Love At First Bite

Dalton's Brothers

"Hey, CJ. I'm going to hang out with Dalton, so you go ahead." I tell CJ in the parking lot. "Dalton? Since when did you start hanging with boys?" "I made a new friend, Dad, chill!" I joke, and he smirks. "Whatever. Let me know when you're coming home. Where are you hanging?" He asks. "His house." "Which is where?" "He lives in that mansion." CJ frowns. "That old, creepy one right down there?" He points down the road. "Yeah." I said. "He doesn't do a good job keeping it tidy. Alright, I'll see you later. Oh, and this one will not turn into a sleepover." He says. I roll my eyes. "Whatever." "Bye." He smiles. "Bye!"

"You ready for this?" Dalton asks. I take a breath. "Yes. It's just your brothers, right?" I asked. He nods. "Ok. Let's go." I said, and let him lead me to his gigantic house. "So, anything you want to tell me before I meet them?" I asked. "Um... Well Zaiden, he's a pretty fun guy. Sometimes he's loud and goofy, but he can be serious. And Ruben...well, you'll find out the key thing soon. He doesn't really like me to tell people. Anyway, his personality is great. He's brotherly to everyone he meets. Very kind. Oh, but if you see a picture that looks like a young Ruben with a buddy, do not mention anything about it. Even the framing. Just completely ignore it! Ok?" I nod. "But now I'm curious." I say. "I know. If Ruben likes you well enough, he'll tell you." Dalton stops. "What is it?" I asked. He's staring at the woods beside us. "Dalton?" He almost seems to be growling. His lips curl up in a snarl, showing off his unusually sharp teeth. My heart races when I can see what Dalton's growling at. It's just another figure, but it has red eyes. In the dark woods, the bright red eyes and the bright white fangs are the only things visible. "Dalton, what is that?" I asked. He ignored me. Taking one step forward, he lets out a hiss. The figure turns on it's heels and runs away. "Ok, let's go!" Dalton said as if nothing happened.

"What was-?" I stop my sentence when we walk through the door of his "house." "Whoa!" I gaze at the walls, ceiling, and floor. The ceiling is chocolate brown, much like my hair, with a swirled pattern that continued into every room. The walls are a velvet red, not a scratch or chip in the paint. And the floor is a dark beige color. It's wooded and slick, like a normal house, but somehow with it in this mansion it seems more royal. Chandeliers hang from the ceiling, the only light source in the room. It's quite cold, so I keep my jacket on. "This is beautiful!" I say, breathless. He smiles. "I'm glad you like it. It wasn't cheap." "No shit." I said and he laughs. "Dalton? Is that you?" Someone calls. "In the family room!" Dalton calls back. I turn my gaze to the door where a boy stands. He has pale blonde hair with ocean blue eyes. He's wearing a peacoat, which makes him look very sexy. He's tall, taller than Dalton and therefore taller than me. Very slim, yet muscular. But not so muscular that his clothes look tight.

He stares at me, expressionless. "Who is this?" He asks finally. "This is Vanessa. She's a good friend of mine, the one I told you was coming over. Vanessa, this is Zaiden." Dalton introduces us. "Hi." I say with a smile. He doesn't smile back, just nods once. "Ruben!" He calls over his shoulder, never taking his eyes off me. "What?" Another boy calls. "We have company." Quicker than I thought possible, Ruben is standing next to Zaiden. His face is much softer. His eyes are a hazel color and his hair is light brown. His smile is bright and kind. He's wearing a regular t-shirt and jeans with a leather jacket over it. He's smaller, less muscular and shorter than Zaiden. "Hello. I'm Ruben. Pleasure to meet you." He says kindly as he shakes my hand. I can't help but blush. "I'm Vanessa." I say back, and smile. "So are you two....?" Ruben asks, wiggling his eyebrows. "What?! No!" Dalton says, smacking Ruben playfully on the arm. Ruben laughs. "No, my first impression of her was when she almost shot me with an arrow in gym." He winks at me. Ruben bursts out laughing. "That was this one?!" I started blushing. Dalton joins his laughing, but Zaiden hasn't moved. It was almost like he's frozen. I wondered what his deal was. Pretty fun? Loud and goofy? This guy? All I'm seeing is the serious. "Give him time." Dalton whispers in my ear, like he read my mind. "This is a lovely home you have here." I said. Ruben shrugs. "I've never seen it." He said. I frown in confusion. Zaiden sighs and crosses his arms, looking up at the ceiling. "I don't understand." I say. Ruben smiles. "Vanessa, I'm blind.

"Dalton didn't tell you?" He asks. I shake my head, feeling like an idiot and a jerk. "You said you didn't want us to!" Dalton said. Ruben nods. "That's true. Good, you listened." "Ruben!" Zaiden says in an urgent voice. Ruben turns. "Oh. Dalton, you want to show Vanessa around?" He said. Dalton seems to pale. "Yes. C'mon." He grabs me and shoves me in another room. "Is something wrong?" I ask. "Everything's fine." He says. I look at him doubtfully. "That's what you say when something is wrong." I said. He sighed. "Just don't worry, everybody's fine."

Everybody definitely was not fine. Did I do something to Zaiden to make him not like me? Does he hate me so much he got sick? Whatever it is, I am going to find out.