Chapter 22: Chapter 22 MAMA

“Jade, would you like to take a walk with me?” SJ stood nervously before everyone in the room. He wanted some alone time with Jade, but asking her out in front of everyone was nerve-racking.

He had asked Stephan for some advice but only discovered that he was just as clueless as he was. According to Stephan, the women in his life were drawn to him, he didn’t have to work for it at all.

SJ could understand that. He was a man but he couldn’t deny that his father was a looker, and his mysterious character only made him more appealing.

“Go for it.” That was Stephan’s advice to his three-year-old son. “Tell her how you feel. Don’t hold back.”

“That’s all you got for me?” SJ wasn’t so confident about his father’s apparent words of wisdom.

“That’s all. If I may ask, where did you meet this girl? You spend most of your time here.” Stephan had his suspicions.

“No.” SJ shook his head for emphasis, “You don’t know her. She’s... she’s Ummm... she’s human.”

It was the worst lie Stephan had heard in his three hundred years but didn’t call him on it.

“Human. I hope you aren’t planning to turn her into your blood bank.”

“No, how could think that. Jeez, that’s creepy. Besides you didn’t turn mom into your blood bank.”

“Your mom is tough, I wouldn’t dare and besides your aunt, Kayla would have kicked my ass.”

“She has a lot of aggression packed in her size two body.”

“That she does. Anyway, be careful. The world is a lot different out there.”

“Playing the concerned father are we.” SJ mocked.

“I am the concerned father.” Stephan feigned offense.

“Says the person who let me hunt a mountain lion before I was six months old.”

“But you killed it didn’t you. You are a natural, besides you are my son.”

“You don’t have to remind me of that. All I have to do is look in the mirror. Anyway, back to me, I am going to think about what you said.”

“Where are you going?” Stephan asked when SJ stood up to leave.

“Out. I am going to meet my girl.” SJ needed to make his fake human girlfriend realistic, and pretending to go and meet her was the best way he knew how.

Now he was standing before his whole family, asking the not-human girl out for a walk with him.

“I can’t help but notice that Jade is a vampire.” Stephan mocked.

“And dead.” Scarlet teased.

“You told her,” SJ growled feeling more embarrassed than two seconds ago.

“I don’t keep secrets from your mother.”

“Thanks, Hun.” Scarlet patted his cheek.

“Jade, do you think we could go before I melt from shame.” SJ wanted the wool carpet to come alive so that he could fly away on it.

“Uh-ok.” Jade wasn’t sure of what was going on, but she could feel the emotion he was radiating. It was a mixture of embarrassment and nervousness.

“Can I join you?” Vincent asked as he began to stand up.

“No, we are fine.” SJ let Jade lead as he hung behind for a second giving his father the evil eye.

Stephan burst out laughing as they left. “Poor guy.”

“What just happened?” Kayla asked, looking around the room for someone who had a better clue than she did.

“SJ has a thing for Jade.”

“What?” She giggled, “Does he know I brought her here as my daughter and I wasn’t recruiting a girlfriend for him.”

“He is having a hard time as it is K, don’t make it worse.” Scarlet intervened.

“I think I am entitled to give him hard time.” Solara put in.

“But isn’t she a bit too old for him?”

“Everyone is too old for him.” Vincent switched the TV on and sank into the carpet in a huff.

***

“I’m sorry about that. I didn’t want it to be odd for you.” SJ apologized.

“That’s ok.” Jade twiddled her thumbs.

“I guess you already know how I feel about you.”

“I do.” She didn’t look up at him.

“So what do you think?”

“I think that, I just got here and I don’t want to complicate things.” This was a good time as any, to be honest. Along with the thrill of her new talent came a burden. She could feel everything they did, which also included Vincent and SJ’s romantic feelings towards her.

She lived in the real world once and knew very well how humans handled love triangles. They were supernatural’s and the repercussions had to be a million times worse.

“What do you mean by that?” SJ stepped in front of her, blocking her path.

Jade stopped abruptly when he planted his body in front of hers. She didn’t want to look at him. She didn’t have to see his face to know how he felt.

“I don’t mean to hurt you. But this isn’t good for anyone.”

“Ok if you say so.”

“I do. I’m going back to the house, do you want to come with me?”

“No, I’ll just hang around here.”

SJ shuffled to the garage, he had the BMW car keys in his pocket and decided to go for a drive. He found Stephan working on his Jaguar.

“Why do you poke around that thing? It’s brand new, there can’t be anything wrong with it.” He leaned over the engine.

“Because I want to.” Stephan grinned at him. “When you own something you can do with it as you please.”

“That reminds me, when do I get my car?”

“When you buy it.”

“Get serious Dad. Sure I get to drive mom’s car more often than she does, but I would like my own ride.”

“When you get enrolled in school.” Stephan looked up at SJ’s face. He needed to get the full impact of his news.

“Are you serious?” SJ yelped excitedly.

“Uh-huh, you don’t grow as fast as you used to. I think it will be a good thing for you to get a feel of the outside world.” He tossed a greasy rag at him.

“Yeah, this is awesome.”

“Relax your mom hasn’t said yes yet.”

“Mom has the last word, and then you’d better buy me that car.” SJ gloated, his mother’s affection was the one thing he could count on for him to get anything he wanted.

“Pick something out and let me know.”

“Great. This is so cool. I can be like a grown-up now, and maybe I can find myself a new girl.” He groaned. Jade’s rejection spoiling his good mood.

“What happened she said no?”

“Not in so little words. She said that it could get complicated. I think Vincent has feelings for her too.” He raked his hair back.

“Your young, you are yet to discover love.” Stephan shut the hood.

“True love. You guys had it easy. The four of you meeting up in the diner, falling in love and living happily ever after.” The story was engraved in his mind and he was looking for the same thing.

“Not quite that easy, but the ever after part is true. Love is a responsibility you aren’t ready for.” Stephan advised.

“Anyway maybe if I start on School, you guys could get the career aspect of your lives started.”

“That’s what your mom was working on before the new baby. She’s pushed her plans but as soon as the baby is as tall as you are, I think she will get back to work.”

“Kings County High. I am getting chills just from saying it.”

“I hated school.” Stephan chuckled.