Black Angel (BoyXBoy)

Chapter 23: The Bad With The Good

Today, my brithday - 18th birthday, mind you - is almost my last. I almost die, there, with one foot in Melody's house and the other out in her back yard. People pop out from behind bushes and from around the trees in Melody's yard, all throwing their hands up and yelling at me. At first, I don't understand what they're all saying, quickly followed by laughing and cheering.

It isn't until I looked over at Melody, stupified and a paper-cut away from death, to see her wiggle her fingers around and smile with a cheery, "Surprise!" and a kiss on the cheek for me to realize what they had said.

"For what?" I ask, dumbly as she leads me over to a table with a three-layered chocolate cake that reads, "Happy 18th Birthday, Luca!" before blinking once more and mumbling, "Oh... oh!" Realization finally hits. This is for my birthday! I had no idea anyone even knew my birthday. Well, it was the birthday I was given at the orphanage. I'm not 100% sure it's my real birthday, but either way, I've never celebrated it before.

I mean, sure, I've gotten presents and by 'presents' I mean clothes. Or shoes. I was given what I needed and most of the other orphanage mothers could get away with it by telling me that they didn't know what I liked, and it was the truth. If any of them had any idea on what I really liked, one of them would have given me a hot teenage boy for my birthday, but alas that hasn't been the case.

So looking around now, hearing people calling out "happy birthday"s and coming up to pat me on the back is very different than I had ever imagined. It feels crowded and strange to be the center of attention, but it wasn't really bad. I'm a little overwhelmed, but with Melody by my side, her arm looped through mine, effortlessly helping me maneuver amongst the people, I know I'll be alright.

I look around, dazed by the attention by my classmates. I won't say that all of us are friends, but we are all friendly enough with each other that it isn't strange. Perhaps because I'm still kind of the new kid, or maybe it's because all three of my real friends could be considered "popular" among those of our school, but everyone has been really nice to me since I came.

It is right as that thought flits across my mind that I realize that I still have to go back and meet with the mayor. He still wants to talk about me getting some kind of Krusnik teacher. Six is the one he suggested, but then when he called me in earlier today, he mentioned that he could ask Five Hundred if she wouldn't mind while she was here.

On one hand, she is a more preferable alternative to Six, but she is still an object of great worry to me. It's one thing having the seen the person who is target for my best friends' parents' possible plot against my race, it's another thing to know someone who knows her personally, and then there is knowing her myself.

And on the other hand, I honestly don't know if I need it. I've been managing my hunger around vampires for so long, I hardly notice it. Because there isn't that many Krusnik children, none of which I have ever met aside from myself, and I'm not even sure that I'll be capable of entering the Cyclone form or even advance to full-on Krusnik state so why would a full grown Krusnik want to waste their time on a child that isn't theirs? I don't really think there was any need for me to have some kind of teacher.

In light of all the terrible event leading up to his birthday, like the ominous words from Katherine, "You'd best be out of this house soon. And by soon, I mean, soon." Then her eyes narrowed dangerously and I had to duck out of there fast.

It's scary thinking about how Katherine is, essentially, kicking me out of the house. Before long, probably within the next week or two, I am going to have to either crash with a friend, and the number of people I can is limited to none, or live on the streets and get a job.

I wanted to sit on the porch and stress. I wanted to just try and plan ahead and had hoped that whatever adventure Melody and Gabriel - moreso Melody - insisted that they go on would have offered me the time to adequately think about that.