She is Fatal to Death (Standalone Story)

Chapter 15 (The Menu)

Renata

She took a deep breath as she wrapped herself in a towel. The bathroom was excessively built in size and grandeur, like her bedroom and just about every other inch of the mansion she'd seen thus far. The dark woods, blood red accents, and overall gothic theme seemed a bit cliché— a small part of her was thrilled since she'd always fantasized about visiting the Adams family house.

The bedroom was a bit cold as Renata stepped into it. She wasn't at all surprised to see Rocio lounging on the made bed. "How's the girlfriend?"

Renata thought back to how frantic Diamond sounded. It was becoming a common occurrence and she hated that she was the cause of it. Her eyes narrowed back in on her older sister. "She's not my girlfriend. She's worried about me." Liar, liar, liar.

Okay, I love you.

"You haven't even been gone a full forty-eight hours—twenty four of them you damn near slept away." This was the kind of banter that convinced Renata she was actually talking to her sister. Rocio was never known to let things go.

Renata began applying her lotion. "Yeah, I think everything just kind of caught up to me. I hadn't really slept all last week."

"Well," Rocio swung over her lengthy legs to sit up and on the edge of the bed, "I rescheduled the dinner we were supposed to have last time to tonight, assuming you don't want to get another snooze in."

Renata had put on her silver necklace. Now she folded her arms, feeling annoyed with her pushy sister. She should have 'persistent motherfucker' tattooed across her chest. "What? Vamps don't need sleep?"

Rocio smiled. It was kind of creepy. It has this knowing, mischievous air about it. "Sometimes. Definitely not as often as humans." Her eyes zeroed in on Renata's neck. "I'm surprised you've kept that this whole time still, and in that condition too."

Renata touched the heart, running her fingertips over it. It was cool against her warm skin. "Yeah. Ma comes everywhere with me, you know that."

Rocio kept staring at her neck. She spoke as though breaking her own concentration. "You know, I always envied that necklace. You've always had a piece of her. I wasn't so lucky." Rest in peace, Tía Isa.

She thought back to her tía, who'd taken eight year old Renata in when Renata's mother, Tía Isa's older sister, Reh, was murdered. It would only be three years later when Tía Isa suffered a fatal heart attack. Considering Reh and Isa were the only known family members of Rocio and Renata, this left them at the mercy of the United States' Government.

Renata lost some of the fire in her tone. "I'm sorry, I didn't know that."

Rocio waved her hand and got up. "Relax, I didn't mean to bring down the room. Can you be ready in an hour? I'll come get you."

Renata nodded, but she was still grappling with the different topics of conversation. "Yeah, that's okay."

"Alright, I'll get out of your hair." She was gone. Renata had a deep breath as she felt the rush of air as a result. Another thing she learned was the ridiculous speed of the undying. There was a lot more to learn, but Renata felt no need to digest it all at once.

**********

Renata had just finished laying down her edges as there was an insistent knock at the door.

"We're not going to the Met Gala, Nata," Rocio hollered from the other side. "You look delicious." Wow, what a choice of words considering Rocio hadn't quite asked what the undying eat. There was an obvious answer, but she didn't dare assume, especially because her heart needed a fucking break.