Chapter 19: The Vampire Pirate's Daughter by Lynette Ferreira
Carmine leans into me and she rests her head on my shoulder. She says again relieved, “I am so glad you are safe, Susie.”
Duncan nudges me from the other side and I look at him, smiling relieved because there is no awkwardness between us.
Andrew does not say anything, and he stares out of the window ahead of him.
When we get home, I assume Andrew will come in, but he says goodbye to Amanda and then he walks away by himself. My eyes follow him confused. When we were trapped under the house, he told me he liked me and now he is back to ignoring me again.
I do not have time to ponder him too long because Carmine starts to chatter again. She tells me how she could not believe I am a vampire and she never suspected anything. After the accident, she did wonder a little, but she had the same excuses I had—adrenaline and shock. There are many stories of mothers who have done amazing things to rescue their children, and if I recall correctly, I think one of those stories included a woman who lifted a car to free her child from under it.
Amanda goes upstairs and Carmine, Duncan and I talk late into the night. They ask me question after question, but I only answer those I know would not shock them. When they ask about my feeding habits, I lie and tell them we do not kill people for blood. They are amazed when I tell them how many vampires have integrated with humans and how we live with them every day. Some have managed to integrate better than others.
I do not go to school the following day. I must stay in the basement for two weeks during the day and drink my pill dutifully every morning. We are not sure how long the pill takes before it starts working. We started drinking it so long ago and Amanda can only vaguely remember it took about a week. She does not want to take any chances, so she decides, and I agree to be safe, I would stay in the basement for two weeks.
IT HAS BEEN a week already and one night after dusk, I come upstairs and go to the kitchen where I know I will find Amanda.
I ask her the same question I have asked for the last seven nights, “Is there any messages for me?”
She shakes her head distractedly and says, “I did phone the school though and explained you have a bad flu and would only be back at school next week.”
“Oh. Okay.”
I hesitate, but then ask, “Andrew didn’t phone?” I quickly add, “Or Carmine?”
“Carmine phoned and I am sure she will be here any second now.” It is as if Amanda foretold it because the doorbell rings just as she finishes her sentence.
Getting up from the chair, I say, “Don’t worry. I’ll get it.”
I open the door smiling widely. It has been a long, long boring day and even Carmine’s incessant babble will shorten the night.
It is not Carmine, though, but Andrew. I look at him uncertainly and he smiles bashfully. I force myself to smile friendly.
He says, “Hey.” He looks unsure of himself and he looks at me questioningly.
“Hello, Andrew.” I am still upset. He told me how much he liked me, or I thought he did, and then he just ignored me again.
“Can I come in?”
“Why?” Besides the lies he told me when he thought he was dying, we had nothing to discuss. Admittedly, I did want to see him, but I have played this very conversation in my mind repeatedly and have concluded I must forget Andrew completely. How stupid can one vampire be, falling in love with a plain, weak and frail human?
He sighs exasperatedly. “Can I just come in, Susie?”
I exhale noisily. “Why, Andrew?”
“Look, I am sorry I did not come sooner, but I have my reasons.”
I step backwards, my hand on the door, ready to close it in his face.
He steps forward. “Don’t close the door.”
“What do you want, Andrew? Where is Carmine?”
He pushes into me and he takes me by surprise, so I step backwards. He pushes the door closed behind him with a backwards sweep of his hand, while he mumbles, “I convinced Carmine not to come.”
I turn to him and look at him disbelievingly. He looks back at me and I cannot stop the words when they rush from my lips, “I thought you said you liked me? You just walked off after we got home, so are you confused now and not sure you could like someone like me?”
He steps to me, but I start walking past him to the lounge. He turns to follow me and as I walk into the room, picking up the television remote from the coffee table, he says suddenly, unwaveringly, “It could be that hug you and Duncan shared because when I climbed over the lip of that chasm, it looked very heart-rending.”
I turn to look at him, unable to hide the surprise on my face. “It meant nothing, and you could have asked me then, not sulk off and leave me wondering what is wrong with you!”
He frowns briefly and then he steps closer to me.
Sitting down on the couch, I ask nonchalantly, “So? Do you want to play a game? I am seriously bored.”
He sits down next to me on the couch and then he turns to me. “Okay. I am sorry for just walking off and not saying anything. If I said anything, you would have thought of me as jealous and I did not want that. I had to process it first.”
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