|
Chapter
9
July 20, 2001 “Where’s Mr. Jones at?” Taylor asked, walking up to Beatriz days later. “He’s been gone like, a week or something.” He complained. Beatriz looked at him, “Nine days, actually. I can’t believe it took you so long to notice.” She said, pushing his hair behind his ear. “What’s wrong? Why do you need him?” |
“I don’t know, I was just sorta, you know, missing him.” Taylor said, plopping down in a chair.
Beatriz furrowed her brow, “Did you eat something?”
He smiled, “No, but I drank a Coke. Well, half of one, anyway.” He said.
She rolled her eyes, “Was it worth it?” She asked, sitting down on the chair with him.
He rubbed his stomach, feeling the rumble going on beneath the skin, “Yeah, I think it was.” He said.
“Well, then I wouldn’t worry about it if I were you—though really, it would have been wiser to put something without so many chemicals in it in there.” She said, placing her hand over his. She leaned in close to him, “Maybe a little less acid?”
He sighed, “No thanks, when I want a Coke, I want a Coke. Tea just wouldn’t cut it.”
She placed her lips on his for a kiss, then pulled back, “What about the blood of a Coca Cola salesman? Or some lovely barmaid who drinks it to stay up late with her customers?”
He smiled at her again, admiring her dark eyes and lips, “Beatriz, when was the last time you had a Coke?”
A haughty manner took over her, “Never. I do not thirst for such things.”
“Well then, don’t knock it if you haven’t tried it.” He said. “What do you like to drink, then? I saw you drink whisky that one night at the Living End. Do you like it?”
“Lord, no.” She said. “I only did that as a show of power. There’s a reason humans call it rot-gut.”
“Hmm…a show of power, huh?” He said, thinking. “Maybe next time I want to impress all them, I’ll just have a big swig of Jack and Coke.” He raised an eyebrow.
She sat up, “I wouldn’t recommend it. Young ones, such as yourself, would suffer from that much more than I did.” She looked at him sideways, “Besides, you aren’t exactly…predictable. While the overwhelming majority of your kind are immune to the stuff, I believe you’ve proved that it can have a bit of an effect on you at times.”
“That was a long time ago—“He started.
“Oh Taylor, everything is a “long time ago” to you. Do you have no idea how long long is?” She exclaimed, chastising him. “If beer had an unsettling effect on you six months ago, it will probably have an effect on you for six years.” She softened, touching his cheek with her finger, “And you shall probably have a craving for Coke for the next fifty. But, eventually, you will forget those things.” She touched her tongue to his ear lobe, “And you will lose a little of that charm that your humanity brings you.” She whispered. She lay her head down on his shoulder and looked over at the clock. The sun would soon be rising and his eyes would close until it went down again. Even as she thought it, it happened and she felt his limbs get heavy and his head slowly fell over onto the arm of the chair. With a sigh, she pulled herself upright again and looked at him, “Then again, perhaps you shall never lose that charm or your humanity.” She pulled him up by his arms and up out of the chair, then over one of her shoulders. She thanked whatever God came into her mind at that moment that she had been blessed to be tall, particularly for a woman of her time, otherwise, his arms would have drug the ground. When she deposited him in his bed, she huffed, “And, perhaps one day you will learn to watch the clock better and lie down in your bed before you pass out completely.” She then turned, and went out the door, closing it gently behind her.
As she walked back into the living room the phone rang. She quickly pulled the earring out of her ear and answered it. “Yes?” She asked.
“What a charming way to answer the telephone.” She heard Mr. Jones on the other end of the phone.
“Yes, well, it’s awfully early you know.” She answered sitting down in a chair and pulling her legs up. “I’d think you would take advantage of living with a human family and sleep in.”
“Sometimes I do, but I just thought I’d like to check in with you, and I wanted to catch you before you went to sleep.” He said.
“Well, you must have sensed that you were being talked about.” She said.
“Really? Good, I hope.” He returned.
“I think Taylor is missing you.” She lay her head back on the sofa.
“Somehow I doubt that. How are things going there? Anything I should know about?” He asked.
“Things are alright, I believe. Roberto has come and worked with Taylor daily. After their first altercation, I believe they have each gained a bit of respect for the other.” She said.
“Respect is a good thing, as long as there’s not too much trust there as well. I hope Taylor doesn’t let his guard down too much.” Mr. Jones said.
“Sonya has enough distrust for both of them, and I assure you, she reminds Taylor often.” She said. “So, how are things going there for you? How is the girl, and when do you expect to see the fruits of all this insanity?”
“She seems to be alright. Heartbeats are strong and she has grown just since I’ve gotten here. I was a bit concerned as twins notoriously come early and I don’t think we are in any way able to deal with any sort of health problems that might arise from a premature birth. But, the longer she holds out, the better for all involved.” He answered.
“Indeed.” Beatriz mused. “I’m sorry that things have to be so covert, but I’m sure you understand, and it’s very important that everyone there understand as well.”
“I think we’re in agreement. I’m not sure how Michelle will take the news, but I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” Mr. Jones said.
“Very well. Good luck to you and all there. Assure them that Taylor is alive and well, and still the same darling boy he’s always been.” She smiled.
“Oh, I’ll definitely tell them what a darling he is—I shall leave out the part about him being a surly, moody, pain in the posterior, though.” He laughed.
“Yes, perhaps that is a good idea. But you know, you wouldn’t want him any other way. It makes him stand out from the rest, for good or bad.” She said, standing. A golden light was appearing at the horizon and she walked over to the windows and pulled the heavy drapes.
“Alright, Madame. I shall let you get your rest, I know it’s almost time there in the city.” He sighed.
She turned and walked to the desk, “New York will be here for you when you get back. It never changes, you know that.”
“Yes, it will be there. And I will be so glad to be back.” He said. “Goodbye, Lady.”
“Goodbye Jonas, take care.” She said, and she hung up the phone, then made her way back to her own bedroom and the long sleep until sundown the next day.
~~~~~
Michelle opened her eyes. Sun was streaming in through the curtains of Taylor’s room, giving everything a golden glow. She was finding it extremely hard to get more than a few hours sleep a night as one of her legs would go numb, or she’d find her bladder so smashed by the babies, that she felt as though she’d wet the bed, whether she really had to go or not. And getting out of bed was getting harder and harder by the day. She placed her hands on her stomach. The bigger they got, the more stretched out she was, causing an almost constant itch. She began to run her fingernails over her skin, loving the feel of it. Already, she could hear feet on the stairs as all the children began to wake and make their way down to breakfast. Slowly, she sat up and placed her feet on the carpet. She sighed and looked around the room. In the corner, a crib sat, painstakingly put together by Isaac and Zac with questionable help from Mackenzie. A mobile of moon and stars gently moved in the breeze from the air conditioner and in the corner, a seemingly endless supply of diapers all stacked precariously, awaiting the birth of two babies. She looked away and once again, began to scratch her sides, as she opened the drawer in the table next to the bed. Inside, she found cherry chapstick, a great deal of change, bits and pieces of paper and receipts for various purchases, and finally, the treasure she’d been seeking, a tiny hotel sized bottle of lotion. “Oh, thank you, Taylor…” She said as she pulled it out and unscrewed the cap. Jessica had brought her a lovely bottle of sweet pea scented lotion, but it was in the bathroom, which at that moment, though only a few steps away, was way too far to go. She rubbed it into the palms of her hands, then reached under her shirt to soothe her itchy skin. She closed her eyes as the cream worked its magic. When Mr. Jones knocked on her door, she jumped. She pulled her shirt down quickly, “Come in.” She said.
“Good morning, how are you feeling today?” He asked.
“Fine.” She said.
“Your standard answer. But if I remember correctly, most pregnant women have complaints; aches and pains and strange things that drive them to the edge of insanity. And you should be experiencing those things two-fold.” He said, kindly. “Are you sure there’s nothing bothering you?”
“Well, other than the itching…” She said, scratching again. “And the fact that I’m huge and my feet hurt and stuff, I think I’m okay.” She said.
He stepped closer to her, “How about some hydrocortisone crème? That may help the itching. There’s nothing we can do about your size though. Two healthy babies with strong heartbeats experiencing normal growth would tend to make you rather large, I’m afraid.” Just then, her stomach growled, prompting him to smile, “How about, after breakfast, I give you a foot massage?” He said, reaching his hand down to her.
She allowed him to pull her to her feet, “Oh, God. You have no idea how wonderful that sounds. But I think I’d feel weird about it.”
“There’s no need to feel weird. I am a physician. Feet do not bother me in the least. Well, as long as they are clean, anyway.” He said, slowly walking her to the door. “Do you need shoes?” He asked.
“They don’t really fit anymore.” She said, looking longingly back at her black leather maryjanes.
“How about those ridiculous slippers Miss Avery chose for you the last time they went to Wal-Mart.” He shook his head, “Store to the stars…” He said, smiling.
She chuckled, “Hey, there’s nothing wrong with Wal-Mart. But, still, I have a feeling Zac would get just a little too big a kick out of me wearing those big yellow duck slippers.”
He followed her eyes to the top of Taylor’s dresser where a pair of bright yellow duck faces looked back at him, the feathers on tops of their heads standing at attention. “You may be right about that.” He said. “Very well, take my arm and I’ll escort you, sans shoes down to the morning madness.”
Thus began another day in the countdown to Diana and Walkers first grandchildren.
~~~~~
July 25, 2001
“Do you have a tissue?” Roberto asked, stepping out of the elevator.
Beatriz looked up from the movie she was watching and pointed to the table across the room. She watched as he plucked two from the box and handed them back into the elevator. A moment later, Sonya led Taylor out, his head leaned back and his nose stuffed full of bloody Kleenex. Beatriz chuckled, turning off the television, “Oh, my sweet boy…” she said, walking over to the couch as he lay back. She then looked at Robert, “Are you trying to make him unattractive?” She asked.
“No, I’m trying to make him protect his head.” He replied. He then smiled, “The unattractive part is just a side-effect.”
Taylor ignored the exchange, “Where’s Mr. Jones?!” He asked, closing his eyes as Sonya pulled the used Kleenex away and handed him two new ones.
“He’s still on an errand for me.” Beatriz said, sitting down next to him.
“He’s been gone for like, two weeks now.” Taylor complained, wiping blood from his lip, then stuffing them up his nostrils again.
“Yes, and he may be gone for a while longer, so you just have us mean old women here to comfort you.” She chided him.
Robert turned, “Why aren’t any of you comforting me? He kicked me in the shin,” he said, pulling his pant leg up, “and he tried to break my elbow by twisting my hand nearly off.” He pulled his sleeve up to reveal something reminiscent of the ‘indian burn’ children give to each other in grade school.
“You are perfectly capable of comforting yourself.” Sonya spat, jerking the last two tissues away from Taylor’s face.
“Ow…” Taylor said, flinching.
“Oh, tish tosh.” Sonya retorted, “It doesn’t even hurt now. It can’t. You just think it does because it would have a year ago. When are you going to face the fact that you are no longer human and you don’t have all their problems or frailties?”
Taylor looked at her with his big blue eyes. “I didn’t say it hurt, but it wasn’t very pleasant either. The blood was all dried up, and I’m thinking maybe it was stuck to my brain…”
~~~~~
July 26, 2001
“Michelle, I don’t think you’ve been out of this house since you got here.” Diana said to the girl. All the children had gone outside to play in the pool except for Zac who’d spent the night with a friend and had yet to return.
“I know. I just feel like a clown or something. Like a big old weeble. And my ankles are swollen, I think. I’m not sure cuz I haven’t seen them for a really long time…” She said.
“Well, that cool water might help. And no one around here thinks twice about seeing a pregnant woman.” She smiled. “Besides, I’m sure you could use a little sun and some exercise. It’ll be good for you.”
“I don’t have a swimsuit.” Michelle replied softly.
Diana waved her hand in the air, “I still have a couple left over from when I had Zoë. I’m sure one of them would fit you. And, if not, you can just borrow a t-shirt from Walker and a pair of shorts.” She said as she trotted out of the room.
Michelle sighed and walked over to the sliding glass door that looked out on the pool. Mackenzie was jumping off the diving board as Isaac scolded him for splashing his little sister. Jessica and Avery sat in lounge chairs, sunglasses perched on their noses and drinks held in their hands. Over the two weeks since she’d been there, she’d enjoyed the two girls’ company a great deal. Jessica was mature for her age; more so than her own friends back east, though they were a few years older than her. Avery, at just ten years old was also an interesting character. Sometimes so quiet she seemed to not be there at all, at others a live wire, full of opinions and questions and little girl charm. The two youngest didn’t seem to have any opinions about her whatsoever, just taking her presence in stride as if they were accustomed to strangers moving in and out of their lives at lightning speed. Isaac and Zac both were on the fence; one day opening up to her about things and others giving her suspicious looks and one word answers. The family didn’t seem to talk much about Taylor and many of the things she’d hoped to find out about him remained a mystery. She’d looked over his books; finding only turned down pages making her think he’d never finished any of them. His CD collection held artists her parents were into as well as cutting edge ones done by all sorts of brand new bands. Also, tapes sent to him by fans—some audio letters, others singing their own compositions. Still, Taylor, the real live person, somehow eluded her.
Diana walked in, pulling her away from her thoughts, “Here you go, sweetie, I think this will fit you.” She said, handing her a black maternity swimsuit.
“I’m going to look like a vampire in this—I’m so pale.” Michelle said. The look she got from Diana was so strange, she was concerned for a moment. “Mrs. Hanson, are you alright?”
“Oh, of course.” She said, shaking her head. She then looked back at her, “Well, you know, we’re all so dark skinned in this family…” She said with a smile. “Just use plenty of sunscreen. And really, you don’t need to stay out there long, just long enough to get some air and light. I worry about you.”
Michelle smiled back, “Alright, but if Isaac laughs at me, I’m gonna have to slug him.”
Diana laughed, “Just be glad Zac’s not here. He’s the one with the trouble holding back usually.”
“Yeah, you’re right about that.” Michelle answered, stepping into the bathroom. When she came out, Diana looked at her; her cheeks were flushed with embarrassment. “Well, you don’t look bad at all. I mean, think about it, you’ve got two people inside of you.” She then shook her head, “Still, you are pretty big.” She said, opening the door.
When they walked out onto the deck, everyone looked up. While Michelle was expecting laughter, the silence she got was even worse. There was no denying now that she was truly about to give birth. Just as she was about to go back inside, Zoë sat down her teapot, and her eyes widened, “Michelle, you are fat.” She said, her childish voice breaking the quiet.
Mackenzie pulled himself up out of the water, “Shut up, Zo! She’s having a baby. You’ll get fat too, when that happens.” He scolded her.
Diana looked over at Michelle; a tear made its way down her cheek, but she was laughing. “I know I’m fat.” She told the little girl, “I feel like a big old balloon.”
“Mom looked like one too, I saw pictures.” Mackenzie said, then he jumped back in the pool, making a huge splash.
“Mack!” Isaac exclaimed, pushing his wet hair out of his face. He walked over to the steps and up on the deck to stand next to Michelle, “Here, let me help you down these steps—they get slick sometimes.” He said, holding his hand out to her.
“Thanks, Isaac.” She said, carefully stepping down. Her bare feet took in the warmth of the wood stairs and it was an unexpected pleasure. By the time she dipped her foot into the cool water, sweat was already breaking out on her forehead. It was late July in Tulsa and the sun was hot and bright. Slowly, she sat down in the water and Isaac let go of her hand.
“You alright?” He asked. She nodded, and he smiled back at her, “Just yell when you want to go back in, or if you need anything to drink or anything.”
“Okay.” She said, and she watched him swim back over to his little brother and dunk him without the least bit of warning. Soon, she found herself having tea with Zoë, and taking a love quiz from Jessica’s copy of Seventeen Magazine. It seemed she was “single and lovin’ it”.
~~~~~
Zac got out of his friend’s car, waving to the girl in the back. Slowly but surely, he and Isaac were getting back into the swing of things. Not having the third piece of their trio definitely threw a wrench into their music making, but it also gave them time for themselves they’d never really had before. They continued to write songs and play them together, but as yet, they didn’t feel ready to try any sort of performing, or releasing any of their music. Strangely enough, they’d gotten a couple calls from MTV about the possibility of some show about the two of them. He shook his head thinking about it, and opened the back gate that led to the pool. He’d heard laughter and splashing as he walked up to the house. As his eyes panned the scene, he was surprised to see Michelle in the water with the rest of his family. Stepping through the gate, his father greeted him from the deck where he stood with his mother, “Hey Bud, it’s about time you got home.”
“Yeah,” he answered, “we slept late and went out and got breakfast, and I guess time got away from me. Sorry, Dad.” He said, hurrying on towards the others and ripping his shirt off over his head.
Before he could be detected, he jumped in as close to Mackenzie as possible without hurting the little boy, splashing the entire area. When he came back up, he was greeted with surprised faces and splashes back in his direction.
“Zac, you jerk! You soaked my magazine!” Jessica cried, holding it up as water leaked out of its pages.
“Well, it’s not like that’s a good magazine anyway.” He said back, laughing. He then looked over at Michelle, “Whoa, how long have you been out here?”
“Um…” she looked over at the girls, “not that long. Why? Am I all wrinkly?” She asked, puzzled.
“No, but you just look sort of…dark. Well, just like, darker than you were.” He said, awkwardly.
“Oh man, I know!” Jessica said. “She’s already getting a tan, just from being out here one day!”
Michelle smiled, “Oh, well, my Dad has black hair and he’s sort of olive skinned. I guess I’m lucky as far as that goes.”
“Yeah?” Avery asked.
“Yep. We all get dark pretty fast. You should see my brother. He helps this friend of his in the summer—putting roofs on houses. He gets so brown…” She stopped, smiling, thinking about him.
“Ike gets dark, too.” Avery said, looking over at him. She shook her head, “Jess and Taylor though, man, they just get like lobsters.” She smiled at her sister, admiring her light, blond hair.
Zoë's eyes widened as she looked at Michelle, “Mommy says sun can kill Taylor. We haffa be very careful with him when he’s sleeping.”
“Oh, my.” Michelle said, looking down at the little girl. She then looked back up at the other girls, “Was he undergoing some kind of treatment that made him burn easily? I took antibiotics one time and the doctor said to stay out of the sun.” She whispered.
“Um, yeah.” Jessica said, looking over at Zac.
No one said anything for a while, then Zoë sat her teapot on top of Michelle’s stomach, “There, you hold that, and I’ll get you another cup. Your other one musta floated away.” She said, and she stepped up and out of the pool, trotting toward the plastic toybox that held her pool toys.
“It must have been really hard.” She said softly.
Zac sat down next to her, watching the little teapot move as she spoke. “It still is.” He said.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring anything like that up.” Michelle said.
“You didn’t bring it up. It just comes up sometimes, y’know?” Zac said.
“Yeah.” Michelle answered. All of them had their eyes on the little pot.
“Oh my gosh, watch…” Avery said, pointing to it. They watched as a tiny elbow or foot moved across her stomach, causing the pot to tip a little.
“They’ve been very busy since I sat down in this cold water.” Michelle said, “I hope it’s not hurting them.”
Zac had a big smile on his face. He wanted to place his hands there and feel their movements, but he didn’t feel comfortable. “Pssshhh, Mom used to get in the water all the time when she was pregnant with Mack and Zoë, and probably the rest of us too, but those are the only two I can really remember.”
Avery looked stricken, “You don’t remember me?” She asked.
“I was only like, four years old!” He defended himself. “I mean, I think I remember a little, but not like them.”
“Oh well, I guess I forgive you.” She pouted. They all watched in fascination still as the little movements continued. “Hey, Michelle, what are you gonna name them?” She asked.
“I don’t know.” She said, looking down at herself. “We don’t even know what they are yet.”
“How come?” Jessica asked.
“They were sort of…facing each other. You couldn’t see anything between them.” Michelle answered.
“Between who?” Isaac asked, swimming up to them and shaking his bangs out of his face.
“The babies.” Avery answered. “We don’t know if they’re boys or girls or what.”
Isaac looked over at the dome of her stomach sticking up out of the water, “Hmmm…I’m thinking girls. Taylor just seems like a girl kind of guy.”
Zac shook his head, “Nope, I want two boys, that way, we’ll outnumber the girls so bad around here—“
Jessica and Avery both began to protest as Zoë trotted back over. “Zac, we need some cookies to have with our tea.” She said, batting her large blue eyes at him. They all laughed as he pulled himself out of the water, wringing his hair out as he headed for the deck and the sliding glass door that would bring him to the cookies needed for a proper poolside tea party.
Isaac sighed, “Girls are never outnumbered…” He muttered.
~~~~~
Later that evening, Kirk lay on the couch watching television as everyone else sat at the dinner table, eating chicken and all the trimmings. His phone rang and he reached into his back pocket, “Hello?” He answered.
“Hi, Kirk.” Sonya said, “Can you talk?”
He sat up and looked into the kitchen, “Yeah, everybody’s eating right now, it’s just me in here.”
“Very good. How is everything going?” She asked.
“I think it’s going pretty good. Michelle is huge, man. Seriously. If you told me it was gonna be triplets, I’d believe you.” Kirk whispered.
“Well, that’s actually a very good thing. I can’t believe she hasn’t gone into labor by now.” Sonya said.
“Me neither. I was figuring I’d be back in good old New York by now.” He said. “Not that Tulsa isn’t exciting and all…”
Sonya smiled, “Yes, it is a bit different, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, the sun comes up quicker and goes down later. No wonder Taylor’s the way he is, he’s livin’ on Tulsa Time.” Kirk chuckled, but Sonya didn’t seem to get the joke.
“It’s just the buildings here make the sun appear to set sooner. Still, it is what makes it easier for a vampire to live here, I believe. I know it gives me a few hours extra in my week.” She switched ears, “Now, how is Michelle doing there? Is she happy?” She asked, sitting down on the couch and crossing her legs.
“Well, at first, I think Ike and Zac were pretty suspicious of her or something. They were a little…unfriendly to her. But, the girls, well, of course they latched onto her right away. And Diana wasn’t too sure at first, but now, I’m pretty sure she’s Taylor’s replacement.”
“Yes, I can imagine.” Sonya said softly, remembering her own children. “What about Walker?” She asked.
“Hmmm…well, I don’t know. He hasn’t had a whole lot to say. I think he’s afraid something’s gonna happen and it’ll all blow up again. I guess he’s seen his family go through a lot and he doesn’t want anything bad to happen again.”
“Kirk, you make sure nothing bad happens. I’m trusting you here.” She said.
“I know. Nothing’s happening right now. I mean, it’s just a waiting game. I haven’t seen anything out of the ordinary. I ran into a couple vamps in the city, but they didn’t seem to know me or think much of me. I told ‘em I was from San Francisco and they were cool with it.” He said.
“Trust no one, Kirk. The elders are giving me the creeps here lately. The quieter they are, the more I think they’re up to something, or they know something…I don’t know. I’m probably just crazy.” She sighed.
“I wouldn’t say that. I trust your instincts better than my own.” Kirk said. “What’s Beatriz think about it?”
“She thinks enough about it to allow Roberto to come here almost everyday and beat the crap out of Taylor.” She answered.
“What?! What the hell’s all that about?” Kirk asked.
“Roberto wants him to be able to defend himself, so he says. I wonder if it isn’t about finding out more about Taylor’s powers, with the added bonus of getting Beatriz’ blessing on whipping her new mate.”
“And the little Prince hasn’t let loose on him yet?” Kirk questioned.
“I told him not too. I guess maybe it’s good for Taylor to be able to fight without using those things…” She smiled. “He’s actually learned a few moves that are pretty crazy. He can run up the wall and flip over. It’s the kookiest thing you’ve ever seen. Looks like something out of a movie. But, it kept Robert from killing him the other day.” Now she laughed, “He’s still pretty quick on his feet.”
Kirk smiled, remembering his first encounter with the boy, “I’m sure he is, he was like greased lightning to begin with. And I’m sure he’s only getting better.”
“He seems to be.” Sonya said. “I think he’s growing tired of it though. He was writing a letter to his mother the other day and I think he had to quit because he was getting all weepy. I don’t know why he writes her, because he never sends them.”
“I know. She’s constantly cornering me and asking me about him. Why doesn’t he just send ‘em?” He asked.
“He’s scared, Kirk. He really is.” She looked up as Beatriz walked into the room. “That night he and his brothers got attacked, I think he realized they could get killed. Very easily. He just doesn’t want anything to happen to any of them.”
“Who are you talking to?” Beatriz asked.
“Kirk.” Sonya mouthed.
“Oh! Are they here? Do we have babies?” Beatriz hurried over to the couch and sat next to her.
“Not yet.” She answered and she smiled at Beatriz’ disappointed expression. “Alright, Kirk, I guess I’d better let you go. Obviously, you know we expect to hear from you the moment anything happens.”
“Of course.” He answered.
“Good bye.” She said, and she hung up the phone.
~~~~~
Taylor, Melanie and Camille sat at the corner table at The Living End, watching the comings and goings of their fellow drinkers. A fight had broken out at one point when a red haired boy had accused a leather clad man of taking a victim he’d worked on all evening. Neither had really won, but Taylor was fascinated watching the smaller boy hold his own against the larger, tougher looking man. Melanie had chastised him for not learning a thing in the nearly eight months that he’d been one of them. Now, they were content to sit and play a game, snatching some thought from someone in the room and seeing if the others could guess who it was from the thought. Taylor smiled, “Someone in here is thinking they forgot to turn off the iron before they left their place.”
Melanie snickered, “It sure wasn’t you—you’re looking rather frumpy here lately, Taylor.”
“Hey, it’s not my fault Mr. Jones ran away from home.” He defended himself.
“Hmmm…I don’t know about that. Still, you could have chosen a shirt that doesn’t need ironing.” She retorted.
“Shut up.” He said back.
“That girl over there.” Camille said, pointing. “She’s so anal, she’s got creases in her jeans.”
“There’s nothing wrong with creases in your jeans.” Taylor huffed. “But yeah, that’s who’s wondering if their apartment is burning down.” As some of the patrons turned their attentions to the front of the place, Taylor stood and looked as well. “What’s going on out there?” He asked. “There’s like, a truck out front.” He turned back toward the girls, “Are they gonna start carrying beer here?” He laughed.
Melanie furrowed her brow, “They already do. It just doesn’t get drunk by us.”
“Hmmm…” He mused, watching four men get out of the truck and open the back. He raised his eyebrows when he saw them wheeling a piano, black and shiny out of the back and down the ramp. “What the hell…”
A moment later, Daniel and two other men walked in. His eyes searched the room and landed on Taylor, “Oh, there you are!” He smiled; a very disconcerting thing. “Look what we’ve brought you!” He said, and he backed away from the door as the men pushed the heavy thing in. “Sorry it’s not a baby grand, but it wouldn’t have fit through the door.” He laughed.
Taylor quickly sat down, “What the fuck is going on?” He asked Camille and Melanie. Both of them shook their heads, not knowing anymore than he did.
Slowly, Daniel began to walk towards their table, followed by a man Taylor now recognized as Joshua and another he’d never met. “I’m sure you remember this gentleman,” he said, waving towards the man, “but I don’t believe you’ve met Victor.”
Taylor now stood, “No, I haven’t sir.” He said.
“Well, now you have.” Daniel smirked. He then turned toward the front of the room where the men were uncovering the piano, “So, what do you think of it? We heard you were asking about one, so we thought we’d just give you a little birthday present, though technically, we know it’s not until November.”
“Um, actually, it’s in March—“Taylor started, but stopped when he felt Camille’s heel come down on his toe. “Um, well, I mean, my other one…was in March.”
“Yes, I suppose it was. No matter.” He said, sitting down. “We’re here to hear you sing. Go sing “Mmmbop” for us.” He said as the other two men sat as well.
Taylor remained standing, “You told me I wasn’t to sing anymore.” He said.
Daniel raised an eyebrow, “It’s good to know you’re paying attention. I did say that. But now, I’ve changed my mind. Play the song.”
Taylor swallowed, “I can’t play that song alone. It’s not a solo song. It would sound stupid.” He said, standing his ground.
“Perhaps it would.” Daniel said, leaning over toward him and looking up. “One of my associates located it on the internet for me and I watched the video this afternoon. I must say, you were a lovely boy. Wouldn’t you say?” He said, turning to Camille.
“He still is.” She said softly.
“Yes, yes.” He said looking at Melanie. “You don’t seem as taken with him as your little youngling. Why is that?”
Melanie looked at Taylor, then back to him, “I don’t know. I guess he’s just not my type.” She answered.
“Then why are you constantly at his side?” He asked.
“Because Camille likes him, and he’s a good hunter.” She said. Around them, music still played, but the conversation had pretty much come to a stop as everyone in the room strained their ears to hear every word.
“He certainly must be, from the stories I’ve heard.” Victor said, crossing his arms and looking at Taylor, their blue eyes meeting. “Any new hunting adventures we’d like to hear about?” He asked.
“Not really,” Taylor answered, “I’ve been very careful since that last little mix up.”
Daniel laughed, “I love how you describe these things. Just a “little mix up”. Oh, I didn’t mean to bite the police chief’s son and the prostitute with the big mouth, it was just a little mix up.” He said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Whatever. You’ve been punished for that I suppose.” He stood up then, face to face with Taylor, “What are you going to play for us? I can’t believe you’ve said no to my request to hear mmmmmmmmbop!”
“Why do you hate me so much?” Taylor asked, looking truly hurt. Camille and Melanie held their breath, hoping he wouldn’t be made an example of again.
“I think I’m insulted!” Daniel said, still with the smile on his face. “Here I bring you this lovely present, and you accuse me of hating you.” He tsk’ed. “And I even brought you an audience.” He gestured to the other two men.
“Can I play it whenever I want?” Taylor asked.
“Do you think that’s a good idea, given your status as a dead rockstar?” Victor asked.
“Then why did you bring it here?” Taylor asked.
Daniel sighed, as if he were explaining to a three year old why fire was bad, “I told you. We want to hear you sing. Now sing for us, or you’re going to embarrass me in front of my friends and I’ll get angry. And I know you don’t want to see me angry. Beatriz may not lock you in the basement when you deserve it, but we will. And I’d bet our basement is much more interesting than hers.” He threatened.
“I’d love to show it to you.” Joshua said, his voice devoid of emotion, and his face as well. Camille felt a shiver go down her spine. He seemed so cold. His hair was slicked back and the gray at his temples made him seem more formal and important. Daniel looked like he was in his late twenties, perhaps graduating from law school soon. And Victor was blond and blue-eyed like Taylor, but not in the attractive way that he was. While Taylor carried a sort of innocent look about him generally, this man looked hard and he had some tiny bit of an accent that couldn’t quite be placed.
“No thank you, I’d rather not see any basements for a while, if that’s alright.” Taylor said. He then turned to her, “Camille, what’s your favorite song?” He asked, smiling.
Her eyes lit up, “Oh! Um, how about “Weird”? I haven’t heard that in ages!” She gushed.
“Oh man, I hope I can remember the words.” He said.
“You will.” She replied.
He turned back to Daniel. “Is that alright? It’s from the same time period as “mmmbop”, if that’s what you’re going for.”
“Was it a big, million selling hit?” He asked brightly.
“It charted.” Taylor said dryly.
“Oh, that’s right, technically, you were a one hit wonder, weren’t you?” Daniel said.
“Technically, I guess so. I like to think we were still working up to our best stuff though, and since I got killed a little earlier than I’d planned on, we’ll never know, will we?” Taylor said, his eyes narrowing.
Daniel raised his eyebrows, “Hey, that’s between you and your owner. We didn’t kill you.” He said, gesturing to the men beside him.
“Whatever gets you through the night, dude.” Taylor said.
“Your bitterness fascinates me to no end. You know, anytime you want to leave Beatriz’ lair, you’d be welcome to come and stay with us. You might even learn something.” Daniel said. “In fact, we may just insist on it if she doesn’t start to learn her place in this society.”
Camille and Melanie both stiffened, not knowing what Taylor would say or do, or what he was thinking, as he’d obviously blocked his thoughts thoroughly.
“Why am I treated like a piece of meat in ‘this society’, as you call it? I don’t see anyone else being done like this.” He looked around the room, “None of these people seem to belong to anyone else. They come and go as they please, and I never see you visiting them and making an example of them.”
Victor stood, “Would you like us to make an example of someone? How about this one?” He said, grabbing Melanie by her hair. “I believe she killed repeatedly even after being reprimanded by us.”
Taylor moved toward the man, “No! She doesn’t do that anymore!”
The man let her go and faced Taylor, “No, she doesn’t. But you do.”
Taylor’s voice rose an octave as he protested, “One time! And I didn’t mean to do it!” He turned back to Daniel, “What do you want from me?! I just don’t get it!”
“I want you to sing.” Daniel replied calmly and he motioned for Victor to sit, which he did.
Taylor just stood there for a moment, regaining his composure, then he turned to Camille, “Still wanna hear ‘Weird’?” He asked her.
“Yeah.” She said softly.
Taylor turned away and started to walk towards the piano as Daniel stood, “Turn off that tripe.” He said to Sam, who walked over and pulled the plug to the jukebox out of the wall, leaving the place silent.
Sitting at the piano, Taylor felt something he hadn’t felt in a long time: stage fright. Not only had he not performed for anyone since that last fateful night, but he still didn’t know what the three men wanted from him. He knew it was not simply a desire to hear Taylor Hanson sing. If they’d wanted that, they could have bought the record. He placed his fingers on the piano, loving the silken feeling of the keys under his fingertips. His mind searched for the right notes and soon he found himself playing the song he and his brothers had played so many times before, the words eerily fitting to his present situation even more than when the song was written.
Isn't it weird
Isn't it strange
Even though we're just two strangers on this runaway train
We're both trying to find a place in the sun
We've lived in the shadows, but doesn't everyone
Isn't it strange how we all feel a little bit weird sometimesCamille was entranced as the words flowed out of his mouth. His voice was as beautiful to her as it had always been, and she hadn’t realized until that moment how much she’d missed hearing him perform. He did play now and then in the library in Beatriz’ apartment, but almost never any songs that he would normally play with his brothers. Now, he played new songs with dark, melancholy lyrics that she wasn’t sure of, and that she didn’t want to ask him about. Beside her, Melanie watched the three men, knowing they were searching the room for something. Their psychic powers weren’t as keen as the females and it was obvious to her they were using a great deal of energy trying to find out something. Daniel kept his eye trained on Taylor, and she hoped that he could continue to keep him out, even while he lost himself in the song.
Isn't it hard
Standing in the rain
You're on the verge of going crazy and your heart's in pain
No one can hear but you're screaming so loud
You feel like you're all alone in a faceless crowd
Isn't it strange how we all get a little bit weird sometimesSitting on the side
Waiting for a sign
Hoping that my luck will change
Reaching for a hand that can understand, someone who feels the same
When you live in a cookie cutter world being different is a sin
So you don't stand out
But you don't fit inAs Taylor played the last note on the piano, he looked up at Camille, and she began to clap. A few others did as well, but mostly they all watched the three men sitting at the table. Daniel stood up as Taylor walked back toward them, “Bravo!” He exclaimed. As Taylor passed, he slapped him on the back. “See? Now that wasn’t so bad, was it?”
Taylor lifted Camille up out of her seat, sat down and placed her on his lap, “Did you like that?” He asked her, ignoring the others.
“God, yes!” She said, throwing her arms around his neck.
He kissed her on the lips, then looked at her, “Good, because I played it just for you.” He said, then he glanced over at Daniel. “Can we leave now? It’s getting late and we haven’t fed yet.”
“Of course you can. It’s not like you’re our prisoner or anything.” The man replied with a smirk. The other two men kept the same unemotional looks on their faces, just watching everything around them. “Perhaps you can play for us again sometime.” He said.
“Sure. Anytime.” Taylor answered, standing and placing Camille on her feet.
Daniel smiled, his fangs showing, “Sorry about your brothers.” He said to Taylor.
Melanie looked up to see the boy’s eyes fire immediately upon hearing the man mention Zac and Isaac, “What the fuck are you talking about?!” He spat, moving closer to the man.
“Oh, nothing. I just noticed that while you were playing, that was who you were thinking about. How much do they know about you, and what you are, my son?”
“They don’t know anything.” Taylor said, his fangs growing as fright urged his body to be ready.
Daniel raised an eyebrow, “Hmmm…I don’t know about that. They were present when you were attacked by our three little assassins, were they not?”
“Taylor,” Melanie spoke silently to him, “don’t let him get to you.”
Taylor looked back at her for a moment, then back to Daniel, “I took that from their minds. They don’t know anything.” He said, standing up straight.
Daniel looked at Melanie, “Mind your own business, cunt, or I’ll rip that pretty head right off your shoulders.” He growled. He then turned back to Taylor, “You hide your thoughts from me.” He said. “But, eventually, you’ll mess up and I’ll find out what you’re hiding.” He said. He then turned to face the rest of the patrons, “I don’t know what’s going on in this house of ill repute, but I assure you, we’ll have no mercy on anyone who crosses us…” He then looked back at Taylor, “Beatriz’ lover or not.” Then, back to the crowd, “Be careful what you wish for…” He said, then he turned to his companions and they stood and followed him to the front door, leaving everyone else just watching with their mouths hanging open.
Melanie reached over and slapped Taylor on his arm, “Why’d you look at me, you jerk!? You about got me killed!”
~~~~~
“Well? Did either of you pick up on anything?” Daniel asked, as the three of them sat back in the dark luxury of the limo that had been waiting for them out front.
Victor snorted, “Only the lovesick bemoanings of a teenaged girl.” He answered.
Daniel shook his head, “Camille is too young to worry about. Anyone else? What about Melanie?”
“She’s good.” Joshua said. “Pretty much closed. But, like you, I saw that she sent something to the boy.”
Daniel looked out the window, a frown on his face. “The whole place was pretty much closed to us. It’s driving me mad. What are they up to?” He said, turning back to them.
“And Taylor has so obviously been trained by those bitches he’s living with…” he spat. “God, if I just had a reason, I’d shut down Beatriz’ little safe house so quick—I’d throw them all out into the sunlight and watch them scurry like rats down into the sewer.”
“We don’t need a reason.” Joshua spoke. “As elders, we can do as we see fit.”
“Do you know what they call him? Little Prince.” Daniel said. “What the fuck is up with that? I should have killed him the first time I saw him. Now, the young ones have decided he’s something special and I think we’d have trouble just taking him out…” He mused.
Victor shook his head, “I found nothing extraordinary about him. I think it’s just the same charisma he had in life that makes the young ones look to him. And the fact that Beatriz has lifted him up to stand beside her.”
“Yes, there’s something romantic about having a royal couple up there in the penthouse.” Joshua added.
“There’s more to it, I’d stake my life on it.” Daniel said. “Why would Beatriz and Sonya bother training him at his age? And he has been trained. His mind was closed to me as if it were a brick wall.” He took in a deep breath, “She usually doesn’t bother with males unless they’ve been around for at least 75 years.” He said, looking back out the window. “Something’s up, and we’d better stay on top of it, and that boy.”