Vampire´s Secret

HIM

Him, reclined on a black VW Jetta. Him, in all black clothes. Him, smiling at me as he saw me. Him, waking to us with his chin up. Him, exuding confidence. Him, making Majo and Alana open her eyes and mouth in awe of his perfect face.

“Will” I said with formality

“Ruth” he replied back with the same seriousness

“Hey!” Alex greeted him “Are you with our Ruth?”

Their Ruth? We all turned around to see Alex because he was just too familiar with me for my comfort. Will frowned for a second at me and then he politely answered.

“I was sent to pick her up” his voice, soft, silky, polite… and that accent that could not be placed. The girls sight and Alex finally released my body.

“No problemo! Glad she has someone to escort her… Will right?” he extended his hand and the other one took it “Haven't seen you in campus”

“I'm homeschooled”

“Oh, that's cool” he smiled and with a final hug he left us “See you tomorrow Ruth” Alex smile was worth 100 toothpaste commercials, it was not perfect white like Will`s, but it was so honest and warm it was just as perfect.

Will once again nod to me so I follow him, just like yesterday at my house, (my house… wow, it sounds too good to be real). I walked to the car, he opened my door and waited for me so he could close it. His car smelled amazing, it was a mix of his own scent and… book?

I looked around and in the backseat, I saw at least 15 old books just lying there, some looked like they were in other languages, Will sat on the driver's seat and started the car, I relaxed, I haven't notice that I was tense, funny.

“So… they sent you to my rescue?” I asked in a small shy voice, and I hated myself, he made me feel so cohibited.

“Yes, and no” he turned around to see me, he smile and made me blush “Dad talked to your mom at lunch, she asked at what time she could pick you, he offered me to pick you, something about being much cooler to have another teen in a nice car getting you home”

“They are probably right” I agree, I noticed the word dad and cooler were said in a quirk manner. I took mental notes.

He started the car, put the heat on and waited in place, a lot of cars were moving, a lot of chaos, teens could not really drive… yeah… “teens” like I am not 17 myself, but, well, I am better at driving. I scoffed as I saw one of them trying to exit the parking space in one million moves. I changed my attention to him, he was looking at me and at the vehicles in the rear mirror, his eyes looked intense.

“Can I ask something?” I asked trying to soft his eyes

“Sure” he said as he stopped looking at me through the mirror and relaxed on the seat to look at me directly. My stomach made a flip, he was too handsome, but she manage to hold the poker face.

“Are those books in other languages?”

“Good eye” his smile was so wide that it made me smile too “Some, yes, the others are in plain english”

“How many languages do you speak?”

“5” he replied with a slight doubt in his tone

“How old are you?”

“Guess” he whispered and made me shiver, while I was mute he asked, “hey, my turn, what are you listening?”

“May I?” I pointed at the stereo he smiled and passed me the cable to connect, I pressed play and The pierces started to play slow, acoustic, and a bit psychedelic song I had obsessed all morning.

“What are you reading?” He asked with narrow sleepy eyes, I took out the book from my tote and he spin it on his fingers, he passed the pages and selected a random line. “By day she was suffocated by the hard sun, by bight she trembled to freeze in the sheets of her bed…” he read gloomy and the radio blasted Allison´s voice “We forget… Satisfaction kills our desire… We are dreamers…” and for me, both lines matched magically.

The parking lot was half empty, he returned my book and put reverse to drive off. Will drove so carefully that I barely noticed the gearshift, he let me put on all the songs I wanted, it was the first time someone has heard my playlist, he moved his head and tapped his fingers on some songs, he looked so relaxed and comfy… and, strangely, I was too, it felt like I was floating with him in a capsule with no time and no one else in the world.

He drove to the house, when we enter my mom and Lugo were cooking dinner, well, my mom was sitting in the tiny table inside the kitchen and he was cooking while they were talking, she was smiling, finally! I was so happy.

“Have you seen the firepit outside?” Lugo said out of nowhere after we finish dinner

“Not really, sorry, we have been catching sleep”

“Well…” he said playfully taking out of a bag some marshmallows, crackers and chocolate.

“Yes please!” my mom clapped and for a few seconds I saw the younger version of her, one that she had never seen before.

Lugo asked Will to help him get the fire started, and mom and I quickly cleaned the plates and table, I have never seen my mom like that, all nervous and excited, she saw me looking at her, she giggle and hugged me tight before dragging me outside with the guys.

I sat next to Will and hugged my legs while I listen to Lugo and mom’s stories, stories of a life where Will and I were not in the picture yet, I loved that memories of her, a life where my grandparents were her rock, where she only worried about getting home early and going out with her friends.

Will was particularly interested in asking a lot of questions about them, about their sports tournaments and how they handle school as well as an overly active social life. We were there until there was only a few embers left on the pyre and we start to freeze outside.

The guys left, my mom was taking a shower in the bedroom and I took over the bathroom on the library, it was quiet, I was in a fluffy robe clicking on the computer some information I needed for school when I realize I really liked that room, the forest outside whisper slowly while the rain and the trees made noise, so, for the first time in my life, I wanted to spend money on me, I open a new tab on the navigator and look for stores near us.