Gay Youth Chronicles 20 - The Vampire's Heart by Mark A. Roeder

Author:Mark A. Roeder [A08B0234, The Vampires Heart]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11 Josiah’s Other Life

When I awakened the next morning, I could not believe that what had happened the night before was real. I would have thought it all a dream, but the bite marks on my neck were clear evidence that the events of the night before were not a product of my imagination. My head was spinning with it all.

I didn't see Josiah until lunchtime, but as I came out of line with my tray, there he was, sitting all alone. I mourned the time I’d lost with him and was pained by his loneliness, which I had helped to increase by avoiding him. I walked straight to him and stood before him.

"I'm sorry for...everything,” I said. My words definitely didn't cover what needed said.

"It's quite all right,” said Josiah. “Have a seat.” I smiled and sat down across from him, as I had so often before. When I’d discovered that Josiah was a vampire, I never thought things would be the same again. I was glad to be wrong. I’d missed him.

"You had good reason to fear me,” said Josiah. “You acted reasonably, bravely even. You did not know you had been misled."

"But I...I tried to kill you,” I said in a whisper. "Had I been what you thought, you would have been right to do so. You would have been doing me, and everyone else, a favor."

Josiah was what I thought, a vampire, but it was clear that the situation was far more complex than it seemed. He was a vampire, but he was not a killer. It wasn’t him who had killed Nate and that other boy. I believed that now. It wasn’t him who had bitten the twins, at least I didn't think so.

We did not talk more about it because we feared someone would overhear. We agreed to meet right after school. I had many questions and Josiah had a lot of explaining to do.

I was thinking a lot about Josiah, in between classes and in study hall. The excitement of having him as a friend had returned. Our friendship was uncertain, because of what he was, but I still had hopes for it. My heart had hopes of its own. I felt something for Josiah more than friendship. Part of what had made everything so difficult with Josiah was the way I felt about him. I cared for him; warm thoughts about him had filled my heart. When I’d found out he was a vampire, it had been twice as hard because it dashed my hopes. Now, that hope was returning. I found myself daydreaming about holding Josiah’s hand and about him holding me in his arms. I knew I was getting well ahead of myself, but my heart could not be silenced. And to think I’d nearly helped Bry destroy Josiah. I shuddered at the thought. Never in my life I was I more glad to have failed.

***

I gazed at Josiah as we walked away from school. "You're really a vampire,” I said.

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