Exploding Heart Disorder (Fearless Vampire Killers Fanfic)

Chapter Nine

[Alyx's P.O.V.]

I sit in silence at the dinner table, picking at my bean burgers as my aunt goes on and on about how the new book she's been editing is by this amazing author that might just give her a permanent placement as their editor. She doesn't notice that I'm texting under the table, which she forbade years ago when I got my first phone, when we lived in Essex. Even my small smiles every so often don't alert her to my actions - she must just think that I'm smiling at what she's saying.

After sending another text to the ever-persistent Mitch, and one to Drew, I pick up my plate silently.

"You've hardly even touched it!" My aunt exclaims, tutting. I repress the need to roll my eyes; she would have my guts for garters if I did that. Unlike my parents, she's extremely strict, and even freaked out when a guy drove me home today, until I reassured her that it was only Kier, Mitch's twin brother.

"I'm not very hungry. I'll heat it later if I am." I tell her, quickly making my way through to the kitchen and dumping the contents of my plate into a bin bag. My phone beeps, and I sigh. Someone's popular tonight, huh.

'SPILL EVERYTHING! I KNOW SOMETHING HAPPENED BETWEEN YOU AND WOOLY! NOW TELL ME EVERYTHING!'

I smile slightly. Because I gave Drew Mitch's coffee this morning, which didn't have chilli powder in it, and gave Mitch the coffee with the powder in it, she thinks I'm all of a sudden "besotted" with Drew - her words, not mine.

'There's nothing to tell.' I text simply.

My phone rings two seconds later, just as I'm closing my bedroom door. I answer it quickly, knowing just who it'll be.

"Mitch, please, no interrogation, I'm telling you nothing about Drew."

"Why would you tell Mitch anything about me? She knows a lot about me already." Drew says quietly. I feel my face heating up, and I'm suddenly grateful that we're talking over the phone and not face to face.

"Oh. Drew. Uhm. I thought you were Mitch-"

"Check your caller ID next time." He chuckles. "I got your number from an over-enthusiastic Mitch, by the way, before you ask."

I sigh, grabbing my laptop from my bed and turning it on.

"You see, in a week or so, it's mine and Shane's birthday."

"Ah. Okay." I say simply, glancing up at my calendar. Mitch already went to the "trouble" of circling October 21st in thick red pen on my Linkin Park calendar - a present from my aunt last Christmas - and so I know that it's this Saturday.

"Kier's decided his thing this month is parties, and especially Hallowe'en parties. So, and I know this sounds childish, but fancy coming to a fancy dress party at our place next weekend?"

I flush an even deeper shade of red, and as my laptop loads up and Skype automatically opens, I see that I have three video calls waiting. I groan.

"Something wrong? See, I told you it's childish-"

"No, it's not that. Mitch has given up texting me, and wants to harass me on Skype. I think Laurence and Shane have the same idea."

He laughs slightly. "Good luck with that. So, fancy coming?"

"Sure, I'll come." I say, resting the phone between my ear and my shoulder as I type into the chat box. I can see a video of what Mitch is doing right now; screaming silently at me through a speaker I turned off just in case of this.

Alyx: 'On the phone, can't speak now.'

Mitch: 'Ermahgerd to Drew right? So cute! I say hi!'

"Mitch says 'hi'." I tell Drew; he laughs softly. "Do you have Skype? It'd be much easier to speak to you on there, what with Mitch cyber-harassing me and all."