My Guardian Vampire

I put the journal in the drawer, and went to head out the door, figuring I just needed to think about things for a while. Sure, that was creepy and mindblowing as all fuck, but maybe… Maybe Bert’s stupid fat head was so thick that when he hit it, it phased the molecules of the book from his pocket through the molecules of the drawer. Yeah, sure! Or maybe he just flashed it in there to be an asshole. While that didn’t seem totally likely given how things went down, it was still possible… Right?

‘I think I like the big fat head explanation better.’

And if it really was Billie that had it, had written in it…

Well, hopefully there was some logical explanation.

I grabbed my jacket on the side of the bed and looked at the time, 6:00 in the morning. It would be easy to slip out, as the guys were likely snoozing away by now. I went into the living room, and stopped dead in my tracks when I saw Mike and Tré in the living room. They looked either asleep or very close to it, heads down or to the side.

'Why would they be out here at this time? They should have been in bed long ago...' I stepped forward, hoping I could just sneak past them, but Mike's head shot up.

"Ali?" he said, instantly alert.

"Yeah?" I asked, waiting. Tré woke up too, and looked at me.

"Where you going?" Mike said, nodding to my jacket.

'Were they making sure I didn't leave? Maybe that's just me being paranoid.'

"Out. Why aren't you guys sleeping?" I asked, looking at Tré. He was most truthful when tired.

"We were making sure-" Tré began, yawning and curling up into a little ball, but Mike spoke quickly.

"Waiting for someone to call about invitations. Why are you up?"

"I slept for a day and now my sleep schedule is all messed up. I thought Tré had already got the invitations-"

"Tré messed them up, and put you as 'Green' instead of 'Alexandra,'" he said and smiled. I grinned back.

"I did no such—Ow!" Tré said, as Mike hit him with a pillow.

"Where are you going?" Mike asked.

"To check on the cake, make sure it will be on time since someone messed that up too."

"Ok, maybe I did do that one..." Tré said, and I laughed.

"Why don't I go and check on it for you?" Mike asked, standing up a little groggily.

"Because the sun's about to rise," I said, and Mike nodded.

"Right. But there's no real reason to, since any mention of Billie would make him get it done in an hour."

"True, but—there's nothing else for me to do."

"Why don't you go read some of the stories in Billie's room? Or explore some of the hallways, since you're going to be living here permanently, soon..." Mike said, and I looked at him suspiciously. I sighed, figuring I'd get nowhere with this.

"Fine," I said, and turned around, looking at the hallways. I then got an idea.

"Okay, I pick..." I said, closing my eyes and pointing my finger down a hallway, "you!" I opened my eyes and walked down the hallway, opening a random door before going inside.

It was a closet.

"How do you like that one?" Tré called, and I heard him laugh.

"It's beautiful! Shut up!" I yelled back, and he laughed again. I went out and tried another door, this one leading to an actual room.

"Oh, this seems neat. I'll chill in here for a while," I said, loud enough for them to hear, and went in. I stayed in there, doing absolutely nothing for a half hour, before peaking my head out. They were asleep once again. I quietly tip-toed out of the room and down the hallway to a door.

This was the staircase room. Once I was through the door I practically ran up the flights of stairs, only pausing for the occasional breaths of air.

I got to the top, expecting I would be free and outside...

But the door had a chain lock on it.

I looked at it in disbelief.

"Holy crap, I really am being guarded in here!"