Till We're Legends

5.

CHAPTER FIVE

"So what was your idea?" The girl whispered as we got to the floor where my apartment was at.

"I forgot it because someone threw my phone on the wall, smashed it, and broke my hand before I could even do what I was going to do." I glared at the Boy who let out a soft heh under his breath although his expression remained emotionless.

I took out my keys and opened the door, peeking inside to find Noe on the couch. He had an arm over his eyes, looking like he was asleep until the door creaked, and I mentally cussed as Noe spoke.

"Took you long enough. Thought you had left me as my dad did," Noe joked and lifted his arm up, his amusement quickly changing to worry as I probably did not look my best, "What the fuck happened to you?!"

I sheepishly rubbed the back of my neck and opened the door wider for him to see the children—or rather the teenagers.

"I sent you to go get milk and eggs, not—"

"You also said chips." I quickly added in. Noe sputtered and then gasped once I gestured for them to come in. I closed the door and Noe stood up.

"I can explain, but please don't move from there," I said when I saw Noe take a step forward, "This one attacks." I pointed at the Boy who had his eerie eyes now locked on Noe.

"But they're hurt! They need medical attention, Olly! Why didn't you take them to the hospital or-or call the police? Where's my phone? Olly—"

I walked around the coffee table and held Noe by the shoulders. "Dude, breathe. I have an explanation for all of this, well, most of it. I need you to sit and I'll make you some tea, okay?"

Noe eyed me and then stared at the children. He slowly nodded and sat down. I muttered a breathy okay under my breath and walked over to the kitchen, pausing by the Boy.

"You so much as touch a body hair from Noe's hairy legs, I'll rip your throat out and throw your girl out the window." I mumbled low enough for Noe not to hear. The Boy only narrowed his eyes at me and I went on to turn on the electric kettle and grab some blankets from the closet.

"Here. Should keep you warm." I threw one at the Boy who caught and wrapped it around his shoulders. I handed the Girl hers and she smiled in thanks, taking a seat on the floor in front of the coffee table as she looked around. The Boy sat next to her, eyes still on Noe who eyed them carefully and chewing on his lower lip.

I gave everybody a cup of tea and some broken cookies we had in the cabinet for who knows how long. I sat next to Noe and explained how I found them and what they told me. Noe's eyes grew and his mouth dropped when I told them Gwen and her people referred to them as "God-children".

Noe knew all about Gwen and what the people she associated with did to my parents. He stood with me at their funerals and took care of me the weeks after when I had no strength to get out of bed. He wasn't very close with my parents, he always told me how scared he was of them when he came over to my house.

"Mom, it's not that you're mean, it's that you're a thousand-year-old vampire." I told her once when she was stress-cooking and baking for the sleepover we had planned that weekend at my house.

She exhaled, blowing a strand of her hair away from her face. Her cheeks were smeared in flour and her apron was covered in sauce from when she turned on the blender and didn't put on the lid.

"Sweetie, I know, but I just want him to like me. He knows we don't eat people anymore, right?"

"Yes, mom."

"So then it is because I'm mean." She whined, rushing over to the oven to take out the cookies. I groaned and threw my head back. My dad laughed, coming into the kitchen.

"Honey, listen to Oliver. If you were a ten-year-old boy who just discovered vampires were real, wouldn't you be afraid?"

She sighed, taking the oven mitts off. "Yeah, I guess I would be. Here I thought the only worry I would have is being too pale to fit in California and not having a human child like me."

My dad chuckled, his fangs poking from under his lip. He kissed my mom's temple and I smiled.

"Noe will like you. Give him time."

My mom nodded and I helped her clean the kitchen. Noe had a nice sleepover that weekend despite my mom always constantly asking if he needed anything. When he realized he wasn't invited to be made into dinner, he warmed up to my parents. The loss of them made a hole in his heart as it did mine.

"So..." Noe trailed off, pinching the bridge of his nose, "You think your sister is selling their blood and so when they escaped, she messaged you because she thinks you would have known about it?"

"I guess so."

"And they're really... God's children?" Noe looked at them and Girl shrugged slowly.

"We don't know where we're from. It's what I heard them call us."

"Okay... Right. Okay. So. What do we do?" Noe asked, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees, looking at each of us.

Boy and Girl shared a look, and I rubbed the back of my neck from the sudden ache that started to form there.

"Well, first things first, you guys need names." I pointed out and Girl perked up that.

"I want a name that starts with Z!"

"Why Z?" I asked.

"I never heard anyone with a Z name, and I want a unique name." She smiled, bouncing on her knees.

"The only girl name with a Z that comes to mind is Zoe." Noe said after some thinking.

"I love it! I want that name." Girl—or rather Zoe said, standing up and her hands high up in the air. I chuckled and nodded.

"We'll call you Zoe then," I said and then looked at Boy, "What about you?"

Zoe looked at him and sat back down next to him.

"Would you like a name with Z, too? I don't mind sharing."

Boy looked at her, his expression softening. "Share."

"How about Zac?" Noe offered.

"No, it makes me think of High School Musical and he doesn't look like he's about to burst out into song about playing basketball." I said. Noe nodded in agreement.

"Zane!" The girl said and turned to Boy, "How about that?"

"Zane." Boy—Zane slowly said as if he was trying to it out on his tongue. He nodded once and Zoe squealed, throwing her arms around him. The corners of his mouth shifted slightly.

Oh, so he did have feelings.

"Alright. Zoe. Zane. It's nice to put a name to your face," Noe smiled, "Now, what do we do?"

"We have to take them far away from here." I said.

"Okay, like where?"

The idea that I had in the alley suddenly came back to me and I sat up straight. "We're going to Alaska."