I've Got a Nice Big Vampire Problem - [Chapter 1] -

Oh my gosh. My story is the first story you see once you go onto the story page, and it's all thanks to you guys. Thanks so much for the awesome messages, everyone :D You all rock, so I'll be putting up another quiz today. I hope you enjoy this one...

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I blinked.

"Um, why exactly would we be doing that?"

He looked at me while turning a corner. I realized this and flapped my left hand, using my right the point to the road. "Eyes on road! Now!" I said loudly. A smile lit up his face as he looked through the dark windshield.

"I won't crash," he said, sounding very sure of himself. I snorted.

"That's what all drunk people think," I pointed out. He laughed.

A smile grew on my face as I watched him. Making Conan laugh seemed very hard to do, so when accomplished I felt pretty good.

"I promise you I am in no way intoxicated and can drive better blind folded than you can on your best of days."

"Until I'm a vampire!" I teased. Realizing what I had said I became quiet.

I still didn't want to be a vampire. I didn't want to eat people or hide away in some vampire city for the rest of eternity.

But I needed to make sure Mackenzie would live and I was sure that if I abandoned Conan he would forget all about her and head back to Cornet. Even if I did escape Conan, either he or some other vampire would come find me again. And if Salvador lost this age long battle that meant Conan would die.

Sighing in defeat, I realized my fate. My stupid, stupid fate. I would have to be a vampire.

"I'm sorry."

Conan's words shook me out of my little world of misery. I looked at him, my glare not approving. "Stop apologizing for things that aren't your fault."

He gave me a short look. "I know it's not my fault, but I would hate to be in your position."

Trying to seem uncaring, I shrugged. "Yea, well. At least I can never say my life was boring."

Once again he looked at me, doing that intense thing with his eyes. "You talk as if your life will be over once you're turned."

I frowned. "Can you really live in a small city with no other contacts other than those just like you?" I asked defiantly. "Like what kind of life can you live trying to hide what you are? And you live forever! Does that not get boring? I mean, the world is only so big. There are only so many things you can do!"

He carefully studied my frustrated expression for a moment. I looked away from him, not wanting to deal with the overwhelming feeling I tended to get when I looked at him. Out of my peripheral vision I saw him look back out onto the road.

"I'm not the right person to ask. I don't remember anything from my human years, therefore I cannot compare the two different...life styles," he said, his voice smooth. "I do find the lack of change can get tiring, but hiding what I am isn't that hard. For me. It makes it interesting, the fact that I could be regarded as a super hero –of course disregarding the eating people thing- and nobody knows it." A small grin appeared on his lips. It was obvious Conan had no problem with being a vampire.

We drove around the city in silence after that. After fifteen minutes of peering out the window- maybe catch a glance of Percy or Mackenzie- I gave up. It was too dark outside to see anything, even with the city lights.

So instead I looked at Conan. This time, I really looked at him. I studied his masculine face- perfect straight nose, smooth, rounded lips, a strong jaw line and the untamable, multicolored eyes. Then I looked past that.

He looked tired, yet determined as he stared out the windshield with eyes like a hawk. He had a small pinkish scar in the shape of an 'x' right below his ear, on his jaw. His tan face was the perfect tone, just below the 'California' tan.

Sandy blonde hair covered the tips of his ears. It looked a little windblown. I wasn't sure if it was always like that, I had never really looked anywhere else but his face. Vowing to pay more attention, I moved on.

A black zip-up sweater was slung over his broad shoulders, a grey t-shirt that accentuated his physique nicely underneath. The hood was bunched up behind his neck, but apparently he didn't notice it because he made no move to fix it.

I noticed, amazed, that even a side view of him made him look gigantic. How had I not noticed it before?

He wore a pair of blue jeans that fit him nicely; a rectangle bump on his leg that I concluded was his cell phone.

His shoes were faded white sneakers, worn at the seams with the laces knotted to perfection.

Conan, seemingly realizing I was looking at him, looked at me back. I pointed to the road and glared at him. A gorgeous grin flitted across his lips as he looked back at the road.

Around two hours of comfortable silence passed before I said anything. "You never answered my question," I said, smirking. Had he not answered on purpose? "Why exactly are we looking for vampires?"

His response was rapid, like he had been waiting to answer this question the whole time we had been quiet. "If we find one of Lysias' vampires' maybe I can persuade him to tell me where Percy is."

"Would they know where Percy is?"

Conan nodded. He seemed glad the conversation was starting back up again. "Percy is Lysias' right hand man. It's likely he's going to make big news if he shows up at a small little city like this one with a human girl with him."

I sat up in my seat, staring at the side of his face. "How do we know he's here?"

"From what I've been told there is a hideout near here, and he would have to come somewhere close to where you live to make it easy for you," Conan said. His voice, though musical, was deep and powerful. "He'd also need a place to get Mackenzie food- speaking of; you haven't eaten in a long time, for human standards."

I shrugged. "I'm not hungry, I-"

"You need something to eat," Conan interrupted. "Salvador would kill me if you came to Cornet starving. And besides, you need some meat on you."

I gaped at him as he pulled into a pizzeria parking lot.

"I can't believe you just said that," I muttered, smiling. He looked at me, confused. "You seriously think I need some more meat on me? That I don't have enough already?"

Conan nodded. "Of course." He opened the car door and got out. I rushed after him.

I straightened my back as I fell in step with him. "I think I've got just enough meat on me thanks."

He looked at me, surveying me this time. I crossed my arms, frowning at the inspection. "Well, I guess you do."

Then he turned and walked into the pizzeria. I scowled and followed him. "Well I guess you do," I muttered, my voice messed up to mock his. I saw his cheek lift and I knew he had heard me. I glared fiercely at his back.

I was not that skinny! Alright, so I lacked a little bit of curves. I had them, but they weren't big enough to flaunt – either of them. But they were there! Not everyone had to have D-cup breasts and a big butt. Not everyone had to perfect like Conan.

Stupid Conan.

Him and his stupid muscles. Stupid, stupid super strength and REALLY stupid super speed. Perfect faces are stupid too.

I set myself down at a table in the far left of the pizzeria. It was the furthest away from the cashier. I wanted him to have to walk through the tangle of chairs and tables to get to me.

I looked at my finger nails. I knew it was stupid, seeing as he had the patience of – well, something very, very patient – and he would just carefully move the chairs and tables out of way. But I still wanted pleasure in seeing him have to move all of the obstacles that I could easily slide through – because I didn't have enough meat.

As he approached the jungle of metal, he didn't even stop to study it, he just continued walking. And with grace I didn't think him capable of he practically danced through the tables and chairs. As he passed the last table, leaving every chair and table untouched, I groaned inwardly.

Stupid vampire.