Chapter 6: Getting Acquainted

Two days later…

(Alec's POV)

It was cloudy again today, but when I went to the garden Marcus had been there and told me that she wasn't going to be there today.

After Jane told me about her encountered with that girl, we had both agreed that the mystery vampire had no idea about the 21st century and the technology it had to offer.

So here I was at Volterra's small mall trying to find a gift for her. My first thought was to buy her some modern day cloths, but I quickly realized that I'm horrible with fashion sense. My wardrobe was all dark and formal type cloths so I really had no need to keep up with modern day fashion.

Finally I walked into some cool store that was filled with gadget toys and decorative items. Walking around for a while I finally found, what I thought, would be the perfect gift for her. It was a glass Jellyfish that sat on a light up stand. The lights also changed color making the Jelly fish change color. (Link to Object)

I had to wait another two days before clouds settled in over Volterra again. During those two days I felt like some teenage crushing boy. I kept going over conversations to have with her in my head and the questions I was going to ask her. I'm determined to find out who this girl is.

As I walked towards the garden with her gift wrapped in a bag I started to get nervous about her reaction to the gift and her reaction to my questions.

'Get a hold of yourself Alec!' I thought 'If you can take down an army of vampires you should be able to talk to a girl.'

As always she was sitting by the pond wearing a black renaissance dress this time. She was reading a book again.

'This is it Alec,' I thought 'it's time to get answers from her so don't get distracted by her smile, eyes, her lips…' I wondered what her lips would feel like against mine… 'Stop it Alec!' I yelled at myself. Taking a deep breath inhaling her cherry blossom scent, I walked towards her with determination.

"Hello again Alec." She said looking up from her book, "would you like me to read to you again?"

'Oh yes please!' my subconscious yelled, 'and can I hold you while you do?!'

'FOCUS ALEC!' I yelled at myself

"Hello…Raven." I said loving the sound of her name on my lips.

She looked at me with small surprise in her eyes. "So you figured it out, and so quickly to."

Is she calling me stupid? I may be a lot of things but stupid isn't one of them.

"I have something for you," I said handing her the bag ignoring her last statement.

"Really," she asked setting aside her book, "why?"

Last time I checked most people would say 'thank you' when they received a present. Then again Raven wasn't most people.

"Well I noticed that you don't seem to know much about this time frame so I thought I'd get you something from this century." If I wanted to get answers from her I might as well start off with the truth.

The second she opened the gift and saw it, her face lit up like a kid at Christmas. This made my nervousness on the gift fade. I leaned over to turn on the color changing light and the second it came on she became memorized by the object in her hand.

I watched her stare at the object thinking that she looked like a small child who was seeing the world for the first time through innocent eyes. I chuckled lowly at the thought of a vampire being innocent.

"What?" she asked tilting her head looking at me with curiosity.

"I was just thinking that you looked like an innocent child just now and the thought of a vampire being innocent amused me."

"What makes you believe we're not innocent?" She asked setting down her gift and turning towards me.

"We kill humans to survive." I stated in a cold tone.

"So that means humans are evil just like us then." She said deep in thought.

"What makes you say that?" why would she compare vampires and humans?!

"Well humans kill animals to survive, so then how are we so different when both our kinds kill to survive."

I sat there staring at her stunned. She had a point bust still humans were worthless and should never be compared to vampires.

"What's your view on humans?" she asked pulling me from my thoughts.

"There worthless." I said remembering what humans did to Jane and me all those years ago. "There nothing but food and deserve to die in pain."

"Why do you say that?" she sounded slightly stunned at my answer. What kind of answer was she expecting? 'Oh I love them so much and want to be best friends with them.' Like I would ever say that.

"That's really none of your business." I said a little too harshly. Crap I probably just scared her off.

"I suppose it's not." She said looking unbothered by my harsh tone

Sighing internally calming myself down I decided to change the topic, "What's your favorite color?"

'Really Alec,' I thought, 'out of all the questions you had for her you choose that?!'

"Purple, mostly dark shades" she said playing along, "and yours?"

"Black and dark red."

We continued this for hours. I found out that she was frozen at eighteen when she was dying of an illness, but she wouldn't say who turned her so I decided to let it go for now. I learned that her favorite author was Jane Austen. She also told me that she loved Roses but only the unique colored ones.

After a few minutes of silence she spoke again in a cautious lonely tone, "I haven't left this castle in a little over a thousand years."

"Really?" She's been here all this time? "How come I'm only meeting you now?"

"I don't like attention and I'm very scared about what people would think of me. However, when I want to meet someone I allow them to find me."

"So that first day we meet, you knew I was coming?" I asked surprised, "How?"

She tapped her head with one of her black painted nails, "My ability. I can see past present and future." She rested her hand back in her lap, "but I will only look into someone's past if they give me permission. Otherwise I view it as their personal secret that I shouldn't know."

"What do you mean by you can see the present?"

"I can see what a person is doing right at this moment anywhere in the world. For example your sister is currently in her room making out with her mate." I growled at the thought. Raven giggled.

I decided to change the topic by telling her about my favorite songs, books, and movies.

"What's a movie?" she asked

"I'm not sure how to explain it so I'll show you sometime." I paused remembering something, "I can also teach you how to slow dance sometime too."

"Promise?" she asked her eyes lighting up with joy.

"Promise." I said with finality.

Raven nodded and got to her feet grabbing her new gift holding it like it was the most precious thing in the world.

"How about we see each other on Friday and you can teach me to dance. I can dress up for once." She said looking at me with hopeful eyes.

She considers what she's wearing as casual attire?

"Friday night at eight I'll be here." I told her standing to say goodbye, but by the time I was up she was gone.

How does she do that?

"I have a date with Raven" I told Jane as she walked into my room.

"That's her name. It's about time you found out." my sister said taking her usual seat on my bed. "So how did you ask her?"

"Well she asked me. I just confirmed the day and time."

"Then it's not an official date." She said crossing her legs.

"What? Yes it is!" I argued

"No it isn't. She asked you so then it doesn't make it a date if you didn't say 'would you like to go on a date with me?' therefore it's not a date." Jane concluded with finality

I growled. 'Women and their specific needs…annoying.' I thought

Jane smiled, knowing I had lost this argument. I loathed losing arguments with her and she knew it.