GFD 01: Genesis - 3. Chapter 3

We stopped to hang for a while on the bridge, watching the traffic pass frantically beneath us. The others made noise, whooped and hollered, and were basically being kids. Taryn and I of course, while still practically a part of the group, kept to ourselves. We were in our own little world, away from everything else. We didn't even notice the others until one of them laughed or screamed loud enough to be ignored. But we just talked quietly, about the moon and the stars, about the beauty of the night, about the wonderful view of the city from here. Every word he spoke was so sweet, so undeniably special to me. I let the love flood my heart, almost to the point of bursting open with joy, and for the first time since birth...I believed. I could honestly grasp the concept of love, the passion, the fear, the overwhelming splendor of it all. And as Taryn leaned over the rail to look at the city's skyline, his delicate face illuminated by the lights of every car that passed by, his silken reddish brown hair blowing in a soft wind, his lips moving to speak to me with the sweet song that was his voice, he became a god to me. His beauty was irresistible in a way that shook me to the very bottom of my soul. My stomach was jittering and shaking like crazy, and I was too confused to have any idea what to do about it. I suddenly wanted distance, I wanted him to stop talking, to stop being so damn cute for a second so my heartbeat could return to normal. My chest felt empty, hollow, like it was just waiting to be filled up with something that only Taryn could give me. And when the moment was right, and I simply couldn't take another minute of this torture, he looked up at me. He was totally unaware, his green eyes ablaze with a purity that forced me to react. And without thinking at all...I quickly leaned in and kissed him on the lips.

It was more than a quick peck, but a lot less than a REAL kiss. What did you expect? It was my first. I backed off right away, waiting for his reaction. Taryn was speechless at first, his mouth hung open, and he struggled for words. I twitched a little and got so nervous that it almost made me sick to my stomach. But you couldn't imagine the joy in my heart when a huge excited smile crossed Taryn's face. He looked like a little kid who just got everything he ever wanted for Christmas. He basically jumped into my arms and hugged me tightly around the neck. I could only hug him back, sliding my arms around his slim waist. It was the only thing I could do to keep my balance the way Taryn was jumping around. "Oh wow! Oh wow ho wow oh wow! Thank you! God, Justin...you don't know how happy you just made me! I love you...I love you sooo much!" He screamed.

I can't believe it! Was I even hearing him right? I became confused, afraid...I had never really dealt with this kind of thing before. I've been having crushes on guys for a long time now, but what I felt for Taryn was a billion times stronger, and he felt the same way. That just increased the panic ten fold, and I began to wonder if my body could even handle the surges of happiness flowing through it. I hugged him even tighter, and suddenly realized that we were both crying. I had never held anybody that loved me before. I had never been able to be this close to another boy before, certainly not one as gorgeous as Taryn was. I was so terrified of the instant rush of emotion that washed over me all at once, and the tears came pouring out in buckets. He loved me. The sweetest, most adorable, most incredible, cutest, smartest, wonderful boy in the whole world loved ME. What are the odds?

I hugged his tender body warmly, feeling his sleek teenage frame shiver with excitement. I was so full of energy I could scream. And as I looked ahead of me, I saw the others still playing around, making just as much noise as ever. And Jun was actually walking on top of the railing, the speeding traffic speeding by below us. A bit dangerous, but he didn't seem worried at all. I heard Taryn sobbing over my shoulder quietly, and I patted him on the back. And for the first time in my life, I said four words that I never thought I'd ever get the chance to say. And to think, they came from heart. "I love you too." And I opened my eyes again as they other kids screamed and laughed and horsed around.

Then...as if it was something you see in a nightmare, I saw Trevor look me right in the eye and purposely push Jun off of the railing!!! Jun cried out and fell off the bridge and onto the street below, a 20 or 30 foot drop at least! I froze, screamed in terror, and Taryn jumped out of my arms to see what had happened. I quickly ran over to the edge to see if Jun was alright. And before I even could register what was going on in my mind...a loud horn cut through the night, and a truck slammed on the breaks, sliding to one side! But it was too late, and the truck hit Jun, dragging him under the car like a rag doll! This CAN'T be happening! Oh my GOD this just can't be happening! He PUSHED him, he pushed him on purpose!!! I shouted, I cried, I stared in amazement, only to shout some more. What did Jun ever do to anybody? What the fuck was going on here. When I looked back at Trevor, he was actually LAUGHING!

"What the fuck are you laughing about??? Do you know what you just did?" I said, racing over to grab Trevor by the collar of his shirt.

"Justin...don't...please..." Taryn cried.

Even Max was cracking up a little. Dylan seemed to be the only one with some common sense around here. Trevor only laughed harder as I shook him and slammed him up against the railing. "YOU ACTUALLY THINK THIS IS FUNNY???"

"So rookie...did you enjoy your first kiss? I'm sure it'll be a memorable one." He smiled. At that point, I could have killed him, but that's when he said, "Hey look...the crybaby's blowing his cover again!" And I looked back at Taryn, who's eyes were once again aglow with a bright golden light. I only caught a glimpse of it as Taryn hurriedly forced his head downwards, his hair covering his eyes. Max was laughing so hard at this point that he had tears in his eyes too, and they were just as bright as Taryn's. Something here was definitely not right...something was wrong, horribly wrong.

"I can't believe you did this Trevor...I can't believe you ruined this night for me. How could you be such an asshole?" Taryn sobbed. He sounded so defeated, like he had just been dumped by his date at the prom. The sound of his voice literally broke my heart.

Then...as if things weren't strange enough, I heard a voice shout up from below, "You son of a bitch! What the hell did you do THAT for?" I looked down, and nearly fainted from what I saw. It was Jun, battered, broken, covered in blood...and walking around like it never happened! I stared down in amazement, unable to close my mouth as I saw Jun practically take what should have been a fatal injury...and 'walk it off'!!! "Asshole! I'm going to be limping for at least a week! Push Dylan over next time!!!"

I couldn't speak, I couldn't move...I just stood there."No...no...he was...he was dead. I SAW it! I saw it with my own eyes! This, this isn't happening! No fucking way!!!" I shouted. The whole world seemed to spin around me, and I saw Jun's eyes on the street below, glowing bright gold s well. I looked at Taryn, at Trevor, at Max...all of them with the same luminous specs, staring right at me.

"Justin..." Taryn started, crying and yet trying to remain calm. "...please...let me explain. I was going to tell you, I swear."

"Jesus! You're not human! None of you are!" I screamed.

"Well look at that! He's not as dumb as I thought he was!" Max shouted out, still grinning as he saw Jun limp up the stairs to join us again. Taryn took a step closer to me, trying to ease my panic long enough to talk. But I jumped back. His eyes flared even more as tears poured out of them, and it scared the hell out of me. All this time, I'd been hugging him, kissing him, loving him, and he wasn't even real. He just wanted to reach me, to touch me, to hold me in some way, but I was in total shock. The thought of him touching me horrified me. It was like having a giant spider drop in your lap. That feeling of instant, uncontrollable repulsion. How could a boy I loved so much only minutes ago suddenly disgust me so?

"So Justin...still wanna join the club?" Trevor teased, and when I turned to look at him he hissed at me, a pair of pearly white fangs dripping wet with saliva.

I screamed and ran passed Taryn, heading for the steps as fast as I possibly could. I ran for my life, too afraid to look back, but as soon as I got a few steps from the bridge, I saw Taryn standing in the shadows ahead of me. "Justin, please...don't be mad at me, I didn't want you to find out this way." He said, but I never stopped running, I passed him up and kept going, running along the lake as fast as I possibly could, just praying that I could make it home. But I hear Taryn's voice again, and when I looked he was running alongside me, effortlessly. He was keeping up without even breaking a sweat, and he began talking to me in a normal voice as though we were just taking a peaceful morning jog. "Can't you just talk to me? I meant every word I said back there. I love you, and I just wanted you to see that." I tried to run faster, taking larger strides and pushing myself to the very limit. But there was no losing him, he was ten times faster than me. And at one point he even moved infront of me and started running backwards while talking to me. "Just stop...just for a minute. Please? Don't shut me out Justin...not like this."

It was pointless for me to continue. I was out of breath, my muscles ached, and my heart was beating so hard that it was about to explode. I slowed down to a trot, and finally stopped, doubling over and falling to me knees as I tried to slow my body's adrenaline rush enough to breathe again. Taryn caught me easily, and if he wanted to hurt me, he could have done so by now. "You...you're...a vampire? All of you?" I said, huffing and puffing so hard my chest hurt.

"...Yes." Taryn answered, almost ashamed.

"Why? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Oh sure. 'Hey Justin, my name's Taryn, and by the way...did I mention that I'm a vampire'?"

It took almost ten minutes for me to even look at him. But he waited patiently for me to catch my breath and then he helped me to my feet. I looked back into the distance to see the others laughing and giggling on the bridge. Shouting out, "Is the poor baby scared? Hahaha!" and "Did he wet his pants?" And Max, forever the 'lovable' one said, "Hey Justin! Why don't you come back and we can push YOU off this time?" They're laughter reminded me of just how dark life was. Once again, I had struck out. My last chance, my only hope at being happy, was gone. My fantasy world had been shattered once again, and not even suicide seemed to be punishment enough for me. At this point, I had no soul left at all.

"Forget those guys. Look, I know this isn't what you were expecting, okay? But...you wanted help, and I can give it to you." What was he SAYING? THIS is the help he was talking about? "Justin, you can go back to your life, or you can go back to the Pier. But I'm giving you another choice here. I had my doubts, I did. After living this way for so long, I thought I would never want to inflict this kind of situation on anybody. And I know it's wrong, and I know it's selfish...but..." Taryn began to cry again, and he lightly put his hand on my chest. "...but...eternity can be so lonely Justin. When I saw you, when I was watching you for all those months walking up and down that Pier, ready to jump into the lake and end your life, I thought that maybe I could do this one thing for you. It hurt me to see you in pain and I fell so deeply in love with you on those nights that I figured....if I could just somehow help you choose life...that I'd be able to see you again. But this way I could have you with me...forever. Just like you said."

As tears rolled down my cheeks, I weighed the options presented me. Do I go back to a life that doesn't want me? An alcoholic mother, a dying friend, a horde of kids waiting to beat me and hurt me, an abusive father who doesn't even call to see if I'm still alive, and a sexual orientation that pretty much guarantees I'll never find a love this strong ever again? Do I go back to the Pier? End it all? Drown my sorrows in the lake for the last time, and let the world know that it beat me? That it finally broke me down like it had been trying to do for so very long? Or...do I take door number three? Do I give this some thought? Give my life over to this, and possibly spend all of eternity in Taryn's loving embrace, where I felt safe, and loved, for the first time? I had nowhere else to turn, and I broke down and cried in Taryn's arms.

He held me there, crying on each other's shoulders, for at least an hour until I had no more tears to shed. And then, without further hesitation, I kissed Taryn on the lips...and accepted.

"Sigh...first, why don't you come walking with me. Okay?" And we began slowly strolling down the beach. "There is a lot more involved in this decision than you can ever imagine. Before you say yes, you have to realize exactly what it is you're giving up...life."

"How do you mean?"

Taryn seemed a bit uncomfortable explaining it, but he went on anyway. "First of all, do you remember the reaction you had up there on the bridge? Everyone else's reaction will be much worse. No one, can ever know about us. That means cutting contacts, Justin. ALL of them. No seeing your parents, no old friends, no family, no visiting sick buddies in the hospital, nothing...ever. No going home, no school, no job, not ever. No matter what you see on TV, no matter what you see about yourself or your disappearance in the papers...you can't ever resurface, you can't ever go back. There's more to this than having to change your sleeping habits Justin. This will become your whole life." Then Taryn stopped me from walking and turned me towards him, staring directly into my eyes to make sure he last point got across. "One more thing...by nature we are all night creatures. You...you understand what that means, don't you?"

"Sure, you guys only come out at night."

"Not because we want to Justin, but because we have to. Any extended contact with the sun's rays will kill us. That means no sun, no beaches, no daylight of any kind...ever again. When you become one of us, daylight won't exist for you any more. Are you prepared for that? Because if you're not...I can wait. For all eternity." He was serious, and I knew it. It was a lot to ask, a lot to soak in, a lot to sacrifice. But for Taryn, for my life, for my love, I'd sacrifice anything.

"I understand. Taryn, I love you. More than I've ever loved anything else in my entire life. And to spend forever with you would be a far better blessing than I could ever find in the world that I know now. If it means being with you...I'll do it."

He hugged me again, holding onto the last few bits of my humanity, and he cried into my shoulder. "I love you too, and anything I can do to save you from this place, I will do. God Justin, please let me take away this pain. I can't stand to see you live through this anymore." And I agreed again. I wondered if this was going to be like in the movies, if he was going to bite me right there. If it was going to hurt, if he was going to warn me or just surprise me by doing it before I realized what happened. And as I hugged him, I got extremely nervous. His head was over my shoulder, with complete access to my neck if he wanted it. There would be nothing I could do about it. The anxiety was killing me!

"Don't worry baby...I'm not going to do it now." Taryn smiled. He backed away and I had to ask him a serious question.

"So...is that why you can read my mind?"

Taryn looked a little embarrassed about it at first, but he spoke up anyway. "Um...yeah. With you guys, everything is more physical. You all just use your brains for the simplest tasks, it's just a few electrical messages sent from one part of your body to another. It's really not hard to read at all with a little practice. But when you crossover, everything is more mental...more emotional. Things get a bit more complicated."

"So you can't read each other's minds?"

"I've heard it can be done, but very few vampires know how, and the ones that do aren't telling. I'm sorry...I never meant to invade your privacy or anything. It's just...oh Justin, I wanted to know EVERYTHING about you. I couldn't help myself. When you used to come to the docks at night, I use to just read little snippets here and there. But I kinda got addicted to you pretty fast. But it wasn't your pain that attracted me to you, it was the heart underneath."

Taryn smiled at me, and we shared a short moment of silence between us. A moment that would have ended in another long, passionate kiss if Trevor hadn't shouted out, "Are we gonna get home some time tonight? Or are you two dorks gonna gawk at each other until dawn?"

Taryn turned to me to speed things up a little bit before going. "Justin, listen to me very carefully. I don't want you to do this for ME. Do you understand? No amount of regret or wishing or crying will ever bring you back to your life again. Once it's done, it's done. No second chances. I'm not worth that...no one is. If you decide to go through with it, then do it for yourself."

"I will. I am. Taryn I'm dead serious when I tell you that there's nothing left for me in this life. Nothing. It's time for me to take a step forward and change it, to make it right. And if being by your side is included in the package, how can I refuse?" And it was true. Death wasn't the answer, but neither was living the same way and just having to grin and bare it. No more. CHANGE...change was the answer. It was my decision, I was going to be better, stronger, I was going to work harder to learn whatever they had to teach me, and I wasn't going to WAIT to be happy. I was going to MAKE myself happy.

"Okay...here's the deal. You have one day left. If you have any loose ends to tie up, any friends you want to see, anything from your life that you want to do before crossing over...do it today. Take some time and think about it." Taryn then glanced at me, measuring me up and down with his eyes. "Hmmm...hehehe, you look perfect to me. It's hard to find anything wrong with you dude. You'll have to make this call yourself." He said.

"I...I don't understand." I asked confused, looking at myself to find exactly what he was looking for.

"Well, once you've turned completely, your body freezes this way forever. That's kinda how it works. So take some time and think about this a while. If you want to do anything, cut your hair, get rid of any zits, wait till your voice changes, lose or gain any weight, tone any muscle, get a sun tan...whatever, you have to do it BEFORE the change. Otherwise you're stuck like that for good. Which doesn't seem too bad from where I'm standing." He grinned.

"Taryn...geez..." I said blushing.

"What? It's true! I could just kiss you all day long. You're so damned cute!" And he walked over to place a few kisses on both of my cheeks.

"Okay, okay! Don't worry...I'm not going to be changing a thing."

"Cool. If you think everything through, and then still want to do this, come see me at the lot tomorrow. Same time. Okay?" He said. He was shaking, smiling nervously. I knew he was giving me every possible way out of this. But I also knew that he wanted me to be with him. As a lover, a companion, a kindred spirit to love and cherish until the end of time. And for Taryn, the choice would be simple. I'd do it without hesitation, he'd like that. I nodded my head, and he wracked his brains to fill me in on all the rest. "Okay. If you change your mind, I'll understand. I'll see you tomorrow...hopefully. You've made me the happiest man in the world. I love you." He said, kissing me again and again. He didn't want to stay, but he couldn't seem to leave me.

"I'll be there." And I saw his eyes start to turn from green to gold as tears dripped from the corners. But this time I wasn't afraid, I wasn't curious, I wasn't in disbelief. This time I saw it for what it was, just like the sunrise, and I accepted it. It was the most wondrous, fantastic thing I had ever seen, and I began to tear up myself. I just wanted to be with him, always, more than he'd ever know. I hoped he was reading my mind at that moment, because there was no way I could put my love for him into words. "You're...uh...you're glowing."

He grinned a little and wiped his eyes clean. "Hehehe...I'm sorry. I know that's gotta look pretty freaky to you."

"No no...I think it's gorgeous."

"We use contacts to try to make them look normal. My eyes really were this green though at one time. For some reason though, water makes the light bend differently or something I think. So whenever we cry our eyes glow so brightly that they cut through the contact lens and shine on anyway. Not even sunglasses work when the waterworks really get started. I guess I'll just have to learn to control that a little better."

I held his chin in my hand and lifted his sweet lips to meet mine. "No you don't. I think it's a gift. A beautiful gift that we can both share." And I kissed him. Where did THAT come from? Since when did I become a big Cassonova type? I didn't know what it was, but the words just seemed to flow so freely with Taryn. It was as if they had been written for me long before this moment ever happened. As long as I spoke from the heart, I knew whatever I said would come out right. It was great.

His lips molded to mine in perfect harmony, and my head spun as I felt the very tip of his tongue timidly slip between my lips. Mine moved out to greet his, each one giving the other courage to venture further, and we tongue kissed erotically, our hands roaming over each other's bodies in unison. I pulled him closer to me, his slim hips forming the perfect cradle for my arms. His breath was so sweet, his scent so intoxicating...kissing him was more mind blowing than I could have ever imagined. Not even in my wildest dreams. We heard some snickering coming from behind us, and we stopped long enough to see the others watching us. We both sighed and stepped away from each other. Taryn backed up to meet his friends while I backed down the path to start on my way home. "Bye Justin. I'll...uh..I'll see you tomorrow." He said shyly.

"Yeah...tomorrow. Bye."

"Good night..."

"G'night..." We didn't want to stop looking at each other, we didn't want to stop talking. Every step I took away from him hurt me more and more. I was almost tempted to run back and kiss him just one more time before leaving. Just something to get me through to the next sunset.

"Oh WAIT! I almost forgot!" He said, running to catch up to me. "Here...take this. I got it from a good friend of mine at the club tonight." It looked like a bracelet of some sort, but it was like a soft metal, almost as fragile as aluminum. I was in a weird design and I had never seen anything like it. "There's two of them, one for you, and one for me. It means...um...well, here. Let me put it on you." He slipped it over my wrist, and it fit tightly, but it loosened up on its own. I looked over to see the guys watching, and Dylan seemed really focused on it, almost hypnotized by it. Trevor ave him a playful shove to snap him out of it, but Dylan really wanted to see this. And it made me realize that this bracelet meant a lot to Taryn, and to me. I returned the favor and put the other bracelet on him. I looked into his eyes and saw them blazing bright again, as was Dylan's, Michael's, and even one of Jun's. His other eye must have been 'damaged' in the accident. Max didn't shed a tear, but I could tell he was moved. Not that I ever expected him to say so. But Trevor's eyes weren't aglow at all, not a single teary eye. In fact, he looked more jealous than anything, almost upset. But as soon as he saw me look over at him, a mischievous grin spread across his face, and I knew he was not going to let this rest, not for a long time.

Taryn kissed me again and again and we could barely keep our hands off of one another. But the other kids finally dragged him away, and he shouted out, "Justin! You've got one sunset left! Enjoy it...do it for me!" And he disappeared into the shadows with the others. This was it, my last day. One more sunrise, one more traffic jam, one more school day...the end of everything I knew. And the beginning of everything else.

I did just as Taryn said, I enjoyed another beautiful sunrise that morning. But this one was different somehow from the last one. I suppose they're ALL different in some way. It depends on what mood you're in when you see it. I spent the day walking the streets, even passed by the old school for a quick look. I stopped by the old arcade, the ice cream shop, and basically said goodbye to the whole thing. I must admit though, I was sure going to miss the sun, the warm barbecues and Chicago festivals. The beach, the hot young boys ditching class to go roller blading, all of it. But to do it for Taryn...it was hardly anything more than spilled milk. It must be true love this time, to trade the sun for eternal night. I looked at myself in a three way mirror at the mall, studying every inch of me. I hoped I looked good enough. I'd hate to spend the rest of eternity looking like a geek. I could use a little more muscle, do something with this hair...hmm...I knew a FEW body parts I wish could be a bit longer, but 6 inches will have to do. Okay...I'm ready to go. I sighed to myself, walked out of the mall, and just hung out in the streets, eagerly awaiting the chance to see the sun go down...for what may be the last time.

I went back to the old car lot, and everyone was out and about this time. Max was teasing Jun about his bum leg, and he seemed to be almost completely healed except for a limp and a few scratches. The Kid was playing with Dion's dog, but even though I assumed he was having fun, the little boy was completely void of any emotions. He just sat there, stone faced, petting the dog as it rolled around happily in front of him. Jenna was the first person to really notice me.

"Justin! You came! You really came! Oh Taryn will be SO happy! Come on!" She said, and she dragged me to go see him. As I passed Trevor, I made eye contact with him, and a smile that once plastered his face vanished the second he saw me. Maybe he thought he had frightened me off. Maybe he didn't expect me to show up at all. Whatever the reason, he wasn't happy, and I really didn't care. Jenna pulled me around a corner and I saw Taryn sitting on the hood of a car with Dylan, looking worried and twiddling his thumbs. "Hey Taryn...look who's here to see you."

He looked up, and the utter bliss that swept across his face was beyond belief. He jumped down off the hood and ran over to me to give me the biggest, tightest hug I had ever received from anybody. He lifted me off the ground and spun me around, laughing hysterically and soaking my chest with tears of joy. I couldn't help but join him in his celebration, it was like I had graduated to a whole new level, and I was ready to take the next step.

"It's ready man, just clean up after you're done. Got it." Max said, wiping some grease off of his hands with a dirty rag.

"Sure...no problem. Thanks Max."

"I MEAN it shorty! If I find one spot in my van I'm going to tear you BOTH a new asshole!" Van? Did he say, van?

Taryn gently took me by the hand, and touched his bracelet to mine. "Do you know what this is? It's a bond bracelet. When two vampires want to...'tie the knot', or whatever, they put these on and then they make...well...they...uh..." Taryn stuttered.

"Fuck, Taryn. The word is fuck." Max said lewdly.

"Make love." Taryn said, correcting him before looking back into my eyes, his jade green specs shining with the charm of a young puppy. "Justin...I love you, and I wanted this to be special. They say that a vampire's bite is a religious experience. I've never actually turned anybody before...this will be my first. But, to bite you at the moment of orgasm, will make these bracelets melt into our skin automatically, and we can wear them like tattoos basically. We'll be bonded. Forever. Just like in the fairy tales. It's the strongest and most intimate connection any vampire can share with his host. I want to share that with you...tonight."

I heard Jenna sniffle from behind me. "Omigod...that's sooo sweet."

"Yeah, so sweet I'm about to choke on it." Trevor replied. And he grabbed Michael by the arm and took him away to some corner to make out, or maybe even more.

We shared another sweet kiss in front of everybody there before Taryn guided me to another part of the junkyard, where a small mobile home was waiting for us. It didn't seem to fit in with the rest of the place. It was nice looking, with working lights, and it almost looked new, but not quite.

"This is Max's van. He's been working on it for a long time now, he'll get some more parts from around here and fix it up really nice so we can take road trips and stuff. That'll be really cool." Taryn took me inside and closed the door. It was nice in there. A bed, a little kitchen area, a small table. It was just like a little house. "Yeah...he's...he's been...working on it..." He trailed off. He sat down on the bed and smiled at me, so I sat down next to him.

"Cool...well...it looks really...really nice." I wasn't quite sure what to say. I was beginning to tremble and quake uncontrollably now. A kiss I could pull off on instinct alone, but this was much more than a kiss. What if I did something wrong? What if I wasn't any good? What if I hurt him in some way? My breathing got short, and the tension seemed to raise the temperature up to a million degrees in a matter of seconds. "So..."

"Sooo...." Taryn repeated. I didn't dare look over at him, but something told me that he was nervous too.

"Um...okay, look..." I decided to just come clean with him before I ended up making a fool of myself here. "I've, I've never technically done this before. Ever. Not even close."

He seemed to let out a sigh of relief when he heard that. "Really? Me either. I'm kinda glad I'm not the only one here."

"No...I mean I've REALLY never done anything like this. That kiss on the bridge last night...that was my first."

"It was actually the second for me. But the first didn't mean anything. Yours was so much sweeter." He grinned. "Look...we don't have to do this if you don't want to."

"I do...BELIEVE me I do. But, it's just a bit...weird...you know?" I saw a caring look come over his face and we kissed each other gently on the lips. We decided to just lay back on the bed and talk for a while. We got to laugh and trade stories for what must have been two or three hours at least. He told me all of the funny stories from when he was human, and a few from his first experiences with this bunch of misfits. I told him everything, uncut, and unedited. The good and the bad. We laughed, we cried, we laughed some more, until we were both exhausted from our conversation. And then...silence. A peaceful, romantic silence. And we looked up at the ceiling, a rotating fan holding our attention, and Taryn moved closer to me.

I rolled over onto my side, to look at him for the first time since we had first sat down, and his beauty had increased ten times over. His skin looked so soft and smooth, his lips a delicate pink color, his hair shining more red than brown in the light of the trailer. I looked down to see the subtle rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, his tender stomach muscles contracting with each exhale. And when he turned his head, his bright green specs staring into my soul, I fell in love all over again. I leaned in to kiss him, gently, lovingly, as he moved his hand up to rub the back of my head. Our tongues knew exactly what to do this time as they gracefully danced an exotic ballet between us. As his breath passed out of him and into me, I felt myself being drawn into him even closer. Soon, a boyish kiss wasn't enough, I had to kiss harder. Then, my hands moved to his back, and I pulled him up against me, feeling his body heat bathe me in its glow. As he got more into it, he pulled me closer as well, and it forced our kissing to get even more desperate. Soon we couldn't get close enough, and I felt his hardness rub up against me. I thrust my hips into him and we began a slow erotic grind that stopped time itself. My whole body was tingling with sensations it had never experienced before. I just wanted to give him so much of me, more than I had to give. And to somehow understand that he wanted the same, drove me to heights of passion that I couldn't even understand, much less control. My body tensed and flexed against his. He was sooo warm...sooo soft...so ripe. I rolled onto my back and felt him move to get on top of me. His body weight helped to press him deeper into me. I was almost ready to erupt as it was, feeling the fabric of my pants rub back and forth, up and down my stiffened member as Taryn ground into me. Our kissing became animalistic now, and his hair hung down into my face, blanketing it slightly on both sides. And while he was grinding, he moved up a little to look down at me. He just appeared to be so happy, so incredibly amazed that he was there with me, that we both almost burst into tears. I have never loved anyone so much, not even myself.

Taryn lowered himself down for another kiss, and reached under my shirt to pull it off. I raised my arms and pulled it over my head, using my hands to slide his shirt up the length of Taryn's sleek teen body frame. As we returned to making out, our skin to skin contact enveloped me in an exciting energetic rush that made me feel weak. And as his thrusts into me got stronger, I had to grab a hold of his soft round globes and push up into him as he pushed down. We simply couldn't get close enough to each other, no matter how hard we tried. He undid the front of his pants, and mine as well, and with a little awkward shimmying and wiggling, we were able to kick them off to the floor. Our underwear soon followed. We were completely naked except for our socks, and we rolled our hips in unison as our passion lifted us to cloud nine and beyond. I was sooo close already, at the very edge of orgasm, but I wasn't ready yet. I didn't want this to be over, not yet. It was my first time, I wanted it to last forever.

I heard Taryn let out a high pitched, teenaged whimper that compelled me to make one of my own. It was the cutest sound I had ever heard come out of another person. It melted my heart and I knew I would be going over the edge soon. Our humping got more lustful, our instincts taking control and our hearts and minds just enjoying the ride. "Justin?" Taryn whispered while chewing gently on my ear.

"Mmmm...y-y-yeah?"

"This is it...almost there. Let me know if you want to back out on this, okay? Please tell me."

His voice was so soft and hazy that it sent even more shivers to travel down my spine. "Okay...I...I'm not backing out...I love you." I whispered breathlessly. Those words made Taryn pump harder and faster, our hard ons rubbing against each other, sliding along our bellies on a slick coating of pre-cum.

He whimpered again, this one even cuter and louder than the last, and I could feel the change in me begin to take place. The final battle between wanting the pleasure to last, and the ultimate need for release. "Justin? Here's what we're gonna do, okay?" His voice was driving me insane with emotion. To hear his sweet melody whispered in my ear was turning me on in ways I couldn't possibly comprehend. I was so overwhelmed with passion that I knew it wouldn't be long before I exploded. "We're going to count down Justin. From five back down to one. When you're ready to climax, that's when you hit one, okay? Please be sure about this. There's no turning back, you don't have to do this if you don't want to." Taryn's talking was starting to break his rhythm, and I was so hot for him that his body and soul were all that mattered. I ground into him as hard as my muscles would allow, and I still continued to use his bubbled cheeks to pull him in even closer. He groaned and bean kissing me frantically on the neck.

"Five..." I managed to blurt out. I was close. It was reaching the boiling point and I wouldn't be able to hold it in much longer. Taryn stuck out his tongue and licked an icy trail up the side of my long neck until it reached my ear. His thrusts were causing my organ to twitch and spasm with every movement, and I loved every minute of it.

"Four..." I cried out. And it was only seconds later that I shouted, "Three..."

Justin dug himself deeper into my neck, and I felt a little pain as the bracelets on our wrists began to heat up on their own and dissolve into us.

"Please Justin...there's not much time left...mmm...I hope you know what you're doing..."

"....ahhhh....TWO....!!!" I cried out. Taryn's slick body mashed against me, his squeezable ass in my hands, his voice in my ear, his tongue on my neck, his testicles moving erotically up and down between my thighs...I was beyond heaven...above it. There was no turning back, not now. I wouldn't let him make me give in, no matter how many warnings he gave me.

"Last chance!" He shouted, ready to explode himself.

"Oh God! Don't stop! Please!" I felt the orgasm approaching, it had finally had enough and was rushing towards the surface. My entire body began to tense up, every muscle tightening by degree to prepare for an explosive orgasm like I have never known.

"No mistakes Justin!"

"Mmmmm...."

"Call it off if you don't want it! Do it now!" Taryn's voice was getting higher by degree, and he was pleading with me to give in, but I refused. My new life was going to begin, and it was going to begin tonight!

"Ahhh....ohhhhh...."

"Just say it Justin...just say it..."

"Mmmmmm...oh god....ONE......"

"I can't hold it! It's now or never!"

And in the very last seconds before my eruption, I said the words, "I LOVE YOU!!!" And that brought us both over the edge! I saw Taryn's head quickly move back, showing me a quick flash of his fangs, before slamming his head into the right side of my neck at the moment of orgasm! I screamed out loud for all I was worth, the pain of being bitten countered by the incredible waves of pleasure surging through me from the climax. I couldn't tell if I was twitching from the bite, or from the giant gushes of semen that we were both spraying between us. We came simultaneously, our bodies glued together with a honey sweet nectar. Taryn was sucking harshly at my main artery, but his body was wracked with post orgasmic jumps and twitches too. I finally felt my body relax, and I held his head to my neck while he sucked at it hungrily.

As I came down from an ultra sensitive high, I felt my body get cold, and go numb. Taryn was making loud slurping noises now, and even though I trusted him with everything, the very fact that he was killing me filled me with a fear unlike any other.

I thought back to my life, all the things I've done, all the things I've seen, and all things I've taken for granted. I remembered my father, my mother, Richie, the kids at school, the teachers, the beating, the spitballs, the suicidal thoughts, all of it. And then I thought about the Pier, and the night I met Taryn. A boy, a 14 year old boy, who turned my life around. Who showed me just how beautiful it could really be. And then giving me an alternative. THIS alternative. I pray I made the right choice. Because, as he said, there was no turning back. And if this was the wrong choice...I would have all of eternity to regret it.

Finally, as my senses left me and my body was too weak to move, I saw Taryn lift his head from my neck, a smeared bloodstain covering his mouth and dripping off of his chin and onto my chest. "I love you." He said. But the sight of my own blood was a bit too much to handle right then and there. And before I knew it, the 'real' world went completely black, and I lost consciousness. The last thing I remember was feeling Taryn's lips pressed against mine, still warm from my own blood, and wondering what the next day would bring. Only time will tell.

I couldn't stand it any longer. It was simply breaking my heart. I know I swore to myself that I'd never turn another human being into a creature as unholy as I am. But watching that boy walk up and down that pier, night after night, wanting to kill himself, became too much for me. I had to get involved. I had been watching him for months, and I didn't want to fall in love with him, it was never my intention. But I fell anyway, and I couldn't bare to watch him live through this pain that he harbored so deep down in his soul. I gave him every way out, hoping and praying that he'd choose life over death...over THIS. I found out his name is Justin, and wow he was so cute. It nearly made my heart burst to talk to him for the first time. I doubt he noticed though, I played it cool enough. If only he knew how lucky he was to see a sunrise, to feel it's warmth, to be a part of society...even if it sucks most of the time. He doesn't know just how dark and lonely it is to be shut out from that society completely. To have to hide what you are from the world, afraid for your safety if they ever found out your deadly secret. If only he knew.

I offered to help him, to change him. God help us both. I said I was doing it to save him from this pain, but is that true? Maybe I did it just to save my own soul. I had accepted myself as a vampire without much of a problem, but what a lonely life I had ahead of me. I had friends in my little group of teenage delinquents, but the only one of them to ever say they loved me was Trevor. And as gorgeous and wild as he is, there's just something about him that I just can't trust. I've refused him a hundred times in the past, and I'd refuse him a hundred more. My Trevor, my very first kiss, and the boy who, without the benefit of a sexual encounter, made me what I am. He's the one who brought me into this dead world. I was grateful at the time, but now that I met Justin, I'm not so sure. Oh how I wish he could pull me into his world instead of pulling him into mine.

But as I got to know him, I grew to love him. True love, for the first time ever. I couldn't believe how fascinated I was with him at first sight. And the knowledge of his thoughts, his dreams, his fears...it only intensified it. I got the bond bracelets from Alex at the club and decided that love doesn't happen all that often. When you see something you want, you have to at least make an effort. No time for regrets, I had to take a shot. Trevor naturally doesn't like Justin, and he's sure to give him a hard time. I've never seen him hate a newcomer so much. He had a boyfriend in Michael, why couldn't he just leave me and Justin alone? The bastard even 'outed' me in an attempt to scare him off. But he loves me too, and that means more to me than he'll ever know. And he KISSED ME!!! Right there on the bridge! It was such a sweet kiss, a lover's kiss! Nothing like the maniacal kiss Trevor gave me. I almost swallowed his tongue! But Justin didn't want anything from me. He didn't force me to come be with him, he didn't try to talk me into anything, or say whatever he could to get me alone. He was just...there. There for me and my needs. Not an imitation of myself, but his own person which fit me like a matching piece of the puzzle.

As I look over at him now while I write this, unconscious from being drained of his 'fluids', I notice how truly beautiful he really is. I couldn't have dreamed up a better angel to lose my virginity to, than the one that lay before me. To touch him is pure bliss, and to kiss him is indescribably wonderful. My love for Justin is infinite, and when the crossover takes hold of him, I'll be right here to teach him everything he needs to know about being one of us. The good stuff...and the bad. Maybe I WAS being selfish. Maybe I did want him all for myself, to join me here forever. But now that he's here, the questions don't matter anymore. They say love lasts forever. Well...Justin and I will have an eternity to test that theory. I hope this works out.

-Taryn