Aug 25th, 8:00 p.m.
Kris woke up early that night, being that she had to get ready for the bonfire. Looking at the boxes that she still had to unpack, she went downstairs to see what – or who – was for breakfast. Walking into the kitchen, Pam was leaning against the counter with the phone glued to her ear. There was a woman sitting at the seldom-used dining table, but she wasn't sure if it was Pam's breakfast or hers.
Needing something to take the hunger edge off, she opened the refrigerator door then remembered they weren't to have any TruBlood because of the Hep-V. She turned to walk out when Pam said, "KrisLyn, she is for you." She nodded to the female then went back to her conversation as she stepped out into the hall.
Without a word, Kris drank unceremoniously until Pam came back into the kitchen and threw her cell phone on the counter. Seeing Kris was done, she told the woman to go to her bedroom and wait for her there. After she left, Kris took the opportunity to ask what Pam's problem was.
"I don't answer to you," she huffed.
Kris shook her head and headed out. "I'm going out tonight, in case you care," she snapped then raced to her bedroom before Pam could reply.
As she took the shower, she was becoming more irked at her aunt with her attitude, and she racked her brain trying to figure out if it was anything she had done. She came up with nothing. So she simply concentrated on picking out the right outfit, put on makeup to add a little color to her face and set her hair up in a loose ponytail, leaving wisps cascading down the sides of her face.
"Eric?!" Kris screamed as she closed her bedroom behind her.
"Library," she heard him reply.
She raced downstairs to Eric's library. It was the first time she'd been in there, being there was no real reason why she should in the first place. The walls were lined with books, some so old the bindings were peeling off. Seeing Eric reading in a leather chair, she sat down in the one beside it. "Wow, I didn't take you for a reader, Eric," she teased.
"I can't quite read with you clattering on, now can I?"
"Oh, shit. You've got something up your ass, too, I see."
Eric set the book down and looked over at her, a smile slowly spreading over his lips. "You look very … cute. I hear you have a date tonight."
Kris's eyebrows shot up. "Cute is for a twelve year-old. Were you eavesdropping on Matt and me last night?"
"No. He asked for permission when I took him home. And you have yet to acknowledge the gift I got you by the fireplace." He tried to sound hurt, but he failed.
"Oh, yeah, sorry. It's been kinda … crazy. Can you answer me something?"
"If I can."
"Can you tell me what the hell is eating Pam? Ever since we came back from the school she's been a bitch to talk to."
Eric leaned his head against the head rest and stared into the fire. "You didn't hear this from me, but Tara is being resistant coming here."
She thought a moment. "Does that mean we have to go to Shreveport?"
"No, not right away."
"Oh, good. But that's all? I mean that Pam's upset about?"
"As far as I know."
"Hmm. Okay. Well, let her know I won't stay out too, too late. One, two, depending on how it goes."
"You don't have the common courtesy to tell me yourself?" Pam snipped as she walked in.
Without looking at Pam, Kris replied, "No, not the way you've treated me lately, or lack thereof."
"Yes, I am upset Tara won't come here," Pam said as she stood in front of the fireplace. "But I can't concern myself with that, not when you're going off to venture on your own."
"Pam, I'm not going to the school until the spring. I figured I'd just read the book Vilgot gave me so at least I'll know what to expect. Why is it such a big deal? It's what we originally planned anyway, right?"
"Yeah, well, I've changed my mind."
"Changed your mind? I thought you said this morning it was my decision?" She hesitated a moment. "Oh, wait. Does this have anything to do with Vilgot?" She didn't reply, but from the minute tension in her body Kris knew it was. "Why do you think I'm waiting before I go, Pam?"
"Excuse me, Eric," Charles said as he stood in the doorway. "There is a Matthew Kennedy to see Ms. Kris."
Kris was relieved for the interruption. "Pam, I'm going down to the lake with–"
"I know, I heard."
Simply shaking her head as she stood, she met up with Matt as he waited in the main entrance foyer. He looked great, even better than when she fed from him, dressed in a navy blue wool sweater, black jeans and boots; a traditional Scottish cap on his head.
"Wow, you look beautiful, Kris," Matt said as he leaned forward, and she allowed him to kiss her cheek. He looked behind her expecting to find Eric or Pam, but of course they weren't there.
"Should I bring anything? I already ate, so–"
"No, no. There are plenty of blankets."
He grabbed her arm gently and wrapped it around his elbow. She gladly took it as he led her towards the lake.
"Pam, what's really going on?" Eric asked, beginning to get irritated at seeing her be cruel to Kris, at least to him it seemed.
"Tara told me there are more reports of tainted TruBlood all along the west coast, and they're saying it'll only be weeks before it heads east."
"I can understand your concern, but there is more to it than that."
"No, there isn't," she insisted.
He leaned forward, put his elbows on his knees and narrowed his eyes on her. "We have been together for just over a hundred years. Do you not think I know when something is wrong with you?"
"I don't like the fact she tells you more than she does me."
"That's because you won't let her. It's just the imprinting, Pam. We've gone over this."
"Well, maybe I don't need to be here, Eric," she snapped.
Eric instinctively knew when he pushed her too far, but at the moment he didn't care. Standing and walking out, he told her, "Maybe that would be the best for all of us."
"Hey, everyone," Kris said as she waved to the group sitting around the already-blazing bonfire. Matt made introductions to the group of eight, each paired male and female, as if they were all on dates.
"I've got your marshmallows, Matt," his sister Marley teased him. "I mean, since you're the only human."
"Ha ha," he replied, seemingly embarrassed. "A bonfire without marshmallows is like a vampire without fangs."
"Oh, my gosh," Kris spoke up. "I haven't had a toasted marshmallow since I went camping as a kid."
"It wouldn't be a good idea, Kris," Scott said.
"Well, I tend to agree with you, but I'd still like to try one." She didn't, not really. She just wanted to make Matt feel better.
"Okay, but we warned you," Matt said, chuckling. He reached inside a small tote bag and pulled out the bag and two twigs, already sharpened.
"You are a twit, Matt," Marley said then whispered something to her boyfriend Bryan, who snickered.
Matt put the marshmallow on the stick and handed it to Kris before he did his own. Kris put the treat over the flame, rotating it to get it evenly brown before pulling back just in time before it caught on fire. "That's not a true marshmallow." His own burst into flames, and he promptly blew the fire out, seemingly proud of himself. "This is the only way to eat one."
Kris brought the marshmallow to her mouth and tested it to make sure it wasn't too hot. Taking a bite, it melted onto her tongue, and at first it tasted as she thought it would. Her smile slowly faded, however, when the flavor turned into a combination of dirty socks and ashes from a fire. "Ew, ew," she spat, brushing her tongue with the back of her hand to get the taste out. "Gross!"
Everyone laughed at her, and she deserved it. All she could was laugh back, which was fine with her. "Okay, you guys were right."
"Let's get this party started!" Bryan shouted as he reached for a ziploc bag and pulled out several leaves. "Kris, have you done Naughty Man's Cherries before?"
"Huh? No. What the hell is that?" she asked.
"It's known as Belladonna, Nightshade, Kris," Matt told her. "You don't have to do it if you don't want to."
"Oh, god," Marley chortled. "You got yourself a chicken-shit girlfriend."
"Marley! Knock it off!" Matt yelled.
"I'll pass, thanks," Kris replied firmly.
"It's poisonous to humans," Scott said. "It's like cat nip to sabers, and with saber-vampires it causes a serious trip. Not something to mess with."
"Seriously, we need to find some real partiers," Bryan said as he put a full leaf in his mouth and sucked on it, like it was cotton candy.
Marley passed the bag around, and the only ones that didn't take any was Kris, Matt and Scott. Kris leaned against Matt, as if he would protect her because she didn't know the effects it would have on the group. And he did. He put his arm around her back and rest his hand on her hip. "Is this alright?" he asked shyly.
She nodded. "Yes, thanks."
Trying to relax, yet remained on alert as she watched Marley and Bryan instantly change to saber, as did Charlie and Karen. Angus and Tracy, both vampires, simply crashed on the blanket and looked up at the sky like they had no idea what the shiny dots were. Two sabers ran off into the lake, though they stayed in the shallow end before standing as still as mannequins. The saber that was Marley approached Kris, sniffed her ankle before she quickly licked her bare arm.
"Ow, shit!" Kris cursed, putting her hand over her then shredded skin.
"Fuck, Marley!" Matt screamed at his sister then kicked her away, hard. "Get out of here! If anything happens to her, I swear–" Marley purred her protest before she and Bryan ran off.
"Matt, don'" Kris mumbled, surprised at hearing how strange she sounded. Her head was beginning to sway, and she had trouble keeping her eyes open.
She heard Scott ask Matt if she was okay. "No. The fluid was still on Marley's tongue, and because it's so abrasive it's now in her system. Fucking bitch," he spat.
"What do we do?" Scott asked.
"Nothing. Her arm will heal, but she's going to have a rough next couple of hours," Matt replied.