Arson and Claire - Vamp-peers

Chapter Fourteen

Opening the door, we were greeted to the smell of brownies as Mama welcomed us with a smile.

"Excited for the dance?" she sings, handing each of us a brownie. I take mine in my hands, trying to keep it from crumbling apart completely; forget not gaining any nutrients from it, I tuck in immediately, licking chocolate from my thumb,

"Yes, ma'am! We have about two hours to kill before we need to get ready though. Maybe we'll watch a movie?" I glance to Arson, who nods, chocolate already smudged into the corner of his mouth. He tries not to laugh with a mouth full as I roll my eyes, dragging him to the living room.

"What kind of movies do you have?" We fall to sit on the couch and I click on the remote.

"We've got a couple streaming services, so pretty much anything."

"Ooh, you know what?" Arson smirks. "Insidious sounds good right now."

"Absolutely not," I purse my lips. "These last few weeks have been insidious enough."

Mama walks into the living room, apron shed, and hands us each a steaming mug of blood. "Here you two go - we don't want you two getting hungry out tonight, straight home if you are, ¿comprendido?"

"Yes, Mama, thank you."

"Thank you ma'am," Arson smiles, and turns his attention back to me. "So. Nothing scary - what about Dark Shadows?"

"You've already shown me plenty of things you like," I jab him playfully. "We're watching one of my favorites." I search and click on a movie. Arson moans dejectedly,

"No, Mean Girls? You're kidding, right?"

"Shut up, it's funny and I like it," I snort, clicking play as he sneers at me. Aside from his initial hesitancy, the movie plays without so much as a scoff from him; he gives a loud snort during the cut shirt scene. We're leaning against each other, and I wipe the crumbs of a brownie from my face, when Arson scoffs,

"I thought Cady liked Janis?"

"No, she did, but she wants to not be the odd one out for once."

"That's dumb." Arson crossed his arms. "But I can kinda see it."

"You're not the Cady to my Regina, are you?" I tease.

"Go to school with one of your blouses split open, please," he snorts.

When the credits roll, Arson slaps my knee playfully and falls from the couch to the floor. I help him up and we laugh our way upstairs to my room to change.

I tug at the hem of my dress, watching the blue ripple like water in the mirror. "It's not too short?"

"Knee length is fine," Arson looks at me as he clasps his chain around his neck. "I like the sleeves, the off-the-shoulder moment. Kind of ironic for a vampire, though," he smirks.

"Shut up," I snap playfully, pointing to my vanity chair. I open my makeup bag, "Ready?"

"Very,"

Once I've finished his makeup, I sit at my vanity and he curls my hair.

"Don't burn me," I murmur as I tap on my phone, only half serious.

"I won't," he says before hissing and withdrawing his hand swiftly. I gasp at the sudden movement and drop my phone in my lap,

"Don't burn yourself either!"

"I think it's too late for that," he chuckles. Silence envelopes us once more, and I look at my nails, painted blue the night before; I look at him in the mirror.