Blood and Chocolate

Gabriel pulled off his T-shirt and tossed it on the ground. His body was a sculptured, oiled machine straight out of an action movie poster. Vivian caught the smell of his musk on the moist, hot air - the odor of power and excitement mixed with that of cheap strong soap. It made the light fur on the back of her neck bristle.

Over by honeysuckle-strangled bushes stood Willem, Finn, Gregory, and Ulf. Ulf stared beyond his companions, ignoring their cackles and good-humored punches. His thin shoulders were rigid, his fists tight balls at his sides. Vivian followed his gaze and saw two figures entangled in the shadows of a white oak. If logic hadn't told her otherwise she would have thought they devoured each other. The female broke away, laughing, and left the male behind, clutching after her. She stepped into the clearing and revealed herself as Astrid. It was Rafe who pursued her, his mouth still open and wet from her tongue.>Vivian nodded in sympathy. But did he realize how different people could be; he who wrote of exchanging skin for a pelt of brindle luxury? Would he grant her the right to be different? "What brought this on?" she asked.

"My aunt sent them some stupid book about teenagers listening to heavy metal records backwards and committing suicide. That and a pamphlet called 'Ten Signs Your Child Has Sold His Soul to the Devil.' "

Vivian burst out laughing before she could stop herself. "But that's ridiculous."

"I know. I don't even like heavy metal." Even Aiden couldn't suppress a laugh now. "You always make me feel better, Vivian. You never judge me. You accept me."

Vivian wound her fingers into the hair at his temples and pulled his lips toward hers. "Yes," she whispered the moment before their lips met. When would he realize how far she would accept him?

Her claws, unbidden, traced promises on his back. The hothouse heat of the car made his body wonderfully pungent. She wished they were somewhere, anywhere, besides the front seat of his car. Should she wait for him to suggest they find somewhere secluded? To hell with waiting, she decided. I'll take him down to the river.

"Aren't you coming in?" a voice asked.

Aiden pulled away abruptly, and Vivian looked up to see Kelly peering in the driver's-side window.

"Uh, oh yeah, Kelly, in a minute," Aiden said.

"Where?" Vivian asked, not bothering to conceal her irritation.

"For pizza, of course," Kelly answered. She gestured to Mama Lucia's Pizza right in front of their parking space. Her smile was too sweet.

Vivian stared balefully over Aiden's shoulder. She knew Aiden would be too embarrassed to leave now. I may kill you for this, she thought at Kelly.

Kelly must have read her thoughts. She backed away from the car. "Coming?"

"Guess we better go in," Aiden said reluctantly.

Inside, a subset of the Amoeba sat around two tables dragged together under a ceiling fan that barely moved the thick air.

"Hey, Vivian," Jem said. Vivian decided his haircut wasn't so bad once you got used to it.

Others called their greetings, and Bingo toasted Vivian with her Coke.

"Wow, Vivian! Still beautiful!" Peter Quincey exclaimed as if surprised, and the girl who hung on him hit him in the arm.

The gang talked about videos while they ate, and Aiden and Quince argued amiably over something that had happened years ago in grade school. Aiden's left thigh pressed tightly against her right, and she yearned to be alone with him. She piled her hair on top of her head, hoping to catch a breeze on her neck from the fan. There was no relief from the heat. She thought again about the riverbank, but realized now what a stupid idea that had been. She couldn't be sure the Five wouldn't be prowling there.

They hung around outside the pizza place after they'd eaten while they discussed what movie they might go and see. The sky in the west was an angry-red, and the heat wouldn't leave with the night. An air-conditioned theater sounded good to Vivian. She would find them a nice dark corner.

A motorcycle roared down the access road and came to a stop in front of the automotive parts store down the strip. She recognized it at once. Gabriel, helmetless, clad in jeans and tank top, silenced the growling machine.

He saw her, raised his eyebrows slightly, and stayed seated, staring at her with an inscrutable look on his face.

So what! she told him silently and turned away.

"What do you think, Vivian?" Aiden asked. "Killer death robots or sloppy love story?"

Before she could answer she saw a look of apprehension slide over Kelly's face, and Jem took a step back. Firm hands descended on Vivian's shoulders.

"Gabriel," she said without turning.

"Hi, babe," came his rumbling voice from somewhere above her head.

Aiden looked annoyed and hurt at the same time.

"A friend of my mother's," she told him, then, "Get your hands off me," to Gabriel.