Vampire Days

Chapter 40.2: Vent

Capital Cities' Safe and Sound blared inside the car with the kind of music that could urge the dead to sing-along and bang his head if he wasn't so wound up tight by what his fellow dead person told him. We're caught in the rush hour; people taking a break to eat their lunch, find places to eat or buy food or whatever just to sate their own hunger. Not that I care; I just ate. But we're getting nowhere inside the car and it's like an oven outside, so I just have to sit on my butt and mend my patience meter.

"What's going on, moody teenager?" Champion broke the ice and my scattered attention automatically zeroed on him. His heart rate was normal, he smelled like soap and vanilla shampoo and I finally figured out why he was starting to look old and weary: he didn't shave that morning.

"Nineteen is no longer considered a teenager," I answered lazily. "It ends with eighteen."

"I must have missed the news," he answered, glancing at me with a toothless smile. That kind of smile where dimpled people like him flex the genetic error on their fucking cheeks. It was better than his own foul mood nevertheless. "So? Which is it, I mean, choosing from your wide range selection of predicaments?"

"Just thinking of excuses for later," I said. Not a lie. Not the entire truth either. "Ah, man. I wish I died. Like, give me a break, would you? Not you, Champ, but this whole chain of mess that I have to clean up later. I can't fucking chill. I missed quizzes and I have assignments due tomorrow. Life is hard for a dead person."

"Yeah, living is tricky. What are you gonna do about it, kid?"

"I want to be a hobo. Uhm, wait, no. I changed my mind. I guess I want to be a vampire who lives in isolation in the middle of a graveyard and a petrified forest and run a hotel or something. No school stuff. Damn it. Damn, I didn't wanna go to college, you know? Nurgis made me do it! My Mom. . ."

My mother was so happy when I told her I'd go to college. She only had two sons and my older brother dropped out of college and disappeared. I was her only chance. A proof that all her efforts weren't in vain.

I sniffed, refusing to remove my sunglasses so I looked like a crazy bastard at a funeral. That famous Holden kid must be calling me all sorts of phony by now. Champion kept quiet while I furiously sniffed my snot and let me have a moment to compose myself.

"All I do is complain, don't I?" I told him after a while. We're steadily moving along the highway now and I had to cover the window with a shirt to prevent the beams of sunlight from setting me on fire.

"Gen, we all have the right to complain. Complaining is like. . .uhh, trepanning to relieve the pressure from the head."

"Trepanning as an example is kinda in poor taste, don't you think?"

"Sorry. It is." He chuckled. "But you understand what I was trying to tell you, Genesis. If we're not allowed to complain then what are we? And don't tell me shit about men becoming less masculine just because they choose to express their pain. You get it, right? Complaining doesn't automatically mean you're not doing anything about the thing that's causing you discomfort."

I tugged on my lower lip, a little embarrassed, recalling how running away actually crossed my mind so many times. No wonder Champion is Champion and I am just me, a nobody who died a failure.

"How does it feel, being like you?" I asked after a long moment of silence between us. The Head and The Heart eased the mood with Rivers and Roads. It felt good that he's actually listening to theSpotify playlist I made for him so he could also support my favorite artists.

"It's hard for me to ride the jeepney because I always get bumps and my knees poke into other people's faces."

"Ha-ha, funny. I meant being successful and famous."

Champion licked his lips, carefully slowing down now that we're near the university and the street was bustling with students, pedestrians and sidewalk vendors. Even with the muffled sound inside the car, I could hear how noisy it was outside with all the honking and the jeepney conductors calling out for passengers. It's been a long time since I've seen the outside of the school during daytime. It's usually deserted whenever I go out.

"Normal, I guess. People do me favors when they didn't have to. They give me things I really don't need. One good thing about it is that I don't have to introduce myself most of the time. Other people do it for me," he said, laughing a little at the last part. "Sometimes, I'm being hated just because, or maybe some people find it cooler to hate something that a lot of people like, just to be different."

"Were those the good things? Sounds like a drag to me."

"Well, after I graduate from this place, nobody's gonna give a fuck about me anymore."

"Huh," I supply skeptically. I don't think that's possible for people who stand out too much. He glanced at me, probably saw the doubt on my face and he grinned wider.

"Tough luck then. Why'd you ask, anyway?"

"Nothing. I just don't know you much," I said, trying to be casual about it. Between the two of us, I was the one who was more open about my childhood and my family life. He'd only listen with great interest, urging me to go on, asking the right questions at the right part and then I would get so comfortable at sharing I would forget to ask him about his life after they lost Benedetta.

"Hmm. You did know I'm gay and you're the only one. That's got to be the most intimate information you could get about me," Champion said, looking straight ahead while waiting for the car ahead to enter the university gate.

"I didn't. Holy shit. Wait. You are? Wait a minute, I didn't know you were. I just accidentally discovered you doing it with another guy. Of course I wouldn't immediately assume your sexuality based on who you're having sex with. Fuck it, you are?"

"I only ever fucked that guy and I've never been sexually attracted to girls."

"Wow. You are faithful."

He only chuckled again, shaking his head but before I could say another word, he turned to the open window to talk to the guard. Then he fumbled on his jean pockets, produced his ID picture and mine and the guard looked at me so I lowered my sunglasses to let him see my face. When we were cleared to get inside, Champion rolled up the window and we moved along.

*

Note:

I feel like I'm entering the point in this story where I'm vulnerable to making huge mistakes and inconsistencies. If y'all reading notice something, please don't hesitate to let me know so I could make adjustments. Thank you very much for reading. ♡