Vampires Rule // Colby Brock

|~11~|

I step out of the car and glance at the garage doors, wondering if they can hear me. After all, those doors don't look very thick and I tend to slam my car door . . . for whatever reason. I decide that they can't and jog up a couple of steps to knock on the door. It's not as late as it was the last time I was here as it's only evening time but it's still pretty dark outside . . . and eerie. Very eerie.

After a second or two more, the door opens to reveal Aaron. He looks to be alone, looking down at me then smiling. I haven't seen his smile before and it's nice, but not very hot. I spot Tori in the background, hanging around waiting for her boyfriend.

"Hello, Lydia. Come to see Tara?" He asks slowly, backing out of my way. I take a second to admire where I really am. It's a beautiful house that I haven't really appreciated yet. The ceilings are tall, walls thick, and it seems that everywhere is perfectly lit up despite the darkness through the windows.

"Yeah, I am." I reply and smile. Tori gives me a little shy wave but doesn't move from her spot or say anything. "She's around, right?" I ask hopefully, glancing back at Aaron. He nods his head in what I believe to be the garage's direction. Of course. Where else would they hang out? That's the central spot in this whole place.

Aaron shuts the door and walks to Tori, taking her beneath his arm as they disappear through the kitchen. I take my time slightly, admiring the house that's around me. However these guys earned enough money to afford a place like this, I'll never know.

Eventually, I walk into the garage. It isn't full to the brim like the last time I was here. There's Sam and Kat on the same beanbag, he who shall not be named on the beanbag beside me, Jake and Tara on the couch, Elton on the chair, Aaron and Tori on a chair, and Corey and Devyn are in Reggie and Cassie's normal spot. Other than that, there's no one else here.

"Hi!" Tara says excitedly as she jumps up and hugs me. I can't help but smile and hug her back, squeezing her for a second before I let go. She keeps a hold of my hand, dragging me to the seat Devyn and Corey normally take.

"Lydia." Jake says formally, nodding his head at me. My smile isn't as big for him, but it's still there. I get a little nod from Corey and Devyn then a smile from Sam and Katrina. Aaron and Tori aren't really paying much attention but they've already said hi so I don't mind. He who shall not be named's presence is making my thoughts a little more vivid. I've only gotten the tiniest glimpse of his face but that's all it's taken for it to be annoyingly inside my brain.

"What brings you back, Lydia?" Sam asks slowly. There's something predatory about his voice that I don't really like but since Katrina looks happy enough, I trust her a little to figure out if he's actually going to hurt me. I don't think so. I don't even know if these people are capable of doing something like that. I just need to be careful. There's something off with these guys; they're shady.

"Tara insisted." I finally answer his question, glancing at my best friend in Jake's arms. She just smiles mischievously at me, sticking her tongue out after a second. It makes me smile, admittedly.

"Well, Devyn's wanted you to come over too." Corey says out of nowhere. "Says she likes seeing someone give Colby a run for his money." Devyn hits Corey lightly on the arm as if to tell him off for saying anything but he just turns to her with heart eyes that she sinks into.

"Yeah, that was fun to watch." Sam agrees in amusement. I don't have to look at Colby to know that he is burning holes in all of their skulls by now. I don't blame him. He's probably a little embarrassed or something by my being here. Doesn't want me to cuss him out again. If he isn't a dick, then I won't be a bitch. Simple as.

Colby ups and leaves just like that, shutting the door behind himself. It's a little slam but not enough to cause any damage to the frame. I just roll my eyes and sit up taller, looking at Katrina. Somehow, in the short space of a minute or so, she's begun to eat Sam's face. By that, I mean they're kissing all snuggled up on the couch.

"If he doesn't come back in two minutes, take his seat. If he's not here, he can't be mad." Tara whispers to me then winks. I giggle and shake my head but listen. When he doesn't get here for a few minutes, I move over to the beanbag. It's just in time for Reggie, Cassie, Kevin, and Aryia to arrive. Corey and Devyn move to their proper seat while the four sit on their couch.

"Oh! You're not Colby." Cassie says in surprise when she realises it's me sitting in the beanbag. I laugh a little, shaking my head.

"Nope, just the slightly-nicer, non-asshole female version." Tara mumbles with a big smile on her face. I smile right back just as widely. Sometimes, yes. For the most part, I'm a mild-mannered person, but the moment you piss me off or hurt one of my friends, you're done for.

Another little while later and Brennen and Mike have arrived too, completing the big circle of people . . . except Colby. But of course, it's his problem that he isn't here and good for me because I get the beanbag chair, which is so comfy. No wonder he and Sam took them.

I've been talking to Tara over the arm of the couch while Jake stares at her and occasionally Devyn, Kat, Corey, or Sam will join in. Once or twice, Kevin has too but he always closes his mouth when I look at him weirdly. You know, because he shouldn't have heard what we were saying.

Regardless, eventually, my bladder fails me and I look at Tara in a certain way that makes her smile. She nods for me to follow so I do, standing and leaving the garage. No one asks where we're going or what we're doing; they just let us go.

We go to bathroom after bathroom but all of them are weirdly locked. Not even Tara seems to understand why. Until finally, she pauses next to a hallway and turns to me, keeping her voice low and serious. "When you turn that corner, it's the door straight ahead." She whispers, glancing at the stairs. "Be quiet though, the beast is lurking." She jokes, winks, and walks back down the stairs.

I smile after her before going into the hallway. There are three doors: two opposite each other and one straight head. Something tells me—such as Tara's teasing—that this is Colby's hallway, and maybe someone else's too.

Regardless, I slip into the door straight ahead, do my business, and try to slip out without noise. Somehow, annoyingly, the door makes kind of a loud creak as I close it paired with the gentle creak of the floorboards beneath my feet. I cringe just as one of the doors opens and reveals Colby in the doorway. He looks pissed, especially when he sees me.

"What are you doing here?" He asks angrily. I go to respond nicely, but remember who I'm talking to before the 'I'm sorry' slips out. He doesn't deserve an apology.

"I needed the bathroom. Sorry that the rest of the doors were locked so I couldn't go inside." I shut the bathroom door the rest of the way and step slightly closer to him challengingly. "Don't see how this makes a difference to you."

"It doesn't." He almost growls at me, his eyes locked on mine. "I don't like stupid, nosey girls creeping around my house." Ouch, not. I'm not as nosey as I could be, I just hate being lied to and having things kept from me. Also, creeping? Sure, I was trying to be quiet but that was for his benefit, not mine! I wasn't trying to disturb him.

"Well, you could have just left me be but instead you had to come out here all aggressive. I've done nothing wrong, unless being a human being is wrong." I cross my arms over my chest and his eyes flick down to them. I could have sworn I see the tiniest movement of his mouth saying 'it is'. But I can't be sure.

Amongst all of my anger, I've stepped up close to him, so close that I'm almost inside his room and out shoes are almost touching. It's taking a lot to look up at him and a lot for him to look down at me. No more words are exchanged, just this sexual tension I can't shake. It's strong between us and with me standing so close, us alone in a hallway far from everyone else, it feels like it'd be so, so easy to just let myself go right now . . .