After Dark Games

Family Meeting pt2

Taek played two rounds before complaining that he had sprained something. Yuri hadaccidentally fallen on Jessica three times. Tiffany didn't speak for the entire length of the game because she didn't want anyone to see her fangs. Jiyong won every single time. And Jessica didn't know whether to laugh at the absurdity of playing Twister with vampires or cry at the obvious pain Tiffany was trying to conceal.

But Seunghyun eventually arrived. Coincidentally it was when Yuri was lying on top of Jessica. Seunghyun didn't show confusion; his eyebrows descended over his eyes and his jaw tightened. Jessica remembered Tiffany's words, "He looks like he's angry all the time and has different variations of angry for every emotion, so don't be offended by him, that's just who he is."

"I see everyone's getting along."

She scrambled out from under Yuri and straightened her shirt. Jessica was waiting for this. Tiffany's friends didn't mean much, but her only brother, her only family was who she needed to win over. She tiptoed over Yuri and smiled politely.

"Hi, I'm-"

"Jessica. I know."

He sidestepped her entirely, didn't even so much as look at her. She stared at the emptiness before her and withdrew her hand. When she turned around her eyes immediately settled on Yuri's smirk-she was the only one who was smiling.

Jiyong broke the tension with an awkward laugh.

"Forgive Seunghyun, Jess, it's not you. He's like that to everyone."

Seunghyun sat at the end of the dining table like a mafia boss while Jiyong and Tiffany cleared away the game. He stared at her while he rubbed his ring with his thumb and Jessica felt herself shrink under the gaze.

"I bought some cake and ice cream. Teenage girls still like that stuff, don't they?"

Jessica couldn't form words. She nodded her yes.

His eyes didn't leave hers and in fear she couldn't look away either as he spoke, "Jiyong, prepare a plate for Jessica and a coffee."

Jiyong stared at Seunghyun dumbly. "We have coffee?"

"Yes. The bags are in the kitchen."

Jiyong asked no more and left. As he passed between them Jessica was finally able to tear her eyes away from Seunghyun's. Tiffany showed up at her side and grasped her hand encouragingly.

"Come on. Let's sit."

They gathered around the table and Taek struck up some conversation about how odd the weather was lately. Jessica tried to participate but whenever her eyes flitted over to Seunghyun, he was still staring at her and it stole any words she had hoped to say. She didn't think she'd think this but she would have rather dealt with ten Yuri's than one Seunghyun.

Jiyong returned after a few minutes and presented her with an array of desserts rolled in on a cart. There were fruits, pastries, cakes, and ice creams of all different kinds.

She heard Seunghyun speak as she eyed a doughnut looking thing with a glob of frosting. "You're the first human we've welcomed here. I thought we'd celebrate the occasion."

For the first time since Seunghyun dismissed her she found her voice. "But I thought that vam-you couldn't eat what..." She trailed off thinking she sounded completely stupid and ignorant.

"Maybe not but you can so you'll just have to eat our portions."

He finally gave her a smile and although it was strained, she could see the sincerity beneath it. She gladly accepted everything offered with her first true smile that evening.

*

Jessica was sure she had become diabetic by the time she had tried all the sweets. But she didn't mind so much, it gave her a chance to observe everyone while she was busy stuffing her face.

As she quietly sipped her coffee she discovered that Yuri wasn't what she portrayed herself to be to Jessica. She was playful with Jiyong and flirty with Taek and the cold personality she had shown earlier was replaced with easy jokes and hearty laughs. There was something undoubtedly mischievous about her-every time Yuri caught Jessica staring she simply smiled knowingly and resumed her conversation without a hitch-but Jessica was willing to give her a second chance.

She also learned of the lack of similarities between Tiffany and Seunghyun. There wasn't anything in particular that connected them; it almost seemed like they were siblings only by blood. Mostly everything about them was different: their manner of speech, their reactions to situations, even their sitting positions.

But she found one thing that matched. Out of everything, she would have never guessed that they had the same grin; the same one sided, crooked grin whenever they won an argument or proved someone wrong. It made Jessica wonder what could have possibly gone so wrong in Seunghyun's life that all that was left of their similarities was a grin.

More than that, it made her worry if the same could happen to Tiffany.