Enlightenment

part 5

            It was unusually sunny when I woke up in the morning. I could tell before I had even looked out of the window. I could feel it there in the sky, heavy and too warm. My head already throbbed.  I had slept for six hours; I must have been tired, though drinking a glass of blood made me feel marginally better. I was not ill, it is impossible for me to get ill, my immune system is impenetrable, any bacteria or virus that enters my body is killed immediately,

However, my body doesn't react well to large amounts of sunlight. I glared crossly; it had no right to be this bright in October.  I decided I wasn't going to school. I could have gone easily, but I just couldn't be bothered, it doesn't matter if I have a day off occasionally, I already know everything they try to teach me. I contemplated my actions last night. I wondered if it was smart to trust David, he seemed honest enough, but who knows? People are never what they seem.

           The next few hours passed. I retrieved my painting equipment from the case it was still packed in. I don't paint often, I don't usually get the chance, but time had been passing very slowly just lately. I began a large oil painting depicting a couple, dressed in 16th century clothing. They walked along a pier, with the night sky in the background and the dark ocean. When school had been finished for about fifteen minutes, there was a cautious knock on the door. I opened it to find David standing there.

         I was faintly surprised; I would have thought he would be avoiding me. That would be the logical thing to do anyway. The clever thing. Even though he was clearly still wary of me, he seemed amused, my brows creased.

"What?"

"You've been painting?" I glanced down at myself, I was wearing old ripped jeans, and a vest top. I hadn't bothered where I was getting paint and I had been painting very fast. Clothes don't concern me much, so I had a few random streaks across me, and I could feel one on my cheek. I was still holding a paintbrush.  I grinned

"Do you want to come in?" he hesitated a moment but shrugged, so I turned around and led him into the house before closing the door. He followed me through to the dining room where I was painting, and I collected the rest of my brushes, before continuing into the kitchen where I began cleaning them. I wrinkled my nose at the smell of the white spirit I had retrieved from under the sink.

He was still in the dining room, I returned to find him staring at my painting.

He looked up."This is really good." 

I shrugged. "Thanks, I got bored."

"Why weren't you at school?" 

I shrugged again "Had a headache" 

He looked surprised "You can still get headaches?" 

Wrinkling my nose in distaste I answered. "Not the normal kind." When he looked confused I added "It was sunny." 

Understanding brightened his face."You can't go out in the sun?"

"I can, but it is... uncomfortable"

"Oh" 

I was curious. "What's with the change in attitude?" 

He looked embarrassed. "Well... I thought about what you said last night, and I decided its kind of true... plus I realized if you wanted to hurt me, I wouldn't be here now." He said the last bit quietly, and shivered slightly."

"That is true." I watched him for a moment, "and?"

"And... I was curious." I sighed in defeat.

"What about?"

"How old are you?" Why was that always the first thing people ask?

"It's impolite to ask a lady her age, next?" He looked like he was going to argue, but then decided better of it.