Affinity

Chapter 6: Church with a Vampire

Nastia spent all of Saturday working on posters with Savannah. She was planning to stay the night at Pam's, but Pam wasn't allowed to have friends over due to her cluttered room and mountain of clothes to wash, so Nastia opted to stay with Savannah when she offered. She wasn't that close with Savannah's family, but they seemed nice enough. Savannah was an only child, and her parents were on the older side, so their house was less chaotic than Pam's.

In some ways, it reminded her of her own home. Her own parents were ancient after all, though they didn't look it. As if to confirm this, Nastia's phone buzzed with a text from her mother. She had to let her know she wouldn't be home that night. The text read:

Nastia: I will not be home tonight. I will be staying at Savannah's house.

Mother: who is savnnah I do not know a savannah

Father: I think she means Pamela, dear

Mother: ... I do not know that one either

Father: the humans

Mother: Why is your father on our messages

Nastia: It's a group text, mother...

Mother: I do not like it I don't like all this texting I have told you this before it is too confusing

Father: I am going to meet the supplier ; ) be back soon.

Mother: I am in the same room as you and you accidentally type a semicolon and a parenthesis

Father: Oh honey <3

Mother: Is your phone malfunctioning or is it mine

Nastia: Guys, this is a group text! Go to yours.

Mother: How I don't know what button to I press

Mother: This is your fault don't text me again

Nastia sighed. She imagined her mother texting with one long acrylic fingernail, her perfect face twisted in frustration, glaring down at the cellular device in her grip. Father says to give her time. Change isn't something she is fond of and the advancing technologies in the last century have been on a never-ending road of progression. Anastasia couldn't think of anything Mother Dearest was fond of.

Savannah's mom's incessant knocking broke Nastia's slumber the next morning. She narrowed her sleep-crusted eyes at the light filtering through the window blinds.

"Time for church, girls. Ana, would you like milk or orange juice with your biscuits and gravy?"

"Milk is fine," Nastia said in a hoarse voice.

Great. I forgot the Wickers are early rising church goers.

She looked over to where Savannah was still asleep, half hanging off the bed with her mouth wide openAZ. "Hey Savannah, wake up." No response. "Savannah, wake up!" For someone so small, she snores so loud. "SAVANNAH!"

She threw a pillow at her, and the human girl sprung up. "I'm awake!"

"Good. I'm going to eat and dash. I didn't t bring church appropriate clothes..."

"No, no! Oh, please come to church with us, Nastia! It's fine! What about the clothes you packed?"

"I packed sweatpants for today... and I can't wear the blue jeans I wore here yesterday. It's the wrong kind of holy."

"Oh, it'll be okay. God doesn't have dress code," she laughed. "But really, my church has gotten a bit more casual since the last time you were there."

"I doubt it..." It was a traditional church with lots of senior members who wore dresses and hats, like Derby attire snobs. She doesn't want to feel more out of place than she already will.