Scene Immortal Read online

  "Yeah. Yeah, it does. Thank you. By the way, you have cold lips."

  "I knew it! See, further proof I'm not bullshitting you!"

  "What?"

  "Josh... did you hear anything I said?"

  "Yeah, you love me, I'm your friend—"

  "No! That I'm a—"

  "Oh that. Yes, and it was a deft attempt at trying to keep me from being uncomfortable, if a bit far-reaching. But really, tell me what did happen. Now that I have Big Confession Numero Uno off my chest, I'm so ready to hear about this!"

  "Josh, no. This is very serious. This means just as much to me, if not more, than what you had to say. Not that I'm trying to, like, steal your thunder or whatever, but... Shit Josh, to be honest, I'm scared. I'm confused. And if I think about my situation too much I start to go a little crazy and feel all dumb and panicky. And I think only one thing can really take care of that feeling, by the way."

  "So... okay. Okay." He seemed to be weighing the problem, like he was trying to decide whether to get sugar free or regular gum. "Hmm. So basically, you're confirming what's been on the Goth and Darkwave rumor mill for three years now, that Andrew and Victoria are actually vampires? And not only that, that... that they made you into one?"

  "Yes, to all of that. Though if my suspicions are correct, I think all of Alphatwyn are vampires, though I'm not sure why. It's just a very strong feeling I have."

  "Kyle. Kyle Allen Ryan. Can you prove to me that you're a vampire?"

  I thought, for about a minute. Weighed it out, balanced it, tossed it from one side of my brain to the other.

  "Yes, my friend, I believe I can."

  ~ * ~

  When I had leaned forward to kiss my best friend on the forehead, I was, for a flash, overcome with a very powerful urge. A lust. A quick burst of hunger. If I'm being honest, I actually almost licked his forehead instead of kissing it, but, clearly that would have sent the wrong signal. I knew this meant I could easily dig on drinking human blood, and had at first thought that would be the best way to prove myself to Josh. Boy would he have something to blog about on GothsRUs for weeks. But then I realized there was another part to the puzzle that would have to come into play for Josh to really believe. I would have to let myself get a little crazy with deprivation first. I figured we wouldn't have to wait long, as the rat was my first and only meal I'd had as a new creature. Or whatever category I could now be placed. All the questions. But that would be the way to go. Questions. If Josh would just be patient as I let myself go a touch insane with worrying and asking questions inside my head, I knew I could build the thirst to a fever-pitch, and then hopefully the changes in my physical appearance before and after feeding would be enough to convince him. First, I had to get him to agree to let me drink just a bit of his blood.

  I explained everything to him, and he agreed, a bit too easily I thought. But whatever, the chance for my High Goth best friend to have a possible actual vampire feed (conservatively) on his blood was probably about the most wicked prospect he'd ever faced.

  "How do you want to do this, exactly?” he asked with a bit of a twisted gleam in his eye.

  "Well, I figured you'd get something small, and just... prick or cut. It won't take much, believe me."

  "How do you know?"

  "Um, well, I glutted myself on a rat last night. There wasn't much to him, and I hadn't even thought of blood... 'til I kissed your forehead... Sorry... If that's, weird or... "

  "No, no, I'm honored!"

  Of course he was. I stopped short of getting up from my bed.

  "This isn't, oh, the least bit weird to you?"

  "Hell yes it is! That is why I'm honored. And if you're actually being honest, and haven't gone completely batshit crazy, then all the better!"

  "No words man, no words! I'll be right back."

  I went to the bathroom at the end of the hall. Something hit me and made me chuckle to myself: I hadn't had to piss since before the concert. I felt the slightest of urges at that moment, but nothing enough to make me take care of the problem. I guessed it had something to do with the change and maybe, I dunno, my new metabolism. Again. Questions. That was how I started working myself into the frenzy. I started asking myself questions about how my new body would function as I dug in the far counter drawer under the sink for a pin. Once I had a long, clean looking one in my hands, I headed for the kitchen, scruffing my brain up with questions the entire time, finding ever more and more to get me lost and agitated. By the time I dug a lighter out of the utility drawer by the stove, I was shaking. The questions were practically endless. And dammit! How dare those two... beautiful assholes, leave me in some ditch behind my house with no other explanation than "you're immortal"?! And was that even true?

  I threw open the door to my room, panting, and Josh looked... scared. I knew why. I felt different. I was breathing in short gasps, and I was shaking and chilled with hunger. A definite cold, yeah, had settled in the pit of my gut. I looked down at my body, and I swear it seemed smaller, more withered. I was sure, in fact, that if I had lifted up my shirt at that moment, the eight pack would have been diminished, and not nearly as defined. But first, I had to make sure Josh was okay.

  "Yeah man, I'm fine, it's just, all of a sudden you really look like shit. You look, like, half dead man. Very um, Goth. Ha,” he tried to joke.

  "Are you having second thoughts?"

  "No! No way! I'm just worried about you."

  "Then come over here." I sat down on the bed. "Sit by me, and give me your left hand."

  I took his left hand in both of mine, and noticed first how warm he felt, then the difference in our skin tone. I was grey-pale. How could he not notice? No, this was Josh, he did notice, and he was being polite. Which had to mean he was starting to believe me.

  I flicked the lighter and held the tip of the pin to it for a five-second count.

  "You're sure?"

  "Do it. You're cold. I think you need to do this more than I need to be shown anything. And hey, I'm here to serve."

  So there it was. Alright.

  Shaking, I tried to be as friendish as I could with the actual matter of the puncture. It took two jabs though, shaky as I was, and he winced a little, but not much.

  Kyle Ryan, the inept Rocker Boi Nurse, draws blood from the willing donor.

  Oh God, I could smell it already, and there was barely a cell phone-red drop making an appearance on the flat stub of his thumb, a delicious dot in the middle of the print. I didn't know if I was supposed to be elegant, suave, smooth, or hungry, rough, and ruthless. I didn't feel any of those things. I just felt needy, as I lifted his thumb to my mouth.

  Then the taste. The texture. The flow past my teeth and gums. A mere two, then three, then four drops. But drops of pure perfection. My mouth was all watery and happy as it helped carry the life force next down my throat, where it warmed and soothed, then down, down, down. There was a burst of warmth from my belly outwards, spreading to every muscles, limb, and sinew. I had sucked maybe ten drops, and I let Josh's hand go and flung myself down on the bed and let myself be renewed. My breathing was full and I felt I was smelling everything beautiful for miles around. My entire body was filled with that heat again. The beautiful heat that felt so right along with the feeling of my skin smoothing to perfection and the definition in all my muscles returning. I actually felt myself rip into shape in long, beautiful sweeping seconds. And for a little while, I knew, even the questions would disappear.

  Kyle looked down at me.

  He said three words that chilled me, warm as I was.

  "I want more."

  Now, yes, I needed to piss.

  CHAPTER NINE: JACKIE AGAIN

  Chilled me, yes. Surprised me, not really. A small part of my brain had suspected Josh might freak and run when he discovered that what I "claimed" was actually truth, but a much larger part knew this would be his exact reaction.

  "No, Josh. At least... not until I know more. Damn dude, I mean, I can't lie, that was amazing.
And your blood is way better than a rat's, by the way..."

  "Aw, you sweet-talker..."

  "Shut up. Seriously. This just... no. No! Not until I really know what's up. Not until I know it's okay, that I won't kill you, that... Just, no. Period."

  "Suit yourself,” he said, sucking on this thumb in quick puckers to plug the minimal bleeding, "but you're the one missing out on a gourmet meal!"

  "Oh, you're gonna be all glib about this? Cute. Aren't you scared? Aren't you disgusted? Don't you wanna—"

  "No, no, and no again. Look, don't make me go into a speech on the 'Possibility of All'."

  "Oh God. Okay-okay, I get it, you're cool with me being a physically changed, immortal blood gulper. Cool. Great. I mean, hell, I'm obviously gonna need people on my side."

  Was this craziness, the devotion of a leftover crush, or just really damn good friend? I had to opt for choice three now, just for my own sanity and survival, and hope I wasn't snowing myself.

  "Clearly. You need questions answered, yeah? Lots of them, I'm guessing." He lay down next to me, his thumb totally healed.

  "You have no idea, my friend."

  He sat up fast. "Then that's what we're gonna do. This will be our quest. We're going to get your questions answered. Yes!"

  "Hey, I love your enthusiasm and all, but...?"

  "I'm already working something up in my head, trust me. It's going to take some research, and some effort, but it's gonna happen." He went over to my computer and fired it up, navigating to an astrology site.

  "What the hell are you doing?"

  "Oh, this actually has nothing to do with you, well, not really. I'm checking moon phases and some positions of celestial bodies over the next month."

  "Um, why?"

  "Don't worry about it, you know I'm into this stuff. Or, well, I mean, I'm into everything, you know that."

  "I do." I rolled my eyes.

  "Hey,” he stopped typing, his hands in place on the home keys, frozen. "Have you decided what you're going to do about Shannon, and Jackie, and well, a lot of people, for that matter?"

  "I haven't, no. Again, there's a lot I'm not comfortable with until I get some answers. I'm pretty sure Shannon will have to know at some point, 'cause she's like duh, my sister, and Jackie... for multiple reasons."

  "Really now?"

  "Dude, just, let's not even worry with that right now. Talk about another place where I need answers."

  He started typing again, just bouncing around the site, checking random facts.

  "Well, I'm going to try to stay out of that whole mess as much as I can, but...I do have to poke my nose in real quick and tell you that your name has been popping up around our house a lot lately. While Arthur's stock has seemed to decrease."

  "Hmm. I'll keep that in mind. For now, one thing at a time."

  "Absolutely. Like, my finding out that my best friend is a Vampire Scene Stud. God, do you know how popular you're gonna be once—"

  "Again, not 'til I know more. And dude, hell no to all the scene kids finding out I'm a vamp at once. You never know how people are gonna react to something like this."

  "Hey, come on!,” he mocked me, "it's 2008, get current, everybody's becoming a vamp!" He laughed as he got up from the computer.

  "You won't be laughing when the wrong Straight Edge Christian Screamo dude finds out and comes looking for me with a wooden stake!"

  We both got a good dumb cackle at that, and he swooped by my bedside, tousled my hair and headed for the hallway. "Well, later... DARK ONE! Somehow I don't think I get to sport that moniker anymore. You have usurped me! I'll call you soon. And for now, just try and relax. At least take comfort that your secret’s safe with me, okay?"

  "Yes sir, later!"

  The front door slammed shut. I went to the computer and started cleaning the cache, (something I should have automated long ago, but I liked hands-on control) then I looked out the window. Beautiful. Everything was beautiful. Ultra-dimensional, hyper-colored, and almost sexy in how alive it all looked. I could have sat there, legs crossed in my big leather office chair for hours, just looking. But my cell phone's annoying-ass ringtone brought me back to right here, right now. I flipped it open, loving its texture as I did so.

  "'Sup?"

  "'Sup? You've got to be kidding me, even you're better at greetings than that!"

  What the hell, was this Invasion of the Daltons? Not that I wasn't happy to hear from her. Dammit.

  "Hi, Jackie."

  "How was the visit from my manic brother?"

  "It was good, actually. Things are very smooth." I had to assume the whole sexuality thing was a non-issue with her, and that she clearly already knew.

  "I knew they would be. I'd only been telling him for months to quit worrying and just tell you."

  "I guess I am kinda surprised it took him this long, but it's whatever. We're closer, if anything. It's all gravy. So, where were we before the Josh storm?"

  In the small silence that followed, two instant messages tried to pop through on my computer. Both Scene acquaintances. I simply chose not to accept. I'm sure it would just be blah-blah about the Alphatwyn show, or chatter about "Generic Indie Band Number one thousand and something" would be in town next week. I was much more interested to see what was giving Jackie pause, literally.

  "Kyle, can I ask you something?"

  "Anything."

  "What might you be doing next weekend?"

  Oh gosh, I dunno. Draining some lower life forms of their blood, not sleeping, roaming around a lot at night, possibly purchasing new sunglasses if my sensitivity grew any stronger...Wait a minute...

  "Why do you ask?"

  "Because. I want to do something with you. Just the two of us."

  Gulp. Dry vampire mouth. Brain blank.

  "Well...'kay."

  "Don't go all frozen on me. Look, it's like this: Arthur and I don't love each other. He's cute and fabulous and kisses the ground I walk on, but...that gets really old. And there's nothing much beyond that. Even the making out and—"

  "Okay! Limit! Reached!"

  She took another big breath, like she wanted to try another approach. And her tone was quiet, and so sincere it actually turned me on.

  "I miss you, Kyle. I was stupid, hasty, and thoughtless. And, I would do just about anything for a second chance, even though I am completely non-deserving. God, that sounded cheesy. But it's the truth. Nobody who screws around deserves a second chance, but, that's basically what I'm asking for, fair or not. You just refuse to leave my brain. And this is real, yes. I'm not joking, I'm not playing, I'm not jerking you around. I just miss you. And even if you don't give me a second chance, I'd at least love for us to be closer again."

  Wow. The real Jackie. This was the Jackie I had fallen in love with a long while back. The Jackie that, I thought, had ceased to exist the day she dumped me and ran into Arthur's arms. But was it real? Was she just bored? Was she just lonely? Like, was Arthur just busy all the time and ignoring her and she knew I was an easy mark? Damn. Nah, screw it. Why not take a chance? I had eternity to get over another broken heart anyway, right?

  "Well, what did you have in mind?"

  "Something simple. I want to talk. We have a lot of catching up to do."

  If you only knew, darling.

  "How about let's just go the coffee house and chill. Then, if you want, we could..."

  I thought for a second. We couldn't really come here. It would take Shannon awhile before she was no longer suspicious of "Jackie the Super Bitch who'd broken her little brother's heart." I knew I could change that pretty fast, but still, not as fast as next weekend. So I continued, trying not to sound too obvious about the fact that she wouldn't be much welcomed at the Ryan household, for now.

  "Well. Hell, I mean, let's just stay there and talk, see how things go. Once I get some caffeine in me I can talk talk talk for hours. I can tell you about Alphatwyn, and... well, everything really (everything? nah, probably not) and maybe you can tell me abo
ut the demise of you and the fantastic Arthur... if you're up for it."

  "Eh. I'm really up for anything that involves the two of us being alone and just spending some calm time together. It's been too long."

  "It has, Jackie..." I stopped before the rest of the pet name could emerge. "But hey, the war ends this weekend. Say Friday night-ish?"

  "Ha, well, it's either Friday night or not Friday night, Kyle dear."

  "Yes ma'am. Okay, Friday. I'll pick you up at eight."

  "I'll be waiting."

  "'Kay... Hey Jackie?"

  "Yeah?"

  "This day has been completely bizarre. And...amazing. I can't wait to see you again."

  "So no weirdness in the halls this week at school?"

  "None.”

  "Good. Until tomorrow then. Oh, and you might actually try saying something more than 'hi' or 'bye',” she teased.

  "Gotcha. 'Til then."

  Click.

  I stood up, walked to my window, where the world was beautiful and seductive and fresh, and took stock of my life.

  My best friend was gay: no big deal, no sweat. My ex-girlfriend wanted to go out with me: bigger deal. Was it a date? A friendly closure ritual? A guilt thing? I didn't know. I was a vampire, without a clue: Bad. But cool. Definite Scene cred accelerated, but confusion thrown into overdrive. And wait a minute? What was this? I was actually tired.

  Sweet.

  I stripped down, flopped onto my bed, and slept hard and full.

  CHAPTER TEN: DREAM-LIKE

  Something embedded deep, deep in my eighteen-year-old gray matter had sprouted the assumption that a vamp's sleep would be dreamless. Shannon was always reminding me what a "victim" of pop culture I was and she wasn't wrong, but I think my obsession with Scene and Gothic pop culture had somehow made me more prepared to accept my current, and possibly eternal, state. Maybe my assumption was just symptomatic of my pup-culturetude. But I can say this much with the totality-of-no-doubt-in-my-mind: the sleep of the bloodthirsty immortal was anything but lacking in dreams.

  That evening, before the sun had even started to go down down down, to set all California-like, I was drifting off into a silky sleep of amazing weight. So much had slammed into my psyche with such speed, that even my newly-armored body had to do some replenishing.