The Castle in the Clearing

I was about half a mile out of New Jersey when I realised that I might not actually be able to stay out in the daytime. I didn't know an awful lot about vampires and there were so many different stories about us that I didn't know which one to believe, if any at all. I definitely did not want to brave being out in the sunlight whilst I didn't know what would happen. Plus, I didn't even know where I was headed. I decided to go back to the castle for today to grab my stuff and think about where I was headed next. Maybe I'd get to see Gerard…

'No Frank! Stop it! You MUSTN'T think anything of that kiss! Man, you need to get your shit together!' my mind screamed at me. I knew that what my mind was trying to tell me was right but I couldn't help but feel a slight bit of hope.

I arrived at the castle just as the first signs of daylight were creeping across the land and I slipped into the castle quietly and carefully. There was nobody there. Part of me felt relieved that I wasn't faced with Gerard as soon as I got back but the other part of me was disappointed. Ah well, I assumed that he had just gotten up and left. Isn't that what vampires do after a while? Anyway, I made myself at home and found an old, and slightly battered, loveseat to chill out on.

I grabbed my iPod from my bag and put the headphones on. After a while of head banging along to the Misfits, I heard a loud bang that startled me so much that I fell off the loveseat and landed heavily on the floor. Thank god I was a vampire and was immune to these sorts of pains because if I wasn't then that would've hurt like a bitch.

I stood up to see where the noise had come from and saw Gerard bending over in the hallway picking some things up. I took my earphones out, pressed pause on my iPod and heard him mutter curses under his breath.

"Shit, crap, you'd think that being a vampire would make everyone less clumsy but oh no, I had to be the one bloody exception to that rule. Jesus…" he cursed.

I giggled to myself at that. He was so cute! The tough, powerful act he put on when I first got there was just an act. Aw! I then realised that he didn't know I was here. Crap. "Frank, why are you such a moron? Stop giggling!" my mind shouted at me and for the first time in my whole life, I listened to myself. However, I was too late. He looked up from the mess he was clearing up and saw me. He stood up and looked me over, just like he had done before I changed. He smiled. He had the most beautiful smile I had ever seen. Heck, he was the most beautiful man I had ever seen! We stood there staring at each other for a while without saying anything until he turned away and said something about having to finish clearing up his mess. I was going to offer to help but he had already done it. I should have remembered about the super-speed I suppose… Anyway, I was too busy figuring out what the hell had just happened so, instead of doing anything to make myself look slightly less moronic, I just stood there like the complete idiot I am.

My mind was going crazy with questions. Would he mind if I stayed for a few days? Why did he smile at me like that? Why'd he seem embarrassed as he turned away (not that vampires can blush but you can still tell)? Why did he change me? What if the kiss did mean something after all? What was he going to do to me? My mind was a mess. I needed to find out the answers to these questions before I went completely insane.