LUNA
I'm left speechless from the words that just left Star's mouth.
She really just said...I'm a vampire, didn't she?
I'm a vampire...
Star stares at me through worried eyes. "Luna?" She feels my forehead. "Luna?"
I'm a vampire.
It's a ridiculous thing to say. So ridiculous that I find myself laughing.
Giggling at first, before it erupts into a hysterical laughter that echoes.
Star grabs me by the shoulders. "This isn't a joke Luna! I'm telling you the truth!"
I laugh until my sides begin to feel like there about to spilt apart, and until my eyes water.
I breathe in ragged breaths, wiping my eyes.
Such a funny joke she just said. How childish!
"Luna," Star pushes aside some of my hair. "You have to believe me."
"Believe you?" I scoff, "Star...you just said that you're a vampire. Vampires don't exist!"
"Yes, they do," she mumbles, her hands falling to her lap and her fingers pinching one another. "They're just very good at hiding."
Oh good lord this is ridiculous, why would she use THAT as an excuse as to why she won't come home, or why she won't answer my questions.
Vampires are myths, legends for Christs Sake. Ancient history!
But still, I wouldn't mind hearing her speak.
I lean against the wall. "So, are you going to tell me the story?"
She glances at me.
I wave a hand in the air. "Come on, spin your story," I say sarcastically, which she notices.
I'd love to hear her come up with a story full of lies...let's just see how stupid she thinks I am.
Star's lips part, but seconds after she closes them, sighing, before speaking.
"I met the Lost Boys when I was 17 and-"
"Hold up hold up, did you say Lost Boys?" I ask.
She furrows her brow. "Yes."
And by then, I'm laughing my ass off again.
"Why do you find this amusing?!" Star shouts, and still, I continue to giggle like a fool.
"Because," I barely manage to say, "Lost Boys, remember? Peter Pan?"
Who the hell would call themselves Lost Boys? That's really hilarious.
So Disney...
Star sighs, her body slouching forward. "Please try and take this more seriously. And no more interruptions!"
"Okay okay!" I throw my hands up, "Jesus."
She pushes her hair back. "Back then I had nowhere to stay, nor did I have anyone."
I glare at her. She did have someone...she had more then someone.
She had a mother, father, and sister, all who searched endlessly for her.
Still, I bite my tongue.
She's already annoyed that I kept interrupting, no need to make her even more mad.
I let her speak.
"They found me outside of Santa Carla, and offered to let me stay at there place. After that, we became friends. And one day..." She trails off, "that's when it happened."
"When what happened?" I ask. I'm really curious to know, how DOES one become a vampire? That is even if they exist, which they don't.
She looks at me. "When I drank the bottle."
...the bottle? Uh, okay?
I furrow my brow. A bottle could be anything. Water, beer, wine, why isn't she being more descriptive as to what this particular bottle was.
"I don't get it," I say, and she exhales.
"I promise you'll understand everything," she grabs my hand, "once we find the boys."
Lifting me up onto my feet, she drags me away from our shadowy corner.
"They'll explain it better then I."
They'll explain it? Who?! Does she mean...
"David!"
Oh...shit...
The four guys are all standing by there moterbikes, Paul smoking a cigarette, Dwayne fixing something on his bike, Marko doing pull ups on something hanging off the roof, and David staring off at the ocean that borders the boardwalk.
David glances at us. "Star," his eyes widen just a little, but not noticable enough. "And, Luna? I assume?"
"Yeah," I stand awkwardly by Star, arms crossed over my chest.
I probably look like a complete mess right now, my face tear streaked and red, and my makeup running.
Paul furrows his brow. "Is everything alright?" He asks, his eyes locked on me. "You look terrible."
"Thanks for noticing," I reply sharply, before I watch Star lean into David's side and whisper in his ear.
I can't hear what she's saying, but judging from David's expression, it's not good.
David locks eyes with me the entire time Star talks to him, and each passing second I begin to feel smaller.
Finally, when she pulls away, concern her expression, he exhales deeply.
"Bring her to Hudson's Bluff." He turns around, "we'll explain everything there."
"Do you need a ride?" Star asks, but I just stand there.
They actually expect me to follow them to the cave? Seriously? Just to tell me some bullshit story about vampires?
I scoff. "Why can't you tell me here? Why do I need to go with you guys to Hudson's Bluff?"
"Because you trust me," Star says, "please, I promise everything will be explained, and you'll understand why I can't ever go back home..."
Why she can't ever go back home?
Anger rises in my chest, making me clench my fists and yell at her.
"The only reason you won't come back home is because YOU'RE WEAK!"
And that's when everything goes black.
***
STAR
"What are you doing?!" I shout at David who just punched MY sister in the head.
Luna lays limp and heavy in David's arms, and he drags her to his bike.
"Do you want all of Santa Carla to hear her?!" He growls, a deep low growl that shakes me on the inside.
The other three just stare at us, not saying a single word.
Of course they won't stand up for me, bastards.
David puts Luna on the front, that way she leans against David and is stable.
He starts his bike. "Ride with whoever you want. I'll meet you at Hudson's Bluff."
He speeds away before I can tell him to drive slow and be careful with her on it.
And I'm left in his dust.
I don't know how long I stand there, staring into the dark with a clenched hand raised to my heart, but when Marko's voice fills the air, I snap back to reality.
I climb onto the back of Marko's bike, and we begin our drive back home.
I refuse to speak to any of them.
"The only reason you won't come back home is because you're weak..."
Her words repeat over and over again in my head.
She's right though...I am weak.
Weak to run away from home all because of some bullies at school.
Weak to find solitude with these four boys who shouldn't exist.
Weak to allow them to turn me into one of them, out of fear that they'll throw me away if I don't.
I'm pathetic.
Marko glances over his shoulder at me when we hit the beach. "You alright Star?"
"No," I answer.
How can I be alright? I have to convince my sister that I'm a vampire, and that I can't go home because of it.
Worry fills my heart.
This is a risky thing we're doing. We've never told anyone about us, and once Luna understands, what then?
Will she tell everyone? Mom and Dad included?
What if word reaches out to certain ears and they come find us?
What if Luna sees me as a monster...and doesn't ever want to see me again?
I bury my face in my hands, silently crying that way Marko can't hear.
I don't want to lose Luna, the only part of a past I wish I could go back to.
At the same time though, I wished she never found me.
If she never found me, I'd be the same, emotionless Star, following these four boys who are my only protection, and in a way, my brothers.
Now that Luna has found me though...all I want is home.
All I want is to go back home, help Dad with whatever he needs, eat Mom's home cooked meals that she made with such love...
Watch Luna further grow into her adulthood, fall in love, get married, have kids...
I'm unbalanced now...and I don't know if I can fix it.
When we reach Hudson's Bluff, I run to David who carries Luna bridal style down the stairs and into the caves entrance.
"Is she okay? Why isn't she waking up yet? How hard did you hit her?!"
"Calm down," David lays Luna on the couch, "she'll be fine. Just a little bruising. Luckily, her hair will cover that."
"You bastard," I whisper, which makes David's head snap towards me.
Instant fear hits me in the chest.
He grabs me by my neck and yanks me close to his face.
His hand tightens, and I can't breathe.
I claw at his hand, trying to loosen it just a little for one quick breath, but it's no use.
David leans in.
"You put us into this mess, Star. You had to tell Luna that you're a vampire," he squeezes even tighter, "and now, you put us at risk. And I swear, if Luna poses a threat, I'll kill her. Sister or not, if she tells anyone, I'll drink her dry, right in front of you."
He lets me go and I fall to the ground, clutching my neck that stings from his fingernails digging in.
David walks past me. "We'll wait for her to wake up."
Soon, he's gone, and the other three follow behind.
Leaving me on my knees in front of my unconscious sister.
I stand up slowly, leaning over Luna.
Her eyes are closed, and her hands placed on her stomach.
I can't help but see images of her as a little girl, her toothy grin and round cheeks as she holds a small kitten in her hands.
*Memory flashback*
"Star! Star look!"
I lower my book to see my four year old sister running full speed inside.
"Go slow!" I tell her when she almost trips.
She slows down, protectively holding something small and white in her hands.
I get up from the couch and approach her.
"What are you holding?"
She outstretches her hands, and I hear a meow.
A kitten?
I gently move Luna's fingers to see a pink nosed, white kitten. It's eyes just recently opened, and it has no teeth.
"Where did you find it?" I ask.
"It was in a rotten stump near the creek."
I grab her hand. "Show me that spot."
***
I followed Luna to that exact destination, only to find four more kittens, and a mama stray.
Carefully, I had Luna carry the babies and I the mom. And when we got back home, I got a
basket and blankets and placed them all near the couch.
I sit down in front of them, with Luna beside me.
Luna giggles.
I smile softly.
"We should name them," I say, running a finger down one of them soft kittens.
Luna nods, "uh-huh!"
"What should we call them?" I ask, glancing at her.
She points at the white kitten. "I wanna name that one. Creamy."
"Creamy?" I giggle. It's such an adorable name, so much so that we decided to name them all after food. Creamy, Cupcake, Biscuit, Buttermilk, and Pancake.
I take Luna's hand. "Wanna go get a snack?"
"Yes!" She runs forward, and I have to keep up with her.
*End of flashback*
I push aside some of her hair out of her eyes.
She grew up so much...and I missed it all.
And now, she's in danger because of me.
I kneel beside her and cry.