To Love a Vampire...

We arrived at the hospital after a while and were greeted by Aunt Jess. She was around 45 years old with long brunette hair and brown eyes. She had to of been about 5’7”. Her eyes were bloodshot from crying and bags under her eyes indicating that she wasn’t sleeping. She wrapped her arms around me and the tears started up again.

“You grow up too fast.” She sniffed. I laughed, trying not too cry. Kaya walked next to her and rubbed her back. “I’m so glad you could come.”

“Me too, Aunt Jess. You remember Kaya, right?” I gestured over to Kaya and Jess hugged her.

“How could I forget Anna’s favorite babysitter? Now she’s nine and getting into boys and fashion. I think you two girls brainwashed her when she was younger. Saved my butt.” Jess laughed. “My god. I’m getting old. You’re already out of high school. Brett and Colin are getting a new apartment closer to the school. And Abby’s a senior!” I laughed without really laughing at all. It was more like an un-amused laugh.

“How are they?” I asked as we made our way to the elevators.

“Brett’s finally done with surgery and he was asleep when I left. Brett should be fully healed, so the doctors say, in a matter of weeks. Colin’s in the room with Brett. He’s able to come home in a few days. They have the same room together.”

“Well let’s go. That’s why I came, isn’t it?” I grabbed Kaya’s hand and Jess’s shoulder. As the elevator doors opened, we started walking.

We walked down the hall to the fifth door on the right. The door read, “Brett James, Colin James”. I was the first to walk in the room. Tears flew straight to my eyes. The two men in casts, lying on the hospital beds, were not the Brett and Colin I remembered from my senior year of high school -the last time I saw them.

They had gotten bigger, muscular wise, and Brett had longer hair than I remembered.

Brett had medium length brown hair with brown eyes. He was about 6 foot, last time I checked. His left leg was hung in one of those things that hold body parts up. His left arm had a huge cast on it and right above his right eyebrow, there was a huge bloody scar. His eyes were shut.

Colin had short black hair, like his dad, and green eyes. I think he was maybe 5’10”. He had a few bandages on his forehead and his right arm had a cast on it. His lip was split on one side.

“Oh my god.” Kaya whispered behind me. I choked on a sob as I made my way over to Colin.

As I hovered over him, I listened to his even breathing through a tube. A tear ran down my chin and fell onto his cheek. His eyes tightened and relaxed again. He blinked a couple of times and slowly opened his eyes. His eyes looked around and locked with my tear filled ones. He smiled and cupped my face in his hand and brushed away a loose tear.

“How you doing, Catie-Lynn?” I laughed at my old nickname and covered his hand with mine.

“I’m good, Colin.” I choked out and then started crying.

“Not the best way for a reunion, huh?” He asked. I choked on another sob and tackled him without smacking into his arm. He put his good arm around me and petted my hair.

“It’s okay, Cate.” He cooed. I just held my grip on him and continued to cry.

“Nice to know you missed us.” I heard an all too familiar voice chuckle. I slowly loosened my grip on Colin and I looked over at Brett. He smiled, showing pearly white teeth. “How you been?”

I laughed, sniffled, and went over hugged him, forgetting for a second that he was still healing. He groaned and I immediately pulled away.

“I’m so sorry, Brett!” I freaked. He chuckled.

“It’s cool. Don’t worry about it. I’m still not used to it either.” He squinted his eyes at me. “You look good since the last time I saw you.’

“Ya well you should have seen me a few hours ago. I was a complete wreck!” Kaya jumped in on the conversation just then.

“She almost drug me here on her car.” She laughed. Brett looked at her and smiled.

“Kaya, right?” She stared at him and I laughed. I had to nudge her arm to shake her back into reality.

“Oh yeah. Kaya Mason. Yeah.” She giggled.

“Kaya. You have a boyfriend.” I teased. She glared at me and I smiled, crouching down to balance myself.

“So do you!”

“So. They’re my cousins.” I gestured to Brett and Colin. Brett looked at me.

“You got a guy?” My eyes widened at the tone in his voice, the protective older brother type voice. I slowly pivoted towards him.

“Yeah?”

“Since when?!” Colin asked, same tone as Brett.

“A few months.” I hesitated. Brett and Colin stared at me. I shot up and started walking towards Kaya and she laughed.

“Do we know the kid?” Well he definitely ain’t no kid.

“I doubt it.”

“What’s his name?” Colin asked, trying to push himself up on his pillow. I rushed over to him and grabbed him and tried to pull him up.

“Shawn Peirce. Name familiar?” I looked at Brett and Colin and they looked at each other. They glared at each other as if they were having a telekinetic conversation. “Guys?”

“I don’t think I can recognize the name. Um…can you Brett?” Colin stuttered.

“Um… Kaya, can we have a minute?” Brett asked and showed his pearly whites at her. She looked like she was melting.

“Y-y-yeah. Okay. I’ll be right back.” She hurried out of the room. My eyes blinked a couple of times before I started laughing.

“Okay, what’s going on?” I laughed. They looked at me with stern looks on their faces. “What?”

“Caitlin, I think we need to talk.” Brett said. I grabbed a chair and set it in between their beds and sat down. “I think I may have met this kid before. He got black hair and kinda tall, like Colin?”

“um…. Yeah? What’s the big deal if you know him?” I asked as I shifted uncomfortably. I didn’t like where this is going.

“I’m just saying, the dude’s a freak.”

“What are you talking about?”

“A few nights ago, I saw a kid like that at a bar and I heard someone call his name… Shawn… and he looked at everyone like something to eat. He looked to be scanning the place for someone.”

“And?” *I already know what happened. He was hunting.*

“And he picked up a chick and he left with her and a few minutes later, a few friends and I heard screaming coming from the same way they left and she came back through the bar and seemed completely fine. I’m just thinking its kind of weird that she was getting close to him and she comes back, alone, completely fine.”

“Maybe she decided not to go with him.” I said in a casual tone.

“I don’t think so. He looked like he needed her to go with him. And he didn’t look like the type who took no for an answer.”

“Look, Brett. I’m glad that you’re being the big brother again. Really I am, but it’s okay. I can take care of myself.” My phone started to go off. I took it out of my pocket and looked at the caller. Sammi. “I’ll be right back. Sam’s calling.”

I was about to get up and Brett grabbed my wrist. I looked at him and he stared right at me.

“Just be careful. Since we’re here, we can’t watch you.”

“I will, Brett. Don’t worry.” I yanked my wrist away and walked out into the hallway. “Yeah?”

“What the fuck took so long?” Sam laughed.

“Sorry. I’m at the hospital right now. I had to step out.” I looked back Brett and Colin and they were watching me and making comments that I couldn’t possibly be able to hear.

“What happened? Are mom and dad okay?”

“Yeah. They’re fine. They’re back home right now. It’s Colin and Brett. They got into an accident a while ago and Kaya and I drove out to see them.”

“OMG! Tell them I love them and I hope they get better!”

“Will do. How’s it going?”

“Pretty good actually. I beat Matt in basketball but I think he let me win.” She laughed.

“You beat thee M.Shadows?” I said in amazement; with a touch of sarcasm. “Yeah. He let you win.”

“Thanks, Cate.”

“You’re welcome. Hey when are you coming back? Hopefully before Christmas you jerk! Just kidding.” I laughed.

“Yesh, before Christmas. Ssssssoooooo” She stopped and I looked at Kaya. She was talking to Brett with her flirtatious eyes again.

“Boyfriend, Kaya!” I yelled and she flipped me off.

“Okay I got it!” Sammi yelled.

“Huh?”
“I’ll be back in about 2 weeks. So you better set up another party!!”

“Sweet! I’ll tell Shawn when I talk to him next.”

“And Connor. Don’t forget him.”

“I know!”

“Just making sure. So how long are you staying there?”

“About a week.”

“Wow. And Shawn didn’t come with you?”

“Nope. He saw how I felt about Kaya coming with me, let alone him!” She started laughing over the phone.

“Good point. You never could keep yourself together while shit like this happens.”

“Yeah exact-”

“CAITIN!!!!” I whipped around and I saw a little girl with brown hair and brown eyes in a little blue floral dress on running up to me.

“Hey Anna. Wow you’ve grown so much!” I picked her up and balanced her on my hip. “How you been girly?”

“I’ve been good. Did you see Co-win and Brett?”

“Yeah I did. They were happy to see me, too.”

“I missed you!” She wrapped her arms around me and I patted her back. “Where’s ‘Ammi?”

“Sammi’s out of town for a while. Here.” I handed her my phone and she put it up to her ear.

“’Ello?”

“Hey Anna! It’s Sammi!” I heard her laugh into the phone.

“’AMMI!!!!!” She screeched and her eyes twinkled.

“Here. You go and talk to her for a bit, okay??”

I set her down and she ran off with my phone and I thought I heard Anna ask about a scab she picked the other day. I started laughing and walked over to Kaya and Jess.

“Where’s Anna running off to?” Jess asked.

“Oh to tell Sam about a scab or something.” I laughed.

“Oh the one that looks like Abe Lincoln?” Kaya giggled. “She told me about it before she noticed you were on the phone.”

“She gets excited over those kind of things.” Jess laughed.

We all turned when some stepped out of Brett and Colin’s room. A girl with brunette hair with blonde coon-tails on the tip of her bangs and brown eyes. She was about 3 inches shorter than me it seemed. She had a pair of leggings on underneath a denim skirt and a blue tank top on.

“Hey Abby! Oh my gosh. You’re a senior already?” I attacked her and she laughed and hugged me.

“Yup. And on my way to Texas State!” She smiled proudly.

“Bitch.” I muttered. “You’ve always been smarter than me.”

“You love me though!” She nudged my arm and looked at Kaya. “Nice peek-a-boo.”

“Nice coon-tails.” Kaya laughed and hugged Abby. “My god. You’re all too old. I’m only a year out of high school and you’re all making me feel old!”

“You’ll get over it.” I laughed and Kaya flipped me off. “Hey now. Not in front of the little children.”

Just as I said that, Ann\a came up to us, still talking away to Sam on my phone and holding a juice box.

“And then I saw three bugs! And I screamed, and that boy that I was next to took it and threw one of them at me.”

“She’s never going to stop you know that right?” Abby laughed and I crouched down to talk to Anna.

“Anna hunny, can I please have my phone back? I’m the one who has to pay for the time you chatter with Sammi.” I giggled and she nodded.

“ ‘Ammi, I gots to go. Caitin’s kicking me off cause she’s mean.” I gasped and acted like I was hurt.

“Anna! That’s not nice.” Jess gasped.

“It’s cool.” Anna said her goodbyes and handed me my phone. “Have fun?”

“Oh yeah. Scabs that look like Abe Lincoln and boys attacking little girls with squished bugs is like the best conversation ever!” She laughed and I joined in.

“Well I’ll call you later okay? I have to get going.”

“Okay. I’ll talk to you later.”

“See ya.” I hung up and stuffed my phone back into my pocket. “Okay.”

“What?” Kaya asked.

“I’m thinking I’m going to shut off my phone for the rest of the time I’m here.” Kaya and I started laughing and we linked arms and went to join everyone inside the hospital room.