Gerard

“Where the hell have you been?!” My father roared at me the minute I slunk into the dining room.

The three of them were all sat around the table that was the length of a fucking bus, my father at the head of the table and my brother and mother at his side. Three humans sat by each of them on the floor next to their chairs like dogs, their heads hung and metal collars locked around their necks.

“Well?!” he spat at me once again after he’d lowered his glass of blood on to table once he’d drank from it.

“Out.”

He rolled his eyes. “Out. Of course I know you were out Gerard, you’ve been gone for nearly a day! Where the hell were you?! You show up after a day, looking like you’ve slept out on the streets and stinking of… of werewolf! Tell me I can’t smell werewolf on you!”

My mother gasped and Mikey choked on his blood slightly at the mention of werewolves.

I just gritted my teeth and glared at the floor.

“Fine. Don’t answer me. In fact, I don’t even want to know. You know what Gerard, get out of my sight. I’m sick of you! I thought this whole ‘humans are equal’ phase was bad, but werewolves? What are you thinking Gerard?! Are you determined to bring total shame and disgrace to your family?!”

“Shame? The only ones who bring shame to this family are the three of you! It feels like I’m the only one who actually sees what’s going on here! Maybe if you weren’t so blind and ignorant you’d see what you’re doing and realise you’re the ones that are wrong!”

“Don’t speak to me like that! You have no right to go round accusing me of being wrong! You’re the only one Gerard, the only vampire who has all of these ridiculous ideas and opinions! Nobody else thinks there’s anything wrong but you. Doesn’t that tell you something? Doesn’t that tell you that you’re clearly not right in the head?!”

“Donald!” my mother said in a quiet but shocked voice.

“No Donna! The boy’s a freak! He’s insane. But most importantly, he’s a disgrace to his entire race!”

“Maybe it’s the rest of my race that is sick and insane,” I snapped. “You know what? I’m ashamed to be a vampire.”

There was thick, choking silence as the words sunk into their heads and I didn’t hang around for them to start screaming and yelling at me even more. I made sure to slam the door as hard as I could on the way out.

I was sick of everyone treating me like I was mad. People would look at me like I was diseased and they wouldn’t touch me with a six foot pole. People would talk about me like it was a shame I was different. I felt like I’d been born into the wrong body. I didn’t fit in with vampires, not one bit. I’d probably be better off as a human.

Speaking of humans made me remember Frank suddenly.

Last night shouldn’t have happened. I feel like throwing up every time I think about it, and it’s all that’s on my mind at the moment. I felt disgusting and awful for what I’d done to Frank last night.

He probably hated me.

After he’d left, so had I. I’d left the palace and just ran. I had to get away from Frank, from everyone. I was a monster. I’d hurt someone and I’d never wanted to do that. I was just completely overwhelmed by the sense of hunger and Frank had smelt so good…

I could feel my fangs sharpening and growing bigger just thinking about it now.

I don’t even know where I’ve been the past day. I just ran and didn’t stop. When I felt like I’d finally calmed down and put enough space between me and Frank and pretty much everyone, I stopped.
I had no idea where I was. I’d just looked around and found myself standing in a forest. I’d never been there before but I didn’t care that I was lost. I was better off lost and on my own. I couldn’t be around anyone.

At least, I thought I was alone. That was until a blur of fur and snarls flew at me and knocked me over at out nowhere.

That was where the werewolf smell had come from. I didn’t try to fight it back. I just it slashed and tear at me. It stopped instantly as soon as it realised I wasn’t fighting back, but just lying there. It backed off a little and I watched as it morphed, the sounds of bones cracking and skin twisting echoing through the forest. A girl was in the place of the wolf and she looked more confused that angry.

“Why don’t you fucking fight back?!”

“I don’t want to.”

“Stupid fucking blood sucker,” she spat back at me.

She circled me, watching me like I was about to spring at her, but I felt completely numb and boneless and I was just stood there, watching her dully.

Another wolf howled out suddenly and within a couple of seconds she was gone, a wolf replacing her. I watched as she disappeared through the trees before sliding down a tree trunk and burying my head in my hands.

When the sun came up again, I made my way through the forest, running as fast as I could.
Vampires can stay out in the light for a little while or if the sun is just setting or rising, but if we stay out in it too long, we’re burnt to a crisp.

I had to stop at around midday because the itch on my skin was becoming too much. I found an empty cane in the face of a cliff in the woods I was travelling through and I stayed there until it was safe tom move again. By the time I recognised where I was, the sun was starting to set again and it would take me a few good hours to get back.

And here I was.

I stood waiting before I twisted the door handle and opened the door. The curtains were still drawn and the room looked unchanged. My eyes flitted around the room to find Frank stood by my desk, one of my sketchbooks in his hands.

His head snapped up and his eyes widened in fear and his jaw went slack, his lisp parting in horror.

“G-Gerard, I’m sorry, I didn’t know you w-” he immediately began to say, dropping my sketchbook as if it was on fire.

“Don’t worry about it,” I cut him off. “It’s fine.”

He glanced at the sketchbook and then back at me. “But it’s yours, it’s private isn’t?”

I shrugged. “I don’t mind. You can look at them if you want.”

There was a thick silence then and I ran my hands through my messy greasy hair, my fingers getting caught in the knots.

“Where… where were you?” he asked quietly, not meeting my eyes.

“I don’t know,” I replied honestly, stepping further into the room and shutting the door firmly before making my way over to the bed. I sat down on it and reached down to untie my Converse.

“You don’t know?”

“Yeah. I just kind of… I just went. I didn’t have anywhere in mind.”

“Why did you leave?”

I froze. “I’m sorry. I don’t think I’ll ever finished apologising to you for what I didn’t, but I’m so sorry Frank. I never meant for last night to happen. I never meant to hurt you like that.”

He didn’t answer. I looked over at him to see his eyes full of tears. He quickly looked away when he met my gaze and swallowed heavily.

“Frank?” I said gently.

He turned his back to me then and I could see the little tremors running through his fragile, thin shoulders. I stood up and slowly and silently made my way towards him.

“Frank? Please, look at me,” I whispered, standing right behind him.

He jumped a little the suddenness and closeness of my voice and he slowly shook his head, still not looking at me.

“I don’t want you to look at me. I’m disgusting,” he said, his voice thick and choked.

“Oh Frank,” I said softly, gently touching his arms, only to have it ripped away from me. “Frank, you’re not disgusting at all.”

“Then why did you leave me last night? Why did you run away?”

“Because I was disgusted with myself. Not you. Me. Please don’t blame this on yourself.”

“I don’t believe you,” his told me.

His voice was hoarse as if he was crying and he turned around to look at me. His eyes were watery and tears were slipping down his cheeks.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“You haven’t done anything.”

“Gerard, you didn’t do anything wrong last night, I wanted you to. Fuck… I even… I even liked it in some sort of fucked up away. It’s never felt like that before. It always hurt when they used to use me back at the Institute, but… it didn’t last night. And I feel like I messed everything up and I know you ran away because you don’t want me.”

“You haven’t mess up anything and if you want the truth, I have to try harder than you can imagine to not just pin you down and drain you every time I smell your blood. Frank, I don’t know what you want me to do,” I told him, my voice almost desperate.

“So you don’t think I’m disgusting?” he asked.

“The exact opposite Frank. I think you’re beautiful,” I said, trying not to break my eyes away from his.

I felt as if I was exposing my safe to him, making myself vulnerable and open. But I didn’t care.

“You’re wrong,” he told me. “But last night… did I make it better? Did it help?”

His eyes were so wide and innocent and I could feel my fangs protruding into my lower lip again.
The smell coming from him seemed even stronger and more powerful than ever before and it was overwhelming and making me feel dizzy with want.

But it wasn’t just his blood. It was him. It was Frank’s entire being that I wanted. I wanted every inch of skin. I would’ve wanted Frank no matter who or what he was. His blood was just an added bonus.

“Yes,” I whispered, feeling him gravitate towards me as my voice became husky and lower, my lids heavier and my eyes darker.

I could feel that instinct stirring inside of, screaming at me to throw him down and make him mine, but I fought against it, trying to keep my mind clear of the overpowering thoughts.

“Yes,” I said again. “It helped a lot. More than you know.”

Frank’s body responded to me, stepping closer. He probably didn’t even realise he was doing it. Vampires are naturally attractive and alluring to their prey but mostly when they’re hungry and want to feed.

“Can I help you again?” he whispered, tilting his head slightly.

I trailed my fingers over the two dots on his neck that were fading already and found myself leaning and inhaling deeply.

I found it bizarre that Frank hadn’t been hurt last night when I bit him. I also found it odd that he liked it and he wanted me to bite him again. Most humans are terrified of being bitten.

“Gerard,” Frank said, his voice low and breathy and shaking. “Please. I want you to.”

I responded by dragging my tongue over the skin on his neck, smirking as he gasped an fell into me.
His arms went around my shoulders and he tilted his head back.

“Please,” he breathed, his eyes shut and his body shaking.

“No,” I told him.

His eyes flew open and he stared at me. “What?”

“I won’t bite you again,” I told him, my arms snaking around his face as his own arms loosened around my shoulders.

“But I-”

“It doesn’t mean I don’t want you Frank,” I told him, pressing my lips over the marks on his neck.

“I don’t understand,” he said shakily.

I withdrew my face from his throat and looked at him. I brought my hands up to his face and stroked my thumbs across his cheeks.

“I don’t want you just for your blood,” I told him.

His breath caught in his throat and his searched my face to see if I was lying. “So I can’t help you again?”

“You can help me by kissing me,” I told him.