Love is a Pretty Tragedy

[Chapter 12]

Henry's POV

"Ugh." My jaw clenched as I tried to focus again. I was attempting to make a stuff toy ignite in flames. A deep sigh escaped my lips. "I just can't do it!" I gritted my teeth together. My anger was in full swing. I could feel my face becoming redder and hotter by the moment. I felt like if I wasn’t carefully, it would be my head I was igniting in flames. This was what he thrived off of.

Shawn smirked as he looked down on me from the track. "Fine," Shawn let out a low sigh, "but we are continuing same time tomorrow. Don't forget." I nodded my head in agreement and headed outside the door. I was thankful that he agreed to be released before the day got too underway. It was already humid outside and sweat was running down my back. A nice dip in the lake would be so refreshing right now, but that wasn't an option. I wouldn’t ever go to that lake again. That was one of the only sacred things left; it needed to stay untouched. Audrey followed close behind me as I walked to my truck.

"So are we going to do anything today?" Audrey asked. I could tell she had a smile on her face without even looking around. She was always smiling, just another thing to despise about her. For a vampire, she was unusually peppy - all the time. She had just gotten a haircut so now she looked even more like a peppy cheerleader to match her personality.

"Why would we?" I spat back at her.

"Well...I though we were friends." She touched my arm slightly before I shoved it away.

"What gave you that idea?" I said hopping into my truck; her advancing to my open window.

"Well, we have been hanging out a lot these past weeks and that lunch a few days ago..."

"Lunch," I cut her off, "you mean you coming with me to spy on my ex-girlfriend. That is what you consider us to be hanging out?" I thought I saw a frown on her lips, but it didn't last for long, if it was even there at all. “I just brought you along because Shawn forces us to spend time together. I had to seize the opportunity as she never leaves the house anymore.”

“We need to grow in this process together, Henry.” She again tried to brush my arm, make me look in her eyes.

I was becoming angry again. She was just someone I couldn’t take. "You know I'm pissed about the picture. What did you think gave you the right to just grab my hand like that? Worst of all now Estelle is moving on because she saw it." I turned my engine on. I had to get out of there before I said something I would later regret. The look on her face after she had seen the picture had been haunting me ever since. I knew she couldn’t be with me, but I didn’t think she would move on until at least college when I would have to force myself to stop stalking her. I thought I could handle it.

I started towards my house, even though there wasn't much to look forward too. These past few weeks have been strange and challenging. I had already started to hate the person I was becoming. Every day I could feel the human side of me begin to slip away more and more. It started when I made a deal with my brother's "friend," whose name is Shawn.

The deal was that if I agree to train with him to become a better vampire, he would pay me, and I would benefit from it. Unfortunately, I also had to be more part of the clan, like go hunting with them. I didn't see how this would be a bad idea, since I didn't know what else to do with my life now and I realized this was the next step in my life. I wasn’t going to keep repeating high school. Keane was practically begging me to agree as it would raise his status in the clan. Most members had looked down on him for bringing me on as I did not fit in.

That was changing as I was now officially one of them. I knew people’s names now and not just faces. I was involved like I never wanted to be before. That also meant Audrey. At first, she wasn't all that bad. I found out that she was also training with Shawn. She was also a fairly recent convert and was not very used to being a vampire. It just got worse and worse from there. The clinginess was what I could not bear.

It has not been all bad. I feel more powerful than ever as I was picking up new skill each day. I could barely read minds or do anything before really. Being a vampire was just a way to live eternally, but otherwise, it was a nuisance. Shawn gives me these pills that even let me control when I want to be a vampire or not. It gives me an ultimate freedom. The power makes me want to not give it up even though I see how obsessive it makes me. It’s just too appealing to give away, no matter how much I hated everything about it.

When I walked into the apartment, all the lights were off. I searched the wall for the switch. Once, I found it; I saw Keane was sitting on a chair. He had a very stern look on his face, and looked as though he was deep in thought before I interrupted him. Once he looked up, he motioned for me to sit on the opposing chair. Keane turned his head sideways and pursued his lips. "Henry. I'm worried about you."

"What?" I said, taken back. I took the seat he motioned toward. "How? I'm doing exactly what you wanted me to do." Out of anyone, I figured that he would be the most proud of all that I had done.

"I wasn’t expecting these drastic changes that I’ve seen with you. Your attitude becomes unbearable at some points. Anger is the most common emotion I see from you anymore. You weren't like that when you were with that girl."

"Estelle." I interrupted him. "Her name is Estelle."

"I had a friend like you.” Keane’s eyes were elsewhere, no longer giving me their concerned looked. They were somewhere in the past. “A best friend, in fact. He loved a human. He loved her so much, more than I had seen anyone love another. She was so beautiful, warm brown eyes, and long brown curls." He stopped. A small smile formed on his face, perhaps an old memory. "Anyway, he refused to turn her into a vampire. She eventually broke up with him because he was so secretive. Always having something to hide from being his true self gets quite tiring."

"What did he do?"

"Moved on. He met other girls. You have to as well. I'm not sure if you’re mad at yourself or her. You have to move on, brother. The obsession is not healthy. What about that Audrey girl?" I nodded my head, although I know I wouldn't. For some reason, the clan has very strong opinions about who you are with or at least who I was with. It did seem like a lot of the vampires were not monogamous. I grabbed my keys and head out the door. I was about to do just the opposite. I couldn’t help it; I had the power to.

Estelle POV

"We are not putting that one in my room." I said with a laugh, looking at the hideous piece of furniture Aly had chosen. It was a horrible color of pink, with feathers and beads. Did I mention it was supposed to be a curtain? We were shopping for furniture for our soon to be dorm room, so far we had no luck. We may have a lot in common, but definitely not in styling a room.

I looked up across the store and spotted the middle-aged man again, the one from the restaurant. He was still staring at me with those emerald eyes that I couldn’t place my finger on. I tried pointing him out to Aly when we walked into the store, but she didn’t recognize him. Not that I blame her – why would she notice him? "So about this big birthday coming up, what are you planning?"

"Birthday?" I said softly. I had been distracted. I had completely forgotten that it was in 5 days, so much has been on my mind. I’d be turning 18, an adult. Time to move on and do something with my life and not spend my whole like watching Friends reruns.

"I guess that means nothing. You have to do something from your 18th birthday!" Aly persisted. She picked up a zebra print pillow before I snatched it out of her hands and put it back with the rest of the rejects.

"I don't really want too." I said catching the middle-aged man's green eyes again. I had a strong urge to go over and speak to him. What was his problem?

"That's what I figured." Aly said with a sigh. "I guess I will be planning it then. Just be at your house on your birthday."

I realized that this was her plan the whole time. Knowing her she already had the guest list planned and the cake ordered, and she was waiting until it was too late for me to say no. "Fine." There was no point in arguing with her," Do whatever you want. I know you’ll do a good job as you are an expert party planner.”

A big smile formed on Aly’s face, “You are so sweet, thank you!” Aly walked over to a section that had about 100 alarm clocks to choose from. “Let’s skip this section; I don’t want to think about having to get up early again.” We walked around the store a little more, the man was around every corner we turned. He didn’t creep me out though; he was just intriguing. How weird is it that we were in two places in the same week at the same time. “So, I can call Ethan tomorrow, and tell him that he is coming to your birthday." Aly asked with a smirk on her face.

"What? No." I could tell I was blushing. Just the mention of his name made me do that. I seemed much more nervous about everything concerning Ethan, like I was cheating on Henry, and he shouldn’t be mentioned.

She had her matchmaker face on. "Well too bad because I am. He obviously likes you." She said picking up a desk lamp. She set it down just as quick. I actually liked it though; it was blue and simple. Too simple for Aly, I suppose. "When we hung out the other day, he was staring at you and flirting nonstop. Just the sound of your names sound good together. Estelle and Ethan. Love it."

I rolled my eyes. "I think you should go out with him." That was one thing Aly never did, set herself up with anyone. She might try, but for some reason she was always more successful with other people. For right now she seemed satisfied with just seeing her matches come to life, but I always wondered when she would start focusing on herself.

A little laugh escaped her lips, "Nah. He's not my type."

"Since when is hot not your type?" I asked, thinking I’d catch her in a spot where she would admit that she liked him.

"So you think he's hot?" Aly said raising her eyebrows.

I just shook my head. She was always one to twist words. "What about this chair?" It was kinda funky and lime green. Different from what I might usually pick, but I liked it.

"Yuck!" She stuck up her nose at it.

"At this rate, we are never going to find anything." I said heading for the door.

"Fine. We'll go then." She said butting in front of me. She fumbled in her purse for her car keys. I noticed that the middle-aged man was following close behind. He was leaving too. I waited a little longer than normal to hold open the door for him and a barely auto-able "thank you" left his lips. A certain, familiar half smile. His scent was strong. The scent was all too familiar, as well. Still strawberry ice cream. A shiver down my back I couldn’t believe it. Why did he remind me so strongly of him?