MY MATE – Chapter One

POINT OF VIEW: BILLIE

“So, how long exactly have you two been travelling together?” Jay probes, poking the back of my neck.

I laugh, smiling as I look at Mickey. “Only 23 years – I lived at home with my God Parents before that, Mickey was always around though,” I confess. Bill and Karen… I miss them so much…

“Why don’t you live with them anymore?” Jay questions.

My smile fades as I remember back to them. I look down at my hands, I got them killed… “Bill died in 1991, protecting me from a flesh-eating Siren. Karen died in 2001 when a Demon possessed her as made her attack her daughter, Melanie… Mickey killed Karen to protect Mel…” I mumble. I look up to Mickey, whose face has turned to stone. “I’m sorry,” I murmur.

He looks over at me, his face softening. “It’s okay,” he smiles.

“Why did you name yourself after Bill?” Jay probes.

I turn around slightly in my seat. “He was a monster hunter, he worked for the Gods, Angels and Guardians but he refused to kill any monster that wasn’t deadly. My parents were vegetarian like I am, he didn’t see them as a threat, so he tried to save them from the other hunters… He saved my mother and I, so I adopted his name after his death as a memory of him,” I confess.

“Where’s your mum?” He asks, making the conversation sound like an interrogation…

I sigh. “I don’t know… she could be dead; she could be alive… All I know is that she went mental when my father was murdered…” I murmur. I take my earphones from out of my pocket and put them in. I roll down my window, relaxing as I look outside, taking in the peacefulness of the forest, filling my lungs with the fresh air and my nose with the wonderful smell of pine and dirt. But the peacefulness of the woods was broken as Mickey yells. “Shit,” he screams as the car swerves and rolls over.

I begin to wake up somewhere, as I hear a voice talking to me, “Miss? Miss, can you hear me?” I feel sleepy, my head and every limb hurts like hell. My eyes flutter open, and I find a young woman, in a nurse’s uniform. “How are you? Can you speak? Can you hear me?” She probes, I nod. I didn’t want to talk; I didn’t feel like it. But I was going to have to, I knew that much.

“Where am I?” I ask the lady, it’s obvious I’m in a hospital, but which one. In the area near where we crashed, there was at least three. After all, I am in Edinburgh.

“You’re at the Royal Victoria Hospital,” she pauses. “Do you remember what happened?” She asks, fear in her eyes.

“No, where’s my Uncle? Where’s my friend?” I ask. Mickey isn’t biologically related to me, but due to his job, he had to change his last name to Gabriel… I don’t think he cared, though…

“Who was driving?” She asks; this isn’t sounding too promising.

I sigh, “Mickey, my Uncle, was driving, why?” I ask her. She looks down at a piece of paper.

“Mickey Gabriel?” She says; I nod in response. “Who was your friend?” She asks with a puzzling look on her face.

“Jason Lee. Now, will you please tell me if they’re okay?” I ask. She looks up from the paper, regret covering her face. “No,” I say, shaking my head. ‘They can’t be dead,’ I thought to myself. Collapsing against the pillow again, a tear rolls down my face.

“I’m sorry, your Uncle passed away at the crash site…” she says before getting up. “However, we didn’t find anyone else. Mr Lee, as you named him, was not there… He may have wandered into the woods, but there were only two DNAs within the vehicle, Mickey Gabriel’s and yours…” she informs me. He was a traitor… I turn away from the nurse as I hear her walk off. I was alone, not just in the room, but in the world.

The next day I was taken to the police station after getting let out of the hospital. I was sore, but there was nothing else wrong with me, apart from my heart being broken. “Do you remember anything about the crash?” The investigator asks.

“Yes,” I tell him. He nods for me to proceed. “We were going home, up the woodland road that leads back to the house. But something must have been in the road, or someone. Then my uncle, Mickey, swerved to miss whatever it was but we were forced into the ditch, and we rolled. It felt as if we’d been thrown,” I then realise what I’d said, which was too much, “That’s all I remember,” I express before looking down at my hands on the table.

“Okay. Thank you, Miss Gabriel.” He says before standing up and asking the police officer at the door to escort me out.

When I got into the waiting area, the officer turns to look at me. “Don’t leave the country,” he orders as if it was amusing to him but under the circumstances, it wasn’t at all funny to me, but at least he had a sympathetic smile on.

“Don’t worry, I won’t,” I suggest him, but before walking out of doors, I turn back to him. “The country, or the kingdom?” I ask. I was in Britain, and with my Guardian being dead I was going to have to go down to Yorkshire to find Mickey’s brother, but if I can’t leave Scotland…

“Why?” He asks.

I sigh, “I need to find Mickey’s brother, he has Mickey’s paperwork that I’m going to need,” I explain him.

He nods in recognition. “Where is he?” He questions.

“Yorkshire, somewhere,” I comment him.

He nods again. “Okay, just make sure you have your phone with you at all times and don’t leave the ‘Kingdom’, we may need to speak to you again,” he says smiling. I understand why they don’t want me moving, it’s a reasonable thing for them to do. After all, if I left the country, they wouldn’t be able to contact me. I’m not looking forward this, but it’s time to go home.

~~~

After going to the safe house, gathering my bag and some money, I set off. I can’t stay in the area anymore: the safe houses are no longer safe. “Goodbye, Mickey,” I say, looking up at the house that we shared together. “I love you,” I confess, a tear rolling down my cheek, as I walk down the road. I need to keep going. I won’t let him die in vain, as long as I’m alive, so is he.

Yorkshire, it’s the home of so many beautiful places, the Yorkshire Moors, Flamborough, Bridlington and Scarborough. Yorkshire is just beautiful. North Yorkshire is where Mickey’s brother lives. I’ve never actually met him, but his address was in Mickey’s journal: 366 Shaw Lane, Harrogate, HG3 1RA, and that is where I’m heading, it’s close to where I lived with Bill and Karen, a little too close, maybe…

I finally find number 366, in the back streets of an old estate. I knock on the door and in seconds the door opens, a girl with long white hair. “Yes?” She says, there was no ‘Hello’, she apparently just wants to get straight to the point.

“I’m here to see Michael’s brother,” I inform the girl, using his real name, just in case they didn’t know about his Mickey Mouse nickname.

She looks at me with a confused look on her face. “Who is Michael and who are you?” She asks with a slight attitude.

“Michael is my guardian, and his brother is supposed to be living here,” I tell her.

“Cori!” She shouts.

Then a man appears. “What happening?” He asks me. I look at him, confused, is that him? “What’s happened? You’re only supposed to come here when something’s happened to Mickey. So, what’s happened?” He asks again.

“Who’s Mickey?” She probes.

“Mickey is Michael…” Cori stutters.

“I’m sorry to inform you that Mickey has passed away,” straight away I could see the distress on his face.

The girl took his hand and wrapped it around her, in an embrace. He kisses the top of her head, and it made me think back to Jason and our relationship, I should never have trusted a human… “How?” He questioned, his lips buried in the girl’s hair.

“We were in a car crash, the police think he broke his neck in the accident, but if it were just that, he’d be alive, so I think he might have been beheaded,” I tell him. Mickey would still be alive if it were just a broken neck; he was a species of Vampyre after all. Whoever made us crash, whoever kicked the car with such a force must have done something to him. “I’m sorry; I just thought I’d tell you, I didn’t know what else to do…” I mumble before turning around and go to walk away.

“Where are you going?” He asks in a worried voice.

I sigh, looking over my shoulder at them. “I don’t know. The next safe house maybe, it’s in the lake district though.” Sighing again I look away. “Anywhere,” I say before walking off with my face in my hands.

“Go to Karen’s Cafe in town! I’ll meet you there at 2pm,” he shouts after me as I walk away, I wave to him to let him know that I heard him.

After an hour of walking, I finally get to Karen’s Cafe, it’s a cafe that Mickey and I came to quite often when I was young. Though it belongs to Karen’s daughter now due to what happened in 2001, I really miss her… “Hey,” the waitress says a small smile on her face, as if sympathetic. “What would you like?” She questions, showing her pearl white teeth.

“Can I have the special please?” I ask her.

She smiles, giggles then nods. “Do you even know what the special is?” She asks.

I sigh and grin. “Well, it’s a Tuesday, so it’s most likely Lasagne,” I tell her.

She giggles. “It’s strange that I’ve never seen you before and you already know the specials,” she says raising her hand to her bottom lip. “I’ll go get that for you, what drink would you like?” She asks.

“Can I have a Mocha Milkshake, please?” I ask. She smiles, her eyes wide and nods before walking off.

Then the door chime rings. “Hey,” I hear a husky voice say and then he comes from behind me and sits in the seat opposite me. Mickey’s brother. “Now tell me, how much did you know about my brother?” He asks me.

“Well, I can’t remember ever being without him for the past 64 years, why?” I ask.

He sighs. “Well, my name is Cori, Kier was my guardian, he was like a brother to me; he still is. Though, I haven’t seen him in two months. He’s Mickey’s brother,” I understand now, I think.

“But how can he leave you on your own? You’re not supposed to be alone, are you?” I ask him. I was always taught by Mickey that if anything happened to him, I had to stay in the shadows and find someone worthy of being a guardian. So, why is Cori alone?

“I’m alone because I’m not the same as you, I’m a Therianthropes, which is a shapeshifter, I can turn into any creature I desire, though I’m limited at times due to my elemental strengths,” he sighs. His elemental powers undoubtedly piss him off, with his pale skin and white hair it’s clear that he is a Winter Wolf, I understand his pain. “Also, I’m not entirely alone, I have my sister,” he informs me, that would make the look-a-like female must be his sister

“Why was your sister so paranoid when I asked for Kier?” I ask, sounding somewhat nosey.

Cori made a delightful sound with his chuckles. “She is married to Kier, don’t worry it’s nothing personal,” he tells me.

I smile, not being able to hold back. “Thank you,” I tell him.

“One Mocha Milkshake and one Lasagne,” the waitress says placing the food and drink on the table then she looks at Cori. “Hey, Cori. How are you?” She asks.

“Fine, I guess. Thank you, Mizore,” he says. Mizore?

I look up at her. “You’re Karen’s granddaughter?” I ask. It can’t be that long since Melanie gave birth, surely.

“Yeah, did you know her?” She asks. “I never really knew her, she died when I was three, and I can’t really remember her.”

“Yeah, I knew her. I know your mum as well, though I haven’t been back in a while,” I tell her. She’s so pretty, I wouldn’t have guessed it was her, last time I saw a picture of her she was a little girl with long, brown hair with a ginger tint: now she has short, dark brown pigtails and she’s older and well, hotter.

She smiles. “Cool, you’ll have to tell me about Karen sometime,” she says smiling before turning back to Cori, “Do you want your usual?” She asks. He nods and smiles. “Okay, I’ll go get it for you,” she says, her ass bouncing as she walks away.

“She’s got a good ass, hasn’t she?” Cori asks, though he already knew the answer to that.

Though, I tried denying checking her out. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I tell him, sitting back and crossing my arms over my chest.

“Two things: One, I know you just checked her out as she left and two, I was told you haven’t had your Click yet,” he tells me. A Click is a link between two people when one or both are Vampyres, and with me being almost 80 years old, I was told to keep an open mind. Though, they said I probably won’t find anyone until I’m one hundred, but I don’t care. I do find some girls attractive, though, I did have a thing about Jason. I liked him, but then all of this happened.

“Okay, so, I find some girls attractive, get over it. It doesn’t mean I check them all out,” I snap defensively.

He chuckles. Then rests his hand on mine. “Don’t worry about it,” he says before leaning in and whispering, “I won’t tell anyone if you don’t.” He then winks before Mizore returns with Cori’s meal.

“One diet Coke and one chicken tikka sandwich,” she says bending a little to put his meal on the table making her big breasts go right into my eye line and her ass raises a little. Then she moves back. “Anything else?” She asks us.

“Nope. Thanks, Mizzie,” he says. Then when she walks past him, he smacks her ass.

“Fack off,” she smiles, looking over her shoulder as she walks away and going back into the kitchen.

“You really shouldn’t do that, you know,” I tell him.

He smiles showing his pearl white teeth. “I know, but a guy can’t help to wonder what is under the skirt and panties,” he says, then winks at me. “I’m sorry, I’m not even interested, I just wanted to see your reaction…” he mumbles.

“You’re not interested?” I question.

He shakes his head. “She’s not the gender I like…” he murmurs.

I smile before looking down at my Lasagne and picking up my fork, I know I’m blushing, I just got jealous over a gay man touching Mizore… “Look who we have here,” a woman says coming from behind the cafe counter.

I look up and get out of my seat, “Melanie?”

She nods, “Hey, Sweetcheeks,” before embracing me into a hug.

Then Mizore came out, looking slightly confused. “I’ve missed you,” I whispered in Mel’s ear. I used to fancy her, but I guess it just runs in the family.

“I missed you, too,” she says before pulling away. “So, do you remember this one?” She asks, pointing towards Mizore.

I laugh, “The last time I saw her was at Karen’s funeral, and the last picture you sent Mickey was in 2004, she was eight. C’mon Mel, even she doesn’t remember me.” I tell her, still chuckling.

“Understandable, I guess,” she says, then rethinks. “You saw the picture?” She asked. It was for Mickey’s eyes only, I never knew why she’d send a picture to him, but I could ask now, or one day at least.

“Yeah, Mickey kept the pictures in his wallet. Though, that one of you and Mizore, I kept,” then, reaching into my pocket, I pull out my green leather wallet and open it up. There were two pictures, one of Melanie and Mizore back in 2004 and another one of Mickey and myself with Karen from 2000, just before it happened. “I never forgot about you, no matter how many years went past,” I tell her, showing her the pictures.

She smiles sweetly, a tear rolling down her left cheek. “Never?” She asked.

“Never.”

~~~

After talking to Mel for a while, Mizore comes and sits with us. “So, where’s Mickey?” Mel asks, smiling until she read my face.

I look down at my hands. “He’s gone,” I confess, a pain causing my chest to tighten as I wait for her response.

I look up to find a tear trickling down her cheek. “How?” She questions.

I look down at my hands, twiddling my thumbs nervously. “Car accident; there was something in the road, Mickey swerved, and the car crashed,” I tell her looking up. She presses her lips together, clenching her jaw to make sure the screams don’t get free.

“Was it only you and Mickey in the car?” Mizore asks me. I look back down, a tear threatening to burst the banks of my eye.

My throat is filled with a lump of sadness. “Yes,” I blurt, not wanting to let on that I’d let a traitor in. “It was just Mickey and me,” I say trying to even out my voice.

The room turned became pin drop silence. I quickly blink back the rogue tear and look up to find a beautiful face looking at me, one full of sadness and sympathy. Mizore was so gorgeous, even when she was sad, so sympathetic. “I’m so, so sorry,” she whispers quietly. In fact, she whispered so softly, nobody heard her but me. She didn’t sound entirely sad though, which confused me, she looked sympathetic but didn’t seem it; this girl is a confusing one.

“Billie, how long has it been since the crash?” Mel asks me.

I tear my eyes away from Mizore to look at her mother. “It’s been three days, the police are still investigating,” I inform her.

“Why are the police involved?” Mel asks as tear forms in her eye.

I sigh and look down. “They’re treating it as suspicious due to the circumstances,” I explain, taking a deep breath to attempt not to cry. When I look back up, Cori had whispered in Mel’s ear about what happened… about how he was killed… beheaded.

“I’m happy you’re okay,” she tells me, giving me a watery grin. I’d missed being home, having Mel to talk to. I miss Karen and Bill… I miss them so much. But now I’m home; only for a while, but I’m home.

After a couple of hours talking about how everything has been over the past few years and then it came to the subject of college, which I haven’t attended since I was 27. It’s been 50 years…

“Are you going to college again?” Mel asks. I sigh, shaking my head. “Oh but Mizzie will be able to look after you,” she tells me. I look to Mizore, she smiles sweetly. I look back to Melanie.

I sigh, “I don’t really have a choice, do I?”

“So, where are you going to be staying?” Mizore asks, giggling.

I sigh, “I don’t know yet. My house in the woods got burnt down in 2000; I don’t know where I’m going anymore.” I looked her straight in the eye; they sparkled and began to shine brighter than before.

Mizore glances up at her mother, “Mum? Can I ask a question?” She asks her smile widening and her eyes flashing.

Mel giggles, “Billie, will you please put my daughter out of her misery and live with us?” Mel asks me, I look between Mizore and Mel before focusing back on Mizore.

I smile, trying not to look too excited. “Okay.” And in a flash, Mizore kneeling on the table, her arms snaked around my neck and my face buried in her breasts, Oh my.

“I’m so excited!” Mizore says, resting her cheek on the crown of my head. My pulse racing and making my face throb.

I wrap my arms around her waist, embracing her for a while until my oxygen supply runs out, I am a Vampyre but I still need to breathe – the issues of being a born Vampyre… and I’m being suffocated by her large chest. I tap her shoulder before hearing Mel, “Mizzie, Billie can’t breathe.” She says giggling.

Mizore gasps and jumps back, her hands resting on her cheeks, turning red with embarrassment. “I’m so, so sorry,” she says sounding incredibly sorry.

I chuckle. “Don’t worry about it,” I say taking her hand in mine and raising it to my lips. She giggles at my touch. What am I doing?! I withdraw my hand, Mizore moves back and gets off the table with caution.

“Well…” Cori says, pausing. “That was interesting,” he says winking at me; I look away feeling myself blush. What is this girl doing to me?

“C’mon, you need to get unpacked! You’re going to have to share a room with Mizore, is that okay?” Mel asks. I hesitate, is that a good idea? I wonder but before my brain could do anything my head nods, disobeying my brain completely, “Good! This is going to be great!” She giggles dropping my bags to the floor of the landing. “Mizzie?! Have you sorted your room out?” She yells.

“Yeah, but I still can’t get another bed in here,” Mizore roars back.

A nervous jolt runs through me, Don’t say it, and please don’t say it. Mel chuckles, “You have a double bed, just share! Billie won’t mind!” She yells, “Will you, Billie?” She asks calmly, with a somewhat scary smile on her face. If I cross her, I don’t think my Vampyrism will save me.

And once again my body disobeys me. “I don’t mind,” I say, smiling sweetly… What is happening to me?!

The room is small considering the size of the house. The walls are tall with a high ceiling like all the others in the house, two bay windows, one opposite the door and the other next to the bed. The room is filled with a desk, bookshelves and a double sofa bed. Black bedding covers and red lace netting covering the top of the pillowcases. Then I realise why the room was so small, it was only half of its original size, behind the door were two more bookshelves, a door in the corner and a door between the two bookshelves. I turn to Mizore; she’s smiling again, that big and beautiful smile. “You can put your stuff in the wardrobe; I only fill half of it,” she giggles, blushing. I chuckle, in awe with her beauty. “Okay,” I say as she opens the wardrobe door for me, it was huge! And she was right; she did only fill half of it. I get to work quickly, hanging my clothes up and plugging in my cooler case in and tucking it under the clothes out of view. Mel knows I’m a Vampyre, Mizore, on the other hand, doesn’t. I just hope she doesn’t freak out if she finds my cooler. I’ll tell her soon, but I don’t want her freaking out on me.

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