Love is Darkness

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Chapter 1

San Loaran, California

5 years ago

"Why?" Valerie's heart washammering in her chest, a dull ringing in her ears. If I puke, Ihope it's on his shoes. She inhaled deeply, trying to keep thenausea at bay.

She looked around the living room, at theboring furniture, the slider that led to the backyard, then to thefront door, which she'd no doubt be leaving through in a fewminutes. Unless she was crafty. Who was she kidding? The odds ofher being crafty enough to get out of this were just about as goodas a hamster seeing a shiny new wheel and choosing not to run.

I might die and I can barely drive.

Her father, Nate, looked at herdisappointedly. "Valerie, I've been lenient with you. I had hopedthat given a little distance, a little time to mature, you wouldget over your fear, but that hasn't happened. Don't you want tosurvive?"

This is a trickquestion. Val felt her palms get damp asshe tried to think of the right thing to say- something that wouldmake him leave her alone. If she said she could defend herself he'dwant her to prove it. But, if she said she couldn't defend herself,then he'd take her out there to learn. This is so messedup.

Jack stood beside her father, examining thefloor and trying not to draw attention to himself. He was 19, herfather's apprentice, and the star of every fantasy she had. And itwas always a fantasy, because in real life he didn't want her. Andhe certainly wasn't going to stand up for her like a fantasy manshould.

Jack probably knew she'd attack him if hetried to leave her here with dad while he snuck off, so he stoodthere, but he wouldn't help. Jack was too good. He owed her father,was grateful that he'd given Jack a purpose in life.

Her father gave animpatient sigh and she tried to remember the question. Ohyeah, don't you want to survive?She felt the tension building, her fatherbecoming frustrated by her silence.

She gave them an overly bright smile, hopingit would make her dad think she wasn't about to pee her pants. "Ihave a quiz tomorrow in science and I'm not ready. Doesn't schoolcome first?"

Her father was a tall, thin man. His hairhad been light brown but was now mostly gray. His eyes were brownand sad. In old pictures, his eyes were different.

Valerie thought grief from her mother'sdeath had changed them, sucked the vitality right out of them. Eventhough her mom's death had been over a decade ago, he still hadn'trecovered.

He never would.

Those sad brown eyes staredat her like he was deciding whether or not to confront her on herprobable lie. She did have a science quiz tomorrow, but she wasn't worried aboutit, knew she'd get an A. But did heknow that?

"I'm sure we will be homein time for you to study." Nate raised an eyebrow ather.

Could an eyebrow express 'gotcha'?Apparently.

"Perhaps next time you canstudy appropriately, during the allotted time, and then you won'tfind yourself with a time conflict. Life is about jugglingobligations, Valerie. You need to study smarter, not harder."Great. What did that even mean? If I could study smarter, wouldn'tI be doing it already?

"You're right! That's why Imake sure to do my homework beforecheerleading, and stay at school to do it. That'swhy I get to school earlyon Wednesday so that I can go to swim team." Hervoice was rising and she felt some air quotes coming on, "If Ihave warning Ican put it in my schedule, and study "appropriately". Surprisingly,random vampire stake-outs don't fit into my schedule easily."Crossing her arms under her chest defiantly, she waited for theverdict.