Green Eyes

The sun shined through the open window as I lay in my bed, my pale fingers toying with the edge of my sheets that were pulled up around me. The dull ache in my heart solemnly reminded me of my loneliness, and try as I might, I could not erase the guilt of what Johnny and I had shared.

Zacky plagued my thoughts, filling my body with longing as well as ripplings of fear. I hated the fact that I was scared of him, hated it with everything I had. I hated the way his face brought feelings of both love and absolute fear to my body, the way my eyes would always flicker to the scar my wrist held.

But still, despite all the fear I felt, I couldn’t help but miss him with everything I had. I couldn’t help but wish he was by my side, wish that none of this had happened and that everything was as it had been.

Johnny had long ago left, his sorrowful eyes becoming too much for me to bear in my current state. Now I was frightfully alone, my blue eyes staring out the window, watching as the sun lit up the leaves on the trees that surrounded the house.

A knock on the door distracted my thoughts, and I tore my eyes away from the window to glance lazily at the door. ‘Who is it?’ I asked, pushing myself up into a sitting position on the bed, so that the covers settled around my waist, my long brown hair cascading down my back in tangled knots and waves.

‘Maddy’ came the muffled reply through the door, and a grin lit up my face. I had thoroughly missed my best friend over the past few weeks, and had been being eaten away with remorse for the misery she appeared to feel. I wanted her to be my Maddy again, the Maddy that could tell everything I was thinking with just glancing at me, the Maddy who knew everything about my life and never once questioned me about it.

‘Come in’ I responded, and the door opened slowly, revealing my best friend. Her normally dull eyes were slightly brighter, and I noted this with a joyful heart. She was hiding something behind her back, and a sneaky smile gracing her lips.

‘What’s behind your back?’ I asked, furrowing my eyebrows slightly. Maddy smirked, licking her fangs softly with her tongue.

‘Well, you’ve been kind of miserable lately, so I decided to bring you a little something to cheer you up’ she said, walking over to the side of the bed.

The smirk on her face only grew at my enquiring glance, and I desperately tried to look behind her back. ‘What is it?’ I asked cautiously, scrunching up my nose.

In a split second I felt something hit my face and I yelped slightly in surprise. Blinking slightly, I narrowed my eyes at Maddy, who was grinning at me innocently.

Frowning, I looked down, and immediately a grin lit up my face when I saw what was in front of me. ‘Gummy bears!’ I squealed, collecting them in my hands as if they were a trophy.

I looked up at Maddy, who was grinning as she watched me hold the packet with my life. ‘You, my dear one, are the greatest best friend anyone could ever have-‘

‘HEY!’ Someone yelled, and I laughed when I recognised Jimmy’s voice.

‘Love you Jimbo!’ I called, before ripping open my gummy bears.

Maddy sat down beside me and I glared at her when she grabbed a handful of my gummy bears. Maddy poked her tongue out at me, shovelling the handful into her mouth. ‘Just because I’m a vamp now, doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy these.’

‘And just because I’m not a vamp, doesn’t mean I can’t kick your ass’ I muttered under my breath, knowing deep down that even if I was, I would still have no chance. But hey, I was protective of my gummy bears. Who knows, maybe I could train them to form a little army and they cou-‘

‘Kayla? You right there?’ she cut off my thoughts, and my eyes snapped up to meet hers. I nodded and rolled my eyes, inwardly grinning that she seemed to be more accepting of her new nature.

‘So, how are you holding up Kayla?’ Maddy asked, wiping her hands on her knees which were folded beneath her.

I frowned, my previous emotions rippling back through me along with the familiar pang that filled my heart. The scar on my wrist prickled and I hid it under my leg, nibbling at my lower lip as I tried to fight the pain that consumed me. ‘I miss Zacky’ I mumbled, my body aching with need for his touch. I felt like crying, I felt like wrapping my arms around my body and sobbing, and wondering why the hell my life was such a mess. I hated the fact that I had become so reliant on one man to bring me happiness, to replenish my body with the life it needed to survive.

Shoving a gummy bear in my mouth, I chomped it angrily. That’s right, gummy bear. Feel my pain.

Maddy sighed and I felt her place her arm gently around my shoulders, pulling me into her side. I forced a small smile, looking up so that my blue eyes met hers. She gave me a soft smile, her small fangs barely noticeable as she looked at me. ‘I know Kayla. He misses you too. Right now they’re trying to come up with a way that you two can be together again without you feeling scared or him going crazy. There has to be a way, so don’t worry. I don’t think anything should be able to separate people who are meant to be together.’

I laughed, a small gracing my lips. ‘Wow Maddy, I didn’t know you could be romantic. It’s a bit of a change from your usual sinister self’ I teased, nudging her side with my shoulder.

She glared playfully, narrowing her eyes. ‘Hey, you know I tell it how I see it. And I’m still a badass. Except now I can take absolutely anyone’ she gloated, smirking slightly.

I rolled my eyes playfully, shaking my head. ‘Yeah, try telling that to Matt’ I muttered under my breath, laughing internally at their similarities.

We sat there in silence for a bit, with no need to talk, just enjoying each other’s company. I was so glad she was back to normal, I had missed her more than I could have imagined. She was and would always be my best friend, no matter what Jimmy was convinced of.

‘You feeling better now?’ I asked her carefully, unsure whether to say anything. She smiled and grinned, and I noticed it reached her grey eyes.

‘Yeah, I guess. I mean, it took some getting used to. I really hated who I was and what I had to do, but now that I’ve seen what the guys are like, I know they’re not that bad. And actually, I’d be happy if I turned out to be any of the vampires they’ve become. Plus, it means there’s someone out there for me. I mean, not that I care or anything’ she said awkwardly, laughing uncomfortably.

I giggled and hugged her closer, suddenly feeling less alone, making me realise that some of the hole in my heart had been because of the absence of my best friend. I was still hurt, but suddenly I wasn’t all alone. There was someone that knew me here, and not just because they had been watching me my whole life. And I knew it was selfish, but I was happy to know that she would be with me forever. I knew I’d need her that long, as I’d need the rest of the family I’d grown to love. Especially Zacky.

Zacky’s POV

I ran my fingers over the smooth of the rock, letting out a growl of frustration. My heart needed Kayla, but my body needed her blood. I hated that. I hated that I had never tasted anything as sweet as it before, and the knowledge that in doing so I had hurt the person I loved the most. I hated myself for my weakness, my weakness for her, my weakness for what ran through her veins. Sometimes I wished I hadn’t been bitten, that I could have had a second chance at being a human. But would that mean no Kayla? No Brian, Jimmy, Matt or Johnny? They were my family. No pain could be worse than giving them up.

I picked up the rock and threw it, watching as it soared into the distance. I cursed under my breath, praying that it didn’t hit someone. Sometimes I forgot my own strength.

‘Zacky?’ someone said from behind me, as if they didn’t know whether or not I was there. I stood up and turned around, sniffing the air. Vampire. Not one I knew either, I didn’t think.

My eyes met a pair of violet ones and I couldn’t stop the irritated frown that formed on my face. ‘Sammy? What the hell do you want?’ I said harshly, still feeling annoyed because of the drama in my life.

Sammy frowned, and it was then I noticed the scared look on her face. My demeanour changed completely, and I took a step forwards. ‘What’s going on?’ I asked again, more softly.

Sammy breathed in deeply, as if trying to calm herself. ‘I went up to the house but I got lost and then I smelt you so then I came here as quick as I could and-‘

‘What’s going on?’ I said more harshly this time, feeling the familiar rush of nerves pulsing through my body.

‘They’re coming.’ She said quickly, the intense look in her eyes deepening.

I frowned, before shrugging my shoulders slightly. ‘We can fight them. We’ve done it before. Otherwise, we can leave. They’re not as strong as they think they are.’ I said, though I couldn’t fight the need to find Kayla and make sure she was ok.

She shook her head rapidly, biting her lip. Her eyes seemed to be haunted with fear, and I wondered what had made her this way. ‘Not this time’ she said, her voice laced with intensity. ‘There are heaps of them. Hundreds. Vercro is determined, he’s not going to fail this time.’

I let out a sharp huff of breath, fear beginning to swarm my body. My mind was racing with ideas, but I came up with nothin. Because when it came down to it, there were seven of us, and hundreds of them. We didn’t stand a chance. This was it.

‘They’ve brought vampires from all over the world, rouge vampires who are trained to kill and rip anything apart. Vercro needs Kayla, and he’s prepared to kill anyone who gets in the way. Whether it be humans or vampires, he wants them dead. He’s going to get what he wants.’

If it had been possible, my dead heart would have stopped once more. Instead, the blood pulsing through my veins began to bubble, filling my normally cold body with heat and fear. I didn’t know what to do. All I knew was that I had to save Kayla, whether I made it or not. They couldn’t get her. They would ruin her life. I couldn’t let that happen.

‘How far?’ I asked quietly, my fists clenching at my sides.

Sammy’s gaze met mine, and I saw the fear and sadness that drowned them. ‘Tomorrow.’