Hunting me

7

For the next week we both skipped school. Her parents had called, worried, but after I had told them everything, they had thanked me and agreed with me when I said Charlie should stay with me. They had called everyday, even come to my house to check how she was. Mom somehow hadn't complain about the situation. I believed the way my friend's was grieving reminded her of her broken marriage. It wasn't the same situation, but the feeling was somehow similar.

All those days, Tom had appeared at our doorstep, with homework, and notes I knew he hadn't been asked to take, from all the lessons. I had gently asked him to stop, but he had refused. He asked about Charlie, but I hadn't allowed him to enter by saying she didn't want to see anyone.

I trusted him enough to know he probably wouldn't try anything. But still, Charlie was too vulnerable to be around someone so desperate to make her love him. Being alone with each other was likely to end bad.

I had allowed Minnie and Nate to visit her, after making them promise they would keep it a secret. They had hugged her, and talked quietly. Minnie had stroke her hair, and cleaned her tears. Nate didn't fully know how to act, but he clearly cared about her. That was enough to me.

Bailey would had told everyone had she visited, that was how who she was. And Jensen had called once, but never asked me to come, which didn't surprised me. I knew it had hurt Charlie, she had once been very closed to him. Except him, none of our group of celebrated Halloween.

The third day of the following week my friend and I woke up early. Its was the day of Vinnie's funeral, and by then Charlie had ran out of tears. Her throat had become sore, and her eyes were puffy. We had easily discarded the idea of using make up to make her look better. She wanted to show everyone, specially his unknown killer how devasted she was.

The police had come to her parents's house, and had told them they didn't believe it had been an animal. The bite marks didn't match any being of the area, they looked human, but the fangs were largely than usual. The didn't have any suspects, and they had mentioned, unofficially, they though satanist were behind the crime. I knew that was bullshit, and something stupid to think. But then, if they themselves weren't vampires, there was no way they could have reach my conclusion.

I believe my creator was smarter than that. Leaving the body in a place where it would easily be found was a rookie mistake. Even I knew better, despite having never killed. But at the same time, I couldn't shake the feeling he was closer than I wanted.

The church was fuller than I had expected, and most of the people looked sad. I didn't knew he was such a loved member of the community. His casket was closed, and a huge image of a younger version of him was standing next to it.

I escorted Charlie to one of the front rows, and then, once she was on the care of her parents, I left to sit in own of the back rows, I wasn't close enough to Vinnie to sit closely to her and his family. We had arrived later, so almost every bench was full. I scanned the church to look for an appropriate place to sit in.

I must had anger God, because the better sit for someone like me, was next to Eric's. I didn't want to sit there, but mass was about to start, and people had started to stare at me, the only person who was standing up.

If it had been any other person, I would had tough he had saved me the seat. But I knew better than that. He smell wasn't as overwhelming as usual, because it was being eclipsed by the many rotten smells of the people I assumed were Vinnie's friends. The same smell Charlie had had the first day of highschool. That worried me.

As the ceremony continued, dull for a non believer like me, I couldn't help looking at him. Black suited him. And his hair was pulled back, making him look even better, if that was possible.

"¿Did you knew him?" I asked him whispering.

"No." He looked surprised I was speaking to him.

"¿Then why are you here?"

"For Charlie." He wasn't looking to my eyes, instead he was following every move the priest was doing.

"You barely know her." I was starting to feel angry, I didn't like liars.

"I have no business being here, I know. Bailey asked me to go with her, I didn't know how to say no to her, she was crying." His pulse had accelerated, he was lying. Also, I knew Bailey hadn't cry.

"¿Then why are you sat here? ¿Shouldn't you be next to her?"

"She wanted to sit behind Charlie, I didn't." He wasn't lying to that, his pulse had slowed.

"You haven't even asked her out, but you can't turn down her proposition. That is contradictory ." I said, knowing he probably wouldn't answer.

"¿Do you want me to ask her out?" He was now looking at me, blushing a bit.

"You shouldn't care about what I want." I couldn't admit I didn't want him to asked Bailey out.

" I'm not stupid, I can see the way you look at me, even if you pretend to hate me." He smiled to that.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're not a good liar." He was now serious.

"I'm not lying." I said loud enough to be looked with disappointment by the people sitting close to us.

After that, he didn't speak again, thankfully. I wanted to attacked him, but for completely different reasons. He was irritating, but loved the intensity with which he had looked at me for a few seconds. I knew it was going to hunt me for a long time. So was him.

The ceremony ended, and I as I was leaving my place, his hand brushed against mine. His heart wasn't startled, but had I been human my heart would had beaten as fast as it could. He didn't look back, joining Bailey's side.

He brushed a stray hair, and put it behind her ear. Only then he smiled at me. I didn't smiled back, and went to look for Charlie. That was the right thing to do. After the realization about her smell, I needed to talk to her.