by Duval Alex
‘Jason, you missed a great movie!’ Dani exclaimed when she spotted him.
It seemed like Dani had missed a great movie too – considering that about half of her lipstick had ended up on Ryan Patrick’s mouth.
‘I’m heading home,’ Jason told her. ‘Are you coming?’
‘I guess so,’ Dani answered. ‘Ryan’s parents are going to be home soon, anyway. They don’t want things to run too late.’
‘Thanks for the invite,’ Jason said to Ryan.
‘Any time,’ Ryan answered with a grin. ‘Don’t forget to grab your gift bags. They’re laid out in the front hall.’ He reached over and kissed Dani lightly on the lips. ‘Goodnight,’ he said softly, and Dani smiled.
I guess he definitely is her don’t-want-to-talk-about-it guy, Jason thought. Well, at least Brad seems to think he’s decent. Hell, he even looks like a golden retriever with all that blond hair and the big brown eyes.
Jason half turned to give them some privacy while they said their goodbyes. Then Dani joined him. They grabbed their gift bags and headed home.
‘Ooooh. Bumble and bumble products. I love Bumble and bumble,’ Dani cooed, peering into the bag. ‘And the new Killers CD. It’s not supposed to drop for a month and a half. How extreme is that? A toe ring. I guess that’s why they divided the bags into girls and guys.’
Jason tuned his sister out. He couldn’t stop thinking about Dani and Ryan. It was kind of strange that they hadn’t even tried to hide the fact that they’d been making out. Then again, he thought, most of the other vampires don’t hide their make-out sessions, either. And with that, a sickening thought sliced into Jason’s head. Has Ryan been drinking my sister’s blood?
Jason staggered downstairs around noon the next morning. Head pounding, eyes blurry, stomach churning. He knew he shouldn’t have mixed that punch with . . . well, he shouldn’t have drunk that punch, period.
‘You’re up early,’ Dani teased. She had all kinds of crap for what seemed like a diorama laid out in front of her on the coffee table. Happy Days blared from the TV.
‘Does that have to be so loud?’ Jason asked.
Dani took the volume down a few levels. ‘Better?’
Jason grunted as he sank down on the couch. ‘What are you doing anyway?’ He nodded toward her project.
‘Designing a set for one of the scenes in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. English assignment,’ she answered.
‘You’re doing homework? Now?’ Just speaking and breathing was all Jason could handle after the party. ‘Didn’t you get dented last night?’
‘Nope. Having too much fun with Ryan,’ Dani replied.
Jason squinted at her, trying to figure out if she’d been fed on or not. If she had, she should still be feeling happy, but not the cheerful, energetic happy she was demonstrating; woozy happy, what-did-I-do-last-night? happy.
‘What movie were you guys watching last night, anyway?’ Jason asked, to test her memory.
‘Some straight-to-DVD spoof of Snakes on a Plane,’ Dani said. ‘It’s so stupid. That movie was practically a spoof to begin with.’
So, memory – OK.
Jason watched as Dani carefully glued a tree to the bottom of a cardboard box. Manual dexterity – OK.
‘My head feels like a balloon full of whipped cream and rocks,’ Jason told her. ‘You’re sure you’re feeling all right?’
Dani looked up at him and smiled. ‘Jason, if you want to know if Ryan drank my blood last night, just ask.’
Eleven
‘WHAT?’ JASON SPLUTTERED.
‘Ryan didn’t feed from me,’ Dani said calmly. ‘He would never do that.’
Jason gazed at his sister in astonishment.
She stared right back at him. ‘You might want to close your mouth,’ she suggested. ‘You look like a goldfish.’
‘I can’t believe you!’ Jason finally burst out. ‘You know? You know about the . . .’
‘Vampires?’ Dani finished for him. ‘Well, I do now. Although I hear you’ve known for ages.’ She crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow. ‘Thanks for clueing me in.’
Jason shook his head and gave a little laugh, still reeling. ‘Sorry.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
‘It was a secret,’ Jason explained. ‘And it wasn’t my secret to tell.’
‘But you told Adam, right?’ Dani demanded. ‘Ryan says Adam knows all about them.’
‘Actually, Adam told me,’ Jason explained. ‘He’d already done tons of vampire research before I even met him.’
‘So all this time, you knew what was going on and I didn’t.’ Dani took a seat next to him on the sofa, abandoning her project. ‘No wonder you never backed me up about all the parties Mom and Dad wouldn’t let me go to.’
‘I was afraid somebody would feed on you,’ Jason admitted. ‘It happened once, you know, before I knew about the vampires.’
Dani’s expression grew clouded. ‘Yeah, I thought so. I mean, not at the time, but once Ryan told me how it all works. I looked back and realized . . .’
‘Me too.’ Jason thought about Erin Henry and how she’d once fed on him at a party. ‘It’s not the worst feeling in the world.’
‘True,’ Dani agreed with a grin.
‘But afterwards, when you know what really went on, it’s a little weird.’
Dani nodded. ‘Do you and Sienna . . .? Do you let her drink your blood?’ she asked.
‘No. Well, I did once,’ Jason told her. ‘But only because she needed it. She was dying.’
‘Wow! Romantic!’ Dani exclaimed.
Jason studied her face. She obviously thought the whole dating-a-vampire thing was pretty romantic. ‘I don’t know if I’d call it that,’ Jason said carefully. ‘I had no choice, and neither did Sienna. It was more about survival than romance. Just hanging out, kissing, holding hands, all the usual stuff – that’s romantic. The vampire part is mostly just a complication.’
‘I guess,’ Dani said thoughtfully. ‘But it’s also pretty cool, you have to admit. Did you know they can change the way they look? Ryan showed me his real appearance – and he’s even more gorgeous than he looks normally!’
‘Yeah, I—’
‘Plus, he’s incredibly strong,’ Dani went on. ‘And fast. It’s like they’re humans, but they’re just sort of better at it than everyone else.’
‘I wouldn’t put it that way,’ Jason said. ‘They’re not better, they’re just different.’ He didn’t really want his sister getting some kind of starry-eyed idea about the vampires. Dating one of them wasn’t the kind of situation she should walk into without some serious consideration.
‘Listen, Danielle,’ he said seriously. ‘I know it probably feels like a TV show or something, dating a wealthy, good-looking vampire, but—’
‘A wealthy, good-looking, incredibly sweet vampire,’ Dani cut in.
‘Still, this isn’t a television series,’ Jason insisted. ‘It seems like you’re only paying attention to the vampire traits you like. But you can’t ignore the fact that there are bad things too. It’s dangerous to date a vampire. It can be a matter of life and death.’
‘You mean the crossbow killer,’ Dani said. ‘Ryan told me that guy who shot you was really a vampire hunter. He said you figured it out – which is incredibly studly of you, by the way.’
‘Thanks. I think,’ Jason said dubiously. ‘But that’s not what I meant. Do you want to know how I originally found out about the vampires? Turns out there was a renegade vampire in town. A vampire who was giving in to his bloodlust. Did Ryan even tell you about bloodlust?’
Dani chewed on her lip. ‘Nooo . . .’
‘It’s what happens if vampires let their hunger get out of control. The need for blood consumes them and they keep on drinking, even if it kills the human. That’s what really happened to Carrie Smith the night of Belle’s party.’
Dani’s eyes widened. ‘Are you serious?’
‘Yes.’
‘Wo
w.’ Dani looked thoughtful. ‘I can’t imagine Ryan ever being like that. Or Sienna.’
‘No, it doesn’t happen often,’ Jason admitted. ‘And the vampires dealt with it pretty quickly. But I saw the guy’s eyes when I fought him – he was off the hook. And vampires are outrageously strong, so if one wants to kill you, well, you’re dead.’
‘Why are you talking like this?’ Dani asked. ‘You’re in love with a vampire. You’re friends with vampires. You like them.’
‘That’s true.’ Jason ran a hand through his hair. ‘I don’t know. I just don’t want you to get hurt.’
‘Are you getting hurt?’
‘Hell, yeah,’ Jason said with a rueful laugh. ‘Emotionally, anyway. Sienna’s parents won’t let us see each other. And that hurts like you wouldn’t believe.’ He took his sister’s hand. ‘Look, I just don’t want you to end up feeling like I’ve been feeling lately. It’s not fun. So just . . . don’t get in over your head. You’ve only known Ryan for a few weeks.’
‘But that’s enough,’ Dani told him. ‘I know everything about him. I know he loves me. And I know I’m safe with him.’
‘OK,’ Jason said. ‘Then I’m happy for you.’
But as his sister headed upstairs to her room, Jason felt a stab of worry. He had a feeling Dani didn’t know as much as she thought she did. Had Ryan really made it clear to her what a big deal it was to have a vampire-human romance? And what about Ryan’s parents? Why hadn’t they reacted the same way that Sienna’s had?
Suddenly, Jason realized the truth – Ryan’s parents didn’t know about the relationship! Dani and Ryan had been keeping it low-key, at least up until the party last night. But now that they were out of the closet, the Patricks would be sure to find out soon.
And then they would forbid Ryan to see Danielle.
Jason sighed. He didn’t want Dani to go through what he was going through. But he had to admit it: he’d be relieved when she and Ryan broke up.
‘Describe in one sentence the theme of William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury,’ Jason read aloud from his English notebook. ‘Great,’ he said to himself. ‘I haven’t even finished reading that book.’
He let his pen drop onto the notebook, sat back in the deck chair, and stretched. He’d been planning to do his homework out by the pool, but the combination of late afternoon sunshine, birdsong, and the after-effects of last night’s party had made him sleepy. And it didn’t help that now he was alone in the house. His parents had gone out with Mr Freeman’s boss, to some famous restaurant in Beverly Hills.
Dani was out too, with Ryan. She’d been wearing a huge, dreamy smile when she left. Jason felt a little guilty for wanting her relationship to end. After all, he knew just how it felt to be besotted with a vampire. It was exciting and unexpected and more than a little addictive. He knew he shouldn’t have one set of rules for himself and another for Dani. But she was his baby sister. He couldn’t help feeling protective.
Besides, she barely knew Ryan. She couldn’t really be in love with him already. It was a totally different situation from his own with Sienna. He’d known Sienna for months, and they’d fought their attraction like crazy before they finally—
Yeah, right, Jason thought. We fought our attraction because Sienna was going out with Brad. It had nothing to do with the vampire thing. I’d have been with her from day one if she’d crooked her finger. And finding out she was a vampire wouldn’t have changed that.
Jason lurched to his feet, pulled off his shirt, and dove into the pool, letting the chilly water shock him out of his thoughts about Sienna. He couldn’t let himself go there, because thinking about Sienna would lead to thinking about last night’s events. And just the memory of Sienna’s body pressed against his was enough to make him lose his mind.
After a couple of laps, he climbed out and headed over to the pool house for a towel. He dried off and walked back to the deck chair, surprised to see that the sun had disappeared. A quick glance up showed dark clouds encroaching on the constant blue of the California sky.
The doorbell rang.
Jason jogged through the house to the front door and yanked it open, expecting to see Adam, or maybe just the mailman with a package or something.
He didn’t expect Sienna.
‘Hey there, Michigan,’ she said, a smile playing about her mouth. ‘Did I catch you in the shower?’
‘Excuse me?’ Jason asked, still trying to process the fact that she was actually standing on his doorstep. He felt alive and awake, all his senses tingling.
‘You’re dripping.’ Sienna reached out and playfully tousled his wet hair.
Jason automatically reached for her hand, then stopped himself at the last second. He wasn’t supposed to touch her anymore. They were just friends.
Sienna seemed to realize that at the same moment. She snatched her hand away from him. They stared at each other awkwardly for a few seconds.
‘I was in the pool,’ Jason said finally. ‘Hence the moisture.’
‘Oh.’ Sienna nodded. ‘Well, I should boogie. I’m supposed to be at Belle’s, and she can only cover for me for so long before her dad figures it out. I just came by to give this back.’ She held out the sweater he’d loaned her the night before. ‘Thank you.’
‘No problem.’
‘OK. So . . . I’ll see you later.’ Sienna turned away, and Jason’s heart gave a lurch. He didn’t want her to go.
‘Wait!’ he called.
She turned back immediately. ‘Yes?’
‘Don’t you want to come in?’ Jason asked.
Sienna raised one eyebrow. ‘Is coming in a good idea?’ she asked.
Jason grabbed her hand – in a friends way, he told himself. ‘Oh, just come have a drink. Friends are allowed to do that. And there’s no one else home, so no grapevine potential.’ He tugged her inside, and he couldn’t help noticing that she didn’t resist too much.
‘One drink,’ she said.
‘Right.’ Jason reluctantly let go of her hand when they reached the kitchen. ‘What do you want? Coke? Iced tea? I think Dani’s got some health water in here somewhere . . .’
‘Do you have any lemonade?’ Sienna asked. ‘I always like to have lemonade out by the pool.’
‘Lemonade it is.’ Jason maneuvered things around so that he could get the big pitcher of lemonade from the back of the refrigerator.
‘I’ll grab glasses.’ Sienna immediately pulled open the right cabinet and took out two tall glasses. Jason watched her, remembering when she was allowed to just come hang out at his house because she was his girlfriend. Now even something as simple as having a drink seemed illicit somehow. ‘Any sparks between Adam and the girls Belle found for him?’ Sienna asked.
‘I’m not sure. I don’t think Adam got to have a say in it.’ Jason laughed. ‘I think Belle was planning to decide for him whether there were sparks or not.’
‘She’s got good taste. I wonder if she already has a dinner date set up,’ Sienna replied. ‘She’ll probably tag along and coach him on what to say too.’
Jason poured the lemonade and led the way out to the pool. ‘I don’t know how nice it will be today. It looks like rain.’ He peered up at the clouds.
Sienna stood next to him and glanced at the sky. ‘It never rains in California,’ she informed him.
A huge wet splat! on Jason’s arm made him laugh. ‘Is that so?’ he asked.
Sienna grinned. ‘Yes. It doesn’t rain. It pours. Like you wouldn’t believe.’
Another drop hit his shoulder. Then another.
Sienna was already running for the pool house. ‘Hesitate and suffer!’ she called.
Jason looked up – just as the skies opened. Rain poured down on him as if he were standing under a waterfall. ‘Gaaahhh!’ he cried, sprinting after Sienna.
She was standing just inside the door of the little pool house, laughing. ‘You baby,’ she teased. ‘You were already wet anyway.’
‘I know, but the water in the pool is
heated.’ Jason shook his head like a dog, spraying water all over Sienna, who squealed and gave him a playful push.
‘Welcome to winter in Malibu,’ Sienna said. ‘Either it’s bright and sunny or it’s practically a monsoon.’
‘I never knew that.’ Jason reached up and took down one of the extra lounge chairs they kept on a shelf over the pool supplies. He pulled off the dust cover, and he and Sienna sat down together.
‘Yup. Winter is rainy season. Sometimes it will rain for two weeks straight. And then there are mudslides.’
‘That sounds bad,’ Jason said.
‘It is bad. My family did a big charity auction last year for the victims of a mudslide south of here.’ Sienna sighed, and Jason knew she was thinking of all the charity stuff her parents were making her do lately, just to keep her away from him.
‘So all this "sunny California" stuff is false advertising?’ he asked, trying to lighten the mood.
‘Hmm. Well, "sunny California for fifty weeks a year" is not nearly as catchy.’
Jason chuckled. They watched the rain pounding the stone patio outside the door. It was a sheet of water, and it made him feel as if they were trapped in their own private little world.
I wish we were, he thought. Just me and Sienna, alone together. No parents. No rules. Nothing to keep us apart.
‘Why so serious?’ Sienna murmured, and Jason realized she’d been staring at him.
‘Just thinking. I can’t see a thing through the water.’
‘Me neither.’ Sienna moved closer, her slender arm brushing against him. ‘I love the sound of rain. It makes me think of lazy days, just staying inside, lounging around in bed . . .’
Jason’s throat went dry. He knew he should answer her, say something boring and friend-like. But the image of Sienna lounging in bed had driven all other thoughts from his mind. All he could feel was the heat of her body close to his, all he could smell was her perfume, and all he wanted was to press his lips against hers.