Sanity and Vampires (Captured sequel)

Chapter Ten: A Nasty Reunion

Part Two: Getting Ugly

"Oh God, I just kissed a vampire!"

Oh Gods, I just kissed a human!"

― Sherrilyn Kenyon, Night Pleasures

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Chi

1. Vital energy force, a balanced energy force of positive and negative. A word derived from Taoism and Chinese thought.

2. Chi itself can derange a person when it is unbalanced.

I don't like vampires. I've never liked vampires. So if you're a vampire and I'm drunk and kiss you, then I have serious problems.

Tyson was right. I woke up with the worst fucking hangover. It was hitting me over the head, over and over.

My manic episode had disappeared into the dust. I lay there for hours, imagining jumping out the window and trying to fly. Death had never felt so tantalizing to me. I wanted to just jump and forget everything.

If only I had the strength to get up. My body was metal. My whole body felt shackled. I'd been dancing all of last night. I was too achy and terrified to move. I hyperventilated in place.

Tyson was right. God, he was so right.

I shouldn't have gone near him. Vampires were evil.

Fuck. I should've taken my meds.

At last I sat up, breathing easier, trying to accept what had happened last night. I was so manic and drunk, it had all translated into a worst case scenario.

              1. I kiss Tyson.

               2. It felt so. so. so. good.

After screaming at myself for a while, I was getting pretty sick of my own sadness, so I walked downstairs. I nearly smacked into Tyson.

Tyson stood stock-still near a white couch, glowering. The twins were hissing like hyenas. Sasha, out of all people, had appeared in the doorway, with Hayden behind her.

  "Wait," I gasped out, "Hayden? Sasha? Twins? What are you all doing here?"

"Shut up," Tyson hissed. His dark hair was loose and flying. "Everyone shut up!" He looked like an ancient warrior.

I couldn't look at him. My heart was pounding. Tyson looked at me for the hairbreadth of a moment, before turning away like nothing had ever happened.

"Laurie, I see you. Get down here."

I nodded jerkily. As I stepped past the statues of Tyson's parents and past the doorway to his Art Closet, I studied everyone. They all were close to puking. The twins were pacing back and forth with strange glimmers in their eyes. Hayden looked like he wanted to shoot someone, but let's get real. That was usual Hayden.

  I drank him in. Hayden was so much more handsome than I'd remembered. His face was chafed and his hair was uncut.

  The twins, meanwhile, looked like sharks. They glared at the ground with arched faces and clasped fists.

And Sasha was there. I hadn't seen her in so long. Her dyed blond cornrows were fading into brown, and looked vaguely ombré. She wore dirty clothing, frayed at the edges, with the last of the artificial blood hanging out of her knapsack. She was tired. Her fangs were out. She seemingly didn't care.