The Thirst In Me

Nineteen

Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens. - Jimi Hendrix

Keisha's POV

My palms were sweating and I couldn't keep still. Damion and I were sitting on the balcony chairs waiting for Rebecca to arrive. I had a bottle of water in my hand in case my mouth got dry.

"Are you OK?" Damion asked for the third time. "You don't look too good Doll."

"Well, gee thanks. That's what every girl loves to hear from a guy." I rolled my eyes.

Before he could say anything, the door opened and Rebecca stepped onto the balcony.

My grip on the bottle tightened and I had to take a few deep breaths.
This is going to be OK. I'm strong enough for this.

"Hello." Rebecca's chirpy voice broke through my thoughts. "I won't extend my hand for you to shake. I wouldn't want you to freak out again." She joked and Damion laughed along with her.

When she noticed the stern look on my face she stopped laughing. "Oh, I'm sorry. Is it too early for jokes?"

"Do you want to sit down babe?" Damion offered Rebecca and she took a seat facing us.

I took a sip from my water. I couldn't take my eyes off Rebecca as I stared into the eyes of the woman who killed my family.

"Do-Do you know me?" I asked in a low voice.

"Of course I do. You are Damion and Veron's friend and you work for Malik." She answered and I felt my heartbeat quicken.

She obviously takes this as a joke. Or maybe she does not want to disclose anything since her boyfriend doesn't know that she's a monster.

"Damion, can you give us a minute please?" I asked without allowing my eyes to leave Rebecca's.

"Are you sure?" He sounded surprised and worried at the same time.

"It's OK Damion. We're just going to talk.....I think." Rebecca answered for me and Damion reluctantly left us alone.

"So tell me why you freaked out the other day." She asked.

"Really bitch! You're going to look me in the eye and pretend that you don't know what this is about?" I could no longer control my anger. The image of her killing my dad was flashing through my mind like a bright neon sign.

I took a drink of my water to calm myself down.

"Did you just call me a bitch?!" She looked and sounded surprised.

"Yes, I did because that's exactly what you are. You are a monster, Rebecca!" My voice was getting louder by the minute.

"A monster? I just met you. If you don't like me-- wait, did you just call me Rebecca?"

"Isn't that your name?" I folded my hands across my chest and stared at her with judgmental eyes.

"No. My name is Vanessa. Didn't Damion tell you that?"

I stared at her. She was a good actress...a great actress really to be sitting here and blatantly lying to my face.

"Are you OK Keisha? You sure you're not coming down with something?" She had the audacity to ask me.

I rose to my feet and pushed my face towards hers until I could smell her hairspray. "You know damn well what you did Rebecca and I'm going to find out why you did it. And when I do, trust me girl, you are going to wish you never existed." The last part came out as a threatening whisper and I saw the effect it had on her. Her eyes went wide like a deer caught in the headlights.

I turned and left. "Keisha you're making a big mistake. I really don't know what you're talking about." I heard her say, but I didn't respond. I slammed the door shut behind me and hurriedly walked down the stairs. I felt the hot tears rolling down my cheeks and I didn't try to hold them back.

I didn't want to go to my room. Not right now. I wanted to get some fresh air away from any vampires so I went out to the garden. The fresh air and the scent of flowers did wonders in calming me down.

I ran my fingers over the rose bushes as I walked over to my favorite log to sit and watch the birds.

I was surprised to see Veron already sitting there with his head in his hands. I stepped on a piece of twig and he slowly looked up at me.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't know anyone else came here." I apologized when I saw the sad look on his face.

"It's OK. I always come here when I'm running away from my problems." He answered giving me a slight smile.

"Me too." I smiled back at him.

"Please enter my office." He gestured to the log facing him and I laughed before sitting down. This boy had crazy mood swings.

"So what are you running from?" He asked.

"You were here first so I think you should go first," I told him and he smiled at me.

"OK. Fair enough. I'll go first." He took a deep breath. "I went to school today."

I waited for him to continue but he didn't. "You hate school that much?" I asked him and he chuckled sadly.

"No...I didn't like it because there were pictures of Abby everywhere. It was torturous." I could see the pain in his eyes.

Abby? I'm not sure if I've ever heard that name before.

"Who's Abby?" I enquired.

"She is my girlfriend....well my ex-girlfriend since she broke up with me before-"

"Before what?" I was intrigued.

"Enough about me K.P. It's your turn to tell me what you are running away from." He smiled but the pain was still evident in his eyes.

I sighed. "I'm running away from a lot of things Veron." I absentmindedly watched a bird picking at a flower.

"Am I one of those things?"

I turned to look at him. "I wouldn't be sitting here with you if I was running away from you now would I?"

He smiled. "I guess you wouldn't. So tell me what it is then."

I sighed but I didn't answer him.

He reached out and touch my hand. "You can talk to me. I'll always be here for you." He stared into my eyes.

I turned away from him and cleared my throat. "I'm just sad because I miss my home," I told him. "Sometimes being here is unbearable."

"Why are you here then? Why don't you go back home?" He asked, still holding onto my hand.

"It isn't that simple. Rebecca made sure of that." I could feel the anger seeping through my veins.

"Rebecca? Don't you mean, Vanessa?" He asked and I snapped back to reality. I can't trust Veron. I can't trust anyone but Malik. I quickly drew my hand from his and stood up.

"I have to leave," I told him as I brushed the old leaves that has caught onto my skirt when I sat down.

"Keisha. Don't go. You can talk to me. What did Rebecca do?" He stood up too.

I wanted to tell him. I desperately wanted to open up to him. To have someone who I can trust and tell anything but I couldn't. He's a vampire. And vampires are monsters.....except Malik. He has been nothing but nice to me.

"Why can't I read your mind?" Veron asked and I laughed. He clearly doesn't know anything about the vampire world or anything about my people.

"I'm the only surviving Nacre," I told him and left.