Half Bitten

It was hard to explain to my father that my body left me no choice but to sleep and that was why time ran away from my mind.
“Well, are you okay?” He asked while his eyebrows stayed tense. The kitchen smelled fresh of eggs and bacon from his morning cooking.
“Yes.” I nodded my head confidently, moving my body towards the stairs. “Yes, dad. I’m totally fine.”
“You haven’t been fine.” My father protested back. “Not since, him.”
My hand clutched the banister as if it needed to be punished. “I’m fine.” My voice came out surprisingly smooth. “I’m going to go upstairs to do some homework so I wont be stuck doing it Sunday.”
“I’m really sorry, Jackie.” My father let his voice turn soft enough to express regret. “I was the one that pulled you away from everyone you loved. Just because Bird and I aren’t friends, doesn’t mean you can’t be friends with his children.”
Lowlii and I were more than just friends.
“It’s okay dad. I haven’t seen any of them in two months. That part of my life is over.”
I could hear his feet shuffle in surprise. “No, it’s not fair. I—should do something—how about I let you throw a party? It could be at the beach, if you want?”
I seldom nodded. “Fine, if you think it’ll help.”
I trudged up the stairs trying to see the good.
My room was finally cleaned due to the fact that my mind refused to leave things as they were. The carpet was clearly visible and my bed had been dragged towards the middle of the room. Near it, I set my laptop far enough that my body would have enough room, if it wished, to lean against one of the legs belonging to my bed.
Although it seemed to be slower than before, I could still keep my cool as the laptop loaded it’s desktop wallpaper.
“What are you doing?” a voice chimed in urgency.
I looked towards the window quick enough to see Alec’s body flail its way into my room.
“Homework.” I spoke swiftly.
“No,” Alec commanded after crashing onto the floor next to me. “It’s Saturday.”
I tapped my fingers on the mouse pad of the laptop impatiently. “Don’t remind me. I’m so behind on my schoolwork.”
He titled his head back and laughed. “I’ve been behind since the French Revolution.”
His happiness made the bitterness inside my body grow in mass. “Whatever.”
“Stop being such a stick in the mud.” Alec retorted back.
I inched myself away so that I could concentrate on waiting for the laptop patiently.
“Whoa.” Alec decided to break the five-second silence.
I shrugged, knowing that his mind would give him a chance to ramble. He glared at the thing in my lap with a spark of astonishment, or so it seemed, in his eyes. “Is that a 1993 Toshiba Laptop?”
I glowered. “Maybe.”
He leaned himself forward. “Can I see it?”
How about I let you smack yourself instead? The intriguing voice hissed.
Why was he here to begin with? I thought he would leave me alone after last night. Before I could give him a piece of my mind, the laptop was out of my hands and into his. Alec let his green eyes stare intently, as if he was asking questions without words. He paced himself as his fingers glided across the keyboard; they were gentle enough to allow the absence of the pitter-patter sound keys seemed to make. If I didn’t know any better, he was forming a bond with my laptop.
“Have you cleaned the hard drive recently?”
I blinked dumbly. “I don’t know what that is.”
If it weren’t for the piece of ‘gold’ in his hands, he would’ve unleashed his banter on me.
“No wonder why this thing is suffering.”
“Suffering?” my eyes glared. “It’s a machine.”
Alec let his lips purse into a fine line and groaned in annoyance. He let his hand set itself on the mouse pad. At which point I didn’t deny myself the state of delusion. The laptop beeped, as if it intended to hold a conversation.
I bit my lip, “should I leave the room for what’s about to happen next.”
His hand quickly struck my stomach. “Don’t be absurd. Its just that they don’t make this model anymore.”
“I could see why.” I retorted back while rubbing my belly to ease the pain. “It’s crap.”
“It’s only crap cuz you own it.” Alec hissed back.
I glowered. “Well, you could have it.”
He rolled his eyes. “And leave you with nothing? I don’t think so. I’ll just have to buy you a new one.”
I raised a brow, “can I have my computer back?”
“No take-sies, back-sies!” after a pause, Alec smirked. “Beside, I don’t know what you’re talking about. This ones mine.”
It didn’t take long for me to declare that this would be a very awkward weekend. Sunday, Alec took it upon himself to visit me once more, however, this time, with a board game. Chess.
“Do you know how to play?” he asked, already setting the board piece down in the middle of my room.
“No,” I glowered. “But even if, I know you’d still teach it to me.”
He smirked proudly, as if he won the game before it even started. “So, am I going to have to pick you up from the bed or are you going to move yourself?”
Annoyed, and after a groan, I sat myself opposite side of him.
“These,” he pointed to two pieces, similar in shape and opposite in color. “Are the Kings.” Setting them down, he let his voice become stern. “Protect yours at any cost.”
I eyed the one on my side. “Why do I get the white one?”
He shrugged, “cuz I like to be the black player.”
I glowered, “if you’re going to force this on me, the least you could do is accept the girly color.”
Alec growled under his breath and turned the board. What amazed me was that he possessed the power to keep every piece completely still.
“What are the Queens for?” I tried to distract him from reciting guidelines.
“What, er, to protect the Kings.”
I shook my head disapprovingly.
“What’s wrong?”
“Since when does the King need saving?” I let my hands flail in the air to portray how dramatic my feelings were about the subject.
Alec rolled his eyes, “cuz every queen is just as insane as you.”
“Well, why can’t the King be insane, for once?” I let my voice raise a level.
This time, Alec found me amusing and smiled. “I don’t think the world is prepared for another one of you.”
“Of course not.” I scoffed sarcastically. “You might as well leave before I turn you insane.”
This time, his smile grew more infectious. “I said the world couldn’t handle you, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t handle you.”
I sighed, not to admit defeat, but to accept it. I now realize that this was not going to go away. Alec Rolands wasn’t going to go away. He had engraved his presence into my life; twisted his path to cut into mine. My only choice was to let him walk with me, and so we played the game. He moved his piece first and explained on why it only moved a certain amount of spaces forward.
“It’s one of the rules.” He explained while analyzing my expression. “You with me so far?”
I shrugged, “you’re still going to loose. No matter how many rules you explain.”
Alec let his green eyes capture a spark. “You willing to put your money where your mouth is?”
“What are you talking about?”
“We play a game.” Alec commanded swiftly. “You win, and we do whatever you want for a week. I win, and I’m in charge of throwing the party your father offered to you and you do what I want you to do for the next week.”
I narrowed my eyes. “How did you know my father offered to throw a party for me?”
He smiled cunningly. “I didn’t.”
A moment past and we stared at each other. Him chuckling quietly, with the knowledge of the outcome, and me, trying to carry a poker face strong enough to make him back out of his words.
“Deal.”

I hitched my bag over my shoulder, climbing out of Ms. Rolands’s car. My father also picked himself out in a manner that seemed more confident than I had seen in years. The freshly tucked in shirt along with the blazer he was wearing did not hint that he was my father at all, but yet another man. Ms. Rolands locked the car after Sadie and Becca made their way out and my father patiently waited for her to glide over to his side.
“I wonder if he ever noticed that.” I murmured.
“Noticed what?” Alec’s voice broke my train of thought.
“Well, before I knew,” I paused slightly to take the first step leading into the school. “About your family, one of the first things I noticed that was different, well compared to other humans, is that you glide.”
Alec, who was previously matching my pace, slowed down. “We glide?”
I rolled my eyes at the way his mouth over exaggerated the word. “Never mind.” Before we walked far enough from the door I turned around to see if I could call my father to say goodbye. To my surprise he was right behind Alec and I.
“Why is he walking behind us?” I whispered to Alec.
He took a second to realize the subject and chuckled. “He’s visiting for the day. Mom’s planning to teach the Tango to her classes and he offered to be a partner.”
“I didn’t know my dad Tango'd” I remarked, trying to keep a low voice even though I knew he was listening.
“Have a good day,” Ms. Rolands wished as she turned the corner towards the dance room with my father by her side.
I waved to him as he threw me a loving smile as if to whisper a promise of seeing me later. For a moment, I felt guilty. Why was it that I was clueless enough to figure out he was having a relationship? As a daughter—his only daughter, I should’ve known before hand. I should’ve been there when he decided to make the first move, even though at the time the Rolands weren’t as socially accepted in my book.
First period was as predictable as ever.
“Okay, I’ve graded your tests.” My teacher mentioned as I grimaced. He continued the class by handing the students their tests back. As he got towards me I could see his expression turn upset. “This isn’t your best work, Jackie.”
I held the paper without daring to take a look.
“She’s improving as we speak.” Alec chuckled. I couldn’t help but wonder if he was talking about other aspects of my life, not just my grade in Algebra II.
The teacher turned his attention towards Alec to hand him his paper. “would you do me a favor, Alec?”
“What do you need?”
A moment of whispers took place. I tried to pay attention but by the time my ears sharpened enough to hear the subtle drone, their conversation was at its end.
“So you’ll tutor her?” The teacher smiled.
Alec nodded, “she’ll have her grade up by the end of next month.”
I groaned as the teacher walked back to the front of the room. “No.”
“Yes.” Alec groaned back mockingly. “I’ll see you in the library at lunch.” To his retort, my forehead wrinkled and my mouth arched down.
As if I wasn’t forced to be with Alec enough? When the bell rang I was the first of the class to exit out of the classroom. Alec laughed at the expression of easiness that colored my face and mentioned that it was going to be fine. I couldn’t disagree with him anymore than I already did. Due to my fast pace walking, I was the first one to the dance room. Ms. Rolands seemed to be missing, so I didn’t bother to look for my father. I succumbed to yet another event, the start of dance class, and took it upon myself to change into my workout outfit. I walked towards the end of the room where the small lockers stood behind sliding room dividers. I located my lock and twisted the knob, with much more power than needed to do so.
I suppose I was proud. This was probably the only thing I was allowed to control for the next week. Knowing Alec, he would exercise every power he owned over me.
“Can you believe it?” laughed a voice mockingly.
“I know.” Another voice pitched the same tone. Judging by how smooth they were, Becca and Sadie were only a couple of feet away from the closed dividers. I swung my locker door open as quietly as possible so as to not disturb their conversation.
“That mangy mutt has been gone for two months now.” Becca retorted, still keeping her sour laugh.
I couldn’t bring myself to breathe, or even find meaning in their conversation. The only dog I knew that was missing for two months was, Lowlii.
“Yeah.” Sadie agreed. “Guess she isn’t the girl everyone thought she was, seeing as how her lover dumped her to the sidewalk.”
The clothes that were in my locker hit the ground, just like my heart.
“Yeah, but there’s no way we’ll be sure.” Sadie pointed out. “Too bad our plan didn’t work. If she was dead, we’d be human again.”
I could hear Becca’s voice contribute to the conversation but my mind could not bear to filter them.
The only plan I knew of was I being in the middle of Darculaville in a state of massive ignorance. But what did I ever do them?
Apparently, you were the girl from the Legend; The intriguing voice in my head snickered. But why does that contribute to Becca and Sadie’s need for my death? I could barely keep my body still and my mind was racing a thousand miles.
If she was dead, we’d be human. Sadie’s words echoed in my head. I was the reason they were vampires? I tried to remember the latest case where vampires were present.
The Legend clearly read that the only reason Alexander turned himself into a vampire was to avenge his love’s death. If his love never existed for her—if she didn’t exist, Alexander would’ve stayed human.
Becca and Sadie would’ve been human.
The tears found their own path down my cheeks. I wasn’t crying because Becca and Sadie wanted me dead. I was crying purely because of the fact that if Lowlii hadn’t disappeared, I would’ve been dead. The same action I hated him for doing, was the only one that saved me. Any hope that Lowlii would come back—that I would be in his arms once again, was shattered. The one thing I wanted, if given the choice to take, was forbidden to my grasp.
“Okay class!” Ms. Rolands’s voice rose above the slow conversation of the students seeping into the room. “Get changed and be ready to dance. Today’s lesson is the Tango.”
The dividers opened and closed as the rest of the class prepared themselves for today’s lesson. Conversations flew around me. Clothes were being tossed into the air as laughter erupted from the voices that fluttered. I could even feel time—every second, creep away from me as I stood perfectly still, trying not to pass out.
“What’s wrong, Jackie?” Ms. Rolands spoke. “You look like you just got the wind knocked out of you.”
“If only.” I mumbled in a numbing trance.
“Well, class. We’re about to get started.” she turned her attention back to the rest of the class, at which point a realized that I migrated to the front of the room without thinking. Giggling girls slowly moved to the front and the bubble of emptiness around me filled. After my father, who was standing near the door with his hand firmly placed on the knob, called for Ms. Rolands in a sweet almost airy whisper, I noticed that there were a group of boys standing outside waiting to be let in.
“I see you girls heard about the Tango lesson today.” Ms. Rolands smiled. “Very well, love. Let them in.”
The girls around me giggled again, this time in happiness. My father let the door open and the boys swarmed in, each finding a girl of their own. I was left standing alone.
Ms. Rolands started to instruct the class, overlooking me. “So to start off, let me review that the guys always lead.”
“Not if I could help it!” a girly voice laughed loudly. In response, the other girls cheered for her confidence.
“Well,” Ms. Rolands sighed. “In this class, they do. Now the girl’s right hand is supposed to be in the guy’s left, and his right hand on her lower back.” My father slid in front of her before she could finish her thought.
“Like this?” he smirked after noticing that Ms. Rolands started to blush.
For a second, despite what just happened, I was in awe. My father stood proudly facing her, with a spark in his eyes while allowing his heart to fill with one emotion only. Ms. Rolands’s cheeks seemed to exude that same emotion, as she looked back to him with the same type of sparkle in her eyes.
“Girls step back with their left, boys step forward with their right.” She continued to elaborate. Everyone completed the step. Everyone but me.
Ms. Rolands sighed in contentment and looked over to my father. His eyes were pinned to hers, and failed to look away as the class went on. Every time my father smiled, it was out of admiration. Adoring her was clearly what he loved to do. Ten minutes before the bell rang Ms. Rolands reluctantly pulled away from my father and turned to the class. “I’ll be around to see ho much you’ve learned.” Then she let the music play from the nearby stereo and glided off to the end of the classroom to instruct some of her students.
All around me, couples danced, as if in their own worlds. I could feel the room slowly swell with lust and heart-racking emotions. It made me sick. How could twenty-one girls each have found someone?
“Couldn’t find a partner?” My father’s voice asked. I shook my head as he walked to me with a smile. “Well, you were always like that anyway.” After offering me a hand, he sighed. “I’m always here for you.”
“I don’t know.” I hesitated.
He chuckled politely, “I won’t bite, but on the other hand, I’m sure Alec could be here in a couple of minutes.”
I swallowed nosily. “You wouldn’t dare.”
My father smiled again, this time with a childish manner. “Well, I’m your father. it is my job to make your life difficult. Besides, I don’t think the teacher will mind.” He paused and then smiled childishly. “She loves me you know?”
I let my hand rest on his. “ Just until the bell rings.” I warned.
He chuckled to himself and pulled me forward enough that if I took a half step on, I would’ve been on his toes. “Have you thought about the party?” he asked as we started to sway.
“Sort of.” I found it odd that he mentioned the party right after Alec, as if the name reminded him of something pertaining to it.
“So you’re up for it?” My father asked.
“Yeah.” I muttered. “In fact, a friend of mine wants to plan it.”
“Well,” my father let his eyebrows arch up. “Something tells me that I’m going to need to get a hold of him.” My father spoke confidently. “Wouldn’t want any mishaps.”
“I’m sure my friend wouldn’t allow it.” I murmured to myself.
Taking my left hand, my father lifted it up. Out of instinct, I turned under it. Without conversation, this allowed me to realize exactly where I was. On the brink of death due to the fact that I loved the person I so selfishly couldn’t live without. After facing my father I wanted to break into tears, in hopes that he would hug me.
In hopes that anyone would hold me long enough to know that I was fine. So I could be sure I was fine. I didn’t know what to think, or even how, anymore.
Who was to say that my father was going to believe me? I doubt that he wanted to hear anything bad about The Rolands.
Alec was my only option.
Racing through the halls to the cafeteria wasn’t easy, but I managed. After grabbing a quick bite, I scanned the area for Alec. He saw me and glided over.
“What took you so long?” I retorted.
He scrunched his face. “I was going to go meet you at your class, but met your father on the instead. We held a conversation.”
“Never mind that.” I groaned. “There’s something else we need to talk about.”
“Look, Jackie.” He sighed as if the thought he was holding served as a new burden, due to how long his mind harbored it. “I know exactly what’s going on. I tried to contain the situation as much as possible.”
My hopes ran high as I realized he knew exactly what was going on.
“But, you have to get this through your head Jackie.” Alec flailed his hands into the air to exude sternness. “But so help me god—I will not rest until you are over that mangy mutt, Lowlii.”
I groaned angrily. “No. No, no, no. That’s not what I had in mind at all.”
“I don’t care, than.” Alec shook his head. “Nothing else matters right now. Besides, I have a surprise for you.”
“No, Alec!” I stomped my feet. “Listen to me!”
He managed to overlook my distress. “Come on.” After slinging one arm over my shoulders, he started to walk forward which resulted in my body dragging with him. “I am listening. I’ll listen to anything you want to say. After this.”
Down the hall we went. I tried to fight him off by digging my feet into whatever ground would allow me to.
“So, you don’t think I’ll carry you?” Alec threatened.
“I need to tell you something.”
“Okay.” He nodded while swinging his arm behind my knees so they had no choice but to cave in. “speak.” Alec demanded as he glided through the hall gracefully.
I felt uncomfortable. His arms were cold enough that the thought of them freezing in the same position could not help but pass my mind.
“It’s about your sisters.”
Alec nodded, while turning the corner into a classroom. “Don’t pay attention to them. They’re sluts. Now hush, we’re here.”
“No!” I hissed at him. “So help me Alec—I will sneak into your house in the middle of the night and lock myself in your room if you don’t listen to me, right now!”
After a moment of silence, I could feel the silent chilling glares of the people accompanying us in the new room I was whisked away to.
“Ladies and Gentlemen.” Alec smiled happily. “I present to you a nominee for the title of Junior Home Coming Princess!”