My Stepbrother's a Vampire!

3; The Realization

Alec walks down the hallway, and trailing after him is no less than fifty girls.

They squeal as they hurry to keep up with him, chattering to each other and gesturing passionately at him. He still has on his sunglasses, and, though indoors, he rocks them as if they were meant for dingy corridor lighting. The sight is bewildering. I know Alec is good-looking, but for God’s sake! He is no celebrity. And yet the girls act like he is Ryan Gosling and they are his star struck fans.

I watch in a mixture of exasperation and bafflement whilst Emma starts squealing at my side. “It’s him! My future husband.”

When Alec reaches the halfway point, towards where we are, he lowers his sunglasses a tad and winks at me. He then slides them back up the bride of his nose and continues to walk away.

Where is he going, I groan inwardly. He has History like we do.

“Oh my God, Kara. Did you see that?” Emma is practically breathless. “He winked at me!” She hyperventilates for a couple of seconds before cupping her mouth with her hands and shouting after his retreating figure, “I want to have your babies!”

“Emma, please.” I fold my arms across my chest. “I don’t see what the big deal is.”

“The deal is, normal people aren’t that attractive. I mean, it’s like he isn’t even human.”

I only narrow my eyes a little and stare at the last smatter of squealing girls who rush after Alec.

How right my best friend turns out to be.

*

As the day progresses, Emma’s lust thankfully ebbs away. We attend our classes, always at the back row with the stoned skaters as company, out of the teacher’s view. Emma tells me of the end of semester talent show which is drawing closer, and how she wants to sign our band, The Gates, up. I am more hesitant. The truth is, I have never sung in front of an audience of more than three. We also lack a backing guitarist. And besides, I sing more to appease Emma, who is more into the music scene than I am.

Come lunch, and Emma is full into flow with talking about rehearsal details.

“I was thinking we could sing that song I finished writing,” Emma says. “The one I showed you last week.”

My eyebrows furrow. “The one about your dead dog?”

Emma nods in earnest. “Yeah. I mean, I know it’s a bit of downer, but once we add a good beat—” she abruptly trails off as we enter the cafeteria, and the sight before us registers.

In the middle of the cavernous cafeteria, thirty or so students have formed a loose ring around two paring male figures. The students are roaring and chanting a single word—“FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT,”—whilst the two inside the ring throw punches at each other. One is blond and baby-faced, wearing a Cougar’s jersey. Even though his face is bloody and bruised, I can identify him easily as George Aisles. The other combatant, however, is tanned, gorgeous and even more recognizable.

“Alec!” I exclaim, before I run forward into the heart of the battle. Behind me, I hear Emma call my name and follow.

 George, battered and weary-looking, aims a punch in Alec’s direction. “Hit on my girlfriend?” he bellows. He throws the punch, but Alec dodges derisorily easily.

“I didn’t hit on her,” Alec responds calmly. “She threw herself on me.” He evades another attack and thumps George square in the nose.

I barge past the gathered students and launch myself between the two. Though George’s nose is bleeding anew, he tries to shove me aside to get to Alec. Thankfully, he isn’t at his peak, and I am able to hold him back.