‹ Prequel: Pup Among the Big Dogs
Chasing the Moon
Leanne Black
"Well, finally!" Lucy complained, storming over and grabbing my wrist. "Say good-bye to your lover for you won't ever be seeing him again!"
"Wait, what?" I exclaimed, baffled.
"Hey, I have one question," Aiden butted in, stepping forward and raising his hand.
"Oh, yes, the boy in the black shirt, what is your question?" she asked him, calling on him like a teacher would a student.
"Yeah, so will there be conjugal visits? Because I've gone so long being a virgin, and I would like to get laid someday soon, and Gabby was kinda my fuck-buddy, so yeah." Did he have no shame!
"Well, maybe on Tuesdays," she compromised.
"I'm not some hooker!" I whined, glaring at him. "My boyfriend is only with me so he can get some!"
"No, no, honey, that's not true! I'm with you to get it all," he insisted, looking totally sincere.
"Oh haha. Lucy, take me away!" I begged.
"Gladly! This man won't harm you anymore! Here, follow me!" We took three steps away. "Now you're safe! You'll never see him again."
"Oh no!" I cried, looking over. "It's him!"
"Oh, God! Uh, take her!" she yelled, throwing me at him.
I laughed, leaning on Aiden and trusting him to hold me up as I couldn't by myself. He smiled and kissed my forehead.
"Is it Tuesday yet?" he asked loudly. I glared.
"No sex for you!" Lucy screamed so practically everyone could hear. I glowered at her instead of Aiden. For the first time I noticed another girl sitting silently, plucking petals from a daisy.
"Hello," I said softly, as friendly as I could.
"Oh, me?" she asked. I nodded. "Hi."
"I'm Gabriella James. Who are you?" It was like talking to a shovel!
"Leanne Black."
"She's my mom's friend's daughter," Aiden whispered in my ear.
"So what are you doing?" I asked her, leaving Aiden. I felt like I should talk to her; take care of her. I just felt this bond. I don't know why, but it was a very strong feeling.
"Seeing if mom loves me," she told me, looking up with such fragile eyes. She plucked another petal. "She loves me." She plucked yet another. "She loves me not."
"I'm sure she loves you," I smiled, sitting down beside her. "Let's not let a silly flower decide that. I don't have a mom, but I have my brother. And I know he loves me. I'm sure your mom loves you very much."
"No," she whispered, tears forming in her eyes. "She loves her other daughter. But she's gone. She and dad argue all the time about Her. She loves Her, not me."
"Does She have a name?" I asked quietly, wanting to snatch the flower out of her hand. I had counted the petals and it was going to up "she loves me not".
"No. She had to give Her up when She was a baby. Dad made her because She wasn't like everyone here."
"What was She?"
"She was a vampire," Leanne whispered softly, as though what she was saying was a curse. I felt my stomach tying up in knots. I was getting dizzy, but I ignored it. My breaths got raspy and darkness was consuming my vision, but I knew what I had to do. I grabbed the flower out of her hands and tore off the remaining petals before I blacked out.
"Wait, what?" I exclaimed, baffled.
"Hey, I have one question," Aiden butted in, stepping forward and raising his hand.
"Oh, yes, the boy in the black shirt, what is your question?" she asked him, calling on him like a teacher would a student.
"Yeah, so will there be conjugal visits? Because I've gone so long being a virgin, and I would like to get laid someday soon, and Gabby was kinda my fuck-buddy, so yeah." Did he have no shame!
"Well, maybe on Tuesdays," she compromised.
"I'm not some hooker!" I whined, glaring at him. "My boyfriend is only with me so he can get some!"
"No, no, honey, that's not true! I'm with you to get it all," he insisted, looking totally sincere.
"Oh haha. Lucy, take me away!" I begged.
"Gladly! This man won't harm you anymore! Here, follow me!" We took three steps away. "Now you're safe! You'll never see him again."
"Oh no!" I cried, looking over. "It's him!"
"Oh, God! Uh, take her!" she yelled, throwing me at him.
I laughed, leaning on Aiden and trusting him to hold me up as I couldn't by myself. He smiled and kissed my forehead.
"Is it Tuesday yet?" he asked loudly. I glared.
"No sex for you!" Lucy screamed so practically everyone could hear. I glowered at her instead of Aiden. For the first time I noticed another girl sitting silently, plucking petals from a daisy.
"Hello," I said softly, as friendly as I could.
"Oh, me?" she asked. I nodded. "Hi."
"I'm Gabriella James. Who are you?" It was like talking to a shovel!
"Leanne Black."
"She's my mom's friend's daughter," Aiden whispered in my ear.
"So what are you doing?" I asked her, leaving Aiden. I felt like I should talk to her; take care of her. I just felt this bond. I don't know why, but it was a very strong feeling.
"Seeing if mom loves me," she told me, looking up with such fragile eyes. She plucked another petal. "She loves me." She plucked yet another. "She loves me not."
"I'm sure she loves you," I smiled, sitting down beside her. "Let's not let a silly flower decide that. I don't have a mom, but I have my brother. And I know he loves me. I'm sure your mom loves you very much."
"No," she whispered, tears forming in her eyes. "She loves her other daughter. But she's gone. She and dad argue all the time about Her. She loves Her, not me."
"Does She have a name?" I asked quietly, wanting to snatch the flower out of her hand. I had counted the petals and it was going to up "she loves me not".
"No. She had to give Her up when She was a baby. Dad made her because She wasn't like everyone here."
"What was She?"
"She was a vampire," Leanne whispered softly, as though what she was saying was a curse. I felt my stomach tying up in knots. I was getting dizzy, but I ignored it. My breaths got raspy and darkness was consuming my vision, but I knew what I had to do. I grabbed the flower out of her hands and tore off the remaining petals before I blacked out.