The following weeks after the party flew by quickly. Lena and I had a sort of unspoken plan of meeting each other at our spot on the beach each Friday afternoon. We never stayed for too long, with her mother calling or texting her to come home, but it was my favorite part of the week. We kept conversations light, trying to learn more about each other without pushing too far. I learned her parents were both doctors who met in med school and actually work at the same hospital as my mother. She also has a younger brother. Her family adopted him when he was a baby, and she was about seven years old. It's clear from the way she talks about her family they are close. I told her I live with my brothers and our parents, but mostly talked about my aunt Tara whenever she brought up family. I pretended not to notice the crease between her eyebrows and the small frown on her face as I always directed the conversation towards something else. I asked her about music, sports, art, friends, anything and everything I could think of, just trying to soak in as much information about her as I could. On the fifth Friday of us meeting, I finally gathered the courage to ask her on a date.
Lena sat next to me watching the sun dance across the water. I fidgeted nervously next to her, peaking at her every now and then, trying to find the right moment to ask. "What's wrong?" I felt a hand on my shoulder and couldn't help but to relax a little into the increasingly familiar touch. I looked to my left to see Lena looking at me with concern in her eyes. I could feel my palms getting sweatier and my heart racing in my chest as I stared into her eyes, trying to find an answer to my question without even asking. I could hear my oldest brother's voice in my head, "Dude, grow a pair. Monticello's don't get nervous over anything, especially girls." Right, I thought to myself. I can do this. I grabbed her hand off of my shoulder and intertwined her fingers with my own. I watched our hands fall into my lap, hoping it would give me more comfort and hoping she wouldn't jerk away. I felt her fingers squeeze my hand. I looked back up into her eyes, still showing concern, but offering encouragement. I sighed, it's now or never. "Could we hang out some time?" I spit out quickly. Lena laughed. What the hell? I pulled my hand away from hers and started to stand up. "Wait!" She said through her laughter as she grabbed my hand and pulled me back down. "I'm sorry," more giggles left her mouth, "I'm just wondering what we've been doing for the past few weeks?" "Oh," I said sheepishly as a blush filled my cheeks, "well, yeah, we've been hanging out, but what I meant was," another sigh left my mouth, "could we hang out on a day that isn't Friday and somewhere that isn't the beach?" I finally asked. "Like a date," I added more firmly. Surprise filled her eyes as the last of her laughter died down. We sat there in silence for a few seconds, though it felt much longer to me. Finally, she responded, "Yes, but only if I don't have to dress up." The smile that now sat on my face felt too big to be possible. "Of course not," I said happily, "don't wear anything if that would make you more comfortable." Lena punched my arm as I laughed at my own joke. Suddenly, I could breathe easier and the world seemed happier. Lena's phone rang as it usually does, drawing this evening to a close. After a quick talk with her mom I walked her back to her car. "So," I started, "are you free tomorrow?" "Someone's eager," Lena replied with a smile on her face, "pick me up at seven o'clock. Don't be late though, I don't give second chances, Monticello." I watched her drive away before getting in my own car and letting out a celebratory holler. I called Nikki and Jasmine as I drove home, too eager to tell them about my date to wait until I got home. Plus, they needed to come over and spend the night so there would be plenty of prep time the next day. Like Lena said, there wouldn't be another chance, so I needed to make this one perfect.
I pulled up to my house just as Nikki and Jasmine did. Apparently, I wasn't the only one eager for this date. "Oh my god!" Jasmine squealed as she got out of her car. "I can't believe you're going on an actual date! It's been like, what, three years?" "Closer to two, I think. And it's not really a big deal, Jas. It's just a first date. We've already been hanging out," I tried to reassure myself as I felt the nerves already hitting my body. "Hold on, I was surprised enough she's going on a date with you, but you've already been hanging out?!" Nikki exclaimed. Jasmine grabbed my arm and pulled me to the front door. Nikki punched in the code and the three of us walked inside, though I was more or less dragged. Jasmine tossed me onto the sofa and sat down next to me. "Tell us everything." So, I did.
"When did you ask her out?" Nikki asked when my story was over. "Right before I called you," I replied. "How did you do it?" Jasmine asked dreamily. "Well," I started, "I grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into me. Then I pulled her face to mine and kissed her, like I've never kissed anyone before. When I pulled away, I demanded-" "Like hell you did!" Nikki cut in. "We've seen you interact with her. Half the time your mouth is hanging open and drool is falling out. There's no way you grabbed anything or demanded she do something," she finished with a laugh. I stared at Nikki for a second, until I couldn't hold in my laughter any longer. "Fine, you caught me." I told them about how I lamely asked her out. "And?" Nikki prompted. "And what?" I asked confusedly. "What did she say?" Jasmine added. "Yes, of course. That's why you two are here, right?" I said with a slight chuckle. "Right, and with that being said, we need to get to work. Where are you taking her?" Jasmine asked. "Well, I was thinking of doing a picnic at one of my favorite spots where there is a waterfall. I think she'll like it. Not many people know about it." "What? Why?" Nikki said with disgust at the idea of being outdoors. "Because I want it to be special. How many times do you think she's been taken to some semi-fancy restaurant or to a shitty movie theatre? I want this date to be different from others she's experienced," I said with conviction.
"Damn," Nikki said with her eyebrows raised, "you are so whipped already." She stood up and walked over to me. "Stand up," she demanded. I looked over to Jasmine with wide eyes, wondering what the hell Nikki was doing, but in the end, I stood up anyway. The next thing I knew, Nikki was hugging me. "I love you and I'm happy you're finally moving on and letting go of the past. I hope it works out for you." I stood there for a moment without moving, too shocked to do anything. We've been best friends for years, but moments of affection, true affection, are kind of rare. Finally, I wrapped my arms around her and hugged back. "Thanks Nik, you're the best." I felt another pair of arms wrap around me as Jasmine joined in. "I love you guys," she cried into my shoulder. "Ugh, that's enough. She's making it too emotional," Nikki said as she pushed us away. The three of us laughed and sat back down. "What are you gonna wear?" Jasmine asked. "Don't know, but that's an issue for tomorrow. Can we just chill for tonight? I need to take my mind off of things and calm my nerves." "Say no more," Nikki replied, "I brought some goodies for you and they'll definitely free your mind." She winked at me as she stood up and walked to the front door where she had dropped her bags. She came back with a six pack of beer and a container of homemade brownies. She smiled devilishly at us as she tossed us each a beer and opened the container. "Mama Nikki's special brownies. Dig in ladies."
The rest of the night was a blur. A few bites from one of Nikki's special cookies, mixed with a beer or two, was enough to take me out completely. I woke up Saturday morning with my head hanging upside down off of my bed, and from what I could see, a destroyed room. Clothes and trash littered the floor. I heard a groan from somewhere but couldn't see anyone under the layer of filth. I stood up and started shuffling around the room, trying to locate where the noises were coming from. Finally, I stopped beside my bed and leaned down. Nikki was curled up in a ball under the bed, clutching an empty beer bottle. Groans escaped from her drooling mouth as she awoke from her slumber, and no doubt was experiencing a major hangover. I didn't hear or see Jasmine among the mess, so I walked out of the room to continue my search. I could smell breakfast being made downstairs and figured that would be the best place to look. When I got to the kitchen, I expected to see Jasmine cooking, but instead found my brother, Logan. "Jasmine's in the bathroom, if that's who you're looking for," he said as he glanced in my direction. "What are you doing here?" I asked in surprise. He stopped cooking and turned to face me fully. "Is that any way to greet your favorite brother? Get over here," he said with a smile on his face and his arms open wide. I walked over and gave him a hug. "This doesn't mean you're my favorite brother by the way, but I did miss you." "Whatever," he replied, "I missed you too. What's been going on?" "Nothing. Same stuff as usual. Mom and dad work all the time and I do my thing, go to parties, whatever," I said with a shrug as I sat down at the island. Jasmine walked into the room and sat next to me, "That's not exactly true. She has a date tonight." "What? My baby sister has a date. Who with?" "You wouldn't know her. She's new to town," Jasmine said for me. "Oh, fresh meat. Spencer would be proud," Logan said with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "It's not like that," I said grumpily, "this is serious." I couldn't look either of them in the eye as I said this. Not only was embarrassment all over my face, but I knew that Logan would be trying to communicate with me without actually talking.
Jasmine and Nikki know everything about me, except for the curse that my family has endured for centuries. When Monticello's turn eighteen years old, they experience a change, commonly known in today's world as vampirism. I'm the youngest of the Monticello's at seventeen years old, so I haven't experienced the change yet, but that doesn't mean it isn't coming. My parents and oldest brother, Spencer, don't really care about what this means for anyone outside of the family. They are, shall we say, a little bit cut off from their humanity. They're not exactly heartless, but they've stopped putting in effort to understand or empathize with people outside of themselves. Which is a huge reason for the lack of affection we share. Logan, however, has more of a moral compass than the others. He's warned me too many times, based on his own experience, that getting too close to people will only hurt more in the end. It's not that he isn't happy that I have people I care about and who may care about me, but he's worried about what happens when those relationships have to end, and they pretty much always do after the change. It becomes too difficult to be who you are and have people in your life who can't know everything about you.
"What about you, bro? How's college?" I asked, hoping to change the topic of conversation. Logan scoffed as he flipped a pancake, "College... it's good, I guess. Kind of a joke if I'm honest. You know dad has been teaching us everything we need to know about the business since we were able to talk. Spence and I are just there for the experience at this point." "Right," I said simply, with a knowing smile. He was right, our fates have been sealed since before we were born. Everything we do or go through is just a formality, including school. In a few years, mom and dad will "retire" early and leave town. Dad will remain part of the family business and hold all control, but Spencer and Logan will be the face of the company for all intents and purposes. This cycle has been in effect for generations. The family has been based in Oak Hills since immigrating from Italy a few centuries ago, but as we go through the change, we only have two options, leave town now or in a few years when the public starts to notice we aren't aging. My father left town when he turned eighteen and didn't come back for about eighty years, long enough to be sure anyone who would remember him would most likely be dead. When he finally did, he met my mother, who was twenty-one at the time, and fell in love. They were married within a year and had Spencer first, Logan two years later, and me two years after that. My mother wanted to have kids first before transitioning, in case she didn't make it through, but after we were all born, he bit her, and she made it through the change. Since then, my family has stayed in Oak Hills, but with the boys being in college, my mother and father will need to move away soon because they look way younger than they should.
Nikki stumbled into the room just as a quizzical looking Jasmine was about to say something. "Good morning sunshine," I said quickly, hoping to distract Jasmine from asking any unwanted questions. Nikki groaned in response as she rifled through the medicine cabinet, most likely searching for headache pills. Logan grabbed a bottle off of the counter and handed it to her along with a glass of water. "I got these out earlier for Jas and Art. Though they don't seem to need them as much as you do," he said as he tried to hide his smile. "Why aren't you two as affected? We did the same stuff," Nikki whined. "Superiority," I responded as Jasmine said, "You're a lightweight." We laughed as we realized what the other had said. "Hell yeah!" I exclaimed as we high fived. Nikki ignored us and swallowed her pills. "Breakfast is served," Logan said as he sat a huge plate of pancakes on the island. Jasmine and I thanked him as we grabbed plates. Nikki continued her stumble into the living room and fell onto the sofa face down. "She'll be okay," I said to reassure Logan, who looked at me slightly concerned.
Jasmine nudged me in the shoulder with her eyebrows raised, but I just shook my head. She's said for a couple of years now that she thinks Logan is into Nikki, and I don't disagree, but he would never make a move. Not only because she's my best friend and things could get messy if they didn't work out, but because of the glaring fact that he's not human anymore. Like I said before, relationships are too complicated after the change. Sometimes they work out, like with mom and dad, but more often than not, people end up hurt, and not just emotionally. "So," Logan said as he hopped onto the counter across from us, "what time is your date?" "Seven," I replied through a mouth full of food. "Where are you taking her?" "A secret spot. Turns out she's a romantic," Jasmine said teasingly. "Nah, she's just a Monticello. It's all part of the charm. Right, sis?" Logan said with a smirk. I ignored the two of them as they continued making small talk.
I started thinking about what I was doing. I hadn't been on an actual date since my ex, Ashton, which as Jasmine pointed out, was a couple of years ago. Back then, I had all the time in the world, at least it seemed that way. Now, I'm only a little over a year away from the change. When I turn eighteen in March of next year, I'll be a senior in high school with only a couple of months left. Then it's time to make a choice, leave town and don't come back until the people who know me are dead, or prolong the leave for a little bit, until I no longer have a choice. I already have enough to deal with just with Nikki and Jasmine, but now I'm adding Lena to the mix. Even without the change, I didn't think I was ready for anything serious. I mean, what if tonight leads to more than just a first date? I already can't get her out of my head. At best, we have a year together, but then what? I break things off and leave town or I stay for a few more years and break it off anyway? "Art," Logan said interrupting my thoughts, "could we go outside for a minute? I wanted to talk to you in private before I go run some errands." "Sure," I responded weakly.
We both walked to the back door and stepped out into the crisp morning air. "I love fall," Logan said quietly. "Especially in the morning-" "Enough with the small talk, Logan," I interrupted, "just say what you want to say." "Look," he started, "I didn't ask you out here to lecture you. I could just see the inner turmoil going on in your head. I know what you're going through. I've been there, remember?" "So, what do I do?" I asked with a bit more anger than I intended. "You have to decide that for yourself. Is this just another fling or is it something more?" The question sounded rhetorical, but I answered anyway. "More... I think I want more, at least. I don't know about her." "Then you take it one day at a time. You have another year to live your life freely, Art. I'm not suggesting you live in fear of getting close to anyone. I just want you to be careful. In a year, if the two of you are still together, things could become difficult, for both of you. Eventually, you'll have to leave whether you do it sooner or later. But that won't be the only choice you'll have to make." "What do you mean?" I asked. "You'll have to decide if you want to tell her, about you, our family, the curse." "I couldn't do that," I responded instantly. "You could. Dad did with mom, grandpa did with grandma, and so on if you look back in our family's history. Logan said matter-of-factly. "But telling her would mean trusting that she won't tell anyone else and that she'll want this life for herself. How could I know that completely?" I said exasperated. "Look, it's too early in the relationship for you to be worrying about this," Logan tried to reassure me, "but eventually, when the time comes, you'll have to decide if the risk is worth it. Dad made that decision and it paid off. Sometimes it doesn't. Uncle Frank wasn't as lucky, of course, in more ways than one." I scoffed, "Not lucky? That's what you call being killed by hunters? Cynthia rejecting him was the least of his problems." "Hunters are a whole other issue, Art. Just see how tonight goes and decide on what you want from there. I'll always be here for you, no matter what. You know that, right?" Logan put both of his hands on my shoulders and turned me to face him to be sure I knew he was being genuine. I felt my face soften as I looked into his eyes, "I know. Thank you, for talking things through with me," I mumbled. "Any time. I have to go now but let me know how it goes and if you need to talk more." He gave me a quick hug and we both walked back in. "See ya later, Jas," Logan said as he grabbed his keys and wallet from the living room. "Bye! Thanks for the food," she responded as we followed behind him. He gave us a quick smile and wave over his shoulder as he ran out the door. "Are you okay?" Jasmine asked. "Yeah," I responded, "just nervous about tonight. Guess we can just chill for a few hours though, while Nikki recuperates. Maybe do something to take my mind off of things." "Sure, let's watch a movie. How about My Vampire Lover?" Jasmine asked with puppy dog eyes. I rolled my eyes and stifled a laugh at the irony of watching that movie, "Fine, but we watched all three of those last time you stayed over, ya know?" "Yeah, but they never get old," she said happily as she put in the first DVD.
Nikki slept through the first and second movie, which were both about two, excruciating long hours each. Jasmine and I decided to run out for lunch, hoping Nikki would wake from the dead by the time we got back. "Wanna shop for some clothes while we're out?" Jasmine asked as we drove to the mall. "No, I think I'm just gonna dress like I normally do," I replied nonchalantly. "Ripped black jeans and a leather jacket?" Jasmine asked skeptically. "Of course, it's classic. And it's me. I think Lena will appreciate me being myself, trust me on this." I smiled to myself as I thought back to yesterday at the beach. I love that her only request for our date was that she doesn't have to dress up. I think dressing like I normally do will make us both a lot more comfortable. We pulled up to the mall and walked into one of our favorite pizza spots. A few minutes into eating I noticed Jasmine was being unusually quiet.
"Something on your mind, Jas?" She looked up at me thoughtfully, before nodding her head yes. I raised my eyebrows in response, waiting for her to continue and hoping it didn't have anything to do with our conversation this morning with Logan. "It's just," she paused for a moment, as though trying to find the right words, "I've been wondering, what changed within the past few weeks to make you want a relationship? Sydney has been into you since freshman year and you always seemed to have a soft spot for her, but you always said you weren't ready. Why now though?" I sat there for a moment processing what she said. I was a bit surprised by her question, not expecting her to say anything like that. "Well, uh... I think it's more to do with who, rather than why, ya know? Sydney is amazing and I like her a lot, but I just didn't feel like I needed to be around her all the time. She wasn't impossible to get out of my head. It's... hard to explain, without sounding like a complete jerk. She just, wasn't the right person for me. Plus, she reminded me too much of Ashton, so, it wasn't meant to be," I finished kind of lamely. I looked up from my food to see Jasmine staring at me with a knowing smile. "What?" I chuckled nervously. "Well, I don't mean to put you on the spot, but is Lena that person? The one you can't live without?" My heart dropped to my stomach, too afraid to give her an answer and not entirely sure about what the answer would be. I threw the question back at her instead, "Is Charlie that person for you?" She giggled and looked away from me as blush filled her cheeks. I felt my cheeks widen as I smiled at her happiness. "I guess that answers the question. You know, you're lucky Nikki isn't here to joke on your lovesickness right now." Jasmine laughed, "Definitely, speaking of which, we should get back. We need to make sure she's actually okay and you'll have to get ready in a few hours."
We finished eating quickly and drove back to my house. As we walked in the front door, we noticed Nikki was no longer on the couch, which is a good thing. We heard the toilet flush and Nikki stumbled out of the bathroom. "Where did you two go?" She asked irritably. "We grabbed some lunch, brought you back some pizza," I held up her leftovers, but she just shook her head and groaned. I went to the kitchen to put her stuff away as Jasmine made sure she wasn't running a fever and was staying hydrated. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I pulled it out to see a text from Lena, "Just wanted you to know, I can't stop thinking about you. See you tonight," my heart pounded in my chest as I read the text. I melted into the counter behind me, trying to think of something to say back that wouldn't sound completely lame. I couldn't think straight or stop smiling at the fact that she's thinking about me. "What a coincidence, I've been writing your name in my diary all day... can't wait to see you." I hit send and bit my lip. I felt giddy, for the first time in I don't know how long. I sighed and walked back into the living room. "How are ya, champ?" I asked Nikki teasingly. She flipped me off as she sipped some water. "I'll go make some of my mom's special hangover tea for you, Nik. Art, put in the last vampire movie, please?" "Sure," I groaned, though the smile from Lena's text still hadn't fully left my face.
After the last movie, I decided to go ahead and get ready as nerves were once again taking over my body. It was only five o'clock, as Nikki pointed out, but Lena had sent me her address and it was going to take about twenty minutes to get there. I figured I should get there early to meet her parents and answer questions. Jasmine and Nikki followed me upstairs to help with makeup and hair. Nikki raised her eyebrows at my choice in clothing, but Jasmine just shook her head in response. After I was fully dressed, Nikki began putting on makeup. I told her to keep it minimal. I looked in the mirror as she finished up and was satisfied with the look. "Thanks guys, I love it," I smiled at them both before looking down at my watch. The whole ordeal had taken about forty-five minutes. "We're right on time. Lena's favorite food is Italian, so I put in an order at Mario's during the movie. By the time I go pick that up it'll be time to head over to her house." I looked back up at Nikki and Jasmine anxiously. "Come on, we'll walk out with you," Nikki said as she threw an arm around my shoulder. The three of us walked downstairs and out to our cars. "You're taking your jeep?" Jasmine asked in surprise. "Yeah, why?" I asked worriedly. "I just thought you'd take one of your parent's cars, like the Ferrari or Mercedes," she replied. "Oh, like I said, I want to be myself. I never use their cars for anything, I'm not starting now." "Tonight's gonna be great, Art," Jasmine said with a smile, "don't worry, okay? She said yes to a date with you, so the hard part is over with." "Plus, you look hot. She won't be able to resist," Nikki added with a wink. I laughed, "Get out of here, both of you. I'll call you tomorrow, let you know how it went." They got into their cars to head towards Jasmine's house. "Good luck, Art! Love you," Jasmine yelled out of her window as she drove off. "You've got this, dumbass!" Nikki yelled out of hers. I got into my jeep and started up the engine. I sat there for a few minutes, psyching myself up for what was about to come. You can do this, I told myself. It's just a date, I've done plenty of things more anxiety inducing than this. After all, Lena said it herself, Artemis Monticello is a badass.