Turned

Chapter Thirteen

I stayed for a while, it was easier, I'd give Matt money for the rent while I worked at their bar during the day, restaurant at night. I didn't care about my lack of sleep, topped up on blood, I didn't need it, I stayed with Sapphire and learnt enough to be able to survive.

For once, I knew sunlight wouldn't kill me, it would hurt my eyes which made a hat or sunglasses the best and most obvious choice but I didn't mind that, I did what I had to do in order to move around during the day.

I learnt quickly, mixing drinks was fun as was picking up information, gossip I got from tending the bar, a happy smiling face I got from making food. I liked it, I got by on the blood I was given and knew where it came from, never live, but bagged blood bottled and made to look fancier. I liked it, it was a good life, I never saw my friends or my only family member but I loved it, in a way. I wasn't a danger, I didn't have the connections I did or the care. I didn't sleep, I drank to eat and I hoped ignoring Matt would work.

He texted a lot, tried to get me to talk but I just ignored him, answering him less and less but he kept texting and texting, like a dog with a bone, he just wouldn't give up, he wouldn't give up on me but still I refused to go back, putting the rent money in the letter box so he could live and eat, the rest, I didn't care about, I couldn't care about because it hurt. It hurt to hear from him, to read his texts or his Facebook messages, to see him and know just how dangerous I could be, if I wanted to be.

I knew my strength, I knew what I could break if I wasn't careful, glasses were only the beginning, glasses and plates could shatter if I held them with too tight a grip. I found that out the hard way. As I drank more blood, my strength increased, I could feel it. From now on, simply gripping a door hand could dent it, if I was being careless. Plates and glasses were at my mercy and I began to explore some new gifts.

I was faster, stronger and my eyesight was... better. The only way I could think of describing it was like going from standard viewing to watching something in Ultra HD for the first time, it was beautiful, I could see the stars so bright in the sky or the individual colours of a sunrise or sunset.

I sat behind the bar, cleaning glasses as the queue died down, sighing as I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket. I pulled it out, not concentrating as I saw Matt's name flash up, gasping as a glass broke in my hand, little pieces of glass stuck themselves in my wounds for brief moments before the wounds closed and the glass sat in my palm, bloody and staring at me.

I cleaned it up, hoping it wasn't noticed, throwing a towel down as I used it to mop up the glass.

"Here, let me help" a man offered. A sweet voice, deep, velvety smooth, one I hadn't heard before.

"Thanks, but I got it" I promised, worried he'd see me heal. "Besides customers shouldn't be behind the bar"

"First day" the man confessed.

"Well, you've picked the worst person to shadow" I half-joked. I cleaned up the mess and stood up, greeted by a mass of chocolate brown hair, eyes beautifully dark, like topaz and a gentle smile. "I'm Jack"

"Nick"

"So, first day, do you have... experience?"

"I... a little bit, not too much... I just need the money for university but I promise, I don't mind the hours... I" Nick admitted before blushing a little. "I sound like I'm in a job interview... how embarrassing"

"No more embarrassing than my complete death grip" I replied, trying to lighten the mood.

"What are you studying in university?" I asked.

"Business" he replied. "Business and Law nearby... hence the job"

"About the glass... please don't mention it..."

"Don't worry, I won't... I'll just remember not to shake your hand" he joked as he dried the rest.

People came marching over, having had enough of the dancefloor. I didn't mind but I watched Nick to make sure he wasn't overrun by customers barking drunken orders at him or howling their complaints.

I did my side and let him do his, keeping an eye as I felt Sapphire's watchful eyes. I knew what she was doing, checking up on me, my social skills. I could serve humans drinks and have the odd conversation but I imagined she was checking for more than that, to see if I could be so close to a colleague and not take a bite out of them. I wasn't going to give her an answer, I was just going to prove my abilities and make sure I was strong enough to resist any urges. Around a complete stranger it was easy, around someone I knew... it became more difficult, I ended up struggling with my hunger and sometimes, I could feel it dealing a vicious blow, one I struggled to match yet still, I had to try.

"So, what do you do?" Nick asked me.

"I just work here for now, looking at doing something with my life but... I don't know what" I admitted.

"Too many choices?"

"I thought I had my life planned out... then those plans got messed up, things got messy and I had to change those plans but that's the way of life sometimes"

"I know that feeling... only too well" he replied with a tinge of sadness so I refused to push it.

I knew he wasn't talking about vampirism, I could tell if someone was a vampire and if they weren't, I assumed they were human. I couldn't sense anything that pointed to him being a vampire, my 'vampire radar' hadn't picked anything up so I assumed he was human, better that than to ask myself all the other questions that threatened to make me go insane.