The Caretaker

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For days, I had been helping Caroline. We had been talking and organizing how her life would be after her mom died.

I promised I would stay with her most nights. Maybe even move in for a little while.

Matt would like the alone time and I'd be eating less of the food we'd bought. So it saves, I guess?

"Caroline, please," her mom begged. "I don't want you stressing about my funeral."

"I can't help but stress! The only thing more beautiful than death is how we respect you after you die!"

I wanted to disagree. In some cases, death is beautiful, but not in this one. "My death isn't beautiful," her mom said.

"Don't say that," Caroline said immediately.

I sat in the chair next to her while she jotted down a list of things to buy. My stomach began to rumble.

"Iz, go get something to eat. I can hear your stomach from a mile away," Caroline told me.

I couldn't help but stifle a laugh. The entire time, she didn't make eye contact with me.

That was my best friend. The control freak but caring girl. I was so glad to have her as a friend. It was just going to suck while she stayed a vampire and I was going to grow old then die.

I grinned at Ms. Forbes and stood up, going into the cafeteria for something to eat. Elena was sitting at a table in the corner with a salad in front of her and a thermos. Inside it had to be blood.

"Hey," I sighed, flopping next to her. "Why are you eating a salad?"

My nimble fingers grabbed a tomato and plopped it my mouth. Vampires can eat regular human food, but it doesn't do anything. It doesn't affect them. They can eat it for hours and never get full or never get fat.

Maybe being a vampire isn't such a bad idea.

Wait, scratch that.

"To blend in," Elena commented simply.

Then she turned her head toward me. "You're hungry. I can tell. You want it?" She slid her plastic bowl in my direction. The corner of my lip turned up.

Without saying anything, I picked up the fork and began eating. Elena sipped the blood from her thermos quietly. Something was bothering her.

"What's the matter?" I asked with my mouth full.

We had always been close, just not like Caroline and I. Her, Bonnie, Caroline, and I were like a clique. We did almost everything together. And the things where we didn't do things all together, it was Care and I.

"Just missing Bonnie," she said.

I didn't answer, just ate in silence. If I talked about her, I was going to end up crying. There was a huge difference between thinking and speaking. Speaking required emotion.

My fork moved around a crouton. "I hate Kai so much for leaving her there. He's such a relentless dick," she said.

I tensed. Even though I agreed with her, I felt awkward with how it was a couple days ago with him. "Yeah," I whispered.

I chewed on a green leaf covered in dressing. "Anyway," Elena continued, "I should get back to work. I'll see you soon."

She fumbled with my hair before leaving me at the table. The whole time, I didn't make eye contact. Not that I was mad at her, there wasn't anything to be angry about.

The only thing I wanted was Bonnie back, and Kai wouldn't do it. At least I wasn't sure. But as of now, I detested him for it.

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