What Do You Do When Your Crush Is A Vampire?

I looked up at the night sky through Drake’s window, reveling at the beauty such tiny little stars could create.
Drake was gone at the moment, he’d gone downstairs to see to something…he didn’t exactly explain what. Something about a surprise…I swear to God, if it’s a stripper pole I will hurt him.
I leaned against the frame of the window, the cool glass fogging with every breath I exhaled on it. I was feeling a bit confused, honestly. During the Austin Powers movie, I’d gotten to thinking about things. Why did I like Drake? What was it about him that made me feel this way?
I nibbled my lip as I ticked off things I liked about him on a mental checklist.
1. He’s funny.
Okay, I admit a sense of humor is important in guys, without it they might as well be old bogeys.
2. He’s smart.
That’s important too. He seemed smart, anyway. He wasn’t confused by big words, and from what I’d seen of him in school, and rumors I’d heard, he always got A’s on his work. I liked that. I mean, what girl wants to be talking to someone and realize he didn’t understand a word she was speaking? Not me.
3. He’s attractive.
Yes, he was. He was the most adorable and handsome guy I’d met. He made my toes curl, my cheeks flare, and my eyes feel as though they were eating in a rare and expensive candy.
4. His voice.
Ah, yes. His beautiful voice. A voice so enchanting, so warm, so…enthralling, it could be mistaken for the chimes of the gods in Greek Mythology. That voice made me feel things so warm, I would wait for hours beneath his window if I had to just to hear it again. This voice soothed me, made me hear and understand whatever message It was sending, whether through laughter, speech, or song.
5. He really seemed to understand.
That was true. He’d understood everything I’d told him about Ashley. After the movie we’d gotten to talking, and I’d explained the whole Jacob-Ashley-popular thing. He didn’t interrupt or intrude, just listened. I valued that. A person who could listen showed signs of intelligence, which I mentioned to be important. He’d shown emotion, and given me sympathy, but not pity. Never once had he shown me pity.
I liked that, too.
But just having these attributes shouldn’t make me like him. I’d met guys with personalities that would knock most people’s socks off, but had no affect on me. So, what made Drake so special to me?
“Chrys?”
I turned from the window at the sound of Drake’s voice, a small smile forming on my face of it’s own free will. “Yeah.”
He smiled back at me. “Didn’t we say we were going to go for a walk?”
I frowned, brows creasing. “We were, weren’t we?” I looked out the window. “It’s a bit late now.”
“Will your parents be worried?”
I turned back to him. “No, actually, they left today on a trip.” Had I forgotten to mention that?
“Really?” he asked.
I glanced at him sharply at the false surprise in his voice. That was odd. Why would he do that? Had he known my parents were gone on a trip? Or was it something else?
I shook my head, filing it away for future study, and walked toward him. “Yeah, they left this morning.”
“Hmm,” was all he send. Then, he took my hand and led me from the room.
“Did you finish what it was you wanted to do, your ‘surprise’?”
He looked over his shoulder at me, a smile delightfully crooked claiming his face. “You’ll see.”
I rolled my eyes at him, but continued to let myself be led through hall after hall. Finally, Drake halted before a large screen door that seemed to open onto the backyard. Opening the door, he pushed me through and closed it behind us.
I stood, staring in amazement. This wasn’t a backyard. It was a forest. Trees everywhere, thickening farther in, and gardens with different vegetables, flowers, and other assorted plants.
It was beautiful. One of the most amazing things I’d ever seen.
“Do you like it?” Drake asked, as he slipped his arms around my waist from behind. I felt a curious warmth rush through me at his touch, and a soothing sensation settled over me at the sound of his voice next to my ear.
“Yes,” I answered simply. I let myself settle back into his chest, realizing for the first time just how tall he was. Not too tall, just a few inches higher than me, but tall enough that if I looked into his eyes right now, it would seem like his face was framed by the night, his eyes two shining, glittering stars in the dark.
“Come here, I want to show you something.”
Drake unfurled himself from me and twined his fingers with mine again, making a tingling sensation flash up my arm. Almost as though it were falling asleep, but without the pain and uncomfort. It was nice.
Drake walked through a few tree clusters before stopping in a clearing-a large fountain just five feet away.
“What are we doing here?” I asked, staring, confused, at the huge fifteen foot tall three tiered fountain, complete with a wishing pool in the first tier, a waterfall from the first to second tier, sprays from the second to third tier, a huge jet in the center of the third tier, and golden lights to illuminate the black marble. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s beautiful, I’m just curious as to why you want to show me this.”
Drake didn’t answer, just pulled me forward and stood at the base of the first tier. Each one was five feet tall, and I was willing to be the wishing pool was deep. As I watched, Drake pulled himself up and into the wishing pool. The water came up to his hips, and he turned back to smile at me, as the splashing from the waterfall soaked him.
I laughed at him, “What are you doing?”
Once again he didn’t answer, but reach out and pulled me up. I landed in the water with a splash, the cold liquid seeping into every bit of clothing I wore.
“Drake!” I squawked. “That’s cold!”
He smiled, and laughed. The sound instantly made me forget about the cold, and filled me with the warmth it always did. Setting me at ease.
Drake continued to the next tear, fighting the current of the waterfall to get himself up. Then, bracing himself, reached out to pull me up. I grasped him hand as tight as I could, and started to pull myself up with his help. I was so wet, I wouldn’t have been surprised if water poured out of my ears for the next three years.
We walked through the sprays, and did the same thing with the next tier, so we were standing on top of the third and final tier, which was about seven feet across-Did I mention this thing was huge?-and the giant jet in the center that rained water down on us.
“Can you tell me what we’re doing here now?” I asked over the sound of the water, which was actually quieter than I’d expected.
He smiled, “Look over there.” He pointed and I looked to find I could see the house from here, every light turned off. As I watched, Drake pulled out a water tight remote control, pressed a button, and one of the windows opened, the light coming on, to reveal a stereo set in front of it.
“Drake,” I said, “why is there a stereo in the window?”
He smiled, “Watch.”
He pressed a button, and music blared from the speakers, loud enough for me to hear it clearly over the roar of the fountain. And there was so much space between Drake’s house and his neighbors’, that no one but us would. That fact that I could hear it wasn’t the most surprising thing to me, however, it was the song.
I looked away
Then I look back at you
You try to say
The things that you can’t undo
“Is this ‘Fall to Pieces’ by Avril Lavigne?” I ask slowly.
Drake nods, then holds out his hand. “Would you like to dance?”
I stared at his hand for a moment, then accepted it as he drew me closer to his body.
And I don't wanna fall to pieces
I just want to sit and stare at you
I put my arms around Drake’s neck, and we slowly sway to the music. That’s all we had room for, really. Even though he was wet, he felt warm.
You're the only one,
I'd be with till the end
When I come undone
You bring me back again
Back under the stars
Back into your arms
As I stood there, I began to think about what had been bothering me earlier. What was it about Drake that made me like him so much? That made me want to be with him, here, in his arms, so bad?
I don't want to talk about it
And I don't want a conversation
I just want to cry in front of you
I looked up at Drake, to find his eyes were closed. Why did he have this affect on me?
Drake opened his eyes, and finding me staring at him, looked startled for a moment, before he relaxed and smiled.
“What is it?” he asked.
I didn’t answer, but instead did something I never thought in my life I’d ever do myself.
I kissed him.
His lips were warm and soft against mine, and I closed my eyes. I outlined his lips with my tongue, and he opened for me. I deepened the kiss, letting our tongues dance as we did.
When we pulled apart, I kept my eyes closed. I knew the answer to my question.
It wasn’t what I liked about Drake. It was that I liked him. There was no special feature, no distinct attribute. It was all of him. From his laugh, to his smile, to his singing, to the big bedroom he had, to the way he made jokes, to the sometimes annoying cockiness that came over him, to the self-confidence he had that he could astound me, make me jealous, and to those beautiful green eyes I loved so much. It was Drake. All of him, not just bits and pieces.
I opened my eyes, so that I was looking at the scene I’d described to myself earlier that I would have viewed had I looked at him, but better. His face was framed by the night, his lips curved in a warm, tender smile. His hair was wet and dripping, and his eyes were wide open, staring at me with a tender affection that no daydream could ever hope to amount to. And those two bright green orbs were sparkling.
I'm in love with you
Cuz I'm in love with you
I'm in love with you
Just like I knew they would be.
I'm in love with you