Killer

Chapter Three

"My mom told me that your parents came to visit her this morning," Sophia said. "That's cool. If your parents and my mom get along, we'll be seeing a lot of each other." Dean just nodded, not knowing how to respond to that. "Wanna come in?"
"No," Dean replied. "That's okay."
"Oh, come on," Sophia urged before she grabbed his wrist and tugged him inside into the living room.
On his right was a brown couch with an oak coffee table in front of it and a short vase full of roses on top of it. The stand that held the TV-a 32'-and their movies and DVD player was the same wood as the coffee table. The carpet had a more creamier look than the walls which made Dean immediately take his shoes off.
"Who was at the door?" a voice said from the kitchen as a woman with red hair a little darker than Sophia's but with the same length walked in. She had the same body as her daughter, but vivid pinkish-orange eyes instead of green and didn't look a day over 25.
She smiled at him as she wiped her hands with a dish towel. She was wearing black leggings, a matching t-shirt that said Go Army on the left breast, and matching sneakers with a little bit of yellow at the heels. She was also wearing a floral printed apron and her hair was up in a high ponytail. It looked as if she just came from the gym and just threw on the apron to start cooking. Sophia, however, was in gray sweatpants a size or two too big and a white crew neck crop top that stop just below her breast with her hair still in a braid. Dean had to do everything he could to keep from gazing at her perfectly flat and smooth looking stomach.
Sophia's mom made her way to Dean with an outstretched hand. "Hi, I'm Melissa, Sophia's mom, but you probably already knew that," she greeted, her hand twitching when it came in contact with Dean's. "What brings you by here?"
"My parents wanted to invite Sophia over for dinner. To get to meet her," Dean explained.
"Really?!" the Parker women exclaimed in unison.
Ms. Parker looked at her daughter with a smile and an impressed nod. Dean didn't like how Sophia was standing so close to him.
"Yeah, really," Dean confirmed scooting slightly away from Sophia. His teeth were hurting now.
"What am I gonna wear?!" Sophia shouted before dashing up the carpeted stairs just to come back down and drag Dean up with her.
"Your mom lets you have boys in your room?" Dean asked with a twinge of something. Jealousy? Anger at himself for not moving here sooner to save her from the mindset of boys? He didn't know what, but he didn't like it.
Sophia shook her head. "This is the first time I've had a boy in my room, but my mom allows it. She knows how I am about my morals and values."
She opened up her bedroom door and let Dean inside. She had chocolate colored carpeting, a king size bed with matching covers and four posts connected together by light pink curtains and cream colored walls. The doors that led to the balcony were opposite the bed and she had a dresser/vanity close to the bedroom door. On the wall across from it held the closet and the bathroom. Sophia tied the curtains by the foot of the bed back and patted the bed, indicating that Dean should sit while she got ready. He slowly made his way over while she went into the closet and closed the door behind her. Dean took the time to examine the room more carefully. Pictures of Sophia and her mom filled the walls where the vanity dresser was, but there was one that stuck out to Dean. Sophia was a little younger, maybe about 12, 13 with her mom, who looked to be about 27, 28, on one side of her and a man with dark brown cropped hair and blue eyes on the other. Was that her dad? The only genetic similarity they shared were the thick, full lips.
"Does this outfit look okay for your parents?" Sophia asked, breaking Dean's gaze from the picture.
Sophia came out in a strapless, semi-light pink high low dress and tan wedges. She took her hair out of its braid making it wavy. She was wearing lip gloss that smelled like watermelon, Dean's used-to-be favorite fruit. Dean stood up with a grin on his face despite hisself.
"You look beautiful, Sophia," Dean complimented. "That's perfect."
A rosy color creeped up Sophia's neck, stopping at her cheeks. "Thanks," she mumbled shyly, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.
"Ready to go?" he asked.
She nodded.
They took the long way back to Dean's house so that Sophia wouldn't know that he used the woods as his passage way. Dean opened his front door for her before stepping in behind her.
"Mom, Dad, we're here!" Dean shouted.
"We're in here, Dean!" Mrs. Ambrose shouted back from the kitchen. The house was starting to smell like roasted potatoes and steak. That used to be Dean's favorite dinner, but now, every time he saw or smelled it he felt sick to his stomach.
"It smells amazing in here," Sophia breathed dreamily as she made her way into the kitchen.
She went and stood beside Mrs. Ambrose by the stove. Mrs. Ambrose closed her eyes overwhelmed by Sophia's scent. When she recuperated, she turned to her guest and smiled at her.
"Hello, dear," Mrs. Ambrose greeted. "How are you this evening?"
"I'm fine, thanks for asking," Sophia replied. "It's a honor to be here."
"The pleasure is all ours," Mr. Ambrose said as he came in from the dining room, a grin on his face that made Dean uneasy. Mr. Ambrose locked his grayish-blue eyes on his son, the grin still on his face. "Son, aren't you gonna introduce us to your friend?"
"Uh, yeah," Dean stammered before gently pulling Sophia away from his parents. "Guys, this is Sophia Parker. She goes to Hamilton High with me." Sophia did a little wave as his parents grins grew wider. "I think we should go sit down," Dean whispered into her ear even though his parents could hear it perfectly well with their exquisite vampire hearing.
"Alright," Sophia said before following him into the dining room with a chandelier sparkling over the 10-person dining table. They sat beside each other, waiting for the food to be served.
"So," Sophia started to say. "Does this mean we're gonna start being friends. Where you sit with my friends and I at lunch and do homework with us in Study Hall?"
Dean shrugged. "Maybe," he mumbled, fiddling with his fingers. "But I'm kind of a loner. Don't really like to be around people." Anymore, he finished in his head.
"Will you at least think about it?" she asked.
Dean finally looked at her head on, her eyes so green and hopeful. He was actually considering saying yes right there on the spot but he restrained himself, muttering, "Maybe."
"Okay," Sophia said shyly as Mr. Ambrose helped his wife bring in the steaks from the kitchen. Mrs. Ambrose was right behind him with a big bowl of steaming potatoes.
"Got a taste for anything to drink, dear?" Mrs. Ambrose asked as she set the bowl in the middle of the table and started to light the candles. Dean glared at his mother ever so menacingly.
"Just a water would be fine, thank you," Sophia replied, not noticing the one-sided tension between two of her hosts.
"So you've just met my son today?" Mrs. Ambrose asked as she and her husband settled in even though she already knew the answer.
Sophia nodded as Dean put a decent sized steak on her plate and she put the potatoes on herself.
"So are you two friends?" Mr. Ambrose questioned.
Sophia glanced at Dean out of the corner of her eye for a second before focusing on his parents. "Not really," she finally answered.
"But you're getting there?"
Sophia looked down apparently not knowing what to say.
"So," Dean intercepted, trying to steer the conversation to another topic, but he stopped himself because he had no idea what to talk about next. Not that anyone was paying him a lick of attention anyways.
Mrs. Ambrose was staring at Sophia, her eyes the color of her guest's hair as she tried to read her aura, only vampires could see that color.
"I didn't know you wore contact, Mrs. Ambrose," Sophia said. "That's a really pretty red." The men at the table dropped their jaws as Mrs. Ambrose flinched back, startled. Sophia looked around the table, her shoulders touching her ears as if she was a dog that had just been scolded. "Was it something I said?" she whispered.
"Um," Mr. Ambrose stammered. "Son, why don't you take Sophia up to your room. We'll bring dessert up."
Dean's chin hit the floor as he mentally cursed his father. Make him take the thing that he was two seconds away from draining dry up to his room. That's a smart idea.
"Sure," Dean replied through clenched teeth as he glared at his father's profile. "Let's go, Sophia."
Still looking like a reproached puppy, Sophia got up from her chair, and followed Dean up the stairs. His room was the first door on the left, marked by a pitch black door. He opened the door for her and jerked his head inside, wordlessly telling her to get in. She did, immediately, her bare earlobes still glued to the tips of her shoulders. She spotted a bathroom in the far corner and made a beeline for it, slamming the door behind herself. Dean frowned. Was she sick? But then he called himself stupid for wondering when he could easily read her mind to find out.
That's it, he heard her think. They hate me. They absolutely, positively hate my guts. I completely messed up. How was I supposed to know they were so sensitive about people pointing out their eye color? I said it was pretty.
Dean heard her cry as he sat down at the foot of his bed. He raked his fingers through his hair, hating how her sobs were so pain filled. "Sophia," he called out. Her sobs got a little louder. He got off the bed and trudged toward the bathroom door. "Sophia?" He knocked.
"Go away please," she called back, her voice, completely cracking.
"Open the door," he said, his hand on the doorknob. Even though he could easily open the door despite the lock, he wanted her to do it on her will.
It creaked open and she peeked at him from behind. "What?" she croaked, her eyes swimming in fresh tears.
Dean just stared at her, not knowing what to say. "Come here," he said finally, gesturing her out with his fingers.
She reluctantly obligated even though she kept a firm hand on the bathroom doorknob. "Yes?" she sniffed.
Dean didn't say anything, just looked dead into her eyes. He tried to use his powers to change her mood and forget ever being sad, but if she was changing, it wasn't showing like it was supposed to.
"Are you gonna tell me why you wanted me to come out of the bathroom?" she asked after a few moments of staring.
Dean stepped back a little. "You didn't feel that?" he asked.
"Feel what?" she questioned, trying to wipe away some more tears, but before Dean could even think about saying something, she said, "I think I should go home. Tell your parents I'm sick."
With that, she ran toward the door, with Dean following suit, but Sophia spun around, putting her hand up. "No," she said. "You don't have to take me home."
"It's dark out, though," Dean pointed out.
Sophia smirked despite herself. "I've been living here a long time," she stated. "I know my way around."