4.37 Young

  Jaydean had been invited on a date with her crush, Alvaro Chin. She was almost certain this was Lucas' doing, as he was the only one who was friends with them both. In the end she'd decided she didn't care, and had agreed to go, forgiving Lucas. For now. They'd spent most of the afternoon in the pool, mucking about and people watching, giggling at the stories they came up with for some of the other people at the pool. Now the sun was starting to set, and the teens would have to head home for dinner very soon.

  "So, Jay." Alvaro began. "I had a really great day."
  "Me too." Jaydean smiled, glad that the feeling seemed to be mutual.
  "I was wondering if... If it's too soon, just say... Uhm..."
  "Al, what is it?" Jaydean giggled a little at his sudden inability to talk properly. He'd been fine all day.
  "Do you want to be official? You and me?" The grin that quickly spread across her face told him that was a yes, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
  "Yes!" She was glowing now, and he wasn't sure he'd ever seen anyone smile so wide.

 "But there's one condition, I'm afraid..." The smile faded quickly, and he took her hands gently to reassure her.
  "I'm sure whatever it is won't be so bad that I change my mind. I really like you, Jay."
  "My mum..." She faded out, closing her eyes and shaking her head. She clearly wasn't happy about what she was about to say. "My mum is paranoid. She had me and Soph at a young age, and she wants to check out every guy we date because of it. I'm sorry, but would you mind coming for dinner at my house to meet her?"
  "Sure, I can handle that."
  "No, Al... I don't think you understand. My mum... She's..." She paused while she tried to think of a way to describe her mother.
  "I know, Jay. I've seen the papers." He smiled at her, and her worries melted momentarily. "I'll come to dinner, I'll charm your mum, and then we'll be free to go on dates and stuff, right?"
  "Right." Jaydean agreed.
  "Now. Sorry to change the subject, but I shoved a towel in the pool vent, and there's a very angry looking lifeguard coming this way..."

He held her hand tight and pulled her towards an exit, both teens laughing so hard they could barely run, and the old life guard shouting after them, making everyone turn their heads to watch their grand exit. Alvaro stopped at the exit and pushed Jaydean against the wall, hiding them both from sight as the lifeguard ran out the other exit and down the street past them. Once he'd rounded the corner and the coast was clear, the teens fell about laughing again.
  "Why did you do that?" Jaydean asked, panting for breath.
  "Why not?" Alvaro shrugged, grinning. "I wanted to impress you, and I thought that might be one way to do it."
  "You don't need to do stupid stuff to impress me."
  "I'll let you in on a little secret, Jay. There's something in the male brain that makes us do stupid stuff to impress pretty girls, even though most pretty girls aren't impressed by stupid stuff. It's just the way we're made."
  "And what do pretty girls do to impress stupid boys, then?" She giggled, chewing her bottom lip.
  "Well, I dunno. You're a pretty girl, you tell me."

Jaydean reached out and pulled him close, before leaning in and kissing him. He was obviously as surprised as she was at her boldness as it took a few seconds for him to respond. When he did, his hand automatically went to the small of her back, his other hand stroking her arm, and his tongue stroking hers. The setting sun cast long, cold shadows, and a cool breeze sent shivers over her damp, naked skin. For those moments, she forgot about the rest of the world around her, the cars driving by on the busy street, the other swimmers in the pool, the crazy old lifeguard probably halfway across the town by now. For those moments, it was just him and her. It was perfect.

  "How was your date with Alvaro?" Sophie sang his name in an effort to embarass her sister.
  "Good." Jaydean smiled shyly as her sister raised an eyebrow.
  "What did you do?"
  "Just went for a swim."
  "Just a swim?" Sophie giggled as Jaydean blushed a little.

  "You luuuurve him!" Sophie sighed and batted her eyelashes, teasing.
  "Shuttup, Sophie! I do not!"
  "Oh yeah? Then why are you staring off into the distance and smiling so much?"
  "I am not!"
  "Are too!"
  "Am not!"
  "Are! And anyway, your lipgloss is smudged, and considering the perfect state of the rest of your makeup, you reapplied after you got changed and something -or someone- smudged your gloss."

  "Ok, so we kissed." Jaydean admitted.
  "I knew it! Giving it away on the first date? What would your mother say?" Sophie joked in return, smiling and clearly happy for her sister.
  "Well, he's already coming for dinner to meet the stupid parents, and he said he'd charm her. So she won't be saying a lot. Especially if he comes when Winter is here."
  "Do I sense a new plan?" Sophie grinned, eyes glinting michieviously.

***

   "You know? I think lime is my favourite snow-cone flavour. Thanks, Papi" Elise's grandad had bought her to the festival again. He'd suggested elsewhere, but she wanted a snow-cone, and this was the only place in town that sold them.
  "I thought grape was your favourite?" He chuckled, his little princess changed her mind faster than anyone he knew.
  "It was until I tried the lime." She slurped, spitting green ice-crystals out over the chess table.
  "Swallow first." He scolded. He'd never properly tell her off, she was all the family he had left besides his sister, Lisa, and she'd not been the same since her husband Jackson died a few decades ago.
  "Sorry Papi." Elise grinned, sticky lime juice around her mouth and dribbling down her chin. He handed her a napkin, and she cleaned herself up.

Jumping off the chair, she stood beside him and stared at the plasma fruit he held in his hand.
  "What does it taste like? Can I try a bit?"
  "Sorry, Ellie, you're too young. It would only make you sick. Besides, you'll get sick of the taste soon enough, I'd rather you enjoyed real food while you can." Cortez blamed himself for his granddaughters curse. He'd passed it down to Bonnie, and she'd passed it on to little Ellie. He knew it wasn't his own fault he was a vampire, that had been a freak occurance - something to do with the fallout of the science facility disaster.
  "Where do you get it from?"
  "If I told you that, you'd only go looking and make yourself ill. I'll show you when you're old enough." He smiled at her scowl as he took a bite. There was one good thing about this curse; it gave him a connection to his granddaughter that nobody could take away. Someone had to show her the ins and outs of vampirism, and he would get to be the one to do it, even if she didn't live with him.

  "Go eat one of those people." Elise demanded, gesturing to the small group of humans up on the lawned area.
  "No, Ellie. We don't drink from people unless it's a last resort."
  "Please! Just one time, just for me?"
  "No. You know I'll do almost anything for you, but I won't drink from an unwilling human just for your entertainment."
  "But how will I know how much blood to take when the time comes?"
  "There are people who sign up as training donors, we'll go meet with them." Elise looked like she still wanted to convince him, but she knew better and dropped it.

  "We'd better get you home, you have school tomorrow." Cortez stated after a short pause.
  "Ok, Papi. Thank you for my snow-cone." She reached up and squeezed her grandfather tight. She didn't really understand why her mother had left her in the care of her friends, but she assumed she hadn't planned on dying. Cortez had never been around for Bonnie when she was Elise's age, his relationship with Summer, her mother, had been difficult until their daughter's late teens, so being able to be there for his granddaughter meant the world to him, even if it was only a few hours a week.

***

  "Leighton? It's late, what do you want?" Kaity was moody. She was always moody come bedtime when Winter was away. She hated sleeping in bed alone, and having her best friends boyfriend call her wasn't what she wanted. "If you're calling for Shae, call her yourself."
  "Kait, I'm sorry." Leighton's voice was strained.
  "Sorry for what? What have you done to Shae? I warned you, you hurt my friend, I hurt you a hundred times worse."
  "No... Not Shae..." He sighed, clearly debating what to say. "I saw Jaydean and... Who was that boy?"
  "Alvaro Chin."
  "Yeah- wait? Chin?"
  "Yes, as in that Chin. Spill it, llama."
  "Sorry. Yes, I saw Jaydean and Alvaro... The paparazzi were all over me... They saw them too. I tried to divert attention so Jay-dee didn't have to go through that.. I just said the first thing that came to my head-"
  "And what was that?!" Kaity was fuming, both at Leighton and Jaydean.
  "I told them I wasn't the father of the twins. I know you'd rather it was left to debate, but it just came out. I'm sorry... I know they'll come begging to you now, and I know Jaydean is in for a whole world of humiliation... I'm so sorry."
  "You can apologise all you want. It won't fix anything." Kaity growled before hanging up and throwing her phone onto the bed. How could he?! He had no right! She knew he had every right. He'd gone beyond the line of duty for her, letting the papers believe he was a deadbeat dad to her twins, and it was only fair that it was over for him now. And Jaydean? Jaydean should have known better. She'd watched the papers ruin her own life, and now she had to watch her daughter go through it all too? She just hoped that they just saw her talking or something.

  "I need you, Winter." She muttered to herself as she collapsed onto her bed. "Why do you have to work away?" She let a sob escape her as she reached for her phone. She just needed to hear his voice telling her it would all be ok.



Sorry, short, I know. There's an article to go with this to be posted in a couple days, then the drama picks up like craaaazy. Seriously, your head will be spinning. It's coming from everywhere. And I couldn't think of a title to this to save my life... soz :/