I bit off Calvert a little. I chewed on his arm because he asked me to. Demanded I did. "I do drink vamp blood but I found out this."
"What?"
"I'm a halfie, right? So, the more vamp blood I drink damn near makes me whole. Not trying to convenience you of anything. But with me being half, I heal because of human blood."
"You're healing me?" HE IS A KING. "If it works, that what I'll do."
I jump and hug him. "Oh, Cal I never give you credit."
"Yeah, you think I'm goofy!"
"I do!"
"I am! Alexis I have an STD!"
We both just look at each other before I finally slap him. "You an asshole!" I march out the room and into the kitchen. "Alexis!"
"You better not have gave me a fucking STD!" I yell.
"I had it but I got rid of it!" he comes to the kitchen. "On God, I had carbs."
"CALVERT!"
"What?"
"Carbs aren't STDs, it's an STI!"
"Ain't that the same thing?" he makes a face. "STIs can be gotten rid of!"
He looks up. "I guess…"
"You get on my nerves!" I throw a fork at him. He dodges it. "I am sorry, I don't have an STD."
"Stop playing!"
He comes and hugs me from behind. "What was that thing you wanted me to do?"
"Cuss out a bitch!"
"Ok."
We go back to the room and I login to my CloudChat
Welcome, SmugDraco
-You have 15 messages
"Damn, who is all them?" he leans over my shoulder. "I don't know. It's usually spam."
"Go to it." he points on the screen. I open my messages and I have 17 messages from Cents.
"Damn, what does he want?" We both squint looking at the number. I click on the messages highlighted and let Cal skim them.
PussyByTheCents: Alexis?
PussyByTheCents: Can you take a picture of your feet and send them to me?
PussyByTheCents: I wanted to let you know I am black
PussyByTheCents: My real name is Threston Henry.
"Well that ain't right." Cal moves his fingers over the keyboard. The screen blacks out for a second. "What did you do?" I ask. "Took a screenshot."
PussyByTheCents: Alexis are you drinking blood again?
PussyByTheCents: We aren't that kind of couple. We need to purify ourselves of the evil.
PussyByTheCents: I was thinking about signing you up for a baptism.
PussyByTheCents: Blood is impure. Listen my pastor gave me words of wisdom. You might like having artificial veins.
PussyByTheCents: I'll send you a link of the operation
Calvert clicks on the link. It goes to a YouTube video titled, Pseudo Aesthetic Vampire Operation (2007). "Where did you meet this nigga?"
"Online…" I answer shyly. "He seemed nice."
"He's obsessed with you." he takes another screenshot of the chat and screenshots the video. "Save this in your email." he taps the screen.
"What's wrong?"
"Threston is a nigga I know. I haven't seen him for days. When was this sent…" he observes the screen keenly. "A couple of days ago."
PussyByTheCents: Alex, do you still have your period?
PussyByTheCents: I know a girl that sells period blood
PussyByTheCents: Do you believe in Islam? It's a sham.
PussyByTheCents: They promote peace and the fucking quran when there isn't none.
PussyByTheCents: It's so aggravating
"Is this nigga muslim?" asks Calvert. "I guess. He be trying to convert me and shit."
"This ain't Islamic. Do you know Attaullah?"
"No…"
"He's a vampire king and kept his hijab. He had a strong church for the most part. I mean him and Aleigha was cool with each other, he donated blood and bone."
"Like brothers?"
"Nah you mean Saint John. That nigga is dead."
"Really?" I open my eyes. "What happened to Saint?"
"Aleigha…"
"That doesn't…"
"He shot him. He sold out the hood. Massive fucking riots happened. Aleigha got his daughter together after she got lynched and shot at, at the age of five by fucking Mable Harper. Nigga was mad as shit so he cursed the hood and Mable's spirit got hold of the magic." he says.
"You know a lot…"
"I went to church." he looks at me. "Did you know the school is built out of a crystal?"
"What?"
"Ok, listen. Childhood, aka Shikki, her favorite color is black. But during her torment, she found a crystal in a cave of bats."
"And she became a vampire?"
"Not until she drew a ritual in the dirt. Like the family got Indian in them but also her grandma, Hanni was Caribbean. So practice is in the family."
"Cal why are you telling me this?"
"Because this nigga sounds like a bagger."
"Bags...?"
"Body bagging is a thing for Mable and able is supposed to be fucking buried but if this nigga is talking like he is. I have to hide you."
"Cal?"
"Alexis, I'm not playin'"
.
.
.
"Ok, I get you used to be part of a church. But Aleigha…" Why does that name sound so familiar? "His daughter was shot?"
"Mable tried to kill a kid. Aleigha drowned her ass in cough syrup, aspirins, and soda. He sits on the throne to the old church to keep that bitch under." he explains. "I mean the realm isn't supposed to be there and Shikki said if she ever died may the world be covered in pure black."
"Wow…" I'm just listening. "That may be why vamps bleed black. Hurry up and get your shit together."
"But Cal!"
His eyes flip, "Go!"
I go through my dressers near the window and near the door. I pull out my gown, my underwear, and shirts. Cal pulls out clothes from the closet and stuffs them in a plastic bag. "Where are we goin'?"
"Shit I might go home…"
"Home?" I start thinking. "To the goddamn storage unit?"
"I should slap the piss outta you! I'm talking to the fucking GHETTO!" The room vibrates, I try to say Cal's name but he looks at me curiously then his eyes expand. "Come on, put on something black."
"I got the gown…"
"Put it on…"
Cal keeps rushing me and if he feels the need to do that then I should follow suit. I put my black gown over my jeans. He leaves the trash bag with my clothes in it and comes back putting oil on the floor.
"Calvert!"
"COOCHIE!"
"Huh?"
I watch him pour a canister all over the floor and walls. He makes a cross in the air and his eyes become a bright pink. "I call for protection from You. Cover thy wings from the morning; check the tongues of liars that seek me. I bless you to keep evil at bay."
The walls glow and the ground shakes. "Cal!"
"Let's go."
We get on the streets and Cal's dragging me forward. "What did you do!"
"I hid the house, this isn't the time. If I don't fucking die first." We turn a corner and stop at a bus station. As we get there, Cal--Coochie, waves his hand in front of the three people at the stop. When bus comes they don't move.
"Is this about the vampire hunters?"
"Yep." His pink hues are still bright. He has his black hood over his head. We get on the bus but he stands in the middle of the aisle. "Sir, can you sit down?"
"Hush…" the word literally leaves his mouth and all is silent. He shows his hand to the driver, "Exit!"
A white fog leaves him and the driver slouches. "Drive this shit to Wise."
"Yes…" he mutters. "What did you--"
"Zombies." he breathes into his mouth and the same damn thing happens again. He moves to let me sit and sits next to while the passengers get off. "Will the spell wear off?"
"Nope."
"Just like that huh?" I got so many questions in mind to ask. "Cal--" I correct myself. "Coochie?"
"I'm aleigha's oldest son. Which means Shikki is my half sister." Why do vampires have so many half siblings. "Because vamps is niggas with baby mamas."
"My head is private…"
"Not if I can hear it. Also, media makes it out that vamps are psychic. Half ass true, it's yo soul talking to me."
"No it's not!"
"Bitch who is you tellin'?"
"Are you psychic or not?"
"Psychic shit is based on the natural mind and if it was true, wouldn't everybody be able to do it?"
I have nothing to say. "Exactly…"
"So why I can't do it?"
"Medallion, each one blocks the soul from being able to read. Then my fucking sister is so smart," he rolls his eyes. "Nobody can read her. She's not dead."
"What if she is?"
"She's not!" he gazes out the window. "Monroe ain't my daddy, just a nigga that daddy knew. Shikki is golden, if anything she's immortal."