Interview with the Vampire(s)

Chapter 12: A bit of trouble before New Orleans

Lestat had all but shoved Alcina into the tiny bathroom of the tour bus with her ten-inch heels; he had somehow found them from underneath the depths of her bunk, alongside the only dress she had brought with her, a strapless black dress that hugged her just right. It was the dress that she knew Aubery had loved on her. Walking with Lestat to the club that the rest of the band was at felt refreshing in a way.

Once they had entered through the doors of the club, they made their way to the bar, then the band's table. Cookie looked at Alcina and felt her own breath stop.

"Wow, bleach blondie ya look," When Alcina looked at her, Cookie felt as though time had stopped and that breathing was no longer important anymore.

"Jeez, is it that bad? I told Lestat that I hadn't worn this dress in a few years and that it wouldn't," Cookie cut Alcina off.

"You look great!" 

No one at the table was brave enough to mention how Cookie's voice had cracked and almost squeaked at the way Alcina looked. Lestat merely shot his bassist a grin, knowing that if he manipulated it right, the two would be together, and then he could have his petite chérie de sœur around nearly full-time, at least that was how it worked in his mind.

Cookie's arm was around Alcina all night as if laying a silent claim on the little journalist. Around midnight, Alcina felt the exhaustion fill her, finally squeezing Cookie's wrist as if it were a silent offer to come back with her and have some sort of fun. Alcina spoke up.

"I think that's enough for me for the night. I'll see you idiots back at the bus, Cookie, you wanna come with me?"

Cookie looked at Alcina for a moment, having a choice to make. Did she go back with Alcina and get laid, or did she try and take whatever they had blooming slow? Cookie decided on the slow route, not wanting to ruin her chances with Alcina.

"Nah, I'm good, blondie. I think I'm gonna get a few more drinks before callin' it."

A wave of disappointment filled Alcina for a few moments. Did she misread the situation, or was Cookie wanting to do this slowly?

"Ah, okay."

A normal response for one who thought they had just been rejected. Alcina went to pay for her tab when Lestat caught her hand with a glare. None of the girls he thought of as family would be paying for their drinks.

"Non. It's my tab, I'll have Christine cover it. Get to the bus safely."

She flashed him an embarrassed smile before nodding and leaving the bar. She had just begun to walk down the sidewalk when a familiar New Jersey accent filled the air.

"Cina baby girl!"

Alcina turned her head over her shoulder and saw her. Aubrey. The bleach blonde took the brunette in for at least a solid minute. Aubery looked better than she had remembered. Pale skin, bright hazel green eyes that seemed to almost lean towards dirty emerald coloring, curly brown hair that held red highlights, and a bright cherry lip color that seemed almost unnatural.

"Aubery, hey." 

A tense smile had coated Alcina's face. She clearly remembered the breakup and the reason why they broke up. 

"Oh my god! Alina!"

Alcina winced at the second feminine voice, and there was the reason for the breakup. Her former best friend, Naomi.

"Hey Naomi, and it's Alcina you should be able to remember it, given you were my best friend."

The three women exchanged tense smiles with each other. Alcina took a closer look at Aubery, her eyes taking note of the two, what seemed to be almost pinholes in her neck. A primal instinct to run filled the bleach blonde. She wasn't safe with her ex and former friend, and her system knew it.

"I uh, I should get going. I've got an early morning tomorrow, you know how reporting is. Dad got me into this, so I don't wanna mess it up," Alcina was cut off by the two other women.

"Cmon, Cina, just five minutes?"

The way Aubery's arm wrapped around Alcina sent the blonde into pure fight or flight. Shrugging Aubrey's arm off, Alcina found that it wouldn't budge, therefore letting Aubrey and Naomi drag her into a nearby alley. 

"I should really go," She was once more cut off by the other two women as if her words meant nothing.

"No, you should stay, Allie! Cmon, it'll be fun!"

Naomi's whines filled the air while Aubery pulled Alcina's hair back and off her neck. The poor woman was almost frozen, as if by fear or the dark gift she didn't know, nor did she think she wanted to know. Her blood rushed through her veins, something that excited the other two. They clearly were the type of vampires who enjoyed messy eating and messy kills. Alcina could only pray that Lestat would find her and do some sort of weird vampire claim on her.

"Aw, your little vampire boyfriend not here to protect you?" Aubery mocked.

Alcina crinkled her nose. Did people really think she and Lestat were together? That thought just grossed her out. He was more like an annoying older brother or older sister, honestly, the term older sibling seemed to fit him the best out of all the labels. Her brain seemed to shake itself. Why was she thinking about this shit right now?

"He's not my boyfriend."

Those words seemed to piss Aubery off more than anything else Alcina could've said at that moment. 

"Shut the fuck up! God, I'm so tired of pretending to be nice to you! You're nothing but a dumb slut I banged for status!" 

Aubery's yells seemed to dig deep into Alcina's head. Was she really useless? Did the band just keep her around for easy amusement? Her thoughts were cut off by Naomi.

"Can't we just drain her already, darling?"

Drain her? Were they seriously going to kill her before she could do anything with the interview? In some sortof fuckedup way, she thought about how fucked it would be if she were turned, then she and Lestat would have more stuff to bond over. Maybe he'd teach her how to hunt and be a proper vampire.

"No, you remember what Notker said." Aubery huffed out as if annoyed by the order.

"Ugh! So we drain her, then make him turn her all so that old creep gets revenge on him for something from 200 years ago?"

The conversation seemed to begin to blur to her as if her body just accepted fate. A wounded whimper left her lips as the two female vampires each took a side of her neck and began to drain her. The sound of heeled boots tapping down the sidewalk filled the air just as the two broke away, having their fill.