Chapter Eleven

"I never expected that." I spoke quietly, turning to face him. He's manage to be close again without me knowing, except this time I wasn't scared or surprised. I comforted me.
"You don't have to say it back." He reduced his tone to a whisper.
"I don't know what to say." I replied honestly.
"Anything. Anything at all. Just let me know something." Dougie's gaze fixed to mine as the words left his mouth.
"I've never been close to anyone before, Doug. I've never let anyone close." I struggled to find the appropriate words. "I don't know what I'll do if this can't go any further. It hurts to even think it." He went to speak. I placed a finger to his lips, staring at the floor, then continued. "I think I've already fallen."
"You've only known each other a week." I heard Jessi state from the other side of the door. Talk about ruining the moment. I stepped away from the door as the handle turned and she walked through in to the room. "Could they really kill you for shagging?"
"We're not shagging." I corrected her.
"Yes they could." Dougie answered.
"How barbaric." Jessi stated with a distinct tone of disgust. "It's like that Shakespeare play. Macbeth."
"Don't you mean Romeo and Juliet?" Dougie questioned.
"Hey, who's the one actually goes to school? Me. Exactly." She snapped, pausing to eye the both of us carefully. "I thought… I thought Danny boy was in to her."
"I'm here, you know." I stated. "Right in front of you. Would it kill you to speak to me?"
"Does it look like I want to associate myself with you?" She smiled, speaking in a honey coated tone of voice, like butter wouldn't dare melt in her mouth.
"Lay off her." Dougie growled, squeezing my hand in his. He sighed and rolled his eyes when Jessi's glare didn't leave me alone. "Jessi!" Her eyes were starting to agitate me.
"Oh for God's sake!" I exclaimed. "Danny wants you. And if I'm honest, it's easy to see that you're the jealous type."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Jessi raised an eyebrow while folding her arms.
"Even I've noticed it Jes" Dougie muttered. "As much as I hate to admit it."
"Don't you dare say that about me!" She scowled, slapping her brother. Even I felt that. "You're all freaks, and.. Home wreckers!"
"Home wreckers?" Dougie puzzled, placing a hand to his cheek that had flushed with colour in the shape of his sisters palm print.

I knocked three times on Jessi's baby pink bedroom door. There came no answer. I expected that. Time for Plan B.
"Jessi." I called as I pressed down on the brass handle, pushing the door open slowly. The room wasn't exactly what I had thought it would look like. In fact, it was pretty much the complete opposite.

The walls were a dark pink, a black border running through the middle, not that I could see much of the paint anyway. Hundreds of posters covered the walls, and they weren't of the latest teen muscle machines that Cosmo girl turns out every month. No. This girl had great taste in music.

"What do you want?" Jessi squeaked. I turned, seeing her sat on the bed, knees drawn up to her chest, her face red, blotchy and tearstained. I went to answer, eyes becoming distracted by the chest of drawers at the side of me. The top of it, covered with at least a dozen framed photographs.

"Is that your dad?" I asked quietly, observing the man that was a part of every image. It was a silly question to ask to be honest. In each photograph, the man, in his early twenties, held extremely similar features to that of Dougie.
"Yeah" She shrugged. "That was before Dougie showed up. I don't even remember him." Okay, so I've hit a raw nerve. "Home wreckers." She muttered, tears falling down her cheeks. "You're all the same."
"I haven't done anything wrong!" I exclaimed.
"You took Danny away." She pugged.
"he was trying to get your attention, you silly cow!" I really am mentally exhausted. I no understand why men complain that they cant understand girls. Because Jessi baffles me. "And it's hard to believe you'd be interested in him anyway." I added.
"What's that supposed to mean?" She sat up.
"Well, from what I've seen, you do nothing but insult the idea of being a vampire 24/7." I snapped. "Why Danny is interested in you, I have no idea. Maybe I've caught you at a bad time. I don't know."
"A vampire ruined my family." She whispered. "She came in and tore us apart. And yet my mum still took Dougie in. Why can she forgive, and I can't?"
"We're not all like that." I couldn't think of anything else to say to her.
"Don't screw Dougie around." She looked at me. "He doesn't deserve it."

I nodded, sitting with her on the bed, the two of us silent. I noticed she was still staring at me, trying to be discrete about it as she scratched at the backs of her hands.
"Ask me." I said. "I know that look."
"Danny likes me?" She smiled, a blush sweeping gently across her cheeks.
"Without a doubt." I replied.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Dougie clasped hold of my hand as we stood beside the open manhole cover.
"No. But it's the best chance we've got." I kissed him quickly on the lips. "She's the perfect distraction." The both of us glanced at Jessi who was staring down the hole, eyebrows knitted together in a worrying frown. I cleared my throat, gaining her attention.
"Remember, Jessi…" Dougie warned as he let go of my hand.
"I know." She sighed. "I don't tell anyone what I know."

"Now this is crossing the line." Oh great. It would be Sheena to be the first to notice Jessi's arrival in to the club. "I'm sorry your Royal Bitchness, but rules aren't made just for us common peasants."
"Pss off." I snarled "Go do something creative." I smiled and punched the air. "Go channel that anger!"
"That was Sheena." Dougie murmered to Jessi who, wide eyed and panic stricken, looked a little bemused at the entire setting.
"You just wait 'til Harry hears about this." Sheena spat aggressively, balled fists shaking with anger at her sides.
"Hears about what?" Harry yawned, appearing at an open doorway. He walked closer upon spying a cowering Jessi. He stuck his hand out suddenly for her to shake it. "You must be Jessi." He smiled tiredly. "Danny's in the lounge" he pointed to a closed door. The room I'd been filled in on who Harry actually was to me.
"How's Tene?" I piped up, hoping that I wouldn't regret opening my mouth.
"She's good." He grinned. "I was a long night, talking things through, but she's fine. She's asleep on the camp bed in the back." He gestured to the room he'd just come from. "You were right."
"I know." I smiled. "So, everything's okay?"
"I'm over the moon." He chirped.
"They've brought a human to the club." Sheena interrupted loudly.
"If you wake Tene up, I won't be held responsible for what she and her hormones will do to you." Harry hissed.
"But-" She pugged.
"I. Don't. Care." He stated firmly, spelling out each syllable with great care. "She stays." Sheena let out a small yell of frustration before throwing herself on to the sofa where Gabrielle had sat, silently observing us. She smiled and went to wave, unable to do so when Sheena slapped at her hands.
"You're impossible." Gabrielle sulked, folding her arms and turning herself away from her scowling friend. Then, smiling broadly, waved at myself and Jessi.

"Hey Claire." Danny grinned, walking through to where the group of us were just sitting down in the living area. "I hear you were quite the hero last night-" he paused, frozen to where he stood, blinking repeatedly before stammering. "Hi.. J...Jessi" His cheeks flushed red with embarrassment as me and Doug shared a hopeful look with one another.
"Hi." I swear she barely made a sound when she replied. How can they be totally oblivious to each others feelings it they're like this whenever they see each other?
"Jessi wanted to take a look around." Harry spoke. "I told her you'd give a tour."
"You did?" He looked awfully panicked at being told this. "I mean.. You did. Right. Of course." Jesus! This boy can't get much more colour in his face. If he does, he'll start to glow and become a second sun. "C…Come with me." He daren't look at Jessi in the eyes before turning to leave the room, beckoning with a feeble wave of his hand for her to follow.