All My Balloons Are Popping

“Cal! Are you home.” I shouted into my hopefully empty apartment. Satisfied when no one answered I grudgingly ushered my new house guest into my very humble abode, don’t hold back on the “humble”. Eagan glanced around the small living room that probably could have been in better shape if either Callia or I could handle cleaning…which we can’t. In all honesty I am the clean one out of the two of us. Cal has a sentimental problem; she thinks everything is important enough to save. She keeps everything. Me on the other hand can’t handle clutter at all. I’m more about organized filth.

“Nice place,” he said with a tone that shocked me. It sounded sincere. If this dump was nice to him than what kind of place was he living in before? Feeling awkward, I couldn’t help but just stand there in the middle of the room while I watch him inspecting everything in the room. He ran his figures along the long buffet table that houses all of Callia’s rubber duck collection. I couldn’t help but laugh at his curiosity. It is really strange to have this kind of hobby but Cal was anything but normal. A smile was plastered on my face until he picked up the purple vampire duck and squeaked it at me.

Curse him for knowing too much.

Feeling nervous again I slouched myself down on the couch and let my eyes drift between the framed Anne Rice book covers and the black coffin-shaped coffee table. How much vampire crap can one living room have?

Curse Callia for her sick sense of humor.

This is definitely the most uncomfortable situation I have even been in. I watched him as he walked around the corner into the all too small kitchen. It really didn’t take him long before he came around the corner again then placed himself next to me on the couch. He bounced a few time on it testing the comfort of the pillows. In the corner of my eye I saw him arch a brow at the coffee table.

“So you’ll sleep here, your welcome to anything in the fridge, and the bathroom is down the hall across from my room.” I said swallowing the frog in my throat.

“What about your roommate?” he asked

“What about her?”

“Are you going to call her and let her know that I’m here?”

Oh yeah that is definitely something I want to do

“Uh no she is with her fiancé and I’m hoping she will be with him for the rest of the night. Tomorrow we will find a place for you to stay and she never has to know” I said liking, but doubting my plan more and more.

He nodded his head then continued to look around the room. This is absolutely an awkward turtle moment.

“So yeah…” I said as I stood up to walk to the closet that housed all our blankets and sheets. Feeling him following me I couldn’t stop myself from peering over my shoulder at him. He leaned himself against the wall and watched me rifle through the hurricane-disaster-relief which is my closet.

“Is the your room?” he asked as he let himself, indeed, into my room.

“Um…no…err… wait” I grunted as I pushed myself pasted him trying to stop him. I could have stopped him had he not already been in the room and for the fact that I had already tried to kill him once tonight. I’m trying not to make a habit out of it. “Um yeah this is my room,” I said with a hint of defeat in my voice.

“It’s nice. Very you.” He walked around my undersized bedroom while I was transfixed at the door. The bed was the focal point of the room, with its dark maroon bedspread and canopy and the surplus of purple pillows. The walls were a light lilac color with maroon trim. The two floor-to-ceiling windows that flanked either side of the bed had black sheer currants that draped them and overflowed onto the floor. They weren’t dark enough to keep all the light out but enough to mask most of the suns rays. One dresser sat in front of the bed that accommodated a TV and DVD player and a lot of little pieces of art. The walls were covered with movie posters of all genres. Eagan toyed with the small chains that swept along the top rim of my walls. Before I realized what he was doing he threw open my wooden wardrobe (hopefully he didn’t notice that it was a mock up of the Narnia wardrobe from the movie) I gasped as he froze at the sight of all my weapons that I had was displayed there.

“Wow…these are beautiful. I bet you really do some damage with these babies.” He said with a smirk on his face. I was not expecting him to react so nonchalantly about my weapon collection, actually instead of running for his life he seemed rather impressed.

“Um no I don’t, I don’t use then at all I just like collect them. Cal collects ducks I collect swords and stuff. A lot of people do.”

“A lot of people aren’t capable of wielding them the way I know you can” Eagan turned to face me. He slowly took small steps toward me.

“I don’t wield them at all. I’ve never even been in a fight I am really a very nonviolent person” I took steps in time with his trying to keep the distance between us.

“If that were true then I wouldn’t have these bruises on either side of my neck now would I?” Eagan backed me into the corner of my room. He placed both hands on either side of my head so I was trapped there.

“I said I was sorry about that.” I forced my voice to sound tough and irritated but what I really wanted to do was run for the hills. Why can’t he keep a safe distance from me?

Man he smells good.

No that’s not what matters right now. What matters is that I need to get away from him and fast. I couldn’t bring myself to look at him, and that’s probably why after a few seconds he lifted my chin so I was forced to look into Mr. Green-eyes. I could feel my own eyes turning colors from the intensity of his stare. I turned my face away from his so he didn’t have to see my disturbing gaze.

“Are you angry with me?” He asked in a heartfelt manner.

No I wasn’t angry. They say that eyes are the windows to the soul; well that statement probably applies to me more then anyone else.

“No I’m not angry. Sometimes when I feel strong emotions my eyes change. I can’t help it.” My voice was pathetically weak and soft.

“What are you feeling?”

“Scared” was the only word that I could think of that came close to how I felt in that moment. Instead of touching me like I thought he would, or stepping back like I hoped he would, Eagan bent his head down so that he could look me in the eyes. Holding my gaze he stood up straight and just looked at me. He dropped his arms from the wall and stood there, staring. I don’t know how long we stood like that, it couldn’t have been more then a few minutes but those were the longest minutes of my life.

“Beautiful,” he said suddenly, “I don’t know why you try to hide them from me. Please, Skylar never try to do so again.”

Bang!

“Ouch! Oh crap…Ow”

I turned suddenly to see Callia standing in front of my room holding her foot in her hand. “Stupid dresser thingy,” she mumbled to herself as she stumbled into my already crowed bedroom. “So how’s it going,” she said with a smile on her face.

“Cal what are you doing home, I thought you would be with Billy.” I could feel all the blood rushing to my face as I started to blush. At any second Callia was going to flip on me. I was never the one to bring a guy home and Cal is somewhat my protector when it comes to the opposite sex. There was no way she was going to understand the situation I found myself in.

“Callia…”

“Sky can I talk to you for a sec?” Callia said interrupting me. Oh man this is it. She is going to walk all up on down my behind.

Deep breaths Sky maybe she wont be mad…. yeah right.

Callia lead me across the hall to her bedroom. Tripping on her clothes that are always sprawled all over her room, I did my best to make my way to her bed so that I could brace myself for her lecture. I shoved the magazines and books that occupied the bed off onto the floor (the girl loves to read, oh and I wasn’t kidding about the whole cleaning issue) I placed myself upon her bed and watched her walk to her stereo to turn it on. My Chemical Romance’s Welcome to the Black Parade reverberated off the walls. Callia walked over to me and stood not three feet from me. I could tell by her expression that she was having a hard time figuring out what to say. Instinctively I shied away from her, praying silently to myself for mercy.

Oh c’mon Sky what kind of freaking vampire thingy are you?

“So…Its about freaking time! Man I was starting to worry about you. Good work though the boy’s a Beckett and a Louie hands down, he’s got that who emo pout thing down but I can tell he’s got some cute boyish spunk too.”

HUH?

“Wait…what?” I couldn’t have been more surprised about what Cal just said to me.

“He’s a cutie I approve.” She said with a giddy smile.

“But he’s a dude?”

“Yes I noticed”

My head was spinning. Why was she being so cool about this? Normally she would be throwing him out on the streets for even thinking about touching me. The girl was a brick wall when it came to the evil gender. “Why are you being so cool about this?”

“I heard what he was thinking. He’s a decent guy Sky I think you two are going to be good together.”

“Um no it’s not what you think. He didn’t have a place to stay, and you know I kind of felt bad for almost killing him earlier, and yeah I guess he is sort of handsome and all but no we aren’t a couple or anything I mean I just met him, and I do mean just met him…Hey why couldn’t I hear what he was thinking then if you were there? What was he thinking…”

“Um Sky you were a little distracted.” She said interrupting me from my psycho-babble, “Maybe you’re getting a hand on your powers. What do you mean you almost killed him?”

“He had a vision and I saw it so I freaked… But he’s fine now.” I said more for myself than for her. Callia started to laugh and went to turn off her music.

“What?” I asked confused by her amusement.

“You attract the strangest people. First me with my mind reading and now this poor kid.”

“Well I’m not exactly normal myself.” Cal led me out of her room back into mine. Eagan was sitting on my bed waiting for me to return. I don’t know if it was just me with my wishful thinking but I swore I saw his face light up when I walked into the room. My own face blushed in response.

“Hey sorry about just ditching you but we’re back now so you can relax. I’m Callia.” C held her hand out for his to take it. Eagan hesitated but then seized her hand in a tight grasp. I don’t know why but it reminded me of two bulls sizing each other up. And what was more interesting was that Callia looked to be dominating.

“Eagan” he said monotone.

“Yay! A man of many words, Oh how the world needs articulation.” She raised her hands above her head as if praising whichever god has brought this man into our lives.

“Cal quite the sarcasm that’s my job.” I laughed at her innuendo.

“Hey buddy I’m just messing with you, but do us both a favor don’t think about anything that you don’t want either of us to hear, I read minds and as a default so does she.” She nodded her head in my direction just to make her statement clear.

“Clandestine isn’t you specialty is it?” He asked Cal while holding her gaze.

“Some things are too important to keep a secret and this is one of them.” She replied.

“How about that fact that she’s a vampire? Is that not worth your silence?”

Callia was just as stunned as I was as he revealed that information, but I was more surprised by his harsh tone. It was protective. I was actually in aw of him.

“Oh did I forget to tell you that he knows about the not so pleasant side of me?” I said as innocently as I could.

“Does he also know that you’re also half human and if he tries to hurt you in anyway I will break both of his legs off and nail them to his ears. “The Pain” has nothing on me baby”

“Callia! What the crap? You were so cool about him earlier?” I couldn’t believe how aggressive she was getting.

“He started it.” She said with an expression that made her look like a pouting toddler.

“Whatever but can we talk about this later. It been a long night and I really need to sleep or there will be hell to pay. You know how I get when I don’t get sleep.” My voice was a warning to all that would listen.

“Oh yeah lets not go there. Ok well I actually just can back to get some things and I was going to head back over to Billy’s but if you want I can stay.” I know I was not the only on who noticed her eyeballing Eagan as she said that.

“No its fine you go have fun I’ll you tomorrow.”

“Okay love ya, be safe” she turned to look Eagan straight in the eye but continued to talk to me “Call me if you need anything.”

“I will” I shook my head as Callia grabbed her things and left the apartment. Eagan was sitting on the couch not really paying attention to anything. I sat down next to him and huffed and sighed at the whole situation.

Eagan turned his gaze toward me making my face flush from his stare. I was looking straight ahead as I felt his gaze. Suddenly Eagan placed his hand on my cheek and turned my head to face him. Without a word he kissed me again. This time he actually let his lips touch mine full force. This was no little peck but it also wasn’t tough. It was still soft and kind. When he pulled back it took me a moment to focus. He kept his hand on my cheek and held my gaze.

“I can see that you are deeply loved and I hope that you can understand that I will never hurt you as long as I can help it.” Eagan them dropped his hand and left me on the couch staring after him.

Oh what a night.