Monthly Archives: April 2018

Vampire Boys (revamped)

Vampire Boys Of Summer (revamped) Ep. 18

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18: About The Stars

Haru sat in the deck chair. He slid it next to mine and we both tilted our heads back, looking up at the stars. The night was clear and the whole sky seemed to be filled with those tiny points of light.

“You know what I like about the stars?” he asked.

I turned my head to look at him. “No. What?”

“They seem fixed. In place. Unchanging. But the truth is, they are moving. Never standing still. Sometimes they die out. Sometimes they collide with other stars.” He looked at me and smiled. “Sometimes they fall. And other times, they shine so bright they illuminate everything around them.” He returned his gaze heavenward. “In essence, I suppose they are a lot like us. Sometimes when I look at them, I think of other people in the world looking at them too. People who are filled with happiness, or suffering without hope; people falling in love, or falling out of it. I sometimes want to put myself in their place just to experience what they do.“ He paused, as if thinking that over. “And yet, all I really want is to know that somewhere, someday, we’ll all be together like this huge cluster of stars in the sky, shining for someone else’s amusement and joy.”

“That’s pretty deep stuff, “ I said, not really knowing how to respond.

His face had a wistful smile. “Yeah, I guess it is.”

“You must have been watching the stars a long time.”

“About thirty minutes before you came out, “ he replied.

“No, I mean, being a vampire, you must have watched the stars for years.” I couldn’t believe I called him a vampire to his face. It sounded weird coming out my mouth.

“Is that your way of trying to get my age out of me?” he asked.

“Perhaps.”

He sighed. “Every year for me has been the same as the last. I have seen countless summers come and go. I forget the time.”

“You don’t want to tell me?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

He looked at me and the smile he was able to muster was sad. “You will find it difficult to be my friend. I am too old.”

I put my hand lightly on his arm. “Look, when I realized what you were, I was bothered by the fact you were probably a lot older than me. It is kind of creepy when you think about it, but when I see you with my eyes, I see what’s on the outside, and your outside says you’re forever seventeen. So it doesn’t bother me.”

“After a while it will.”

“Perhaps. But right now it doesn’t.” To prove my point, I got brave and leaned towards him. I rested my head on his shoulder. “I don’t care how old you are. All I know is I feel special when I’m with you.”

“You are special.”

“How do you know?”

“What?”

“How do you know I’m special?”

This has always been my trick question, the one that would trip all the boys up. It usually stopped them in their tracks, and in their hesitation to answer they would lose heart. It really wasn’t a trick; it was more of a challenge. I had always hated when boys used the “you’re special” card, thinking that’s all girls wanted to hear. Their answers always fell short. Haru’s was a little unexpected.

“I know you’re special because you’re changing me.”

“Changing you?”

“Yes. It has been a long time since I’ve had a real friend.”

“But we just met last night.”

“And I’ve changed a lot since then.”

“How?”

“Well…I…You…do you treat every guy this way?”

I was taken aback. “Excuse me?”

“When a guy tries to be nice to you, or pays you a compliment, or just tries to tell you that you’re a beautiful person…do you always question it?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Why? Don’t you trust them, or is it true that you just don’t like boys?”

I was stunned. It wasn’t the fact he said what he did; it was the fact he’d been here maybe a day or two and already the rumor had reached him. “You don’t have to be my friend,” I said and got up to walk away. He got up, too.

“I do want to be your friend. That’s the whole point. But you don’t trust me enough for that. You question everything there is about me.”

I looked at him. “You’re a vampire.”

“So? You’re a sixteen year old white girl from the suburbs. What’s that got to do with it?”

“I don’t kill people for their blood or turn them into other vampires.”

“Ouch, that stings. But it’s also ignorant, because I don’t do either of those.”

I looked at him, surprised. “You don’t drink blood?”

“You didn’t say that. You said I kill people for their blood. I don’t take human life. And I don’t turn anyone into vampires either.”

I didn’t know what to say. How could I respond to that? All I could do was make light of what he was. “You don’t sound much like vampires I’ve heard of.”

“Good. I don’t want to be.”

A silence hung between us for a moment. I was at a loss for words. Finally he spoke. “Until today, I had nothing to look forward to. Even moving to a new town didn’t bring me any kind of hope or anticipation. Then the other night I saw you in your window watching me. And last night, I found myself hoping you would watch me again. But you didn’t. Instead you came over. It may not have went that well, but this morning I found myself desiring to see you again. So I came to your school because I didn’t want to wait for tonight. And after tonight, I know I will find myself looking forward to seeing you the next time. That’s how you are special. You have a spell over me and it took you only two days.”

I was nearly breathless. “Wow. Well, I don’t know what to say.”

“Say what you feel.”

“I don’t know how I feel. I mean, maybe vampires get attached this quickly, but humans don’t.” It was a lie, but I was hoping he couldn’t tell that. “I mean, I like you and all, and I did look forward to seeing you tonight, but…”

He cocked his head. “But…?”

“Maybe I’m misunderstanding what you’re trying to say, but this is moving too fast for me.”

He nodded his head. He didn’t seem disappointed. In fact, he looked like a guy who had heard that excuse many times over. “I’m sorry. Like I said, each day is like the one before it for me. Time just isn’t the same for us. You say it’s been a day or two, but for me I feel like I’ve known you for…for a very long time.” He bowed his head in much the same way in the Asian movies when the character is either bestowing honor or asking forgiveness. “Forgive me if I act too familiar or overstep my bounds. I don’t mean to make you uneasy or uncomfortable.”

“It’s okay. I know I have a problem with trusting people and believing what they say. It’s just that I’ve been lied to so many times.”

“I understand. I won’t lie to you.”

“That could be a lie itself.”

He sighed, almost in exasperation. “Interesting point of view.” Looking skyward, he seemed to be seeking the next line in our conversation within the stars themselves. I looked up with him just in time to see a star streak across the horizon and fall behind the mountains.

Continue to Ep. 19

 

“Vampire Boys Of Summer” 2018 Paul D Aronson.

Vampire Boys (revamped)

Vampire Boys Of Summer (revamped) Ep. 17

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Vampire Boys Of Summer (Re-vamped)

17: Nora Falling

I don’t think he saw me at first, so intent his gazing heavenward was, but then he looked over my way. On instinct, I moved away from the window, but when I saw it was Haru I smiled. He motioned me to come over, and I began to turn when he waved at me again, signaling me to come over in the same manner I had speculated the night before: by climbing out the window and jumping to the tree limbs outside my room. I wondered if he’d somehow read my thoughts the night before and I shook my head no. I could see he found this humorous and he made a motion with his arms that said I was chicken. I thought to myself maybe he and Angela should get together and dare each other to death, but I soon found myself opening the window and jumping to the nearest branch.

I couldn’t believe I was even doing this. This wasn’t safe. I could fall from the tree and break my neck, or at least that’s what my mom would say if she’d seen me. I climbed onto a thicker branch and began to make my way to the center of the tree. I could see Haru watching me with interest, his arms gripping the railing as if he would jump over it any minute to save me, if I should fall.

I clutched the main trunk of the tree allowing me a moment to catch my breath and call myself an idiot. I’d never been one to try and impress boys. I had always considered it a form of manipulation on their part and I refused to reduce myself to that kind of thing. So, how did I find myself two stories off the ground, jumping out windows and climbing across tree limbs to get to a boy in the next house? I must be nuts or he the master of complete mind control. I couldn’t be that crazy to be around him, could I? It had to be his vampiric persuasion that was making me risk life and limb, no pun intended.

I struck out on to another limb, edging my way to the widow’s walk where Haru waited. It wasn’t that far now. Soon I’d be at the end of the tree branches and I would have to jump the rest of the way. I felt the limb under my feet creak and I stopped, wondering if it was going to break. After a moment, I began to edge my way again. I tried not to look down, and instead looked at Haru. His eyes were focused on me as he flipped his long blond bangs out of his face. I had this odd vision of brushing his hair. Only a girl would think of things like that while perched on a tree branch outside a guy’s bedroom window. Can you say stalker?

The branch began to bend and it brought me out of my reverie. I was going to have to jump to the balcony now before the limb snapped. I hesitated only a second. The branch broke as I pushed away from it, but my ankle twisted in the process and it affected my leap. I wasn’t going to make it. I reached for the railing but I knew I was going to come up short. I looked at Haru in horror and then glanced down. The ground was rising to meet me and I closed my eyes, bringing my arms up to protect my face from the impact. I hit with a soft thud, much softer than I imagined it would be, and when I opened my eyes I realized I hadn’t even hit the earth. Haru had.

He stood, legs braced apart, holding me in his outstretched arms. How he had gotten down to ground level so fast was amazing, and the fact he had caught me before impact was nothing short of miraculous. I looked up into his perfect beautiful face. His eyes were looking at me with a warmth that seemed to spread across his whole face. His lips were upturned in a one corner smile.

“I’ll never let anything happen to you,“ he said, and set my feet softly down. I did the only thing a girl could do after having been caught falling from a great height by a beautiful boy, who had face, eyes, and lips to die for. I passed out.

I must not have been out long because when I came to, he hadn’t moved and was still holding me up, though my feet were on solid ground. “What happened? Did I black out?”

“For a moment,“ he replied, his voice soft and lilting like music.

I straightened up and he let me go. My feet were still unsteady and I wobbled a little. He placed a hand on my back to make sure I’d be alright.

“That was a good catch,“ I said, trying to save myself a little embarrassment over the feat I had been trying to accomplish.

“It wasn’t too bad, I guess. Hopefully we won’t have to repeat it.”

“We wouldn’t have had to do it this time if you hadn’t called me chicken.”

He smiled with a mischievous grin. “Is that what I called you? Wow, the things you learn from American television.”

“Ha-ha. But thank you for catching me. That would have hurt pretty bad.”

“Yes, it would have. But I’ll always be there for you, so no worries.”

I smiled. “Will you be there for me in summer school? That’s where I’ll really need help.”

“Perhaps,“ he teased. “Come on, let’s sit on the patio. I’ll get us something to drink.”

I allowed him to lead me to the patio and he sat me down in a deck chair. He held the back of the chair to steady it just in case. This won him a few more points on my scorecard.

“Do you like having melons?” he asked.

“What?” I answered, feeling offended. I couldn’t believe his sexist question. One minute he was the king of chivalry, the next super pervert junior.

He shook his head. “Forget it,“ he said, and went inside. He came back out in a few minutes with two clear bottles with green labels on them. I could see on the bottle it said “Ramune” and under it in smaller letters, “melon.”

I was so freaking embarrassed over my mistake, if there had been a sandbox nearby I would have buried myself in it. “I..I’m sorry…I thought you meant…”

He smirked. “I didn’t know what you meant, just that you were offended somehow.” He sat down in a chair next to me. “I don’t know if you have had this before or not; it’s a carbonated soda from Japan. Have a try.”

He popped both the caps off with the ease, and handed one of them to me. He tipped the other to his mouth and took a sip. I followed suit and noticed something brushing against my mouth as I drank.

“What the? It’s got a marble inside. What’s that about?”

“The drink is sealed with the marble. The bottle has a special cap that presses the marble down and releases the pressure. It may seem difficult at first to drink with the marble rolling around, but if you use your tongue just right you can get the marble out of the way.”

I took another sip, but I didn’t use my tongue to push anything out of the way. There was no way I was going to embarrass myself further. I could just see my tongue getting stuck in the bottle and him having a good laugh about it.

He finished his drink and set it down beside him. Scooting down in his chair a little, he turned his head skyward to admire the stars. “I love this time of night,” he said.

A dog barked a couple houses down the street. Followed by another. He took a deep breath and then let it out.

“Ah, children of the night. What beautiful noise they make.”

I turned to look at him. “You have got to be kidding me,“ I said, recognizing the famous line from Dracula.

He grinned. “I am. Great movie though.”

I made a mental note to myself that when I got home to write in my diary, it should read: “I believe my neighbor’s an idiot.”

Continue to Ep. 18

 

“Vampire Boys Of Summer” 2018 Paul D Aronson. All Rights Reserved.

Vampire Boys (revamped)

Vampire Boys Of Summer (revamped) Ep. 16

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Vampire Boys Of Summer (Re-vamped)Main Page

16: Calling Angela

After mom left, I sat down at my desk. I opened the top drawer. It was filled with half-finished drawings, pens, paper, and a homemade false bottom. I pulled the false bottom up and pulled out my diary. I hadn’t written in it awhile, but that was because I never had much to say. No secrets to keep. But now I had one, and it was huge. I opened up the book and stared at a blank page. I debated on what to write or whether even to write in it at all. I mean, what if it was found? The secret would be out and Haru’s life would be in danger. I put pen to paper and wrote the first sentence my diary would record about the vampire boy next door: “Dear Diary, I ain’t telling you shit.”

Closing the book, I pulled my cell out of my back pocket, wondering if Haru carried one. I’d had only a couple boys’ numbers in my address book, but I’d never called them and they had never called me. I could picture myself lying up in bed at night talking to or texting Haru for hours. I smiled at the thought because it was such a normal one, but I decided to call Angela back instead. I couldn’t keep putting her off.

“Hey girl, what’s up?”

“Oh my God, Nora! I’ve been going crazy. Are you all right?”

“Yes, I’m fine. Got in a fight with mom an hour ago, but other than that I’m okay.”

“Oh, that sucks.”

“Yeah, well…”

“So, what’s he like? Come on, tell me. What did you guys talk about? Did you hold hands?”

“No, we didn’t hold hands, but he’s nice.”

I heard her sigh on the other end. “Just nice?”

“Yeah. He’s nice. He’s very kind and sweet. He came over to cheer me up after mom and I fought.”

“How did he cheer you up? Did he take his shirt off?”

I frowned, though she couldn’t see it. “No, Angela. He just let me know he understood and if I wanted to talk I could.”

“Damn girl, I hate you.” She laughed. “Does he have a brother?”

“I don’t know. I’ll ask.”

“So, what else did you talk about?”

“Not much really. Stuff like where he lived before, his parents and family. Just normal stuff.”

“Did he hit on you?”

I could hear the smile in her question. “No, I don’t think so. I couldn’t really tell.”

“How can you not tell?”

“Well…he’s not like guys at our school. It’s hard to figure him out or what he’s thinking. He’s not like our transparent American boys. “

“Ah, Asian mystery date.”

I laughed again, but thinking about it, I felt that was one of the draws for me. He was mysterious. I didn’t know what he was thinking. I knew very little about him, and every time something new was revealed it made it more exciting. When or if he flirted with me, I didn’t know if I’d realize it or not.

“Is he going to Chelsea Valley High next year?”

“I don’t….oh crap.”

“What?” she nearly shouted into her cell.

“I forgot to tell mom about summer school. She’s not going to be happy with me again.”

“Sucks for you,“ Angela replied. “Hope she doesn’t blow a gasket.”

“Yeah, me too. Look, I’ll see you in the morning, ok?”

“Alright, girlfriend. Say hi to Haru for me.”

The way she said his name was in a teasing manner, and I giggled like a little seventh grader gushing over a ninth grade boy. “Okay, I will,“ I lied. I disconnected the call and walked over to the window. Looking over to his yard, Haru was nowhere to be seen. He wasn’t out watching the stars. Not yet anyway.

I think Mom was so relieved over us having made up that the summer school news didn’t affect her too badly. Sure, she was upset that my grades had suffered, but I think she was also a little bothered by the fact she had been oblivious to it. Perhaps she blamed herself a little for not paying attention to my report cards. Either way, she approved of me attending summer school as she didn’t want me to be held back a year.

Back in my room, I turned off all the lights and flipped on the TV. I put it on a local cable channel that showed old black and white movies. It’s not that I liked the movies themselves; I just liked how the black and white from the television infused my room with this eerie lighting. However, tonight they were playing a good one. Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. As a little girl it had scared the crap out of me. The noise the birds made was this cacophony of terrifying sound that sent me flying to my father’s lap. He’d shield my eyes from the sight of the birds chasing the school kids on the playground and then hurling themselves against windows.

I really needed to go see him. I’d been only twice since he’d been locked up. It wasn’t a very pleasant place to go, and the patients tended to freak me out. Some wandered around like zombies in that World War Z movie. The Walking Dead invade the hospital. This one lady made guttural noises in her throat that reminded me of the Jigsaw Man next door. This reminded me to go see if Haru was outside.

I got up and went to my window. Because the light was somewhat subdued in my room, I could see easier. In his backyard nothing moved. The patio porch also seemed empty. A few lights were on in the house and I could see cars in the driveway, but no movement behind curtains or in the dark outside. Disappointed, I began to turn away from the window when I saw something shifting in the shadows outside the room across from mine. There was a figure out on the widow’s walk leaning against the railing and looking up at the stars.

Continue to Ep. 17

 

 

“Vampire Boys Of Summer” 2018 Paul D Aronson. All Rights Reserved.

Ghost Boy Blues

Ghost Boy Blues 16

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Sixteen

I stand in the hall a few moments. Mr. Jeffs is right in front of me, Donald Pluth’s schoolbooks under his arm. If I were alive, he would see me easily, but because I am death not quite warmed over, I am invisible to his eye. Even when I step up to him, my face mere inches from his, he doesn’t seem to feel my presence. I’d read once that most adults don’t have true ghost experiences because they have lost the innocence and open minds they had as children. There is something about the onset of adulthood that robs us of many things, including the ability to see the world as it actually is.

As if to prove this theory, Mr. Jeffs steps forward, passing right through me, heading back to his class. It is strange, his moving through the same space as I. I don’t feel a thing. Not a shudder, nor a shiver. Not a single emotion washes over me in those few seconds we occupy the same area. Perhaps if he was one of my peers, a teenager, I would feel something. I would be able to connect somehow, and be tempted to take him over to live inside his skin. But there is no temptation. In fact, I don’t think I can interact with adults in a spirit sense. We have nothing in common, I suppose. If I am to take on a new body it will have to be one of the students. And then it hits me. Goth girl. She seems to be the type who wouldn’t mind being taken over by a wandering spirit.

I head off down the hall, realizing I don’t really know that much about her, other than she has been gothed out all year, and probably the year before too. I can’t say for certain because I’ve never paid her much mind. I guess in a sense she is the female version of me. No one paid me no mind either, except my best friend Will. I don’t know how we got to be friends. We are nothing alike it seems. He plays team sports, gets good grades, and while not ready for his own hunk of the month photo shoot, is good looking enough that the girls call him Sweet William. Sometimes I wonder if this is flattering, or an insult on his soft, almost feminine voice. He told me once the nickname itself came from Mr. Jeffs, who dubbed him that after a song by Van Halen or something. Hell, I would have been happy to be named anything when I was alive. I guess with me gone from their plane of existence they could call me anything now. But still I’m nothing to nearly everyone. I remember my grandma saying when I was little that things eventually get better. But she was wrong. If you start out as nothing, that’s how you’ll end. Even death doesn’t make you popular. I hate to be so negative about it all the time, but I’m dead, you know. I am the original negative, absent of life, yet still chasing a dream.

And right now that dream’s name is being announced over the school public address system. I stop and listen. They are calling her to the office. They don’t say why. They never do. But it must be something bad. What in the world could she be in trouble for? I head to the office to find out myself. Along the way, Anne comes out of a classroom, her bag slung over her shoulder and a fast pace to her walk. I fall in behind her. I want to tell her not to worry; I am with her. But she doesn’t know I’m there. She didn’t know when I was alive either, so it’s no biggie, I guess. Still, I hope to find the means to let her know I’m watching over her. Somehow. Someway.

We round the corner together and here we are standing in front of the main office. She hesitates and takes a deep breath. As she reaches for the door knob, it opens. They have been waiting for her. Assistant Principal Deaner and Guidance Counselor Miss Watkins. This isn’t going to be good. I take a deep breath myself.

“Anne,” Miss Watkins says with a forced smile. She is holding the door open and motioning my dream girl into the office. When Anne steps over the threshold and asks what’s going on, the guidance counselor closes the door behind them. Doesn’t matter. I pass through it and follow them. They will need an exorcist to keep me out now.

Next Episode

If you missed an episode or need to catch up, the main page for this story can be found here

“Ghost Boy Blues” 2018 Paul D Aronson.

Vampire Boys (revamped)

Vampire Boys Of Summer (revamped) Ep. 15

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Vampire Boys Of Summer (Re-vamped)

15: The Visitor

I sat down on the edge of the bed and waited. When I didn’t hear her footsteps right away, I became madder than I already was. I got up and grabbed the remote to my TV. I turned it on and pulled up Netflix. Scrolling through my list, I couldn’t find anything good enough to irritate her with, so I went to the smart TV menu and pulled up YouTube. I had a playlist of Visual Kei videos I loved to watch. She hated loud rock music. Pop was fine. Country was ideal, but angry guitars she couldn’t stand. Even worse, she loathed music she couldn’t understand the words to. So I hit play and the first one came on. Incubus by Acid Black Cherry. Ah, it was perfect. I turned the volume as loud as I could. Take that, I thought. I wasn’t even sure why I was mad at her anymore, just that I was.

It didn’t take long. The song was only about half way through, and I was dancing and jumping around the room screaming at the top of my lungs, “Incubus, break me! Break everything, even this world!” It wasn’t a direct translation. I’d gotten it off the net somewhere, and it served good enough for now. A knock came at my door, quiet and reserved. I turned the music up louder and ignored it. I even kicked over my desk chair and wastebasket so she’d think I was really breaking stuff.

The knock came louder next time, and when I saw the handle trying to turn, I really got furious. I wanted so bad to slap her now. I bounded across the room, unlocked the door and threw it open. “Leave me alone!” I screamed, my open hand already arcing towards her exposed face. Except it wasn’t her.

The figure caught my wrist before it made contact. “If you wish me to leave you alone I will, though I’m hoping that isn’t the case.”

“Oh my god, Haru. I’m sorry. I thought you were…”

“It’s okay.” He let go of my wrist. “You do have a pretty nasty swing.”

I blushed a little, embarrassed.

He raised one eyebrow. “I’m talking about your slapping hand, of course.”

I blushed even more. To think he may have noticed any other swing I might possess was enough for my whole face to turn cherry red.

“You invited me over, remember? I realize you may not have meant so soon but I wanted to apologize.”

“Do you open every greeting with an apology?”

He smiled. “It seems like it, doesn’t it?”

We stood there, awkward for a minute, me in the doorway, and he still out there in the hall.

“You can wait in the living room downstairs,“ I finally said. “I’ll be down in a minute. Just let me…”

“I can’t come in your room?”

“Um, well…I’ve never had…I mean I’m not sure…”

“Thanks,“ he replied, and before I knew it, he had glided past me and into my bedroom. “Oh wow, this is so cool.” He looked around the room at all the J-Rock posters and manga pictures I had plastered on the walls. He picked up the remote and turned the TV volume down, at least enough so we could be heard. “Yasu is great,“ he said pointing to the Acid Black Cherry video. “Wish I had his clothes.”

For a fleeting moment I had a vision of myself dressing him in those clothes, but I forced it away, not sure if the image was from my own head or his.

“Did you draw all these?” He was standing at my desk and leaning towards the mirror where I had taped some hand drawn manga to its surface.

“Yes, I did,“ I replied a little warily. The picture I had drawn of him in class was among them. He noticed it. Though it wasn’t accurate, it did capture some of his features, mostly his cheeks and the shape of his nose. I had drawn it from the memory of seeing him look up at the stars, so that’s about all I could make out of his face at the time. Still, he seemed to know it was him. I thought he was going to ask me about it, put me on the spot or something, but he just smiled and turned towards me.

“Well, as I said, I came over to say I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what?”

“Breaking down on you like that today. I’m afraid my first impression is that of a cry baby.”

Before I knew what was coming out of my mouth, I said, “I like boys who cry.”

He gave me a curious look. “Oh, are you a masochist?”

“No,“ I giggled. “I just like boys who aren’t afraid to show their feelings.”

“Hm. Well, I have lots of feelings to show.” He looked at me, making direct eye contact. His dark eyes were so beautiful. I had never seen anything so deep and expressive. There was an intensity that screamed loneliness, and in that moment I wanted nothing more than to take that from him. I backed away from him, a little frightened of my own feelings, which up until that moment I thought I had a handle on.

“If you want me to,“ he added quietly.

I must have been in a dreamy daze because I heard myself say, “If I want you to what?”

“To show my feelings more.”

“Oh.” I shook my head as if cobwebs had taken up residence inside it. “I’m sorry I was … um…daydreaming, I guess.”

“I wish I could have my own dreams. Maybe you could share me yours.”

“I..I don’t know what you mean, but…”

He laughed. “Forget it. I don’t know what I mean either. I’m just trying to..um..be your friend.”

I looked down at the floor so he wouldn’t see my smile. “I’d like that, “ I said.

He nodded. “Cool.” Then he smiled, and I froze. For just a moment I saw them. His fangs. He didn’t have a big kind of smile that made his whole mouth open, and when he laughed his lips barely parted, so I hadn’t noticed them before. But for a moment I thought I saw them at either side of his jaw, sharp to the point and glistening white. Self-consciously, he closed his mouth.

“Sorry, “ I said. “I didn’t mean to stare or anything. I’ve just never seen…”

“It’s okay.” He nervously smiled, his cheeks almost trembling, as he showed me again. “Please don’t be afraid.”

“I’m trying,“ I admitted. “This is all so weird. Like I’m dreaming.”

“You can touch them if you want.” He opened his mouth wide so that I could touch the tips with my fingers, but that idea freaked me out just a little too much.

“No, that’s okay. I know they’re real.”

He closed his mouth. He looked hurt at first, as if I didn’t trust him. I don’t if that was the case. All I know is one doesn’t just put their hand inside a vampire’s mouth. No matter how flipping hot they are. And he was that. In fact, he wasn’t just hot; he was like a living drug. Just standing close to him was intoxicating. I don’t think he realized just how beautifully intense he was. He wasn’t trying to hit on me, I don’t think, or using some kind of supernatural power to influence my emotions. No, this was me, completely enamored by this boy whom I barely knew but wanted to know much more. My thoughts flashed to what my mom had said about good girls making mistakes and that seemed to break the spell he was unconsciously weaving.

“I better check on mom,“ I said. “We had a fight.”

“I know,“ he said. “I heard her talking to my uncle in the backyard. That’s how I knew you were alone, so I came over.”

“You wanted to be alone with me?” I asked.

“Yes.”

I thought I was going to cry. No boy had ever said that to me before. “Why?“ I asked.

“What do you mean, why?”

“Why do you want to be alone with me?”

“Be-cause I like you. You’re bright, and fun, sweet…beautiful.”

Again, another first. A couple boys had said I was pretty before, but I’d never been beautiful. “You mean that?” I asked, dreading the possibility this was another of his just kidding moments.

He smiled. “Yes, I do.”

I wanted to tell him how beautiful I thought he was, but something inside was warning me no. This was going too fast. Way too fast. The first time we spoke was last night, and here it was not even twenty four hours later and we were having a personal conversation in my bedroom that danced around being flirty. This couldn’t be real. This had to be something else. If something felt too good to be true, that meant it usually was.

He seemed to detect my uneasiness; to know I was having a war within myself, and so he did what I’d never seen a boy do…ever. He retreated to his corner with no questions asked. “Well, hey look,” he said. “I know your mom will be back soon and you’ll want to try and see what can be worked out. I hope everything goes all right. I’ll be around later if you want to talk about it. I’ll count the stars until you get there.”

He gave me a little wink that was so endearing I wanted to implore him to stop being so damn cute. But I didn’t. Instead I just winked back and watched him leave. It was easy to remember this wasn’t going to be the usual kind of friendship when his way of leaving was right out the window. Literally. I guess he just didn’t want to run into mom, because moments later, she was at my bedroom door with tears in her eyes. She didn’t say a word, and neither of us said we were sorry. Instead we just stood there looking at each other until she reached out to hug me. I let her because I knew it would make her feel better. It made me feel better too.

Continue to Ep. 16

“Vampire Boys Of Summer” 2018 Paul D Aronson. All Rights Reserved.