Not Another Vampire Story - 21
21. Sylvi and the Vampire
PG13. Tween, humor, middle school, angst, vampires, serial, teen, fiction, summer. #ReadFree
Read from the beginning.
Suggested Music: Open Fire on YouTube
Sylvia gets her answers…
The denial period was over. Sylvia felt it slip away. Despite what Terry said, he knew she knew.
And she knew it was too late.
She took solace in her bedroom, flipping on her laptop to finish watching Wang Leehom's Open Fire video before flinging herself face-down on the bed.
Only to knock her forehead on something hard at the edge of her pillow.
"Oww," she moaned, sitting up and rubbing her forehead. She put one hand to the pillow and found the blocky object wedged half underneath it.
At first the tissue-wrapped, flat rectangle seemed misplaced, but as Sylvia got a better look at it, she noticed the black kanji lettering printed on the tan tissue. Her heart nearly stopped.
She sat straight on the bed edge and stared at it. It was too big to be a CD, too small to be a wall calendar. She carefully unwrapped it.
Junnosuke Taguchi stared back at her from a picture frame, smiling, his dark eyes seeming to actually see her. Autographed at the bottom right were the words, "To Sylvia, my American sweetheart." A double heart and Xs and Os followed.
Sylvia sat stunned, staring at the Jpop idol, the air around her seeming to freeze for a few moments.
"Do you like it?" came Julia's voice from the doorway.
Sylvia yelped and nodded automatically. She wanted to cradle the framed photo closer, but then she wouldn't be able to see it. She stared back at Julia. "Where'd you get it?"
"I didn't." Julia stepped in, leaving the door open. "Terry sent a message to the Johnny's groups' head manager and got in contact with Mr. Taguchi—Junno, to you, Sylvi—and asked for the photo." She smiled at Sylvia's shock. "Right after that day we went to the beach."
Sylvia closed her mouth, a little, and looked down at Junno.
"He wanted to give it to you for your birthday, but he's supposed be on the road then, so here it is."
Sylvia nodded slowly, glancing back up.
"And," Julia said, her tone evening out more, "it might help with the shock."
Sylvia felt her mood plummet. "What shock?"
Julia lifted one shoulder, making her brilliant blue sweater settle over her chest in a way that showed off her curves better. "Come into the living room."
Sylvia felt like someone had given her a blindfold and asked for her last requests. "Why?"
Julia turned and left out the doorway.
Sylvia gripped the picture frame, trying to squeeze courage from the photo. None came.
She stood up.
Terry was already there when Sylvia got to the living room. He and Julia sat down on the couch as Sylvia slowly took a cautious seat in the armchair. Terry's hand was closed warmly over both of Julia's in a firm clasp that made the older sister smile, her face radiant, excitement in her eyes.
Sylvia looked suspiciously to Terry.
He gave her a grin that wasn't quite innocent.
He leaned forward slightly on the couch, smiling at Julia, and then at Sylvia. "I've been dating you sister for nearly eight months now, Sylvia, and—"
"Eight months?" Sylvia said, nearly bringing herself out of the chair. "No. . . Two months, at the most." She looked to Julia, hoping for some support to her math.
Julia looked surreptitiously to Terry. "Longer than that, sis. We've been dating since last winter."
Sylvia's jaw nearly unhinged, letting her chin drop.
"I've grown very fond of Julia in that time," Terry said, grinning at Julia before looking back to Sylvia. "It's not a long time, I agree, but we've come to know each other." Some of the humor left his eyes. "And we've been honest with each other in that time."
Sylvia felt her stomach begin a slow turn.
"I've never felt the same about anyone else, ever, and we're talking about a long time," he added.
Julia smiled, actually giggled, as Terry grinned at her.
He looked back to Sylvia. "We thought you should know, because you're sisters, and I know you care about her. I care about her, too."
Sylvia regained use of her mouth again. "What's going on?"
"We want you to know first, before Mom," Julia said, a small sigh escaping her. Terry's hand tightened on hers. Julia faced Sylvia. "Because you've been so concerned about some things lately."
Sylvia glared at Terry. "What'd you do to her?"
"Jeez, Sylvi, no one did anything to anyone, okay?" Julia shook her head. She looked to Terry, exchanging a longing glance. Her eyes went back to her sister and she looked as if she were ready to burst. She thrust her hand out. "I'm engaged!"
Sylvia was on her feet immediately, not looking at the ring Julia was trying to show off. "You can't! He's a vampire!"
"Oh, good grief, Sylvi, would you grow up? You know he's great. He's good to me," Julia said, pausing to look at Terry, "and we love each other."
Sylvia shook her head. "You can't!"
Terry cleared his throat, a somberness in his eyes when he looked to Sylvia. "I understand your concerns, Sylvia, but they're unfounded. You're still carrying around outdated misconceptions about my people. I've never hurt Julia, and I never will, nor will I let anyone else. You've got to understand that."
"No, no," Sylvia murmured, shaking her head when Julia looked to her.
"Sit down, sis. Just listen."
Sylvia folded into the chair again, her legs weak, her mind jelly, the air falling short of her lungs when she tried to breathe.
Terry sat back in the couch, his arm resting across the back of it, his hand draped casually over Julia's shoulder. "I want to marry Julia. Not right away," he said as a look of terror crossed Sylvia's face. "She's got school, and she's thinking about college. We can wait, or marry and then she can continue her education. My family's business is a quiet company, but solid; I can provide well for her. Her future will be secure."
"But everything else?" Sylvia finally stammered.
He looked to Julia, his fingers playing lightly with a strand of her hair. "I want to spend my future with her," he said softly. "Which brings me to another matter." He cleared his throat again, looking to Sylvia. "About the future; her future. I want to grow old with her, and she with me. As things are naturally, that's not possible."
Sylvia was unable to stop her mouth from dropping lower and lower. "You want to bite her? You want her to be a vampire, too?"
"Biting someone doesn't make them a vampire, Sylvia. That's just Hollywood movie trash," he said, a hint of grin playing at his mouth. "Vampires are born; not created or recruited."
Sylvia looked to Julia, who was blushing in a becoming way.
"Female vampires pass along the V-gene, not males. So, perhaps our children," he said, looking to Julia as she blushed, "but not your sister. Not a chance."
"But . . ." Sylvia felt ill, bloodless, helpless. "He'll bite . . . or feed, whatever they call it." She gave Julia her best imploring look. "He'll bite you, Julia."
Her sister laughed a little, sinking to Terry's side. "It's not like he hasn't before, Sylvi."
"He bit you?" Sylvia wanted to stand, but was afraid her feet wouldn't hold her.
"Not hard; just playing around." Julia smiled, her hand going to one of Terry's knees. "Just for fun."
Sylvia couldn't force any words to her lips. She just stared as Terry took up the conversation.
"This time was a little different," he said, less humor in his tone.
"How?" Sylvia's mind refocused. "Was? You said was?"
"Just a small break in the skin," Julia said, as if she were talking about painting her fingernails a different color.
"No!" Sylvia now stood, and Julia reached up and pulled her down beside her on the couch.
Sylvia sat with a heavy thud, staring at Terry in horror until she could rip her gaze away to Julia.
That perfect neck, the willowy and slender neck that Sylvia had never seen a hickey on—bitten? "When?"
"It's okay. We talked about it, and I wanted him to." She scowled at the look slipping over Sylvia's face. "I know some of this subject is beyond you right now, sis, but couples do kind of nibble sometimes, anyway."
"Ew, stop it, Julia." Sylvia dropped back in the couch, shaking her head, eyes roving her sister's neck. No blemish, not even a freckle.
"Well, they do, and it was a necessary step for me to grow old with Terry, and I really didn't mind. We're more kindred spirits now, and that's forever. Vampires mate for life."
Sylvia looked to Terry sitting, watching, from beside her sister. "You'll never have children," she said lowly. "Vampire guys can't do it, and they're sterile anyway."
"You're wrong there." Terry spoke up, looking around Julia to see her better. "On several levels." His arm came around Julia's waist and he kissed her cheek, sending a glance Sylvia's way. "I'll let you two talk and get that cleared up."
When he'd left for the kitchen, Sylvia turned on Julia. "Are you nuts?"
Julia pulled the neck of her blue sweater to one side. On her neck were two small points, eyeteeth-tiny.
Sylvia leaned forward, squinting at the two dots on the lower slope of her sister's neck. Just two simple points. No blood.
And now immortal.
Her eyes rose to Julia's happy face. "You'll live forever?"
Julia smiled mischievously. "Pretty much, yes. It's not the forever part I wanted, Sylvia. Not that; I want to always be with Terry, as long as he's alive. Now I can do that."
Sylvia blinked slowly as Julia ran her fingers over her cheek where the dodge ball had smacked her weeks ago.
"You'll understand the depths of love someday, sis. You'll see," Julia said, smiling at her.
Sylvia finally looked to her sister's hand as Julia's fingers left her cheek. A large-carat engagement ring shone on one slender finger. "You're really gonna marry him? Vampire and all?"
Julia smiled. "Vampire and all, Sylvi."
Sylvia swallowed uncomfortably. "So that's what the Junno photo was. Bribery, huh?"
"No, that's generosity, sis," Julia said. "Terry's going to be out of the country a few weeks in October." She looked to the doorway to the kitchen.
Julia felt more than saw Terry there. She slowly looked to him.
He grinned, seeming to wait on her to say something. "Well, Sylvia? Am I welcome to share your sister's life?"
Sylvia could find no fault in him; not in his appearance, his treatment of her sister, nothing. She knew from her own snooping that his vampiric tendencies were under control and the Dakmarr name was built around just that industry. She nodded.
He smiled. "Good. Then it's settled. A nice long engagement and then forever together."
Sylvia felt Julia kiss her cheek before standing up. Sylvia looked to them.
The perfect pair. Julia was the girl every guy wanted to date. And now, Terry had her.
Valtieri Dakmarr, a vampire, was going to be part of their family.
Sylvia stood up and took a deep breath, hoping to shore up her flagging willpower. "Yeah," she heard herself say. "Yeah, it's okay with me."
Terry grinned and kissed Julia's cheek. Julia smiled at Sylvia.
Sylvia didn't quite feel like fainting anymore. She managed to rummage up half a smile and mumbled something before heading for the door.
Next chapter (Final)
Thanks to Sakurapu for sharing her story!
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