Bound By Blood Chapter Two and Three

I took the advice of a fellow writer and decided to break this up into chapters. I hope you enjoy! I have chapters two and three because two is such a short chapter I didn't want to waste space.

Chapter Two

 

“Boys and girls, this is Miss Lauren Goodrich, she will be joining us this year so I want you all to be on your best behavior and give her a warm welcome!” Mrs. Groce announced, stepping aside so the little girl could peer at her new classmates. A small girl in the back snapped her head up to look at the girl through angry green eyes.

“If you’ll have a seat in the back next to Roxanne, that’ll be super!” Mrs. Groce chirped, sending Lauren to the back of the class, next to the small girl. The small girl leaned over and whispered threateningly to Lauren.

“I’m the boss in this class, and you’ll do whatever I say or else…”

“Or else what?” Lauren asked innocently enough.

“Or else I’ll beat you up!” Roxanne snapped, holding up her small hand curled tightly into a fist. Lauren bared her teeth at Roxanne and growled softly at her.

“Well then, things will change around here.”

 

Chapter Three

 

Laughter echoed from the second floor of the Dracul home. Lauren was sprawled across Roxanne’s carpet, tears leaking from her eyes.

“And remember the time when we were working the concession stand and that one really hot…”

“Shut up! I did not stick my butt in the air, and even if it was, why were you looking?” Roxanne shot back, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

Lauren grinned manically.

“Honey, you had the whole booth’s attention,” Lauren snorted. Roxanne covered her heated face.

“The thanks I get for serving my community,” she mumbled.

Lauren’s grin widened.

“Community? How about drop dead gorgeous sexy men?” Roxanne scowled heavily from behind her hands and threw a pillow at her best friend’s head.

“Shut it, will you!” Lauren caught the pillow, her eyes shimmering with mischief.

“You are so funny.”

“Oh I know, I crack even the dead up, ha-ha-ha,” Roxanne grumbled not catching the darkened look that snapped into Lauren’s eye, but quickly vanished. Silence danced between them, Lauren played with some fringe on the floor while Roxanne drew a pattern into her quilt. A lot of mystery hung about Lauren, even after knowing her for over eleven years, Roxanne felt like she only knew a part of her best friend’s life. They talked rarely about family, it was a very touchy topic, and they avoided it at all cost. Yet, Roxanne always had a dangerous streak in her, and she was about to find out how far it would extend.

Lauren squirmed uncomfortably; she hated silence with a passion. It brought back dark memories. A soft sigh escaped her lips, she looked up at Roxanne, who was cast away in her own little world, and a smile grew across her lips. Over the eleven-year period, they had grown to trust each other as sisters. They had been there for each other, through the good, the bad and the ugly. Nothing ever really came between them save for the casual argument or emotional outbreak. Lauren twirled a dark strand of hair nervously, and cleared her throat. Roxanne jumped, startled, an apologetic smile spread across her face.

“My apologies, I am not used to being a host.”

Lauren chuckled, she noticed the glint in Roxanne’s eye, and knew what it meant instantly, she wanted something, she intended on doing something. It hit her. Roxanne had been scheming. From the look on Lauren’s face, Roxanne knew she was trapped.

“Alright, I admit, I am dreadfully curious,” Roxanne mumbled quickly, biting her bottom lip; Lauren cocked a brow.

“About…?”

Roxanne chewed on her words, choosing them carefully, her eyes locked on Lauren’s, making the girl squirm yet again. Roxanne was known for having a powerful eye contact.

“How long have we known one another?” Roxanne asked, her eyes shimmering with so many questions. Lauren shrugged before answering.

“Eleven years, we are sophomores now. Where exactly are you going with this?” In the back of Lauren’s skull, she knew. She knew where this conversation could go. She shuddered unnoticeably, she trusted Roxanne, but how would her best friend take information like that? Would they still be best friends? She breathed in; it was a risk she was willing to take.

“We have known each other for so long, yet, I barely know anything about you. I know this may be a touchy…” Roxanne added quickly, seeing darkness flicker behind Lauren’s cool blue eyes.

“No, you need to know. I trust you. However, you have to make me a promise, you can’t tell anyone what I am about to tell you, and you may do whatever with this information as you want, but you can’t tell anyone. Okay?”

Roxanne nodded and slid down on the floor next to Lauren as she sighed deeply.

“I used to live in Boulder, Colorado, I think, and I had a mother, a father, even an older sister,” she paused, a lump grew in her throat, and concern swallowed Roxanne’s eyes making them turn a softer green.

“It was such a happy life, an ordinary life. There was so much love, so much happiness. I loved Lara like any little sister does. She was my best friend, my only best friend,” a dark look iced her eyes, “until he came.”

Outside, a storm was brewing; dark clouds covered the midday sun and thunder rolled across the sky.

 “He came into my home, said some crap to my parents, I was sent upstairs. It is all a blur after that, Lara and I heard a horrible roar,” Lauren began to shake, tears boiled in her eyes.

 “She grabbed me by the hand and began to run down the hall to hide, but he grabbed her from behind sending me sprawling to the floor. I heard her cries of pain, I did not know what to do; I was three! He, Darius, picked me up, his eyes were so cold…and then…” Roxanne stiffened as Lauren pulled back her collar revealing two white scars.

Fang marks.

Lauren looked into Roxanne’s eyes, saw the fear growing in her eyes and sighed sadly.

“Have you ever wondered why I never liked to play outside when it was sunny? Did you ever wonder why I always told you no, whenever I never ate during lunch?” Lauren’s voice dropped to a death like whisper. Yet Roxanne caught every word, her body was tensing up from shock and pure bewilderment.

“Did you ever wonder why I was so strong to knock over Jumbo Gumbo when he tried to steal my homework one day back in fifth grade?”

Lauren’s eyes were turning white silver, her fangs unleashing from their bonds. Roxanne gasped, white as sea froth, her eyes dilated.

“I am a vampire Roxanne,” Lauren said her voice dropping. Roxanne stood up.

“No! You can’t be!”

“Don’t tell me what I can be! I’m telling you the honest truth!” Lauren growled in frustration, her fangs extending from her gums.

“But you have a heartbeat! I’ve heard it!” Roxanne cried, staring at Lauren's fangs.

“You heard a heartbeat alright, but it wasn’t pumping blood like you weak, pitiful humans, it was pumping venom,” Lauren snapped, taking a step closer to Roxanne's face. Roxanne grew still with fear and collapsed.

“Oh dear…” Lauren sighed, her eyes going back to normal, her fangs sinking back into her mouth.

“Oh dear is right,” a voice hissed from above her. Lauren looked up, her eyes wide.

“No…it can’t be!”