mall. There was something about him that I really liked, but I couldn't put my finger on what it was. Sure, he was enjoyable to look at, but it was more than that. Even though he was strong and well built, there was a gentleness about him. It made me curious to get to know him more.
As we meandered around the mall sipping smoothies, he told me about Delphic Cove. It sounded like a town full of rich snobs and he lived in the part of town that wasn't as nice.
"Why don't you guys have as much money?"
He looked at me curiously, as though my question was strange. "It's just my mom because my dad took off on us. He doesn't pay anything and she won't let me help financially. She wants me to enjoy high school so I'm not even allowed a job. My contribution is watching my kid brother after dark and then making dinner when my mom works late at her second job."
"Do you have to go soon? Won't it be getting dark?"
He shook his head. "She doesn't work that job tonight so I'm fine."
I smiled. "Let's go grab some dinner then. I saw some fancy looking restaurants in the parking lot—my treat."
"A pretty girl wants to treat me to dinner?" he asked, shaking his head again. Someone pinch me. "Sure. You pick the place."
Once we were eating appetizers, I was ready to pick his brain about why he was so surprised that I'd want to spend time with him. Looking at him, I thought he'd have a line of girls waiting to hang out with him. "What sport do you play?" I asked, looking at his letterman's jacket.
"I play football and I manage the girls' track team."
"The girls' track team? That must be fun. I'll bet you're popular with the girls. They probably join the team just so they can be near you."
He looked surprised. "No one has much of an interest in me. There were some rumors spread around school about me, and well…I'm not exactly popular. Can we just leave it at that?" he asked with a pained expression.
That moment was the first time that I'd ever felt any kind of compassion for a mortal. "No problem. We can talk about something else." I was still curious, so I tried to spark a thought so that he wouldn't have to talk about it. "I really don't see why anyone would have a problem with you."
"Thanks." I hope she never hears about the rumors. I'm not gay and never have been.
So that was it. I had thought that humans were more progressive about that these days. Apparently not in Delphic Cove.
Tanner looked at me, smiling. "So tell me about yourself. I'm sure you have guys lined up around the block."
I panicked, but kept a straight face. What could I tell him? That I was vampire and I was dating one of the world's most feared vampires? I'd already scared off three guys by bringing up vampires. "There's not much to tell," I said, shrugging my shoulders.
"You must have something to tell," he said. "You aren't like most girls."
"I'm not?"
"There's definitely something different about you, but I can't pin it down."
"Well, I guess that makes two of us. I feel the same way about you."
We just looked at each other in silence for a few moments and were saved by the meals being set in front of us. I was feeling a little shy, which was something that I wasn't used to. Even among vampires, I was bold and enchanting.
"Are you one of the top players on your team?" I asked, finally breaking the silence which was strangely comfortable. Especially considering that I was eating with a human.
"I used to be, but my game has taken a hit lately."
"Why's that?"
"With the rumors going around, people don't treat me like they used to. I guess my confidence has taken a hit," he said, looking away. I can't believe I just admitted that to her. I'm going to scare off the one person who will actually speak to me.
"I'm sure that would happen with anyone. People can be monsters," I said, thinking of all the times that I'd seen crowds gathered to kill a vampire. Obviously that wouldn't happen with today's humans who clearly didn't believe, but when they did, they
As we meandered around the mall sipping smoothies, he told me about Delphic Cove. It sounded like a town full of rich snobs and he lived in the part of town that wasn't as nice.
"Why don't you guys have as much money?"
He looked at me curiously, as though my question was strange. "It's just my mom because my dad took off on us. He doesn't pay anything and she won't let me help financially. She wants me to enjoy high school so I'm not even allowed a job. My contribution is watching my kid brother after dark and then making dinner when my mom works late at her second job."
"Do you have to go soon? Won't it be getting dark?"
He shook his head. "She doesn't work that job tonight so I'm fine."
I smiled. "Let's go grab some dinner then. I saw some fancy looking restaurants in the parking lot—my treat."
"A pretty girl wants to treat me to dinner?" he asked, shaking his head again. Someone pinch me. "Sure. You pick the place."
Once we were eating appetizers, I was ready to pick his brain about why he was so surprised that I'd want to spend time with him. Looking at him, I thought he'd have a line of girls waiting to hang out with him. "What sport do you play?" I asked, looking at his letterman's jacket.
"I play football and I manage the girls' track team."
"The girls' track team? That must be fun. I'll bet you're popular with the girls. They probably join the team just so they can be near you."
He looked surprised. "No one has much of an interest in me. There were some rumors spread around school about me, and well…I'm not exactly popular. Can we just leave it at that?" he asked with a pained expression.
That moment was the first time that I'd ever felt any kind of compassion for a mortal. "No problem. We can talk about something else." I was still curious, so I tried to spark a thought so that he wouldn't have to talk about it. "I really don't see why anyone would have a problem with you."
"Thanks." I hope she never hears about the rumors. I'm not gay and never have been.
So that was it. I had thought that humans were more progressive about that these days. Apparently not in Delphic Cove.
Tanner looked at me, smiling. "So tell me about yourself. I'm sure you have guys lined up around the block."
I panicked, but kept a straight face. What could I tell him? That I was vampire and I was dating one of the world's most feared vampires? I'd already scared off three guys by bringing up vampires. "There's not much to tell," I said, shrugging my shoulders.
"You must have something to tell," he said. "You aren't like most girls."
"I'm not?"
"There's definitely something different about you, but I can't pin it down."
"Well, I guess that makes two of us. I feel the same way about you."
We just looked at each other in silence for a few moments and were saved by the meals being set in front of us. I was feeling a little shy, which was something that I wasn't used to. Even among vampires, I was bold and enchanting.
"Are you one of the top players on your team?" I asked, finally breaking the silence which was strangely comfortable. Especially considering that I was eating with a human.
"I used to be, but my game has taken a hit lately."
"Why's that?"
"With the rumors going around, people don't treat me like they used to. I guess my confidence has taken a hit," he said, looking away. I can't believe I just admitted that to her. I'm going to scare off the one person who will actually speak to me.
"I'm sure that would happen with anyone. People can be monsters," I said, thinking of all the times that I'd seen crowds gathered to kill a vampire. Obviously that wouldn't happen with today's humans who clearly didn't believe, but when they did, they
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