Serum

-Twenty-Seven-

Lana had us all pile into her little car, which I finally noted was a deep midnight blue kind of color, tinted windows included. I had never been good with makes or models, so that didn’t really concern me, I could always recognize a familiar car by shape (and little peculiarities like scratches, bent mirrors etc.), but ask me the model, forget it. I was scrunched between the two guys, which seemed to make Daniel really nervous. I noted this with some smug satisfaction. Before becoming vampire-kind I would have been the nervous one being stuck between two guys. But, in respect for Daniel’s twitching nervousness, I scooted closer to Conner, resting my back against his side, comfortably.

“Just don’t get any ideas buster.” I told him as his surprise and a somewhat pleased feeling tickled across our mental link. He merely nodded, but shifted his arm to loop it loosely around my waist. Daniel squirmed even more at the display. “Um, Conner, I think you’re making young Daniel nervous.” I said, choking back a laugh. I was trying my hardest not to embarrass Daniel further by laughing. Conner only pulled me closer, and Daniel threw him a nasty look, blushing furiously. I resisted the urge to twine my fingers with Conner’s. Lana broke into the conversation suddenly and harshly.

“I want you to know the severity of your actions Daniel.” She lectured, Daniel’s head automatically dropped. He seemed to find something interesting sticking to one of the knees of his jeans. “We’re headed towards the school, where I will be checking the twins out, accompanied by their parents, on a “medical emergency” basis. At least, that’s what I convinced the vice-principal of. Not that he’s a hard man to fool, regardless, not my point. They’ll have to be yanked out of school for several weeks or maybe even longer depending on how long it takes us to track down and either kill or scare off the entire band of these marauders you have gotten all stirred up against our kind. You know how to be on the look-out for dangers like these, what do you think your senses are for…” Lana lectured on and on all the way to the school, I easily blocked her out. I had plenty of experience doing the same thing with my mother in the past, but apparently Daniel was different. He kept sinking further and further in his seat, until he looked as if he would crumble in on himself. Absently, I ran my fingers along Conner’s hand while I watched Daniel with a frown.

“He’s an orphan, he’s never really had to deal with any lectures like this.” Conner whispered beside my ear. My surprise must have leaked across our link, because Conner responded to it as if I had spoken. “Sorry, I noticed you watching him. That’s one reason he came to me for help first. I’ve always looked out for him, sorta like he was my kid-brother or something.” He told me softly. The car came to a stop. Lana hurrying out, but making it look like the actions of a human in a hurry, not bolting off in her normal vampire way. She must have had lots of practice, because from far away I don’t think I would have ever been able to tell the difference.

“Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m crowded.” Conner remarked more loudly with a grunt. The door finally popped open and allowed him to tumble out. At a quick look from him I followed. Daniel looked as though he was nearly in tears. I gently squeezed Daniel’s arm across the car’s back seat, trying to convey all my sympathy, understanding and the knowledge that it wouldn’t always be that bad in one simple gesture. Then I quietly shut the door. Heaving a huge sigh, I turned to Conner who was casually leaning up against the car’s trunk.

“You look like the ad for a magazine or something.” I giggled, “Did we just adopt a teenager?” I joked, then sobered quickly as a thought occurred to me. “How did Daniel’s parents die?” I asked cautiously. “I notice everyone’s seeming to blow this way out of proportion, I mean, I know it’s serious, and I know it’s dangerous for all concerned, but… Well, I guess what I’m trying to say is that none of the humans are really going to miss a bunch of thugs anyway. At least the good ones won’t be doing a whole lot of mourning, especially if they’re the type that would attack a young girl like it sounds like.” I crossed my arms over my own chest almost protectively. “The humans should just be relieved that no one else got hurt.” I grumbled, eyeing Conner carefully, alert for any motion that might give away that I had hit on something. To a human’s eye no change was noticeable, he was still casually leaning on the side of the car, but I saw Conner’s muscles slightly stiffen, and his posture seemed to be a little strained. Almost imperceptibly, he motioned with his chin towards a tree across the parking lot, and we casually strolled in that direction. I bent swiftly and picked up a twig as I neared the tree, stripping it of its bark as I stood under the tree’s protective branches. Conner stood directly in front of me, head bowed as he watched me playing with the twig.

“That’s why we’re all reacting so violently, I suppose. You see, Daniel’s parents were killed by humans who found out they were vampires. Kind of like the jerks now, only all “righteous and indignant”. Religious fanatics of a sort. They caught Daniel’s father feeding one evening, and they followed him home, only to discover his wife and two small children. They killed everybody but Daniel. The human police found Daniel’s family. When they were discovered, everyone thought at first that he was dead too, they couldn’t even find a pulse. Anyway, he was rushed to the hospital, where they immediately began blood transfusions. A lucky thing really, since that works almost as well as us drinking, and word spread quickly through our channels, so Lana could take him under her care before anybody noticed anything funny about him. Daniel was only about three or so, so he doesn’t even remember it. I don’t even know if anyone told him the entire story.” Conner’s voice dropped off as high school students began to flood outside of the building into the parking lot.

“Is school over already?” I asked curiously.

“No, I think it’s just the lunch-break.” Answered Conner, casually leaning against the tree. I noticed teenage girls were looking at him and giggling, or throwing evil looks at me. Shocked, I grunted.

“What?” Conner wanted to know. He had his head leaned back against the tree, eyes closed.

“Well, I don’t know whether to be jealous or to be just plain shocked.” I told him. “Or maybe cocky about it.” I mused.

“What do you mean?” He responded drowsily.

“I’ve never been the recipient of evil-looks just because I was standing next to a good-looking guy.” I responded. Conner became alert and looked at me, the twinkle in his eye visible behind the sun-glasses. His amusement filtered across our link.

“Ah hah, so you do think I’m attractive!” Conner crowed, a flirtatious air floating on his words. I merely turned around, throwing the stick over my shoulder. A hand reached around my waist and turned me around. “Maybe I’m the one getting jealous looks because I’m with such a good-looking girl.” Conner teased, looking straight into my eyes as he pulled me against him. Emotions flew back and forth on our mental link, and I leaned in towards him as he cupped the back of my head, his gaze flicking towards my lips. Then a harsh voice cut into the moment, apparently Lana had returned.