I couldn’t help saying, with a huge smile plastered all over my face, “You want me to set you up with Max?”
“What?” Claire jumped back a little, stunned by my question. “No!” But I could tell that she had a crush on him. Her face was now red and she was fooling around with her feet and her fingers. Everything about her screamed I like Max.
“I wanted to know if you could come to the hospital with me after school.”
I blinked. “Um,” I tried putting it lightly, “why?”
“I want to visit my dad,” she answered me quickly.
“That’s not what I meant…”
“I need someone there with me when I go, otherwise I’ll break down and the nurses will have to drag me out kicking and screaming.” Claire nodded. “Trust me. It’s…happened before.”
“But you barely know me.” I hated myself for saying it, but I just had to say it.
“I know, and if it’s too much to ask, I get it,” Claire said, “but you’re the only one who’s…” She sighed. “It’s just hard to explain. I know we aren’t exactly friends—”
This was what I got for being nice to her. It was weird, because normally, I was the meanest person alive.
“—but I would be grateful if you would come with me. My uncle won’t go with me, and I’ve even begged him to.”
I tilted my head. “Why won’t he go with you? Isn’t your dad his brother or something like that?”
Claire shook her head. “No. He’s not even really related to me, by blood. He’s part of my family as a result of marriage. He married my aunt almost five years ago, and when she died, he just sort of stayed in my life. I don’t like him.” She scoffed, “He’s an ass.”
I laughed noiselessly. The way she said that last part was priceless. Just priceless. As I calmed my inner self down, I tranquilly told her, “Of course I’ll come with you.” After all, I had nothing to do right after school but have a lesson with Raphael. And I really didn’t want to see his lying face anyway.
“Thank you so much,” Claire smiled, perhaps for the first time, besides when she met Max, “I’ll find you after school.”
Awesome.
I loved acting up and not doing what I was supposed to be doing, especially if it involved pissing Raphael off. Truthfully, I’d be up for anything if it involved doing that. As far as I was concerned, Claire needed me to go with her.
And Raphael deserved all the hurt and anger I could give him.
“Hey, Gabriel,” I yelled to him as he walked to Koath’s car. “I’m not coming with you guys.”
He held up his hand. The tattoos that suddenly appeared on his skin weeks ago were hidden from view. “I knew you were hiding something at lunch today, the way you were trying to focus yourself on Max and Claire’s conversation about…whatever it was they were talking about.”
I laughed. “Did you?”
Gabriel nodded, blue eyes bright. “I did. I really did. Well, wherever you’re going, I hope it’s worth missing an all-important lesson with our dear buddy Raphael,” his voice was dripping with sarcasm, making me laugh harder. He shrugged, “Anything would be worth that.”
“That is so true,” I said, sliding my hand up and down my backpack’s straps.
“Where are you going?” Gabriel asked, throwing his books in the backseat. “Anywhere fun?”
I shook my head. “No. I’m actually going to the hospital with Claire. To visit her dad,” I added after seeing Gabriel’s quizzical face. “She asked me to.”
“Oh,” Gabriel said, giving the impression that he was surprised I was actually going. “That’s weird. Are you and her friends now? Because we could totally set her and Max up, you know. Be their personal cupids.”
“I think that we shouldn’t get involved in their love lives,” I told him. “Besides, I don’t even know if Claire likes Max like that. Or the other way around. They might just get along really well, like two nerds in a science convention.”
“Um, no. Hate to break it to you,” Gabriel was serious, “but no one gets along that well with someone if they only like each other as friends. They are made for each other. Oh, my God. I have an idea. Now that idea’s turning into a plan…yeah, yeah. That’s definitely a plan—”
I placed my hands on my hips, tilting my head up at him. “Care to fill me in?”
“Okay,” he bent down to whisper it to me, “this is all I’m going to say: bring Claire to the football game.”
“What if she doesn’t want to?”
Gabriel cut me off, “You bring her or I tell Raphael where you are and he’ll come and drag your sorry butt out of that hospital. I’m sure you don’t want that.”
“Fine. I’ll do my best. But this better not be like your plan to gummify all the trees in the world.” My eyes automatically narrowed.
“It’s not. Besides.” Gabriel smiled and sat in the backseat, making him about my level. My standing level. “How awesome would it be if all the trees were like gummy bears? Fricking awesome. It’d be like Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, you know, the room where everything is edible. Except the trees would be the only edible thing.”
“Anything’s edible if you try hard enough,” I said. Gabriel laughed, and I figured I wasted enough time by Koath’s car. The principal’s car. I had to get back to the student parking lot and find Claire. My mind could only think of one reason Gabriel’s plan included me bringing her to the game: he wanted to set Max and her up there.
They just met each other yesterday, for God’s sake. Yesterday. After meeting someone for the first time, you didn’t suddenly fall in love with them. This was real life, not the movies. And love at first sight didn’t exist.
Making it to the front of the school, I glanced around for Claire. My eyes couldn’t spot her, but I did hear light, almost imperceptible footsteps coming up behind me. I spun to view Claire, thinking to myself that she had oddly quiet footsteps for one so muscular.
“Hey,” her voice was soft, shocking me right away. Her voice was never soft. “You sure you want to come? You don’t have to go just because I asked you to. I don’t want you to feel obligated, or anything like that.” Claire clutched the books in her grip tighter.
“Yeah, of course,” I assured her. I didn’t really want to go, but I didn’t want her to go alone, either. I wasn’t sure if she could handle it.
“Then let’s head there.” We walked to her car, a midsized Highlander. “But…” Claire sat in the driver’s seat, with the key in her hand, and looked down into her lap.
I got in next to her. “But what?”
“I need to stop by my house first. I have to get something.”
“Okay,” I said simply. I wasn’t going to pry, even though I really wanted to.
Claire inserted the key and ignited the engine. She drove us out of the parking lot, and in a few minutes, we were pulling into her driveway. She turned her body to me, unbuckling her seatbelt. “I shouldn’t be long. If I’m not out in a minute or two…then feel free to come inside and get me, because I’ll probably be fighting with my uncle. He’s an ass, by the way. I think I mentioned that already.”
I let a small smile enter my face and said, “You did.”
Claire nodded and got out of the car, slamming the door behind her.
Sighing, I leaned back and, after checking my watch, closed my eyes. My mind asked myself a very important question, one that I didn’t quite have the answer to. And that question was: what did I get myself into?
Chapter Twenty – Vincent
The smell of Chinese takeout swelled into my nose. This smelled fantastic. That made me wonder, as I opened the container, if it was going to taste as good as it smelled. Probably not. But I had to order something quick and cheap. And, for some reason, this was my first choice.
I took a plastic fork and wrapped it into the noodles. Shoving a huge mouthful in, I grabbed the diary and opened it to where I last left off.
After mulling over what I wrote down last night, I
came to a crucial conclusion. He had told me I needed to be bitten by a Zeny. Their toxin is secreted through their fangs when they snarl and bite you. I do not doubt that was the truth, however, I do believe that he did not tell me the whole truth. I specifically remember waking up, after he snapped my neck, and feeling only one wound on me. One, single bite mark on my neck, and no three-legged dog in sight.
I believe that this man’s bite is exactly like the Zeny’s. And I intend to prove it. His blood is now my blood, as he told me before. Whatever is special about his bite and his blood should be in me now.
Unfortunately, the full moon was last night, so I must wait. Conversely, I do not wish to turn someone merely to turn them as a test. If I was to turn someone, I would do it because I admire them and wish them to be with me always.
I reached over and grabbed a bottle of water. I didn’t drink carbonated beverages. Water’s healthier. Although, it wasn’t like this Chinese food was healthy, so I guessed I could have just gone all out and drank some Dr. Pepper or Coca-Cola. Too late now.
Reading this diary disturbed me. Something about this entire thing seemed eerie. Uncanny. Supernatural. Though most things in my life were supernatural, me being a Shifter and all.
But this woman spoke about turning someone. Who in their right mind would turn someone they adored? Someone they loved? Make someone they loved go through all the pain and suffering, forcing them turn into a monster?
I would never do that to anyone.
Chapter Twenty-One – Kass
Two nervous eyes glanced to my watch. Seven minutes passed since Claire went inside her house. She told me to come in and get her if she wasn’t back out after a few minutes. I wondered…could seven minutes be considered a few? Or did I wait too long? Or…
I’d just get out and go get her, like she told me to. That’s it. Simple. Even though…deep down I was afraid of meeting her uncle who was supposedly an ass.
Just suck it up and do it.
I gritted my teeth and undid my seatbelt. I jumped out of the car and made my way to the dark red mahogany front door. My hand reached for the doorknob when I wondered if I should knock. Technically Claire gave me an invitation, so it wouldn’t be like I was breaking and entering or trespassing on private property.
Closing my eyes, I put my hand on the metal handle and twisted. The door opened with ease. I took a couple timid steps into the house, taking in the fact that it was impeccably clean right away. Noises erupted from upstairs. A man’s voice and Claire’s. Her uncle. I ran up the stairs two at a time.
“I am going!” Claire’s voice yelled.
“Why? Why do you always have to go and visit your father? It just exacerbates things and you know it. Claire,” his tone quieted, “I am only trying to help you get through this.”
“Yeah? Well, I need to visit him. I’m sorry that you don’t understand that! He’s the only thing I have left.”
I stopped abruptly as I arrived at Claire’s bedroom door. Gingerly I placed a hand on the door, which was cracked open slightly. Her uncle said, “I’m here—”
Claire’s scream echoed into my ears. “You are not my uncle. You’re no one to me.”
That’s when I decided that I should enter the room, otherwise, who knew where this conversation would lead to? I shoved the door open and spoke uncertainly, “Hey, Claire. What’s taking so long?”
The two people standing in her room halted their talk and turned to look at me. Claire’s face was cherry red and her uncle’s face was…pale. Beyond pale. Like, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say he was a Vampire because he hadn’t stepped out in the sun in years. But Vampires did go out in the sun, the Daywalkers, anyways. Nightwalkers, well…they didn’t talk and they were pretty much just like mindless zombies, so if he were one of those, he wouldn’t be in a very heated discussion with her.
If you could call a screaming match a heated discussion.
Claire told me, staring around her uncle, “Nothing. Nothing. I got what I came here for.” She glared up at him before storming to my side. “Let’s go.”
As she turned to walk out, her uncle stopped her, saying, “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?”
Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend? Was he serious? That was a creepy old guy move if I ever saw one. And I’d seen some. In movies. Her uncle wasn’t old, persay. At the most, I would say he’s thirty.
Without looking him in the eye, Claire said reluctantly, “This is Kass. Kass,” she motioned to him, “that’s Mr. Smith. My uncle.” I shuddered at the cross way she spoke the word uncle. It wasn’t a pretty sounding tone.
“Please,” he smiled a charming smile and held out a hand to me, “call me Steven.”
He was a normal-sized guy. Under six foot. Super pale skin. Blonde wavy hair. And by blonde, I meant blonde. Like the if-I-didn’t-know-better-I’d-say-this-guy-was-albino kind of blonde. His smile was perfect. His teeth were white and straight.
Something was off about him. Something I couldn’t put my finger on.
I cautiously shook his hand, saying, “Nice to meet you, Mr. Smith.” He also had a firm grip.
“Steven,” he insisted.
“Steven,” I corrected myself, sensing that he wasn’t going to stop shaking my hand until I called him Steven. What a weirdo. What a pale, blonde weirdo. Seriously. Looking at him, you would think he’s albino, except for the small matter of his eyes. Albino’s eyes weren’t dark brown. His were.
He let my hand go slowly, and I couldn’t stop myself from thinking of Rain and John. It was like all dark eyes now reminded me of what happened with them. Brown eyes just weren’t going to be the same for me anymore. That sucked, because it’s the most common eye color.
I regained my posture, which had diminished when I had to shake the guy’s hand. I hated to admit it, but he did seem to have some manners. He didn’t seem to be a total jerk. Then again, I was never good at first impressions, apparently.
“Let’s go,” Claire shot a quick glance at her uncle before grabbing my arm and dragging me down the stairs and out of her house.
The trip to the hospital was quiet. Like, eerie quiet. Claire didn’t speak at all, and neither did I, because I didn’t want to be the one who didn’t stop talking because she didn’t know what else to do. I did that too much already. Staying silent was a good choice.
Soon we were walking through the revolving doors and into the lobby of the hospital. Claire knew exactly where to go. She made an immediate left and hit the up button on the elevator. We stood, waiting for quite a while. She shoved an annoyed finger into the button a few more times.
The elevator door opened slowly. We tried getting on, but people had to push out first. There were probably ten people crammed in there. And they took their time getting out. We had to catch the door two times.
Claire glimpsed at me before pushing the fourteenth floor. On our way we picked up a few people. Jeez. I never noticed how many people were in a hospital before. And, being in this situation (a building with a few exits with huge amounts of people) always made me edgy and nervous. If something went wrong who knew how long it would take to get out of here.
I followed her as she speedily and masterfully turned in the right places, landing us in the correct wing of the hospital, the one where her father was.
The attendant at the counter looked up. “Ah, hello Claire. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
Claire shrugged her shoulders, saying, “Almost a week.”
The nurse nodded sympathetically. “Feels like it’s been forever, doesn’t it?”
Her eyes fell to the floor. “Yeah. I’m…sorry about last time.”
A warming smile formed on the nurse’s red lips. “Don’t worry about it. We all know what you’re going through. It’s just that you were making a lot of noise, and we didn’t want you to disturb the other patients.”
“I know. It won’t happen again,” Claire told her, shooting a quick glance at me. “This’ll be
a quick visit.”
“Nonsense,” the nurse replied, typing away on her computer, “you stay as long as you need to.”
“Thanks,” Claire gripped her purse tighter, smiling. She waved and walked around the counter, landing us at a room sixty-seven. She spun on her heel and looked me in the eyes. “Um…could you…”
“You want me to wait out here?” I asked, side glancing to a hideous green chair that was situated right outside her father’s room. I hoped it was comfier than it looked.
She nodded solemnly, apologizing, “Please. If that’s okay…”
“Of course,” I replied, taking a seat and finding out that the green chair was not comfier than it looked. It was like sitting on a rock. “Take your time. I can sit here all night.”
She laughed, gently shaking herself. “I hope we’re not here that long. Thank you,” Claire said before gently closing the door. I imagined her sitting on the green chair that was placed next to her father’s bed and grabbing his hand.
Technically, she was alone with her dad. The door was shut. Yet, I could still hear all the things she said.
Chapter Twenty-Two – Vincent
This diary was long. Too long. I wanted to finish it so I could get back to some normalcy around here. So I could get back to devising ways to kill off the man who murdered my parents. I didn’t plan on asking for the help of whoever gave this to me. I didn’t want to become something else, on top of what I already was.
But I wasn’t about to stop reading this diary yet, either.
I moved myself off my hotel bed and into the recliner that was positioned by the window, getting some sunlight. Rubbing my neck apprehensively, I turned the page.
Today I finished moving to Paris. This is certainly a lovely city. There are many young Frenchmen who have approached me. All handsome. But the one that caught my eye seemed to not even notice me. Either that, or he was fantastic at hiding his glances toward me.
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