The Lost Girls (Chris Cerulli Vampire Story)

Chapter 5

I was glad that Haylee was up for the idea of spending the day decorating our rooms because I wasn't feeling up to doing much else. I could hear her music pumping through her walls even though she was down the hall from me. Our grandma had even come upstairs to tell her to turn it down twice now. I decided to just stick with having my headphones in as I put my room together. It looked almost the same as my old bedroom other than it being slightly bigger. My grandmother was nice enough to let me hang up the several posters I had with push pins. In fact, she helped me hold them in place as I worked.

"So, your dad said that you've already made a friend." She remarks as we step away from the wall.

"Yeah, Haylee's made two also. The people around here seem really friendly." I say as I open another box labeled 'clothes'.

"Oh, you mean Alana and Ellen? They're here right now I believe."

"Really? When did they get here?"

She walks over to my closet to pull the doors open saying, "About fifteen minutes ago."

I nodded and began laying my clothing out on the bed as I tried to figure out how I wanted to organize my closet.

"Ashlyn hon, would you mind taking a break and driving to get some dinner for everyone?" She asked as she watched me stack my jeans in a pile.

I stopped my work saying, "Sure."

She handed me some cash and told me to be careful. On my way downstairs I heard her call after me, "Hang on a second, Haylee and her friends are coming with you."

I let out a soft sigh as I turned to grab dad's keys only to find them missing. "Um, I can't find dad's keys?"

"He's probably still at work, just take my car." She tells me as she makes her way downstairs, tossing her keys at me.

I didn't wait for Haylee's friends to follow me out the door as they got their shoes on. I hurried out to the big sliver truck that used to belong to my grandfather before he passed away and hopped inside to start the engine. It loudly rumbled to life and I couldn't resist grinning at the sensation.

"Oh no, you get to drive?" Haylee groaned as she climbed up in the passenger seat next to me.

"Who else did you think was going to?"

"I don't know, me?" She shoots back with a grin and I was surprised to see her friends get in the car with us and not act like they were leery of me.

"Yeah, you have a few years to go before I'll even consider it." I say and put the vehicle into gear once everyone was inside and buckled up.

We all decided to get some Chinese food as we drove into town. I saw that the sun was starting to set as we stepped into the Chinese restaurant. Ellen and Alana seemed extremely delighted when I suggested they stay for dinner, which I was only doing to make my sister happy. We grabbed two menus and by the time we all decided what we had wanted the restaurant had emptied out. We were the only one's there besides a couple in the corner and a family of four that was nearly finished with their meal. I let the sisters order first and the place was so quiet that I heard the soft chime of the entrance doorbell go off.

I glanced up from the menu paper to see Chris making his way in from the twilight evening. When our eyes met he sent me a wave saying, "Hey girls."

I was glad that Haylee didn't hesitate to wave back at him before turning to me to ask, "Do you want me to put in the order so you don't have to?"

I smiled and nodded. I was glad to know that my sister is so understanding about my dislike for the social part of eating out. Chris took her spot when she went up to the counter to place our part of the order. I held the menu out to him and he thanked me with a sweet smile. While Chris looked over the menu I peered over at Haylee and just like I thought they would, I saw her friends whispering to each other. No doubt about Chris.

I felt relieved that Chris didn't pay attention to them when he put down the paper and turned to me. "So what have you been up to today?"

I shrugged, "Getting my room together mostly. What about you?"

He smirked slightly, "I've honestly just been really lazy today, all I really did was nap."

I heard Ellen let out a dry laugh at Chris's words and I had to resist my urge to send her a glare as I kept my tone nice and friendly. "There's nothing wrong with that. That's what summer is good for, doing nothing."

"Do you care if I eat with you guys?"

I bit my lip before explaining, "We're getting ready to take this back to my house."

He tried to mask the slight fall in his face as he said, "Oh, okay that's cool."

"Unless, you're alright with riding in the back of a pickup truck." I point out and his expression instantly brightened again.

"I'd be alright with that."

Haylee and her friends seemed confused that I didn't make my way for the exit after our order was brought out, so I explained, "Chris is coming with us."

"Where is he going to sit?" Alana asked with an edge to her voice and I was glad Chris was still talking to the cashier at the moment.

"He's going to sit back in the bed since there's not any more room in the cab." I state in a matter of fact tone, daring any of them to argue with me.

Ellen and Alana exchanged suspicious glances so I told them, "If you don't want to be around him that much you can ride in the bed instead, or better yet you can walk home."

All three of the younger girls gave me a look of disbelief, but I was getting tired of their treatment of Chris and me just because we looked different from them. Apparently like vampires in their minds.

Haylee, clearly feeling embarrassed, gestured for her friends to follow her murmuring, "Let's go wait in the truck."

The cashier went into the back and then I noticed that Chris and I were alone now. He turned around to see that I was the only one waiting for him and raised an eyebrow questioning, "Is everything alright?"

I shook my head explaining, "Haylee's friends just get on my nerves."

"How so?"

I didn't want Chris to know the absurd things those two girls had to say about him, so instead I said, "You know, I can't exactly put my finger on it."

When Chris finally got his takeout we made our way back to the car and I was actually surprised to find that Haylee's friends were sitting in the truck bed. Haylee had her head poking out the tiny back window and as I approached them, they stopped speaking.

With a raised eyebrow I asked them, "What are you guys doing?"

"We're not sitting next to a vampire." Ellen tells me point blank.

I peer over at Chris to see that he looked severely confused. So I shrugged saying, "Suit yourself."

I motioned for Chris to follow me and as I went to make my way to the driver's side. Chris hastily grabbed my hand to stop me.

I turned around to see that he had an amused expression on his face and quickly dropped my hand before asking, "Is that why you don't like them?"

"Basically, and they said the same thing about me. I guess they don't take too kindly to darkly inclined people."

He let out a dry laugh, "You're telling me."

We got in the car and the drive back to the house was uncomfortably quiet. On the way there I got an idea so I wouldn't have to deal with these two girls any longer than I had too. I pulled in the driveway and everyone hurried out of the truck. When Chris went to get out I placed a hand on his knee.

"Wait here." I tell him and quickly jump out of the vehicle. I rushed up to Haylee and reached into the bag to take out my lo mien and fried rice telling her, "Tell grandma and dad I'll be back later."

She gave me a puzzled look asking, "Where are you going?"

I eyed her friends waiting at the door for her muttering, "Somewhere away from them."