She's been cooped up for too long. The crowds feel alien and move with a strange pulsating quality that she's never noticed before. The lights are too bright. The screams are much louder than she remembers. She can't get the smell of copper out of her nose. It's so powerful that her mouth begins to water and she has to hide her dropped fangs from passers-by. Sofie holds Marko's hand more tightly than usual as they stroll along with David leading the pack. They sort of move toward the concert, but Sofie can already tell that it's just an excuse to hunt. All four boys look like they're on high alert, their eyes scanning the crowd for prospective prey. So much for a birthday, Sofie thinks. She wants to kill, but she also just wants a night out - a normal night. She's had so many of them recently that she's settled into a kind of quiet comfort, but nothing about their lives is actually normal. She wishes Matt was here.
Star and Laddie turn to run toward the games when David's voice stops them.
"Where you going, Star?" By the tone of his voice, there's only one correct answer to the question. Marko rolls his eyes at his brother's controlling nature.
"Laddie wants to go."
David looks her up and down and then cranes his head to see the crowds huddling around the game booths.
"Be back in an hour."
Star looks annoyed but skips off with Laddie in tow. Sofie glares at David.
"Is it possible for you to go one day without being a dickhead to her?"
David chuckles and doesn't answer. He turns his head to light a cigarette. Sofie lets boldness take over and shoves him hard in the chest.
"Look at me when I fucking talk to you!" She shouts.
The action causes a miniature explosion. Marko pulls her back, but she tears herself free from his grip and lunges at him again. Marko, Paul, and Dwayne grab her by both of her arms and yank her backward before she does any more damage. David watches with amusement, which only serves to make her more furious.
"Sofie, stop," Marko urges.
"No!"
Her face is twisted and angry. She's had enough. For a month and a half she's watched him push Star away with no explanation, no reason, other than what appears to be sheer cruelty. For a month and a half she's had to wipe Star's tears away because she doesn't understand what's happening, what she did wrong, or if she did anything wrong. In her mind, she was fiercely loyal to David, and now he only wants her when she's desperate for a drink or a fuck. He's breaking her, and now she feels too trapped and terrified to leave. Sofie's been down this road before. Her conversations with Star and her memories of Kevin meld together in her mind until she feels nothing but hot, volcanic rage toward David. He senses it, like it's some kind of challenge. Sofie takes in a deep, shaky breath and feels her fists clench at her sides. She might not be able to take him out, but she could put up a hell of a fight.
He steps toward her, closing the gap between them. It's the closest he's ever gotten to her save for when she had to sink her fangs into his jugular. With a gloved hand, he lifts her chin and pulls her face close to his. His grip is tight and she tries to hold back the pain in her eyes. Marko watches, jaw and fists clenched. He's ready. He loves his brother, but one wrong move, and he'll take him out in an instant.
"You wanna know why?" David begins, his voice low and gravelly. "Because she's getting too close to him, and I don't want the kid saying a word about what we are."
"No," she counters, fiddling with a button on his jacket. "You'd rather glamor her and keep us a secret so that you can use her as a human milkshake. You only got her because you're bored."
"And now I'm bored of her," he hisses. David tilts his head and his eyes flash with anger. His fangs drop and she can feel his annoyance quickly turn to anger. "You're a smart girl, Sofie. It would do you well not to question my leadership."
"You be good to her," she threatens with clenched teeth.
"Not possible," David bites. He shoves her backward into Marko like she weighs nothing before turning on his heel and strolling down the boardwalk. Sofie feels tears sting her eyes and Dwayne casts her a sympathetic look before he takes off after David. If anyone can talk sense into their leader, it's him. Paul gives a half-hearted shrug and takes off in the direction of the concert. He doesn't really care about all of this. As far as he's concerned, if his problems can't be solved with sex or murder, they're not really problems. Sofie sniffles and Marko grabs her chin, brushing her tears away.
"You're gonna smear your eyeliner."
She laughs and nuzzles into his chest.
"He's hurting her."
"I know," Marko whispers. "This is just what he's like."
"Why can't he just tell her the truth?"
Marko walks her to the stairs that lead up to the boardwalk. He sits down, encouraging Sofie to crawl into his lap. She obliges and he cradles her in his arms, pressing soft kisses up and down her neck.
"None of us have a lot of experience with this - bringing in new people. He's overwhelmed. I can sense it."
"I can't."
"You haven't known him as long as I have. The more conflicted he feels, the more he pushes away."
Sofie sighs and puts her face in her hands.
"I just want him to stop being a dickhead," she groans.
Marko laughs softly.
"Believe me, Sofie, the three of us have been trying for fifty years."
Sofie lets out a frustrated groan and lifts her head. Marko pecks her on the tip of her nose.
"Come on," he says. "I got money burning a hole in my pocket, and I wanna spend it on you."
"Marko..."
"No objections, sweetheart. It's your birthday. I'm buying. Whatever you want."
"Birthdays don't even really matter anymore," she pouts.
Marko rolls his eyes and kisses her.
"We can make them matter. Come on."
"Buy me a big mallet so I can hit David in the face with it."
Marko laughs and they stand up.
"Well, we can look around, but I think they only sell the inflatable ones."
"Guess we can just fill it with rocks," she mumbles.
He takes Sofie's hand and they start down the boardwalk. He takes her shopping and flirts with all of the girls at the kiosks to get discounts. He buys her two jackets, both black, one short like his and one long like Paul's. He buys her a new pair of motorcycle boots to match his own, despite her insistence that her worn out boots with a hole in the bottom are "just fine". It makes her feel a little better to have him doting on her like this, but she can't shake the anger she feels toward David. It sits in the back of her head like a tiny bomb going off every few seconds. Regardless, she hides it - or at least tries to. Marko can sense that her attention is somewhat elsewhere, but makes the best of it. He takes her out for dinner to a fancy French restaurant just off the boardwalk. It's far too chic for them, but he navigates the menu with confidence and speaks French to the wait staff while Sofie looks on in awe. Marko laughs while she gawks at him, her jaw practically on the table. She has no idea if he's even pronouncing everything correctly, but it sounds so hot that it doesn't even matter.
"My parents insisted I learn," Marko says, lighting a cigarette. "They wanted to send me to paint in Paris, but that never ended up happening."
"Are you fluent?"
"I used to be."
"God, there's so much that I don't know about you."
"What do you wanna know?" He asks.
She thinks for a while, taking a sip of wine and puffing on her cigarette, before an answer pops into her head.
"When was the last time you were in love?"
"I don't remember," he says honestly. "I thought it was with that girl."
"The one you watched the sunset with."
He nods.
"There have been girls since then, but I think was just lonely. I'd given up on the idea of a mate. Until I met you."
She sniffs back tears and he pokes fun at her for being able to cry so easily. She can't help it. He knows exactly what to say and when to say it. After dinner, he tells the waitress it's her birthday. Sofie hides her face with embarrassment when a delicate piece of cake arrives with a single candle sticking out of it. He drags his chair to her side of the table and slings an arm around her shoulder as he sings "Happy Birthday" in her ear, his voice low and sultry... and only slightly off-key. They split dessert and eat in silence for a bit before Sofie looks up and catches his eye. He grins at her, glowing under the neon lights of the restaurant.
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For this," she says. "All of it. Nobody's ever really made a big to-do about my birthday before. Not even me."
"Sofie, I like doing nice things for you. I like taking you places and buying you things." He sighs and shoves the last of the cake into his mouth. "I like making you happy. Because you make me happy."
If she could flush, she would be scarlet right now.
"You also didn't want me to chase after David and knock his teeth in."
"That's part of it too, yeah," Marko laughs.
She reaches over the table and grasps his fingers gently.
"You make me happy too." She watches his eyes sparkle for a moment before taking a deep breath and reaching into her purse. She pulls out a small black box and pushes it across the table. Marko's face twitches.
"What's this?"
"Open it," she whispers.
Marko pops open the box to reveal a thick silver band with a bat carved into it. He laughs, his face lighting up with joy.
"What the fuck..." he whispers. Sofie giggles.
"I figure, if we're a proper married couple, we should have proper wedding bands. I have mine, and now..."
She gestures toward the ring.
"Where did you get this?" He asks, turning it over in his fingers and admiring the engraving. "When did you have the time to get this?"
"I sent Matt on an errand. He thinks I'm proposing to you tonight, so you'd better say yes."
Marko slips the ring on his left ring finger and laughs.
"Tell him I accept your extremely radical proposal."
"I will," she laughs.
When the check comes, Marko slaps a wad of cash down on the table. The waitress looks shocked when he refuses his change.
"I rob banks," he says with a wink. She looks like she believes him, but thanks him profusely for the $200 tip and practically runs to the back of the restaurant. Sofie laughs and shakes her head. He helps her put on her new coat and they walk hand in hand out of the restaurant. She feels lighter, still angry at David, but not homicidal.
"I feel like we should have at least tried to fuck in that bathroom," Marko says as they walk back to the boardwalk. Sofie doubles over with laughter and grips his jacket for balance.
"You're unbelievable."
They head toward the concert. The band is terrible, but they spot Star and David in the crowd below. He's in front of her with his arms wrapped around her waist. Sofie can't help but feel Star's emotions - her pain, her confusion, and her growing love for him lingering below the surface. It's too much for Sofie and she aches as she leans into Marko.
&&&
The next night, Sofie wakes up before the others. She slips into her jeans and a tank top and pads quietly into the lobby, plunking herself down on the couch and lighting a cigarette. She channel surfs with the volume turned down to zero and sighs.
"Nothing good?" David's voice rumbles from behind her.
Sofie turns to see him round to the front of the couch. He sits down beside her and lights his own smoke that's tucked behind his ear. His jacket has been shed and he's wearing a tight grey t-shirt and black leather pants. Sofie rarely gets to see him without that giant coat. He's much smaller than she anticipated.
"I'm not talking to you," she snaps.
He grins and exhales the smoke through his nose.
"Except for that one sentence."
Sofie rolls her eyes and goes to push herself off of the couch, but David pulls her back, forcing her to lock eyes with him. His face is soft, gentle, and his eyes are almost sorrowful. Her body fills with uncertainty, but she relaxes her muscles as he lets go of her arm.
"Sofie, I'm sorry... about last night. I was..."
She narrows her eyes.
"A total dick."
He nods. She puffs her chest up slightly as a sense of righteousness fills her and leans back on the couch, taking a long, slow drag from her smoke.
"Maybe I'm not the one you should be apologizing to."
David sighs and runs a hand through his hair.
"I'm going to turn her."
"Out of your own free will or because I'm pissed at you?"
He smirks and shrugs his shoulders. He can't let go of his arrogance. It's maddening.
"A little from column A, a little from column B."
"Wow, you are just hittin' homers from the free throw line."
David quirks an eyebrow and holds back laughter.
"What?"
"It's a sports metaphor."
"What sport?" He asks, his shoulders shaking with laughter.
"Baseball," she says coolly.
"There's no free throw line in baseball."
"Yeah there is! It's the line between the bases! Matty told me."
David can't hold back his laughter anymore. He bites his hand and doubles over, trying not to laugh so loud that it wakes his brothers. Sofie is hot with embarrassment and the muscles in her jaw twitch.
"I'm gonna kill him," she mumbles.
It takes a few minutes for David to regain his composure, but when he does, he puts a hand on her shoulder and shakes his head.
"You're hysterical, you know that?"
"I'm still mad at you!" She snaps. She doesn't move his hand. "You were a real dick last night and you've been an even bigger dick to Star. She had no idea what she's done wrong, David! You're just ignoring her. Can't you feel how much it's hurting her? Do you even care?"
He swallows hard.
"I care."
"Then show it," Sofie hisses. "Tell her the truth."
He looks up at her with the utmost sincerity. He's vulnerable. It's oddly beautiful, but feels strange coming from David.
"How?" He asks softly.
"Start with the vampire thing and go from there."
David leans back and puffs on his cigarette, gazing at the wall in front of them that's adorned with a large portrait of Jim Morrison. His eyes narrow and Sofie studies his face. He doesn't twitch or blink for what seems like hours.
"You make it sound so easy."
"That's how Marko told me."
He's quiet, calculating risk versus reward. There's a very good chance he could drive Star away, but better the truth than to use her as a food source. That seems far more cruel to Sofie. If Marko had done that, she's not sure she would have ever forgiven him, or wanted to see him again.
"You owe it to her, David," Sofie whispers.
"You just want another girl around here," he says with a sly grin.
Sofie laughs.
"Well, the three of you are pretty disgusting."
"Marko's disgusting too. You can't exempt him from this just because you're fucking him."
"I meant Dwayne. He's polite, he has manners, he asks me how my day is. Women appreciate that."
"Really."
Sofie swats him on the arm.
"I'm pretty sure you're joking, but that's just in case you aren't."
David laughs and drapes his arm over the back of the couch. They're quiet for a long time. Sofie watches David as he stares at the TV while some shitty infomercial plays. He chuckles and turns to her, his eyes piercing into hers. Sofie can see why Star fell so hard for him.
"I'll tell her," he whispers. "I'll do it."
"Thank you, David. Really."
He crushes his cigarette beneath his boot and bites his lip.
"I got you something last night," he announces.
"What?"
Before she can interrogate him further, he leaps over the couch and dashes to his bedroom. Sofie lights another cigarette out of sheer anxiety and taps her foot, anxiously waiting for him to return. He leaps back over the couch and Sofie jumps. David chuckles softly.
"Sorry."
He pulls something small and thin from his pocket and hands it to her. It's a patch, identical to Marko's "Anarchy" patch that adorns his jacket. Sofie bites her lip while David shifts uncomfortably in his seat.
"I found it last night. I didn't really know what to get you, and -"
Sofie flings her arms around David's neck and plants a kiss on his cheek. He flinches and chuckles.
"I love it," she whispers. "Thank you, David."
He snatches the remote from her fingers and changes the channel, his eyes fixed on the screen. Sofie smiles to herself and passes him another cigarette.
"Happy birthday," he mumbles.
She laughs.
"Thanks, David."
He just hums and they settle into the couch watching TV before the others wake up.