Exploding Heart Disorder (Fearless Vampire Killers Fanfic)

Chapter Eleven

[Alyx's P.O.V.]

I sit with Drew in the Starbucks not far from school - another reason why I'm beginning to enjoy living in London, actual coffee shops! - sipping a coffee and speaking one load of utter crap and nonsense with him.

"So the guys thought it was a good idea, and we're kind of making it a work-in-progress thing."

I smile, interested that the guys are thinking of starting a band. "By the way, I didn't know you played bass. I've been trying to learn but it's too difficult."

"I've played for a while, I guess. I could teach you, you know, if you want. Spend a few hours every day practicing, you never know; you might end up quite good at it."

I smile. "Yeah, you never know. Only instrument I've ever played was acoustic guitar, and even then it was all songs by The Beatles and stuff I was learning, nothing really interesting. My music taste used to be kind of monotonous like that."

"Who taught you to play guitar?"

"My granddad. He's kind of dead now, but he was good at it when he had the ability."

"Kind of dead? Sorry if I'm prying, by the way."

"No, it's alright." I say quietly. "He has alzheimer's, spends his days in a chair staring into space, not able to speak loud enough for anyone to hear, not able to move or feed himself. Kind of sucks to be old."

"Yeah. That's one of the only things I fear, I guess, is growing old. It just scares me, thinking that one day I might end up lying still in a chair, unmoving for the rest of my life."

"I hear you. I just don't want to die alone and unnoticed, I guess. I pretty much fear everything - heights, spiders, being a failure, being humiliated, being seen naked-"

"Some interesting fears you've got going on there." He grins. "Spiders? Kind of a girly fear. Heights? I don't mind them. Being a failure? Pretty much. Being seen naked? Well, the guys have walked in in me whilst I've been in the shower numerous times, and it hasn't terrified me. I've just chucked the soap at them, they've left, and then I realise I have to dash across the room to get it. In fact, one time Kier actually stole all the soap in the bathroom and had me chasing him around the house with no clothes on-"

"Whoa. Little too much information there, dear." I put my hands up to stop him in his tracks, and he grins.

"Sorry." He takes another sip of his coffee, and then cocks his head as he studies me. "Can I be completely honest with you? I can't figure you out."

I cock an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," he crosses his arms over the table, still studying me, "you're different. The guys, they were too easy to figure out when I first met them, mainly because I'm a lot like them. Mitch, it's obvious she's just a little mad. Hell, it's really simple to figure almost everyone out. Everyone but you."

"So...what, I'm different?"

He smiles. "In all honesty, it seems like you're hiding something."

I freeze up, my eyes widening, and then cough slightly to hide my gasp, looking down at the table, which all of a sudden seems so much more interesting than it was when I first sat down.

"I'm not hiding anything." He can't find out. Nobody can ever find out. They would completely avoid me, think I'm a freak, if anyone found out. Even my aunt doesn't know.

"It seems like you are." Drew leans over the table, coming closer to me. "I can usually figure people out in two seconds, and there isn't any problem for me. But you're just so hard to figure out. You seem to have this dark secret, but you have a poker face so good it even covers your subconscious actions. You've done nothing to reveal anything about yourself. I'm curious, and if you don't want to tell me then I understand, but I want to know."