The Awakening (on hiatus)

Blood Sucking Vermin

I hear a door swing open, and I want desperately to whirl around to greet Matteo. But that's probably the wrong thing to do, so I keep staring at the flyer.

Kerri clears her throat and I turn to glance at her. The expression on her face is no longer silly, it's incredulous.

"Wha—" I'm about to squawk out the word when my eyes are drawn like magnets to the third person in the room.

It's not Matteo, not even close.

It's my brother, John.

With a yelp, I leap across the room and wrap my arms around him. I haven't seen him in so long that it's almost like I want to make sure it's really him, and not a mirage.

"Oof." He laughs and hugs me back, just as hard.

"Where have you been? When did you get back? As usual, Mom and Dad didn't say anything. Did you see them? Or did you just fly in? How was Europe? I missed you, oh my God—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Evan. One question at a time."

I pull back to look at John. He's sturdier than when I last saw him, as if he's gone to the gym or eaten more. The last time I saw him—in that family photo taken at Disney, the one Matteo was staring at in my room—he was a skinny kid with peach fuzz on his jaw. Now he's broad-shouldered, with a sprinkling of dark golden stubble on his jaw. His hair's still the same, though, unruly and messy, giving him an I-don't-give-a-shit aura. Which always upset Mom.

His green eyes, which are the same color as mine, shift from me to Kerri. In a flash, I see his gaze harden, then relax. It's an imperceptible thing, and y muscles involuntarily tense.

"This is my roommate Kerri." I gesture to her. "Kerri, this is my brother John. You know, the one I'm always talking about, the one in the pictures."

Kerri nods and looks him up and down, probably sizing him up as a potential hookup. She's a bit predatory when it comes to men, and the idea that she'd do anything with my brother makes me feel uncomfortable. And a little grossed out, to be honest.

My friends in high school always told me that my older brother was hot. I never believed them. But it must be true, if the way Kerri's leering at him is any indication. Yikes.

"Hey." Her tone is practically a purr. I fight to not roll my eyes.

"Hey." My brother's voice is clipped, hard. He must be exhausted.

I take his arm. "Let's go up to our room. We've got wine, and Pop Tarts."

John reaches over and musses my hair, which is already pretty tangled after my romp with Matteo. "My palate has evolved from box wine and Pop-Tarts, Dimples."

I glower at him for using his childhood nickname.

"Dimples?" Kerri asks.

"Shut up," I reply.

"That's what I used to call her. Because, see?" He pretends to wrestle my face in his hands, poking his index finger into my cheek while Kerri snickers. "Under this scary goth façade is a perfect, angelic dimple."

"Whatever," I say crossly. "Let's go upstairs. It's cold in here. We also have a space heater."

"I'm hungry. I want a slice of pizza. I saw a place that looks like it's open all night in Kenmore square. C'mon."

"That place is so gross," I protest. "All of the slices are greasy."

He glances again at Kerri, who's literally licking her lips and staring in the direction of his crotch. John leans into me and says in a low voice, "But just the two of us, okay?"