Fly Away

Breakfast consisted of going to the local diner and ordering pancakes that melted in their mouths and brought smiles to their faces. Cris kept opening his mouth as if he were going to start a conversation but his lips always pressed together before a sound could slip out. AnnaBeth kept picking at her skin and shying away from the looks she received from the townspeople in the boothes.

She could hear their whispers and wished she had said no to Cris and just went home. She knew what they were saying. They were calling her a freak, a ghost, a whore, a slut, ugly, worthless. She’d heard it all before. Some of the children asked their parents why the scary vampire lady was out during the day.

“Why are they calling you a vampire?” Cris whispered after hearing one particularly loud toddler.

“I usually don’t go out during the day. And when I go to Gram’s I slink through town. Some of the kids think I’m a vampire, others a ghost.”

“Cause you’re so pale and have practically white hair?”

“Yeah. They think it’s odd. That I’m odd”

“I think you’re beautiful.”

Then to AnnaBeth’ complete and utter shock Cris reached across the table and grabbed her hand. He rubbed his thumb over the back of it and smiled at her with those perfect teeth.

“Don’t lie. It’s not becoming,” she said this with a sigh in her voice, but she didn’t pull her hand away.