Betrayal: Book 2 of the Non-Vampire Series

by Jennie Taylor

  My phone rang. Both Jess and I stopped as I pulled it from the back pocket of my shorts. We stared at the screen for a second when I held it out in front of me. Not Marissa. Darn it.

  “Celeste?” I said into the phone.

  “They just found another body.” she said. “In the west part of Overland Park. Can you get there?”

  “It'll be a while.” Jess answered.

  “I thought if you could get there quickly you two might find them.”

  “We can head that way.” I told her. “They're probably already gone, but we can kind of check around a little.”

  “At least until it gets too sunny.” Jess added.

  We stopped a couple of blocks away from where the yard was cordoned off with police tape. There were officers everywhere. We could hear them talking about the body they found. It was a jumbled mix, but I made out some details.

  “Julie Smith.” I told Celeste over the phone. “Exsanguination.” I added. “The detective thinks this was an animal attack.”

  “Typical.” she replied. “Someone has no blood left, there's a bite mark, so they assume an animal did it. It's no wonder we have a hard time finding you people sometimes.”

  “Don't include us in this.” Jess told her.

  “Check around as best you can before coming home.” Celeste ordered, then hung up.

  Jess and I checked all the shadowy, bushy areas within a half mile radius, but found nothing. But as we were heading back to the car, some teenage boy waved us over. I reluctantly followed Jess over toward him.

  “You two looking for someone?” he asked.

  “What's it to you, twerp?” Jess asked.

  “Just a question.” he said. “So what can I call you two?”

  “Call us nothing, we're leaving.”

  “Now wait, hold on, I just was curious who I was talking to.”

  “Jessica.” she said, shaking her head. “Do you know anything, or not?”

  “And you?” he asked, staring at me.

  “Um, I'm...”

  “She's Brynne, and if you have anything to tell us you need to spit it out quickly.”

  “Don't be so rude.” I said.

  “Sunlight, hon.” she said, looking up.

  She's right, we can't be out here much longer. Which also means the vampires can't, either. Apparently we're actually better able than most to walk in the sun, so if we have to go in there is a very good chance they did so long ago.

  “blonde girl, about yay tall,” the boy said. “Kinda hot,”

  “Whatever.” Jess said.

  “If she wasn't covered in blood, that is.” he quickly added.

  “You saw a girl covered in blood?” I asked, just making sure I heard that right.

  “Yeah.”

  “Oh.” I looked over at Jess and saw that she was interested now, too. “Well did the cops come ask any...”

  “Man, I ain't helping the cops with anything.” he said, angry. “They don't help us, why should we help them?”

  “So, um, what about the blonde?” I asked.

  “She headed into the brush over there.” He pointed. “I think the girl is crazy, really.”

  “Probably.”

  “She on something?” he asked. “I figured as hard as you two were looking, she must be a friend or something.”

  “Or something.” Jess said.

  “Yeah, uh,” I said, searching for something to tell him. “She called, she took something and was confused and disoriented. She couldn't find her way home.”

  “I heard that.” he said. “She the one who offed the girl up the road?”

  “I...”

  “We don't know anything about that.” Jess told him.

  “Right. Nobody never does. Not my business, anyway.”

  “Thank you for your help, uh...” I said.

  “Yeah, that ain't happening.” he said, turning away. I guess he doesn't feel comfortable giving his name.

  We searched the trees he had pointed out. We didn't find any blonde vampire, but there was blood. We missed it before, somehow. There wasn't much, and the area smelled so awful that it rendered any chance of us picking up the blood odor an impossibility. But there were a couple of smears. At least now we know the vampire is a blonde woman.

  We finally had to head back to the apartment. We were dead tired, and the sun was bright enough that it was going to cause us problems if we stayed out in it for very long.

  Saturday, May 31

  After another night and early morning of searching, I was tired and couldn't sleep. Jessica was snoring away, but I couldn't get my brain to shut down. I went out into the living room to watch cartoons. I leaned back on the sofa and watched some mindless thing that I swear talks down to kids in the most annoying way.

  “Shouldn't you be asleep?” Celeste asked.

  “Can't.” I mumbled.

  I didn't even hear her come in, so I guess I'm really out of it right now. I just want to sleep. Why can't I sleep? And why does that chicken and rice she has there smell so good?

  “There's more, if you want some.” she said, apparently noticing me staring at her food.

  “I'm too tired to eat.”

  “Well, I hope you don't mind if I do.” She sat next to me and reached over and patted my shoulder. “Whatever it is, it's going to be alright.”

  “I hope so.”

  If I could pinpoint exactly what was bothering me I could probably deal with it better, but I really just don't know. I wish I hadn't brought my doll in here with me. It's kind of embarrassing.

  “So, um, why do you think...” I said. I slid Jenna to the opposite side from Celeste and laid her on the sofa. “I mean...” I paused to try to hold back the tears that were threatening. “Marissa won't even answer my texts.”

  “I don't know, Brynne.” she said.

  “Did I do something, you think? I mean... I mean she seemed okay with what I am, so I don't think that's it.”

  “I wish...”

  “But Teresa was okay with it, too, right up until she wasn't.” The tears escaped my eyes. “I miss her so much, ya know? And... but I thought there was a chance with Marissa. At least a little. I just... I mean am I going to be alone forever?”

  “Someone will come along who...”

  “Nobody is ever going to want me.”

  “That's not true at all.” she said.

  She put her arms around me and pulled me into a hug. I cried on her shoulder while she rubbed my back and kept telling me to let it out. After a while I finally was able to rein in the tears a little.

  “I am so sorry.” I said. I pushed back away from her a little, but she held on.

  “Don't be. It's okay.”

  “It's not, I shouldn't whine to you like this.”

  “You can talk to me any time, Brynne.” she said, still not letting go of me.

  “I just don't want to be alone anymore.” I mumbled. “But there's nobody who would ever really want to date me, knowing what I am.”

  “You are not a monster.” she said. She pulled me tighter. “There is someone who wants to date you.”

  She squeezed me and held me. There is someone? Who? I just know I feel really good in her arms right now. I wish it were her who wanted to date me.

  “I better go lay down and at least try to sleep.”

  “That's a good idea.” she said, finally letting me go.

  “Thanks, um, for... ya know.”

  “Any time.” she told me. I started to step away, but she grabbed my hand. “Don't forget your doll.”

  “Oh.” I said. I could feel myself blushing. “Thanks.”

  I picked Jenna up and made my way to the bedroom, where I laid awake for a couple more hours. I couldn't stop wondering if Celeste really does like me. She sometimes acts like it. The way she talks to me, the looks she gives me, even the way she held me in there. But I can never be sure with her. And I do have a girlfriend. M
aybe.

  After a horrible nightmare about Barney being eaten by a crocodile, I woke to the smell of spaghetti sauce wafting in from the kitchen. When I made my way in there, sans Jenna this time, I saw Jessica and Celeste just setting the table.

  “Sleep well?” Celeste asked.

  “Not really.” I replied.

  “I think you two need a night off. I don't want you out searching tonight. Take a break, have some fun.”

  “That's great,” Jess said. “Brynne, you wanna come with me to the mall? I need some new jeans.”

  “I don't really feel like shopping.”

  “Wow! Really?” She reached over and felt my forehead. “No fever. Hm.”

  “I'm just tired.”

  “Well do you need me to stick around?” Jess asked me.

  “No, go ahead and go.”

  “Okay, I'll call Miranda and see if she'll go.”

  “Um, ask... no, don't, actually.”

  “Honey, I'm sure there is a good explanation for Marissa not answering. I'll try to find out.”

  “No. Don't even bring it up. I'm done with her.”

  “It's for the best, anyway.” Celeste said.

  We ate quickly, and I helped with the dishes while Jess took off to go shopping with Miranda. At least she answers her phone, unlike her sister. Marissa is such a bitch. I can't believe I just said that! Well, thought that.

  “What are you smiling about?” Celeste asked.

  “No, nothing, just something weird in my head is all.” I put the last plate in the dishwasher. “We also need to do some laundry.”

  “I can take care of that. You can go back to bed, if you want to.”

  “Thanks.”

  I sat at the table instead, and watched as Celeste filled the dishwasher with soap and turned it on. Then she went to get the laundry.

  “Do you want to go to another movie with me?” I asked.

  “Sure, that sounds like fun.”

  “Great. Let me go get dressed and we can go.”

  “Kind of early, isn't it?”

  “Not by the time we get there. Besides, we can walk around and talk for a while, or maybe grab a coffee or something.”

  I hurried to get dressed, putting on a nice little dress that shows off what figure I have, topping that with a little lace button up shirt, which I didn't button, and adding a pair of cute shoes.

  “My dad isn't a bad guy.” Celeste said. We were walking around, waiting to go to the theater until closer to start time, and she was sipping at a hot coffee. “He just has this set idea that anything, or anyone, not completely human is pure evil.”

  “I mostly agree with him.”

  “Well I don't, at least not completely.” She said. She reached out and touched my arm. “Obviously.”

  “So you're okay with what I've done in the past?” I asked.

  “You've done some things, but it's been so long, and you have made up for it.” She smiled at me. “You are a very kind, gentle person. I don't think you're evil at all.”

  “Thank you.”

  She finally seemed comfortable around me, I thought. She has rarely shown that. Gosh I really like her. I don't know, maybe coming to a movie together was a bad idea. It makes me see what I miss so much with Marissa right now. It also makes me remember what Teresa and I had. I want that again, so badly.

  The movie was a cheesy romance. About halfway through I reached over and grabbed onto her hand, and she let me. We didn't say anything, and I didn't look to see how she was reacting, we just held hands.

  The ride home was a little awkward, I think. I mean I was scared that I had crossed the line, that she would now decide that she hates me. She wasn't talking at all, which made it worse. But she did smile at me a couple of times, and each time I felt okay for a minute.

  “I'm going to grab a beer.” she said when we got into the apartment. “Do you want to watch something?” She motioned toward the television.

  “Um, yeah, sure.”

  I flipped the television to a kids show out of habit, but then realized I should probably pick something Celeste would like, so I found another movie. And then she came in and sat next to me.

  “Hey,” she said.

  “Um,” I looked up at her. She is so beautiful, her flowing black hair framing her face just right tonight.

  “Thank you for inviting me to the movie.”

  “My pleasure.” I said. I reached out for her hand. “We'll have to do it again sometime.”

  I knew I had definitely crossed the line by then. But that also meant there was no going back. I was ready for her to yank her hand away and tell me off, but instead she smiled.

  “We should.” she agreed.

  “Celeste,” I leaned toward her. “You look so beautiful tonight.”

  “Oh, uh,” she said.

  I leaned the rest of the way in and kissed her. She has the softest lips I have ever felt. As my tongue darted out slightly I could taste her lip gloss. I was in heaven just then. But... she wasn't responding.

  “I...” I scooted way back, very quickly. “I shouldn't... have... um,”

  “No, you shouldn't.” she said.

  I snuck a glance and could see that she was staring at the floor like I was, and she had a reddish tint to her cheeks now too. And... and I think she liked that I kissed her. She doesn't seem repulsed, at least.

  “I mean... I mean maybe after we catch these other...”

  “Brynne,” She sighed. “It's not that I don't think you're a lovely girl.”

  “Oh.”

  “And it's not that I don't want to.”

  “Oh,” I said, feeling a sudden rush of excitement.

  “But I work with you,”

  “And you don't date people you work with.” I finished for her.

  “That isn't it.” she whispered. “You're a child, Brynne.”

  “I... I... oh.”

  “But then again, you're not!” she said, forcefully. She stood. “I have to think about this.”

  “What's to think...”

  “You're a hundred and fifty years old, not a child! And if I like you then... but no, I have to be reasonable.”

  “You don't have to.” I said softly.

  “I have to think.”

  She stormed off to her room. Great. I'm a child. The fact that I carry my little doll out here to watch cartoons probably isn't helping. It's not my fault that I barely age, though. It isn't fair. I really like her.

  I am such an idiot. I actually kissed her.

  Oh, just kill me now.

  I don't know what I was thinking! I mean there is no way this could ever work out, even if she did like me the same way I like her. And I have a girlfriend! Well, sort of. Maybe. I really have no clue at this point.

  Sunday, June 1

  I didn't sleep, just laid there and cried all night. Jess tried to get me to talk, but I wouldn't. Eventually she went to sleep and left me alone so I could wallow in my self loathing.

  A new day didn't make things better. Celeste and Jessica were chatting happily as we all ate an early lunch together, but I could barely bring myself to look up at them. I mean I did, but any time they looked my way I had to turn my head. I feel so embarrassed about last night.

  Celeste was very curt with me. She wasn't rude, exactly, but she seemed like she was saying only the absolute minimum that she had to say to me. And she got a kind of angry look on her face when our hands touched as she was taking my plate when clearing the table.

  I just should go find Roderick and let him suck all the life from me. Maybe he'd end it quickly.

  I wonder what Teresa is doing right now. Maybe she's out having fun with the new girlfriend, enjoying a picnic in the sun, swimming at the pool, or even just laying out and getting a tan. All things she could never do with me. Love sucks.

  “I'm going to go walk around for a while.” I told Celeste and Jessica. “Maybe I'll stumble across our va
mpires.”

  “Hang on, let me get my shoes.” Jess said.

  “I kinda need to be alone.”

  “But Brynne,”

  “Let her go, Jessica.” Celeste told her.

  “But it could be dangerous if she actually does stumble across...”

  “I'm sure she'll be careful.”

  “Well be back early.” Jess told me. “Mom and Dad are coming up to visit us. They want to take us to dinner.”

  “If I'm not back, just go without me.”

  I walked around, not even bothering to stay out of the sun. The thought occurred to me that maybe I could just get a bad enough sun burn that I'd die from it, but then I realized the sun wasn't all that bright today, so I'd just end up in a lot of pain if I didn't watch it. I started staying to the shadows as much as I could at that point.