He's Come Undone

Chapter 14: Sweet, Sweet Boy

Macey walks past me into my room, pushing a tub of blood into my hands.
Her face looks redder than ever, and her brown hair is messily pulled up into a ponytail which perks proudly on the top of her head, feathered ends resting around her soft chin. Her chubby legs stretch at the material of her skinny jeans, and the curve of her womanly figure peaks out at her midriff where her maroon sweater falls short.

"What did my mum say?" I ask, dumb-founded, still gripping the tub against my lower stomach.
"It was in my jumper... she probably thinks I ate a container." She replies, looking up at the posters I have hanging on my wall. She turns to face me, pointing up at my poster of Michael Hutchence. "INXS. Australian band... Nice!" She comments.
"I'm not even really into them anymore..." I admit, looking up at my collection of posters from bands I've since forgotten about.
"Shame..." Mace says, and her gaze follows mine. "Anyway, when I said this conversation would be continued later, I meant it."
I'm confused, and she can obviously tell, because she explains herself immediately.
"Tomi: homosexual or not?" She says, waving her hands above us as if to reveal something.
"Ahhh. The age old question." I joke before letting my body drop back down into my chair, and the blood makes a distinct slushing noise as I do. "There's nothing to say though, nothing's changed. He hasn't messaged me or anything either."
"May I remind you it is only 6 days into the break though." She says, and she does have a point. "And that was enough for Dex." Mace says, trying to act indifferent.
"Wait what? Did Dex contact you?" I ask.
She sits down on my bed and nods excitedly. "He wants to go out with me on Sunday!" I knew it.
"I knew he had a thing for you. He always acts funny around you. I didn't know he was that into you, though. Good for you, Mace!"

I try to be happy for her, but it's hard. I've never had a crush show interest in me before. Well, until Tomi. But I'm not sure what's going down there. I don't think even he knows.

While thinking this, my phone rings, and Mace picks it up and makes a face. She seems taken aback. Shocked, almost. I leap towards her, and for one brief moment I think it's Tomi, ready to declare his love for me... but I do not live in a fairytale, and fate hates me.
I look at the contact. Dad.

My hands go numb, and buzzes of electricity rush through my arms. I let a finger slide answer on the phone, and I press it against my ear. I can't make my eyes look away from the scratch that rests on my wall. Something I know.

"Hello? Is this Ethan Marshall?" A husky, sad voice asks from the other end of the line.
Marshall. My dads last name. I took my Mum's maiden name, June, when they divorced.
"Y-yes?" I try to say bravely, but it comes out as a whimper.
"Ethan, my sweet boy." And the words make memories rush through my head. "I just wanted to ring to say I love you. And I hope you're doing well. And I'm sorry for Turning you."
"For Turning me? It was you?" I ask, and my face goes numb.

It almost buzzes. Everything is blocked out. Every noise but that coming from my phone. I can see Macey's mouth moving, but I can't hear it. I can't hear anything...

"Yes... you don't remember?" Silence.
"Anyway, I'm so sorry. It was the only way you could have survived the crash. I had to help you, Ethe. I owed it to you."
Ethe.
"Don't call me that." I snap, and my vision goes blurry as my eyes brim with tears. Tears of anger, or sadness or whatever.

I close them, and inhale a quick sharp breath. Things start to come back in flashes. My childhood, with him.
He was there.
My mum was happy, belly big and full of life as Kai gets ready to join our family.
But he can't, because it falls to ruins.
He's gone.
Mum's sad. She cries every night.

I have to look after her.

I have to look after the baby.

My childhood was incomplete.

I graduated, but he wasn't there.

I die.

And he thinks that making me a fucking vampire was helping me?

I open my eyes, and my head stops spinning. It stops racing. Macy's hands are on my shoulder, shaking me, trying to get me to respond.

"I love you, Ethan. I love you, my sweet, sweet boy."  And he hangs up.