Color Me Red (A Vampire Romance)

9

Gabbi doesn't wish for a lot of things. Apart from death, she doesn't wish for anything at all. But a day after the conversation with Damien in the library, the embodiment of desire had rapped into the bedroom and barged in before she could open it. Damien's rule regarding his room's privacy has been thrown out the window.

"This is it, Gabbi!" Tyler pulled her out of her bed and danced her around. The silver glow of his eyes was of a man who conquered the riches of the world after a struggle against million rivals within a millennium. Desire, a man who had attained desire, is what Tyler looked like, and she could help herself but be terrified and happy for him at the same time.

"Damien agreed!" Gabbi had to flinch at the excitement but nodded. "We're going to be high schoolers—do drugs, wild sex in the back seat, and do all the wrong things like this generation's youth!"

We. The word itself squeezed her gut. She took a deep breath to quell the sprouting excitement. It's not so good to be carried away for someone with counted days.

"I think that's not why we go to school." She caught her breath, not from lack of air but the sudden surprise to dance around in victory. Tyler's excitement is contagious. For a fraction of a moment, she too, imagined herself outside the manor. She wished to walk in the halls, books in hand, homework done, with chatters and normalcy around her.

Two weeks from now, a new school year would begin and counting the things they must do to prepare, he was gone. Gabbi was left blinking at the storm of surprise and fought a smile.

______________

From that day forward, she spent more time in the library. Marcus gave them materials on what to study in high school, along with the emphasis on hiding their identity every chance he gets. Damien had not shown interest, but it was better than his initial reaction.

The library has been used for crammed lessons after another, with Tyler, instead of her leisure moments. This included Tyler's practice of acting as humanly as slow as possible. He complained, of course, but then the desire for freedom outweighed the inconvenience.

"Well, I thought I'd never see the day," Marcus marveled. He even paused by the door to drown in the sight of his youngest brother in his tamed state. She and Tyler had both been writing fervently when Marcus entered with a new batch of freshly bought books.

"See what?" Tyler looked up as if awoken from his scholarly pursuits.

"You, studying like a good boy."

But the older Roșu's smile inverted into a frown upon approach. They were not study notes but sketches of faces against the perfect rows of words and concepts of human behavior. Gabbi took only a glance, but she knew they were great, despite the blunder of books. Marcus took it from him and faintly hit his brother's forehead with its spine.

"I am studying," Tyler insisted. "You know we learn fast."

In an attempt to save Tyler, Gabbi chimed in with a question. "Marcus?"

"Yes?"

"Why did you let us go to school?"

"Why not? From what I see, you are of the high school age."

Gabbi paused. She was older to be a freshman, but it seems her face misled them. Aren't they hiding the existence of vampires? It's not that she doesn't trust Tyler, it doesn't matter to her, but there is always a possibility of secrets being spilled.

"Late, it may seem, but can I ask your age?" Marcus asked.

"Nineteen."

"No, you're not!" Three of them paused, all for different reasons.

"Sorry, I guess?" Gabbi made a nervous laugh, unsure as to why the Roșus exchanged glances.

Tyler cleared his throat. "You... look way younger, though."

"Whatever it may, it's just right for school, and this idiot—" He hit him with the spine for the second time, "—Deserves some freedom. You too."

"Freedom, huh," she mumbled unconsciously.

"Why Gabbi, you don't feel trapped here?" Tyler asked as he reached for the new books of English history to be his next canvass. Marcus glared at him, but Tyler made a shallow promise of actually reading.

"I don't." It was the truth. "I don't feel trapped at all."

"That's good to hear, don't you think?" but Marcus was asking directly to someone loitering by the door.

Damien just spared her a glance, then back to Marcus. "We're low on supply."

"Call Mr. Gil. Alivia isn't here for the moment."

"How many? Usual?"

"Cut by a quarter. The siblings and others won't be here for the week."

He nodded, and he was gone. Gabbi was reminded from time to time that they were more than human. The proof would be the usual conversation about blood supplies as if they were groceries.

______________

She has many questions, never mind the vampiric details–but one of them was since when did the library have a TV as big as the window. Or why does she have a box of caramel popcorn while Tyler was sipping blood with a twisting straw from his tumbler? The window curtains were down, and the chandelier had lost its luminance for the moment. The only flickering aside from the humongous screen was the fireplace. Clearly, they were not in the theater. The image of the abandoned library she had once entered days ago was just fictitious as the movie they are watching.

"Why are we watching this again?" she asked, the middle part of the movie.

"Shhh." He sipped his straw of blood. "It's the good part. They're gonna kiss."

It was the fourth film from romance, fantasy, or action. They watched it all a day left until school starts.

"Why are they taking off their clothes?" Tyler asked innocently, looking at the screen.

"You know why." The chandelier, along with other lights in the room, was turned on. The newcomer, Damien, stood by the switch with a frown. "Don't pretend like you don't."

Gabbi sat stiff as he sat next to her. Now, she was in between the brothers with a racy scenario right in front of their eyes. She suddenly didn't know what to do. She's supposed to be used to it now.

Gabbi counted her popcorn, half of the bucket gone, and refused to watch characters explore bodies with their tongue or let Tyler's commentaries pass in her left ear.

"Wha—it was the good part!" Tyler whined.

When Gabbi looked up, the screen was black, and Damien held the remote as if it was the most coveted thing. "It was boring."

Somehow, she was thankful for the interruption.

"You," Damien glared at Gabbi, "if you don't feel comfortable, say it. Don't spoil him." He couldn't have possibly known her discomfort, yet it was as if he did. He left with the remote, deaf to Tyler's complaints.

"Oh yeah?!" the youngest screamed despite the already closed door. "I know how she feels too!" He then glanced at her, "Right, Gabbi?"

Her head tilted in confusion. "I guess so?"

"See? I know how you feel. Confused about what I'm talking about, aren't you? Of course, he knows whatever you feel." He clicked his tongue and pouted. "He knows everything about you now."