7: [krey-vingz]

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***Dedicated to countrygal1323Thank you for being my biggest fan!***

Blake gnaws on his hoodie strings, sucking loudly and with great concentration. He always does this after ritual night, when his craving for more blood is particularly fierce. He visually stalks every passerby with hunger and malicious intent. Like a predator, his eyes are thin slits, focused as they scan for a weak catch.

"Stop, Blake. How are you supposed to go to class like this?" Carmine grabs her brother by the shoulders, gently shaking him out of his reverie.

"But...I'm so hungry," Blake whines, pouting his lips.

While Red's recount of the Redoza family history satisfied Carmine, she knew her brother never fully wanted to believe that he was part human.

Carmine sighs. Ever since he was a child, Blake was always drawn to darkness and shadows. He detested the sun, not only because his skin burned easily but also because he never felt at ease fully exposed to the light. He much preferred cool nights when he could slither around undeterred and with the freedom of speed that his vampire soul granted him.

Of course, he also had impulse control problems. Growing up, he often sought out his sister and complained about his constant desire to sink his teeth into his classmates and teachers (despite the fact that he didn't even have sharp fangs).

All her life, Carmine had to constantly keep her eye on Blake for fear that he would expose their identities and force them to flee the town. And there were many close calls. One of the most frightening instances being when Blake was only twelve and nearly choked his best friend to death during a game of rugby. Blake had been distraught after a particularly chilling Ritual Night and had decided to vent his rage on a fellow classmate.

Since then, he's been attending bi-monthly sessions with the school counsellor.

"One sip every month is not...enough...for me. Carmine. How do you handle your cravings?" Blake cringes, his stomach growling with longing.

"I usually just go on a vegetarian diet for three or four days after the ritual," Carmine replies nonchalantly. It's a lie. A big, fat lie.

Of course she never tells Blake the restless nights, sweat soaked sheets and her excruciating migraines following every ritual. She needs to stay strong. Be his role model. "The healthy diet makes my human blood stronger so I have the willpower to fend off my urges. You should really try it. Have a salad for lunch."

"You're joking right? I am NOT going to eat fruits and vegs. Nice try." Blake rolls his eyes. "I'm just going to vent all my frustrations out by boxing, as usual."

By 'boxing' Blake means pummelling the bags of concrete mix in the storage shed behind the school during lunch and after school.

"Do whatever you need to do Blake. Just remember, if you feel overwhelmed, call me and I will help you. If you can't reach me, go home or go into the forest and eat a squirrel. Whatever you do, don't approach humans."

"Ok, ok. You don't need to give me a spiel every month. I'm not a child."

"I wouldn't need to lecture you if you acted like an adult. It's dangerous now. With technology being so advanced and the media being so omniscient, we need to be careful. If you try to hunt alone and some stupid kid with a smartphone films it and puts it on YouTube, what then? The whole world will know who we really are. The clan will not protect us 'bastard children'. We need to look out for each other."

"Yes mother."

Blake is so arrogant and clumsy, Carmine thinks, If his skills were anywhere close to rivalling mine he could help me hunt. He could help me lure. He could even sneak a few sips and bites without telling Mother and Father. But the lazy boy...all he wants to do is nag and complain when he doesn't get what he wants. Hopeless.

"So what's your plan for tonight?" Blake's voice interrupts Carmine's internal monologue.

"Nothing. Finish school, study. Read. Go to sleep." Carmine pretends to be oblivious about what Blake is hinting at.

"I know you know what I'm talking about."

"It's such a pathetic human tradition. I'm not interested in prom night." But this is just another lie. Carmine often pretends in front of her little brother that she doesn't care about human culture and traditions, but secretly, she is envious of her classmates' frivolous lives filled with gossip and empty dramas. Some days she wishes she was a regular teenager with regular problems. Not a blood-craving fiend who whores herself out once a month to earn her meal.

"Sure, sure." Blake doesn't believe Carmine for a second.

"Besides, I don't have any friends or a date to go with. I would be absolutely pathetic."

Growing up, Red always taught Carmine to wary of humans. "They will never understand you like your family does. Do not trust them with your true identity or they may persecute you and harm you. Let no one come too close. For the safety of this family and yourself, do not make friends or enemies. Stay in the background. Be invisible."

So Carmine obeyed. She never stood out in any way. Despite her fierce intelligence, she deliberately made mistakes on exams in order to not arouse suspicion. She did not ask or answer questions in class. Needless to say, she never joined in clubs or teams. Her only defining attribute was her startling beauty, which she tried, in vain, to disguise underneath loose, dark clothing during school hours.

Despite her best efforts at remaining invisible, her extraordinary, almost ethereal features, still attracted many boys, some of whom would spread vicious rumours about her when she spurned their advances and openly ogle her as she walked by them in the hallways.

Some kind hearted students sometimes spoke to her but for the most part they stayed away when she didn't return their friendliness. Carmine resented the palpable loneliness she felt in her hollow heart but she could never disobey her family. Humans simply wouldn't understand her.

"I can go with you," Blake offers. "It's a once-in a lifetime opportunity. Just go and have fun. Celebrate your hard work all these years. Let loose."

Unlike Carmine, Blake had a few close friends. Of course, they didn't know the truth about him, but that didn't matter because none of them had ever met Blake in person. They simply met online in gaming forums and talked about hacks, cheats and codes related to video gaming. Despite the shallowness of their conversations, Blake truly felt accepted and admired online in ways he could never be in real life. And that made him happy.

"No thanks," Carmine walks up to her locker. "I need to study for final exams anyway."

"Suit yourself." Blake waves a little and walks down the hall to his locker.

After hanging up her backpack, Carmine picks up her notebook and pencil case. Her mind reels with thoughts about her future. School. It's almost over. What am going to do with my life? The only university nearby is over four hours' drive away and mother begged me not to move. She needs me. Father needs me. Blake needs me. I need a job. But...doing what? I have no work-related experience. Unless you count seducing sleazy scumbags, kidnapping them and stealing their blood as experience. I can't stay at home doing nothing. I'll be bored out of my mind...

"Hey, you're Carmine right?"

"Hmm?" Carmine looks up and notices that while she was daydreaming again, a cute boy from her Biology class had come over and is now standing beside her open locker. "Yes?"

"I-Um...I'm Billy. We have Biology together?"

"Yes?" Carmine repeats.

"Well, it's um, prom tonight...and I was wondering if- you know if you don't already have a date- if you would like to go with me?" Billy flashes Carmine a sincere, toothy grin. He wrings his palms and stands there, waiting awkwardly for Carmine's response.

"Uh," Carmine is taken aback. She didn't realize Billy had ever even noticed her, let alone was interested in taking her on a date. "I wasn't planning to go..."

"Oh," Billy's face sinks. "Okay."

At the sight of Billy's disappointment, Carmine unexpectedly adds, "But since you asked, I think that sounds very nice. I'd like that."

Billy's face lights up. "Great! I'll meet you at the docks at eight!" He quickly turns around and scurries off the class like a rodent.

Carmine stands up and starts walking casually to her art class. She thinks to herself, I thought the man was supposed to pick up his date at her house for prom night? Oh well, I'm not that traditional anyway. With a small smile, Carmine glides into the art studio, heart pounding slightly faster.

Carmine pinches her arm and chastises herself, Stop feeling like a little girl. Stop it. Why is my heart dancing like this? ...Because I have a date!

It's such a silly human reaction but Carmine doesn't begrudge herself for feeling this way. After all, she's part human and she has feelings, just like everyone else. Right?

***What do you think of Carmine's reaction to the date request? I wanted to show how despite her tough vampire side, Carmine also has a softer, human side where she's just an average teenager with normal teenage girl hopes and emotions. Your thoughts help shape this book when I go back and edit it, so they are extremely valuable to me.

If this book has intrigued you thus far, I hope you will press that little star and leave me a vote. Your thoughts are also precious to me so if you have some time, I would love to hear what you think of my book! Prom night, coming up!

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