A Beating Heart

Old Players, New Parts

I stare at my brother for a moment trying to figure out how to formulate a sentence. Nothing seems to be coming to mind at the moment.

"Colby," my brother attempts to pull me from my thoughts. "Colby, say something," he implores.

"You know who made us into vampires?" I ask confusion evident in my tone. Because surely, if my brother knew the people that made us into vampires he would have told me this by now, seeing as though I've been trying to find a way out of vampirism for the past six centuries.

"No!" He replies quickly. "Not exactly anyway," he shakes his head.

"Drake, you're talking in riddles man."

"Maybe Shay can explain all this better, Colby," he says and puts the car in drive. "We'll go see her and maybe between the both of us we can put this entire puzzle together."

"And what if she doesn't want to talk to you?" I raise a brow at my brother. "I mean you did scare the crap out of her like three times already," I shrug and purse my lips.

I turn to look at my brother and he's smiling. "Are you protecting her right now?" He asks, glancing back between me and the road.

"What?" I shriek.

"You heard me Colby, you're totally protecting her. Did something happen between the two of you?" He asks quickly in an abnormally high pitched voice.

"What no!" I reply quickly, mirroring his voice. I guess I answered a little too quickly.

"You're a dreadful liar," he chuckles. "Did you two..." He trails off and turns to look at me expectantly.

I stare at him for a minute. Did we what? I guess I'm taking too long to answer because before I know it he's making an obscene gesture with his hands.

"Oh my god Drake, ew!" I shriek and punch him in the arm.

"Ow." He winces and rubs the spot I just assaulted. "That really hurt!"

"Well stop being an ass!" I raise my fist like I'm going to punch him again, he recoils and I chuckle. "Don't talk about Shay like that anymore," I warn.

He stares at me momentarily. "Colby, you've really got it bad for this girl, don't you?"

I shrug. "She's the only person that's ever made me feel... alive, since all this happened you know."

"Well thanks for including me in that statement," Drake groans.

I laugh at my brother and shake my head. "I don't mean like that Drake. Trust me, if it wasn't for you all these centuries, I think I would have ran away from mom and dad forever ago."

"Jack wouldn't be pleased at that statement." He counters.

"Jack doesn't count." I shake my head. "She's always in her own little world, she doesn't' notice the things around her. She likes going to high school over and over and making new friends and meeting boys. But I don't, I never have."

"Well that's because you're gay." Drake mutters. I hit him on the arm. "Ow!"

"You know what I mean, asshole. I just, I feel so amazing when I'm around her. She makes everything better Drake." I turn to look at him. "She makes being a vampire a lot less sucky."

"I know the feeling." My brother says softly and it causes me to turn and look at him.

"You don't love being a vampire?" I question.

He shrugs, "not at first." He shakes his head and turns to look at me. He always could drive effortlessly while not looking at the road. "Natalie was a big reason that made me come around to it, then when we got pulled apart it was hard for a long time, but I figured I needed to suck it up and be a big brother to you and Jack, you know."