Nirvana

Chapter seven

Back Story: Meet the Kings

    Years passed and Dylan and Vanessa became closer as friends. It was hard at first since Vanessa couldn’t be seen getting too close to boys, so they were forced to act like acquaintances while in school. Dylan hated this, but he’d hate it more if he could no longer hang out with her if her father found out. He didn’t understand why it was such a big deal or why he could never go to her house, but she never wanted to talk about it. Still he was grateful they were allowed to spend plenty of time together outside of school. Vanessa gave him purpose, meaning. Everything was better when she was around. She even introduced him to things he was never interested in doing before. He discovered a love for music to go along with his talent for poetry. This was completely unlike him, even his father was shocked when he suddenly asked to learn piano. His parents were astounded by his change of behavior, so they asked if they could meet Vanessa. The sudden request made Dylan nervous, but he didn’t refuse as long as they promised not to mention his powers to her. When he had asked her over, she was extremely excited. He told her that if she became uncomfortable around them, they’d leave instantly. She replied by telling him she’d be fine and he had nothing to worry about. 

    “Hello, you must be Vanessa.” Roxanne greeted them with a warm smile. Vanessa remarked that she was a very beautiful lady, with long golden hair, hazel eyes, and elegant posture, she might have mistaken her as a noble from Nirvana.

    “Hi Mrs. King.” Vanessa greeted her back. Roxanne led them inside and Vanessa stood in awe at the enormous living space. There were curved stairs that led to the 2nd floor. A fence allowed her to see the top floor from where she was standing. Below the second floor and adjacent to the stairs was a long black couch that curved halfway around the black coffee table. In front of that was an unlit fireplace with a large flat screen tv hanging from the wall. The floor was made of hazelnut colored hardwood with a white rug underneath the coffee table. A flower vase full of red and white roses stood next to the front door. Framed pictures hung across the wall, leading all the way up the stairs. Silk curtains hung from the windows. However, what really caught Vanessa’s eye was the black, grand piano sitting on the other side of the room along with a guitar. “Wow.” was all she could say.

    “You’re father’s in his office.” Roxanne said, closing the door behind them. “He’ll be out in a bit. Please, make yourself at home.” A small puppy ran up to her feet. It wagged its tail and spun around in circles happy to see a new face. 

    “Aww, you have a dog? She’s so cute.” Vanessa said as she kneeled down to scratch the dog's golden fur. 

    “Her name’s Daisy.” Dylan said as he allowed Daisy to lick his hand. “She’s only three months old. We just got her.”

    “I think she’s hungry.”

    “Why do you say that?”

    “Because she said your hand tastes like ham.” Vanessa giggled as she watched Daisy open her mouth to bite Dylan’s hand. “Probably from the sandwiches we had at lunch."

    “Quit it.” Dylan said, pulling his hand away. He gestured for her to follow him into the kitchen. The kitchen looked just as beautiful as the living room. The countertops were red and white marble with a matching island with three bar stools. On Top of it sat two fruit bowls. The stove was white with a clear view window and six burners. The floor was made of black and white tiles. There was a bad smell in the air and a lot of tools on the floor. Behind the island was a small boy, no older than seven. He seemed to be building something. Beside him was a bowl filled with a brown mixture. Once the boy had noticed their presence, he turned to them. Vanessa was surprised to see that he was wearing a gas mask.

    “Tony! What do you think you're doing here?” Dylan asked, covering his nose. “And what is that smell?” Tony turned his entire body to show them some sort of gun. It looked like a fancy toy gun. He poured the brown mixture into the opening at the top of the gun and c****d it back. The gun steamed and the smell became more intense that it was getting hard to breathe. He pulled the trigger, aiming at Dylan and Vanessa. Dylan quickly pulled Vanessa aside, dodging the blast. A flower vase sitting on the floor was struck. It steamed as the mixture boiled, covering the entire vase with brownish goo. Moments later the mixture hardened around the vase and the entire vase turned into silver metal. 

    “It works!” Tony cheered, pulling the gas mask back once the smell had cleared. He was cute. He had the same hazel brown skin tone, goldish blonde hair and hazel brown eyes as Roxanne. 

    “Are you out of your mind?” Dylan scolded him for nearly hitting them. 

    “When am I not?” Tony teased sticking his tongue out at him. “You’ll thank me once we’re rich and living on a private island. Maybe then you’ll get a girl who actually likes you.” He smiled big, enjoying how flustered his brother had become. The vase began to boil once more, releasing a foul smell as it began to rust and turn brown. Tony frowned at it in disapproval.

    “Let’s see if mom will be thanking you once she learns that you’ve destroyed another one of her vases.” Dylan threatened with a smirk. Tony glared at him. 

    “Tony! What’s that smell?” Roxanne bellowed from the living room. “You better not be experimenting in my kitchen again.” Tony flinched and hurried to throw his device under the sink.

    “Mommy Dylan’s being mean to me again.” Tony whined in a baby voice, sounding much younger than earlier. He wiped his eyes as if crying and ran out of the kitchen, Daisy following behind him. 

    “Sorry about my brother.” Dylan sighed. “He likes inventing and doing science experiments. It’s kinda his angel talent. You’re not hurt are you?” Vanessa shook her head. “It smells kinda bad in here. Why don’t we go in the back?” Dylan led her to the sliding door that led to the back yard. Once she was outside, her jaw dropped. 

    “You gotta pool?!” In the middle of the yard was a large built in pool filled with clear blue water. Beside that was a hot tub. There were brown and white tiles outlining the pool area along with several deck chairs. The house curved around the pool, allowing only one area where you could get out, however it was blocked by a fence. “I’ve always wanted a family with a home and a pool like this.” 

    “But, you do have a family,” he noted. He noticed her face droop as she forced a smile. 

    “Right, I didn’t mean it like that. I just wish my house was this nice.”

    Again Dylan wanted to pry and learn more about her, but refrained. He didn’t want to upset her. He was sure she had a good reason for not telling him. “I don’t go swimming much. My parents and my older brother Jason mostly use it. Sometimes Tony uses it too, but only when he’s doing experiments.” Suddenly they heard a loud voice coming from above them. 

    “Look out below!!” The voice boomed as something came falling from the roof and splashing into the pool. Dylan moved in front of Vanessa to shield her from the water, but it didn’t help much. 

    “Jason!” Dylan barked. A boy with long black hair emerged  from the water, shaking his head and wiping the water from his eyes.

    “Dylan, bro, you gotta try that sometime.” The boy said. “s**t’s epic, it’s a total rush.” 

    Dylan watched as his brother swam toward them and climbed out of the pool. He was shirtless and wearing blue swim trunks. He was taller than them, but he didn’t look much older, maybe 14. Jason looked at Vanessa once his vision cleared. 

    “Who’s this lovely lady?’ he asked with a charming grin. 

    “This is my Vanessa. Vanessa, this is my idiotic older brother Jason.” Jason ignored his brother’s insult and walked up to Vanessa and kissed the back of her hand, looking into her eyes. He too had hazel brown eyes like Roxanne.

    “It’s a pleasure to meet you Vanessa.” he purred. Vanessa blushed and Dylan stepped in between them, pushing his brother away.

    “Knock it off dumbass!” Dylan cursed. Jason gave an amused chuckle as he pulled his brother into a head lock and gave him a noogie. 

    “Sorry, I didn't know I couldn’t touch your little girlfriend.” He teased.

    “She’s not my girlfriend.” Dylan corrected as he struggled to free himself from his brother’s grip. He growled in frustration and bit Jason’s hand. He yelped and let go. Dylan tried to move away from him, wasn’t quick enough. Jason stretched his foot out and tripped him, causing him to lose his balance. Before he could hit the ground, he caught him by the shirt and flung him into the pool. 

    “Dylan!” Vanessa cried as the water splashed on her again, Jason laughed. Dylan’s head rose from the water, his eyes narrowed on Jason. The water around him seemed to boil from his frustration. He’d forgotten not to use his powers while Vanessa was around. He leaped from the water with surprising speed, heading to pounce on Jason. He dodged and Dylan rolled on the ground. He started to pounce again but was suddenly thrown backwards by a large ball of water. Jason was using his telepathic powers to lift water from the pool to throw at him. Dylan dodged most of them, but was thrown back once again. Dylan avoided his next blows and charged at Jason with full speed. 

    “Guys! Stop fighting.” Vanessa said, but it was drowned out by their noisy battle. Dylan was now too close to shoot at so Jason took off running, laughing the entire time.

    “Come and get me, hotshot.” cornered, Jason leaped toward the water, but Dylan was determined to not allow him to escape. He dove in right behind him like a predator about to kill its prey.

    “I got you now!” Dylan roared as their distance closed in. 

    “Not exactly.” Jason corrected. His skin shimmered and a pair of white wings sprouted from his back, lifting him into the air before he could touch the water. Dylan splashed into the water, his eyes sparking with fury. “That’s not fair!” he growled. 

    “All is fair in love and war.” Jason laughed. 

    “The hell does that even mean?”

    “It means that you’ve lost and I’ve won,” Jason gloated, “which means I can take my prize.” Jason flew toward Vanessa and lifted her in the air. 

    “W-Wait! What are you doing!” She screamed.

    “Let go of her!” Dylan ordered, hurrying to climb out of the pool. 

    “No way. She’s my girlfriend now.” Jason said, sticking his tongue out at him. He flew to the top of the roof, opened the window, and carried Vanessa into the attic. 

    In the attic Jason let Vanessa go and his wings disappeared. Vanessa didn’t know whether to be shocked, scared or impressed.

    “Y-You’ve got wings?” She exclaimed. Jason smiled proudly.

    “Cool right? Few months ago, I saved a lot of people from a crumbling bridge with my powers then Boom! I got a pair of awesome wings.” 

    “Why’d you take me like that?” she asked. “Dylan must be really upset, so can you take me back. I don't want to be the cause of you two being mad at each other.” Jason burst into laughter. 

    “Mad? We’re not mad at each other.” Jason reassured her, “This is how brothers have fun.”

    “It can’t be fun if you two are fighting.” she pouted. 

    “Are you kidding? This is the most fun I’ve ever had with him. He used to never react like this when I f****d with him.” he assured her. He smiled genuinely at her. “Sorry I stole you, I just wanted to thank you without your bodyguard being around.”

    “Thank me?” Vanessa asked. “For what?”

    “When Dylan was a toddler, he never took interest in anything, never laughed, never cried, never even got angry. He was….boring to be around.” Jason started, “But when he started hanging out with you, it’s like he’s changed completely from who he was. He talks now, and suggests things, he gets angry and watches movies with genuine interest. It’s like he’s a completely different person. Not to mention his illness seems to have gotten better. He finally acts like a kid and not a zombie.” 

    “Illness?” she’d never heard about him being sick. He’d always seemed fine to her. She couldn’t even remember the last time he missed school. 

    “Yeah, it makes sense he’d choose not to talk about it. None of us really understood what was going on. Doctors said he was perfectly healthy, yet he'd randomly have these fits of pain. I’m surprised you have never seen it.”  He grabbed her hand. “Thanks for saving him from himself. I finally got to see how fun it is having a brother to play with. I’m glad you became his friend”

    “I’m glad I became his friend too.” She agreed. The door to the attic burst open and Dylan stomped in, dripping with water. 

    “You….dick…” he panted, tired from running and swimming, however, he still seemed to have a lot of energy. “Give...her...back.”

    “Make me.” Jason challenged, transforming from sweet and considerate to rowdy and competitive. He went to grab Vanessa’s hand again, but this time Dylan was too fast for him. He charged at Jason and tackled him, both of them fell out of the attic window and into the pool. Vanessa climbed down from the attic using a vine she’d grown from the ground. Jason climbed out of the pool and they began wrestling playfully. 

    “What’s going on out here?” Roxanne asked as she walked out of the kitchen. A tall man followed behind her. He noticed Vanessa instantly. 

    “You must be Vanessa. We’ve heard so much about you. Dylan talks about you all the time.” he said.

    “Dad..” Dylan whined. Was his entire family trying to embarrass him? 

    “My name is Derick King.” Derick said, holding his hand out so she could shake it. “Nice to meet you little lady.” 

    “Dylan, you’re still in your clothes, why are you wet?” Roxanne asked.

    “Because Jason keeps throwing me in the pool.” Dylan argued. “He even got Vanessa wet.” 

    “Oh please,” Jason began as he walked over to put his arm around Vanessa’s shoulder. “She’s barely even wet.” He smirked and suddenly pushed Vanessa into the pool. Everyone gasped except Jason who was still smiling. “Now she’s wet.” Dylan grabbed him by his shirt, aggressively. 

    “Hey! That’s not f*****g funny.” He scolded him. Suddenly a splash of water was thrown at both of them. They looked over in disbelief.

    “Geez Dylan, chill out.” Vanessa said, smiling as the water dripped from her wet hair. “It’s all in good fun right?” She splashed them again and dove underneath the water.

    “That’s what I’m talking about!” Jason cheered, pushing Dylan in the pool along with her. He started to laugh until he felt someone push him into the pool as well. Derek smirked and Jason smiled devilishly.     “Game on.” Roxanne was already filling pails with water, ready to battle with them. Vanessa laughed as she joined in, splashing them with water. Derek was the fastest at dodging, however, he couldn’t escape when water was shot at him from behind. He turned to see Tony holding a large automatic water gun. He charged at his son and tried to grab him, but Tony had an advantage since he was smaller than him, he could easily slip between his legs.  A slight smile crept over Dylan’s face as he watched Vanessa splash his brothers. She looked like she belonged there. He felt foolish for worrying. He should have trusted all of them more. The longer he stared at her the more he knew. His heart thumped against his chest. His stomach filled with butterflies. There was no denying it. She truly was his goddess. 

Present:

    When they got to Dylan’s house, he opened the door to a quiet living room. His parents weren’t home, but his brothers were. Jason was sitting on the couch, talking to someone on the phone.

    “C’mon baby, send me another.” Jason purred in a low and flirtatious voice. “Put on those pink panties you know I like. Don’t be shy now, I’ve asked you for more embarrassing things before. Now go and get that purple vibrat-” Dylan cleared his throat to announce their presence, interrupting his brother's conversation. Jason looked over at them and smiled, taking the phone from his ear. “What’s up stranger?”     He placed the phone down and walked over to give Vanessa a hug. “Woah, little Vanessa, not so little anymore.”

    “Hey Jason.” she greeted him, “And I could say the same about you. Gotta say, you’ve become more manly looking since the last time I saw you.” Jason stepped back and did a 360 to show off.

    “I got fine as f**k, didn’t I?” he teased. “It’s okay, I know, you ain’t gotta say it.” he winked at her. Dylan rolled his eyes.

    “Jase, where’s mom and dad?” 

    “Oh, they went out about an hour ago, they should be back soon.” he said, flopping back down on the couch and returning to his conversation. They walked up the stairs as three white mice ran through the hall. When they saw Vanessa they stopped and allowed her to pick them up. They nuzzled at her palms and thumbs. 

    “Hey little guys.” she cooed sweetly, rubbing her fingers over their soft fur. Tony came running from his room.

    “Hey, my mice!” he cried, reaching his hands out to take them away from her. She held them out of his reach. He then put on an innocent face.

    “Hey Vanessa, how’s it going?” he said, still reaching for the mice. 

    “What are you doing with these mice?” she asked suspiciously.

    “They’re for a science project,” he answered.

    “Your projects usually end with explosions.”

    “This is a school science project. I’m not allowed to blow anything up. Trust me, I’ve asked.”

    “You’re not going to hurt them are you?” she asked. 

    “Of course not. I’m just studying how they react to different temperatures, hunger, and isolation. They won’t be harmed in any way.” he reassured her. “So can I get them back now?” She handed him back the mice and he retreated to his room. 

    Vanessa entered Dylan’s room and flopped down on the bed. “Oh, new bed? It’s really soft.” she said, rubbing her hands over the silk blanket. 

    “Yeah, when I got back, Tony had turned my room into a messy science lab, so I had to get some new stuff.” Vanessa removed her jacket and shoes and Dylan placed them neatly in the closet. He then removed his own clothing and went into the bathroom. His room looked completely different from the last time she’d seen it. The walls were painted red, except for the wall behind his bed which was painted white with a black strip going horizontally across. His new queen sized bed was covered by a black silk blanket, with an extra red throw blanket folded at the bottom. At the top were two large matching black pillows and two smaller matching red pillows. His carpet was black with a white rug next to his bed. His dresser was also black instead of sandy brown. The curtains around the door to the balcony were also red, along with his TV stand which carried games, a console, movies, and several books. The only thing that stayed the same was the markings on the hardwood floor where their twin beds used to be. 

    Dylan walked out of the bathroom wearing gym shorts and a white T-Shirt. For some reason Vanessa looked troubled, sad even. He crept up and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “Are you alright?” she stiffened, he must have startled her.

    “I’m fine, it’s just...being here feels like everything’s changed, yet it’s also exactly the same. I can’t explain it.”

    “I know what you mean.” as he held her, he noticed how much smaller she looked. He wasn't able to tower over her like this before. It only reminded him how much he’d grown. However, he wasn’t the only one. He couldn’t ignore how much softer she felt pressed against him, how much nicer her body curved, how much sweeter she smelled. Without warning he let out a low lustful growl. 

    “Um, Dyl, did you just purr?” she turned to see that his face was completely flushed. He stared at her so intensely, she squirmed under his gaze. He was so tall now, she felt like a child. His hand caressed her cheek and she felt her own face grow hot. 

    “Oh my god!” Boomed a female voice outside of Dylan’s door. Startled Dylan and Vanessa separated.     “Where is she?” Dylan's door opened and Roxanne walked in. 

    “Roxanne!” Vanessa cried as she ran to hug her.

    “Vanessa, baby girl It’s been so long. How are you?” she asked, examining her face. 

    “I’ve been good, what about you?”

    “I’ve been better, but where have you been? It’s been years since your last visit.”

    “I’m sorry. It’s just that after Dylan...left things got a little difficult for me. I didn’t want to make it difficult for all of you too, me being here without him. You don’t hate me, do you?” 

    “I could never hate you honey, we all love you.” 

    “Told you they wouldn’t be mad.” Dylan said, nudging her playfully. 

    “Sorry we were gone so long.” Roxanne said. “Are you two good? Do you want something to eat?”

    “No thanks mom, we went out for pizza after school.” Dylan chimed in.

    “Well, let me know if you two need anything.” she said as she exited the room.

Dylan closed the door behind her. “She’s going to annoy you, you know that right?”

    “I’m going to welcome it.” Vanessa gushed, a ringing sound came from the closet and Vanessa hurried over to answer her phone.

    “Is there a problem?” Dylan asked. Vanessa sighed. 

    “It’s Corey. He wants to know where I am because he’s hungry.” she said, annoyed. Dylan frowned. 

    “Just my alarm. It’s getting late, I usually have something to do around this time. I should probably head back to the dorms.” She couldn’t find the courage to tell him about the man in black. Knowing him, he’d try to stop her. However, if the man came looking for her, she didn’t want him getting involved or possibly getting hurt. She picked up her shoes and began to put on her jacket.

    “Leave? But you just got here.” he grabbed her hand. “Stay.” 

    Vanessa felt her heart squeeze. She hated it when he gave her puppy eyes. It was always hard to refuse him. “I don’t know Dylan, this is kinda important.” 

    “Please.” he begged. “This is the first day we’ve seen each other in years. I’m not ready for it to end, just stay the night with me. I’ll take you back in the morning, I promise.” 

    Vanessa contemplated her options. She’d be lying if she said she didn’t want to stay. She too, missed him dearly over the years. But this was something she had to do. She couldn’t put his life in danger by staying. Not to mention she had finally realized why the man had seemed so familiar and she was ready to end this cat and mouse game once and for all. Her hand slipped from Dylan’s grip. “I’m sorry Dyl, I have to go.”