The Return

Before it happened
Now everything's forgotten
But the past slowly comes back
It likes to haunt innocent lives
But what if the innocents were responsible?
What if the truth has been covered
Before it happened
The future is inexistent
The present is in danger
All it's known is
The Biography of a Vampire

I’ve never had a normal life. But I never knew it was gonna go as far as to moving from one state to another or a spontaneous divorce between my parents. Mom had realized, after twenty years of marriage, that two teenagers and a busy man were too much for her to handle.

I still couldn’t believe she did this to me and my brother. Nate took it much better than me, he knew it would have to come to this but I didn’t. I never understood the meaning beyond their angry replies, the yells, the late night fights. But he did. For mom, last Saturday was enough and she left. Dad is now trying to offer me and Nate a good life but who’s he kidding?

It’s hard to raise two teenagers. I thought he would leave too but he didn’t. He’s trying, he really does but sometimes, he's crying his heart out. He thinks we’re sleeping but we can hear him clearly. However, now he seems to be doing much better. It's been a week and he came up with the bright idea of changing states again..but this time, for good. That’s how we ended up here, in Firehole, Arizona.

“Knock, knock...” I raised my head from the pages of my journal and looked at my father’s figure. He seemed happy, in a way. I haven’t seen him smile in quite a while. It’s not just mom’s fault. With moving to this new town, a new job with new obligations and responsibilities have come. He was stressed out. “Hope I didn’t interrupt you.”

I shook my head and closed the book. Getting up from the bed, which I dragged with me from…home, I said, “No. I was just finishing. Where’s Nate?”

The man shrugged. It’s a typical reaction when it comes to Nate. Being one year older he always thought he was mature enough to do whatever that pretty head of his thought of. That’s always freaking out me and dad. He's a troublemaker...and I always have to pull him out of his own mess.

“How do you feel, Stel?” I sighed and put a reassuring smile. I don’t want to be the pessimist in this family. Plus, dad needs all our support.

“I’m good, dad. This town seems friendly. I just hope I will have time to live my own life too.”

Dad laughed slightly. Back in the old town, Nate was quite popular with everyone and anyone, police included. Not because of drugs or anything...he wasn't the type. He was a ladie's guy and loved to party, so it only made sense for the pretty girls around him that they had to hate me.

I really hope things won’t be the same now.

“Hopefully, your brother learned his lesson.” I was just going past, making my way downstairs, when I heard that. I turned my head and quirked an eyebrow, making him chuckle.

“Nate will never change, dad. Don’t be too optimistic, especially when it comes to him and his behavior.” Dad shrugged again but came over to pull me in a hug. I was a little skeptical...he didn't show his emotions any time. But I guess mom really got to him.

“I’m sorry about what happened, Stella. I’m sorry about everything.”

I put my hands around his torso and closed my eyes. His grip tightened slightly.

“It’s not your fault. It’s mom’s.”

Downstairs, the back door had just opened. When both me and dad got there, Nate was there too, sitting on a chair and biting from an apple.

“Where have you been, Nathan?”

I supressed a chuckle when I heard dad's business tone of voice. Nate just rolled his eyes. Finally, he took a pause from eating and said, contemplating the apple rather than looking at dad.

“Out. It’s a crime to be curious about what the new town's like now?” Dad sighed. I supported my head on a hand and leaned on it. This should be interesting and short.

“No. But I know you, Nate. I don’t want you to get in trouble again. I want you to help this work.” Nate raised an eyebrow and looked at dad, seemingly amused.

“This? What’s this, dad? We’ve just moved here. I don’t want you to take mom’s place. Be a good daddy and stay out of my life.” He narrowed his eyes at dad before leaving out the front door again.

Dad sighed and rubbed his temples, annoyed.

“It’s going to be harder than I thought...”

I looked at him. A man, a father who's never been there for his children, always put work before family, left alone with two teenagers. I got up and took the two bags full with books from the couch in the living room and got out, giving dad a confident smile over my shoulder.

“Everything’s gonna be ok,” I closed the door behind me and stopped to look in front of me at the annoyed Nate, sitting at the wheel of his M3. “...Eventually.”

I went over, next to his very much loved BMW, and handed him the things he needed for school.

"Careful with the body kit!" He said when I only scratched the surface of the side skirt my his back-pack. Typical of him. I rolled my eyes and went to hop in the passenger's seat.

At school, because dad couldn’t afford to let us stay at home for a few days and miss important work, people weren’t surprised to see new faces at all. Maybe it was something they got accustomed with. However, when I entered the class room, people stared. Some were happy, some were bored and some were glaring. Don’t know why though.

My confidence dropped in an instant when I saw a few girls looking my way and laughing. I rolled my eyes and sat on a chair in the back, the one next to the window. There weren’t many kids in the back, just a few girls who were concentrating on what the teacher was doing and a boy. His desk was the one opposite mine. I dropped my school bag, and took my books out. History isn’t really one of my favorite classes...

I heard those girls giggle and whisper while glancing at me.

“Great,” I mumbled and rolled my eyes. While I was listening to the teacher, who looked like he got bored of repeating the same things to a class who was doing anything else but listening, I felt watched. I’ve felt this way a lot in my old school. I thought it will stop soon, I’m not that interesting, but it didn’t. Curious, I took my eyes off the teacher and to my stalker. It was the boy. It seemed he didn't have a single problem with staring visibly at me. I raised an eyebrow and he did the same. I chuckled and shook my head. He gave a small smile. Right then I had an idea. I started writing, he did the same. I waved and he did it too, I raised one eyebrow, he copied me... without a problem.

I crossed my eyes and he tried but he couldn’t. I started laughing silently while he stopped trying and simply smiled.

When, finally, the bell rang I was more than thankful. I took my things and got up. The boy rose up too and with his books in hands, he let me get in front of him, chuckling on the way. Out of the classroom I had the chance to see how big the population was. Maybe it is a small city but it has a rather huge number of kids. I tried searching for Nate but with him being one year older, he might as well be in a different building. This school had three.

“I’m doomed,” I said and rubbed my hand, something I always did when nervous. I made my way to my locker. Because I've lived in a small city in France, the locker-thing was kind of strange. Moving from place to place so much, even though it was different with both my parents, I learned how these things work. I opened it easily and put my books in, taking the others I needed for English. I was just about to close the locker when I felt a few persons coming this way. I’ve always had this thing. Dad always told me it’s just how I was born, call it sixth sense, he said. It’s annoying. Every night I feel like I’m being watched, I’m afraid I will end up being paranoid. Grandma said it’s not the time for me to know, yet. I don’t think I want to know whatever that might be at all. I was right with the feeling, anyway.

Next to me were the girls from class.

One had beautiful blonde and curly hair and she had surprising brown eyes, was wearing high heels, which I don’t imagine myself wearing, and a floral dress. She was smiling big at me, which kind of creeped me out...The one in her right looked different. She had brown hair with red and orange higlights, tight black jeans, black converse and a nice simple shirt. Her eyes were big and green.

The last one was a little shorter than the other two and wore red converse. Her eyes weren’t something extraordinary but they had a blue/grey color. She had a purple shirt and blue jeans. Her hair was reddish. That’s when I realized that just the blonde one was talking in class.

“Hi! We saw you today in history and knew you were new. I’m Tracy!” She said extending her hand to me. I looked a little taken aback. This doesn’t happen every day...

“Nice to meet…you,” I wasn’t good at dealing with weirdly happy people. She was one of them. Her smile got bigger, if that was possible, and she started talking again.

“It’s nice to see new faces. Since Eric moved over, no one came around here to stay. Just people wandering,” she said. I looked at the two other girls.

“And you?” They smiled and introduced themselves. The reddish one’s name is Samantha, Sami for short, and the brunette’s name is Anastasia, Ana for short.

“We’re not going to drag you to the mall and change you into a Barbie doll. Stay calm,” the brunette said, chuckling, making the two others laugh too. I sighed, relived. “And what about your name? You didn’t mention it.” I nodded.

“Stella.” They nodded happily again. They really didn’t seem like preppy girls but they did talk about boys like crazy. Lunch came maybe too soon. In every class I had at least one of girls with me.

“Who’s this Eric you’re talking about?” I asked feeling a pair of eyes settled on my back, again. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t because I was at the same table with them. Sami rolled her eyes and took a bite from her sandwich.

“Eric moved here last year. He was the new gossip source. Girls were talking about how hot he is and things like these. However, since his father died, he lives with his uncle, who moved here too. At first he had friends and all but after his father’s death he changed drastically. He’s always alone, he doesn’t talk with too many people, and the one he talks to is just asked a question. He was my cousin’s friend until he left.” I raised an eyebrow, curious. I looked at him from the corner of my eye. He was at the table near the window. He was all alone and staring outside.

“He left?” I asked, a little insecure. I didn’t know the guy and still I want to know. I felt like I had to.

“Yes. He said it was just a short vacation, to get his head off his father’s death. He never talked about his mother. It said that she died long time ago in a fire. He was young, he tried to save her but the building collapsed. It’s still a mystery how he still lives. He was blocked in the house too. Roy told me this.”

“Roy is your cousin?” She nodded. “So he'd seen death with his own eyes.” When those words got out of my mouth I felt something weird, a tingling feeling. I felt…excited for some reason.

“So, back to the story. I heard he lived in Phoenix until he came here. His father was very cold. He used to come and take Eric from school and instruct him to do this and that. It was sad to see such a nice boy being commanded around by such a strict man. His father was quite handsome too.”

I looked at her skeptically, not needing thiat bit of information at all. She chuckled. “He left in that vacation three months after he moved to Firehole and he came back last month. However, it seems he didn’t lose anything. He knew everything perfectly fine when he returned. He wasn’t the same old Eric. He changed. He’s so cold and mysterious. He keeps everything inside. Roy is the only one he talks to these days, but not much.” I was surprised to hear his story. Eric was the guy I played with in class.

Normal narration

Eric felt eyes on him, it wasn’t such a shock why. He has seen the new girl and he surprised himself by smiling to her. It felt so normal. He felt normal with her and he wasn’t normalat all. His life changed, his destiny changed, actually, he didn’t even know what he wanted from life now. But he has the time, more time than he thought. Eric opened his eyes, inhaling, and closed them when he felt the girl glancing at him from the distance. He could smell her perfume, could hear her heart beat. It was beating so fast and the blood was running through her body. It was so…inviting. It was calling for him.

He wanted to taste it. He opened his eyes fast and stared at the food in front. He wasn’t hungry anymore. His eyes trailed to the new girl. She was staring at him back from the corner of her eyes. He smirked making her turn her full attention to her new friends. He changed the view, looking back at the window. He sighed and got his hand through his hair.

Stella couldn’t take his eyes from the boy. He was so…fascinating.

Stella's POV

“Don’t tell me you like him,” Tracy said, the end of her lips curling, I looked at my food and gulped what I was munching on, which was an apple.

“I think he actually likes you. I saw him smile at you in History. That’s a huge thing!” Ana said, smiling kindly. I nodded.

“Go to him. Maybe he’ll talk to you.” I chuckled but got up and made my way towards him. When I arrived, he looked at me with a deep stare, mostly at my eyes.

“Hi. I was just wondering if I can…sit?” It was awkward and I felt shy. I’m not shy and it’s a weird feeling now that I finally feel it. Not even in my school I felt like this.

“Sure. I’m Eric, by the way.”

I nodded and smiled, not sure if he would too. He did, even if it was almost inexistent. “I’m not very interesting,” he said. That’s when I realized I was staring at him.

“Sorry, it’s just that…” He raised an eyebrow and chuckled.

“They told you my history?” I started chuckling with him.

“Kind of, yes. I’m sorry for your father. I would be messed up if something would happen to mine.” He nodded in understanding. “Mom didn’t die but she left me and my brother. It seems we were too hard to understand for her.” I said and rolled my eyes feeling that hate again. He looked a little worried...and it was cute.

“They told you my mother died in a fire and I survived mysteriously, didn’t they?” I nodded, He sighed and rubbed his head. “It became Sami’s hobby to tell my story to everyone she meets and is a girl,” I chuckled, feeling more relaxed. I went closer to him, even if I was standing opposite to him, and smiled.

“She’s a little weird, huh?” I asked him chuckling. He chuckled too and nodded his head.

“But Tracy’s the worst. She never stops talking, I tried.”

I started giggling like a little girl when she seeing something that she likes. Eric wasn’t at all as I imagined. He wasn’t cold. He was actually sweet. “They’re great girls. You’ll have a lot of fun with them.” I nodded.

“Why don’t you?” He raised an eyebrow, making him look extremely cute.

"Why don’t I what?” I rolled my eyes playfully.

“Have fun. Why don’t you have fun? Why are you alone?” He scoffed.

“I’m having fun. I just enjoy being by myself.” I chuckled slightly making him punch me lightly.

“That hurt a little. Are you secretly superman or something?” He shook his head, the smile still there.

“No. I’m Robin but I don’t want to let everyone to know. You have to keep the secret.” He whispered.

“Batman does the job. Robin is just…there.” He narrowed his eyes playfully.

“Don’t insult me, you’ll have nightmares.”

I couldn’t stop myself from having a fit. “Nightmares? Really?” He shrugged.

“That’s everything that came to mind...”
I rolled my eyes and chuckled.