Lovers are Lunatics (Love Shots Contest)

Round 1

[Paranormal] 

(Word count: 1254)

"Is everything okay?" David hardly moved from his seat by the window, his head propped up by his hand and his gaze fixed on the night sky.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine."

"Don't lie to me, okay? You're obviously not fine. You've been up here sulking and moping and brooding ever since..." She stopped herself, but he finished her thought.

"Since Maria left. I know." Emma slowly took a seat on the edge of his bed. He paid her no attention-she might as well have been invisible.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"What else is there to talk about? She's gone, it's done. I knew from the start it wouldn't last long. I... I'm over it." She let her hands rest in her lap with a sigh.

"She's only human. She didn't understand."

"There's nothing else for her to understand. I scared her off."

"Don't say it like that. You didn't know she'd be so afraid of us."

"Not of us. Of me." He shrugged weakly. "And why shouldn't she be? Vampires don't exactly have the best reputation in the first place."

"You didn't know she'd react that way. It's not your fault." His laugh was soft and almost sounded as if it pained him.

"Oh, it's not my fault, is it?"

"It's not."

"Of course it is. It's all my fault."

"Really? Then you think it was better to keep it a secret? Do you think you should've kept lying to her?" He shook his head.

"No, of course not. I expected too much. I expected her to accept me as I am. That's my fault, I'm the one to blame." He forced another shaky laugh and ran a hand through his hair. "She would practically faint at the sight of blood, anyway. It scared her to death. I don't know what the hell I was thinking."

"Don't be so hard on yourself. You did the right thing, you were honest with her. She just doesn't understand-"

"Oh, she understands, all right. She's not stupid, she understood everything I told her." His head drooped, reminding her of a wilting plant. "She understood what I am, and she was terrified... as she should be."

"Look, I know you're upset, but there's a point where you have to just let go and move on." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"I'm trying."

"Staring out a window in silence isn't moving on. It's been almost three months, David." He nodded.

"I know. But I don't blame her. What would she want to do with someone like me, anyway..."

"'Someone like you'? What's that supposed to mean?" She forced a small laugh in an attempt to lighten the mood. "Don't forget, we're both in the same boat here."

"No, it's not about what we are, it's about me. It's about who I am... I'm not any good for her, or for anyone. It's good that she left, otherwise I'd end up hurting her." She was on her feet before he finished speaking.

"Don't say that."

"I don't know why I even expected her to care for me. No one else cares for me, and why should they? I've never done a good thing in my life." Emma put her hands on her hips.

"You just think you know everything, don't you?"

"I might as well be honest with myself. She deserves better than me. Everyone deserves better than me." He sighed. "The world would be better off without me."

"Would you stop?" Her change in tone was so drastic that he finally turned away from the window and stopped to look up at her. Her head was held high and her chest was puffed up in righteous anger. "You shouldn't say things like that. It's not true."

"How would you know? You don't know everything, either. I've only known you for a few years, and we hardly talk anymore-"

"Because you've been up here, wallowing in your own misery and self pity! I haven't talked to you because you made it clear that you wanted to be left alone. Well, I've left you alone for long enough. You can't just shut the world out!"

"I can and I will." He looked away again. He was quiet, defeated. "The world doesn't want me. No one does."

"You're wrong."

"How would you know?" He rose from his seat, meeting her eyes again, this time with his own anger. "You don't know everything about me. You don't know every little thing I've done wrong, every sin I committed-"

"I know a lot more than you think."

"Oh, really? How?"

"I pay attention." He scoffed.

"Oh, and what exactly have you learned by paying attention?" She moved forward and looked him over slowly before finally answering.

"I know you have this act, this whole 'I don't need anyone' act, but it's just that; it's an act, it's not true. I know you've made mistakes in the past-granted, I don't know what they all are, but that's not the point. The point is that you want to make amends, you want to fix things, and you've done everything you can think of to try and right your wrongs. I know that for whatever reason, you can't forgive yourself for your mistakes." She sighed. "And I know that you like to pretend like you're cold, apathetic, and indifferent, but you really aren't. You have this whole other side that gets too attached and cares too much, and you're doing everything you can to stifle it." He was silent, and when he finally spoke, his voice was soft.

"How can you know so much just by watching someone?"

"Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye." He forced a shaky laugh.

"And what were you planning to do with all that information?" Emma only shrugged.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" She nodded. "So it's pointless."

"You really think it's pointless?" She was watching him closely with her lips pressed into a thin line. He shifted in his spot, clearly uncomfortable under her intent gaze.

"Well, uh, yes. I mean, why take the time to figure something out if there's no reason?"

"You're completely blind, you know that?" He took a step back, obviously confused.

"Excuse me?"

"You're completely blind. You can't take a hint to save your life."

"What on earth are you talking about?"

"What, do you think I just watch people for fun?" She let out a nervous laugh before shaking her head.

"Well, I don't know, I mean..."

"You idiot, I pay attention because I care." He stopped. "Yes, I care about you. You're so blind, you're so wrapped up in everything else that you can't even see what's right in front of you. I might as well be invisible."

"You mean...?"

"Yeah, I care about you. Of course I do. Why else would I spend any time with you? Why would I keep checking on you?" She sighed gently. "You said the world would be better off without you... and that's not true. The world wouldn't be right without you in it." She tucked a few strands of hair behind back behind her ear, then she pointed to herself. She tapped the center of her chest softly. "...I wouldn't be better off without you."

"...Emma, I didn't-" She waved it away.

"No, don't get all sappy. I'm not good with sappy stuff. I just... I thought you should know." She turned around and left quickly, her head held high and her cheeks burning red.