Diary of a Newborn Vampire (BOOK #1)

The Bacon Explanation

Ava

I took Angelina's advice and stayed locked up in my room until the morning. The sun was well up in the sky by the time I opened the door to the hallway. The light melody of classical music drifted from William's room.

I tiptoed down the hall careful not disturb him. The last thing I wanted was another confrontation like the one last night. I still couldn't get past the guy and his immediate hatred towards me. Maybe it had to do with living a life where I was popular and well-liked--at least to my face.

Angelina and Victor stood in the kitchen where the intense smell of bacon infiltrated my senses. Two other women were there as well. One had short platinum blonde hair and high cheekbones. She stood with her shoulders back and her head held high. The other was younger, maybe my age. Her hair was a darker shade of blonde and it fell right below her shoulders. Her lips were pursed as she yelled at Angelina.

"How dare you let a stranger stay here!" she was screaming, her voice thick with an English accent. "She could've ransacked us! Stolen our supply! Do you know how hard we work to get that?"

Angelina's eyes spotted me and so did the girl's, who I assumed to be the infamous Jane. Angelina and Victor were right. She most definitely seemed to be a ray of sunshine.

She whipped her head around taking me in with one fiery breath. "This is her? The Newborn?"

"Yes," Angelina said, walking over to me. "And she's staying here as long as she wants. You and William are just going to have to get over it. Bernard and Jacqueline have already complied, and Victor was with me when we found her. She has no intention of stealing from us or hurting us. Right, Ava?"

I glanced in Jane's direction, a shiver making its way down my spine just at the sight of her. "Right. I'll be gone as soon as possible."

Jane's lips pursed even more to the point that almost disappeared. Then she stalked out of the kitchen in only a couple of strides, fuming like an upset twelve-year-old. There had been no exaggeration on her inevitable reaction of me. Within in seconds, just like with William, she hated me.

Jacqueline turned to me sipping her coffee of all things. "It's a pleasure to have you here, Ava. No matter how many in this household may disagree. I apologize for William and Jane's behavior. They are as stubborn as can be. This attitude is usual for Jane. William, however, usually doesn't go around attacking people."

Angelina click-clacked back over to the over where Victor was piling on charred pieces of bacon onto a plate. She grabbed a piece and held it out to me. "Want some?"

"Since when do vampires eat cooked food?" I asked though the smell itself was far past enticing. "I didn't think we needed that kind of thing once we turned."

"Dude, it's bacon," Angelina giggled while popping another piece into her mouth. "And you need to stop with these vampire myths. The only one that's really true is that vampires drink blood. That's about it."

"So you like food? Like, real food?"

She dangled a piece in front of my nose. "Of course. We don't need it, but it doesn't do us any harm. Same with alcohol, in most cases. We can eat as much bacon as we want, and most of us can do shots all night long."

I stared at the bacon, my mouth wanting to water. In my human life, I'd always been hesitant about eating anything that could lead to my thighs. I guess one of the perks of being a vampire would be eating everything I couldn't before and not gaining a single pound.

Footsteps thundered down the staircase. William swept into the room, his eyes focused on the floor as if he was clearly trying to avoid me. But I didn't mind. After his physical and verbal attack last night, he had managed his way to the bottom of my "Friendliest People" list.

"Good morning, William," Jacqueline greeted him kindly. "How was your night?"

His eyes shot to me as sharp as ice-coated daggers. "Okay, until she showed up."

"Boo hoo," Angelina commented, munching on some bacon. "Get over yourself, Will. And have a little respect. The girl's standing right there. The least you could do is stop treating her like she's some terminal disease."

"Fine." His head snapped up and twisted in my direction. "I'll stop openly being such an ass to the Newborn only half of you want here. Sorry, Ava, but you being here isn't exactly thrilling. But what can I do? Nothing, that is. Now if you don't mind, I would like to spend my day in peace away from this disaster in the making."

"William, wait," a voice said. It was low and smooth--a man's. But it wasn't Victor.

The man stepped into the kitchen through the door behind William. He towered over everyone held and had dark hair and a pleasant smile. But even with his pleasant demeanor, he somehow unsettled my stomach. It was something I couldn't quite reach.

William sighed gruffly like the whole situation was exhausting him. If anyone should be tired, it was me. "Yes, Bernard?"

"I would like for you to take Ava out and teach her how to hunt properly," Bernard told him, his voice proving himself to be another British native. "Teach her some of the basic skills of combat, as you know so well. How to attack an animal in silence. You've proven yourself capable of going and defending yourself on your own. I'm sure teaching a Newborn would be no problem."

The two's eyes locked intensely. They seemed to be having a private conversation just through eyesight. William's stern expression fell under Bernard's influence. I predicted it strung off a conversation I'd been no part in.

"Fine," William relented, as he continued to ignore me at all costs, which I couldn't mind too much. It was either he didn't look me in the eye, or he bore right through me with his gaze of death and horrible words. "I'll do it."