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The warm sun light flooded in to the room warming Derek’s face he rolled over to hide from its searching rays. The room was a mess much like every teenager’s. He rolled out of bed with a groan his feet hitting something hard as they touched the ground. He bent and dug through the clothes till he found an Xbox controller. Rolling his eyes he lobbed it at the lump of blankets on the bed that was the still sleeping Dane. The controller hit him in the back of his head and with a flailing yell he erupted from the blankets breathing heavy and ready for a fight. Derek never tired of doing that to him it held a certain sick amusement. It was around noon, they had slept in late but the smell of breakfast wafted up the stairs as they emerged from Dane’s room. They took the stairs two at a time racing to the kitchen like they had done since they were kids. They rounded the familiar corner and slid to a stop in front of the table.
“Hey pops!”
In the light it was easier to see his beard and long black hair, his familiar face calm and collected. Derek called him “pops” because after Derek’s father left Dane’s family became his especially when his mother was working long night hours. Dane’s dad had been there to fill the void he felt in his heart, an emptiness that tore him apart for so long.
“Hey boys, I thought you might sleep in so I remade breakfast for ya” his lips parted in to a sly slim smile as he spoke to the two boys.
They sat around the small table and began to pile food on to their plates. Derek was starved; the warm food hit his stomach silencing its rumbles. They ate in silence, Derek couldn’t find the words to say what he was trying to and Dane couldn’t stop shoveling food in long enough to breath. When the food was eaten and the dishes washed, Derek grabbed his stuff and they climbed in to his car. They were headed back to Derek’s house he needed to get a shower and change his clothes before he went too met with Lynsey. The drive there was much longer than the drive to Dane’s house. They liked to take the back roads where they could drive fast and reckless. Derek wrestled with his thoughts. Should he tell Dane? Is it dangerous that he knew? Was it really happening? Would he believe him? He took a deep breath and gripped the cool steering wheel and stared straight at the winding dirt road.
“Dane, can I tell you something?”
“Duh, you know you can tell me anything man“
Derek took another deep breath trying to calm him. This wasn’t a big deal it was just Dane. He had known him for years he would believe him. Derek looked at the clock on the dash, 2:30 PM, he had a little less than three hours before he had to meet Lynsey. He took another deep breath and looked across to Dane’s seat. The look on his face was confused and worried, Derek had never had trouble telling him anything he must be scared to death.
“Derek are you ok?”
“yeah sorry , I just don’t know how to start it’s a complicates story.”
“How about you start at the beginning and then fill in the rest”
“Smart ass. But your right”
Derek told him how he and Evelyn had broken up and the first encounter with Lynsey. He tries to explain his tattoo and how he had gotten it and what the society was. The more he explained the more he realized he didn’t know all he wished he did. Dane sat quite for a long while after Derek finished his tale of the day before. His eyes were glazed over almost frosty.
“We have got to tell me dad, he will be able to figure this all out”
“NO! ...... He can’t know, no one can know. Wait you believe me? “
“Of course I believe you, you have to be telling the truth or trying to lie to me which you have never been able to do” he hit Derek in the arm causing him to swerve a little.
Derek smiled as they rounded the corner and pulled in to his drive way. They got out of the car and went up the small stone path to the front door. Derek took his keys from his pocket and struggled to unlock the sticky door. He finally managed to get the lock to slide open when Dane tapped him on the shoulder and pointed out across the grass. Three men were making their way from a truck on the side of the road to Derek and Dane stood on the porch. They were dressed no different than anyone Derek had ever seen before but something about them made his hair stand on end. They all had long think hair with a wavy perm to it. The one in the center seemed to be almost a leader. The other too always stayed a step behind him and a step to either side. The distance between them was less than three feet when they stopped.
“Ahhhh so young so innocent what have they gotten you into” the apparent leader of the group spoke directly to Derek as if Dane wasn’t even there.
“What are you talking about? And who the hell are you anyway?”
The foremost stranger took a nice low bow his thick hair flipping in front of his face.
“Allow me to introduce myself, I am Olev and these are my ….umm… Buddies “ his cheeks twitched in to a smile revealing a set of fangs.
“You’re a Vampire!”
Olev threw his head back and let out a howling laugh that echoed off the neighbor’s house and faded in to the silence that fallowed.
“You are as stupid as I thought look around you, what do you see?” Derek looked around at the grass and his house they were all covered with a bright golden light. “Sun light, those night dwellers can’t be out at this time of day.” A low chuckle fallowed from behind him as his companions realized what had been said.
“That doesn’t tell me what you are or why you are here.” He struggled to hide the anger in his voice as he spit the words past his teeth.
“What we are you will learn soon enough, and we are here to say hello to our ……….new friend.” Olev’s white teeth were visible once again as his lips parted in a smile.
“New friend …… You are crazy” With a laugh Derek turned and went inside closing the door on Olev and his cohorts.
Dane stood beside him shell shocked. Derek reached over and slapped him across the face. Dane shook his head to clear it.
“What happened man?”
“Nothing, just a little talk with some weirdo’s”
. “What are you talking about?” Dane looked confused and lost.
“Nothing” Derek looked at his friend who apparently didn’t remember anything that had just happened.
Derek shook his head and started towards the kitchen he needed some Dr. Pepper it is his heroine. He poured two glasses and passed one to Dane who took it appreciatively and then made himself at home. Derek gathered his things and took a quick shower. The warm water ran down his back and across his muscular stomach. Washing away the dirt and worry he had been carrying around with him. As the water started to run cold he reached over and turned it off. He stepped out and wrapped the towel around his waist. He wiped his hand across the mirror at the same time a sweet smell filled his nostrils. Her cool hands rested on his bare shoulders sending chills down his spine.
“How did you get in here?”
“Same way you did, the door.” Derek reached over and tested the door knob sure enough it was unlocked he was sure he had locked it.
“Can a guy get a little privacy around here, or is that too much to ask?”
She ran her finger back and forth across his shoulder tracing its muscular curve. Derek tried to block it out, as a longing began to grow in his chest. He looked back in to the mirror and caught a glimpse of her eyes. They were full of an emotion he had never seen before. It was a mix of hurt and happiness, something about it made him want to hold her close and never let her go. He turned to face her, but she was gone all that was there was the door closing as the last glimpse of her hand as it disappeared behind it.