"I am forever searching high and low, but why does everybody tell me no?" -Queen

Lily of the Valley

Rosalie returned home an hour before the sun was to come up, and Cindy was still awake on the couch of her living room. When Rosalie walked in, Cindy didn't move to see who it was. She was staring straight ahead with a lost gaze in her eyes. Rosalie sat next to her and looked at the same spot on the wall.

After a few minutes of silence, Rosalie said, "I was mad at them when they told me."

Cindy finally brought her eyes from the wall with a shake of the head.

"I can't believe it. My boyfriend's a fucking vampire," Cindy said, and paused for a moment as if saying it aloud made it set in. "They kill people."

"I guess the Frogg Brothers were right, huh?" Rosalie laughed dryly, then stood. "It's difficult at first, but it slowly gets better with time. When David first told me I didn't talk to them for a few days, and that's okay. Don't let them tell you otherwise."

"I really like Marko, though. He should've told me sooner," Cindy said, and shook her head again with tears in her eyes.

"Cindy, he . . . he couldn't. It's not something you just parade around saying."

"You're right." Cindy sighed, then stood up. "We have school next week. I can't believe the summer's over."

Rosalie sighed deeply - she wasn't at all ready to go back to school, especially when she was so close to saving Laddie from Amy. Cindy had a sad look in her eyes as well.

"How long have you known?" Cindy asked curiously. "I know it's longer than I have."

"David told me a month or so ago. I suppose Marko didn't give you a demonstration like David?"

"If he did, I would've backhanded him immediately."

Rosalie smiled. "Atta girl."

"So, a month or so. What made you stay with them?" Cindy asked, and Rosalie peeked out the window at the lightening sky.

Go to sleep. Rosalie rolled her eyes.

I know, Dwayne. I'm talking to Cindy. She turned back to Cindy and leaned against the wall.

"David is a relative of mine." Cindy's eyes widened, and her jaw dropped. "Yeah, that's how I was, too. David told me the truth about Amy, which is why they turned on me, and he's been trying to get me to become a vampire like them."

". . . Are you going to do it?" Cindy asked, a worried tone to her voice.

"I don't know. For now, I'm more focused on Laddie." Cindy nodded. "It wasn't just David, though. I fell in love with Dwayne."

And he imprinted on me, Rosalie thought as well when Cindy smiled.

Sadly.

I thought you went to sleep?

Still here.

Oh. Wait . . . hey! That comment was fucking rude.

Language.

When Rosalie began to cuss in her head, she heard his faint chuckle and Cindy looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Sorry, Cindy. Dwayne has a habit of reading minds, especially mine."

Of course. Cindy's eyes went wide.

"Is that why Marko always seems to know what I think?" she asked, and Rosalie nodded understandingly. "Well, tell him I said hi."

"I will."

Cindy's eyes went even more wide. "Nevermind. Seems he can talk to me, too."

Rosalie rolled her eyes with a small laugh, and then looked over Cindy.

"Maybe we should go to bed. I have to work in five hours."

"Oh, me too." Cindy rubbed her eyes and led the way up the stairs. "I put your things in the guest bedroom."

"Thank you very much," Rosalie responded, and headed in that direction. The room was neatly organized with wooden furniture, hanging photos, and a bed covered with a quilt in the middle of the room. It smelled like freshly cleaned linens and the smell brought Rosalie back to the days when she was a little girl and Miranda would tuck her into her sheets.

Instead of getting under the covers, Rosalie hopped on top of the quilt and stared at the ceiling for a few moments. She wondered where Miranda was - still in prison, obviously, but was she still alive? Had she gotten sick?

Rosalie hadn't heard a word from Miranda since the police had raided the apartment. The memory was still fresh in her mind, the day she came home from school.

Miranda had been sitting on the couch, reading a magazine when Rosalie walked in. Miranda asked about her day, if she had homework, the typical. Rosalie went to get her after school snack when there was a loud banging on the door and the police announced themselves. Miranda had run to the kitchen where Rosalie was with tears in her eyes, and she held Rosalie by her face.

"Rosalie, I want you to know that none of this is your fault, okay?" she'd said. "I love you so, so much. But I have to go now. I promise I'll be back and I'll see you again someday."

And then the police beat down the door and pulled Miranda from Rosalie. Rosalie screamed at them to let her go and made to latch onto her mother again, but she was held back. The last Rosalie had seen Miranda was when she was pulled out of the apartment, screaming how she loved Rosalie.

Tears pricked Rosalie's eyes and she knew Amy was behind it. There was a feeling she had, that Amy had known all along exactly where Rosalie had been. More anger coursed through her veins and she wiped her eyes with the back of her hands before drifting off into an uneasy sleep.