There will be others of your kind there. Keep your wits about you and shield
your thoughts.” She urged him. She then looked at Camille, “And if I hear that
he was left alone, even for a moment, I’ll have your teeth on a chain around my
neck.”
“Yes, Ma’am.” She
said back. “C’mon Taylor!” she nearly squealed, backing out of the room and
pulling him along with her.
Sonya passed them as
she walked in the room, “Well? How is he doing?” She asked, fastening a large
silver hoop earring.
“He can do it, as long
as nothing distracts him. But, let Camille walk in shaking her little ass, or a
butterfly pass the window outside, and his mind opens up like a book.”
Sonya smiled, “He’s
young. He has time.”
Beatriz got a serious
look on her face. “He is our future, Sonya. If we are to break away from those
great boars, he shall be the reason. We need a male. And one with his powers
and his charisma has not been seen in centuries… perhaps never. He may be the
first.” Her voice trailed off as she gazed up at the mantle. A smile crossed
her face, “When Roberto painted that portrait of me, I felt he was so talented…”
She looked at Sonya, “But Taylor has so much more. It’s a shame the years have
made him bitter.”
“Roberto is your
enemy, never forget that.” Sonya said.
Beatriz chuckled, “How
could I forget? He’d never allow it.” She took in a deep breath and ran her
finger through the flame of the candle that burned on the table, “Still, he is
also an enemy to the elders, whether they know it or not. I’m not so stupid or
so removed from them all that I don’t know they plot our downfall from that
little establishment that I pay the rent on.” She looked up at Sonya, the light
flickering off her obsidian eyes. “But this little war shall have three sides.
And in the end, Taylor and I shall rule them.” She said it with a certainty
that Sonya didn’t question.
“The Elders are old
and too out of touch. I believe in time, you will be head of the city. But,
Taylor is very young and unfocused, and I’ve not seen the hunger for power that
may be needed for him to rule beside you.”
“We shall see.”
Beatriz said, “In any event, I want him to be able to deal with whatever comes
up. Whether it be the elders, or those freaks on the street.”
Sonya smiled, “I’m
with you there. There are too many out there who’d like to see him fall.” She
turned for the door, but stopped, “Who’s picking them up tonight?” she asked.
Beatriz smiled and
trotted over beside her, “Mr. Jones.” She whispered. “Taylor doesn’t know,
does he?”
Sonya clasped her
hands in front of her face, “No!” She grinned. “In fact, he was all sad and
weepy earlier, watching one of those tapes his father sent him. He’ll be so
happy, Beatriz.”
“I know. I can’t wait
to see his face.” She said softly.
Sonya walked out the
door and into the sitting room. The heavy curtains were pulled back and the
lights of New York City were dazzling as the city prepared to ring in the New
Year. “I love winter!” She said, looking out the huge windows. “The
nights are longer and the sun is weaker! I just get so much more done!” She
bubbled.
“Yes, it’s a wonderful
time for us.” Beatriz agreed, sitting down on the couch.
Taylor stepped into
the room, tucking the red silk shirt he wore into his pants. He sat down next
to Beatriz and rubbed his eyes, “When can I stop wearing these stupid things?”
He asked her.
“When women accept the
fact that you are dead.” Beatriz replied, reaching over and pulling the silver
cross out of his shirt and dropping it gently against his chest.
“Ha!” Camille laughed
as she joined them, “That’ll probably never happen. Some of ‘em have websites
devoted to the whole ‘Taylor Hanson is Alive’ movement.”
Taylor rolled his
eyes, “I told you some of them are beyond help.”
“They don’t have
pictures, do they?” Beatriz asked, worry etched across her face.
Camille sat down next
to Taylor, “Well, yeah.” She said. “I mean, it’s not him, but they’ve
managed to find some guys that look an awful lot like you…” she said, gazing at
him.
“Well, aren’t they
lucky fellows?” Sonya said with a smile.
“They certainly are.”
Beatriz agreed, laughing as she saw Taylor roll his eyes and a rosy blush redden
his ears.
Melanie stepped into
the room, “What are you all embarrassed about?” She asked Taylor, as she
reached down and tied her shoe.
He shook his head, and
Melanie looked at Camille. “We were just talking about the crazies on the
internet.”
Melanie shook her head
and picked her purse up out of the chair, “God, aren’t you glad you don’t have
to deal with those nuts anymore?” She asked.
Taylor’s face took on
a faraway look, and he sighed, “I don’t know, I sort of miss them, really. And
I feel bad ‘cause they think I’m dead and stuff. I know some of ‘em probably
freaked…” he said, looking down at his hands.
“Yeah, well, you’d be
right about that.” Melanie said ruffling his hair, “Come on! Damn! All the
good ones are gonna be so wasted by the time we get there, they won’t have any
blood left in their alcohol!” She laughed.
Sonya stood up,
“Where’s Kirk?” She asked.
Melanie shrugged, “I
don’t know, he’s worse than Taylor. He’s probably changing his shirt or combing
his hair or something.”
Taylor shut his eyes
for a moment, and from down the hall they heard Kirk, “Ok, geez! I’m comin’!
You don’t have to sic the big dog on me!”
As he stepped into the
room, Taylor stood up, “I am SO not the ‘big dog’. But hurry up anyway, I’m
getting a headache. I just wanna go, get something and come back. I hate
crowds anyway.” He complained, pulling on a black leather jacket.
Camille and Melanie
both stepped up to him, “Taylor, it’s New Year’s Eve in New York City. You are
not just gonna eat and run. I’m sorry.” Camille smiled, putting her arm
through his.
He looked over at Beatriz, “It is
tradition, Taylor. Besides, once you feed, your head will stop aching. In
fact, I’m certain that if you would take your fill tonight, it may never hurt
again.” She stood up from the couch and slowly walked toward him, her cobalt colored
sweater hugging her body. She looked into his eyes, “Enjoy what you
are Taylor. Drink every girl you see there. And then top it off with some
beautiful boy like yourself…” Slowly, she inched closer to him as the others
watched. Her lips parted and her teeth gleamed in the light just as she covered
his mouth with her own. As their tongues mingled, Camille felt a stab of
jealousy, but she knew that Beatriz could take what she wanted, and she had lost
her claim on him when she’d allowed him to drink from her. They’d sinned and
she’d paid for it dearly. Her blue eyes met Melanie’s and she could feel the
other girl’s sympathy for her. Finally, Beatriz pulled back and slowly opened
her eyes and smiled at Taylor. He wiped his mouth and backed away from her and
she raised her hand as they walked away. “Be careful.” She said, “And Kirk—“
“I know, I know—don’t
let anything happen to him. I won’t!” Kirk replied as he pushed the button for
the elevator. The doors slid open and one by one they stepped in, Taylor being
the last.
“Come with us.” Taylor looked at her, standing alone in the cold looking room. She smiled,
and shook her head, and the door closed.
~~~~~
Zac sighed and turned
to his brother, “Ike, what do you think he’s like now?”
Looking up from the
latest copy of Rolling Stone Magazine, Isaac looked into his brother’s worried
eyes, “Mom said he was okay. Mr. Jones told her that in a few weeks he thought
he’d be totally fine.”
“Well, it’s only been
thirteen days.” Zac replied.
Isaac shook his head,
“Dude, you just keep asking me this stuff and I don’t know. You know as much as
I do. If you don’t want to see him, Zac, just say so. You can stay at the
hotel.”
“No! I didn’t say
that. I do want to see him. I just don’t know what to expect, y’know?” Zac
said looking back out the window as the city lights began to come into view.
“Well, I guess we’ll
find out.” Isaac said softly.
~~~~~
Mr. Jones stood,
waiting for Taylor’s brothers to come into view. The airport was actually very
quiet, as most travelers were already here by now for the holidays. As soon as
he saw two figures in nondescript clothing, their faces hidden by baseball caps,
he knew he’d found them. “Hello, gentlemen.” He said, holding his hand out to
Isaac and patting Zac on the back.
“Hi, Mr. Jones.”
Isaac smiled.
“Hey.” Zac said
shyly.
“How is your family?”
The man asked as they made their way to pick up the one bag they’d brought with
them.
“All things
considered, they’re doing alright.” Isaac replied, watching the different
suitcases and assorted pieces of luggage pass before them.
“How’s Taylor?” Zac
asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
“All things
considered…” he smiled, “I think he’s doing better day by day. His headaches
are fewer and those nasty mood swings as well.”
“Ah, has he been
grouchy lately?” Isaac asked, reaching down and picking up a worn green duffle
bag and slinging it over his shoulder.
“Well,” Mr. Jones
said, turning towards the exit doors, “the lady did quite a job on him. Don’t
take this the wrong way, but I believe the young master incurred a good deal of
what would be considered brain damage to we humans.” He looked at both boys as
their faces showed their concern at that term. “Don’t panic, for his kind, it
only means he is experiencing a bit of…” he searched his mind for the right
words, “unpredictable emotions, now and then.”
Zac and Isaac looked
at one another, “Yeah well,” Isaac stated, “some things never change.” Zac
smiled.
The doors to the
terminal opened and all three of them found themselves in bitter cold. They all
pulled their jackets closed and zipped them. Zac pulled his face down into the
collar of his coat and shoved his hands deeper into the pockets. With a wave of
his hand, Mr. Jones had a cab there and they tossed the bag in the front and all
sat in the roomy back seat as the driver was given the address.
~~~~~
The crowd of partiers
in Times Square had been celebrating for hours even before Taylor and his
companions got there. As they made their way through thousands and thousands of
people, Taylor was picking up all sorts of thoughts and words from the mass of
humanity around him. Closing his eyes for a moment, he took Camille’s hand and
allowed her to pull him deeper into the throng. Remembering the lessons he’d
learned from Sonya and Beatriz, he cleared his mind of the ramblings coming from
the inebriated souls around him. When he opened his eyes again, there were
people crushed around him as far as the eye could see. He was glad to be taller
than most and he looked down at Camille on his one side and Melanie on the
other. “Want me to lift you up?” He said to the smaller girl.
Camille smiled,
“Taylor, I’ve seen this before. I’m not here to watch the ball drop. But
thanks!” She brightened.
Melanie leaned over,
“You’ve seen it before, haven’t you? I mean, I’m sure old Dick Clark invited
you guys to New Year’s Rockin’ Eve before, since you are, or were anyway,
some of the chosen ones.”
Taylor sighed, “Well,
at the height of our fame, we really weren’t old enough to be doing this kind of
stuff, y’know? I mean, Zac was only like, eleven or twelve and my Mom was about
to have Zoë and stuff…” his voice trailed off.
“Don’t go there,
man.” Kirk said from behind him as he shot a look at Melanie.
“Hey, how did I know
he’d get all funky just ‘cause I asked him about the ball?” She defended
herself.
Kirk shook his head
and looked at the people around him. The cold had caused almost all of them to
bundle up tightly, complete with hats on their heads and scarves around their
necks. Some though, had obviously had enough to drink that they weren’t feeling
the cold. Just to the right of them, a couple stood, barely standing due to the
drinks in their hands, leaning against each other for support. “Hey, Mel…” Kirk
said, his eyes pointing them out to her. “Why don’t you show Taylor how it’s
done?” Taylor turned his head to Kirk, then followed his eyes. He watched as
Melanie effortlessly made her way through the crowd until she was standing
behind the couple. She leaned over and whispered something in the man’s ear,
then she put her arm around his shoulder. The other she draped across the
woman’s then leaned in toward her neck. Pulling her light jacket away, she
placed her face close to her, reveling in the warmth coming off her as she
closed her eyes. Though he couldn’t see her fangs, he knew she’d sunk them into
the woman’s throat as she stiffened. Her companion did nothing, not even
looking at the two women next to him. Anyone looking would have thought they
were witnessing some very heavy PDA going on.
“If you think I’m
gonna drink from someone right here in front of a gazillion people, you can just
think again dude.” Taylor said, his eyebrows raised.
Camille smiled,
knowing exactly what he would say ahead of time. Kirk smiled, “You are such a
pussy, man! If I had your powers, I’d drink all night ‘til dawn.”
“Yeah well, you manage that just fine
without my powers.” Taylor smirked.
“Whatever!” Kirk
furrowed his brow. “So, what, we gotta find you someplace here where you can
hide? And Beatriz wants you to drink till you can’t drink another drop. She
thinks you just need to feed more and those headaches’ll go away.”
“No matter how much I
feed, you people always tell me it’s not enough.” Taylor snorted.
Camille turned around
now, “Well, Taylor, you have to admit, even when you do feed, you always stop
before you should. And if you took like, four or five people a night, I guess
that would be ok. But, that’s not the case, so I sort of have to agree.”
“I’m afraid I’m gonna
kill somebody…” he whispered, his eyes now moving over the happy faces of the
people around him.
Kirk looked at
Camille, “Alright, let’s get out of the crowd. Gotta find someplace a little
quieter I guess. Tell Melanie to catch up.” Her eyes went to Melanie and Kirk
watched as she silently sent a message to the girl. Kirk and Taylor just looked
at each other for a moment, then Kirk pulled him by his arm back the way they’d
come.
~~~~~
“Hey, this isn’t far
from where we stay when we’re in town!” Zac marveled as the cab pulled up in
front of Beatriz’ building. “How come I never noticed it before?”
“That’s the way the
Lady wants it.” Mr. Jones replied, stepping out of the car. Isaac and Zac just
looked at each other and followed the man through the glass doors.
Once inside, they were
met with a man who offered to carry Isaac’s bag for him. “No, that’s okay dude,
I got it.” He replied and the man bowed and stepped back again. Mr. Jones
smiled and pushed the button for the elevator. “Get lots of tourists here, do ya?”
Isaac asked.
“Not exactly.” Mr.
Jones answered, “As I’m sure you are aware.”
Zac leaned over
towards his brother, “They just need help carrying bodies up now and then, I
bet.”
Mr. Jones watched the
numbers flash as they went up, “Any vampire unable to carry a human body by his
or her self is probably in very deep trouble. Your brother is the only one I
know of who is constantly finding himself in that pitiful a state.” He then
looked over at Isaac, “Through no fault of his own, of course.”
“So Taylor’s a big
wimp?” Zac asked, no humor in his voice.
“Not at all. He is
actually quite powerful. But he allows his emotions much more power over him
than the others.” He stepped forward as the last number flashed, “I expect that
is behind him now though. The Lady is teaching him to control that and I
believe all his problems are behind him physically as well.”
“Oh. Well, that’s
good.” Isaac said, his eyes widening as he stepped out into the large room.
“I suppose.” Mr.
Jones said softly, turning to face the two boys. “Welcome to the home of the
Lady Beatriz. And your brother, of course.” He said.
Zac looked over at
Isaac, “Good grief, it’s like…a museum or something.” Both of them looked at
their surroundings. White marble floors and walls a slightly darker hue.
Furnishings and just the overall style of the building giving off an art deco
vibe, yet, some of the décor obviously much older and more primitive. The large
windows overlooking the city sparkled in their cleanliness and the bird cage as
well, with it’s bright specimen inside, eyeing them all with extreme distrust.
Zac stepped over to the cage, peering inside as the bird backed away from him.
“Montezuma and your
brother had a bit of a falling out. I’m afraid he may not like you any more
than he does Taylor.” Mr. Jones said, stepping over to the desk and reading a
couple of notes left there for him.
“Yeah?” Zac said.
“Taylor’s usually a sucker for animals and stuff, that’s kinda weird.”
“Put it down to
jealousy.” Mr. Jones said, tossing the little bits of paper back down next to
the telephone. A sound caused them all to turn. There stood Beatriz, her hair
pulled up in a soft bun, pieces of it loose, curling delicately around her
face.
Stepping up to Isaac,
she pulled the hat off his head and held out her hand to him, “Welcome to my
home.” She smiled, then she gently touched the curls on his head, bringing life
back to them after having been flattened under his cap.
“Thank you for having
us.” He said back. She then turned to Zac. He took his own hat off before she
got that close.
“He is a lovely
creature, isn’t he?” She said, gazing at the bird.
“Um, yeah. He is.”
The boy stuttered.
“Do not be afraid
here. You are safe. In fact, you are precious to me as your brother is. We
will let no harm come to you.” She said, their dark eyes meeting. He nodded,
then looked back at Montezuma as he picked up a bit of apple from his food dish,
his powerful beak taking delicate bites. “You know, we have managed to keep
your coming here a surprise. No easy feat, considering that outside of our
Kirk, Taylor is the nosiest boy I’ve ever encountered.” She smiled at him.
Zac chuckled, “Yeah,
that sounds like him.” He then looked back at her, “Is he doing alright here?”
He asked.
“Yes. He is.” She
replied. “He is learning to be what he needs to be and to protect himself.”
“Has he learned to
protect himself from you?” Isaac asked.
Their eyes met, “Not
yet.” She said. “He’s not a very good student.” She said, turning away from
him. “But he has nothing to fear from me.” She said, turning again to face
him.
For a moment, the two
of them just looked at one another until Zac interrupted, “When’s he getting
home?” He asked.
“Well, it’s hard to
say. This is a rather special night for our kind, just as it is for you. But,
Taylor is not the type to stay out all night long. I’m sure you will see him
before you fall asleep.” She stepped over toward the kitchen, “Unless of
course, you are early risers, which I doubt very much.” She smiled. “Can we
get you anything to eat? I’m afraid we’ve sent the staff home for the holidays,
but Mr. Jones is an excellent cook.” She said brightly.
Isaac threw his jacket
on the chair and stepped over closer to her, “Yeah, we know. He makes a great
pepper steak.” He said, looking over at the man.
Mr. Jones stood up and
picked up the coat, placing it on a hanger and in the closet. “Thank you,
sir.” He said. “So, what can we fix you?” He asked the two, joining them as
they walked into the huge kitchen. Shiny pots and pans hung from the ceiling
and more marble in the form of countertops made the place look like the kitchen
of a hotel or a fancy restaurant. “You know, I don’t get to cook much, so you
may have whatever you’d like. Providing we have the ingredients.” He stated,
placing his hands on the top of the island in the middle of the room.
Zac and Isaac looked
at each other. Then, Zac spoke, “What about…a hamburger, loaded with
everything, and a chocolate shake?”
Isaac nodded, “Mmm,
yeah. That sounds good. But hold the onions.” He smiled. “Can’t have bad
breath around the ladies.” He chuckled.
“Um, Ike. I don’t think you want to
hook up with any of the ladies you’re gonna be seeing around here.” Zac said,
rolling his eyes as Beatriz and Mr. Jones laughed and set about making a meal
for the two boys.
~~~~~
Sonya leaned up
against the glass of a storefront in Times Square, watching people come and go
in front of her. She’d decided not to accompany the younger ones into the
crowd, feeling the same way Taylor did about it; too many minds, too many
thoughts. But, he needed the practice, so she’d told him to go in. Now, she
looked up, seeing them walking towards her. “You didn’t stay long.” She said.
“It’s too crowded.”
Taylor said. “I can’t just feed right there in front of all those people.”
“Of course you can,
that’s what your mind is for.” Sonya replied.
“Oh well. I’m still
not gonna do it. Why do it like that if you don’t have to?” He asked, looking
at Camille.
“Because it’s fun.”
She said.
He shook his head, not
understanding. “Whatever. It’s not like there’s not hundreds of people all
walking around out here for me to take.”
“Fine.” Sonya
sighed, “Then pick out a few, then you and me can go home. This is supposed to
be fun, you know?”
Taylor looked at her,
his eyes unable to move her like they did when he wasn’t wearing contacts. “I’m
sorry, Sonya. I’m not trying to be difficult. It’s just…I mean, I’m not
comfortable doing stuff like that in front of people. There’s always somebody
with a camera in your face and I just learned over the years to not do weird
stuff out in public. Don’t be mad at me.” He said, stepping over closer to
her.
“I’m not mad at you!
It’s just that every time we try to do something for you, it’s never enough.
I’m trying to make things easy for you, Taylor. But you always make it hard.”
She said back.
He turned from her and
leaned back against the window next to her, “This will never be easy for me,
Sonya. Never. So stop trying to make it easy.”
Kirk and Camille had
backed away a little, not expecting things to go the way they had. As Melanie
joined them, she raised her eyebrow and watched the other two, “What’s going
on?”
“Lovers’ spat.” Kirk
said.
“Fuck you!” Taylor
retorted, pulling himself away from the building. “She’s not my lover.” He
said, stepping over to
them.
Kirk put his hands out
in mock surrender “Sorry, didn’t know you were so touchy about it.” He said.
Taylor took in a deep breath. “That’s
like being a lover to my mother.” He spat. He then looked around. Spotting
two girls, staggering and laughing, he trotted up to them, putting himself in
between them and putting his arms around their shoulders. He then guided them
over beside the building where Sonya still stood, her arms crossed over her
chest. Pressing both of them up against the wall, he began to kiss the taller
one as he used his other hand to pen the other girl close. Soon, she had joined
in as she put her hands in his jacket, feeling his firm body. He sunk his teeth
in the one girls neck and began to drink and the other he locked eyes with,
using his mind to subdue her so that she just waited for him to finish with her
friend. He took as much as he possibly could, then he let her slump to the
ground and he took the other girl and repeated the process. Once he was
finished, he dropped her roughly onto the wet pavement, then he stepped back out
and looked at Sonya, “Satisfied?” He then turned to the other little group,
“Hey, I have some room left, let’s go find some more. Maybe it’ll be funny to
come back in a few hours and see if they’ve frozen to death!” He said
sarcastically. He then turned back to her, “Come on! Let’s go! Time’s a
wastin’!” All of them stood there watching the two. Sonya watched him coldly,
but the tears in her eyes gave away the hurt he’d inflicted on her. Slowly he
walked over to her, “Don’t you see? I’m never gonna be like that. It
doesn’t matter how many times she kills me. Or how many times I fuck up. I am
never gonna be comfortable just doing that like it’s nothing. I can’t help it.
I am what I am, just like you’re always telling me.”
She looked away from him and quickly
wiped the tears from her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket. Turning back, she
placed her hands around his shoulders, “You know, I’ve got quite enough guilt
where you’re concerned…” she said, laughing through her tears.
“Well, I don’t
really think of
you like a mother. I’ve already got a mother…” he said, and he slowly moved
closer to her and their lips met in a kiss.
Melanie crossed her arms over her
chest, “I think he’s some kinda sexual deviant or something.” She snorted.
Kirk laughed, “He just knows how to get
his way. He was probably good at foreplay back before you two got ahold of
him…”
Camille sighed, “Yeah…” she said
dreamily.
Kirk laughed again, looking at the
girl. “You know, Camille, you can still get it on with him, you just can’t be
swapping blood and stuff.”
She rolled her eyes, “Uh, I don’t think
so. I’m pretty sure that what Beatriz said was…lemme think a minute….oh yeah,
she said she’d rip out my intestines and tie ‘em in a bow around my neck. She
said I didn’t need ‘em anyway.”
Kirk raised one dark eyebrow, “Hmmm,
well, I’d probably stay away from him then.”
“Yeah.” She said, looking over his
shoulder at Taylor and Sonya working out their differences.
~~~~~
Isaac and Zac had eaten their fill,
delighting Mr. Jones with their teenaged, male appetites, then they’d been shown
to Taylor’s room. “Make yourself at home.” Beatriz had told them. “You may
stay here with him, or I can give you your own rooms.” She said.
“If it’s okay, I think I’d like to stay
in here.” Zac said.
“Of course. I shall have another bed
brought in immediately.” She said, and she turned and left them alone in the
room.
For a moment, both of them just stood,
looking at the room. The same marble floors, gleaming in the lights from the
huge window graced this room, but littering the space were numerous small items
belonging to their dead brother. A very familiar looking pile of dirty clothes
thrown in one corner, shoes scattered across the floor and jeans turned inside
out as he’d carelessly pulled his feet out of them, tossing them with one foot
across the room; a true hallmark of Taylor-ness.
On a desk, papers scattered, words scribbled across
them in his writing. A computer, top of the line sat, still turned on, it’s
screen showing a picture of the three of them, their hands entwined, bowing to
some audience. At the other end of the room sat a television, state of the art
and every technical gadget imaginable. CD’s were scattered across the floor as
well as DVD’s and video tapes, some of which their father had just sent to Mr.
Jones that week. A noise in the hallway made them look up to see two men
bringing in a mattress and box springs. They proceeded to set up a king sized
bed right next to the messy, unmade one that already was the centerpiece of the
huge room. “Is one bed acceptable? I don’t know how you feel about sleeping
together—” Beatriz said, as she stepped in behind them.
Isaac held up his hands, “That’s fine.
Really. We’re used to it.” He said.
She smiled at them both. “Good. I
hope you are comfortable. Please let me or Mr. Jones know if you need
anything.”
“I can’t imagine needing anything.”
Zac said, still marveling at his surroundings.
Beatriz looked around the room for a
moment, “We wanted him to feel at home. So we took the opportunity on Christmas
morning to surprise him with a few toys.” She turned back toward the boys, her
eyes soft, “But, still, I think his heart and his mind were on his family that
day. He still misses you terribly. There have been a couple of days that we
couldn’t even get him out of bed.” She said sadly.
“Sounds like our house.” Isaac said.
Zac nodded in agreement.
She smiled at them sympathetically,
“Well, I shall leave you now to entertain yourselves. Feel free to go anywhere
in the apartment.” She said, and she turned and walked out, leaving them both
watching after her.
“She’s beautiful, I’ll give her that.”
Isaac stated, shaking his head.
“Yeah. Just like a spider.” Zac
uttered, sitting on Taylor’s bed. Mr. Jones walked in just then and began to
put sheets on the bed that had just been brought in. Zac turned over and
watched him a moment. “Are you like, the maid or something around here?” He
asked the man.
He bristled and stood up straight,
“Certainly not!” He spat. “I should let you sleep on a cold mattress for
that.”
Zac smiled, enjoying the fact that he
was getting on the man’s nerves, “Well, you fixed us dinner and now you’re
making the bed—“
“Only because the staff is gone until
the second of January.” The man smirked.
Zac stepped closer to him, helping him
tuck in the corners, “Oh, so you don’t do this kinda stuff for Taylor?” He
asked.
Mr. Jones stood up straight and eyed
the mess around him, “Does it look like I ever clean this room? Does it
look like anyone ever cleans this room?” He asked.
~~~~~
“What about him?” Melanie asked
Taylor, pointing at a large man, with a pointed New Year’s hat on his head.
“No. He’s bigger than me!” Taylor
replied, looking at her as if she was insane.
Melanie looked over at Kirk and rolled
her eyes. When she looked back at Taylor, she spoke to him as if he were two
years old, “Taylor, you are a vampire. You could lift that man over your head
if you wanted to. If you choose a big person, they have more blood to spare.
Are you understanding anything I’m telling you here?”
Taylor curled his lip, “He just looks
sorta…stinky.”
“I think of it as more of an earthy
smell. It’s sort of like how pizza sort of smells bad, right? But, it tastes
good.” Camille said.
Sonya sighed, “Just pick someone and
let’s get out of here.” She said, looking down at the bottom of her shoe.
Now it was Taylor’s turn to sigh, “Why
do I have to have any more? I had those two girls, and then that woman in the
store.”
Kirk smiled, “She liked you, man.” He
said, nudging the boy.
Taylor rolled his eyes and looked at
Sonya, “I’m tired, I wanna go home.”
Sonya eyed him, “Are you sure you were
a rock star? Whatever happened to rock and roll all night and party every day?”
“I sleep during the day, and you all
killed me in front of all my fans, so now Rock and Roll is out of the
question.” He answered.
“Ouch. That hurt.” She said, feigning
pain to her chest. “Now, Beatriz said for you to take a male, so I want you to
take a male. Then, we’ll go home.”
“I’m full.” He said, standing his
ground.
Melanie smirked, “Yeah right. When you
made us go back for those two girls, they’d just walked away. You’re like, an
anorexic vampire, Taylor. Do you go and throw up after you get back home? But
then, that would make you bulimic. Hmmm…maybe you’re bi.” She snickered.
Sonya stated, “He can’t throw up. But,
I did catch him once having cut his own wrist, allowing the blood to just seep
out onto the ground.”
Taylor shook his head and scrunched up
his face, “Screw you all.” He said, walking away from them.
Camille caught up with him, “Oh, don’t
be mad. We’re just playing with you. Aren’t you having fun? It’s our night
out on the town. All of New York turns out just so we can have our pick of
them.” She pouted, stopping him and reaching up to his bangs, and pushing them
up out of his eyes. He looked down at her. It was cold, yet she wore a blue
sparkly shirt, see-through and showing the black bra she wore under it. Her
legs were bare under her short black skirt, riding low enough to allow the
sparkle of the sapphire she wore in a ring through her navel to glint in the
streetlight. “How about if I pick one, then you can take what you want from
him? We’ll share.”
His shoulders slumped, and he gave her
a half smile, shaking his head. “Alright, alright, but just a little. You know
I can never say ‘no’ to you when you get that look in your eye.” He said.
“Hmph, I don’t know about that…” she
said, skipping off away from him. In his mind he heard her, “Go wait over
there by that florist.”
The others heard her as well,
and stood back to watch her. Taylor did as he was told and Sonya watched him
back up, still watching the girl as she cut her way into a few different groups
of people all milling about here and there. Soon, Camille came back out, a
young man following her, tripping over his own feet as he hurried to keep up.
Stopping next to a garbage can, the boy caught up with her and pulled her back
toward him. They began to kiss, then to grope one another. Taylor’s dark eyes
stayed focused on Camille’s face. She looked up at him once, her eyes
reflecting back at him from the light over her head, “Just wait, don’t come
‘til I tell you to…”
Kirk leaned over to Sonya, “What
the heck is she doing? Trying to make him jealous?” He said, looking over at
Taylor and seeing him, perfectly still, his eyes seemingly shooting daggers at
the boy.
“They have some kind of freaky system
where she gets a guy—” Melanie started. “Taylor always acts like he’s not gonna
take anything, but Camille knows it pisses him off to see her do that stuff. He
gets miffed, he sprouts fangs and before you know it, he’s feasting. Camille
isn’t nearly as dumb as you think.”
Taylor watched and waited. As the boy
opened his coat and pulled it around the two of them, Taylor saw his hands go to
the zipper on his pants. In his mind, he heard Camille tell him to wait.
Sighing, he crossed his arms in front of him. Kirk looked at the two, the boy
was now pushing her up against the garbage can, pinning her there. He then
looked over at Taylor; his eyebrows were slowly coming together and his mouth
was tight as he attempted to control his temper. She always did this to him, he
thought. And he fell for it every time, hating to see some stranger doing the
things to her they always did. A few onlookers in the little crowds of people
had begun to notice the show in front of them. Some yelled lewd remarks, others
whistled their approval as the boy’s hat fell from his head and his pants
started to fall down his thighs. Camille pretended not to notice what he was
doing, but she was keenly aware, not only of the stiff member about to be forced
between her legs, but of the other boy watching, standing against a window full
of beautiful flowers. She’d wanted to arouse the boy, but she hadn’t counted on
him wanting to rape her right out in public. Taylor’s foot was tapping the
pavement. He put his hands on his hips and stepped away from the window, still
staying back, but his posture showing his rising anger. Just as she knew they
would, his fangs had begun to lengthen and he began to see his surroundings with
a crystal clarity. Kirk raised his eyebrows as he watched Taylor’s eyes take on
that glassy, cat-like shimmer that only happened when he was losing a little of
his control. The brown contacts gave them an eerie quality, darkened in the
center and glints of green fire around the outside. Just as all involved were
getting concerned, Camille went into the mind of her attacker and subdued him.
At once, Taylor shot over to them, putting his arm around the boy’s shoulder and
laughing, looking over at the onlookers, “Dude!” He said to the boy, “You guys
better chill out or the cops are gonna get you for indecent exposure!” He
exclaimed yanking the boy’s pants up painfully, then giving a pointed look to
Camille. “C’mon, let’s go over here…” he said, guiding the dazed boy over to
where he’d been standing moments before. The show over, the people went back to
their partying and milling about. Camille followed, straightening her clothes
and smiling a secret smile to her three friends all watching.
Sonya let out a sigh of relief. She
knew that Camille and Taylor had gone out hunting a bit in the previous couple
of weeks, not encountering any problems that she was aware of. But watching
tonight, she wondered if it was wise to let Taylor get angry like that. She
knew his powers escalated with his temper and he wasn’t always able to control
his emotions. He may have been a laid back, shy boy as a human, but as a
vampire, he was moody as hell. Especially now, that he’d gone through a kind of
hell and had come out on the other side. He was still the same boy, reluctant
to hurt anyone, beautiful to look at, funny in his own little ways, and yet now,
there was an edge to him that frightened her. And physically he was becoming
stronger, able now to jump high enough to touch the light fixture hanging from
the ceiling. It was a gangly, teenaged boy looking thing, his hand smacking it
and making it sway, but she knew he hadn’t been able to do it before. And
though Beatriz always scolded him for doing it, she knew deep down, she was very
pleased. She looked over, watching as Camille and Taylor both discreetly fed
from the boy, his eyes rolled up in his head, his hair blowing in the cold wind,
his hat still lying next to the garbage can. Melanie interrupted her thoughts,
“Hey, we don’t have to go home with him, do we? I mean, I’ll walk him and
stuff, but I don’t want to call it a night yet.” She said.
“Me neither.” Kirk added. “I’m glad
the little prince got plenty tonight, but with this bodyguard gig, I keep just
having to watch and that kinda sucks.” He said, looking at Sonya with his big
brown eyes.
“Yes, it does. But don’t let your
guard down. I still don’t trust him and neither does Beatriz. I’ll accompany
him home and you three may go on and do whatever you want.” Sonya said, pulling
her hair up in a bun.
~~~~~
At 1:47, the elevator doors slid open
and Taylor and Sonya stepped out, “As many times as I’ve seen that on TV, well,
it’s pretty cool to see in person.” He said, taking off his jacket and throwing
it on the back of the chair.
“Yes, it is.” Sonya said, smiling.
Taylor furrowed his brow, and she
watched as he raised his head, sniffing the air before turning toward the couch
where both his brothers sat. “oh my god…” he said, his eyes widening. “Oh my
God, what are you doing here?!” His face lit up as he realized it wasn’t just
his imagination. He bounded toward the couch as Isaac stood up to meet him,
both of them nearly toppling over as Taylor threw his arms around his brother.
“God, I missed you guys so much.” He breathed in Isaac’s ear.
Isaac pulled back, looking at Taylor’s
face, “We missed you too, man.” He smiled.
Now Zac stood as well, wiping tears
from his eyes. “Dang, look at your hair!” He said, and he reached over,
messing it up.
Taylor looked sheepish, “I know, man.
It’s stupid looking, but they don’t want anybody to recognize me.”
“Well, they probably won’t…” Zac
answered, still gazing at his brother. Taylor looked back at him for a moment,
almost feeling like he was looking in a mirror at his own, now brown eyes. Then
he pulled the boy in close, hugging him.
“How long are you guys here for?” He
asked softly.
“Just a couple days.” Zac answered
sadly.
Just then, Beatriz and Mr. Jones walked
into the room. Taylor turned to her, with tears in his eyes, “When did they get
here?” He asked her.
“This evening, after you left.” She
answered, smiling. Mr. Jones smiled as well, he knew how much Taylor had been
missing his family. He watched as he put a handful of Zac’s long hair to his
nose, closing his eyes and inhaling his scent.
“Would it be okay if they
stayed in my room?” He asked, like a child asking for just one more cookie.
Beatriz sat down on the chair in front
of them, “Of course they can, it’s already been arranged.”
He smiled at her, “Thanks…” he then
turned back to his brothers, “Man, I just can’t believe you’re here.” He said,
looking at them both. “So, what have I missed? What’s going on with
everybody?” He asked, sitting down on the couch and pulling Zac down beside
him.
“Um…” Isaac said, sitting down on the
other side of him, “truthfully, not a lot. Everybody’s just sort of,
adjusting, I guess.”
“Yeah,” Taylor said softly, “me too.”
For a moment, the three boys all sat silently pondering over the situation. Zac
leaned back then, and shook his head. “What?” Taylor asked, his brow furrowed.
Zac smiled at him, “I don’t know man,
you just look…freaky. Seriously, your eyes are freaking me out enough, but with
that hair too, I don’t know.” His smile widened.
Taylor got up and walked over to a
mirror on the wall, peering at himself and then back at his brothers, then back
at himself. Beatriz chuckled, “He looks wonderful. There’s not a lot you could
do to him to make him look bad.” She said, eyeing the boy.
Isaac and Zac looked at each other,
then back at her. “Yeah, yeah, we’ve heard it all before.” Isaac said, rolling
his eyes.
Mr. Jones stepped over beside Taylor,
“How did it go tonight?”
Taylor looked back at him, “Fine. Too
many people though.”
The man patted him on the shoulder,
“Well, that atmosphere can be overwhelming to us, I’m sure for one with your
sensibilities it must be very stimulating.”
Taylor smirked, “Yeah, totally.”
Mr. Jones turned to the others, “It is
late and I do not care if it is another year or not, they’re all the same to me,
so I shall retire to my quarters, if you don’t mind.” Then, to Taylor, “Good
night, young master. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”
“Night, man.” Taylor said, “See ya
later when the moon shines…” It was something one of their older uncles had said
to them since they were very young children, but when Isaac and Zac heard it
that night, it took on new meaning for them. He watched the man leave the room
and go down the hallway to his own room, right next to Taylor’s. He then looked
at Beatriz and Sonya, sitting, obviously communicating, but without opening
their mouths. In a way, he still found it fascinating that they could do that,
and in other ways, it drove him mad. He could do it too, but he didn’t do it
often. It was something he had to think about and work at, but they could, and
would speak about him with him standing right there next to them and they could
block him out from hearing them. It was like children whispering secrets and
leaving out the ones not cool enough to be included. Still, if he tried very
hard, he could sometimes pick up little bits and pieces of their conversations
and the thoughts that shot at lightening speed through their minds. Looking back
one more time at his reflection, he shook his head and sat back down on the
couch between his brothers. “Let’s go in my room, we can watch a movie or just
talk or something.” He said, pulling a little case from his pocket. He then
leaned up and set it on the table in front of him and proceeded to take the
contacts out of his eyes, placing them carefully back and closing the lid. He
then rubbed his eyes and looked over at Isaac. Suddenly, he watched as his big
brother got big alligator tears in his eyes. “Stop it, Ike.” He said, “You
know how I am…” he said, trying to smile.
“I’m sorry,” Isaac said, “it’s just
weird to see you again. I mean, the first time, when they…made you and stuff,
it was like I didn’t believe it. But this time…god, they tried so hard to bring
you back and they couldn’t.”
“Yeah,” Zac said, wanting to change
the subject, “you’re both big wimps.” He stood up, “Hey, Tay, I see you got a
Playstation 2 in there.” He said, getting a sly look on his face. “Y’all quit
crying and let me whip your asses.” He said, flexing his thumbs.
And so, the brothers spent the evening
like they had countless times before; playing games, laughing, teasing each
other. At 5:47, Taylor literally passed out. As Zac and Isaac struggled to get
him to his bed, Beatriz walked in. “Sleep just creeps up on him, doesn’t it?”
she said, picking him up as if he were a six-foot rag doll. Both boys stood up,
amazed at the sight as she backed up, Taylor’s feet dragging on the floor, and
she lay him gently in his bed. She then looked at the boys, “Mr. Jones hates
that he always ends up sleeping in his clothes, but c’est la vie.” She smiled.
She then walked to the windows and pulled the heavy curtains closed, “Good night
Isaac.” She said, nodding to him, then she turned, “Zachary. Sleep well.” And
then she was gone. They looked at one another, then both got into the other
bed, also in their clothes, and went to sleep, their minds untroubled for the
first time since their brother had died on that stage in Alabama.
