After Dark Games

Yuri

"Where is she?"

Tiffany stormed into the dining room, causing everyone to stop what they were doing. Taek cautiously stood from the table.

"Tiffany, calm down."

"Where is she?!"

"Were you expecting her to welcome your pet with loving arms? Yuri sees her as a meal and nothing more. You cannot blame her for being what she is."

Tiffany was already on edge and her brother was not making anything better.

"You act as though you've never been through this! You treat my feelings for her as though it's a pastime when you loved a human once too!"

Seunghyun stood up so fast his chair flipped over.

"Exactly! You know how it ended. I'm only trying to protect you."

Tiffany took a deep breath through her nose. She didn't need air anymore, but she remembered that when she was human, the action relaxed her.

"I appreciate it Seunghyun, I truly do. But this is not life or death, we're not causing anyone harm. Please, just let us be."

It was quiet as the two siblings acknowledged each other and reached a silent understanding.

Seunghyun sighed in resignation. "She will return later tonight. But I will not tolerate violence between the two of you. Whatever you need to settle, you will do it with words."

Tiffany nodded her agreement to the terms but truthfully, she didn't know what she was going to do when she saw Yuri again.

*

Jessica pressed the cold water bottle to her forehead. The weather was sweltering despite it being overcast. The air was thick, foretelling of the rain that would hit them soon. In the background she heard the TV talk about the oncoming thunderstorms.

She would rather be in her bed, reading, but her mother had asked her and Krystal to pick up the scattered pine cones from under the trees so that their father wouldn't damage the blades of the lawn mower when he would have to cut the grass. Jessica had picked today to do it since the sun was supposed to be hidden but she wouldn't have if she had known how humid it was going to be.

She took a sip of the water and looked out the kitchen window to see if Krystal was making any progress. The bottle dropped into the sink when she saw that Krystal wasn't alone. She ran outside, the screen door shutting with a loud slap.

"Krystal, go inside," she said through clenched teeth, keeping her eyes on Yuri.

"What's your problem? We still have the other half of the yard to do."

"I said get inside. Now."

"You should probably do what your sister says. She knows what's best for you."

Krystal looked between the two girls locked in a staring contest. She took off her gloves and threw them to the ground.

"God, you have the weirdest friends," Krystal said as she passed Jessica and went inside the house.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Jessica hadn't moved since stepping outside. If Yuri was going to try anything, it comforted Jessica that she was only a step away from the safety of her home.

"Krystal's very cute. And a lot sweeter than you."

Jessica could feel her temperature rise and it had nothing to do with the weather.

"You lay a hand on her and I'll-"

Yuri brashly cut her off, "Don't be stupid." The clouds moved, shining a sliver of light that Yuri dodged by moving forward. Jessica looked up at the sky, wishing the clouds would disappear completely and incinerate Yuri.

Yuri continued once it had darkened, "She's much too young for me. Besides, if yesterday was any indication, I'm sure Tiffany would rip me apart if I touched her. Or you, for that matter."

Jessica remained cautious. There was no way she would trust Yuri with anything she said anymore.

"Then why are you here?"

Yuri hid her clenched fists in her pockets. She wasn't about to admit that she was scared to step inside her own house.

"I'm not sure myself. Honestly, I'm quite fascinated by Tiffany's infatuation with you. I mean, you're a human," she said, as though human held the equivalent of some derogatory insult.

"And who would you prefer her to be with?"

"Someone who understands what it means to be a vampire, which is something only another vampire can do."

The sky rumbled above them as Yuri's words rung in her head. Everything made much more sense after she connected all the dots.

"You mean a vampire like you?"

Yuri frowned, her standoffish nature crippled with one question. Jessica knew she had hit the mark.

"You weren't jealous of her, you were jealous of me."

Jessica could see the emotions Yuri was trying to hide behind her steeled eyes. She could see her reflection in those eyes as she spoke confidently, "She doesn't love you, Yuri. Stop being pathetic and get over it."

The drizzle that started intensified into a strong shower, distorting Yuri's angry face into a blur.

"Jessica, get inside!"

Jessica turned to her sister's voice and when she looked back, Yuri was gone.

*