Twoset Vampire Story

8. Unalike lives III - out of bounds

Eddy tried to remember how his mother used to tell him the story. He'd heard it a thousand times, he should know it by heart. He was certain he still did. He first gently ran his hand through Brett's hair. Brett shot a look at Eddy with a raised eyebrow and Eddy flinched.

"I.. I thought you wanted everything..."

Brett stammered.

"Yeah.. I ..did. I'm sorry Eddy, go on, please continue."
Brett closed his eyes.

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"..Little Brett wanted to bake bread for his mama so.."

Brett's eyes shot open again.

"Mama?"

Eddy blushed.

"I, I dunno what you used to call your mother.. would you prefer I use the word mummy? ...mother?"

"Oh, no.. no, I'm sorry Eddy I promise I'll stop interrupting, please tell it the way you heard it.."

"Okay.. so he ran as quickly as his short legs would take him to the kitchen and..."

Eddy paused.

Brett opened his eyes again.

"...What is it, Eddy?"

"Well, you're supposed to object when I said you've got short legs.. well at least that's what I used to do.. when I was 4."

"Okay.. hey Eddy, who're you calling short-legged!?!?"

Eddy smiled. He then reached out his hands and gave a gentle squeeze to Brett's knees.

"Oh but they're such good strong legs that can run so fast and I'm sure you will one day grow into a handsome young man with nice strong long legs..."

Eddy remembered his mother usually squeezed around his thighs but Eddy decided to just cup his hands on Brett's knees.

Brett chuckled.

"And then what happened..?"

"Well I'd giggle a bit like the way you've chuckled and yeah I would've begged her to continue on with the story like you've just asked. So then... little Brett went into the kitchen and asked the cook if he could learn how to bake bread so that he could surprise his mama. Since any leftover ingredients from cooking meals for the master could be used to prepare their own food, little Brett was given the important job of collecting any leftover flour after the servants' food was prepared. Little Brett collected this flour into a little bag that he saved up so that he one day could bake some bread.."

Brett's eyes shot open again.

"OMG.. is that what really happens??"

"..I'm sorry?"

"Is that what really happens in the servants' quarters? Do you only get to bake bread for yourselves if you have leftover flour?"

"Oh no, not really. We're rationed a set amount of ingredients to prepare our own food. Plus we get any leftovers from the main wing to eat. It's just that a child like myself wasn't allowed to use any ingredients to try to cook which is why my mother said in the story that I would've had to collect leftover flour if I wanted to bake my own bread. You see, after listening to my mother's story, I actually did want to bake bread so I did go into the kitchen and ask the cook's permission to start collecting bits of leftover flour. The cook was even kind enough to collect leftover flour for me when I wasn't there. My mother included that bit in the story to make sure I wouldn't use any of the flour without permission."

"Geez Eddy.. that is so.."

"Remember a while back.. when you joined me when I went to pick wild strawberries?"

Brett frowned.

"Oh f*ck, how could I forget? That was a while back, like 6 months ago?"

"Yes. I got into trouble that day because I had wild strawberry stains on my face and shirt. I'm not allowed to eat anything that belongs to your parents unless it's been rationed."

"Oh. Oh no, I'm sorry Eddy. That was my fault.. for making you eat it."

"That's okay. It was one of the best-tasting things I've ever eaten.  I was ...grateful.  That night there was a substantial amount of wild strawberry tart left over. I assume you didn't eat your share. No one in the servant quarters touched it. I desperately wanted a slice but they said it would make me ill..."

Eddy didn't tell Brett but he actually retrieved a piece from the disposal bin. It was on top of other food scraps and looked decent enough Eddy didn't care. He rarely got to eat desserts and it was one of the best things he ever got to eat.

"Eddy..."

"Yes?"

"Don't take this the wrong way, but my parents always told me that I shouldn't ask about your life.. because our circumstances are so different. And it would be difficult to understand the.. inequality that exists between us.. and so they said it's better to turn a blind eye to it and ignore it.. and not to know what your life is like..."

Eddy appeared to be giving what Brett said some careful consideration.

"..I think.. as vampire parents, that is good advice."

Brett furrowed his brows.

"Really? Do you really think so?"

Eddy felt Brett's piercing stare and flinched. He was about to pull his hand away that was nestled in Brett's pitch-black hair but Brett must have sensed it and quickly grabbed Eddy's hand.

Eddy stammered.

"Y, yes, ...I do. ...We live in ...different worlds. I don't know much about what happens in your life in the main wing either. I.. I'm not even allowed in the main wing.. It's out of bounds for me. So I didn't know you had a tutor till you told me today. I remember when I first arrived here, you used to come around to the servants' quarters and take me around the property, then a year or so later one day you became busy and didn't come around as often.. I knew you must have been studying most of the time of the day since then but I had no idea whether you went to a school or was taught by a visiting tutor."

"I remember that. I used to go visit you at the servant's quarters and call your name and ask you to come with me and... geez, isn't that exactly what I still do now..."

Eddy let out a little chuckle.

"Yeah I suppose it is. That's kinda... sweet, Brett."

Brett stared at Eddy. Once a scrawny little 4 year old, Eddy had grown up into a tall 17 year old. Still slender but had all the features to hint that he was gradually turning into a young man, with more angular lines along his jawline and neck.

His neck...

Brett bit his lower lip and looked away.

"Eddy, I... I have to go now.. my tutoring session is about to start."

"Okay."

"Thanks for telling me the story.. I'd like to hear some more some time, please."

"Oh. Okay, sure. Um.. good luck with your studies and finals exam, Brett."

"Thanks."

After giving Eddy's hand a gentle squeeze, Brett finally let it go and stood up and started to walk back towards the main wing, leaving Eddy sitting on the grass.