Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Crystal ❯ Chapter 5

Crystal, Chapter 5:

 

 

Paul bought me popcorn. We threaded our way through the darkened theater, previews blaring behind us, until we found two seats together. I had deliberately picked a popular movie so there would be plenty of people around us. My reason was twofold—I didn't want Paul to get any ideas, and I didn't want Johnny to kill him if he did.

 

I glanced around, trying to see if I could spot Johnny, but if he was there, I didn't see him. I settled back to watch the movie. It was an action thriller, with plenty of noise and explosions and chases. Not romantic at all.

 

I still couldn't figure out why Paul had asked me to go to the movies with him. I thought we'd settled things back at Uncle Robert's house. He didn't need me to get information on the vampire anymore, and he didn't know me well enough to really like me. I didn't count that first kiss. Besides, Paul was too old for me.

 

I giggled and Paul glanced at me curiously. Too old. Then what was Johnny?

 

Paul put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me against him. I pulled back and shook my head. “Don't,” I whispered.

 

He shrugged and smiled. He moved his arm off my shoulders but left it draped over the back of my seat. A particularly loud on-screen explosion lit up the theater momentarily. I sneaked a quick look behind me in the sudden brightness and spotted Johnny a few rows back, watching me intently. What was his game, anyway? Was it jealousy? Or was it something else? I sort of hoped it was jealously.

 

The next time I was able to glance back, Johnny was gone.

 

I was glad when the movie ended. Paul took my elbow and steered me through the crowd to the lobby. “Want to get something to eat?” he asked.

 

“Paul.” I hesitated. I had done what Johnny asked. He had seen his Scottish cousin. Now, I just wanted to go home. I was hungry, but not for food.

 

“Come on. I'll take you to the steak place.”

 

We didn't have a lot of restaurants in our area, mostly pizza places and a few hamburger joints. The steak place was our equivalent of an upscale restaurant.

 

I dug in my heels. “I have a boyfriend,” I blurted.

 

Paul stopped, too. “Really?” he said, raising his eyebrows. “Does that mean you can't eat? It's only dinner, Crystal.”

 

He made it sound so reasonable.

 

I noticed Johnny at that moment. He was lounging near the restrooms, like he was waiting for someone. When he saw me, he grinned. A moment later, a girl about my age came out of the ladies room and walked right over to Johnny. He put his arm over her shoulders and the two of them walked back towards the darkened theaters. I watched until they turned the corner.

 

I wasn't jealous. Johnny was just going to bring her into one of the movies and take her blood. He would leave her there, sleeping. I wasn't jealous. My mouth watered. “Okay,” I said to Paul. “I'll go to dinner with you.”

 

 

“So you have a boyfriend, Paul commented as we waited for our dinners. He had a drink, but I wasn't old enough. I just got water in a fancy glass. “What's his name?”

 

I glanced up, startled. “What?”

 

“Your boyfriend. What's his name?”

 

“I—um—Don,” I finally said. “His name is Don.”

 

“Is he a schoolmate of yours?”

 

I nodded, unwilling to lie out loud.

 

Paul broke into a smile. “Well, he can't be much of a boyfriend if he lets you go out with other men.”

 

I didn't have an answer to that. Johnny was the one who had insisted I go on this date. I wondered what he was doing now. He should have been finished with his little donor by now. Had he followed us or gone hunting somewhere else?

 

At the thought of hunting, my mouth watered again. Our food came, and it looked wonderful, but I didn't want any.

 

“Aren't you hungry?” Paul asked.

 

I took a bite of my steak. It still tasted good. I wasn't that I couldn't eat; I just didn't want to. I took another bite, then washed it down with a swallow of my fancy water.

 

“Paul, why did you ask me out?” I asked bluntly. “I'm flattered, but what possible interest could you still have in me? I'm not even out of high school yet, and you'll be going home in a few—weeks?”

 

“Months,” he corrected. “We have time to get to know each other. We do have a lot in common.” His eyes crinkled at the corners. “Perhaps we'll be more suited than this boyfriend of yours.”

 

He didn't believe me! I did too have a boyfriend!

 

“I don't think that would be a good idea,” I mumbled into my drink. “Don is the jealous type.”

 

“Oh, really?” Paul laughed at me with his eyes. He didn't believe I had a boyfriend. He leaned over the table and I was afraid he was going to try to kiss me again, so I shoved my chair back.

 

“Excuse me,” I said quickly. “Bathroom.” I jumped up from the table, leaving Paul leaning back quite satisfied with himself. I was out of my depth, which was a feeling I seldom had.

 

I wasn't surprised to find Johnny waiting for me outside the ladies room. He seemed to favor that particular location. “Where's your little friend?” I asked irritably, brushing by him.

 

He followed me in.

 

“Johnny—“

 

He stopped my mouth with a kiss. A good kiss. Better than Paul's. I kissed him back, and he let me. Maybe he really was jealous.

 

He let go and stepped back. “Don?” he asked, with a little grin.

 

I blushed. “It's what Ian calls you,” I explained. “I couldn't think.”

 

“So I'm your boyfriend?”

 

“Of course you are! What did you think?”

 

Johnny's smile widened. “Just checking.”

 

He pulled me into one of the stalls and locked the door seconds before a group of ladies walked in. We waited in silence until they left again. I turned in his arms. “Johnny, what am I doing here? Why did you want me to go out with Paul?”

 

He unlocked the stall but didn't open the door. “You still haven't figured it out?” he asked, with a tilt of one eyebrow. “He wants to marry you.”

 

“What? Why? He barely knows me! That doesn't make any sense, Johnny.”

 

“Think about it. You have the family blood. He is a hunter. You could give him strong children, Crystal. I don't think your brothers are the only ones they came to check out.”

 

“Are you serious?”

 

“Tell the truth, Crystal. Are you attracted to him?”

 

“No!” I denied it. Paul was nice looking, and he treated me like an adult. I liked that. But attracted to him? No, I wasn't—was I? “What do you mean?” I asked Johnny.

 

“It's in the blood. It draws us towards one another. Nature's way of continuing the species. Paul doesn't know about your dual bloodline, but he is attracted to your blood as surely as you are attracted to his.”

 

“You're being way too clinical about this,” I muttered, pushing the door open and stalking past Johnny. Paul must be wondering if I had fallen in by now. “Are you saying you were attracted to me because of the blood?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“And that I am attracted to you for the same reason?”

 

“Yes.”

 

I wrapped my arms around my stomach. “No,” I whispered, shaking my head. “I love you, Johnny. I've loved you for most of my life. I love you. I don't care about the blood. How could you think I would be attracted to anybody else?”

 

Johnny hugged me. “I love you,” he said. “I'm attracted to your blood, but I love you. Now you see the difference?” He tilted up my chin and kissed me gently. “Go back out there to Paul, finish your dinner.” He smiled at me. “You need to eat.”

 

“Will you come for me later?”

 

“You know I will. Crystal, talk to him. Let him think he is wooing you, and maybe he will let down his guard. If he's looking at you to continue his bloodline, then there may not be any in Scotland who are as strong in the blood. Try to find out what you can about the family in Scotland.”

 

Johnny glided back inside the empty stall before the main door swished open again and a solitary woman came in. She nodded to me and held the door open so I could leave. I sighed. Johnny would be having dessert, it seemed.

 

Paul had ordered ice-cream while I was gone. I suppose if I couldn't have blood, ice-cream wasn't a bad second. I slid into my seat and took up a spoon. “Mmm,” I murmured, giving Paul a genuine smile. “My favorite.”