Most decided to head to the library, or the newly reopened fun-box. Jennifer suggested Mick's Karaoke instead, and it didn't take long to convince her brother's and sisters. "Sophie, call mum and let her know where we are going.", suggested Jennifer as she was spreading the word to a few other school mates.
"Snow day!", fumed Natalie, "There is no snow on this side of town, not until much later in the day, and Lil is worried about the garden. You all need to come home and help harvest, then you can go play."
The entire household helped Lil with the harvest, even Genevieve who had to run inside every time the sun poked its face out from behind the clouds. Spot kept hidden in his doghouse, the last time he had squeezed through the fence to gain access to the garden, he had the misfortune of digging up and sampling one of Lil's award winning ghost chili plants. Lil didn't even have the heart to punish him.
The harvest was almost complete when the sky opened and unleashed a cold wet deluge of almost snow.
Every one rushed inside to get dried, and Genevieve and Angel decided to tag along to the karaoke bar.
By the time the group arrived all of the other students that had showed up had already gone home. Other than Mick and the barmaid, there were only three other customers.
Everybody knew Nina Teppish, the short haired Vampire lady had lived next door and had gone to school with Natalie, and they knew Nina's nerdy husband, whats-his-name. The other customer was a big city reporter who for reasons unknown, was now living and working in Elba. Jennifer started off with 'Girl's just wanna have fun'.
Nobody reached for the microphone, so she picked another song and went for the harder music style version of 'These boots were made for walkin'.
Sophia, who had aspirations of popstardom, despite not having the vocal talent of her Genie sister, pushed the button combination for 'Funky Town' and pulled it off brilliantly.
"I'm going to need a volunteer from the audience for this next one Lilly-Rose!", Sophie said, waving frantically at Lilly-Rose to join her.
"A duet, cool, how about 'dream a little dream of me? You do Ella and I'll cover for Louis?", asked Lilly-Rose. Even though she rarely sang unless asked, Lilly-Rose had the amazing ability to sing soprano to bass, and Sophia loved to rope her in for duets.
Sophia stepped down after her second song, which was an ancient family karaoke tradition that had started a few weeks ago. "Nick, up here buddy", insisted Lily-Rose. "Not going to happen, you know how I am in front of strangers", Nick whispered. Lilly-Rose covered the microphone with her hand. "C'mon shypuss, Mick's in his office, Lois is outside having a cigarette, Nina and the nerd went home, the only stranger here is that drunk newspaper guy who looks like he is about to pass out, so get your ass up here!"
His brothers and sisters gently encouraged with reassuring words as they herded him towards Lilly-Rose. Lilly-Rose pressed the buttons for 'Paint it black', after having heard Nick belt it out in the shower a few days ago.
The drunken reporter tried to heckle Nick singing. Nathan grabbed the guy by the shoulder and whispered something in his ear. The drunk staggered out of the door, and Nathan followed.
Angel was on the wrong side of the bar as usual and Genevieve was just suggesting that she might duck outside for breath of fresh air when Nathan returned. Both Angel and Genevieve detected the tiniest scent of alcohol infused blood in the air as Nathan swung the door open and re-entered the bar. Lilly-Rose handed the second microphone over to Nick, who summoned Jennifer and handed the microphone on. Nick selected 'The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades'.
"Do I need to call an ambulance, or maybe the morgue?", asked Angel, after Nathan had scrubbed the blood from his knuckles in the bathroom. "What? No, he is sleeping it off in the backseat of his car, after he bumped his head a dozen time trying to get in, I suggested he give me his keys and have a nap. He'll be fine", Nathan lied.
The next morning before school, Sophia slipped quietly downstairs so as not to wake her sisters. She had intended to put in twenty or so laps, but found the newest member of the household already there. Sophia decided to get to know the latest addition instead of swimming. "So, how come you aren't deathly pale like Nick, or Angel or Nina?", Sophia blurted out, instantly regretting it. 'Good one moron', she chided herself, 'Even Ceci would be less blunt.'
"Light skinned people such as yourself, or those born of two Vampire parents are always become the classic chalk pale look, but my skin was almost as dark as my hair is now, when I was turned.", answered Genevieve. She waited for the next question, she didn't need Vampire gifts to see that the were more questions to come.
"So how old are you, and who is older, you are Angel?", Sophia quizzed. Genevieve took a minute to formulate her answer. Her life and her after life had been tumultuous and difficult at times, and there was much she was not willing to share.
"I was born on Saint Domingue on January 1680, a slave child born to enslaved parents on a sugar plantation, In the dying light of the last day of 1695, both of my parents shrugged off their mortal coils and their chains, and I found the means to escape. I knew the taste of freedom for almost an entire night, before I was tracked down by a Vampire, he told me that I was such a feeble skinny wretch that I would hardly slake his thirst, and he bid me entertain him while he debated my fate." There was no emotion in Genevieve's voice.
"I sang every last song that my mother had taught me, I danced before him in rags as if my very life depended on it, and when I finally dropped to the ground exhausted, he sunk his fangs into my neck, then fed me from his wrist.", Genevieve continued, as if she was reading the ingredients list on the side of a cereal box.
"So...I'm older than you?", Sophia said, not sure how to appropriately respond to Genevieve's tale. The school bus announced it's arrival by the honking of it's horn saving them both from the uncomfortable conversation. Genevieve was reminded of a run in with the Spanish Inquisition in 1720 with her sire, although they had gotten in a few more questions.
