Love Bites

Time went by, and I made sure I did everything I could to stay away from Andrew. But, it was like an alcoholic avoiding drinking at a bar, it just ain’t gonna happen.

“Hi Gia!” said Andrew as he popped out of nowhere. “Say, what are you up to?”

“Nothing much Andrew, bye!” I said as I strode quickly away.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” cried Andrew as he pulled my arm, bringing me around to face him. “What’s wrong? Where’s the fire G?

“I got things to do, now let me go!” I said, trying to escape his vice-like grip.
“You know, you’ve changed G,” said Andrew. “You are just so absorbed in your studies, we never talk anymore, and you just look so… pale.”

“How is that change Andrew?” I asked as he finally let go of me. “I’m the same Gia as I was in high school. Nerdy, dorky Gia. Now, GOODBYE!”

I ran as fast as I could to my car, with Andrew following close behind. Just as I shut and locked the door, there he was, banging on my door. “GIA! OPEN UP!”

I disregarded him, and slowly backed out of my parking space, and sped out of the parking lot as fast as I could. I drove back to my house, and got out. “GIA?!”

I jumped out of my skin, and looked around. There was Andrew, standing right in front of me. There was no car to be found, nor bike or any sort of transportation means. But then, he couldn’t have possibly beat me home by walking…

“Andrew!” I screamed, inching slowly to the side door. “What the hell? Why can’t you just leave me the fuck alone? Leave now, or I’m calling the cops!”

My heart started to beat faster as he walked up to me with an odd glint in his eyes. “Why can’t things be the way they used to?” whispered Andrew seductively. “I mean, when we were dating, life seemed so good. Now, you can’t even look at me. Tell me, what went wrong?”

“Do you really want to know?” I spat bitterly. “I remember things very differently than you. When I was with you, every second was hell on earth. You hurt me physically, mentally, and emotionally. But then again, you wouldn’t know a good time if it fucked you in the ass!”

I turned, and walked off to the door, but he pulled me back by my hair. “Mmm feisty aren’t we?” he said as he began to kiss me. I tried with all my might to fight him off, but it was like our lips had been glued together. I punched, bit, and kicked him until he finally let me go.

“I AM SO FUCKING CALLING THE COPS ON YOU!” I screamed as I ran inside, locking the door securely. I saw his face outside the door, and it was furious. He banged on the door, and I ran to my room and sobbed into my pillow.

Once I had regained composure, I whipped out my cell, and dialed Henry’s number. “Henry?” I spoke to his voicemail. “I need you to come over tonight. Something happened, and I need you here. Come to my window, knock twice so I know it is you. Till then, see you.”

I shut my phone, and threw it on my dresser. I curled into a ball on my bed, and rocked back and forth. Andrew kissed me… ugh so nasty! And he has to be some kind of freak to follow me home that fast!

I cringed, remembering how awful I felt when he was kissing me. I felt like I was trapped in another dimension, unable to escape, begging for it all to end. What part of just friends does he not accept?

I heard two knocks on my window pane, and got up to lock my bedroom door. I didn’t need mom to walk in and see a boy in my room. I walked over to my window, and looked out. There was Henry with a very concerned look on his face. I opened the window, and he crawled inside as easily as if he had done it so many times before. “I got the message, what’s wrong Gia?”

I looked into his amber eyes, shaking violently, and he gently guided me to my bed and sat next to me. “Everything…”

I sighed, and rested my head on his cold shoulder. His cold shoulder was a comfort to me, because I felt so steamed, so angry and hot, that his skin mellowed me out. “He followed me home… and kissed me.”

“He who?” asked Henry as his knuckles began to whiten from being clenched so tightly. “I will kill him…”

“Andrew,” I whispered. “He’s trying to get alone with me. And he wants me back…”

“And you have kept up your resilience?” asked Henry, his brown eyes flashing red briefly. The curtains began to move as wind blew through my open window. In the distance, thunder crashed like a fired cannon, making me become antsy and anxious.

“Henry, please don’t get mad!” I said as I began to hyperventilate. “I didn’t want him to kiss me! I tried to fight him off! I’ve been avoiding him as best as I can! Please believe me! I don’t love him, I love you!!!”

The curtains were still, and the thunder quelled as all was still. “You… love?”

I turned bright red, and covered my face with my hands. I had done what I had promised myself never to do: tell a guy I love him before he tells me. I wanted to die; I swore after my last heartbreak that I’d never love again, but then again, I said I’d never love another man… Henry was different, he’s a vampire.

I waited for the ridicule, for the laughter and rude remarks that were oh so familiar to me. Memories of the past flooded back, painful memories of me going up to the high school hottie and telling him how much I was crushing on him, only to be asked out on a fake date, and derided by my fellow classmates. The bitter tears welled up in my eyes until finally Henry broke the silence.

“You… love me?” said Henry gently, awestruck at what I had just said. “I… I dunno what to say.”

“I know exactly what you want to say,” I said bitterly. “You’re just too embarrassed to say it, so I’ll say it for you. You’re nowhere near my league. I see you only as a friend, and you’re ugly and fat and a big loser to boot. Did I leave anything out?”

“NO!” cried Henry as he put his arm around me but I brushed it off. “I meant, that’s not what I mean! You are totally wrong Gia. Now, let me say what I fear of telling you…”

“I love you too…”

I pulled my hands away from my tear stricken face, and looked back at him. He had finally said the words I had been dreaming a man would say back to me. The words I have dreamed since I was a little girl watching Disney movies, dreaming of getting that Prince Charming like Cinderella did… finding love, the one thing that always ailed me. And now, even though he wasn’t exactly my knight in shining armor, he was pretty damn close enough.

I took his cold face in my hands, and gently kissed his icy lips. My hands ran through his hair and around his neck, pulling him closer to me. I felt him tense up, trying not to give in to his passions, knowing it could destroy me. But I didn’t care if he killed me, I couldn’t have had a care in the world; Henry said he loved me, and that was all I knew.

“Damn it Gia, you know I could kill you!” he said as he pulled away sharply. “I could kill you right now! That door is locked shut, your mother is God knows where, and can’t just willy nilly walk in. Why do you not fear me?”

“Because my love for you is stronger than my fear,” I whispered, tenderly kissing his neck and chest. “You could kill me now, true, but I wouldn’t or couldn’t care less…”

“You don’t care for your own life?” asked Henry as he pulled me off of him. “You would risk your life for one moment of what? One measly mind-boggling orgasm? And then poof! You’re dead? That’s a real waste of your time Gia…”

“No, time is never wasted when I am with you,” I said. “Time with you is time well spent…”

“Damn it! Why must you be so naïve?” said Henry frustrated. “I swear, you must think that life is just filled with rainbows, happy endings, and unicorns. Well, you better wake up, because out there, it’s a dangerous, cruel world just waiting to sacrifice another innocent lamb…”

“Just because you are a dark creature doesn’t mean you have to have such a negative outlook on life,” I whispered. “I’m not an idiot, although I think you may beg to differ. Although you have been around this world longer than I, I know that this world isn’t the fairytale, happy endings are just around the corner. I just know when I see a good thing…”

“Me, a good thing?” scoffed Henry. “I’m a vampire Gia, someone who is cursed for eternity. That’s not necessarily a good thing.”

“Can’t you look beyond all of that and see what I see?” I said quietly. “I see someone who is a kind, gentle, passionate person. Being cursed, that doesn’t make you evil. It only makes you evil if you make it that way…”

Henry looked into my eyes, and held my face in his hands. “This is one of the things I absolutely love about you Gia. I love how you are always willing to overlook the bad, and see the good in everything. But then again, that part of you can become your downfall…”

“I’m never going to leave your side now,” said Henry. “Not now when the danger is in our midst. I swear, if that Anthony gets anywhere near you, I will break him…”

“It’s Andrew, Henry,” I said, shuddering slightly. Although I hated Andrew, I did not want Henry to break him. The image of that was slowly starting to form in my head, and I cringed. “Please don’t kill for me. I don’t want any blood shed for me. I don’t want to be made out like Helen of Troy…”

“Anything is worth it if it means for your safety,” said Henry as he kissed me gently. “And I will try to shy away from the extreme, but if it is called for, I will do anything to ensure that you won’t get hurt.”

“Does this mean that…” I trailed off.

“Yes, I’m going to be sleeping over your house now…”

My heart fluttered and sank. I loved having Henry here, I wanted him to sleep over, but mom… She would kill me of she ever found out. I’d be put in a tower like Rapunzal, locked away for all eternity! But, I had a lock on my door…

“Okay,” was all I could say to that. “This is going to be interesting…”

“If you aren’t comfortable, I can sleep on the chair,” said Henry graciously.

“NO!,” I shouted a bit too loudly. “I don’t want you to have to suffer. You can share the bed with me…”
“Do you want something to eat?” I asked. “Do you want me to make you something? Do you want some Pepsi? Tell me what you want.”

“Don’t worry about me Gia,” said Henry as he plopped down on my circle chair. “Vampires don’t eat as much as humans… Not nearly enough. I’ll be fine, really. But I do think you should have something to eat.”

I kissed Henry lightly on his cold lips, and walked upstairs to find something to eat. “Finally coming out of your bedroom I see,” said my mother who was watching Law & Order on the kitchen TV. I almost went through the ceiling. Where the hell does she come from? Is she part vampire too, or some other mythological creature? That wouldn’t surprise me…

“I’m just making a pizza,” I said as I rummaged in the freezer for Mama Celeste’s Veggie Pizza. “I’m not in the mood to cook an all out meal, and I’m not really that hungry.”

That was a lie. I was STARVING, but I needed something easy to make so I could quickly return to Henry. I popped the pizza into the microwave, and sat down, waiting for the buzzer to go off. “If it is okay, I’m going to eat in my room,” I said as the alarm went off three minutes later. “I have a ton of homework to do, and essays to write. You know college!”

“Okay, but remember to clean up!” said my mother as I grabbed a can of Diet Pepsi from the fridge and thundered down the stairs to my bedroom. I knocked on the door, and Henry opened it. I sat down at my desk and ate my pizza, cutting it into small pieces in case Henry wanted some.

“You sure you don’t want?” I asked, holding up a piece of pizza. Henry smirked, and opened his mouth as I fed him his piece.

“Yum,” said Henry. “I can taste the garlic…”

“GARLIC?!” I exclaimed as I jumped up from my seat. “Oh no! I’m trying to kill you!”

“Relax, the garlic bit is a sham,” said Henry as he chuckled lightly. “Hell, having garlic breath would ward off anyone, human or vampire.”

I slid back into my chair, and cut him another slice. He opened his mouth as I fed him, and sucked on my sauce covered fingers. “That was good…” said Henry as he patted his washboard stomach. “Was that homemade?”

“Get out of here!” I cried. “Homemade? Unless I got Mama Celeste locked in a room somewhere cranking out her pizzas…”

“Kidding! I was only kidding!” laughed Henry as he took my hand and guided me over to the bed. We both laid there in each other’s arms, my warm body pressed up against his cold body.

“Mmm I could get used to this…” I sighed as I inhaled Henry’s masculine cologne.

“Get used to what Gia?” said Henry softly as he played with my hair.

“Having you over like this,” I said, smiling back at him. “Being this close to you, sleeping next to you, waking up in the morning to see your handsome face…”

Henry kissed me passionately, and I swear, I could hear the wind whistle the most beautiful song I had ever heard. I could feel the sun shine brighter, even with my shades drawn. Our kissing became more and more heated as Henry hitched my leg up, bringing me closer to his frigid body. “Make love to me Henry,” I whispered in between kisses. “I’ve never wanted something so much… And I know this is right.”

Henry took off his pants, and then started on unbuttoning his Ralph Lauren polo shirt. I took off my lacy black top and jeans, and lay there in nothing but my undergarments. Henry looked back at me, standing near the bed in nothing but blue and green checked boxers. He looked like a male underwear model… but better. His eyes were soft as he got into bed with me. He pulled me on top, kissing me gently, and through his boxers, I could feel him harden. Huh, so apparently, half dead people can get erections…
“Gia…” whispered Henry as he kissed my neck, and along my collarbone. “Oh God, Gia…You are just so beautiful…”

I closed my eyes as his cold lips traveled to my chest, a tingling sensation ran through my body as he moved lower. I took off my panties, and began to tug on the waistband of Henry’s boxers like a little puppy who wants to come and play.

“No, Gia. We must stop…” said Henry as he shook his head. He looked like he was suddenly dazed and confused as to what had almost just happened.

“But I don’t want to stop!” I whined quietly. “And I know you sure as hell don’t want to either. What are you so afraid of?”

“Have you so readily forgotten what could happen if we make love?” said Henry bitterly. “You would be reduced to mere ash and dust if I succumb to my insatiable lust for you. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I knew I had caused your death…”

“There must be a way we can have our cake and eat it too,” I sighed frustratedly. “There has to be some way we can make love…”

“There is one other way,” said Henry as he closed his eyes. “Only one: you would have to become one of us…”

“I’m up for it, what must I do?” I asked.

“No, no, and NO!!” said Henry angrily as he pulled his pants over his boxers. “I am not going to have you be cursed for all eternity like me! You think we purposefully chose this kind of life?!”

I shook my head no vigorously. I already knew I had said too much, and regretted it. “I never said that. I’m sorry I said I wanted to be like you Henry… I just-”

“You have no idea what amount of pain a creature like me goes through day after day,” whispered Henry as he put his shirt back on. “The pain of knowing that you are completely alone in the world, that you can never have complete happiness like humans do. I’m never going to be free from this, and once you turn into a vampire, there is no going back…”

“You heard my mother’s story right?” asked Henry as he sat down next to me on my bed. “She didn’t choose to become what she is…”

“She was raped,” I said quietly, the images from that conversation flooded back into my head.

“I think it is time you heard my story now,” sighed Henry. “I was born in New York in 1920. My parents were immigrants who came here from England. My father was Frederick and my mother was Helen Kingsley, two of the very best parents you could have ever had, besides my vampire parents that is…”

“Well, I was a normal young boy, growing up in the twenties,” continued Henry. “I played baseball with my friends in the park, walked around Coney Island in the summer, the usual things kids did. Then, things became hard on my family…”

“Even though I was an only child, it was hard to keep food on the table when my mother couldn’t work, and my father became unemployed. The Great Depression started in 1929, and I was nine at the time. Food became hard to come by, and I did what I could to make a nickel. I shined old wealthy men’s shoes, did yard work, and even helped with gardening. It helped put a bit more food on the table, but it wasn’t very much.”
“As time went by, I grew up very quickly. I had to become a man very fast because of the hard times I had gone through. In times of great stress, children tend to take on adult roles quickly, and I was no exception. Then, things got even worse with the war…”

“World War Two…” I said as I laced my fingers with his. “You fought in the war?”

“Yes, yes I did,” said Henry bitterly. “I enlisted when I was sixteen. I had lied about my age so I could fight for my country, and I had no idea what I was getting myself into…”

“It wasn’t the scenic, foreign beauty like you see on those travel ads. I saw entire cities destroyed by bombs. Dead bodies lying in the street, and people walking past like nothing had happened. It tore me up inside that humans… people could do something like that.”

“But the worst of it all had to have been when we were invading,” said Henry distantly. “Even though it was in self defense, even though it was all out warfare, in my mind, I wondered if the German man I had killed had a family, maybe a couple of kids… I couldn’t stop thinking about how the enemy’s soldiers had to report back to the family to tell them the man had been killed in action, how full of grief the family must have been…”

“It tore me apart, and was my downfall. While I was busy thinking about all of that, gunfire went off, and I was wounded. In the midst of the firing, I was dragged to safety. I passed out, and when I finally came to, I was in the infirmary for German soldiers. I knew that if I spoke one word of English that I would soon be done for, so I pretended that the blast had rendered me mute.”

“But that lasted briefly before a soldier discovered my secret. I had still not yet healed from my wound, but we were able to dine in the mess hall with the other soldiers. I was sitting their quietly when a soldier purposefully spilled piping hot coffee over my uniform. I got up, cursing, and then realized what I had done. I ran out of the mess hall and encampment as the soldiers chased after me. I ran through the German streets, trying to escape. I headed for this abandoned shack, and hid inside of it. I sighed, relieved no one had found me…”

“Suddenly, a hand covered my mouth, and I felt as if someone had torn a chunk out of my neck. Pain blazed through me, and I turned to see who had caused me such pain. But by the time I had turned, it was too late. They had left.”

“I finally made it back to the American camp, and was sent back home. They told me I had fought bravely, and that I could no longer fight or else I would die. Funny, I thought to myself. I went through all of that pain, and it didn’t kill me… How is that possible?”

“It was when I had finally taken a good look at myself in the mirror that I saw my gray skin and the dark circles under my eyes and knew I was no longer human. Later on, I began developing an affinity to affect the weather, and learned that my emotions controlled what the weather was going to be like. That was when I finally returned to America only to be shunned for what I was: a vampire.”

“No one looked kindly upon me, even though I meant no one any harm, people looked at me like I was some sort of freak. I didn’t dare return home to my folks, but was directed by my vampire sense to New Jersey, where I met my new parents and Nausicaia. Without them, I’d still be trying to control my new formed powers, making it alone in the world…”

“You see,” said Henry after he had given me a few minutes to think about what he had said. “I had no choice in becoming a vampire. My mother also had no choice in the matter. We were forced to become what we are. You have the opportunity to live, to be human. We will never have that prospect because what we are is permanent. God, if only I could say something to make you understand… Some way to get through to you…”

“I understand now,” I whispered softly. “And I will leave you with this before I go to sleep. I will not become a vampire yet, but it will always be gnawing at the back of my mind. And if by chance, someday you wish for me to finally join you, I would be willing to give up my human existence.”

“Forget about vampires,” said Henry soothingly as he kissed my forehead. “Forget about all of that, and fall into a sweet dream… Go to sleep my love, I will watch over you.”

My eyes fluttered open and closed, and the last thing I heard was Henry singing me a lullaby.
* * *
I was running towards the enemy, ready to attack, wound, and kill. I had my family with me, my own wolf pack to back me up. I let out a howl, and chased after the enemy. They were fast, but I was faster. At last, I pounced on the back of a blood lover, and turned him over to look him in the face. It was Henry, and somehow, I felt no other feelings for him than extreme hatred.

“Gia, listen, I know it’s you,” whimpered Henry. “Please, you gotta remember that I’m your friend! These creatures aren’t your family! You are with us!”

And with that, I silenced Henry Carson as I began to bite and tear at his dead flesh.

“NO!” I screamed as I woke up, drenched in sweat. I panted, and looked around my room. Henry sat in a corner, looking at me grimly. He got up slowly, and looked into my eyes.

“I heard you last night,” said Henry as he held me in his arms. “You were growling and screaming in your sleep…”

“Was I?” I asked as I stretched my body, and started to get out of bed. I rummaged in my dresser for my bra, underwear, American Eagle shirt, and some jeans. I didn’t care that Henry saw me naked; hell he saw plenty last night! “Did you get any sleep?”

“I don’t sleep… I relax,” said Henry as he stretched out on my bed. “And you better grab some breakfast before we head for school. You look like you need some…”

I hurriedly put on some makeup and did my hair, and started for my bedroom door. “Wait, how are you gonna leave?”

“Out the window,” smirked Henry. “I’ll be fine Gia. I’ll meet you at school. Remember, I promised to protect you…”

I sighed, and walked over to him and kissed him. His cold, sweet lips were on mine, telling me that everything was going to be fine… I’m here, and there is no one that can hurt you without breaking through me first.

I pulled away, and opened the door, running up the stairs to the kitchen. I got out a yogurt and a spoon, and sat down. I wasn’t in the mood for waffles or toast because I wasn’t that hungry, but I knew I had to eat something or else I would eat someone (haha, I’m part vampire already!). I finished up, kissed my mother goodbye, and gathered my things up to go to my car. I put my bag in the side passenger seat, and closed the door.

“Finally, you are mine!” said a voice, and before I could confront him, all went black.