V as in Vampire

Race

~chapter five~

Melody

I reach my garden gates when I get a text from Karter that reads: Can you come over? I look back up at my house and decided to go in.

"Hey dad!" I shout and move to the kitchen finding him cooking.

"Oh good your here," he smiles.

"What's going on" I say a little confused.

"It's your mothers birthday this Friday and your brothers coming back for a while to celebrate with us"

"He's coming today?" I put my bag down.

"In an hour, help me out love. Get the garlic and start cutting please" he points to the garlic on the side.

"Yeah sure, I just need to go use the bathroom" I smile then make my way to the bathroom. Sorry not today. I text Karter back Tomorrow?

Sure. He reply's and I go wash my hands then go help my dad with the cooking.

unfortunately we lost our mother a year ago to an unexplainable death and this year my dad wants to make her favourite dish to remember her. My brother Santiago also moved out a few moths after my mother's death.

When dinners ready and Santiago finally gets here we all sit around the table, say a little grace then start eating.

Dad and Santiago start chatting it up catching up on anything they've missed. I've never been dads favourite and even though he never says it he clearly likes Tiago more.

This didn't bother me a year ago when mom was still around because I was her favourite, we'd do anything and everything together taking each opportunity to bond a little more.

After dinner and feeling somewhat a little invisible I go do the dishes, I start to finish and Tiago comes in helping me out by drying the dishes.

I do my last plate then start drying them too. "What you doing tomorrow?" He asks still on his first plate.

"I've got school" I start my fifth and move on to the cups.

"You wanna get something to eat afterwards?" He puts his plate down.

"I can't," I put the cups away "I have to work on a project with my partner"

"A drive?" He offers.

"Tiago I have one month left until I graduate high school, I think I need the extra credit" I tell him.

"You have the best grades," he puts his cloth down "and I was talking about now."

"Oh umm, don't we need to ask dad?"

"No" he shakes his head with his player smile "come on" he nods his head to the door. I stay glued to my spot for a second then just throw all my nerves out the window.

I follow him out the door and jog to catch up to him, he sits on a jet black motorbike and looks over at me. He gets his full face helmet and hands it to me.

"I see your still being reckless" I shake my head.

"Oh c'mon" he teases me "get on" he gets comfortable.

"Shit Tiago" I mumble taking my hair out so I can put the helmet on. I stay behind him and warp my arms around his waist as he starts his bike.

My stomach does a flip as the air brushes on my skin, I watch the house zoom by as we keep passing in a high speed.

We finally reach one of our favourite childhood playgrounds and he parks us by the bike section. When we stop I take the helmet off then jump off.

I hand Tiago the helmet and he puts it down and starts walking towards the playground, I look around at the setting sun that's creating a beautiful cotton candy colour.

"Melody" I hear Tiago's say my name from a distance, I turn to see he's stopped in his tracts. I start walking his way doing a little jog to catch up.

"You good?" He asks.

"Yeah" I nod and turn to look at the playground we've passed. We start to walk in a path I know too well, our mom used take us here for walks to clear our heads, talk, anything.

We keep walking and the strong smell of cut grass and summer trees wonder in the warm air.

I know where we're going or at least I think I do, at the end of this path there's a small drive through movie theatre with an amazing ice cream place.

We keep walking until we see the half empty parking. "I met someone" I hear Tiago say catching my full attention.

"No way!" My face lights up and he looks down at me with a blushing smile "who is she?" I ask but he doesn't say anything "Tiago" I push him playfully.

"Tell me!" We start play fighting, I push him hard enough to make time fall back but he pulls my hair dragging me down with him "ow!" I punch him and he starts laughing.

He lies down on his back still chuckling "What? A girl steal a players heart?" I sit down next to him.

"She's trouble" he smiles looking up at the sky "beautiful but trouble"

"You always love a challenge" I look around then at my hands "is that why you won't come home?"

"No. Things aren't the say anymore Melody, this world is changing and I'm not staying cooped up at home" he says sitting up.

"Right" I say a little disappointed, I mean I set myself up for that response. He won't come back now that he 'met someone'.

"Let's go get ice cream" he stands up then extends a hand for me, I take it getting up "wanna race?" He raises his eyebrow.

"No." I look up at the distance of the ice cream shop to here.

"Okay" he says and we keep walking, I turn around to him and push him and run racing to the shop.