A Touch of Scarlet

24

I'm speechless. How am I supposed to respond?

"What we didn't know was that just leaving the town wasn't going to be good enough," Reece states absentmindedly.

"You guys left town right after?" I ask,

"After a few more minor run-ins with the guy... yeah we left," Nate answers.

"So how is he a vampire then?"

"He must've somehow put it together that we're vampires, and found some other vampire to change him."

"So he's been tracking you two for this long... just to get revenge?"

"Pretty much."

"But that's like... 75 years," I murmur.

"Yeah he's kind of a psycho," Reece states,

"Well you two did-" I pause still unable to believe the story, "Kind of murder all his friends-" I pause again, "And then seduce his soon to be wife," I state, ignoring the small pang of jealousy at the thought of Reece with some other girl .... from a whole other century.

I watch as both Nate and Reece look down awkwardly.

I turn to Jordan, "Why aren't you involved in this?"

"I was out of town during this scheme of events."

Good, I think to myself, with an internal smile.

The room is completely silent.

"Yes, so how about we let that sink in and talk about it some other time?" Valentina asks me.

I give her a slight nod.

⋆⋆⋆

I tiptoe to one of the empty desks in the back of the studio.
In front of me sits about fifteen students between the ages of 14 and 17.
A big white paper in front of each of them for their portraits.
"Then divide the length of the head by 2.4 and draw in another line, this space is where the mouth will go," Nick instructs from the front of the room.

He catches my stare and gives me a quick smile before going back to his lesson.
I listen to his instructions and try them out on the extra paper that lays in front of me.

By the end of the lesson I have a portrait of a fierce looking girl with long black hair and beautiful bright eyes.

Valentina.

I actually did a pretty good job. I've never been a person to draw for fun. I'm a painter, painting is my passion... Drawing not so much.

I have so much on my mind, with the fact that my closet friends weren't only just brutal murderers in their pasts, but they also tried to get an engaged women to fall for them, leading to a crazed vampire dude making it his eternity goal to ruin them...

Yup seems legit.

"That's beautiful," A familiar voice comes from behind me, breaking me out of my trail of thought. I jump and turn around.
Nick inspects my drawing thoughtfully, his expression blank at first but now he's smiling.

"So you were paying attention to my lesson huh?"

"Of course, I always take it upon myself to support the people here."

"Does that make me a charity case?" He asks sarcastically.

"No not at all!" I say with a short laugh.

"Good," He says with a smile.

⋆⋆⋆

I sit on my knees in front of the familiar stone.
I run my fingers over each letter;