After Dark

After Dark (35)

--chapter 35--

Brooke Hale

"I'm being serious Ryan, I had no idea that's what she went to do... Yes. I'll tell her... Are you sure?... Okay, fine... Okay, okay. Bye." I said and pressed the 'End Call' button on my phone.

Two minutes later, Crystal walked into my room. She looked furious. She sat on the edge of the black and blue bed. "I hope you're happy." She sneered.

"You had no choice Crystal." I said.

"Yes I did! Why was it important for Ryan and I not to be together?!"

"It's all part of the plan."

Crystal stood up. "And what plan is this?! You keep making me do all these useless things just for your special plan. If I'm your partner in all this, why don't you tell me what's going on?!" She screamed.

"You'll find out later on. I can't risk someone else finding out."

"Who else knows?"

Oops. I thought. I kept quiet.

"Answer me!"

"No-one you know." I lied. I can't risk word getting out. If he knows what's good for him and everyone he loves, he'd better keep his mouth shut.

Crystal sighed and sat back down on the bed. She looked distraught.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"No... I broke up with my boyfriend for some stupid plan and there's no chance he'll ever get back with me again because he probably hates me!" She wiped her cheeks and looked at her hand and saw, nothing. She looked up at me. "Why can't I cry?" She asked.

"Because we aren't humans. I guess we're supossed to be life-sucking beings with no emotions." I answered.

I kinda felt bad for her. But hopefully this would toughen her up.

"Look, Crystal," I said. "This isn't the end of the world. In fact, it's gonna seem really small to all the things that will happen to you."

"That's not possible."

"Crystal, you have all eternity. Do you really think nothing worse is gonna happen to you than a break up?"

She shook her head like a stubborn three-year-old.

"See? Anyway, Ryan's bad news. Trust me. I've known him for long."

Crystal looked up at me again. "You do?" She asked.

Crap, I thought.

"Uh... yeah, it's a long story. But I'll tell you later. Right now, we've gotta go and get a drink before we kill a bunch of humans tonight!" I said.

***

We arrived at Dawson's in eight minutes. Crystal and I sat on the ruggedy sofa in the back room. We were silently sipping our glasses of blood.

"Hmm," Crystal said when Gareth came back. "Not as good as the fresh one. Where d'you get it from?"

Gareth sat down. "Forks Hospital Blood Bank." He answered.

"Don't they get suspicious?" She asked.

"No, maybe they don't check or their is another vampire working there that doesn't want any problems." He said.

I noticed the way Crystal looked at Gareth. Hmm... possibility?

"Are you okay Brooke?" Gareth asked and gestured to the empty glass in my hands.

"Oh! Yeah, sure." I said and gave my glass to him. His hands were cold and hard. One of the things I don't like about being a vampire. 

After he left the room, Crystal turned to me. "D'you think he has a girlfriend?" She asked.

"Don't think so. Most girls can't tolerate the hardness, coldness, or the fact that he stays young and hot while they age."

She nodded with a thoughtful look on her face.

"Why?" I asked.

"Oh, uh, no reason."

"You like him!" I exclaimed.

"Shush! Vampire hearing remember?" Crystal pointed to her ears.

"Oh please." I waved my hand. "He can hear us even when we're whispering."

Crystal's expression turned to shock. "What?!" She shouted.

I laughed and said, "No, he's..." I listened for a while. Breathing, heartbeats, a door opening, talking. "He's in the restaurant side just taking an order so the senior manager won't complain."

She relaxed and finished her drink.

Just then, Gareth walked in. "Sorry, my manager caught me not working so I had to work for a while." He said and handed me a re-filled glass.

Then he and Crystal started talking about 'part-time jobs' and 'annoying bosses', basically just about work. I sat there, listened and drank my drink. I haven't had a job in eons so I had no idea what they were talking about.

Halfway through their conversation, I asked Gareth, "Do you have a girlfriend?" He looked so shocked and confused that I had to smile. He shook his head. "Fiancee? Wife?" I asked.

"None that I know of." He joked. "Why?"

"No reason." I quoted Crystal.

She nudged me on my leg with her foot. I smiled even more. Gareth looked kind of uncomfortable. We sat in silence.

"Okay!" I quipped. "Look at the time! I've gotta go, see you later!"

"Oh, let me come with you." Crystal stood up as well.

"No, no. You can stay. Anyways, I've gone to visit a friend." I said.

She sat back down and her and Gareth continued their conversation as I left.

***

I arrived at Jacob's small, wooden house at around eight thirty in the evening. He heard my car and walked out of his home.

"Hey!" Jacob said and hugged me.

"Hi yourself." I replied.

An old man with long black silver-tipped hair wheeled out of the wooden structure.

"This is my dad Billy Black." Jacob introduced him.

"Hi," I said and stretched my hand to him. "My name is Brooke Hale." I smiled.

He smiled back and shook my hand. "I know who you are." Billy said. "Jake talks about you quite alot."

I turned to Jacob and smiled. "Oh really?" I teased.

He scratched his head nervously. "I think we outta go now."

"Well, okay. It was nice meeting you Mr. Black." I said.

"Call me Billy." He said.

Jacob and I got into my black Mercedes and drove off.

*****