After Dark

After Dark (37)

--chapter 37--

Ryan Frost

I slammed my locker door shut and started off on my way to class. The past week has been quiet. One of the effects of breaking up with Crystal. She was always so full of life. She still is, but not really, because she's one of the undead now.

I soft tap on my shoulder stopped my train of thoughts. I turned around. It was Renesmee.

"Hi." I said.

"Hey," She said. "Are you okay? I heard about the break up with Crystal."

I groaned. "Does everyone know about it?"

"Yeah, pretty much. News travels fast around here. Small town remember?" She smiled.

"Anyway, I'm okay. I guess we kind of broke up with each other. Not she dumped me or vice versa." I said.

"I had fun that time we all went for a movie by the way." Renesmee said.

"Oh, that's good. Maybe we should do it again some time. How about Friday night?" I asked.

"Um, sure. But not a movie this time. All they're bringing is action movies. I'm more into comedy." She replied.

"Me too. Dinner at Dawson's?" I asked.

"Okay. Pick me up at around seven." Renesmee said with a smile and walked away.

I hoped she didn't take this the wrong way, I just needed company this weekend and she was the first one I saw this morning.

***

I knocked on the glass door. By the second tap, a man with light brown hair opened it. He looked a bit older than me, maybe by one or two years, and was a few inches taller than me.

"Good evening." I said.

"Hello." He said. "My name is Edward Cullen. I am Renesmee's brother." He stepped aside. "C'mon in."

I walked into the large house. It was light and airy. Lots of white and silver. Many windows too. Edward led me to the living room. A  brunette woman was sitting on one of the white sofas facing the flat screen TV mounted on the wall over the mantle.

She stood up and introduced herself. "Hi, you must be Ryan. I'm Bella. Renesmee's sister."

I shook her hand and sat down  on the other sofa. Apparently, Renesmee, Bella and Edward were siblings. Renesmee looked like both of them, but Bella and Edward looked nothing alike. Well, apart from the pale skin and golden eyes.

After a while, Renesmee rushed into the room. I stood up.

"Oh my gosh I'm so sorry!" She apologised.

"It's okay. Are you ready to go?" I asked.

"Where are you taking her?" Edward asked.

"Oh, yes I am. I just need my bag." Renesmee crossed the room and grabbed a black bag on a row of silver hooks. "We're going to Dawson's. In Port Angeles. We'll be back by around ten."

"Have a fun night!" Bella said as she hugged Renesmee.

They were all surprisingly close, for brothers and sisters anyway. They'd be no sibling rivalry here.

***

Dawson's looked more elegant than the last time we'd been here. Maybe it was because Renesmee dressed up for the night out. She wore a black dress with silver detail and dark grey tights and silver flats. All I wore was dark jeans, a t-shirt and a leather jacket.

After we had gotten a table, a tall blonde guy with dark brown eyes walked over to us. He had the standard uniform for the waiters for this restaurant (white shirt, black trousers and black apron with the Dawson's logo on it) plus a gold tag ('Junior Manager').

"What can I get you?" He asked.

"Um, I'll have the Spaghetti Bolognese." I replied.

"I'll have the same as him." Renesmee said.

The waiter wrote it down and left. Another waiter (brunette, brown eyes) came to us and took our drink order. He brought them a few minutes later.

We sipped our drinks in silence. Well, not exactly because there was soft music in the background.

"Why did you and Crystal break up?" Renesmee asked.

"Because of what she is. That's my reason anyways. She thinks I'm keeping stuff away from her and she finds it hard to be around me 'cause of my 'humaness'." I answered.

"'Humaness'?"

"She craves for my," I lowered my voice. "Blood."

"Oh."

We sat in silence again.

"Do you, also crave for it?" I asked.

"No. Not really anyway. I'm half human, half you-know-what. That side tells me 'yes', but my human side says 'gross!'."

Around ten minutes later, the blonde waiter brought us our food.

As he was walking away, Renesmee said, "Oh! Wait! Um..."

He turned around. "It's Gareth." He smiled.

It was him. The one who took Crystal from me. All of it made sense now. They were both vampires. The same urge for blood.

"D'you have any--"

"Do you know someone called Crystal by any chance?" I interrupted Renesmee.

Gareth looked at me with a confused look. "Yes, I do. Why?" He asked. The look on Renesmee's face also seemed like she was asking 'why' as well.

"Nevermind." I said. "Excuse me." I stood up and headed for the bathroom.

I looked at myself in the large mirror. When I looked down, then back up, Gareth was behind me.

"We have a few issues to sort out." He said.

"Like what?" I asked.

"Crystal."

"We broke up. Whatever you wanna do, go ahead."

"You don't understand."

"Understand what?"

"She didn't break up with you for the reasons she told you."

"Then what were they? Did she just get bored of me?"

"No, someone, forced her to do it. Crystal said that the person said it was all part of a plan."

"Who told her this?"

"She won't tell me."

"I should get back to my dinner." I said and walked out of the men's room.

I saw Crystal standing next to Renesmee and they seemed to be having a heated conversation. Renesmee had a frown on her face and their voices were a bit loud.

"Is everything okay here?" I asked.

"Yeah." Renesmee said.

"Hello Ryan." Crystal said coldly. You wouldn't believe that we used to be close.

"Hi." I said and sat down.

Gareth came over and said, "C'mon Crystal. Let's leave them to their dinner."

They walked away talking, with Crystal touching his arm every few seconds.

Renesmee noticed me staring. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, why shouldn't I be?" I replied and continued eating.

I can't believe it. Either she dumped me for him, or she got over me quickly. But who would tell Crystal to get rid of me? Could it be...? No, she wouldn't.

Would she? There's only one way to find out.

*****