Savor

by Duncan, Megan

  The irritation slowly built up as I walked home and stormed into the house causing the pictures on the walls to rattle when I slammed the front door.

  “Geez, just relax. You knew she wasn’t going to say anything.” I only talked to myself when I was truly annoyed and luckily, I immediately sought somewhere private to have such a conversation. I’m certain most people would tell me I was a friggin’ nutcase.

  After grabbing a leftover slice of pizza from the fridge I retreated to my room and fell into my bed. Louie joined me when he smelled the scent of pepperoni wafting through the room.

  “You’ll at least tell me happy birthday, won’t you?” I asked Louie as he tentively sniffed at the slice of pizza in my hand. He meowed at me in response and I tore him off a small nibble of pepperoni.

  “As much as I love you, Louie, I sure hope you’re not the only man in my life.”

  “Talking to that fat cat again, I see,” Liz said sarcastically as she strolled into the room. “So, how’d it go?”

  “Well, I survived, at least for now. Ask me again after I see what you have in store for us tonight.”

  “Oh don’t be so dramatic.” She flipped her long blond ponytail over her shoulder as she set a giant make-up case on top of my desk. “Where’s your card at?”

  “In my wallet, I haven’t looked at it yet.” I began to open my purse and Liz snatched it from me with impeccable speed. “Hey!”

  “I’ll let you know if you should look at it or not.” She smiled at me and pulled out the small square of piece paper that the nurse printed my temporary ID on. “Not bad Claire Bear. I’ll turn you into an “H to T” girl yet.”

  I rolled my eyes at her and snatched the paper back. “I thought you didn’t like that term?” She waved me off and flipped through stations on my radio until she found something she liked.

  Liz danced to the music as she started sorting through the pile of clothes she had dropped off the day before. I looked at my picture and it really wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Both my eyes were open - unlike my usual habit of always getting my picture taken when they were closed - so that was an improvement. I suppose I wouldn’t really know for sure until I got the official color copy from the blood bank.

  “So what really is the plan for tonight and who all is coming?” I asked Liz as she analyzed her obviously perfect make-up in the mirror.

  “Oh, the usual crowd; you, me, Amy and some new boy toys she’s been stringing along. Can you believe she broke up with Blake?”

  “They didn’t really have much in common, so I wasn’t very surprised. Who are these new boy toys?” I wasn’t the least bit interested, but I knew Liz would talk about it whether I wanted to know or not, so I pretended that I cared. Amy and I didn’t always get along anymore. We used to be close, but about a year ago she got totally jealous when she thought Blake had a crush on me. He was not even close to being my type, but she never seemed to believe me.

  “Nothing in common? Who cares, the guy is hot! I haven’t met these news guys yet, but she says they are cool. So, did you see those people protesting outside the blood bank when you were there?”

  “No, my mom took me to the one in uptown.”

  “Good, ‘cause those people are friggin’ crazy. Why anyone wouldn’t want to be a donor is beyond me. Vampires are immortals, they’re practically gods. Whatever, anyway, that’s why they live in downtown and we are by up-town, right?”

  “Yeah.” I knew Liz’s perspective was probably a little bit snobby, but she did have a point. I couldn’t really think of a reason why someone wouldn’t want to be a donor. There were so many benefits of doing it. For starters, social standing, you got to support the royal vampire family in a big way and make some really decent money, which as selfish as it sounded, was something I was most excited about. Liz and I had plans after high school. We wanted to famous, well she wanted to be famous and important, but me, I just wanted to be important. I wanted to do something; I just wasn’t quite sure what yet.

  “I’m going to get something to drink, you want anything?” I saw the look in her eyes that suggested the onslaught of party preparations was about to start.

  “Get me get a soda, but hurry up because we’ve got a lot to do. I’m going to need to straighten that hair of yours.” She continued our to-do list and I walked out of the room to get our drinks, and returned, sure that she hadn’t even noticed I left the room.

  Even with as much time as we had, we still barely finished. Liz’s mastery of hair had managed to tame my wild auburn tresses into a sleek side ponytail, while she pinned her hair into a high up-do then plastered it in place with a gallon of hairspray.

  Living a bit on the wild side, I let Liz talk me into wearing an outfit I normally wouldn’t be caught dead in, but I thought it might be fun to throw caution to the wind and live a little. The look of satisfaction on Liz’s face was so priceless, I couldn’t help but feel like a million bucks. Her expression was so exuberant it appeared she had just found the cure for cancer.

  We each did our make-up with dramatic smokey eyes. The tight dress Liz squeezed me into made me wish I hadn’t had that slice of pizza, but it was nothing compared to how bad my feet were going to hurt in the heels she had me wearing. They were nowhere near as high as hers, but my typically flip-flop clad feet did not like it.

  We arrived at the sushi restaurant at what Liz insisted to all who were waiting was fashionably late. Liz talked the sushi chef into comping our table with a few special rolls in celebration of my birthday. Though I was typically against her habit of using her looks to get what she wanted, when she did it to get us free sushi I didn’t mind at all. Being one of my favorite foods and also a bit pricey, I wasn’t always able to indulge in it as I would like.

  The night progressed all too quickly, but it ended up being one of the most fun nights I had ever had. Amy, Liz and I got along as if we had never had any fights and the guys that Amy brought along ended up being pretty entertaining. When we made it to the club the loud electronic beat of the music and the way the kaleidoscope of lights danced across the thrumming bodies in the room made us almost run to the dance floor.

  Clad in my new risqué outfit, I got more attention from guys than I had ever had in my life. Even though I refused to dance with about ninety percent of them it was great just to have been asked, especially by the really hot guys. Because the club was so close to uptown it attracted a much hotter group of people compared to what I had seen clubbing with my friends in midtown.

  “Oh my gosh, tonight was so awesome!” Liz giggled as we rode the train back home. “That one guy really liked you. What was his name? In the black shirt.”

  “Um…Jason, I think.” I guessed because I really didn’t remember. He was more Liz’s type then mine and I was almost certain I saw him checking himself out in mirrors more often than me. “We stayed out super late; I thought that club closed at midnight.”

  “Who cares? Like your mom would notice anyway. Besides it’s only like two, and we were in up-town.”

  “Whatever. I’m tired. I’ll probably sleep all day. What are you going to do?”

  “Get my beauty sleep of course. Want to grab a smoothie in the afternoon though, and hit the mall? We need to grab you some new clothes. You were such a hit tonight!”

  I looked down at the dress I was wearing and wished I had brought a jacket. Even though it was warm out, now that I wasn’t out celebrating, it just felt really uncomfortable to be wearing it. I had already removed the torture devices that were my shoes, having decided I would rather risk walking through the streets barefoot then take another step in them.

  “Ew, and we should probably get pedicures too. I can’t believe you are walking around like that.”

  “Oh shut up Liz, we used to go everywhere barefoot when we were little. Besides the cold concrete feels kind of good. I know your feet have to hurt in those heels, why don’t you take them off?”

  She just laughed at me like I was crazy and as
we finished the walk home we gushed about the night’s events. I couldn’t help but continue to comment on how amazing the sushi was.

  Liz and I parted ways at the front of my house. I stared up at the windows and when I was certain I didn’t see any light in any of them, I walked toward the front door. I knew Liz was right that my mom wouldn’t notice I was out late, and on the minute chance that she did, she wouldn’t say anything about it. When I was younger, Liz convinced me to test my mom on how far I could push the rules and see what I could get away with. As alien as it sounded for an eighteen year-old girl to say, I got away with way too much.

  I successfully crept back into the house and into my bedroom without making too much noise other than rattling my keys and the creak in the fifth step in our staircase. I should have remembered that one was the creaky one.

  My body felt so relieved as I yanked off the dress; I took a big deep breath throwing the it across the room into my hamper. I slid into my most comfortable oversized t-shirt and after vigorously scrubbing off the pounds of make-up Liz put on me, I literally dragged myself to bed.

  Louie crawled onto the bed and curled into a large fluffy ball at my feet. My last thought of the night was how excited I was that I was finally eighteen and from here on out, everything would finally start going my way.

  Chapter 2

  My plan to sleep in as late as possible was dashed by the sound of my mom’s incessant knocking on my bedroom door. “Claire, you need to wake up.” I pulled the covers over my head and tried my best to ignore her, but when she didn’t get a response, she barged into my room and flung open my curtains.

  “Mom, I don’t have anything to do today, leave me the heck alone and let me sleep in. Please?” I rolled over to face away from the window and buried myself deeper under my covers. Being woken up so abruptly made me feel more tired than before I had gone to sleep.

  “Sorry Claire, you need to wake up, you have a visitor. Now come on.” She gently swatted my form under the covers and then I could hear the hangers in my closet being slid back and forth. “Where is that outfit you wore to your last job interview?”

  “What? Who’s here? Liz? Tell her I’ll call her later.” I didn’t know what my mom was talking about, nor did I care. All I wanted to do was go back to sleep, but as hard as I was trying not to, I was becoming more and more alert.

  “Put this on.” she said tossing clothes on top of me. “You need to be downstairs in ten minutes, Claire, I’m serious. Now wake up.”

  “Fine! What’s the deal anyway?” I was getting really annoyed and didn’t bother trying to hide it.

  “There is someone here to see you.”

  “Duh, you said that. Who is it?” I crawled out of bed and made my way sleepily to my private bathroom. My mom was busily laying out the clothes she chose for me, while I splashed some cold water on my face and looked at my reflection to survey the damage lack of sleep and all night partying had caused. What caught me off guard was the sight of my mom’s face in the background through my bathroom mirror. She looked absolutely and positively ecstatic, which oddly enough, scared the crap out of me.

  “A representative for the vampire royal family is here!” She tried to hold back a squeal of elation and only half succeeded.

  “What! Why? What did I do?” I rushed to my bedroom window and spied a large black limo with the darkest window tint I had ever seen, sitting outside our house.

  “He won’t tell me. He says he has to speak with you directly, but he did say that he has some very good news for you. Isn’t this exciting? A representative for the royal family is in our house. Our house!”

  “Yeah, super exciting.” I faked a smile and started to pull on the clothes my mom had laid out for me. I couldn’t imagine what he could have to tell me that would be good enough news to wake me up for at six in the morning.

  The black slacks and button-down navy blue silk blouse my mom chose might have been too formal, but I wasn’t quite sure what would be appropriate attire when meeting with a vampire representative. I wasn’t sure I had ever even heard of anyone having met one before, at least no one I knew. It was common to see them on television doing interviews, political campaigns and such, but never in person.

  A moment of shock coursed through me when a wild thought entered my mind and blurted out of my mouth. What if he is a vampire? I had always wanted to meet one, and even more so after being to the blood bank. But my mom corrected my thoughts telling me I was being ridiculous. “Claire it’s six in the morning, a vampire can’t be out during the day. Besides, I’m sure the royal family has much more important things to do. That’s why they have human representatives.”

  “Have you ever met one? A vampire I mean.”

  “Oh I wish, but I have seen one. During one of the charity events I helped organize a few years back. His name was Merrick. He was across the room from me, but probably the most handsome man I had ever seen even from a distance. It was hard to look away from him, I remember. Vampires have a way of commanding a room without having to say anything, like they have some sort of magnetism about them.”

  She smiled at the thought and then gave me a quick look-over before practically shoving me out of the room and down the stairs. As I entered the living room, I hesitated for a moment when I saw the man standing there with his back toward me. He was looking at the pictures that were framed on our mantelpiece. Most of them were my school photos that I had framed myself and placed there.

  I stepped further into the room and he turned to face me. His gentle expression did not match the superiority of his presence. The room tingled in a way that made my hair stand on end. I’d never seen a man so formidably built. He had to be over six feet tall, with dark brown hair and cloudy grey eyes shadowed under a strong brow. For being only a vampire representative he definitely commanded attention. I couldn’t imagine how it would feel to meet a real vampire.

  “Ah, you must be Claire?” He waved his hand toward a chair offering me a seat like I had just walked into his office. He unbuttoned his suit jacket and took a seat across from me. The contradiction between his kind grey eyes and his obvious intimidating aura made it hard to look at him, so I settled on staring at his red tie for as long as I could before he spoke again.

  “I am Foxworth Harding. You may call me Fox. I am a representative for the Vampire Royal Family. It is a pleasure to meet you.” He held out his hand in greeting and I took it. I appreciated the firm grip he gave me in return as opposed to the loose grips most men gave women they met. It was obvious he had manners and respect, which made me feel a tiny bit less defensive.

  “Nice to meet you,” I said. He smiled at me and nodded his head slightly. My eyes flashed to his pearly white teeth and saw no hint of a fang anywhere. I was a little disappointed but I knew it was ridiculous to look, knowing that vampires couldn’t go out during the day.

  “Am I correct in assuming that your mom has already told you that I come bearing good news?”

  I looked to my mom who stood behind the couch. Her face was plastered with excitement and it was obvious how badly she was trying to contain herself like a child would on Christmas morning, wanting so badly to tear open her presents.

  “Yesterday, you went to the blood bank to get a Donor ID, correct?” Fox said.

  “Yes.”

  “Due to the results of those tests conducted, we have come across some startling outcomes. You may want to sit down for this.” He gestured to my mom and she quickly took a seat next to me.

  “Is there something wrong with me?” I asked, still not completely convinced of this whole good news charade.

  Fox smiled again displaying his perfectly aligned and amazingly white teeth. I found myself wondering the oddest things; like if he ever drink coffee or soda? “On the contrary Claire. Your blood was found to be very…well, for lack of a better word, it’s perfect.”

  Fox looked at me expectantly, waiting for some kind of reaction that I obviously wasn’t giving him. “So… what exactly
does that mean then?”

  His eyes flashed to my mom and I felt the slightest stir in her body before he looked back to me. “A human with blood such as yours has not been discovered in hundreds of years. The rarity of such a momentous discovery was quickly brought to the attention of the vampire royal family. You, young Claire, have sent the entire royal family and the vampire high council into a frenzy. It is most exciting, if I dare say so myself.”

  “You still haven’t explained what this means for me. What does it matter to the high council what kind of blood I have?” I bit my lip to contain my anger when I felt my mom’s hand squeeze my knee.

  “Excuse me. Clearly I have failed to properly explain the situation. You need not feel upset. This is an occasion for celebration.”

  “What should we be celebrating then?” My mom looked at Fox expectantly.

  “As I am sure you both well know, the blood that donors provide, supports the vampire royal family and honors the trust, devotion and loyalty you have with them. What many do not know, is that for the vampires it is much more than that. You are sustaining their immortal lives with your gracious gift. Each donation is carefully tested and then labeled for correct distribution. Every vampire is then provided with the blood that is most beneficial for them.”

  My mom interrupted, expelling vampire history in a torrent of words. “Vampire King Nicolae Noire created the system. Giving vampires the blood that matches perfectly to their individual needs, leading them to need fewer feedings. It was his findings that civilized our region and brought peace to our lands.”

  “Ahh, yes! I see you maintain your knowledge of vampire history.” Fox smiled at my mom and she giggled.

  “Oh, I find it quite fascinating. I run the local vampire/human rights group. We have new members joining all the time.”

  “Good, good. Your efforts do not go unappreciated.” He turned his attention back toward me. “Now, shall I get back to business? What I have been ordered to tell you Claire, is not only an honor but a privilege. When the royal family learned of you, they could not hide their happiness.”