Vampires Will Never Hurt You

After the events that took place at Cucinare di padre, I began to live. At first I struggled, taking baby steps and shying my way into the life I was going to have. Everyday at lunch Gerard would spot me and give me a knowing smile. I'd have to make up and excuse to leave Mary and Sam while I went over to meet him in the alley. It was heaven and hell. Being near him alone was enough heaven to make up for the hell of knowing I was cutting class. He took me all sorts of different places, always worried that I was bored, when in actuality there was no possible way I could be bored when I was around him.

We were sitting alone in the ball pit of a completely customerless Burger King. I was eating fries and watching birds peck beneath the picnic tables while he stretched out on his back next to me. I chewed a fry thoughtfully as I pulled my knees to my chest. "Gerard. Tell me what it's like... being a vampire. I want to know." I flicked the burnt end of one of my fries to the birds while Gerard took a deep breath and let it out slowly beside me.
"Well. I actually wasn't biten too long ago. I'm pretty young, for a vampire." He tossed a ball into the air and caught it with expert reflexes. "I just know that once you're changed everything is amplified." He chuckled. "Like, I could tell from across the courtyard that you washed your hair with strawberry shampoo."
I smiled and rested my cheek on my knee, looking at him while he continued. "There's speed and strength and all that. Plus it's pretty hard to kill us, not that you don't try and burn me alive everytime you give me that one glare of yours. Oh look, there it is now."
I laughed despite myself, loving his good mood, but wanting more answers. Once the laughter faded away I spoke again. "Why don't you... drink... from humans."
His face became very serious. "Trust me, sometimes it's hard to resist the urge..." His brows furrowed, but he glanced at me and saw the concern on my face. He quickly changed his tone and sat up, throwing one of his arms around my waist and hoisting me over his shoulder. "Matter of fact I could drink your blood right now." he teased, spinning in a circle while I shrieked and laughed for him to put me down. "Oh Annalise, I can't resist your blood, it calls to me!" His voice took on mock sincereity and I laughed as he tossed me gently down onto the spongy bottom of the pit, laying on his side next to me while I caught my breath and stared at the ballpit ceiling. I knew I had hit a touchy subject, so I decided to drop human blood for now.
"Are there others like you... I mean, other vampires?"
He sighed, apparently disappointed that I wasn't done with the subject. "You know that group of guys I'm always with before we leave?"
I stared at him dumbly before it dawned on me what he meant. "Oh... oh so, they're all... vampires?"
He nodded and twisted a piece of my hair with his finger. "We're sort of a coven. My little brother is one. He's the one with the glasses."
I couldn't help but smile as I recalled the boy. I looked over at Gerard, but he seemed deep in thought.
"I'd like to meet them." I said, hoping my voice sounded steady and final. He looked at me like I had just spoken in tongues.
"Why?" he asked in disbelief.
"Because, we're sort of like boyfriend and girlfriend. They're sort of like your friends. We should sort of meet each other." It was the first time I had referred to us as a couple, but I hadn't skipped the past two weeks of calculus to hang out with someone who wasn't interested in me. He shook his head, but seemed resigned.
"You sure you wanna' do that Sugar? They can be... well, they can just be them sometimes."
"You'll be there, won't you?" I asked.
"Of course." he snorted.
"Then I have nothing to be afraid of." I stated. "Vampires will never hurt me."
I had no idea that that statement would later make me the biggest liar to ever walk this earth.