“I’ll take care of it,” he said. “You are Mom and Dad’s first priority.”
Why hadn’t I demanded Matt tell me more about the vampire world? I’d taken his food, his reassurance, and the tidbits of information he’d divulged. I had no idea what my existence was going to mean for the Johnsons. Would I be a liability? Would they forbid Matt from helping me? I trusted Matt, but his parents? I wasn’t so sure.
***
I had only managed a solid twenty minutes of sleep when my mother came in and woke me up.
“I’m going shopping,” she informed me. “Your father and uncle are watching football all day. I left a chore list in the kitchen. Have them done by two. Don’t leave the house.”
I rolled over to face her.
Mom was glancing around my room, and for a minute, I thought she was going to search it again. Then she bent and retrieved the crumpled note. “You are grounded forever,” she said.
“I know.”
“You were really with Tara?”
“Yes.”
“Well,” my mother said, putting her hands on her hips. “You are going to Matt Johnsons’ house for dinner tonight. His mother called.” She stared at me for a moment. “She indicated that the two of you were close. I didn’t know you knew Matt Johnson. Isn’t he in Travis’s class?”
“We’re friends, I guess,” I said.
“He’s an awfully cute boy, Natalie. Too cute to be just a friend.”
“Mother!”
“I’m just saying…”
“Mom!”
“If you guys are good friends, why haven’t I seen him around here?”
I just shrugged.
“We’ll talk later.” She turned and walked to the door. “Oh yeah,” she said over her shoulder as she left the room. “You’re babysitting your brothers today. You might want to get up and cook breakfast before they burn down the kitchen.”
I knew she’d be back to torture me if I didn’t comply. Grumbling, I crawled out of bed and made my way to the bathroom.
***
Mom’s chore list had eighty-seven items. Between scrubbing every inch of the house and chasing the brat-lets, I had very little time to stress about dinner.
When Mom finally let me off the hook for the day, I’d crossed through items one through sixty-two. My hands were red and sore from scrubbing, and I could barely grip the bottle of water my mother handed me. I truly hoped dinner was all you can eat. At least I’d be able to eat without hiding in my room. Matt’s family all had my taste for the synthetic blood.
Matt’s family. I didn’t know what to expect. I’d met his parents twice. Both times, I’d paid them little attention. They were just a paycheck for me. They probably hadn’t thought much about me either. And then there was his sister. I had to admit that I was harboring some serious animosity toward the little girl. She had bitten me! And I had done nothing to deserve it. I could have died, but I didn’t. Instead, I was a freak in a world full of humans. I literally depended on Matt for my survival. If he stopped bringing me sustenance, I’d…
I guess I’d have to hunt. I shuddered. I couldn’t bear to eat people. It was morally wrong and evil, and I wouldn’t ever do it. But what were my options? I was so not going to suck on a squirrel. Ever! Or a rabbit. I struggled to identify any animal I could eat. What did I eat now? Chicken? Those things were super-gross when they were alive. The smell alone would make me hurl. Pigs? Cows?
“Natalie?” my mother said, passing by my room. “Aren’t you in the shower yet? You’re going to be late.”
I jumped up and ran for the shower. The good part about having three brothers was that I got a room with my own bathroom.
I can do this, I muttered to myself as I shampooed my hair.
Matt’s parents are perfectly normal. Except for the one itty-bitty detail that their genes had mutated to make them vampires. No biggie.
Just think of all that yummy synthetic blood you can drink tonight, I thought to myself. I had to keep it together. I couldn’t panic. Panic was a strong emotion, and strong emotions were bad. I couldn’t believe the cleaning had actually calmed me. I abhorred cleaning, and now I might have to do it on a regular basis, not because of my parent’s orders but in order to preserve my sanity and humanity. Dear God, was I going to have to abandon my career aspirations and actually clean for a living! Calm down, Natalie. Calm down right this second or you’re going to have to scrub the toilet with your freaking toothbrush. Somehow, the image helped. Pull yourself together, I ordered. Now.
After blow drying my shoulder-length hair, I slipped on my favorite jeans and one of my current favorite tops, one of the few that couldn’t be called a t-shirt or sweatshirt. I studied myself in the mirror and practiced my “Please feed me” smile. Maybe I should try my “Please don’t kill me smile.”
“Natalie,” my oldest brother yelled from downstairs, “Matt’s here.”
“No he isn’t,” I grumbled looking to the window behind me. Oh, right. Front door. He’s officially here to pick me up. “I’m coming,” I yelled.
***
Matt opened the door for me and waited while I climbed in. Then he went around to the driver’s side, got in, and said, “You look terrified, Natalie. It’s going to be okay. You’d think we were eating you for dinner or something.”
I took in a deep breath. I didn’t like that image one bit.
“We aren’t,” he rushed to say. “I shouldn’t have tried to make a joke. Come here,” he said, and he put his arm around me as I leaned into him. “It’s all good,” he said.
“I’m fine,” I said, but it came out as a squeak.
“You’re so stiff.” He started rubbing my back.
“I’m fine,” I said with better success this time. “We should go.” I was tightly wound all right. I couldn’t even enjoy a pseudo-hug from the guy I dreamed about.
His pinched expression told me he wasn’t reassured, but he buckled his seat belt and started the car. “Are you afraid of my sister? Because Mom and Dad have her under control.”
I didn’t answer him. I wasn’t being coy. I was just trying to breathe.
He reached over and took my hand in his as he drove. I squeezed so he’d know that I wasn’t catatonic, and he squeezed back.
We pulled up in front of their brick, two-story house, and I jumped out of the car as soon as he killed the engine. “Let’s get this over with,” I said. I could chug dinner, and we’d be out of here in minutes.
I scarcely had time to brace myself before the hurling ball of third grader slammed into me, knocking me back a step.
“Natalie, I’m so so sorry. I didn’t mean to do it. I really didn’t. I was mad at Matt and I was tired of minding him. Then I didn’t eat because he told me to eat, and I’m so so sorry.” The little girl held me tight, her head down.
“Ashley!” Matt yelled. He grabbed his sister and tried to pry her off of me.
“Stop it, Matt!” Ashley screeched. “You’re hurting me!”
“Then let go! Ashley, you’re scaring her!”
“It’s okay,” I said, finally getting a word in. “I’m not afraid of her anymore.”
“You aren’t?” Matt asked, no longer tugging.
Ashley finally let go and looked up at me with tears in her big blue eyes. “You’re not?” she asked with sniffle.
I turned to Matt and saw concern. His eyes were the same color as his little sister’s, but the similarity ended there. Matt’s held wisdom, empathy, and a little spark of something that made me hope he would one day return my feelings.
“Please forgive me, Natalie,” Ashley pleaded, drawing my attention away from her brother.
“Ash,” Matt warned. “Don’t push it.”
I held out my arms, and she rushed to hug me.
“I forgive you, Ashley. I know you didn’t mean to do this to me.”
“Thank you, Natalie. My parents want me to be a big helper to you from now on. I’m going to be your best friend.”
“Sorry, Ash,” Matt said. “I’m her best friend.”
Ashley scrunched up her nose at her brother. “We’ll see about that!”
His parents, who for all appearances were typical suburban mom and dad, opened the front door as we came up the walk.
“Natalie!” Mrs. Johnson said, her rosy lips curved into a smile. “It’s so good to see you again.”
“Yes, yes,” his father said, “come on in.”
They moved to let us in and his mother closed the door behind us.
Mr. Johnson stood there with a big, fake smile pasted on his face.
When I took a step back, Matt said, “Dad, you’re creeping her out.”
He quit smiling. “I’m sorry, Natalie. We’re doing our best. It’s a lot to process in a day.”
“We are so sorry that Ashley,” his mother shook her head, “behaved so deplorably.”
“We never…thought,” his father said as we all stood awkwardly in the foyer.
“No,” his mother agreed, “we would never have believed she was capable had it not happened.”
“She already forgave me,” Ashley said, crossing her arms in protest.
“It’s not that easy, sweetie,” her mother said. “Go to your room until we call you.”
“Come in and have a seat,” Matt’s father said.
Thankfully, Matt sat right beside me on the couch. His parents each chose a leather chair across from us.
“We homeschool her,” Mrs. Johnson said, tucking her skirt under her leg. “We homeschooled Matt until junior high.”
“We put safety first,” his father said. “We work hard to ensure that no harm comes to anyone.”
“I suppose I’ll be homeschooling Ashley through grad school,” his mother lamented. “When you mix her stubborn streak with the Vampirism Gene.” She sighed. “Well, things aren’t always pretty.”
“But we never would have believed she could bite her babysitter,” his father reiterated.
I didn’t know what to say. Were they waiting for me to tell them it was no problem?
Finally, Matt stopped them. “Actually Mom and Dad, Natalie doesn’t really like to talk about it. The bite. Ashley.”
“Oh, of course.”
“Sorry, sorry,” his father said.
“Natalie,” his mother said, leaning forward in her chair. “How are you coping? Are you okay?”
“Um, I’m doing okay,” I said. “Matt has been helping me.”
His parents shared a look that made me nervous.
His mother shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “It’s so nice that you and Matt were friends. If it had to happen to someone, er, um.”
“We weren’t friends.” I glanced over at Matt and then back at her. “We barely knew each other.”
I thought I detected disappointment on Mrs. Johnsons face for a second.
“Matt says your parents don’t suspect,” his mother said.
I shrugged. “The vampire thing would never occur to them, but they think something is wrong.”
Matt’s mother winced. “We’ll never be able to fix this, Natalie. We’ll never be able to make this up to you. We all have no choice now but to deal with the consequences. You are part of our family now. We’ll provide for you like our own.”
“Thank you,” I said because it seemed like the polite thing.
“Matt has taken care of your sustenance so far, but other problems will arise. We’ll figure those out together. In the meantime, I will do what I can to help with your parents.”
The doorbell rang and Matt’s parents shared another look.
Mrs. Johnson frowned. “Oh dear. She’s early.”
“I’ll let Dr. Williams in,” his father said. “You fill in Natalie.”
I twitched at the word “doctor.”
“They just need to be sure you’re getting enough nourishment from the synthetic blood,” Matt assured me quickly.
His mother nodded. “Some people don’t take well to the synthetics, especially those that are turned rather than born to vampirism.”
“She just needs to do a quick exam. Check to see that you are healthy.”
Dinner was one thing. A medical exam was another. Should I really be putting my health in their hands? I glanced over at Matt. I guess I already had.
“I should have told you in the car, but you were so freaked out.”
Matt’s father led a rotund woman into the room. “Dr. Williams. This is Natalie.”
Dr. Williams smiled warmly, and something about her reminded me of my grandmother. “Welcome aboard, Natalie. I just need a few minutes of your time.”
I instantly liked her.
“You can use the library,” Mr. Johnson said and led us into a room off the foyer.
Old books lined the library walls. I’d wanted some information about vampire life. The library could be the place to start.
Dr. Williams checked me out like a normal doctor. She looked in my ears, made me say “ahh”, took my temperature. Then, she checked my weight. “Do you remember what you weighed when you were turned?”
“Not exactly. I had other things on my mind.”
“Of course you did. Do you know if you have lost or gained weight?”
“Lost. Definitely lost.”
She didn’t like the news that I had weighed more before my transition. “You shouldn’t be losing,” she said. “How much?”
“Maybe five pounds. Or ten. My jeans are loose but not loose enough to go down a size.”
She made notes on her iPAD. “Have you been feeling weak or tired?”
Stressed. Terrified. Like a freak, but weak and tired? “Not really. Just hungry.”
“Now we need to talk about birth control. What are you and Matt using?”
My jaw dropped. I hadn’t expected to sit in Matt’s house and be questioned about sexual activity. What happened to dinner? Were they even going to feed me?
“Everything you tell me is confidential,” she said softly.
“Nothing. We aren’t.”
“You aren’t using any birth control,” she asked with concern.
“No. We aren’t having sex.” I didn’t want birth control. I wanted blood. What was wrong with these people?
She didn’t say anything. Just stared at me the way a teacher would if I claimed the dog ate my homework.
I squared my shoulders. “We aren’t even dating. We’re just friends.”
Her iPad slipped out of her fingers, and she caught it just before it hit the floor. “Oh. Oh dear. I just assumed.”
I knew adults always assumed that teens were having sex, but even so, her shock seemed a bit much.
“He did turn you though? I haven’t been filled in on the whole story.”
“No, he didn’t. It was an accident.” I didn’t know if I should rat out Ashley. “You’ll have to ask the Johnsons.”
“He didn’t turn you?” She no longer met my eyes. “I’ll just give you some pamphlets then in case it becomes an issue. There are some differences for vampires. You’ll need to know if things change.” She sounded almost sad. “Let me get some blood from you for lab tests, and I’ll get back to you with the results tomorrow.” She glanced down at her iPAD. “Do I have your cell number?”
“You can’t call me. My parents might notice. You’ll have to call Matt’s parents.”
“Of course. So they are assuming full responsibility for you, despite the situation.”
“What situation?”
Her eyes widened behind the heavy frames. “Oh, I mean, nothing. I just misspoke.”
She hadn’t just misspoken. I didn’t know what “the situation” was but it must be important. I’d ask Matt about it later.
“I’ll call the Johnsons in the morning with the result.” Then with almost motherly concern, she handed me her business card and said, “You call me for any reason, Natalie. I answer this number twenty-four seven.”
I took the card and slipped it into the pocket of my jeans.
&nb
sp; She squeezed my shoulder. “Day and night.”
I think I got it. She was worried about me. If only I knew why.
***
“I hope it wasn’t too bad,” Mrs. Johnson said after Dr. Williams had left.
“No. It was fine.” I wanted to get Matt alone and ask him some questions. I didn’t know quite how to ask him such delicate questions.
“The good news is that it’s time to eat,” Matt said.
The boy knew exactly what would cheer me up.
When I saw the table, I stopped in my tracks. The table was set with plates and silverware and dish after dish of food. Meatloaf. Green Beans. Potatoes. And a glass of milk at each place. Where was the synthetic blood? Where was the powder to mix in the bottled water?
Mrs. Johnson saw the confusion on my face. “I used my own recipes, Natalie. Everything here will be nourishing for us. I’ve added the synthetics. This method allows us to masquerade as the average family and also prepares us for situations when we must eat human food in public.”
“Oh,” I said, studying the potatoes more carefully. “It looks good.”
“It doesn’t smell good though, does it? And it doesn’t taste good,” Matt assured me. “It tastes as bad as your dinner did last night, but it will fill you up and help your cravings.”
“He’s right. The stuff is terrible,” his mother agreed. “It’s taken a lot of time to make the food look right without altering the synthetic blood significantly in the cooking process. But flavor isn’t an issue.”
Yum, I thought. I’d rather have had my usual bottle.
As we took our seats at the table, I started to calm down. The Johnson family didn’t harbor any obvious ill will or murderous anger.
I carefully placed my napkin in my lap and realized one person was missing. “Where’s Ashley?”
“Oh right!” Mrs. Johnson jumped up. “I’ll get her.”
Matt’s dad scooped some green beans onto his plate and passed the bowl to Matt. “Tell me about yourself, Natalie,” Mr. Johnson said.
“Dad, you’re making it seem like she had to audition for her place at the dinner table.”
“I’m just trying to get to know her, Matt.” He gave his son a hard look. “You’ve spent months with her. The rest of us haven’t had the opportunity.”
I didn’t understand. He was upset that they hadn’t known about me because they wanted to spend time with me? I hadn’t expected them to be anything but resentful, or at best apologetic, about me becoming a vampire.