by Jenna Bernel
"So… " Dale said, breaking the uncomfortable silence, "what position do you play?"
"When it comes to baseball they can put me anywhere, but I prefer catcher. I like calling the shots." Alec said, taking his arm off my shoulder until it disappeared under the table to rest on my leg, and my stomach leaped into my throat at the reality of this grim reaper’s hand on my bare knee.
As subtly as possible, I reached down and grabbed his hand, smashing it on the plastic bench, while grinding my fist into his fingers until they felt like pulp beneath my touch, telling me I successfully broke them all. Alec didn't even flinch from the bone crush, and Evan let go of Harper’s hand while protectively moving to a half-stance from his seat, ready to lunge across the table if Alec made one more move on me. Alec's brash advances were clearly just to get a rise out of Evan, and I preferred not to get in the middle of their pissing contest.
"Great! We could use a new catcher. Bennet sucks," Dale said, putting his hand on Evan's shoulder, and casually pushing him back down in his seat, trying to keep the mood light.
"Hey!" Bennet yelled, punching Dale in the arm.
"You know, Evan's the pitcher. I bet you two would make a great team," Harper said, hooking her arm through Evan's elbow and resting her head on his shoulder, while looking dreamily at Alec like she was imagining their threesome. She was completely lost in her twisted fantasy, and oblivious to what was really happening.
"You have to make the team first," Evan taunted.
"I'm not worried about it. Like any good teammate, I'm sure we'll be sharing everything soon enough," Alec countered, and again slung his arm over my shoulder.
Evan looked so angry, I'd swear he was the ruthless vampire going in for the kill. "Never mind my doubts, you'll clearly make a great catcher. You're obviously the kind of guy whose time is best spent on his knees."
I jumped up from my seat. "Okay, this was fun! Alec, I have a lot more of the campus to show you. We should go." I pulled at his shirt collar while walking in the opposite direction, shutting down this testosterone throw-down before it went any further. I didn't let go of his shirt until we disappeared down a side hall, then I spun him around, slamming him into a locker and pressing my hands on his chest to keep him there.
"What are you doing?!" I shrieked in a muted tone, pressing my hands harder into his chest until the locker door started to buckle.
"I told you, Dani. I love a challenge," Alec teased, softly cupping my face. I shook him off. He needed to act a little more human and a little less, seductive vampire, or like he was trawling for Infinities at The Basement.
"Stop that. You're already ruining my life; do you have to mess with my friends’ lives too?" The emotion started to sound in my voice, and my heart rate picked up. This day had already taken its toll on me and I was only halfway through it.
"I'm just trying to show you how easy or difficult our time together can be. The sooner you stop acting like I'm a piranha, invading the waters of your little make-believe human life, the more I'll be swayed to tread lightly. But if not, I can make a tsunami. The choice is yours."
"How poetic," I said dryly, letting out an aggravated sigh.
"So what, am I just supposed to forget that you’re here to kill me and act like were old childhood friends?" I balked, removing my hands from his chest, too disgusted to touch him.
"I'm not here to kill you, Daniella. Believe it or not, I'm trying to protect you. But I can't do my job if you don't let me into your life," Alec said sincerely.
"I don't want to let you in. The less you know about me the better," I replied, deflated.
"Whatever you think you’re hiding from me, you're not, so the sooner you trust me, the better," Alec said, as if correcting me. Yet I was sure his sudden presence in my life meant it was quickly coming to an end. He stepped toward me, resting his hand on my shoulder as if trying to reassure me otherwise, and I instantly felt vulnerable.
"How can I trust you? You basically work for the vampire equivalent of the Chicago mob."
"That's right, I do. And I'm trying to keep you from meeting the boss," Alec said, as if that were a death sentence. A million scenarios ran around in my head of what was really going on here. I felt like I was in the middle of some game, but I didn't know if I was the player or the pawn. My guess was the pawn, but what choice did I have?
"All right, I get the message, but you have to stop this touchy-feely crap. This is high school, not The Basement. Humans who aren't dating don't act so intimately affectionate. People will get the wrong idea about us," I said, looking at his hand on my shoulder, and pulling my cheek to one side with worry over the rumors Harper had already, no doubt, started.
"You and Evan seemed awfully affectionate in the hall before. Would he have anything to do with your concern of how you and I are perceived?" Alec asked, and my heart sunk. I didn't want him to know how close Evan and I were. It would make him a target in this corrupt game of Russian roulette.
"No! Evan's dating Harper. He's just an old friend. I'm more worried about your perception, because if you're going to be a part of my pseudo human life, you need to start acting a little more human. No more Trancing the teachers. You can't run too fast in gym, or hit only homeruns in your baseball tryouts. Oh, and absolutely no luring girls into the locker room to be drained," I said, stepping towards him like that was a threat.
"Anything else?" He asked, clearly amused that I had the gall to boss him around.
"Yes. Understand that there is no you and I. There will never be a you and I," I reiterated, and Alec gave me a full smile, rivaling the fluorescent lights above.
"No problem, Dani. You're not really my type anyway," he said, suddenly sounding much more like a high schooler than an old vampire, and I was surprised how quickly he could switch gears. I was a little flustered by the statement too, since it was a total contradiction to his actions.
"What exactly is your type?" I asked, looking skeptical, and his smile deepened.
"Someone more like Harper," he said, and my mouth involuntarily fell open at the insult.
"Seriously?" I was shocked, and admittedly, a little offended that an Infinity would go for someone like Harper.
"No, not really, but I'm pleased with your jealous reaction," Alec smirked, and stepped toward me as he wrapped his arm around my waist until I was pressed up against him.
I made a disgusted sound in my throat. "I am not jealous, and I find your arrogant assumptions even more off-putting than your mobster job title," I said very seriously, while removing his arm from my waist, and stepping away.
"Really? At the lunch table, Evan had no problem protecting you like his property while at the same time holding Harper's hand, so I'd say you find arrogance very attractive in a man," he said smugly, and I glared at him.
"I am not going to get sucked into your ridiculous little mind games." I let out a frustrated sigh, and he nodded, looking satisfied.
"See Dani? I can act human. In fact, it's my specialty," he announced proudly, like the emotional push-pull was some sort of proof he wasn't made of stone. But I must admit, there was something about him that I couldn't put my finger on. I'd never met a vampire like him before, which was probably the same thing he was thinking about me.
"What kind of vampire are you, Alec?" I asked, hoping he'd give me more than a smart mouthed answer.
"You'll know everything soon enough," he replied, gently tugging at a lock of my hair like he was sure that brain of mine would figure it out.
Nope, I guess not. He walked past me to return to the lunch room, and I scanned his veins for a trace of a heartbeat, only to come up empty.
"You want me to play nice with your friends, but you're the one who broke my hand." His tone was borderline pouty, reminding me of my five-year-old brother, and he turned, holding it up to show me his ouchy, but I could see that it was already healed.
"It would be very human of you to kiss and make it better," he said with another gleaming smile, and I grasped h
is outstretched hand, crunching it into twenty broken pieces instead.
"I meant act like a grownup human. You met Dale. We have enough guys at this school who act like kindergarteners." I pushed him out of my way as he shook his hands out, the bones popping back into place like the crackle of Rice Krispies. His amused laugh followed me all the way down the hall.
Chapter 10: Detention
"Who is he?" Eli asked with a creased forehead, sitting on the avocado-colored teacher's desk, circa 1970. After school, I went down to the deserted wing that was under remodeling construction, still ongoing for several years. Now used only for storage and detention, I found Eli waiting for me inside the classroom of my sentencing. He Tranced the teacher into believing that he was filling in for today and she could go home, along with giving the rest of the students a onetime freebee, so we could be alone. When I started in on my story, his knees actually buckled, and he had to sit down while he listened. This was not a good sign, if even Eli, my rock, was worried.
"He says he works for the 7th Circle and mentioned Stella. I am so seriously screwed right now. What am I going to do?!" I raked my hands over my face as the despair of the situation set in.
"Unless they're waitressing at The Basement, vampires don't work for 7th; they kill for 7th. Stella must want something or you'd already be dead." Eli deduced. Having been a vampire for a long time, he knew a lot more about the 7th Circle than I ever would so I was sure he knew what he's talking about.
"I know, but it's so strange. He's acting more like a bodyguard than a hit man, and he already seems to know about my Gifts, so why am I still breathing? If they want something, I don't know what. Every minute I'm with this Alec guy feels like I'm closer to my last."
I put my head on my desk and started banging my forehead against the acrylic top in an attempt to knock an answer loose from my brain, with no luck.
"Dani, stop," Eli said. Hopping off the teacher's desk, he came over and picked me up by the shoulders, until I was standing in front of him. His fiery hazel eyes looked into mine with more resolve than I'd ever seen.
"Stop acting like you're in this alone. You're not. I'm going to help you figure it out. We'll get through this just like we have everything else, I promise. Just play along with Alec for now to buy me some time."
"What are you going to do?" The hesitation in my voice was fraught with fear.
"What I do best," Eli replied with a smirk. It was the same smirk he had when doing research and surveillance for a new mission of a potential Reborn.
"Eli, no. I don't want you anywhere near this. I've put enough people in danger. You should leave town while you can," I said with anguish. Maybe I could keep one person I cared about safe.
"Dani, there is no getting out of this without you, okay? We started this as a team and we’re going to end it that way too." He squeezed my shoulders with another nod of resolve, and I knew it was no use.
"I'll be in touch. I have a few errands to run before I go home and burn all the files on our Reborns. The last thing we need is the risk of endangering those we have managed to help. Consider yourself sprung from detention." He pulled me into a quick, but reaffirming hug, before stepping past me to leave.
"I'll pay for your plane ticket." My voice cracked with desperation, refusing to give up on the idea of him skipping town. But he didn't turn to consider my proposition, only giving me the finger as he walked away. I guess that was a no.
*****
"Thanks for waiting for me. This has been the longest day ever," I said, throwing my head back on the passenger seat and closing my eyes, still hoping it was all just a bad dream.
"No problem, I had some research to do in the library," Kate said as she came to a stop at a red light.
"So… what's with this flightaho, Alec? The whole school has been buzzing about him. I heard him and Evan had quite the bonding experience during lunch, but then you introduced him in English like you were old friends." Kate seemed excited about dissecting the new gossip, that for once, didn't involve Harper's falsehoods. God, this school. Must every little detail of our conversations be shared at all times?
"He's nobody. Our parents were friends, pre-split, and I'm just showing him around, that's all." I tried to slough her off, not at all wanting to talk about it.
"Aha," Kate said, nodding her head, but there was insinuation in her voice.
"No, aha. There is no need for the aha. He is not an aha," I said defensively.
"Hmm," Kate pressed out in a close-lipped smile.
"Seriously!" I said, exhausted by her distorted train of thought.
"Well, I'd like to get to know him," Kate was biting her lower lip, probably picturing his cut, bronze bod.
"No, you don't," I said firmly.
"Why not? He is so yummy," she stated, and my stomach turned at the thought of them in a dark corner. I bet Alec would think she was yummy, too.
"Because he's a total player." I didn't have the proof, but I'm sure I hit the nail on the head, and Kate had no idea what she could be getting herself into. Vampires don't date humans, they snack on them.
"I heard Harper was quite smitten with him. Maybe she'll break up with Evan, and you two could finally go for it," Kate said with encouragement.
"Damn, I didn't realize your Jetta doubled as torture chamber, or I would've walked home. Evan and I have nowhere to go. We're happy just being friends like we’ve always been," I sighed out, becoming irritated with the whole conversation.
"Aha," Kate slowed to a stop in front of my house, and I looked at her in a "give me a break" manner before hopping out of the car. Even her wave had a hidden agenda.
As soon as I turned my attention toward the house, I cursed under my breath. A black Lincoln sedan was parked in the driveway, and I saw Fred's arm resting out the window, his signature cigarette dangling from his fingertips as he waited. The motor was still running, not a good sign. My dad must have pried himself away from the restaurant, but not long enough to have Fred turn the car off, which meant he only came home to yell at me face-to-face before going back to work.
This was officially the worst and longest day of my life, and that included the night I was turned into a half-vamp. I didn't even care if I got grounded at this point. It's not like I could go to The Basement anytime soon for another mission, if ever. So what difference did it make if I were locked up in the house, awaiting my impending doom and the 7th Circle to serve me my fate? They wouldn't have to worry, because after getting sentenced to a month of being trapped in the house with Missy, we'd end up killing each other, saving them the trouble. So much for a fun senior year.
I walked into the foyer and the first thing I heard was Missy Bitchy laughing it up in the kitchen with my Dad. I swear, I was about to snap and pull out every single one of her over processed hairs. I threw my messenger bag on the stairs and headed toward the laughter, deciding to get this over with.
"There she is, my little jail bird." Bill said as I walked in.
"There he is, my little workaholic. What are you doing here, Bill?" I asked, heading for the fridge.
"It's ‘Dad’ to you, young lady, and don't make me tell you again. I'm mad enough that I had to take time away from the restaurant, because my angel of a daughter landed herself in, not one, but two days of detention!" He said sharply. I ignored him to glare at Missy, who was nodding along at his statement like she was my mother. The school always calls and leaves a notice for parents on your answering machine when you've been written up. I was planning on erasing it when I got home, and moving on from this crap hole of a day, but I guess Missy felt the need to call my dad and tattle on me first.
"Yeah, it must be tough taking time away from your precious diners to actually feel obligated to come to Mapleton and be a parent." I grabbed a juice box from the fridge, and started walking to find whatever room Missy stuck Conner in to play by himself, so she could witness her destructive efforts. My dad’s face turned beet red, and he grabbed my arm to stop my exit.
&
nbsp; "Knock it off, Daniella! I didn't bust my ass for thirty years to give my kids everything, just to have you throw it back in my face," he spat out, ragged and fuming.
"Maybe I didn't want everything, Dad. Maybe dinner around the table with my happy family would have been enough!" I yelled. Ripping my arm away from him, I continued my exit.
"Fine! If it’s family time you want, you got it. Will and I expect you at the restaurant on Friday for the dinner shift." He said with a hint of triumph, and I whipped back around to face him.
"No way. I told you I'm not cooking in that kitchen, EVER again," I said bitterly. The memories of my dad and me together in that kitchen flooded my mind before I could stop them: my long hair tucked under my kid-sized chef's hat that he custom-ordered and had embroidered with my name. I wore it so proudly when I helped him cook back then, during closed hours, while he experimented with new dishes for the menu, and taught me everything I know about food. His “little sous chef in training,” he'd say. He saw the sting in my eyes, and the red subsided from his face as he began to calm down.
"I'm not asking you to work the kitchen, Dani. You can help with the front of the house. I have some important clients coming in," he said, softer now, his guilt showing in his voice, and I nodded in agreement. I was all out of fight today.
"Good. Fred will pick you up from the house, after school on Friday," he said, reaching out to squeeze my shoulder, but I stepped back, and he was left hanging. I walked away to find Conner in this house that was way too big for our family of two. All I heard now was Missy's grating laugh, echoing through the halls.