Children Of The Damned

Eliana

My Christmas day had come nowhere near my Christmas Eve, and I had my parents to thank for that. Our Christmas celebration was awkward, forced, dysfunctional, and mostly orchestrated by myself.

My parents got me a lap top and a new iPod with more gigs on it in order to fit all my extensive iTunes library on it. My parents would have no idea what to get me if I hadn’t told them exactly what I wanted.

My parents insisted I stay in the house with them for Christmas, saying it was a day for family bonding.

The time for family bonding has long since passed, I thought to myself. I felt like I was part of some sick masquerade, pretending to be happy when really I hated the fact that my parents loved their job more than they loved me.

It was all so absurd.

When the day was finally over, I went back up to my room, sitting on my bed with my back against my pillows and turning on my new lap top. I used an external hard drive to transfer all my music and important files onto my new computer, then went onto my email, which I hadn’t checked in over a week.

Elena was online, and as soon as I logged on to my email, she shot me an IM.

Elena68: What happened with u and Matt? Why did u guys break up, I mean?

Ana24: He was jealous of my friendship w/Damon.

Elena68: Well, u and Damon do have this weird thing going on…

Ana24: Weird, how?

Elena68: idk…it’s hard to explain. Do u like Damon?

Ana24: I’ve always liked Damon. But it’s not what u think.

Elena68: How is it like, then?

Ana24: He’s my best friend. I can tell him anything. No judgments.

Elena68: Are u sure we’re talking about the same Damon?

Ana24: Positive.

Elena68: Well, hate 2 cut this short, but I g2g. Going over to Stefan’s.

Ana24: K. Tell Damon I say “hi”.

Elena68: Lol. K.

Elena68 is offline.

Apparently I didn’t have to wait for Elena to deliver a message for me, because my phone rang with the ring tone I had reserved for Damon.

“Hello.”

“Hey, beautiful,” Damon said.

“Merry Christmas. What’s up?”

“I just wanted to see how things were going.”

“Well, my Christmas was pretty lame. But no worries. It’s just the usual holiday routine. Anyway, my parents are going off on a business trip on the 30th, and they are going to be gone until the 2nd of January, so I am all by my lonesome for New Year’s. What are you going to be up to?”

“Absolutely nothing.”

“Want to come over around eight New Year’s Eve? I’ll make popcorn and hot cocoa and lots of coffee. We can watch some old movies, maybe some horror movies. I also have It’s A Wonderful Life, which of course is a holiday classic.”

“Sounds like a plan to me.”

“Awesome. I’m looking forward to it.”

_________________________________________________________________

I spent most of the week before New Year’s Eve drowning in my English homework. We had to complete a book he assigned for us to read and write a five page essay on it, all due upon our return to school.

Finally, though, New Year’s Eve arrived and I set up for Damon’s arrival.

I made sure to brew plenty of strong coffee and I made extra popcorn since I knew we would undoubtedly be huge pigs about it.

I sat on the couch after I was done preparing, with a large afghan draped over my body. I was wearing my knee high argyle socks under a pair of plain gray sweatpants. I wore a black tank top and had my hair down, letting it run wild in its loose curls.

There was a knock on the door, and I noticed by the familiar four raps in quick succession that it was Damon.

“Come on in. the door’s unlocked.”

The door opened and Damon came in, walking into the living room and letting himself fall onto the couch next to me, pulling off his jacket and tossing it onto the recliner from across the room. He put an arm behind me across the back of the couch.

He held up a small stack of DVDs. “I brought horror movies, since I knew you were sadly lacking in that department.”

“Sweet. Let’s get started,” I said, grabbing one from the stack and inserting it into the DVD drive. “Want some blanket?” I asked him. He nodded, and I tossed some over his body as I sat back down next to him.

The movie was Lost Boys, and we laughed at the bad special effects and the cheesy 80s music.

Afterwards I decided it was time for a little class, so I put on It’s A Wonderful Life.

“I love black and white movies, and Jimmy Stewart,” I told him as the opening credits rolled in and we ate from the bowl of popcorn situated between us.

“You really are nothing like most girl I know, Ana. And I mean that as a compliment.”

“Well, I happen to believe that they don’t make movies, or men for that matter, the way they did a hundred years ago or more. What ever happened to chivalry and gentlemen?” she asked.

“I suppose all of it’d dead by now. Chivalry, gentlemen.”

After that, we settled in comfortably and watched the movie.

Eventually, I ended up with my head on his shoulder, drowsy and content. He smelled like musk and faintly sweet cologne and leather. When he let his head fall on top of mine, tucking my head under his chin, my heart hammered in my chest as if it were trying to break free from my body. I told myself it was only natural, having physical response to someone so physically attractive. It was normal, expected even.

But when the movie was over and I got up to fix us hot cocoa, things felt different. We didn’t speak to each other, and as I handed him his mug, our fingers brushed, sending small shivers up my arm.

There was something wrong with me.

“Hey, I think the New Year’s Eve thingy is on television. The ball in Times Square and everything?”

“I think you’re right.”

He found the channel while I went into the closet and got out our New Year’s noisemakers. I took the gold kazoo, which was my favorite, along with some others for Damon to choose from.

“Pick your favorite,” I told him, holding out a classic party blower and one of those cow patterned noise makers that sounded like baby rattles on crack.

He took the party blower.

“One minute until the ball drops,” he informed me, pointing to the countdown clock at the bottom right hand side of the screen.

Something wound tightly in my stomach like a coil and wouldn’t go away.

The seconds ticked by, and soon I heard Damon’s voice shouting “10...9...8-”

I joined in with him. “7...6...5...4...3...2...1!”

And as the television announcer yelled “Happy New Year!” Damon pulled me to him and kissed me.

I gasped, frozen in shock for a moment before my arms wrapped themselves around his neck and I threw myself into the kiss.

His tongue moved lazily with mine, tasting like chocolate and warmth.

All I knew was that I didn’t ever want him to stop. But he did.

I was wide-eyed and out of breath and wanting more.

“Why did you stop?” I asked before I could even think about the words that were coming out of my mouth.

I saw a light flare up in his eyes before he answered, his cheeks flushed with excitement, his lips puffy. “Because I don’t want to take advantage of you. I already know what I want, but I want you to know what you want too before you do anything you might regret later. I don’t want to lose you.”

Knowing he was being so considerate made me want to kiss him even more, but instead I brought him to me for a tight hug. His arms wrapped themselves reluctantly around my waist.

“Thank you,” I said.

“For what?” asked, sounding confused.

I pulled back so I could look him in the eyes.

“For proving them wrong.”

________________________________________________________

After he left, what I had just done finally started to sink in.

“I just kissed my best friend,” I told myself.

And God knows I wanted him to kiss me again. I had never felt anything like that with Matt or Richard or anyone. I never felt so blissfully out of control before.

But what was I going to do now that he had kissed me? I couldn’t pretend it had never happened. I wasn’t sure I wanted to do that, not now.

But was I really ready to start something with him that was going to change everything?