Blood Relatives

8. Should Have Known Better

 "Carmine, we need to talk." Anna looked more serious than Carmine had seen in a long time.

She and Mia had managed to convince Carmine to meet them in the courtyard after school. Carmine had about twenty minutes before track started, so she reluctantly agreed. She looked across the table at Anna, then glanced suspiciously at Mia. Why were they both looking so worried?

Suddenly, she wasn't sure that meeting them here like this was a good idea. The way they were looking at her felt more like a trap. Or an intervention. But Carmine hadn't actually done anything wrong, so why did she feel so uncomfortable? It could be time to start thinking up excuses to get out of here, before it was too late.

"I have track soon." she started.

"We know – this'll only take a second." Mia promised. Slowly, Carmine nodded.

"So what's up?" she asked cautiously.

"Is everything ok?" Anna asked, full of concern.

"Of course it is." This was the fourth time she'd been asked this week! Why the sudden interest?

"You don't look like everything's ok." Anna persisted.

"Conner told me that on Tuesday." Carmine rolled her eyes.

"And what'd you tell him?"

"The same thing I'm telling you – everything's fine."

Anna pressed her lips together in a thin line. "Carmine, you look really ill. What's going on?"

"Nothing."

"I know you were having problems sleeping earlier this year." Anna said gently.

"You were?" Mia cut in, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah – I was. Thanks." Carmine snapped at Anna. She'd told her friend that in confidence.

Even though she'd been sort of planning on telling her friends about those dreams, this wasn't really the way she'd pictured it. And the way they were acting, Carmine was starting to think it might not be such a good idea after all. They already thought she was sick – she didn't want to add delusional too.

"How long have you had problems sleeping?" Mia asked. Carmine was surprised to hear the worry in Mia's voice. It wasn't that Carmine thought Mia was uncaring or anything, but she hadn't expected this level of concern.

"Couple months maybe – Look, it's no big deal." she added as Mia's eyes widened. "Besides, I'm sleeping fine now. I've been getting great sleep, actually."

"Really?" Mia's eyes narrowed. Anna didn't look convinced either.

"Yes, really. For almost a month or so. No nightmares, no problems whatsoever. So see?"

"How much sleep?" Anna asked. Carmine didn't know why, but she couldn't help feeling it was a test.

"..Maybe ten hours." she said after some quick addition. It was more like twelve or thirteen, but there was no way Carmine was dumb enough to say that.

Anna glanced at Mia. "Is that normal?" she asked.

Carmine smothered a grin. Of course Anna wouldn't know – she'd been a vampire for so long there was no way she'd be able to remember what a normal sleep pattern was. Mia, on the other hand, did know.

"No, it's not." Mia said, staring directly at Carmine.

"So I'm making up for lost time. What's the big deal?"

"The big deal," Mia told her, "is that it's too much sleep. And if you really were getting that much, you'd look a lot better than you do."

"Are you saying that I'm lying?" Carmine stiffened.