Half Bitten

“If it was up to me, I would’ve told you sooner but you grew so attached to Cole, the rest of the Whites.”
I didn’t bother to hear the end of his sentence. The missing piece of the puzzle finally revealed itself.
Ms. Rolands was the reason why Bird was no longer a friend to my dad. If their fling had been going on for the past two and a half months, it would explain why my father never wanted me to talk to Lowlii. It wasn’t because my dad was trying to fulfill his responsible duties as a fathering figure to a hormonal teenage daughter, or because of his firm belief of a stupid legend, but because of the fact that he was with Ms. Rolands. My dad never wanted to give Lowlii a chance to imprint on me so he took the obligation of hovering, making it impossible for us to be alone.
“Oh.” Ms. Rolands sighed happily. Bobbing her head to the side she let her kind golden brown eyes stare with concern. “ You need a sugar cookie. Trust me, it’ll help.”
Before I could protest a piece of the batch was placed in my hand. Ms. Rolands turned back to my dad and whispered lovingly in his ear, then glided off towards the downstairs kitchen. My dad followed sheepishly like a bee to its honey.
I wanted to scream but another urge took over me. After I was sure my father and his mistress exited the room I started to violently destroy the cookie. Allowing the crumbs to fall through my fingers, I grumbled angrily.
“Stupid pale cookie! Why couldn’t you just do your job and stay in your stupid coffin!”
“We don’t have coffins here. Well maybe around Halloween time but other than that, I blame Hollywood for that idiotic trend.” An unfamiliar melodic voice mentioned from behind.
Turning my head abruptly to the side another pair of golden brown eyes matched my gaze.
“Nice to meet you here.” the boy announced happily. “I don’t think we’ve met.”
I noticed his blonde hair and shrugged in confusion. “Me either, I guess.”
“Sweet!” the boy jumped up cheerfully. “Then this’ll be fun!”
His cold hand grabbed mine and pulled me across the old fashioned living room towards the stairs. I dragged my feet along as I eyed the three leather couches that surrounded the coffee table placed delicately in the center of the room. The carpeting was a clean white which made me regret following human guidelines by wearing shoes. Matching the carpet were the two white pillows placed eloquently on each couch making the dull maroon tone of the table noticeable. I could hear the faint music trail down towards us as we stepped onto the stairway made of metal and spotless glass. Laughter erupted again as conversations grew.
“Look who’s here!” laughed the blonde holding my hand firmly.
Getting to the top of the stairs was more shocking than I anticipated.
One would suspect that in a modern house, such as this one, the second floor would be furnished in the same fashion as the first. This was one unsuspecting moment in time where the exact opposite occurred. The entire first room of the second floor had been transformed into the ultimate entertainment center. A flat screen TV was hung onto the main wall over looking the rest of the room as its speakers blasted music. The steel black column cabinets standing on either side of the TV held a collection of party music. Board games were piled against the walls to the left and right of the pool table placed in the middle of the room. An abandoned foosball table was placed in the corner right under a mini-fridge and a microwave.
The three teens crowding around the pool table looked up in confusion. Alec, in the middle of his turn, lost concentration and propelled the pool ball off the table and onto the hardwood floor before me.
“I think I’m blind.” Sadie and Becca mentioned simultaneously eyeing the hideous sweater my body was placed in, as they disregarded the stray ball.
“I know. That’s what I thought too. Looks like mom got to her.” The boy let go of my hand and glided to Alec. “Thanks for filling in for me, bro.”
Alec cleared his throat, playing with the end of his green shirt subconsciously. “It’s not like you missed much.”
I shook my head in confusion. So my dad had grown to love another person; a person who just so happened to be mothering the most feared and hated family in all of Port Angeles.
“Hey!” groaned a male slouched over the mini-fridge. “I found the ice cream.” In happiness the man uncurled himself. He scratched at the cotton knitted cap at his head. With the other hand the tall male swung a carton of chocolate ice cream carelessly in the air, directing his voice to the rest of the room. “I heard the doorbell ring and Sonny’s annoying voice call out for mom. Has his daughter got here yet?”
“Yeah. I guess I’m here.” I peeped nervously.
The tall male let his perfect golden brown eyes gaze to mine. “Sorry, gal. I thought you were my mom, seeing as how you’re wearing the sweater and everything.”
Sadie snickered, “please, not even mom would wear that.”
Alec shot her a stern glare. “Be nice. The poor girl shouldn’t even be here.”
“It’s a surprise Cole let her around our turf anyway.” Becca laughed.
I looked down to my feet nervously, trying to make light of the situation. My dad never liked driving around in the dark and it was probably 1 in the afternoon. I just had to be calm for the next three hours and I’d be walking out with ease. Then I could talk my dad out of his love spell.
“I’m Rufus.” The male holding the carton of ice cream glided towards me with an extra spoon. “I hope you like chocolate.”
I nodded nervously, “yeah, kinda.”
“And I’m Darby!” yelled the boy who had just taken the pool stick away from Alec. “You have soft hands, by the way.” Darby mentioned sheepishly as he leaned down to pick up the ball that managed to roll towards him.
Within a second Sadie and Becca were back in their own conversation as Darby took his turn again. Rufus handed me the carton of ice cream and walked towards the rest of the crowd protesting a new game. I didn’t know how to behave around the Rolands. I was so used to having conversations about werewolves and staring into Lowlii’s beautiful eyes that nothing else seemed to be as thrilling, as satisfying.
I inched my phone out of my pant pocket and stared closely, hoping that it would ring. A call from Carmine or Amber would give me the best excuse to run into another room and be alone. The only problem was that my phone lost service due to the fact that we were off the main road for at least 30 miles.
“Great,” I muttered. “ I’m stuck here.”
“Aw!” Darby groaned in disappointment. “I thought I had it!”
Sadie laughed as she pushed him aside. “Every time you think you have it little bro, you don’t have it.”
The rest of the group laughed after finding Sadie’s comment amusing.
Standing off to the side I allowed myself to say nothing. The way they smiled around each other made me feel that even the slightest action on my behalf would impose cruelly. I stared at the group wondering why Lowlii would always prohibit me from talking to them. They didn’t look or even seem scary, violent, or intimidating. The gossip of Port Angeles didn’t do them justice. From what I saw, they were completely normal beings.
Sadie was dressed in red slimming jeans and a black shirt to match. Her hair was neat compared to Becca’s natural blonde beach curls. She also seemed to be dressed in the same fashion except in different tones. Her jeans were colored blue and her shirt had an innocent tone of gray.
“That’s what I should’ve said.” Rufus mentioned, in the middle of a joking banter. He was draped with a slick leather jacket, and a pair of distressed jeans that matched Darby’s.
Alec seemed to be the only person dressed in simple attire. Even his chocolate brown hair, lighter shade than I was used to, draped carelessly wherever it wanted. The green his v-neck shirt he donned made the green in his eyes glisten.
“Oh come on.” Darby sighed, turning his attention towards me. “Don’t be such a stiff. You’ve been standing there for the past ten minutes just watching us. Wanna play a game?”
I took in a breath, allowing myself to blink once again. “No thanks. Pool was never really my thing.”
“Oh, well then I guess we’ll have to change the game we’re playing.” Rufus smirked. “Anyone up for videogames?”

I tapped my foot nervously on the floor under my chair. Ms. Rolands had managed to pull the whole group away from our Resident Evil Mania, which was probably not easy to do. The game was purely nothing but poor animated graphics and a plotline so unrealistic that anyone hearing it for the first time couldn’t help but believe. Naturally, Alec and I were forced to become partners. Everyone else thought that they could use my preferred tendency to stay in the corner and Alec’s squeamish personality towards me to their advantage.
Little did they know that I was all too familiar with the game. Carmine and I used to play it on Halloween nights. “The start of a new tradition,” I would say. “Just between the Brown cousins.” She happily smiled back.
I missed her so much.
For the last four hours, I felt that I fit in well with the rest of the Rolands. The situation managed to stay perfect.
“Okay,” Ms. Rolands smiled brightly while setting down the last tray of food onto the dinning room table. “Christmas dinner is ready.”
My dad slowly took his seat by Ms. Rolands’ standing body. She turned to him and smiled lovingly.
At least that’s what my dad thought. I knew more than to trust her.
She lowered her face down to match his.
I cleared my throat sharply before she could plant her lips onto him. “How about a toast?”
I looked around the table to see if anyone would protest. Ms. Rolands had stopped short of her action while my dad sighed in disappointment. Sadie and Becca both made eye contact with confusion coating their faces. Darby had been poking Rufus’ leather jacket with his dinner fork carelessly.
“Well, what brought this on Jackie?” my dad asked skeptically.
Frankly, I didn’t blame him for letting his eyes match my gaze sternly. I was up to something.
“Yeah, what brought this on?” Alec, sitting on the seat beside me, whispered in a humored tone.
I swallowed hard. “It’s--- it’s uh—it’s been a long time since my dad found someone, and I just wanted to thank everyone for welcoming me so nicely.”
“That’s not much of a toast now is it.” Alec snickered. The rest of the table chuckled quietly while I sulked down in shame.
“Has she always been good with words?” Becca sarcastically acclaimed. Sadie laughed in return and let the same bitter tone flow heavily.
“Actually.” Alec cleared his throat as he raised his cup of soda. “I would like to say that, today was fun and I hope that you come around more often.”
All of the humor ceased.
My dad reached for his cup. “Merry Christmas!”
Everyone followed the same action. The cling-ling of cups, for once, comforted me. Ms. Rolands fulfilled her urge of pecking my dad lovingly on the cheek. I watched closely with a feeling of anger swelling at my core. If mom were here, he would’ve fallen in love with her instead of Ms. Rolands.
Maybe if they met one more time? Maybe my mom changed.
Plates were passed around subtly and before I could protest my silverware had been fully stocked with pasta, sauce, and steak.
I watched closely as Becca, Sadie, Darby, Rufus, and Alec dug into their plates happily. Glancing sideways to the start of the table I noticed Ms. Rolands staring at my dad with a gaze so hypnotizing that even I would’ve fallen if Alec hadn’t thrown me a cup of gravy.
“Don’t stare. Around here it’ll kill ya.”
“What do you mean?” I grumbled quietly. “ And what’s it to you?”
He inhaled slowly after clearing his mouth with a massive swallow. “ I thought we’ve settled this. I thought you figured everything out.”
“Figure what out?” I made sure to pick up my fork carefully, “please spare me of my ignorance.”
“I don’t think anyone can do that.” He snickered lightly.
I glowered after Alec went back to a state of placing large amounts of food in his mouth and involuntarily swallowing it.
“Haven’t you ever heard of breathing?” I asked disgustedly.
“We don’t need to breathe.” He responded with an emphasize on we.
“Okay.” sighing, I took a glance back to Ms. Rolands and my dad due to precaution, of course. “If you are what you claim to be, why are you eating food?”
He sighed again and took a forkful of his half eaten steak. “Well, I’m sorry to disappoint. I’ll just stick to plastic fruits next Christmas dinner.”
I poked at my pasta intently. “You know that’s not what I meant.”
“Well, what did you intend to mean? That I claim to be anyone but who I purely am?”
“No,” I tried to speak calmly. “I’m saying that you’re just an ordinary human, with an over active imagination.”
“How are you so sure I’m human?” Alec picked up his soda and took a sip gracefully. “How are you so sure that we’re all human?”
This situation managed to stay perfect until I realized that I was about to eat dinner with a family of possible vampires.
My imagination ran wild.
If Alec had meant his words, how was I still alive? How was my father still alive?
“Come on, what are you waiting for?” my dad exclaimed happily. “Kassie’s an amazing cook!”
I looked down to the sizzling steak on my plate. My dad’s statement was of the sweetest to the things that didn’t fall onto her cutting board—to the humans that the Rolands managed to overlook. My eyes searched the bodies sitting around my dad and I. Darby’s smile, the once so lively and happy-go-lucky smile, had turned cunning. Deceiving, even. Rufus’ eyes, ones that seemed pure, were suddenly memory books full of images no human being could endure. Becca and Sadie’s innocent giggling were now mocking tones, counting down the feeble seconds my dad and I had to live.
Out of fear, I didn’t dare to look Ms. Rolands’ way.
“Then why aren’t you biting into my neck, right now?” I insisted in a hushed tone. It wasn’t as if my body would allow me the choice to raise my voice into a confident buzz, anyway.
After hearing my question Alec swallowed subtly. “We’re different. Plus, you smell like wet dog.”
“Oh, quit your conversation and eat up!” my dad yelled from the head of the table. “That steak isn’t gonna digest itself.”
I rolled my eyes and began to tilt the fork into the steak with no intention of watching it break surface. I didn’t dare to continue my insane conversation with Alec. But keeping quiet was never one of my best attributes. I let my eyes follow the line of the now empty cups on the table; they were stained with saucy fingerprints and leftover liquid. I noticed a neglected wine glass centered idly on the table. I suppose it wasn’t any different than all the others, if it had been just as dirty or they, just as clean.
“That’s so pretty.” I whispered subconsciously, still eyeing the wine glass. “Whom does it belong to?”
Alec seemed to disregard my curiosity. “Shush up, and stuff your face.”
“It used to belong to Eric.” Ms. Rolands cleared her throat. At the sound of the name, the table quieted down so slightly it sent a chill down my spine. She lifted herself up from her chair and glided effortlessly to the glass.
“He was a man of many faces.” Alec mumbled icily, taking a sudden stop from his gorging.
Her golden brown eyes coated with utter sadness, Ms. Rolands picked up the glass. “I must’ve forgotten to put it away after placing an extra seat. He was my last boyfriend.” After realizing her words she bit her lip in remorse. “ Well—I suppose that’s an understatement. He was my life.”
I looked to my dad; he seemed to have the same saddened tone coating his eyes. It was obvious he heard this story before.
“He was our father.” Rufus whispered truthfully.
“He was no father of mine.” Alec growled tartly.
“Eric was kind enough to give us this house.” Ms. Rolands dismissed his comment sternly.
“With a fair price.” Alec let his green eyes dart to hers with anger. “He ruined everything.”
“Now, you stop that this instant!” Ms. Rolands put the glass down and screamed demandingly. “He gave us everything we have today!”
“Eric will never have my respect.” Alec yelled back madly. “A filthy, conniving, animal! That’s what he is!”
Becca slammed her fist to the table. “You stop that right now Alexander Rolands! He gave us a life after Andreas left.”
My father leaned back in his chair as a precaution. “Andreas? Who’s he?”
“No one.” Rufus threw his fork down violently. “ I should’ve known that this Christmas dinner would end up just like the last two.” Pushing his chair aside carelessly he made his way towards the stairs. “I’ll be downstairs when you all decide to forget the bad in our lives.”
“No, don’t.” Alec advised already moving his body away. “I’ll be in my bedroom. Hesitate to come after me, please.”