Bitten. V1. C2 X

-CHAPTER TWO-

Introducing… Home CANDICE

ROSE FROM HER PILLOW, AND RUBBED her forehead with one hand, while she propped herself up with the other. She looked over to the left, and saw Evelyn, sleeping peacefully on the other side of her bed. With a grin, Candice remembered what had happened in the previous night… the chocolate… the icing fight… discussing what she would wear when Owen was to come round the next day… ‘Crap!’ she yelled, ‘Owen!’ Candice jumped up, throwing the covers over her head, so it would land on the headboard of the bed. She panicked for a second, than her eyes found the clock, and immediately she kicked Evelyn’s leg and laid back down, her short black hair splaying on the deep purple covers. When Evelyn only stirred slightly from Candice’s kick, Candice frowned and kicked her a bit harder. This time she heard Evelyn moan and roll over and when she was about to kick Evelyn again to wake her up, she heard Evelyn’s unnecessary breathing increase slightly - that was the only sign Evelyn made that she was awake. ‘What?’ Evelyn said to Candice, with her eyes still shut and her voice heavy and rough with sleep ‘I know that you don’t have to sleep for as long as I do, but the icing fight last night really took it out if me,’ ‘I know and I’m sorry but... Owen,’ Candy said the word ‘Owen’ as if it was some explanation and between them it was. Evelyn just sighed, ‘Oh yeah, he’s coming at half eleven

isn’t he? What time is it?’ Candy looked at the red retro alarm clock. ‘What tells me we overslept?’ Evelyn asked, still not making a move. There was a couple of knocks on the downstairs front door. Evelyn opened her eyes finally, and Candy stared at her. ‘Owen knocking on the door.’ Candy answered Evelyn’s question. ‘I look like a mess!’ By the time she finished the sentence, she was in her colossal bathroom running a hot… maybe cold shower. Evelyn pulled herself up from the bed, half falling when she started to crawl over the floor looking for her long lost green froggy-head slippers. ‘Eve, can you feel that?’ Evelyn heard Candice ask from the bathroom. ‘What?’ Evelyn enquired groggily, ‘Owen? Banging on the door? Yeah - he’s stronger than most Humans, ain’t he? Someone should open the door, before he breaks it down.’ ‘Evelyn!’ Candy snapped impatiently, ‘There’s always a time and place for your sarcy comments - and let me tell you - now - it’s not!’ ‘Chill, it will be okay -’ Evelyn said, her sentence barley finished, because Candy had thrown a towel at her. ‘Besides you can stop worrying now. Ev’s going to make it all better. Owen will come, you two will kiss, I will be going to get Jasper and Oliver and all that and give you a text when we are nearly here. Oh so simple.’ With that Evelyn gracefully sauntered out of Candice’s room, her pillar-box-like red hair flying out behind her as she flew with un-natural speed into her own bedroom to get changed. It was only seconds after Owen’s raps had silenced, she felt the unnatural breeze which she assumed was the side effect of Candy running so fast from room to room. ‘EV PLEASE! JUST GET THE GODAMN DOOR!’ Evelyn skipped along the hallway and strode down the large staircase to the door, nimbly jumping up to grab the keys from the glass chandelier.

Candice shook her head irritably, checking everything was perfect twice, as Evelyn quickly re-thought the plan - I am going to get Oliver, Jasper, Jada and Carlisle from Wrexham (happy from hunting few animals) while Candy and Owen have some time to themselves as she shows him around the mansion, without the entire horde of Vampyres below, listening to Owen’s every heart-beat. Well… I wouldn’t… obviously.’ Candice skidded to a halt, as soon as the door opened, she flicked the TV on, full volume, and per perched on the edge of the black leather sofa, too tense to pass as chilling. Her eyes were glazing over the soap Hollyoaks which she held no interest for. Evelyn opened the two huge glass patio doors, Owen walked into the house, scraping the tiny rocks under his black and green checked Vans onto the welcome mat. Candy sighed, as she tried to tune out his heartbeat with the inconsequential babble from the plasma screen on the white wall. ‘Hi Owen,’ Evelyn said, cheerily. ‘Hey,’ he said, then he caught Candy’s eyes and avoided babbling like a dumbstruck monkey. Instead - very much like a gentlemen, he just complimented her. ‘Hi Candy,’ he said, his voice sounded strangely amazed as he took in the clear hallway. ‘You look really pretty.’ ‘Thanks Owen.’ she smiled. ‘Okay then, she is rich - but we knew that already - would it sound weird if I say I wanted to look around? Ok, try not to act like such a loser yet - she might keep you! Get a hold of yourself dude! Act casual - she probably likes the gentlemeness… gah is that even a word…?’ ‘Are you okay?’ she asked, concealing as much of grin as she could.

‘Yep - perfect.’ he said nervously. ‘Do you wanna look around - I could show you - if you want to.’ Candice offered willingly, trying not to sound too pushy or too obvious she could read minds. ‘Er yeah - erm that’d be… awesome.’ Owen gave a short and very nervous laugh and followed Candy up the wide stairs. Just before Candice and Owen reached the top of the staircase, Evelyn came out of the front room (as planned) and called up the stairs, ‘See ya later Dee, I’ll be about three hours? Remember you need to make sure that the chicken for tonight isn’t going to burn.’ Candice rolled her eyes. It was all part of the mastermind of a plan; They had discussed it well; if Owen’s scent got a bit too much, she’d make an emergency exit to the kitchen with the claim that she smelt something burning.’ ‘Yeah I remember. If you smell the house burning down, turn the chicken off, Gotcha.’ she muttered to herself then to Evelyn, who smiled at Owen and Candy before gently closing the doors behind her as she left the house. When they came to the mouth of the first room on the landing, Candy gestured to the inside of the already open door. ‘This is Jada and Carlyle’s room,’ It had pale blue walls and a few light glass ornaments on the alcove window ledge and a white king size canopy bed right in the middle. The room has certain tranquillity about it, as if it was made for the sole purpose to just leave all problems behind at the door. She smiled at Owen and gently took his hand in hers and beamed at him even brooder, her golden eyes meeting his hazel ones for only a split second, and that alone was enough to tear Candice’s mind to shreds. Candice thought things out in a few seconds, while she lead Owen up the staircase.

A voice inside her head praised her for doing so well so far; she had never been that close to a Human before, held one’s hand… yet somehow if felt right. Another voice interfered; she wanted him to love her as she loved him, but if that worked out the way she had it planned, then their relationship would always be based on lies, since there was no way that she could tell him the truth about her. And then there was the loudest voice in her head screaming at her to just go with it, do what he wanted, find out if he wanted her, and if he didn’t - mates would still be good. Being friends would be acceptable. Candice felt his gaze on her and the family portraits, “of course” she thought to herself, “he wants to see a baby picture of me, not likely” Without talking, they came to a long hallway, which had several doors, each side. The stopped at the first door, she gently nudged it open and Owen saw a sight which made him gasp. The entire room was made up of books. Bookshelves across the entire wall, from floor to ceiling, even a few books on the odd table. Candice stood at his side and looked at the pure shock on his face, when he looked down at her she just shrugged and said, ‘Jasper’s own private library. Jada gave it to him for one of his birthdays.’ ‘He got an entire library for his birthday?’ Owen asked in disbelief. Candy just shrugged again - shrugging was good - you didn’t tell too many lies shrugging. So her answer was a simple one. ‘Jasper likes reading. Everyone here does - so it’s not for him really.’ she tried to make her voice sound nonchalant but she couldn’t make herself look to look at his face when she lied, because it felt like if she did, her heart might over ride

her brain and spill out the secrets. All of a sudden her unbeating heart felt heavier in her chest, like it had been replaced with the worlds heaviest weigh. Candy spun round in his arms and without looking at his face she led him to the room opposite Jasper’s. The door was painted a very pale and delicate pink, and when she opened the pink door, the pleasant and peaceful smell which filled the entire house, was replaced, with the smell you’d find in a where’s handbag. Candice gagged quietly and opened the door to find a room made out of pink fluff and mirrors. In the centre of the room there was a stretch pink leather couch -which had a pile of magazines on it like the ‘Teen Vogue’ and ‘Elle’ ones, which were scattered across the pink leather. And when Owen looked around he saw parts of the wall, which actually wasn’t covered with mirror, though in its stead, there were pale, fancily engraved wooden tables piled high in curling tongs, straighteners, hairspray and buckets of expensive make-up. When Owen looked down he saw Candice’s disgusted expression. He smiled and before she could say anything he said, ‘Let me guess Stephanie?’ She rolled her eyes, ‘What gave it away? The fact that it smells like a whore’s handbag or that it looks like one?’ Owen grinned mischievously at her, ‘That may of had something to do with it,’ he playfully dug her in the ribs with his elbow - it felt like he’d just given himself a bruise. As they turned to leave, Candice closed the door gently and answered in a quiet voice, still avoiding Owen’s eyes, ‘Stephanie and Oliver, even though they love each other they have very very different styles. To stop them arguing all the time, Steph gets her own room and so does Oliver. Their joint room with their bed in is through Stephanie’s room. We could’ve looked, I have only been in there about once - you

never know what you might pick up by even breathing through that room.’ Owen laughed under his breath and followed Candice. ‘I think you will like this room Owen, seriously - this is Oliver’s.’ Then she opened the door. Owen gasped when the door opened. It was almost his dream room give or take. The room was huge. Glass shelves across the walls, were supporting big gold trophies each one had Oliver’s name engraved on it for some sport or another. And the plasma screen, which was mounted in the middle of the trophies, was on continuous loop of the sports channel, while the only thing on the floor was a blue couch, which had a PS3 game controller linked to the PS3 sitting on the wall next to the television. Owen gasped again, ‘No kidding.’ he exhaled, ‘I like this room Candy - but you’re right can’t see Steph being so happy with this in her room,’ ‘You know her so well… something I should know?’ she teased him. He grabbed her hand before she could lower it, and he spun her around, so that she was facing him; their bodies touched, and the sudden electric sparks flew around the room, engulfing the pair of them in invisible flames. Owen was about a head taller than her - so when she wouldn’t meet his gaze, he put his thumb under her chin, and tilted up her face, so that there was no way to escape his deep brown eyes. He slowly lowered head down - towards Candice - so it was mere centimetres away from her. She looked down, her burning turquoise eyes nearly brimming over with tears, though, before they threatened to spill over without her blinking, the tears disappeared, replaced by fresh ones. ‘Owen,’ she whispered, their faces so close that their lips were almost touching. Her sweet and inviting breath scorched down his throat as

she spoke. ‘Please,’ she whispered her eyes now flashed to his face, as if she was searching for something. ‘I… I’m scared,’ she admitted. Her eyes fell down again, as if was afraid of his reaction to her confession. Owen was momentarily stunned, then moved his lips, he brushed across her hair, to her ear where he whispered in an equally quiet voice, ‘Don't be scared, I will never ever hurt you - I promise.’ The fight somehow seemed to leave Candice, she moved her head backwards, so she was facing him again, their lips were closer than before and her eyes were back to searching his face hungrily. ‘I know,’ she breathed, her lips inched closer to his. Her thoughts flashed back to all the Human’s she had killed before the Trinity incident and the Scarletts. ‘But Owen, I am not worried about you hurting me, I’m scared…” she continued, ‘in case I hurt you.’ ‘I’m not,’ Owen said confidently, before gently lowering his lips onto hers, moving his lips slow, like he was afraid that she would reject him. The second Owen’s lips met with hers, she went rigid with fear. She was so afraid that her Vampiric tendencies would bubble up to the surface and she’d end up killing him, yet she was mistaken. After that second, she became ecstatic, her Vampyreness was truly hidden. She felt not one slightest impulse to kill him. She was eternally grateful that, that part of her was now dormant. It all seemed so right - so perfect - like the puzzle pieces of the last three hundred years were finally fitting together with pieces, she didn’t know even existed or was missing. Owens hand slipped down from Candice’s face - to her waist, while Candice’s hands moved hesitantly up, to Owens shoulder and neck, her hands hooking onto him and pulling him closer into her, their bodies crushing into each other. After about a minute or so, Candice was the first to pull

away, her face breaking into a true smile… her cheeks a slight weak pinkish colour which stood out from her pale exterior, and her eyes basically shining with happiness. She took Owen’s hand, and pressed her icy lips against his skin. She led him out of Oliver’s room and down the hallway, past one open door, to which Candice muttered, ‘Evelyn’ amusedly. The quick glimpse of Evelyn’s room was a weird one. The walls were all different colours in patches, all over the wall there were photos of different places in the world - the Eiffel Tower, The statue of liberty, Taj Mahal - and to Owen it looked like a few were taken inside the Amazon rainforest but he didn’t get a proper look. Candice was slowly… though steadily leading him up the rustic metal spiral staircase. She led him up the spiral staircase, then they came inside to an attic doorway which someone, (and he had a pretty good idea who) had spray painted a picture of the Nirvana logo in yellow and black onto the square door in the ceiling. ‘Your room?’ asked Owen, while Candice shifted the square wooden slab. ‘Yep.’ Candice confirmed, while she pulled herself up. Owen looked up at her as she gave out her hand to help him in. After Owen pulled himself up onto Candice’s wooden floor, he looked around the colossal room which made him gasp too. He looked around the room and then he felt Candice standing next him, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from her room. The walls were all a deep purple colour, all except one wall by her bedpost, which was covered in graffiti… not chavvy graffiti like ‘Candy woz here’ it was proper graffiti, like big anime people blown up on her wall, and chunky writing with all her families names, and he even saw his own name next to Alexei and Jayni’s.

She took his hand again and led him to the purple settee in the middle of her pile of DVDs, shoes and CDs, and they both sat down next to each other. ‘Your room looks amazing Candy, but compared to you it isn’t that quirky,’ Owen said partly deep and meaningful and part teasing her, putting his arms around her, while she snuggled into his side. ‘Thanks, I think,’ she murmured as she switched the huge black plasma screen television on. When the Final destination DVD started, she borrowed into his side and he pulled his arms around her - pressing her closer. After about half of the Final Destination DVD, Candice suddenly sat up looking slightly disgruntled. Owen took a few seconds to react, but the he sat up with her. ‘Candy, what’s the matter?’ Owen asked, stroking her back soothingly because she looked like she was about to cry. ‘Can you smell the chicken burning?’ he grinned, as a attempt to make her laugh. Her expression faded slightly when she heard him talk. She slowly faded back into his arms, and turned to look up at Owen and pulled up onto Owen’s chest and looked up at him, and slowly began to kiss him. It began gently and sweet enough, however as soon as it began, it got a bit heated Candice’s door flew open and Oliver stood there with Evelyn behind him, it look like Evelyn was trying to drag him backwards away from them. Candice let her head drop onto Owen chest, and he heard Owen smile and shift nervously. Candice slowly sat up and spun around; she looked at Oliver and gave him, her you-are-going-to-pay-so-bad-forthis-as-soon-as-he-leaves-because-if-i-have-my-way-you-willnever-be-able-to-use-your-arms-again look. ‘Sorry Candy, I tried to drag him back. But you know what

Oliver’s like,’ Evelyn thought. She grabbed Oliver’s collar, with one short wave and apologetic smile at Owen, she yanked Oliver back down the stairs and with a deafening bang closed the door shut. Owen tried to loosen the vice like grip Candice had on his arms, to no avail, Candy hung onto his arms, laughing at his frail attempts to unleash her grip. ‘What’s the matter Owen?’ she teased, in-between little kisses, she was planting on his lips, ‘sick of me already?’ ‘Don't be stupid,’ Owen whispered finally disentangling himself so he could sit up straight. He ran a shaky hand through his hair, and she heard his heart accelerate. He stared at her for a while, ‘Though I do really have to go. My parents want to talk to me,’ gloom settled in on the end of the sentence. Candice saw that he was telling the truth in his thoughts and he was really not looking forward to the chat (wink wink) his mum wanted to have with him. Candy immediately felt bad for him because he was sad, and she hated anything that made him sad. She suddenly thought of Drew and Belle, so that was how Drew felt, and she realised that he was right. As long as you love someone enough and they love you anything can happen - you can even ignore your own nature for them. ‘He’s got it so easy…’ she muttered inaudibly irritably, ‘Sorry?’ She snapped back to him, ‘Nothing - don’t worry.’ She stood next to him and wrapped her arms around Owen’s waist and he corresponded and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissed her head, keeping his lips there. She lifted her head up and pulled herself up so her lips met his. ‘Don’t worry honey,’ Candice said taking his hand, once again, and spinning him around and leading him out the door, before they came to the end of her spiral staircase, she

kissed his hand and said in a last bid attempt to cheer him up. ‘Really, don't worry - I am sure I can find a way to cheer you up later,’ she smiled at the effect that sentence seemed to have on his heartbeat. ‘I will hold you to that Candy,’ Owen said, poking her in the back. They walked the rest of the way to the kitchen in silence when Candice went to say goodbye to Owen, he looked over her shoulder and saw all her family and some other bloke with brown hair who was talking to Oliver - sitting on the high breakfast bench styled table. Jada and Carlyle were in deep conversation. Evelyn was chatting to Jasper, while he cooked another Spanish omelette. He called out over his shoulder, ‘See ya,’ Stephanie ignored him and carried on filing her already perfect nails, and Owen wondered if she ever left her nails alone. Or her hair. Or her make-up. He wondered if she ever thought about anyone apart from herself. Owen quickly glanced at her again. She had now moved on from her nails and was holding a spoon to her face to see her reflection, and was pushing up her hair. Oliver caught Owen’s eye and Owen expected to see his usual grin on place and a quick wave before he began to waffle down the omelettes, instead Oliver was giving him evils. The unexpected emotion on his face looked really scary, he looked scary anyway because of the way he was built, however that was usually contradicted by the huge puppy dog grin splayed out across his face - yet now he did look truly menacing, his eyes didn’t leave Owen, and that made him feel strangely uncomfortable. He looked away from Oliver’s gaze, so then he looked down to Candice. The pair of them were standing at the glass doorframe, and he waved goodbye to everyone in the kitchen, and Candice

got up on tip-toe and gave him one fleeting kiss on his lips and whispered, ‘See you later.’ With one more slightly longer kiss, Owen waved goodbye and left the house in a matter of seconds. As soon as Candice was sure that Owen couldn’t see her, her face hardened and she slammed the door, with such force that the glass panelling on the door shook. ‘Oliver!’ she called out, spinning around on her heels and marching toward the kitchen furiously. When she stood at the doorway, she put her hands on her hips and stood still blocking his only way out. Oliver visibly cringed in his seat, and even Carlyle and Jada pulled themselves out of their private conversation to listen to what Candice was going to say to him. ‘What the hell!’ she said, angrily tapping her foot on the tiled flooring; her eyes narrowed dangerously. ‘Candy, you are my little sister -’ Oliver began in his defence, but Candy cut him off short. ‘Oliver I’m three hundred and twenty six, that’s only…’ she paused for half a second as she done the quick mental maths in her head, ‘thirty five years younger than you.’ ‘But technically you’re sixteen, and I think that says you are not old enough to be kissing boys -’ Candice cut him up again, holding her hand up, not in protest, but she was ticking off her fingers in a sort of check list, ‘One,’ she began, ‘,isn’t Carlyle meant to be having this lecture with me, about kissing boys,’ she quickly spun to Carlyle and said to him, ‘Do you have a issue about me kissing Owen?’ Carlyle didn’t even have to say anything she heard from his thoughts that if Owen was what Candice wanted, then that was fine by him. It was okay in moderation. So Candice carried on, ‘So Carlyle is ok with it,’ Candice amended her sentence as a small afterthought, ‘Two,’ she continued relentlessly, ‘Technically yes, I’m sixteen, in this abstract kinda way, but it is not world war one! Nowadays

sixteen year olds are getting pregnant and stabbing each other, would you rather I was like them?’ she asked him. Oliver stuttered onto the question that Candy asked him aware there was no real correct answer to that rhetorical question and he stuttered, ‘Well yes - wait… er no…’ ‘Exactly,’ Candice said cutting Oliver off short, ‘So how can you say that! And I am about one hundred and fifty years older than Steph - and you and her are together. So you cannot criticise me about that!’ Oliver didn’t say anything he just look down and said nothing. Candice’s anger evaporated as she let her earlier good mood bubble back up to the surface, she spun and let the room and begun humming to herself as she pressed play on the CD, so Paramore would sing through her ears. ‘Oh no, I just keep on falling, back to the same old, and where’s hope when misery come calling-‘ Candice was singing to Paramore, when Jasper came in and sat on her bed. Candice noticed him straight away and almost in the same breath she knew what he wanted to talk to her about. Before he said anything, she sat down next to him and put her hand in his. She didn’t care what people outside her family and new friends thought - that she and Jasper were together together. She felt comfortable with Jasper all the time no matter what, she held his hand, he wrapped her arms around her and she felt comfortable and safe. Their love and bond was beyond brother-sister relationship - yet it just so wasn’t like Jada and Carlyle’s. It was as if their love belonged in a completely different category all together. ‘I won’t kill him,’ Candice said, answering the unspoken question in Jaspers mind. He shook his head slightly and pulled her into his chest, wrapping his arms around her, he rested his chin on her head, his lips gently brushing the few loose strands sticking up all over.

‘You might not mean to,’ he said. Candice giggled, ignoring (as usual) the seriousness of the conversation, instead of answering properly, she said to Jasper, struggling to turn her head up so she could look at him, ‘Are you talking about my other personality? The scary Vampyre one?’ the joshing in her voice was obvious as she asked the innocent enough question. There was no point pressing on the serious conversation until she was ready to talk so, Jasper just laughed along with her.