Bad Blood

“STOP IT!” Seven year old Edward Carpenter’s voice filled the streets as his older sister, Millie, whipped her head around quickly. They were right outside of Esther Norwalk’s house, a close friend of Geraldine Dawson. Then again, everybody seemed to be a close friend of Geraldine’s. She was a woman who liked to involve herself in the community around her, so she had many friends, which inadvertently meant that she had lots of spies. Middle aged women with unwavering devotion to Geraldine were a huge threat to pre-teen girls who were already beginning to display a hint of teenage angst. Nothing in Crullfeld went on without Geraldine’s knowledge, nothing changed without her say so. She’d made herself the town’s unofficial leader, though nobody knew why. She had a charm people couldn’t resist.

“Shut up, Eddie,” Millie hissed, yanking him by the arm so he stood next to her. They were beginning to turn down Miller Street, which was gossip central. It started at the corner by Ms. Norwalk’s house at the very end of Cramer street, where it merged with Miller street, and ended down by Mr. Franklin Roscerio’s house at the end of Miller street. “We’re just playing.” Millie continued in a whisper. She exchanged a glance with her best friend, Victoria Harrison. “Maybe we should tone it down,” she said with a sigh. “So he doesn’t go tattling to grandma.” “Let him tattle,” Victoria exclaimed, folding her arms. Her eyebrows narrowed as she continued walking, nose in the air. “We’re not doing anything wrong. We’re having fun.” Victoria never seemed to be afraid of repercussions, which left Millie feeling uneasy. Her fear of disapproval was strong, and while she knew there was technically nothing wrong with playing with her best friend, she knew Edward would spin it into something, or continue protesting until she grew angry and looked like the bad guy again.

“Eddie,” Victoria said cooly, bending down so she was eye level with him, “Why are you so afraid? Don’t you think it would be cool if Millie and I had powers?” Millie frowned, crossing her arms jealously. She and Victoria were both eleven, but Victoria always seemed older. She knew how to handle situations in ways Millie couldn’t even comprehend, and she even was better at calming down Edward.

“Vampires hurt people.” Edward scowled as he stomped, his backpack bouncing on his back behind him. “I don’t like that.”

“No they don’t,” Victoria answered matter-of-factly. “At least, not all of them.” Edward paused his sulking, fascinated by the story. “They don’t?” He asked, his voice timid. “No.” Victoria let out a small chuckle. “Some help people. And we don’t all even drink blood. Some of us drink diet blood.” Us. Mildred couldn’t fathom how her friend was able to come up with such stories and tell them with so much sincerity. She was so engrossed in this non-fictional universe that it oftentimes worried Millie. Especially during the summer between fifth and sixth grade. In fifth grade, the whole thing still felt like a game. But over the summer, Millie had tried to invite Victoria to the town’s pool only for Victoria to sulk around in the shadows, sneaking from tree to tree, insisting that the sun burned her skin. She’d also given up the hot fuschias and bright purples she’d adored just months before, and kept herself dressed in blacks or earthy colors. Even that day, she wore a long brown skirt, and a black and white striped jacket with the hood pulled tightly around Victoria’s face. She’d even started wearing makeup, something Millie wasn’t allowed to do until she reached Junior High.

“Right,” Millie chimed in eagerly, giving Eddie a reassuring smile. He grinned, showing off the space where his front teeth were missing. He hadn’t lost his teeth in the traditional way, he still had a few teeth in the middle and missing teeth along the sides, which his classmates liked to tease him for. “Okay. You can play. But only diet blood.” Eddie agreed, much to the excitement of Millie. Still, Victoria refused to convey her excitement.

“So, you’re coming to the Midnight Feast tonight, right?” Victoria asked. Millie never had the nerve to tell Victoria that she went to bed strictly at nine fifteen, so she simply nodded. “Of course. I wouldn’t miss it.”

“You missed the last few,” Victoria stated, crossing her arms.

“Well, I…” Millie carefully fumbled for a response that would appease her friend, but mercifully she didn’t have to. A few houses down, the Donovan twins Kerrigan and Taryn sat in their father’s truck bed, waiting for them. The two were seventh graders, and had a particular interest in making the lives of other’s as unbearable as possible.

“Hey, Twinkle toes,” Kerrigan shouted out as they started to walk by. Millie, who was never up to date on fashion trends, had still worn a pair of twinkle-toed shoes during fifth grade, and the twins never let her live it down.

“And Bucktooth,” Taryn called out, gesturing towards Eddie.

“Leave him alone,” Millie shouted, though her voice trembled with uncertainty.

“Go to Hell!” Victoria shouted out, which even shocked Millie.

“Victoria,” she whispered. “You’re not supposed to say that.”

“Victoria, you’re not supposed to say that!” Taryn called out in mockery, unable to suprss her laughter. “Why don’t you freaks all go to Hell?”

“Stop it! Stop saying that!” Eddie whined, tears welling up in his eyes.

“Lay off,” Millie warned, placing a firm hand on her brother’s shoulder.

Kerrigan’s face went taut. Victoria had been glaring at them so extremely even Millie felt uneasy, and Kerrigan quickly climbed out of the truck. “I’m sorry,” she stated quickly, “I was just playing around. Honest.”

Taryn didn’t speak, but quickly followed her sister inside.

“I’ll get them later,” Victoria insisted. “They’ll be sorry. I’ll make sure of it.”

“Don’t talk like that, Vicky!” Eddie insisted, unable to control his tears any longer.

“Well, we can’t live in this bubble anymore,” Victoria continued on. “If we want to stop being walked on, we need to stand up for ourselves. We need to use our power, Mil.”

Eddie clung onto his sister’s hand as Victoria looked at them, pleading. “Won’t you help me, Millie?”

“I don’t have any power.” Millie stated. “Neither do you, Victoria. It’s a game.”

“A game.” Victoria scoffed. “This whole thing is a game to you?”

The air felt colder as Millie stood there, staring at the girl who used to be her best friend. The girl who just a year ago wore a matching pink fuzzy shirt with peace signs on it to school picture day so they could look like twins. “Isn’t it?” Millie asked quietly. She actually began to feel guilty, realizing then that this had all been something more.

“It wasn’t to me.” Victoria muttered out, her eyes darkening. She crossed her arms and began pouting, stomping away from Millie and Eddie.

“Vic, wait,” Millie called after her. “I’m really sorry. I thought we were just playing!”

“Why would I make this up?” Victoria huffed, continuing on her walk.

“I thought that was the point,” Millie tried exclaiming hastily. “I thought it was some make believe game. Like when we were five and pretended to be princesses.”

“I’m not that childish anymore,” Victoria scoffed, turning to look Millie right in the eyes. “In case you haven’t realized, Mildred, we’re not babies anymore. We’re going to Junior High next year. Don’t you think it’s time you, well, grew up?”

Mildred stood there, fighting back the hot tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. Her retaliation was on the tip of her tongue, begging to be yelled out. Victoria was beginning to walk away, crossing to the opposite side of the street. Millie knew neighbors would see. They’d detect conflict. Cruel as it was to admit, she hoped the town would take her side. If she yelled at Victoria like she wanted to, she’d be horrible too. But then again, if she was really losing her best friend, would it matter? Maybe Victoria needed a dose of reality.

“I’m not the one who thinks I’m a vampire,” Millie taunted. Victoria spun around, wide eyed and irate. Millie had never seen her so angry.

“I am a vampire,” Victoria insisted, walking back to Millie in a few quick strides. She stood so close their noses practically touched before whispering, “and you better be glad we were friends before all of this. Otherwise, I’d be coming after you.”

With another quick snarl, she walked away, slinking back into the shadows the trees left on the sidewalk across the street. Eddie was unconsolible, something Millie knew she needed to resolve.

“Please stop,” She pleaded, taking her brother’s hand. “Victoria was just angry. She won’t do anything, don’t be afraid.”

“Is she serious?” Eddie whined, his lip quivering. “Is she a vampire?”

“Of course not.” Millie assured him, though she didn’t believe it herself. There was something wrong with her friend, that was certain. But the last thing Millie wanted to do was be on the recieving end of her grandmother’s wrath for upsetting Eddie. If Victoria wanted to play as some kind of monster so badly, well, Millie figured she could be the monster

“I’m telling grandma what happened, okay?” Millie explained. “Please don’t say anything to her.”

“Why not?” Eddie insisted. “You told me it was a game. You lied to me.”

“It is.” Millie snapped. “Or, I thought it was. Okay? Please, Eddie. Don’t tell grandma I did anything.”

Despite being younger, Millie suspected her brother knew too well the importance of upkeeing their appearances. He let out a small sigh, then agreed. “Okay. But don’t play that game anymore.”

“I won’t. Ever.” Millie stated. At least that she knew she could say with absolute certainty. Victoria Harrison was a friend of hers no longer.