The Vampire Pirate's Daughter by Lynette Ferreira Page A

an embrace and then the screen goes blurry.
    He says softly, “Don’t you just hate when
that happens. Do they really have to hide the fun parts?”
    I punch at him playfully, feeling
uncomfortable, and then he leans into me. He puts his arm around my
shoulders and he pulls me closer into him. Softly he brushes his
lips over mine and immediately I feel a warmness rush over me. He
brings his hand up and then he gently holds his hand against my
cheek, while kissing me with slow determination. It is the longest,
most breathtaking kiss, I have ever experienced - my first real
kiss. When he gently pulls away from me, he looks at me with a soft
smile. Tenderly he says, “I know how I feel about you and I am
really sorry for being jealous.”
    We kiss again and soon after he says,
outwardly frustrated, “I better leave, the sun will be up soon and
I have to make sure I am home before Carmine’s dad wakes up.”
    He stands up and I follow him up from the
floor. Together we walk to the door hand in hand, and then at the
end of the driveway, on the verge, he turns to me and takes me into
his arms. I reach up to him and he kisses me again.
    He smiles. “Jeez, I cannot stop kissing you.
As soon as one kiss ends, I have this compulsion to reach in for
another.”
    I laugh softly, embarrassed.
    He sighs deeply. “I’ll see you again tomorrow
night?”
    I smile shyly. “I’ll be here.”
    “Is nine too early?”
    “No, it’s perfect.” I hear the song of the
morning birds and then I laugh apologetically. “I better go inside
as well. You know the sun and all of that.”
    He smiles and then still holding my hand, he
starts to walk away from me. He slowly, gently lets my hand go. My
hand falls back to my side and I watch him until I cannot see him
anymore. I go inside and walk straight to the basement.
    I wait impatiently for night, and when it is
almost nine o’clock, I walk out into our driveway. I see him coming
down the road from up the hill and he is pushing his motorbike.
    I walk onto the verge of the road and I ask
curiously, “And now?”
    He laughs. “I sneaked out and I could not
exactly start my bike in front of the house.” He stops in front of
me and then he pushes the stand out from under the bike, letting it
lean onto the stand. He lets go of the handlebars and hands me a
helmet. He asks, “Suppose we went for a ride tonight?”
    “I suppose that would be acceptable.”
    He looks at me suddenly serious. “I don’t
have a white horse, but I have this horse, and I would like to
rescue you from the great treacherous villain, called Sir
Boredom.”
    I laugh loudly. “No seducing me with your Sim
tonight?”
    “Maybe later.”
    I pull the elastic band from my hair and my
red hair tumbles down onto my shoulders. I put the helmet on over
my head and Andrew asks amused, “Aren’t you going to tell Amanda we
are leaving?”
    “ Jeez. I was so excited, I completely
forgot. Don’t go away, I’ll be right back.”
    I run up the small lawn toward the front
door, sidestepping the Koi pond gracefully. I run into the house
and call, “Amanda.”
    I hear her voice coming from upstairs,
“Here.”
    I run up the stairs two at a time and then I
rush into her room. I see the sadness on her face, but I am too
excited and it does not really register at that specific
moment.
    I ask excitedly, “Can I please go with
Andrew?”
    Amanda looks toward me absentmindedly. “Yes,
of course. Just be back before sunrise.”
    Turning away from her, I run down the stairs
and call out, “Thanks.”
    When I get back to Andrew, he smiles. “That
was fast.”
    I reply jokingly, “I am fast - remember.”
    A shadow crosses his face, but then he leans
down and pulls the footrests out of the space it is nestled into.
He puts his helmet on while I pull mine over my head and then
lifting his leg, he straddles the motorbike. While he inches
forward, I climb on behind him awkwardly. I put my feet on the
footrests and then I hold onto the