A Nighttime of Forever

by Matthew S. Cox

  “Uhh.” I stare at her, noticing a purple streak over her right eye. “When did you get the highlight? And no, I’m not pregnant.”

  “Two days ago.” She leans toward me little by little with each word while saying, “Mom took me out trying to cheer me up because my best friend was murdered. Fuck my hair. Talk about you.”

  Ouch.

  “Sorry. No one faked anything. I really was killed.”

  Ashley sniffles. “What?”

  “Bullshit,” snaps Michelle, as authoritative as the lawyer she wants to be.

  She probably thinks I can’t see her lip quivering or the tear running down her cheek since she’s dark and there’s almost no light in this little corner.

  “Scott did kill me, or at least, he did enough damage to my heart that nothing could’ve saved me. At least no normal medicine.”

  “What the fuck are you talking about?” asks Michelle in a tone that says I’m ten seconds away from a fist heading for my nose.

  I check the railing again, and seeing it free of eavesdroppers, lean close to them and whisper, “That wasn’t a bear you saw. It was a vampire. And… he saved me.”

  “You ran away to get high, and you’re still trippin’,” says Michelle, shaking her head. “I ought’a break your nose for what you did to Ashley.”

  Ash sniffles, still staring at me. “Umm. I shouldn’t be this calm. She did something to my head.”

  “No drugs.” I extend my fangs so my friends can see them.

  “Holy shit!” Michelle jumps back, nearly falling out of her chair.

  “Wow,” says Ashley, with no more reaction than if I’d just shown her a somewhat-rare Pokémon.

  “So, yeah. Technically, I did die. But, I’m back… and please keep that other part a secret, ’kay? I trust you guys. If anyone asks, the hospital made a mistake when they sent the death notification.”

  “What happened?” asks Ashley. “And will you please un-Spock me?”

  I chuckle. “After I explain everything.” In whispers, I give them a quick explanation of waking up in a morgue and everything that happened after.

  “Dunno, girl.” Michelle fidgets. “That’s some real messed up shit.”

  “I can prove it better once we’re somewhere with less of an audience.” I take Ashley’s hand. “I’m really sorry for being a dumbass and going off with him alone to a dark place… and since when did you feel that way about me?”

  Ashley’s face goes as red as her hair. She laughs nervously. “Uhh… who told you that?”

  “Whoa, what?” asks Michelle. “You’re into Sarah?”

  “No one told me. I can feel it off you. I get why you’ve been super wrecked for the past couple days. If I could wish for anything in the world it’d be that I wasn’t such a dumbass last Thursday.”

  Ashley’s face darkens even more toward crimson. “Uhh…”

  “Holy crap. You are so crushing on her.” Michelle whistles and gawks at her like the whole ‘Sarah’s a vampire’ thing is no big deal by comparison. “What about Noah?”

  Ashley shakes her head. “No… it’s just a… you know. I like girls too, but Sarah’s been my best friend since like fifth grade. It would be too weird. Like dating my sister.”

  “Since when are you into girls?” asks Michelle, raising an eyebrow at me.

  “I’m not.”

  “See?” Ashley shrugs. “That’s why I never said anything. I didn’t wanna mess up our friendship. And, it’s kinda lame that you just stole that outta my head.”

  “Sorry. I didn’t try to. You were so upset it just, like, radiated. Would it make you feel better if I made you forget that I knew?”

  They both stare at me.

  “Umm. Not really.” Ashley fidgets. “It would freak me out that you can make me forget stuff. Promise you won’t ever do that?”

  I hold out my hand. “Swear.”

  We shake on it.

  Michelle reaches over. “Same here. And promise you ain’t gonna ever bite my ass.”

  “I promise not to ever bite your ass,” I say while shaking her hand.

  “You thinkin’ you gonna get one over on me with a technicality like that?” Michelle laughs.

  “Nah, just messing around. I won’t bite you guys.”

  With a backdrop of space explosions rumbling the house, my friends fill me in on what I missed―mostly a bunch of depressing shit about my parents talking to them and telling them how I was found dead. Apparently, Dalton just left me there after passing along the gift. Guess the authorities got to me before he finished with Scott. Hmm. If he’d whisked me away somewhere, it would’ve been easier on me since returning from disappearing is a whole lot easier to explain than returning from the dead.

  They tell me that my outer circle of friends, maybe a dozen or so kids we hung out with while at school but didn’t spend much time with otherwise, are planning a candle vigil for me at the woods where I died. Fortunately, it’s not until next week, so I have time to spread the hospital mistake story. Hmm. My parents are probably already thinking of ways to do damage control. How twisted is that? A lot of vampires in movies and stuff have living servants, like Renfield, to do stuff for them during the day. I have my parents.

  I think my Dad would legit throw something at me if I ever called him ‘Renfield.’

  So, anyway, Ash admits to pulling a full-on hermit for the past few days, refusing to leave her room and ignoring calls up until tonight when Michelle physically dragged her out of the house to ‘get some air.’ I apologize a billion times over them both saying it’s not my fault. Eventually, we fall into this morbid-but-funny discussion of how everyone reacted to ‘the news.’

  Right in the middle of our giggling over Colin Meeks’ lifeless ‘wow that sucks,’ a shrill voice cuts our conversation to ribbons.

  “What the hell are you doing here? And where’s Scott!”

  I freeze for a second, noting the ‘oh shit’ expression forming on Michelle’s face.

  A brewing cloud of hostility encroaches from my right and slightly behind. Oh, I am so not in the mood for anyone’s shit right now. Especially not hers.

  “Who’s Barbie?” asks Michelle.

  Ashley scowls. “That’s the tramp Scott cheated with.”

  I turn in my seat to stare daggers at the too-perfect blonde cheerleader in her clingy, shoulder-baring white top and short skirt. “That’s Bree Swanson.”

  Mind Zap

  14

  Bree Swanson huffs at me and folds her arms across her huge boobs.

  Not that I’m jealous. Mine are the perfect size. Hers’d knock her out if she ever had to run. Seriously, where does she hide the air pump?

  She’s trying to loom at me, but she’s about as intimidating as an enraged Pomeranian.

  “So what did you do with Scott?” asks Bree, leaning at me.

  “Say what?” yells Michelle.

  I spring to my feet. Fortunately, I’ve got her by about an inch. “I have no damn idea where he went. I kinda lost consciousness when he rammed a giant knife into my chest trying to kill me.”

  “Well, you shouldn’t have dumped him then.” Bree rolls her eyes.

  I’m too stunned to respond for a few seconds.

  “Bitch!” Ashley flies out of her chair and tries to tackle Bree, but I catch her with one arm, holding her back. “How can you say something like that? Sarah, let me go!”

  At the same time, Michelle stands, furious. “You did not just blame her for what happened.”

  “W-what?” I stammer, still holding Ashley back. “Did you really just say it’s my fault for getting stabbed because I dumped him after I caught you fucking my boyfriend?”

  “Yo, that’s messed up.” Michelle shakes her head. “Why the hell is it always our fault? The girl’s fault? Bitch, you are confused.”

  “I don’t believe her,” yells Ashley. She stops fighting, but I don’t let go. “Sarah getting hurt is your fault, not hers.”

  “My getting hurt is no one
’s fault but Scott’s. What the hell is wrong with people who think the girl did something wrong when a guy gets violent? That’s complete bullshit.” And it’s bullshit I am no longer afraid of. Let someone try that crap now and see what happens.

  “Umm.” Bree unfolds her arms and takes a step back. “When you say it like that it does sound kinda messed up… but you still shouldn’t have dumped him. Now he’s gone and I don’t know where he is.”

  I’m not sure what pisses me off more―that Scott cheated on me with a living Barbie doll or that he hooked up with someone this stupid. Not now. Not in the mood. “Oh… go jump in the damn pool.”

  Bree blinks at me once, and trots off without another word.

  Oops. I put a hand over my mouth to hold back the giggles.

  Michelle and Ashley walk up to stand on either side of me. The three of us lean around the deck like something out of Bugs Bunny, watching Bree head for the pool.

  “Oh wow. She’s totally gonna do it,” says Ashley.

  Not taking her eyes off Bree, Michelle whispers, “Did you do that on purpose?”

  “No, but it’s kinda funny.”

  “Sare?” asks Ashley.

  “Yeah?”

  “Please don’t mind zap me.”

  Bree walks right off the edge of the pool like a zombie. The splash gets the attention of everyone out in the backyard. She goes under for only a few seconds. As soon as her head breaks the surface, she freaks and starts screaming. Everyone breaks out into laughter, including the three of us, while Bree wails about her hair and clothes being ruined.

  “Hmm. Maybe we should get outta here?” I ask. “It’s after midnight.”

  “Does something bad happen to vampires after midnight?” asks Ashley.

  “What, you believe her?” Michelle glances back and forth between us.

  “Dude. I saw her die.” Ashley clings to me. “I think I totally flipped out. I kinda remember running over to you, but it’s like I blacked out and the next thing I can remember, I’m back at the party screaming for help.”

  I put an arm around her. “It’s okay. The man who saved me probably sent you away.”

  Two guys run over to the pool, both quite eager to help Bree and her overstuffed, wet, white shirt out of the water. The bitch glares at me. Ooh. Eye contact. Thank you.

  As far as Bree will remember, I said something sarcastic and she stormed off in a huff, didn’t see where she was going… and sploosh. She swoons under my mental influence, and her dead weight pulls both guys into the water on top of her.

  I hook my thumbs in my jean pockets and laugh my fool head off.

  Giggling, Ashley glances at me. “Did you just do that? Are you like telekinetic too?”

  “Nope. She just fainted.”

  “C’mon. Let’s get outta here,” says Michelle.

  “Good idea. My place?” asks Ashley.

  “Perfect.” I nod. “By the way, your mom knows about me already.”

  Michelle gasps at me. “You told her mom before us?”

  “Well, I went there looking for you. No phone, remember?” I glance at Michelle. “Didn’t tell your mom about the pointy teeth yet, though. Got the feeling she probably wouldn’t handle it well.”

  “Yeah, don’t.” Michelle shakes her head. “Mom doesn’t deal with weird shit. We almost sold the house on account of a flickerin’ light after Dad made a ghost joke.”

  I giggle. “Yeah, I remember that. She wouldn’t go into the back room for months.”

  A crowd forms at poolside, mostly laughing at the guys pulling themselves out after pushing Bree to dry land. I catch Ashley checking her out and gasp at her.

  “Seriously? Bree Swanson?” I blink.

  “Are you kidding me?” She frowns. “I was trying to figure out if those are fake. It bothers me that I can’t tell. C’mon, my car’s like a block away.”

  We break into giggles and scoot past the crowd to the gate.

  Adjustment Period

  15

  We stay up way too late.

  I mean, technically, Ashley and Michelle do.

  It’s a little after five in the morning when I realize the sun’s gonna be up soon. Other than it being pitch black outside instead of sunny, hanging out in her room felt so normal I almost forgot all about Scott and the whole vampire thing.

  We’ve pretty much spent the past few hours talking, crying, and laughing. My friends are super guilty over letting me stew so long after catching Scott with Bree. I’d been stupid and, after two years with him, assumed we’d just wind up being married at some point and that was that… and then all those fantasies burst when a blonde missile came in and blew up. I didn’t know what to do with myself. Ash is upset for hiding, thinking that maybe if Scott saw her he wouldn’t have killed me. I think he would’ve stabbed her too. Michelle’s apologizing for pushing me to dump him since I’d been too hurt and confused to think straight. Without her voice in my ear, I might’ve avoided confronting him for months and just hoped he forgot me when I moved to USC.

  She was right though. Problems don’t go away from being ignored.

  Ashley’s thrilled I’m (basically) okay, but she also made me swear not to turn her into a vampire. Not that I even know how. Michelle, too. Ash wants kids someday, like in a really bad way. Bad enough that she’s upset I can’t, way more than I am. At least Michelle backed me up there. What eighteen-year-old wants kids? I mean, it’s not like Ash wants to run right out tomorrow and get knocked up, but still. I’m sure with two sisters and a brother, I’ll be eyeball deep in nieces and nephews at some point. Great. I get to be the creepy aunt who never looks any older.

  Michelle, on the other hand, is committed to chasing her dream of law school, and there aren’t many options for a lawyer to practice on night shift. But that’s fine. I couldn’t possibly kill my friends even if they wanted me to. And death is kinda an entry requirement to the whole vampire thing. Now, if something else happens to them, I might not be able to stop myself from passing on the gift if it’s the only way not to lose them. However, I let them know that they’re my dearest friends and I’m willing to use all my newfound awesome to help them in every way I can.

  Of course, by the time I’m climbing out Ashley’s bedroom window, both of them are convinced beyond a doubt that I’m not making this up. Floating cross-legged over her bed, cutting my hand and letting them watch it heal in seconds, and lifting one end of Ashley’s car off the ground did the trick. Both of them insisted that they’d be totally cool with me feeding from them if I ever wound up in a jam. That’s about as uncomfortable as getting romantic with Ashley, since she’s like my fourth sibling.

  Flying home, I keep replaying the last few hours in my head. My friends are coping with unbelievable news pretty well and Ash is happy I’m not going to USC. She still hasn’t figured out what she wants to do yet, but her parents are insisting she go to college. Since I won’t be in California, she’s going to pick something local. Maybe after a year of core classes, she’ll finally settle between veterinarian, nurse, teacher, or something else. Her ’rents want her to go into a sciencey or technical field like them, but she’s too much of a caregiver. Michelle’s already in the door at Seattle University School of Law, so the three of us will all be in the area… at least for a little while more.

  For the first time in two weeks, I’m in a good mood.

  I swoop out of the sky and land in the trees behind my house so no one sees me. A building panic rises up inside, as if there’s a maniac ready to chase me through the woods with a chainsaw, so I sprint hard for the front door. It takes me a few seconds to fumble Dad’s keys to the right one, and I make it inside right as the sky begins to show a little blue.

  Holy crap. Too close.

  The house is quiet, save for the soft clink of dishes. I toss the keys on the coffee table in the living room on my way into the kitchen. Mom’s standing by the microwave in a bathrobe, about to nuke her morning oatmeal. She always gets up stupid early.
/>   “Young lady, what are you doing walking in the door at this hour? Do you have any idea what time it is?”

  I glance at the clock. “Umm, it’s 5:09 a.m.”

  Mom frowns.

  “And about two minutes before I turn into a pile of ashes.”

  Her disapproval evaporates to a mask of worry. “Oh. I…” She shivers.

  I zip over and hug her. “I’m sorry for cutting it so close. I was at Ashley’s. She’s been a total wreck.”

  “So, what time should I expect my vampire daughter to be home before I get upset?” asks Mom, her voice wavering with insecurity.

  I sigh. “Mom. I’m eighteen now.” And undead.

  “Yes, well, you’re still living under our roof, so I…” She stares at me, blank-faced.

  Ouch. Yeah, I’m not really living anymore. And so much for independence. I suppose I need them more now than I’d like to admit. During the day, I’m pretty helpless. “Okay, okay… You’re right, Mom. I’m sorry for cutting it so close.” I hug her tight for a second more. “I really need to get to bed. The sun is almost up.”

  She nods, wordless.

  “Hey, Mom… I’m still here.”

  Finally, she inherits my smile.

  The microwave pings, startling us both―and the room is getting uncomfortably warm, like I can feel the daylight wanting to cook me.

  “Gotta go.”

  I zoom down the stairs and across the basement before leaping into my new bedroom. Heaviness pulls down on my limbs, making it difficult to close the door. Grunting, I bump it closed with my ass and zombie-stagger over to my bed, letting gravity pull me down.

  It feels like I land atop my blankets and stare at the ceiling, unable to sleep, but the clock on my desk has jumped to 7:03 p.m., and the smell of cosmetics is heavy in the air. Grr. Guess I’m going to have to do something to Sam to convince him to stop writing on my face with lipstick.

  Since I slept in my clothes, I strip and change into a loose mini-dress and a fresh pair of undies. My sister Sophia refuses to wear pants, being all about dresses and skirts. Sierra’s the opposite―hates dresses. I wound up right in the middle, going for whatever mood takes me. A quick sniff test lets me skip a shower since I don’t seem to stink. I guess being technically dead has some advantages. No sweating equals no stinking.