The Vampire’s Servant
Chapter 89

When we arrived at the amusement center, Gray insisted on walking me in. He didn't want something to happen to me between the parking lot and the restaurant. I was a little embarrassed. I worried he was going to want to stay with us or was going to threaten Sean. The entertainment center had all sorts of rides inside of it. I stopped to watch some spinny thing. Everyone looked like they were having fun. I wanted to try it.

Gray guided me to the restaurant, promising we would come again and I could ride all of the rides they had. I was giddy with excitement. I had never seen anything like this.

Sean was standing near a wall. He was wearing jeans and a gray t-shirt with a dragon on it. I waved at him and he smiled for a moment before looking a little nervous.

We walked over and Gray put his hand out to shake Sean's. Sean looked at it and accepted the outstretched hand. They shook hands briefly with smiles.

"I want you to keep a close eye on my girl today. Do you have my cell number?" Gray asked.

"Um... no... no, I don't." Sean said.

"Here. I'm going to give it to you and I want you to text me so I have your number." Gray told him before telling Sean his number.

I watched the people around us and tried to see what games were in the arcade side of the center. When I wandered too far away, Gray would reach out and drag me back. They talked for a bit longer, then Gray gave me a kiss before he left. Sean guided me into the restaurant. We were seated by the hostess and handed menus. She went to get our waters.

"I was thinking we could either split a pizza, or we could get burgers. It's mostly just simple comfort food stuff. I wouldn't trust the fancier stuff on the menu." He said.

"I don't think I could eat half a pizza." I replied.

"Burgers it is." Sean laughed.

I grinned. We went back to looking at the menu. I picked a cheeseburger with mushrooms on it. I liked mushrooms.

While we were waiting on our food, we talked about school.

"Did you finish your missing work?" He asked.

"Just finished the last of it this morning. I'm all caught up again. Thank goodness." I said.

"I'm glad. Did Gray help you with it?"

"Yeah. He's in a higher level of math, like you are, so he was able to help me with the things that were harder."

"Gray's actually in my math class. He's really good. You wouldn't expect it. He seems like he would be one of those people who would get by on his looks." Sean chuckled.

"He does tend to go back and forth between being really smart and being a little stupid. I think it's cute, but I used to think it was annoying." I admitted.

"You told me before he wasn't your boyfriend and it didn't seem like you liked him too much. Like, enough to hang out with him, but I didn't figure you'd come back from being sick and be dating him." He said.

I blushed and sipped my water. I didn't know how I was going to explain that. Victor and Gray had been telling me all week that it was important not to tell humans what we were. Even though they knew, it was like they didn't want to know.

They warned me more about not knowing who was and wasn't a hunter. They said that even teens could be hunters. Families of hunters would raise their kids to be hunters as well. I didn't think Sean could be one, but I was going to be careful until I knew for sure. "He and I talked a lot. I realized that I wasn't giving him a chance. When I did, it was like we were meant to be." I said, toying with the ring on my finger.

"That's new. Did he give it to you?" Sean asked.

"Yeah. Yesterday, after school."

"You didn't have it on when I last saw you." He said.

"He gave it to me after I got off the bus." I admitted.

"Why didn't you just ride home with him? If your boyfriend has a car, you ride to and from school with him. It's like a rule." Sean told me.

"I like riding the bus with you. I told him that."

"No wonder he's been acting like he doesn't trust me. You made him think that we might be a thing." He sighed.

"I didn't mean to. I don't always get these things right." I replied quietly. "I just like having time without classes and other people taking my attention from you. You're my first school friend who wasn't related to me and didn't want something from me." "You need to explain that to him. You can even tell him that I'm not interested in you like that. You're not my type." Sean said.

Our food was delivered right as he said that. The waitress gave me a pained look, like she was sympathizing with me. I blushed again. I wasn't interested in Sean like that either, but it looked to her like I just got rejected.

After she left, we picked at our food a little. Sean seemed to be as uncomfortable as I was. He kept starting to say something, then stopped.

"I'm sorry. I hope I didn't hurt your feelings with that, or something." He said.

"You didn't. I'm sorry I put you in a position where you thought you needed to clarify that. I never thought you were interested in me. Gray is just... a little possessive." I told him.

"I can see that." Sean sighed.

We ate our food quietly. I really hoped this didn't taint the whole day. I really wanted to have fun.

Sean started laughing. I looked at him questioningly. That seemed to make him laugh harder. I waited for him to stop laughing.

"Sorry, you wiggle when you eat and it reminded me of my dog and the way he wags his tail when we feed him. It just made it worse when you cocked your head to the side. He does that too." He snickered. "Are you calling me a dog?" I asked.

"More like a puppy." Sean chuckled.

I remembered calling Gray that once. It didn't really feel like an insult though. It felt like a fun observation. Sean was smiling and that meant we could have fun again.

"You never laughed before." I said.

"I've only sat near you, not next to you or across from you. It's cute, though, seriously. I never meet people like you. I didn't even know they existed. You're my age, but you seem like you're just discovering the world." Harmony told me what to answer if people said something like this. I was prepared.

"I had a very sheltered childhood. I kind of am discovering everything for the first time." I answered.

"What changed? Why are you suddenly unsheltered?" He asked.

"My parents died. I live with a man who wants me to experience the world. It's why I'm in public school, why I really choose to ride the bus, and why I don't know things other kids do." I admitted.

"I'll help you." He picked up the spoon on his napkin. "This is a spoon. It's for eating with."

"Haha. You're so funny." I rolled my eyes.

"Thank you." Sean winked.

We finished our meal and paid. Sean took me out to the arcade first. We stopped to look at all the games. He explained how you could win tickets on some of them and take those tickets up for prizes. He even took me over near the prize desk so I could see what they had. After that, we went to the desk for the rest of the place. There were bracelets you could buy that would let you ride all of the rides and play laser tag and mini golf all you wanted. We just bought tickets for the golf course.

Sean took my hand and pulled me to the gates where the golf course began. I was distracted by people in little cars on one side and people in boats on the other. I wanted to try everything.

"Okay. This is the first hole. Watch what I do. This is how you play." Sean instructed.

He put his ball down and readied himself, then pulled back a bit and hit the ball. It rolled into the big fake tree and out the other side, stopping a little way from the hole in the ground. Sean smiled at me. "Your turn." He said.

I put my ball on the same dot where he put his and readied myself, taking a deep breath before I pulled back and hit the ball. It hit the roots of the tree and rolled back. I stomped my foot in frustration. He made it look so easy, but I couldn't manage it. "Calm down, Echo. You were turned a little from where you needed to be. I'll go get your ball and you can try again. I'll help." Sean told me patiently.

Sean got the ball and put it back on the dot. He moved me to the right spot and showed me how to grip the club so it wouldn't slip or rotate. I hit the ball again. This time, it went into the tree and came out like Sean's did. I cheered and hugged him. "I've never seen someone so emotionally invested in mini golf." He chuckled.

"It's my first time. I want to be good at it, but I know that's not possible. It's frustrating because it seems easy for you, but I needed all sorts of instruction. That made getting it right even better." I explained.

"You're a weird girl, Echo Nightshade. I think I like it." Sean said, pulling me to the other side of the tree.

He showed me how to knock the ball gently into the hole and I got it right the first time. I jumped around and cheered. Sean seemed amused.

We played through a few other holes. Each one got progressively more difficult. Even Sean was having some trouble on the sixth one. While we played, we talked about more stuff. Favorite teachers and subjects, Terry and Elle's weird relationship, Cam and Harmony's clinginess.

Soon, we were at the last hole. The opening moved around in a circle. Sean tried to hit and it took him four tries before he got it into the obstacle and it came out the other side. I looked at it and watched the way the thing moved. "Come on, Echo." Sean said impatiently.

"If I get it in on the first shot, will you tell me who you have a crush on?" I asked.

He turned red and looked away. I moved so I could see his face. Sean looked worried.

"I don't talk about stuff like that. I've known Elle and Terry since elementary, and they don't even know." He admitted.

"Come on. I'm your friend. You should be able to tell me this stuff." I goaded.

"No one makes this on the first shot. Fine. You can try and I'll tell you if you get it. You just have to make me two promises."

"What are they?"

"First, promise that you won't tell anyone ever. Second, that you won't stop being friends with me. I'm always afraid of losing friends." He said softly.

"Agreed." I grinned.

Sean stepped off to the side and I put my ball down. I'd been watching carefully when he was up. I watched where the hole was when he hit his ball and timed the rotation. It might have been cheating, I don't really know, but I was going to come out of this day closer to Sean than before.

I took a deep breath and hit my ball. For a moment, I thought I'd gone too soon. The ball hit the edge of the hole as it slid in. I jumped and cheered.

"Oh, god." Sean groaned.

"Yes! You have to tell me who you have a crush on now!" I squealed.

"Damn it. I really didn't think you'd make that." He sighed.

"Out with it. Who do you have a crush on, Sean?" I asked.

He twisted his hands around the handle of the club and looked around, like he was checking that no one would hear us. I looked around too, then stepped closer. Sean leaned in and paused for a while.

"Gray." Sean whispered.

I looked at him with wide eyes. "I'm sorry. Gray doesn't like boys like that, Sean."

"I know. You aren't mad that I have a crush on your boyfriend?" He asked.

I fidgeted with the ring on my finger. There was no part of me that really felt bothered by it. Gray was my mate, not just a boyfriend. He loved me and he didn't like boys. There was no way that Sean could steal him. I would feel bad that my friend had to see me being happy with my boyfriend. Maybe I could find him a boyfriend. That would be best.

"Did you have a crush on him before he became my boyfriend?" I asked.

"Yes. I've had a crush on him since tenth grade." Sean blushed.

"Then I'm the one who stepped in your way. Just don't try to make him leave me." I said.

"You never stepped in my way. It's what happens when a gay boy falls for a straight boy. There were plenty of girls before he ever saw you. I'm not the one you have to worry about trying to break you up. Some of his exes are pretty jealous." He chuckled.

"I didn't realize he'd dated before." I murmured as I walked past him to where our balls had settled.

"Of course he did. Gray is a hot guy. Lots of girls have been after him. A few even caught him. They all ended up breaking up with him though." Sean said.

"Not him breaking up with them?" I asked.

"No. I guess he kept changing the subject when the girls started talking about their futures. I heard this like third hand. Gray told his last girlfriend that there was never going to be an 'after college' for them. He told her she wasn't his forever, just his right now." He told me.

"Gray says I'm his happy ever after." I confessed.

"Then you've got him. He wants to keep you. I'll be cheering for you. He never gave anyone a ring."

"It's my birthstone." I smiled at the ring.

"Let's finish this and go get some ice cream. It's a really warm day out." Sean said.

We finished up. Sean technically won, but we didn't care about winners or losers. This was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed spending time with him.

While we had our ice cream, Sean told me about how his crush on Gray had grown, starting with a minor attraction to Gray when he first showed up in Sean's tenth grade home room and growing stronger as they were partnered in science. They had several classes together in that year. He had worried Gray would transfer out when a bunch of other kids did, but he stayed.

"I thought it was the best luck I could've had, but maybe it was meant to be for you and him. If he had transferred, you might not have ended up with him." Sean admitted.

"Maybe it was for both of us. If he had transferred, you wouldn't have had the chance to become friends with him. If you want, I can see if he'll do a picture with you at the prom. I can tell him it's so you can prove you were friends with a popular boy, if you want." I offered.

Sean laughed. "I don't think I'm that desperate. I'm really surprised you're so cool about this. You don't have anything against gay people?"

"No. Two people I know are gay. They love each other very much. I hope you find that too. I want all my friends to be happy." I told him.

"Thanks, Echo. You're a good friend." He smiled. "Hurry and finish that ice cream. I want to play video games. We only have another hour before Gray comes to get you."

I hurried as much as I safely could. I wanted to win some prizes for Victor and Gray. It would be the perfect end to my afternoon with Sean.