“I’m visionless since I fell in love,” Robert stated.
“That’s bullshit. For a moment I even thought you were serious,” his friend Andrew stated.
“I am. You can read it in the Red Book.” At that Andrew raised his head. The Red Book was a sort of Bible for vampires.
“How do you know about the Red Book?” Andrew asked surprised. He really cared about Robert, but he couldn’t deny he was an idiot. So how could he know something about the Red Book? From what he knew that book was lost to the world.
“I always knew about the Red Book,” Robert smiled, proud of himself.
“What do you mean, I don’t understand.”
“Pal, I’ll tell you a secret. The book belongs to my family.”
“I don’t believe you. Why didn’t you tell me this before?” Andrew asked his friend.
“I had to be sure I could trust you. You know, this isn’t something you can tell whoever you want,” Robert explained.
“So you’re serious, you’re not mocking me?” Andrew asked. He still couldn’t believe his best friend, also known as the vampire with just a neuron, had the Red Book.
“Andrew why are you doubting me so much?”
“Whatever, but the important thing now is that you have the book,” Andy said, getting more excited by the minute.
“Come with me, I’ll show you.” Robert brought Andrew to a place he had never seen, a sort of hiding place.
“Is it the Red Book?” Andy asked, looking at a book with a red cover.
“Yes it is, take a look.”
“That’s strange,” Andrew said. In fact, he had opened the book, but he could only see blank pages.
“I guess by the way you look at the pages you can’t read them at all.”
“Do you mean that there’s something written on these pages?” Andrew asked harshly. He had always dreamed about possessing the Red Book. Now he had it but he couldn’t read the pages. It was annoying. “But why can’t I read the book? What’s wrong with me? What do you have that I haven’t? It should be quite the contrary. In fact I don’t lie when I say that I’m more powerful than you.”
“Andy, shhh okay? Breathe. If you can’t read this book it means you’re not meant to be. At least you’re not for now. Now let’s go. I don’t like staying too long in this place.”
**********
“So you don’t think I’m crazy?” Scarlett asked Lulu.
“Not at all. Feelings can’t be controlled, I know that.”
“What do you mean with I know that?” Scarlett asked. She was smart. She understood Lulu was hiding something.
“Nothing,” Lulu said quickly.
“Lulu, you’re hiding something.”
“Okay, I’ll tell you.”
“That’s better,” Scarlett smiled proud of herself.
“I saw Raf Tizner last night.”
“Now why the fuck are talking about Raf Tizner?”
“Because… he’s cute,” Lulu admitted.
“Please, don’t tell me you’re in love with a vampire too.”
“No, I’m not in love.”
“Okay, that’s better.”
“I’m just saying that I can understand why you’re charmed by a vampire since I am too.”
“I’m afraid that I’m not only charmed; I think I’m in love.”
“Are you sure? That could be a problem,” Lulu realized.
“It is. It makes me very angry to think that I’ve never fallen in love. And now that I’m in love with someone, he’s a vampire. I’m beginning to think my life is a joke.”
“I’m sure everything will be alright. Now, I’m sorry but I have to go. Tomorrow I have an important test on American History and I still have to study.”
“So good luck.”
“Thanks. I need it,” Lulu said as she waved goodbye to her friend and left for home.
************************
It was the first time Andrew had been out, after Lulu hurt him and he didn’t feel very good. He was still weak and visionless. However, he still wanted to go out alone, he needed to get away from Robert for a few hours.
He found himself walking through the coffins of the cemetery and waiting for some damsel in distress to attack. He continued his walk, but it wasn’t a damsel in distress that he saw but Raf Tizner, the one person who made him want to strike out even more. Although he knew it would be suicide, he attacked the other vampire, hitting him once in the shoulder.
Raf was obviously surprised by the attack and he fell down, but he was stronger than his rival and soon he was able to free himself. “Andrew Diane. It’s always a pleasure to meet you. I was wondering where the hell you were.” The truth was that in the end Raf was actually glad to see the other vampire, even if he had to fight against him.
“Another word from you and I’ll have diabetes.”
“Why do you hate me so much?” Raf asked, but Andy answered him with a kick to the stomach. However, it didn’t hurt as much since Andrew was still weak. Raf tried to answer back with another kick but the other man stopped him. He knew already where Raf was going to hit him. Apparently, he was strong enough for his visions to return.
“Thank you Raf, you’ve been very useful.”
“Not at all. Now move, I don’t have all the night.” Andy hit him this time right in the face and more strongly.
“This is the end for you.”
“Not until I say so!”
The fight between the two started again with the two vampires who were ready to use all their abilities. Raf was stronger but Andy could see all his moves before he could even think about them, which definitely made him superior to the other vampire. Once Raf understood he couldn’t win with Andy, he did the thing he hated most…he ran away.
“Run away, Coward. That’s the thing you can do best,” a furious Andy screamed.
Meanwhile, Lulu was studying for her test. She was on the third page when she heard someone at her door. “Who’s there?” she asked worried. Who the hell could it be at three in the morning? Surely it wasn’t her friends.
“It’s Raf. I know it’s late but I need to talk to you.”
“I’m coming, please wait,” she said while she tried to adjust herself. Her hair was tousled, she had her glasses on and she wore a totally un-cool pajamas. She quickly went to her room and prepared herself as if she was going to the disco. Raf couldn’t see her unprepared; God only knew why.
*********
Scarlett decided to go to bed, even if she wasn’t sleepy, when she heard strange movements outside her window. “You again!” Scarlett said when she saw Robert right in front of her.
“I missed you Baby. Please let me come in.”
“Okay. You’re welcomed in my room.”
“Thank you,” Robert said and he kissed Scarlett without any warning. She was too surprised to do anything but after a few moments she answered and the kiss became more passionate. They kissed for a long time, both feeling free to be themselves. At that moment they weren’t Vampire and Vampire – Hunter. They were only Robert and Scarlett.
****
“Raf, please come in,” Lulu said, finally ready. She had smoothed her hair, she put in her contact lenses and she was wearing a red tank top with red sweatpants.
“I’m really sorry to bother you. I know it’s late.”
“It’s okay, really. Tomorrow I don’t have to go to school.”
“Really? Why?” Raf asked, curious.
“My history’s teacher is sick,” she lied. Then she noticed Raf was hurt. “My God you’re hurt.”
“Yes I am. Andy hurt me. Actually that’s why I’m here. Andy got his visions back,.” Raf explained as he was sitting in Lulu’s sofa.
“Then we’re in a big trouble.” Lulu noticed as she was looking at Raf’s wounds; he had some scratches on his face and a black eye. Then, almost automatically, she lifted Raf’s shirt looking at the vampire’s beautiful body now covered in big bruises.
“I know. I came to you as soon as possible,” he said grimacing as Lulu took his shirt off, revealing a deep wound over his right shoulder.
“This is a very ugly wound.”
“It will heal in a few hours.”
“Can you tell me something?” Lulu asked.
“Shoot. What do you wanna know?” Raf encouraged Lulu.
“Why did you come to me?”
“Because you’re a vampire hunter,” Raf answered as he tried to put his shirt back on.
“Also Scarlett is a vampire hunter,” Lulu said getting closer to Raf.
“Yeah, but I needed an excuse to see you.”
They kissed. No one could say who was the first one to make a move. The only sure thing was that both of them had wanted that kiss from the first time they saw each other.
***********
One kiss started, another ended. It was the kiss between Scarlett and Robert who were the new couple of the city. It sounded almost poetic: the bad vampire who fell in love with the wild vampire hunter and he was ready to do anything for her. He was even ready to go against the will of his legendary best friend, Andrew for her.
“There’s something I have to tell you, Scarlett… I love you.”
“There’s something I have to tell you too Robert… I don’t love you,” she said taking out a stake she kept well hidden. “I hate you… now the vampire – hunter will do her job and she’ll stake the vampire.” Robert didn’t have time to reply as Scarlett put the stake right into his heart. He didn’t even have the time to wonder what happened. His death was quick and painless.
“Vampire – hunters are not made to fall in love with their prey.”
*****************************************
Finally the time had arrived for the famous history test. The teacher, Mrs. Vaddambrini, had been very generous with her students that morning by giving them a very easy test. At least it would have been easy if someone studied. It wasn’t the case for Lulu.
“So how was test?” Manola asked Lulu, once they were out of the classroom.
“Well… it was a test. America’s discovery isn’t my favourite subject.”
“In fact the test was dealing with the American revolution.”
“Whatever.” Lulu didn’t care much about the History test. She had only one thought on her mind; the kiss she had shared with Raf the previous night.
“You should have asked Rita to help you,” Manola said as they arrived in the library where Nick and Rita where waiting.
“Speaking of Rita, have you noticed she’s been acting strange with me?”
“Lulu, we need to talk.”
“Okay. What’s up?”
“We know you’re a vampire hunter,” Rita said as she arrived, Nick by her side.
“Wait, no… it can’t be… how do you know that?” Lulu asked shocked.
“I heard you talking with Scarlett about it. At first I didn’t really comprehended the meaning of the word vampire – hunter. Then Nick and Manola enlightened me.”
“Manola told me what Rita had found out so I explained to them what a vampire – hunter is since I’m doing a research about them.”
“I didn’t even think you knew about their existence.”
“We’re full of surprises, and we’re not the only ones. Why haven’t you ever told us anything? I thought we were friends.”
“We are, but it’s not easy… my life I mean.”
“Well tell us. We’ll be part of your life if you want us to.”
“Believe me I want to.” So Lulu told her friends about how she lost her parents, about her decision to become a vampire – hunter and about Scarlett and Andy. She had never felt more free than at that moment. She even told them about the kiss with Raf and that maybe she was falling in love.
“Okay, we’re falling into girls’ chit-chat so I’ll leave you alone,” Nick said.
“Good decision Nick,” Rita told his friend. They were at their lockers and Lulu was looking for her books for her next lesson, when she heard someone calling her.
“You’re Lulu Gullar, right?”
“Yeah, Evan?”
“Yeah. Evan D’Andre.”
“Right. I’m sorry I’m not good with surnames,” Lulu joked.
“Me neither but I couldn’t forget yours.”
“Oh, well thanks. You’re kind.”
“I was wondering if we could see each other, out of school I mean.”