Better Than Revenge

*He thinks he can just do whatever the hell he wants! Does he really think that I’ll just roll over and let him anywhere near my mom? Stupid vampire!*
Leah sighed. She was getting sick of my mental ramblings. *Andrea, stop beating yourself up about it. Go home, get ready for the game. Tony and I can always go shadow you, you know.*
*No. I don’t think that more confrontation with this guy would be a good idea. It’s all a game to him and I don’t want to egg him on and make him make his move. I just needed to vent.*
*Girls’ brains are weird,* Dylan complained. It was probably not a fun experience to be stuck in my and Leah’s heads, especially when I was so wound up. It was pretty strange for me too. I’d gotten so used to just Leah and now adding another member of the pack made our chemistry a little wonky.
For as long as I could remember, Friday nights meant dinner with the grandpas after patrol and whatever cheer thing I so happened to have. Charlie- Mom’s dad- and Billy- Dad’s dad- had been friends for longer than forever so I guess it was only natural for all of us to get together every so often. Usually I loved dinners with Charlie and Billy but I was so stressed about everything that had been going on that I couldn’t even enjoy it.
“What’s the matter, kiddo?” Billy asked. I was really close to both of my grandpas but Billy was just a tiny bit more empathetic when it came to me.
I smiled. “It’s nothing. Just wolf stuff, ya know?” It was so much easier to talk to him about this kind of stuff. Charlie had barely been introduced to it when the Volturi had first come after my mom but Billy had grown up hearing the stories.
Mom’s eyes narrowed slightly. I should have guessed she’d be eavesdropping. “What wolf thing?”
I was met with four pairs of eyes staring at me like I was on trial or something. “Well, Jane’s brother Alec is in my math class and we kinda got paired up for this project that’s due Monday. He said he was gonna drop by tonight but I don’t know if he was being serious.”
“Oh fuck no! He and his psycho bitch sister need to stay the hell away from my house.”
Dad put a hand on her arm but I could see that his carefully constructed control was waning. “Liz, don’t get too worked up. Drea, were you planning on telling us?”
I cleared my throat. “Maybe tonight when everyone was gone. I was hoping that it wouldn’t turn into a big deal.”
Mom sank into the couch and started gnawing on the inside of her cheek. “This isn’t good. If I might have to deal with either of those damn kids then I’m gonna need to get shitfaced.”
“Lizzy,” Grandpa Charlie warned. Sometimes it was like she was still in high school and getting totally wasted in front of her police chief father was probably weird.
“What, Dad? I’m in my own house and I’m older than 21. But fine. I won’t get drunk but I will need something to help me keep my cool. Anyone up for another beer?”
The doorbell rang as Mom went into the kitchen to get herself whatever alcohol she could find. I winced a little and went up to the door before anyone else could. I knew who would be waiting but I was holding out hope until the absolute last second that it would be someone bearable. Nope. Alec stood there leaning against the frame and looking to all the world the way you’d expect a vampire to look.
“What?”
“I told you that I’d drop by.”
“Well our house is a little crowded right now so you’re going to have to come back later.”
He pushed past me into the living room. Dad and Billy looked pissed and even Grandpa Charlie was on edge. Mom came in with a few beer cans and a large tequila bottle with a shot glass balanced upside down. Her dark eyes narrowed dangerously at the vampire and I was afraid that she’d start to do something stupid. As much as it pained me I had to try to keep the peace because I knew that Alec could hurt everyone with just a thought. “Fine, let’s just go into the kitchen and get this over with.”
“Your mother hates me,” he smirked when we were alone.
“No shit, dipstick,” I mumbled. “We both know that you’re here as a favor to your sister. Your sister, by the way, that tried to kill my mother and nearly killed me before I was even born.”
He frowned slightly but I couldn’t really read the expression. “Look, I’ll admit that Jane would love nothing more than to see your mother suffer but for now let’s now worry about my sister. Right now it’s just us working on this stupid math project. Okay?”
I rolled my dark eyes. “Fine. If you want normal then for a little while that’s what we are. Deal?”
Math. Sucks. I’ll admit that Alec did most of the project and had to teach me to become a pro at our topic rather than just be able to recite the formula. Other than the constant stinging in my nose I could almost pretend that he wasn’t a killer vampire and even the smell was starting to dull. “You know, you’re actually pretty smart.”
“I’ve been around a long time, Andrea. I’ve had time to learn it all.”
I shocked myself by letting out a laugh. “Well obviously I haven’t,” I teased. What the hell?! Was I actually kind of flirting with him?! My head needed to be examined.
My mom burst through the door and I jumped. She was a little tipsy but definitely in control enough to shoot Alec a harsh glare. I pressed the heels of my palms into my eyes and groaned. Mom didn’t have the best track record with alcohol and vampires and I was afraid that she was going to get herself into trouble one of these days.
“Don’t do the mom thing to me, Andrea,” she barked. “I’m still the mother here.”
I lifted my head and smiled at her. “What mom thing? Just a little headache is all.” Her eyes narrowed further at Alec. “No, not like that. Why don’t you get some coffee, Mommy? I don’t think having you wasted right now is the best idea.”
“She worries about you a lot,” Alec said when she was gone.
“Of course. She’s my mom and she’s scared to lose me. That’s why she hates you so much. She knows that Jane wants me dead and she knows that you’re going to help her if that time comes. But I’m warning you, Alec, I won’t go down without a fight.”
He opened his mouth and closed it a few times like he couldn’t find the right words. Finally he nodded once and stood with his math book tucked under his arm before he left.