The rest of my weekend was spent shut off in my room and avoiding everyone. When I first arrived home after watching Kenny die I went straight to my room, ignoring my parents desperate plea for an explanation as to why I was covered in blood. I refused to reply to any text messages or phone calls from anyone, Kyle and Stan even came by multiple times to try to get me to talk to them. My parents at first tried to get me to talk and see my friends, thinking it would make things better but backed off once they found out from Kyle what had happened. My mother would leave me blood outside my door, knowing I would need to feed but I usually didn't drink much of it, only enough to keep me from extreme thirst.
Time seemed to stand still yet before I knew it Monday had arrived. School was the last thing on my mind, but when both my parents knocked multiple times to tell me to go I obliged. I pulled on a pair of ripped up black jeans and an iridescent style sweater and made my way to the bathroom. My violet eyes darker than usual from my refusal to fulfill my thirst fully. I sighed, making my way to the kitchen and downing a glass my parents left out for me knowing it would make getting through school easier to not be hungry.
Kyle, Stan, and Cartman are going to be waiting for me. My thoughts now trying to focus on how to get through my day with as little interaction with anyone as possible. First thing's first is running out the clock so I can walk to school alone. Luckily, even if I did leave late I could get there in no time if I really wanted to push my time. I still just wanted to be alone and deal with the confusing feelings I started having late last night. I knew what it was, the soul bond creating feelings in hopes to cope with the loss of Kenny, yet there was something strange about it. It felt almost the same as when he was alive, the pull at my heart when he crossed my mind but with the pain of his death as the images flashed in my head.
I shook off all thoughts, putting on my emotionless expression and pushing all thoughts out of my head. A vampire that needed to act like a zombie, that's what I was going for. Showing nothing rather than letting my rage and sadness show was better for everyone today. I just hoped the guys let me have my space.
I left the house with a little more than five minutes to get to my first class, ensuring that the bus stop would be clear and I could just walk alone to the school. I arrived and made my way through the halls, other last minute students rushing around to get to class on time while I lingered by my locker.
"Miss Kearne, it's not like you to be late." My first period teacher approached me from the open classroom door a little ways from my locker. Usually he stays in his classroom, but today he must have been standing in the doorway to watch for late students.
I rolled my eyes before turning towards him. "Actually this weekend has been pretty rough, is it possible you can cut me some slack?" I looked at my teacher, trying to meet his eyes with mine so I could put him in a trance. One of the great perks of being a vampire was the mind control.
"You need to be in class or I will send you to the off-" He started to scold me before I finally got his eyes to meet mine, his words drifting off mid sentence.
"That's more like it. Now please, you will mark me as present in class and not question where I am." My voice stern as I looked into his vacant gaze. "Now go back to your class." I snapped my fingers and watched as he turned and did as he was told.
A small smile tugged at the corners of my mouth, the first time I've smiled all weekend and it was because I managed to get out of class. The moment only lasted a second as the tardy bell echoed through the halls. I turned on my heels, walking past classroom after classroom before I reached the door leading to the back of the school.
The smell of smoke filled my nose as I pushed the door open and stepped out onto the cement platform that led up to the door. The goth kids were always back here smoking, and to be quite honest I've come to enjoy their company. After all, I am considered a goth and they have come to accept me, even if I did hang out with "Conformists" as they called everyone that was not a goth. I vaulted myself over the safety rail and landed gracefully in front of the four goths.
"Spare a smoke." It wasn't a question more so as a demand, sounding meaner than I meant for it to.
"Damn Luna you usually don't skip, at least not this early anyways. What's up?" Henrietta asked as she held out a cigarette for me.
"Just need to clear my head before I deal with everyone." I spoke between puffs. "This conformist place is too happy go lucky even for me to handle today."
"Bad weekend?" Pete asked as he flicked his hair out of his face.
"'Bad' doesn't even begin to cover it." I threw the bud to the ground and stomped on it, "Spare another?" I looked to Pete, knowing he was the next likely to share after Henrietta.
With another flick of his hair Pete complied to my request and held out another smoke for me. I gratefully took it and sat down next to Henrietta, deciding on staying for a while. I sat and listened to the Nine Inch Nails song they had playing softly as we all puffed on our cigarettes. They tried to ask me about what had happened over the weekend but I refused to talk about it. Only saying that it was a tragic event that put my soul in an even darker place than it already was.
The bells signaling classes rang one after another but I paid them no mind as I puffed on cigarettes i got from Henrietta again, promising to pay her back later. I also knew I could always just go to the office after school and make someone change my absents to present, therefore my lack of care for class was justified to an extent in my eyes. I counted the bells as each rang, the one signaling lunchtime fading out and I listened to the hallways filling with the sound of students rushing their way to the cafeteria.
"You know those things can kill you right?" The voice of Kyle came from the back door behind me. I let out a sigh wondering how the heck he even knew I would be back here.
"Somehow I think I'll be okay." I quietly mumbled more to myself than anything as I took a final puff and ground the stub under my combat boot. "How did you know I was even at school today?" I realized that I probably sounded rude, especially since I haven't talked to them all weekend. "And just so you know I promise I'm not trying to seem like a bitch, I just needed to be alone for a while."
"Are you talking about not wanting to hang out this weekend?" Kyle questioned, "It's okay we figured you just had some stuff you were getting done. As for your question, Stan saw you walk by his classroom this morning but Kenny was the one that told us you would probably be back here and th-"
"What the fuck! Do you think you're funny?" I stood up and spun to face him angrily at the mention of Kenny. I would have never pictured Kyle to do something so cruel, Cartman maybe, but not Kyle.
"Luna, what did I do?" Kyle held his hands up defensively as I glared at him with anger in my eyes.
"Where do you get off-" I started to rage into him about how he could act like Kenny is here today after knowing he died only a day and a half ago only to be cut off by another voice.
"Well I don't know about you but I think I can get off just about anywhere." A familiar voice came from behind Kyle. A voice I never thought I would hear again. The soul bond tugging at my heart once again.
"But.. That's not…" I stood in shock as Kenny appeared behind Kyle laughing at his dirty joke. "I don't... But you…" I stumbled over my words, my ability to form sentences absent.
"Luna?" Kenny looked at me with concern before his expression changed to one of shock as well, making me have even more questions than I already do. "Hey Kyle why don't you go ahead and get your lunch and save us our seats at the table, I wanna talk with Luna."
"Sure dude I gotcha." Kyle winked at Kenny as he entered the school again, leaving Kenny standing on the cement landing staring at me.
He jumped over the railing same as I did earlier, albeit not as graceful, and grabbed my hand as he led me away from the Goths.
"Guess we will catch you later Luna. Have fun with your conformist boy toy." Pete yelled after us as we rounded the corner of the building to talk privately.
Kenny came to a stop and pulled me to face him once we were out of earshot of the Goths and the few students who wandered out for their lunch period. We stood in silence as I just looked at him, my mouth gaping as tears began to form in my eyes. He pulled down his hood so I could see his face, his blue eyes swirling with emotion.
"Luna." He quietly said my name as he reached for my other hand, but I was faster. I flung my arms around him before he could grab my other hand. He stood frozen for a moment before he slowly wrapped his arms around me to return the hug. "Luna, you remember." He whispered in my ear.
"Kenny, how is this possible?" I asked as I pulled away, then a thought occurred to me a I leaned back in to him. His blood smelling the same as always, no change in it. If my venom had worked he would smell like an immortal fully. I lifted his wrist and pulled back his sleeve, his skin flawless where my bite mark should have been. "I don't get it. I watched you…" I trailed off unable to finish my sentence.
"You watched me die. From the distracted driver that hit the tree after I pushed you out of the way." He finished for me. I nodded slightly as I pulled his sleeve back down for him.
"I don't understand. I tried to save you and it didn't work and now you're here." I ran a hand through my hair as I tried to process my thoughts. "How are you here?"
Kenny remained quiet for what felt like forever before finally replying to me. "Luna, I have this… Curse… I don't really know much about where it came from, but I I think it had something to do with some cult meetings my parents went to for free beer when they were young. The thing is, I can't die and stay dead. I die a lot, and usually in front of my friends or family but no one ever remembers it the next day or when I come back. I just wake up in my bed like normal and everyone just act like nothing happened when they see me." He paused letting me take that in. "But you... Luna you remember."
I stood in silence as I looked into his blue eyes, what he was telling me was true I was sure of that but it was taking me a minute to process this information.
"I know its a lot to just dump on you…" Kenny spoke again, my perplexed look probably making him question if I believe him or not. It made a lot of sense to me for it explained why his blood smelt so different from normal humans, aside from the bond that is. He may not be an immortal but a curse received from an immortal would still give off a scent.
"Shh. I believe you. I just had to process your words." I cut him off and gave him a small smile before a thought crossed my mind. My smile disappeared and I looked at him with a serious face. "Now it's my turn to tell you something. Do you remember me holding your hand as you died?"
"Its fuzzy close to the final moments, but yes. Why do you ask?"
"Do you remember me doing anything weird to your wrist?"
He let out a small noise as he thought for a minute as he tried to recall any event that would fit the description of weird. "Did you… Did you bite me?" He looked at me quizzically, but also intrigued.
I nodded as I pulled up his sleeve once more and pointed to the spot I had bit. "I bit you here, but you have no mark like you should. Your body doesn't keep any form of scars on it when you die does it?"
"If it did my whole body would look pretty fucked up by now." He answered as shook his head.
I held his wrist back up and pulled his sleeve leave back once again, pointing to the spot I already examined. "You should have a bite mark here. I tried to save you, but obviously my way of saving you failed or else you would be… Like me." I sucked in a deep breath as I readied myself for him to either freak out or be accepting of my next choice of words. "You told me something about yourself that seems impossible so now it's my turn. I'm not a normal human… Because I'm not human. I'm immortal, more specifically a vampire. Nobody's supposed to know about my family because if people knew, we would be hunted down." I held his gaze, waiting for him to say something, anything to let me know he didn't think I was crazy. "I know I sound crazy but… I can prove it, and before you ask no the typical vampire myths are just that, myths. Sun and garlic and all that do not hurt me."
"Luna, I just told you I die constantly and come back like nothing happened and you didn't question me so why would I not believe you? Weird and unexpected, yeah but honestly I've come to believe that even the impossible can be real." Kenny smiled at me, "So how old are you really? Also, is this the reason you were able to move the car away from the tree so easily?"
I smacked him on the arm as I answered, "Don't you know it's rude to ask a lady her age? But to answer your question I am, in fact, only 18 right now. Immortals are born and grow for the first 21 years of life then after that age is just a number. Take my parents for example they have been alive for a couple hundred years, they spent a lot of time together traveling and finding other immortals of all kinds before deciding to have me. To answer your second question, yes. Strength, speed, senses, everything is enhanced for me.
"So, I guess we both have a burden we live with."
"We sure do. But I also have another thing to tell you." While we were confessing things I decided to finally make my move, to let him know that I knew how he felt and I felt the same. "There's another part that comes with being an immortal… We have an even that happens to us only once in our life called a soul bond. It's basically a link between two immortals that forms when they meet their mate and its happened to me."
"Oh…" He looked down, disappointment spreading across his face. "And this happens to immortals only?"
"In a way, yes." I noticed his disappointment, figuring it was because he believed I bonded with someone who was already immortal. Instead of continuing to talk I took action. With movement too fast for Kenny to react to I leaned in and planted a kiss on his lips. The sudden connection of our lips causing him to stiffen for a second before he returned the gesture, my soft lips against his slightly chapped ones and his scent driving me crazy. I pulled away suddenly, backing up a little ways.
"Luna?" Kenny looked at me confused. "Are you okay?"
"I'm sorry Kenny." I took another second to regain my composure. "I'm okay I promise." I looked back at him and smiled. "You are the one I bonded with, and with you being human it makes it hard to be near you sometimes. If you were like me it would be easier, but being a vampire I'm sure you can guess what my diet consists of." I flashed him a toothy smile and pointed to my razor sharp canines as he studied my teeth, eyes widening as he realized they were in fact much sharper than normal human teeth.
"Oh… Right. That's also why you don't eat much food isn't it, and you always have a thermos that you drink from. You always seem fine around the guys though and with everyone at school thought."
"Yeah, I grew up around humans so I know how to be around them, but being bonded with you gives me a different kind of thirst. The fact that I kinda refused to fully quench my thirst all weekend makes it harder to get through my day, but not impossible. If you weren't human you would feel it as strongly as I do too…The bond that is, and if you even feel anything at all towards me that is." I solemnly said.
As we stood there in silence Kenny closed the distance and wrapped his arms around me. "Luna, I have had feelings for you since the first time I asked you to sit with me at lunch and you best believe that from this moment forward you're now my girl."
I smiled as he pulled away and grabbed my hand, lacing his fingers with mine. "Come on, lets go before lunch is over. Do you have your thermos today?" He winked at me as I playfully stuck my tongue out at him and let him lead me back around and into building and towards the cafeteria.
The sound of students mingling as they finished up their lunches filled ears. We approached our lunch table hand in hand as we claimed the two empty seats saved as promised by Kyle.
"Finally. See Tweek and I were right." Craig leaned back from his seat a couple spots down from me. I knew he was referring to the conversation we had at Tweek Bros, but the fact that he, and Tweek for that matter, had no memory of walking me home in bloody clothes was frustrating. I reminded myself that it's not their fault and smiled at him as I once again flicked him off.
"Dude, we were starting to think you guys weren't going to come to lunch." Kyle pushed his empty lunch tray away from him slightly as Kenny began to unpack his brown paper bag lunch.
"Yeah well I had to make this conversation count." Kenny winked at me as I let out a small giggle.
"Yeah, well I guess I should be honored that I could make such a fuckboy nervous to ask me out." I winked back as the others around the table laughed.
"It's about damn time. Kenny has talked to us so much about how he likes you but was scared to mess up the friendship and blah blah blah. He was getting really fucking annoying about it." Cartman complained as he shoved a handful of fries in his mouth.
"May want to watch yourself with those fries, the amount of salt that just came from you probably got all over them and just one could raise your sodium levels to an unsafe range." I smirked at Cartman as he glared at me with hateful eyes.
The remainder of lunch went by with everyone talking and laughing like normal. Things were back to the way they should be and I was just glad that no one was mad at me for ignoring them all weekend. I felt relieved that I had finally been able to tell Kenny everything, to have it all in the open between us felt as though a weight had been lifted off of me. I knew eventually the others would have to know, if only for the fact that I value the friendship they have given me, but for now Kenny is the only on that needs to know. As lunch came to a close, Kenny and I walked hand in hand with the rest of the gang back to our classes to finish the rest of our school day.