enough strength to do that. Cat smiles excitedly.

"What?"

"You like him!"

She yells, not loud enough to get the crowd's attention. I stutter.

"What?"

My voice says in a squeaky voice.

"You so like him!"

"No I don't!"

"Yes you do!"

"No I don't!"

"Yes you do!"

"No I don't!"

"Yes you do!"

"I like him!"

Cat giggles. I try and redo that.

"I didn't say…."

Cat cuts me off.

"You did."

I sigh and slump in my chair.

"So, what does it matter? He doesn't like me."

I reach to the computer, typing in my name.

K-I-M.

Deciding to put in Jack's name I start typing.

J-A-C-K.

This makes me realize something. I turn to Cat.

"Is there any way someone can be cold?"

"Like in the winter?"

She says, taking a french-fry.

"No just naturally."

"Is this about Jack?"

I scoff.

"No…"

I take a French fry. Scraping in grease off with the brunt parts. All that was left was a speck of grease. So much for that French fry.

"Why are you asking then?"

I sigh, trying to find an answer at the floor. I turn to Cat.

"Look can you not tell Jack this?"

"Yeah what is it?"

"Jack is as pale as snow; colder than ice….it just seems suspicious."

"I see but maybe he came from Iceland."

I watch a bowling ball hit seven pins making a spare. She always comes to realistic opinions. While I over think it making it out to be unrealistic opinions. Like the curtain blows ever so gently so it must be a ghost. Or someone isn't acting like themselves must be possessed by a demon. A girl is always in the water when you see her so she must be a mermaid. You see a guy with a bump on his forehead is he must be a cyclops. A girl with red hair must be a freak with serpents for hair. {REDHEAD RIGHT HERE}

I chuckle to myself.

The best ones are people with sharp teeth and nails must be werewolves and people with pale skin and cold as ice must be vampires.

That makes you think.

Jack is cold and pale like a vampire. I've seen his eyes change from brown to gold before but haven't mentioned it. I've read books that vampires have a large amount of strength and the run at the speed of sound. He's a vampire.

Jack Anderson is a vampire.

"Kim?"

I jump when I hear Jack's voice.

"Kim you ok?"

"Yeah my head just hurts a little."

"I got you coke."

He sits down beside me, handing me the coke. The tip of our fingers touch. Just like when he shook hands with me the first day we met electricity shoots up my arm. I jerk my hand back, dropping the coke. Coke splatters over his right leg, half of my left leg, my knees and at our feet a puddle of coke forms.

"I am so sorry."

I am such a dork.

"It's okay. I'll get napkins."

He assures me. Jerry goes with him. Cat tugs at my arm. I look at her

"What was that all about?"

I look to see if they're coming back.

"Jack is a….."

Cat rolls her eyes.

"Kim is this another unrealistic thing? You're so childish."

Yeah I'm childish. She wore a cat costume for Halloween from a 13 year old show. I thought. I did too but still.

"I have proof."

"I still won't believe it till I see it."

She says, taking a sip of her Dr. Pepper. Jack and Jerry come back with napkins. Jack got me another coke. He sets it down in the cup holder in front of us. He throws napkins on the floor trying to wipe away the coke. I grab a hand full of napkins and help him. After clean it up the napkins are all soggy and nasty. I toss them in the trash. Jack does too.

"Who want to go first?"

Cat asks. No one steps up for it.

"I'll go then."

She puts her name to first.

'What about second?"

"I'll go second."

Jerry says taking a huge bite out of his ham burger.

"Kim can go next."

Jack says behind me. I turn to look at him.

"Why?"

"I'm a gentleman. You're welcome."

He sips his mountain dew. I roll my eyes. I turn back to Cat.

"Put me next."

While Cat puts in our names I feel cold breath on my neck.

"I win this round Kimmy."

I clench my cup. Cat grabs a bowling ball. I jerk around to face him. Since Jerry is so into his burger and watching Cat he isn't listening to us. I set my cup down in the cup holder.

"My name is not Kimmy."

I say coldly.

"Come on it's cute."

"l got a nickname for you."

"What is it?"

I laugh.

"Dirt bag."

He chuckles.

"Try and find a nickname that's not after you're dog."

I punch him as hard as I can in the chest.

"Scotty is not a dirt bag."

"His name sure gives him another nickname."

I shove him off the seat. He scrambles back onto the seat.

"I wasn't ready."

"Sure you weren't."

Noticing it's my turn; I get up and grab the red bowling ball. I hear Jack grunt. I turn back to look at him. He sticks out his tongue. I do the same. Apparently it doesn't matter her if you don't have our bowling shoes on or not. I put my three fingers in the holes. I roll it perfectly down the bowling lane hitting the first pin making a strike. I walk back elated.

"Nice shot Kimmy."

As Jack walks past me.

"Like you're going to get one dirt bag."

I sit down in my chair. Cat whispers.

"I don't see it."

"Then I'll look it up then."

Taking out my iPhone, I go to Google.

What is a name for someone cold?

I quickly type in the cold one. I scroll through the websites. The Cold One: Apotamkin? I click the url. A picture of a drawing of a creature pops up, eating a people. I read the sentence below the picture.

"The only defense against the fanged Apotamkin is vast distance. This hairy demon of the dark is known to sink his long fangs into unwitting children who venture out alone."

I get a day dream of Jack killing innocent children just to live for himself. I glance up at him bowling. His bowling ball hits three pins almost getting a strike. He comes back unhappy that he didn't make a strike. He slumps in his chair disappointed. I click the back arrow back to Google. I type in "vampire for real".

Website urls show up. I scroll though. One interests me. "The real history of vampires". I click the url. When it's my turn to bowl I shove my phone in my pocket. I get another strike. When I walk past Jack our shoulders brush against each other. Chills go up and down my spine as spiders. I hurry back to my seat. Taking out my phone I skim through the paragraphs and sub titles. At the end of the page it says

Vampires are interesting symbols which have truly come alive and evolved through literature and the gothic romance. A great escape from everyday life where real danger and evil are not always so apparent or interesting. The real fear and superstition of vampires has been transformed into an impotent but entertaining media genre in little more than 100 years' time.

Vampires, Evil, or Misunderstood?

The vampire is a significant character in our folklore and has evolved over the years, from the personification of evil, to a tragic misunderstood superhero.

What does the Vampire represent to you?

*The Vampire is a predator and represents pure evil.

*The Vampire is a victim of his vampirism and is a tragic hero

*The Vampire is a misunderstood superhero, with super powers"

What I've read it sounds like vampires are the victims of his vampirism and is a tragic hero. But they have the choice to be a predator, a victim or a misunderstood superhero.

I look up at Jack. He narrowly misses the first pin making his bowling ball go into the gutter.

A Predator?

I look up at him again. I imagine Jack killing every living thing he sees on every full moon.

A Victim?

I look up at him again. I imagine him wishing he was dead or even trying to commit suicide.

A Misunderstood Superhero?

I look up at him again. I imagine him killing living things that should be dead.

I click the circle next to a victim. I think he thought being a vampire would make everything better but it hasn't. When he sits in his seat chaos explodes. People are screaming, cops come in with guns, a swat team comes in with rifles, and at least 10 paramedics come in. I look at Jack. His mouth drops open.

"What is it?"

I yell over the screaming. He doesn't answer.

Jack's POV:

My dad did this didn't he? Since I haven't killed Kim he is trying to kill me. My dad walks out from behind all the cops and swat. He points directly at me.

"That's the beast that killed her mother!"

Then he points at Kim. Kim turns to me shocked. Kim's eyes swell up with tears.

"You killed my mother?"

She chokes out.

"Kim my dad made me do it!"

Two swats grab me by the arms, dragging me away. Kim, Cat and Jerry are lead out by paramedics with all the other people in Strike & Spare. I struggle to get out of their grip.

"Kim!?"

She looks back at me.

"I didn't do it! My dad made me! Believe me!"

She shakes her head and gets into an ambulance. The two swats throw me into a swat truck. They slam the doors and lock the doors. In pain, I get over to the window. I press my face against the glass. I look straight ahead to Kim sitting in an ambulance with Cat and Jerry. She looks at me looking at her. Tears roll down her face. She presses her face against the window.

"You promised."

She mouths. The truck drives away leaving me alone in the truck. I sit in the dark, back corner. I put my knees to my chest. I hear the two swats talking.

"He is in a lot of trouble."

He slams the door, starting the truck. The other one closes the other door.

"What kind of sick, twisted person kills an innocent girls' mother?"

"That guy!"

They laugh at me. I cover my ears from they're laughter. I tightly hold the cross around my neck. I thought everything would get better.

"It hasn't, but it will."

A voice says. I uncover my ears.

"What?"

"It hasn't but it will' I said."

"I know what you said. Where are you?"

Streetlights shine through the windows. My real dad appears.

"Make a rose."

I do what he says and I make a red rose.

"Now give it to the one you care for the most. Once it is delivered to that one, whisper to that person."

"She's miles away by now."

I say twisting the rose on my finger.

"Try."

He disappears in the darkness. I put the rose in my hands and close my eyes. I see Kim, Cat, Jerry and some other people in the ambulance. I close my hands with the rose in them. Not feeling the rose in my hands I open my eyes. I close them again and see Kim looking out the window. She sees the rose's stem stuck under the chair. She pulls it out and holds it. I whisper quietly.

"Kim. If you trust me, you'll believe that I didn't kill your mother at my expense. My dad told me if I wanted to be a full vampire, I had to kill her. You may not know this but you're a werewolf. I had to kill your mom because she was a werewolf. My dad got me arrested because I didn't kill you when he wanted me to. I didn't because…."

I open my eyes, still in the truck. All I said was true. I didn't finish because I'm not sure if I'm going to fast or if she doesn't feel the same.

Kim's POV:

I notice a rose under my chair. I make sure no one's looking. I pull the rose out between the holes. I hold gently. Some of the pedals have already fallen off but it's still alive. I hear a voice very similar to Jack's. It is Jack's.

"Kim. If you trust me, you'll believe that I didn't kill your mother at my expense. My dad told me if I wanted to be a full vampire, I had to kill her. You may not know this but you're a werewolf. I had to kill your mom because she was a werewolf. My dad got me arrested because I didn't kill you when he wanted me to. I didn't because…."

His voice drifts off as leaves flying in the wind. Jack's a vampire? I thought I was just over reacting again. I'm a werewolf? I make fun of werewolves like all the time. Jack was supposed to kill me? Does he even have feelings for me? I wipe the dried tears off my cheeks.