Diary of a Vampeen (30 page)

“Love, love, love. I’m officially in
love with you darling. Claire, your niece is stunning and so easy
to dress,” he called sliding back the curtain.

I lifted my arms and asked Kellan and
my aunt, “What do you think?”

“It’s perfect; very fall forward.
Classic, yet interchangeable and a flawless fit,” she smiled
looking my outfit up and down.

“Kellan, what do you think? Is Alexa
gorgeous or what?” Eduardo pressed.

“She always has been,” he replied
though his eyes never left mine. Amidst the fashion transformation,
Kellan and I got lost in our own intimate moment via
gaze.

“Ooh honey, save it for the bedroom,”
Eduardo advised closing the curtain again.

This continued for another hour. We
eliminated an entire rack of clothes but still managed to spend a
gut busting $5,437.72 on three pairs of jeans, two black pants,
brown pin striped pants, two turtlenecks, two sweaters, three
shirts, three dresses, six pairs of shoes, one pair of boots, three
scarves, and the one lone slim fit tee I begged them for. My jaw
hit the floor. Worse yet, we weren’t even close to done according
to Eduardo and my aunt.

“I called ahead to Vivianne at Belks.
She’s such a doll. She’s begun to pull items for us already,”
Eduardo carried on to my aunt as Kellan and I silently walked hand
in hand behind them. The purchase at Macy’s was loaded into
Kellan’s trunk by valet assistants so we were bagless, weighed down
by nothing but the gym echo of business carrying on in the
mall.

I rested my head on Kellan’s upper arm
and he lifted his arm around me. He didn’t say anything. Kellan
knew first-hand from my English bout with Mel that I wasn’t a fan
of shopping, but it had to be done.

Thus far, the liquid in my throat had
remained close to my mouth, yet not bubbling over. It’s manageable.
I’d already adapted to shorter, shallower breaths to compensate for
the ventilation restriction.

Alas, we arrived at Belk’s. We were
greeted by a thin, petite blonde twenty-something in grey
pin-striped pants, a tucked in button up white shirt, a shiny black
belt and pointed black heels. She was adorned with a long, silver
necklace knotted with black stones and diamond stud earrings. She
was the epitome of a young and fresh professional.

“Vivianne! How are you darling?”
Eduardo smiled kissing her cheeks.

“Wonderful as always,” she beamed in
reply.

“Vivianne, this is Claire, her niece
Alexa, and Alexa’s boyfriend Kellan,” he introduced.

“Oh, he’s not my boyfriend,” I
corrected. Kellan didn’t say anything, but I felt the dark stare on
me as if I had stabbed him silently with a knife. It slipped out so
quickly. I didn’t stop to think.

“I have a new boy toy everyday honey.
You learn to go with the flow if you catch me,” Eduardo
winked.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all,”
Vivianne nodded once. “Follow me. I’ve already pulled some
wonderful clothes for you, Alexa.”

She led us through a back door with a
sign reading ‘Employees Only.’ We then entered a side door into
another room. The moment the door was closed, again, the blasting
noise of commotion was muted, and thus allowed me to think
straight. I was trying to get used to the overwhelming sounds and
conversations that crowded the mall as we traveled through it, but
I couldn’t seem to calm my nerves enough to drown them out. This
could also be because of their sound. No distinction of
conversation was audible.

Looking around, this room was much
smaller than the last. It boasted cream walls, two extravagant art
pieces and a large custom gold framed mirror spanning floor to
ceiling, the ceiling reaching nearly nine feet, and hung five feet
wide. The only seating was a large 8’ across circular distressed
brown leather ottoman in the center of the room. Looking around, I
realized there was no private changing area – no curtains,
partitions or fold outs.

“Kellan you must remain a gentleman
and keep that peeper down,” Eduardo commanded flipping through the
rack of clothes Vivianne pulled. “This is magnificent Viv. I love
all the pieces,” he smiled approvingly at her.

“I can’t wait. Don’t make me wait
Eduardo. I’m dying to see them on Lexi,” my aunt squealed, running
her fingers along a few items before retiring on the
ottoman.

“Umm, are you okay Kellan?” I asked,
he appeared to be uncomfortable. He nodded once and laid flat on
the cushion, closing his eyes to maintain his “good boy”
behavior.

“Here,” Vivianne extended a black
satin sleeping mask. “Just in case,” she smiled. “Radio if you need
me.”

“Of course honey,” Eduardo answered
already handing me an outfit.

This time he paired medium toned
distressed, slightly-ripped-strategically, skinny jeans with an
empire waste three-quarter length sleeve navy blue shirt, a light
chunky yellow scarf to cover my neck and upper chest and brown
feminine loafers.

“It’s perfect. I love it,” my aunt
gushed.

It’s strange because the entire time,
change after change of outfits, my Aunt and Eduardo commented
non-stop on my beauty and how every outfit looked great on me, but
I still didn’t believe them. I still couldn’t wrap my mind around
the size I was wearing.

The day was filled from mall opening
to close with shopping. From Belks to Gap to Forever 21, we spent
over ten-thousand dollars on clothes, shoes, and two hoodies I
managed to sneak in. My aunt and Eduardo then insisted on several
purses, a wallet, sunglasses – though it’s almost winter - and the
true battle began over jewelry. There were pushing for items galore
to match each new outfit, which Eduardo had photographed with a
Polaroid. Our compromise was on one of each – a bracelet, ring,
diamond stud earrings, and a simple necklace – in white gold that
matched everything. I knew myself too well. I didn’t wear jewelry
currently, aside from earrings, so I wasn’t committing myself to a
new set every day.

By the day’s end, though I wasn’t
supposed to be, I was exhausted. The serum in my throat had begun
to burn harshly by mid-afternoon, and chugging a bottle of water
didn’t ease the pain in the slightest. I snuck a few kisses in from
Kellan to alleviate myself from time to time, but they never lasted
long enough to enjoy relief.

Once all the garment bags, shopping
bags and shoe boxes were stuffed in Kellan’s trunk and half the
back seat, I thanked Eduardo and Aunt Claire once more before
sliding into the car and slumping my head back. It felt as if a
weight lifted off me the moment my body rested in the seat; the
same relief you get once you shower and relax after a gruesome
workout.

My aunt hugged Eduardo and promised to
call him in a few days. Kellan quietly shut my door. He’d been
observing me carefully as the day progressed. I could tell he knew
something was wrong, but he didn’t say a word. We held hands every
chance we could and he slipped in a few gentle kisses on my
forehead more often than my lips. But the majority of the day he
was silent, though I guess most men are when it comes to shopping
trips.

The drive home took forty minutes, but
by arrival at my parents, I was beyond drained in every way. I was
beginning to worry. This wasn’t normal. I felt empty inside and the
serum in my throat was now hotter than boiling water burning my
lymphnodes.

Kellan opened my door and gave me his
hand, though ordinarily I shouldn’t have needed it, and he knew
this. I grabbed him nonetheless and lifted out of the back seat. No
sooner had I stood up that I became wobbly and collapsed into his
arms.

“Lexi!” my aunt panicked.

My mother burst through the garage
door yelling, “What’s wrong?!”

“I don’t know. She was fine all day,”
my aunt cried, both hovering over me anxiously.

“I’m... I’m okay. Just tired,” I
reasoned trying to stabilize myself.

“I’m going to take her upstairs,”
Kellan announced.

“Please,” my mother pleaded with
worried eyes. “I’ll be right up.”

One minute I was looking at my almost
hysterical aunt and mother, the next I was flat on my bed. I sat
up, taking in Kellan’s upset expression, and repeated, “I’m okay.
Really.”

“No, you’re not,” he lashed. “Vampeens
don’t get exhausted by a day’s worth of shopping. You’re built to
sleep very little and at the least don’t desire to ravenously.
Don’t lie to me Lexi. What’s wrong?” he demanded. I could see anger
enflaming him, but what confused me was why he was angry at me. He
was acting as if it was my fault; I’d purposefully allowed this to
happen to myself. Though he was covered in rage, the underlying
cause was definitely worry, fear, and confusion.

“I… uh… I.. don’t know,” I
mumbled.

“What do you feel?” he pressed, moving
on to the bed beside me. “Lexi,” he said caressing my face, “I need
you to tell me what you feel is wrong.”

His eyes carried nothing but concern
for me now. How did this day go so wrong? How did I go so wrong?
According to Kellan, I wasn’t supposed to feel tired; energy should
still surge through my veins. Something was definitely off
according to him and despite my rejection of this concept; I felt
it in my gut as well. I wish I could tell him exactly what it was,
describe perfectly what was plaguing me, but the only thing I felt
was exhaustion. “I just need to sleep, that’s all,” I finally
said.

After a long minute of intense staring
he gave in. He gently pushed me back. He kissed my head and I
pulled him beside me as I curled into him. “Don’t leave me,” I
pleaded.

“I won’t,” he promised.

Chapter 19

I awoke several hours later to a
middle-aged man shining a light in my eyes. He spoke in a language
I couldn’t comprehend. He was talking to my mother and aunt. I
quickly sat up feeling re-energized though the serum still scorched
my throat unforgivingly.

“Hello Alexa. I’m Doctor Hans
Higlenburge,” he introduced himself with a nod and a smile. He
reminded me of a young Steven Weber.

Knowing I would completely mess up his
name, I asked, “Can I just call you Dr. H?”

“Certainly,” he smiled
politely.

I looked around searching for Kellan,
but he was nowhere to be seen. Knowing who I was after, my aunt
explained, “We told Kellan to wait outside.”

“Why?” I asked confused by their
tight-lipped demeanor.

“To ensure your privacy,” my mother
answered.

“Mom, he saw me half naked hours ago.
There’s not much left to cover,” I replied, upset that she would
ban him. The moment the words escaped my mouth, I regretted their
wrong impression.

“He what?!” she fumed.

“Calm down Sharon. One of the dressing
rooms didn’t have a curtain. He didn’t see her bits, just the skin
between. He saw less than he would with her at the beach in a
bikini,” my aunt explained attempting to defuse the anger caked on
my mother.

“I don’t care Claire. It’s the
principle. I don’t want my daughter parading around like some
floozy.”

“I’m not a floozy Mom. I’m still a
virgin for Christ’s sake so I don’t think that’s possible,” I
argued.

“Well Sharon, it appears that Alexa is
in good condition. Her strength seems to have returned. Often if
the body was carrying an illness, such as a cold, when she goes to
transform, the body may be weakened easier the first twenty-four
hours. What did her palate prescribe?”

“Human food,” my mother answered. A
sinking feeling hit the bottom of my stomach when she said the
words.

“When was her last meal?” he asked
probing my tongue with a stick. “Say ‘ahh’,” he advised.

I obeyed in opening my mouth but I
refused to say ‘ah!’ It’s completely unnecessary.

“About nineteen hours ago,” my mother
replied.

“Yes, well her throat is coated beyond
normal capacity; it seems her body has reached starvation level.
Her body is crying for nutrients. She needs to eat at once,” he
commanded.

“I”ll see that she does immediately,”
my mother replied, worry seeping into her expression.

“Call me should you need me, but I’m
sure Alexa will be fine once she eats. Just make sure she is
consistent in portions; better to take more than enough over not
enough. No skimping allowed Alexa,” he advised staring directly at
me.

I shook my head acknowledging his
orders. With that he gathered his medical instruments into a black
bag, the same leather bag a doctor would carry in a house call on
the set of ‘I Love Lucy,’ and left the room.

“I’ll bring you food honey. Just rest
here for now,” my mother said, kissing my forehead before following
my aunt and the doctor.

No sooner had she scurried out the
door that Kellan was by my side. “How are you feeling?” he asked
promptly sitting on the bed beside me.

“You changed your clothes.”

“Your aunt picked them up for me. How
are you?” he repeated.

“I’m okay. I just needed to sleep like
I said.”

“And eat. Your throat must be burning
by this point. Why would you put yourself through that much pain?”
he demanded furrowing his brows.