Puppet

Walking into the living room Alice held onto Ryan's hand as tightly as she could fearing what was about to come. Angelo was sat in the furthest armchair Devin at his side prepared to hold him back should he decide to lash out. Chris was standing not too far from Angelo and was pacing slightly between the two chairs. Ricky and Balz were seated on the lounge staring at the others in the room as they waited for the situation to unfold.

"Alice, are you okay?" Chris asked as he feet stood firm.
"I'm fine, nothing I haven't experienced before," Alice said smiling weakly at the tall vampire across from her.
"Despite that we have decided it best Angelo leave for a while," Chris said as he waited for the reactions from the other men. Ryan simply nodded before placing his arm around Alice's waist territorially, Ricky and Balz appeared to be shocked and the only look on Angelo's face was disgust which he aimed directly towards Alice.

"You are going to throw me out because I hit her?" Angelo asked having stood from his chair. Something was about to unfold and Alice moved further into Ryan's chest if that were physically possible.

"No we are not throwing you out. We are sending you on a break, a holiday so to speak," Chris replied calmly, trying to maintain the situation.
"You hypocritical bastard, after everything you fucking did I managed to forgive you. I warn you now that this will be the final straw for me," Angelo declared trying to stand as tall as he could in comparison to Chris and his unusually tall frame.
"You know better than to bring that up. It was an accident and you know that, but you, you purposely hit her," Chris said with a hint of disappointment in his voice.
"I hit her blinded by anger the same way you killed Lexi," Angelo hissed between clenched teeth. Alice's gasp was heard by all the members in the band as she pulled away from Ryan and went to walk away, trying to grip the severity of the situation she had found herself in. She heard heavy footsteps behind her as she walked up the staircase to the room she had first found herself in. Opening the oak door she stepped inside and turned to face the vampire behind her. It was Chris and she had no idea how she was going to face him having discovered the reason behind Angelo's pain.

"Why did you kill her?" Alice asked as tears began to betray her. Chris glided closer towards her running his thumb along her cheek wiping away her sadness.
"It was not intentional but it wasn't exactly innocent either," Chris at this point had avoided eye contact instead walking around the room, continuing his unusual habit of pacing. He remained silent for a moment allowing Alice to study the ink that covered his skin from his hands up his arms and along his neck and jaw. The intricate drawings and horror themed artwork highlighted his already pale skin.

"If it wasn't intentional then how did you do it?" Alice almost feared the words before she spoke them. But she knew that if she were to give Chris a chance then she needed to know.
"Angelo thought Lexi loved him and she did, at least for a little while. He had just proposed to her and she had started to have her doubts. She came to me scared of Angelo turning her we spoke for a long time and one thing led to another. Our affair remained a secret and Angelo never knew until one night we both got carried away. Lexi asked me to change her and I was willing to but as I bit her something went wrong. She rejected the vampire venom and her body began to shut down," Chris was now sat upon the bed looking down at his leather shoes. Alice swore she saw a tear fall from his face and land on the crimson carpet but there was no way to be sure. She stood there unsure of how she felt in this situation, was she scared that it would happen to her? Was she scared of Chris? Was she scared at all?

"Then what happened?" Alice asked trying to get Chris to continue his story.
"I had to tell Angelo, I went and found him and told him what had happened he went into the room and lay by Lexi crying for a month. I don't know if she mourned for her death or their lost love," Chris whispered clearly disturbed by his own actions.
"You didn't mean to clearly, it was an accident," Alice tried to convince Chris. She didn't know what she was trying to convince a vampire to forgive himself for killing his best friends fiance.
"You should know that I can read your thoughts," Chris said looking up into her eyes. "I can't agree more, I don't understand why you are trying to convince me otherwise. You still have to decide whether or not you are going to give me a chance."
"Let me sleep on it," Alice replied. "Now please leave my room."
"This used to be Lexi's room she chose everything herself," Chris said has he ran his hand along the mahogany chest of drawers and its intricate carvings. "If you like you can change it to suit your tastes."
"I think this will be fine," Alice replied. "I really need to get some sleep. So thank you for explaining but please leave."

Chris walked towards the door before closing it behind him he took one last glance over at Alice. She looked up at him one last time completely expressionless. Closing the door behind him wandering back down the hall to his room he was stopped by Balz.

"You know she won't ever trust you," he said leaning against his door frame.
"I know but she needed to know the truth," was all he said.
"True, who knows what would have happened if she'd found out after she chose you," Balz said cringing slightly.
"I don't think she's evil but I'm sure it would turn her," Chris said chuckling slightly.
"Either way you did the right thing. Only thing is now Ryan's the only one left," Balz declared.
"Maybe not," Chris said a slight smirk forming on his lips.
"What are you talking about?" Balz asked completely confused.
"Either you enter or Angelo's replacement takes his spot," Chris said the smirk now a grin.
"Don't get any ideas. What's so wrong with Ryan getting the girl?" Balz asked genuinely concerned.
"Nothing, I just think the bastard needs some competition," Chris said as he walked away from Balz.
"Don't do anything stupid Chris," he called after him but his warning fell on deaf ears.

Alice woke the next morning realising she had only five more days to choose her vampire. In reality the decision had become a lot easier but that did make the choice any less hard. She had stayed awake most of the night tossing and turning as she considered the consequences of choosing Chris. Although Lexi's death was an accident, she didn't know if she would be able to trust a cheater. Chris had willingly and deceitfully gone behind his best friends back and slept with his fiance, ultimately but not intentionally leading to her death. She wasn't scared to die and she had accepted that when turned there was a high risk of death. The turning wasn't what scared her, spending the rest of eternity with someone she chose after having known them for a week, now that scared her. She sat up in her bed and looked around the room carefully sliding out from under the covers she examined all the furniture. A knock at the door broke her from her thoughts.

"Come in," she said before realising she was in nothing but her boxers and a crop top. Around the opening door stood Balz.
"Wow," he said a little louder than he had originally intended causing Alice to blush. "God you're gorgeous."
"Thanks," Alice said biting her lip nervously. "Did you want anything?"
"Just to tell you that I've made breakfast and to tell you something in confidence," he said motioning for her to sit down on the bed.
"What do you mean in confidence?" Alice asked more than a little puzzled.
"Well, Chris he's trying to come up with a way to make your decision more difficult. He realises you won't choose him and rightfully so, but now he wants to make it harder for you," Balz began to recount his conversation with Chris last night.
"How does he intend to make it harder?" Alice asked interested.
"Well he either wants me to enter the competition or Angelo's replacement," he said with little expression. Alice sat there trying to understand the situation she was in, she hadn't considered Balz before but studying him next to her made her reconsider. He was tall enough for her and had a strong build, his face was gentle hidden beneath the harsh persona he tried to display. Perhaps he really was an option.

"Would you want to be considered?" Alice asked a small smile gracing her lips.
"Only if there was a chance you would choose me," Balz replied. "I don't deal with rejection well."
"I can't promise anything but I think I can choose between you and Ryan," Alice said smiling.
"I'll tell Chris to call of his games then," Balz said as he lent over and placed a chaste kiss on Alice's cheek causing them to turn a light shade of crimson. "Gosh your beautiful."