My Guardian Vampire

The music faded, and everyone seemed to come back to earth. People looked at us as if they hadn't seen us before, and Gerard was still kissing me. My mind was instantly blank the moment the song ended, malfunctioning like I had just been woken up from a blow to the head. He held me, his arms like iron, but as I pushed against his chest he seemed to get the idea, letting me go. I stared at him wide-eyed, his face still. He looked at me thoughtfully, as if trying to read something.

He eventually seemed to come back as my mind still tried to process through shock and confusion.

"I'm sorry I had to do that Ali, but-" he began as he sighed. But I was then reacting, my brain not knowing what was going on.

Something other than myself made me jump up and run out of the school, faster than I thought I could possibly go. I reached the far parking lot and stopped, trying to open Katy's door. Locked. After a few more yanks, dashing hopes it'd be magically unlocked, I sighed and collapsed on the ground.

Leaning against the cool car I closed my eyes, waiting for someone to come and save me tonight, take me home. Maybe that had been the problem in the first place-

"Ali..." someone said quietly in front of me. I opened my eyes in shock; I didn’t think anyone would reach me this fast. I looked up, and Gerard was standing in front of me. He kneeled down, looking concerned--though it took me a moment to recognize it, the harsh fluorescent parking lot lighting playing oddly on his features.

"Um... Hello," I said, twinges of embarrassment and guilt stringing through me. "Look, I'm sorry I just ran off, it was just-" He held up a hand, stopping me. I was glad, because I honestly had no idea what I was going to say after that.

"It's okay Ali, I... understand," he said, though the shadows of his face portrayed there was something he did not understand at all. The shadows shifted as he frowned slightly, but only in a brief moment before he seemed to remember something. He slid outa piece of paper and a small pen from his pocket. "Here," he said. "I stole these from Bob. We're staying here for a while, so here is the address I'm staying at. And my number. You... should come see me sometime," he smiled, and I managed a smile back.

We stared at each other for a moment--perhaps a moment too long. My breath caught, and he leaned over and kissed me on the mouth again, making me feel instantly lightheaded. The pause before his lips at least gave me time to have my mind set up a damn before a flood of warmth came over me. I was still slightly overwhelmed; when he moved his mouth away I had all but forgotten what had happened just a few minutes beforehand. He put his hand on the car behind me, steadying himself as he touched my face while kissing my neck softly.

Suddenly a voice was cleared behind us.

Gerard sighed, brining his head up for a moment. For a heartbeat he looked almost... hungry, before his face turned back to normal and he turned around. This scared me intensely, not understanding how or why his eyes were just like that--totally burning, showing an extreme wanting, then nothing at all. I then looked towards whoever interrupted, slightly thankful.

Once I saw who it was, I barked out a laugh.

Katy was standing there with... Bob?

I almost choked at the sight of his arm casually lying around her shoulder, and was unable to restrain back another, longer laugh. Katy's faced turned pink with embarrassment.

"Um, Ali, I think it's time to go home now," she said, her face deepening shade by shade by the second as I kept laughing. Bob, for whatever reason, offered an apologetic look to Gerard, and flashed his eyes towards Katy once. Gerard nodded once, his face frowning slightly at whatever hidden message was conveyed between them.

I narrowed my eyes, suspicious at anyone making a hidden message about my cousin, especiallysome guy with his arm resting around her shoulder. Gerard laughed suddenly, as if feeling my hostility towards Bob, and he looked at me, as if trying to figure out something in his head as he stared. Gerard stood up with a grin and helped me up, kissing me on the forehead and hugging me closely. Bob was giving Katy a torn piece of paper I guessed similar to my own, which made Gerard shoot him a dirty look. Bob gave him a simple 'What did I do?' expression back.

This secret thing between them was starting to piss me off.

Bob then leaned down and kissed Katy once, and whispered something in her ear, making her smile and nod once. I figured this was now my time to play parent, and I cleared my throat. Katy kissed him on the cheek goodbye, and unlocked the car. She got in, Bob smiling widely and closed her door for her.

I walked around to the other side of the car, and Gerard was already there, opening my door for me. Too tired to think of how the hell he got there before me, I climbed in the car and buckled myself in. Gerard was still standing there, lost in thought. I laughed awkwardly, waiting for him to close the door or at least get out of the way so I could close it.
He abruptly leaned down, smiling.

"See you around," I said, smiling slightly, very tired now. I yawned in his face, laughing embarrassedly.

"Mmm...your breath smells nice," he said, closing his eyes for a moment.

"Um...thanks?" I said awkwardly, turning slightly red in the face, making him laugh.

"Yeah, I'll see you around soon," he said, kissing me on the cheek and closing the door.

Katy started the car and waved to Bob, as Gerard and I simply stared at each other through the window. He was framed by the lamplight, the tall lampposts towering over the four of us in parking lot. Whether he looked like a framed angel or a dark monster, I couldn't tell.

Katy turned onto the road, and we sat in the first awkward silence we've had since... probably years ago, when we were children. I decided to break it.

"So how’s the love baby with Bob?" I asked, folding my arms and giving a grin. Katy looked crossly at me for a moment.

"Please, your the one practically doing it on the floor with what’s-his-face Gerard there at the school and again in the parking lot," she said teasingly. My face turned serious.

"I do not like Gerard in that way." I grit my teeth and stared dead ahead at the familiar road that slipped beneath her wheels. I didn’t have to look at her to know she was giving me a 'you've-got-to-be-shitting-me' look. "Look, Gerard kissed me! I did not come on to him!" I yelled, thinking back, unable to really focus on what happened just a few minutes ago.

"That's not what I saw," Katy said, staring forward also, concentrating on the road. We did not fight often, and her accusation somewhat surprised me.

"What did you see exactly Katy?" Katy opened her mouth, but I purposely kept on talking. "Something’s telling me that this isn't right. Do you even remember what happened before it? Do you remember me falling on the ground, almost crying? Because something is telling me nobody did. Do you remember at all?" I was becoming slightly hysterical now, but made sure that I was keeping myself in check. I needed to know that I was not crazy. No, I knew I was not crazy.

I knew something was up.