Glorify Bad (ON HOLD)

Chapter Ten. - Jealous

Corrine sat at her vanity, staring among her own set of eyes as she finished off her bottle of wine. She could feel the soreness and pain within her skull, her fangs wanted to grow though she had been resisting the urge. Her pupils were dilated, wide like saucers as the light of the vanity shined onto her bleak face.

Max drove Caleb home that evening, taking him back to the Tucker home where Elsie waited patiently for Caleb’s arrival, not knowing where her brother had been for the last hour. As Caleb entered the home, he met a frantic Elsie at the front door before he could even touch a single finger to the doorknob.

“Where the hell have you been?” She demanded an answer as she opened the door to Caleb’s face. She could see a red vehicle backing from the drive. “Who the hell is that?” she added.

“Relax, Els.” Caleb slipped past her to enter the home, throwing his bag onto the floor as usual.

“He offered me a ride is all.”

“A notice would have been nice. I was worried out of my damn mind.”

“What for?” Caleb spoke as he plopped his body onto the couch.

“Because, Caleb. I thought you… phased on accident or something.”

Caleb flashed a look at his worried sister. He repositioned himself to a posture to speak.

“I’ll make a deal with you, Els.” He said. “How about I phase tomorrow night; it’s the full moon and it won’t hurt as much then. The full moon sort of… takes away some of the pain. It’s a trick Great Uncle Clyde used to tell me.”

Elsie sat with joy next to her brother, holding her tattooed hands to her face. “Really? Are you sure?”

“Sure. I need to be alone though.”

Elsie rolled her eyes. “Then how am I supposed to know that you actually did it and that you aren’t just telling me this so I stop nagging you?”

Caleb grinned at her face. “Well, for starters, I need to be naked when I phase.”

Elsie scoffed at the word. “All right, you win.” 

She emerged from the couch and headed towards the kitchen. “Isn’t homecoming tomorrow night?” Elsie spoke as she grabbed herself and Caleb a beer from the refrigerator.

“How did you figure that?” Caleb asked as he reached a hand out to grab the bottle.

“Father’s come into work all the time talking about their daughters and shit.” Elsie shrugged as she opened the bottles with the bottle opener stashed conveniently on the shelf of the coffee table.

“Well, then you know as much knowledge as I do.” Caleb sipped the beverage.

“You’re not going to your last homecoming?” Elsie spoke, watching as the box television playing an old rerun of Friends.

“I’ve never been to any of my homecomings. Why would this one be any different?” Caleb spoke with an uninterested tone.

“Because it’s your last one. You should go just for the experience. Didn’t you say you met a girl? Nora? Take her, I bet she secretly wants you to.” Elsie grinned slightly as she tried to persuade him.

Caleb rolled his eyes. “Which would you like me to do? Phase or have a horrible time at homecoming?” 

Elsie pressed her red lips. “I think both would equal to a horrible time.”

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Max entered through the garage door, seeing no sign of Albert or Corrine as he swiftly made his way through the kitchen. He hadn’t taken Corrine’s demand to restrain the urges, instead, he had been secretly feeding off of himself. Although it wasn’t as desirable or as delicious, it had taken the edge off of every day living without craving and having urges in the public. As he reached his bedroom, he pulled the razor from his blazer pocket, feeling ecstasy as he stretched the blade across his palm. The smell lingered within his nasal as he pressed his lips to his hand, feeding from his own. It kept the hunger down long enough for him to sleep through the night without the need of getting belligerently drunk and having to face the insomnia.

As he began to feel quite light headed, he removed his face from his palm, whipping his face off the stains on his lips. He shoved the razor back into his pocket, beginning to let the drug-like effect take its place.

Suddenly, footsteps were heard toward’s Max’s bedroom which sat at the end of the hallway; specifically heels. Quickly, he closed his fist and seated onto the edge of his bed as though he were reaching for a pack of cigarettes in his pants pocket.

“Can I speak to you, darling?” Corrine knocked on the open door, letting herself in as Max covered his palm with a box of Marlboros.

“Sure, sure.” Max spoke anxious as he navigated to a leather seat in the corner of his room, making distance between the two.

“I just want you to know that I love you so much, darling. I’ve been quite the animal lately and I’ve been effecting the both of us and our relationship.” She jabbered as she seated alongside the bed, staring with a frown at her son.

Max nodded his head, not wanting the conversation to continue.

“Albert told me he overheard you and… that boy… talking about your father. Is that true?” She folded her arms in her lap.

Max sighed. “He doesn’t have a father either.”

“Max, darling. I want you to come to me when you want to know about your father. I want you to feel comfortable with me. I’m all you have.”

“No, mother. I’m all you have.” Max hissed.

Corrine pressed her colored lips. “You’d be nothing without me, darling.” She paused. “I raised you on my own, a single Dhampir mother. I remember when you were a small boy, your green eyes… so much like your father’s.” She dazed in thought.

“Is there a point to this conversation?” He held his unwounded hand to his temple, irritated.

“I want to apologize for the way I’ve been acting and I want my son back. I want him with me again.”

“Is this about Caleb?” Max squinted his eyes.

“What about him?” Corrine rolled her eyes.

“You’re jealous.” He said, smirking lightly at the realization.

Corrine let out a laughter, throwing her head back. “Good God, darling. I almost thought you were serious.”

“But I am. You’ve always been jealous when I pay any sort of attention to someone that isn’t you.”

Corrine raised a brow. “I’m jealous?” she repeated.

“You are. I know you are. That’s why you hate Angela. That’s why you hate Caleb and you’ve known his existence for less than a fucking day and you-“
“Would you shut the fuck up already?” Corrine rose from the bed, throwing her hands into the air and letting them fall to her sides, cursing under her breath.

“There is no point in denying it, mother.” Max said.

She turned to him in one motion, placing her hands to her hips. “That boy is not allowed to step a fucking foot through those doors ever again, Max.” She pointed to the hallway.

Max chuckled, shaking his head at his mother’s demands. 

“You’re a lonely hag, aren’t you mother?” He muttered.

Corrine sighed, letting the conversation off. 

“Goodnight, darling.” she hissed as she exited the bedroom. 

Max was quick to the door after her leave, shutting it behind him as he examined his wound in his master suite bathroom. The thigh of his pant leg had been drenched of blood, as well as his now dampened cigarette box. The smell lingered beneath his nose once again, making him take one, last-longing taste of the red leaking from his palm.