Chapter Two

"No man knows till he has suffered from the night how sweet and dear to his heart and eye the morning can be"

- Excerpt from Bram Stoker's Dracula

***

 

Chapter Two by Hayley Edison

I’m not afraid of what he is. Truth is, it kinda feels like he’s afraid of what I am. But shouldn’t everyone be afraid of humanity- mortality- whatever...

 

My friends liked making cases against him; he’s just an easy target I guess; always buried in books at the other end of the football field, his hat on low and his headphones on. But I like that about him, he’s so different from everyone else. He’s shy- fragile- lost and unassuming. Everything about his light blue eyes and red hair reminded me of a teddy bear I lost when I was 9. It took me a long time to give in to the rumours... I couldn’t understand how someone like him could be so dangerous. He couldn’t really be like the rest of them... it just didn’t make sense.

 

 

***

 

The bar was alive with the usual dark things; the usual patrons that reflected the sin of this place; girls in halter tops and short skirts, and boys who didn’t want their imaginations tested. My friends pulled me through the crowds that moved and swayed like a tidal wave of debauchery to a song I didn’t know. The even tempo of drum and bass rose up and matched a monotonous voice that spoke some sort of metaphor for drunken orgies. I fell through the meaningless space of bodies, trying to pull away with my glance held towards the door.

 

 

“He should be here soon,” I called out to my friends who only rolled their eyes. I wasn’t new to their complaints, “He’s really nice, you’ll meet him...” I said, “And you’ll see,”

 

 

They didn’t seem convinced and I sighed at the door one more time. Alice paused at one of the decorative mirrors that were half-smeared in purple lipstick and checked her Monroe, “Seriously, the things I’ve heard-”

 

 

My phone rang and I gazed down at the text message, “He’s outside,” I said and immediately tore through the crowd, my friends attempting to keep up. “He’s different,” I called out to them.

 

 

“Hayley!” They called out, and I tried not to listen, as I had since I met Patrick.

 

 

I saw him being led across the field and dragged around the school building, his head hung as the others pushed and shoved him. He stumbled forward, his head down as always- and he stuck out in his white shirt and blue jeans amidst the others who were dressed in black. I had to follow... I needed to know what was on the other side of that wall.

 

 

I heard their voices before I saw them- the pack of people the rest of the school usually avoided... unless you were some sort of hapless Goth, and the idea of death never really made you shiver. “Kiss her, kiss her,” I heard them sneering, “Go on Patrick, come on, have a little taste,” They laughed.

 

 

A girl with a purple Mohawk was being held in the circle, gagged and bruised. She didn’t fight back as some of her captors leant forward and kissed her on the neck. “Come on, Patty,” One of them snarled, grabbing a fist full of his hair and shoving him towards her. He let out a strangled whimper and I saw his eyes were filling up with tears.

 

 

“Patrick?” I whispered, and immediately the group turned to look at me. My heart lurched and I took a wayward step back. I fell backwards and screamed.

 

 

“F*****g punk-retard,” One of them sneered, the others quickly escaped. The girl with the Mohawk suddenly sprang to life, tore off her gag and spat at Patrick, pushing him to the ground with a grin before she bolted along with the others.

 

 

“P-Patrick, are you okay?” I breathed, watching him as he got up slowly. He picked up his blue studded hat and put it on, his back still turned towards me. “Patrick-”

 

 

“How do you know my name?” He muttered.

 

 

I smiled the moment I saw him leaning against his baby blue pick-up with his denim jacket and knitted green hat. He shot me a shy little smile drawn across his soft pink lips, “Hey,” He said, hands in his pockets.

 

 

“I thought you weren’t gunna turn up,” I smirked as I lunged towards him with a hug.

 

 

“Course I would,” He said, “I told you I would,” we pulled apart and he glanced at the club. “Even if it’s not my scene,”

 

 

“Not mine either,” I scoffed, shaking my head at the neon sign and flickered over-head.

 

 

“Hayley,” I heard Alice’s voice and I turned, she along with Sarah and Charlene stood there, and all sharing the same disappointed look.

 

 

“Patrick, this is Alice, Sarah and Charlene... and guys, this is Patrick,” He nodded at them with that same shy smile and they gave him fake smiles in return. Awkward was a parasite that glutted in the space between us.

 

 

“Nice to finally meet you guys,” Patrick broke the momentary silence, “Hayley’s told me so much,” He smiled.

 

 

“Yeah, likewise,” Alice sighed.

 

 

Patrick uncomfortably pulled off his hat to run a hand through his red hair and put it on again. He glanced up at the full moon and rocked in his bright green chucks, humming the verse of a song I knew.

 

 

“So I guess I’ll see you guys later,” I said, grabbing his hand as I walked away from my friends towards his car. Patrick jumped a little but complied.

 

 

“What?” Sarah blurted, “Hayley!”

 

 

“Hayley, stop it!” Alice walked over to me and pulled our hands apart. Her hold on my wrist was painful and I tried to tug away.

 

 

“You stop it!” I snarled, “Seriously, why can’t you just put in some kind of effort?”

 

 

“You know what he is,” She retorted, “Don’t be stupid, don’t be your own private screw-over,”

 

 

“Shut up,” I flung off her hold and stared at her furiously, “You don’t know him!” I said, “You don’t even wanna give him a chance!”

 

 

“Oh, sorry, are we supposed to wait until-” She cut herself off and shot a glance at Patrick who turned away, his head hung. “He’s one of them, Hayley,” she said, “He can’t be so different...”

 

 

“Don’t be an a*****e,” I spat, “You wanna say it, why don’t you just come out and say it,” I said, and she didn’t reply. Neither did the others who stood back, dumbfounded at last.

 

 

“Come on,” I said to Patrick and we got into his car.

 

 

As we were driving away Alice rushed up and beat her fists against the side of the car. I couldn’t hear what she called out amidst the heavy-metal song playing on his radio... but I saw her lips mouth it through the rear-view mirror. She screamed out the name of the elephant in the room and I sunk in my seat to close my eyes for a moment.

 

 

“Sorry,” I heard Patrick whisper and I felt his hand on mine. I smiled weakly at him, and he responded the same.

 

 

“It’s not your fault,” I said. “They’ll give in,”

 

 

“I don’t know,” He replied, voice cloaked in a sigh as we turned a corner. They were the last words spoken until we got to his house.

 

 

End to Chapter Two by Patrick Symmonds

 

She popped her gum and swung her feet forward, flying a little higher on the swing-set. I sat opposite her on the see-saw and watched her like a piece of art; catching glimpses of black lace as she swung higher, her skirt getting caught in the same breeze that tore through her raven hair. She was so beautiful. I didn’t deserve her; I’m not sure why she even wasted her time with me.

 

Her feet stomped the ground underneath, slowing down her swings, and she giggled as the chains twisted, swinging her in awkward angles. For all her other-worldliness she was still like a child in so many ways. She poked her tongue out at me and winked. “What’re you thinking of?”

 

“Nothing,” I lied in response.

 

“Right,” She smirked, rolling her eyes. “Patty?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Why don’t you melt in the sun?”

 

I looked up at her and she laughed. “I can’t decide,” I smirked, “Is that a joke about being a red-head or a joke about-”

 

A family appeared suddenly, their two children rushing towards the see-saw. I got up quickly and retreated to the swing-set. The children squealed, running along the see saws as they bobbed up and down with comical thuds. Maybe someone ought to have explained see-saws to them.

 

My hands fastened around the chains of Hayley’s swing and she looked up at me with a smile. “Cool,” she said, “You can push me,”

 

I gave her a little push.

 

“Do you think you’ll ever have kids?” I heard her say, her eyes fixed on the laughing family in front of us. I didn’t answer. “Sorry, was that too girly a question?”

 

“Maybe,” I smirked, “Sorry, I guess- maybe,” I stammered. Children made me feel a little queasy. I wasn’t really sure why I’d bring something so pure into a world like this- only to see it get all messed up.

 

The parents joined their kids at the seesaw and sat them down at either end. “Here’s how you do it,” Their father said.

 

“Here’s how you do it,” My own father had said. The one memory I still have of him. “Hold it by the ears- now grab the knife- see, this one,” I handed him an old steak knife and watched the grey rabbit shake and kick. “Hold the glass, Patrick,” I picked up the glass bowl with shivering hands. “Steady, boy- steady,”

 

“Patty,” Hayley’s voice brought me back to reality.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Is it true...” she began, “That you’ll live forever?”

 

Author's Note

reviews please!

Reviews

[Edalene Connell]

I like how this is going.

[tayzer--]

I like the fact that Patrick isn'; an arrogant, obnoxious vampire. I've read about too many of those. This whole relationship is a new concept that I really like, as well. Keep writing, and please msg me when you add more!