Vampire Heart 7

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Scroll 08: The Valentine Family
Vicente set his suit case down, beneath Naoko's bed and turned toward her. She seemed deep in thought, so he thought it best to wait for a command.
Naoko was adoring her new roommate that she was pretty much destined to have. Sure, her grandmother could have given the Vampire Heart to any of her aunts, her mother or even one of her female cousins or sister...but she was chosen to inherit the heirloom...”heiressloom” would be a better description if it were a word since her grandmother told her that the necklace only worked for females.
"My mother will be home any minute and she'd kill me if she catches me with a boy in my room," Naoko explained.
"That's a good reason to not tell her anything, then--and head downstairs to consume two dozen donuts..." Vicente replied.
As they sat down and opened one of the boxes of donuts, Rakela and Yoshi, Naoko's younger sister and brother, entered the house. "Hey sis, who's this?" Yoshi asked, suspicion in his tone.
"This is Vicente, he's new at the high school," Naoko said. "Vicente, meet my brother Yoshi and my sister Rakela."
Vicente shook both of their hands, "Lovely to meet you both. Donut?"
"Awesome," Yoshi said as he plopped down at the kitchen table, helping himself to a glazed donut.
"Thanks," Rakela said as she took a sprinkled donut from the box and joined the others at the table. "Are you the new boy that all of the girls want and all of the boys want to be?"
Vicente dropped the donut he was reaching for, "What?"
Naoko cocked her head to the side, "Yeah, what?"
"I just overheard some kids talking and they mentioned a blonde boy that all of the girls were drooling over and all of the boys wish they were since the girls were all drooling over him. Since I never heard about this before, I assumed it would be our newest student," Rakela explained.
"Well...my friends are infatuated with you," Naoko said to Vicente.
"Mine too," Rakela added.
"Mine as well," Yoshi agreed.
"I can get the girls, but now I'm a little scared, Yoshi," Vicente said simply.
"Yoshi gets picked on by the boys so he hangs out with all girls," Rakela explained.
"Hey, don't worry about it," Vicente placed his hand on Yoshi's shoulder assuring the young boy’s confidence. "Naoko's my best friend and the only people who talk to me are girls and look at me."
Yoshi smiled, "I guess being sensitive can have its perks, right?"
"Anything can have its perks," Vicente replied. "What are you sensitive to, anyway?"
"I'm empathetic," Yoshi said.
"Being able to channel emotions is an amazing gift. You can really help people," Vicente replied. “And the girls will love a man who understands them and actually listens to what they don’t say.”
"You know what it means?" Yoshi asked.
"There isn't one occult or mystic thing that I don't believe in or at least try to understand," Vicente replied. “It’s my curious nature to want to know everything.”
"You know it's more than being kind, too?" Rakela noted, her eyes not wavering from Vicente’s face.
Vicente nodded as he took another donut, "I'm guessing that people tend to look at it from a more mundane perspective instead of looking at it as a psychic gift because of the limited and vague denotation."
"Wow, you're smart, understanding and good-looking," Rakela commented.
"Thanks," Vicente replied. "I'm more of a book worm than you could ever guess."
Naoko quirked her eyebrow at Vicente, He didn't blush when Rakela complimented him? I thought he was just prone to blushing....
"Okay, so you're understanding like Yoshi and smart like Naoko...how do you do in athletics?" Rakela asked.
"I prefer swimming, running and ping-pong," Vicente replied.
"Okay, you're a keeper," Rakela said as she took another donut from the box. "And you have a sweet tooth like the rest of the Valentine family."
Valentine? Vampire Heart? I get the connection, now, Vicente thought.
Nora and Dean, Naoko's parents entered the house and headed into the kitchen. Nora spoke first, "H-hello?"
"Oh, glad you're home," Naoko said simply. "Mom, Dad, this is Vicente. Vicente, my parents Nora and Dean."
Vicente shook each of their hands, "Glad to meet you."
"Who bought the donuts?" Dean asked.
"I did," Vicente said as he grabbed his next one.
"May we?" Nora asked.
"It's what they're here for," Vicente replied, motioning toward the open box.
Her parents each took a donut before pouring a cup of coffee and pulling over extra chairs to the kitchen table. "So, why are we all cooped up on this lovely day?" Dean asked.
"That's my fault. I have a bit of a sweet tooth and we got lost in conversation," Vicente said simply, staring mindlessly at Naoko.
"You'll fit right in here," Dean assured him. "When are you moving in?"
Vicente and Naoko exchanged glances before Vicente spoke again, "I already have. This is just bribery so you'll keep me." Everybody laughed, save Naoko and Vicente who only exchanged smirks.
"I like him. He's a keeper," Nora and Dean chorused.
Naoko and Vicente both blushed as Rakela whispered, "Told you so..."
"Are you kids going to do anything special today?" Nora adjusted her glasses.
"I have nothing planned," Yoshi admitted sheepishly.
"Let's head to the mall and do some window shop-lifting," Rakela suggested.
"Window shop-lifting?" Vicente asked.
"My and Naoko's thing since the song window-shopper is horrible we no longer say window-shopper. We figure stealing a look is better than whining over something you can't have," Rakela explained.
"Sounds like fun," Vicente commented, not sure what to make of their new word.
"Can I go?" Yoshi begged, looking hopefully at Vicente.
"Why not?" Vicente asked.
"Well, have fun," Nora said as she took another donut.
"Don't worry, we will," Naoko assured her.
Vicente, Yoshi and Rakela headed for the door as Nora pulled Naoko back. "Do you like Vicente?"
"I wouldn't hang out with him if I didn't," Naoko said simply.
Nora shot her daughter a glance, "You know what I mean."
"Yes, I know what you mean," Naoko replied.
"Are you going to answer me?"
"What do you think?" Naoko asked before she joined the others at the door.

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Vampire Heart 9