Vampire Heart 8

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Scroll 09: Analyzing
Nora poked her head out the front window when she heard the group of children coming back. She liked Vicente from the vibes she got from him and she knew that her daughter was deeply infatuated with him with good reason.
Nora watched as Yoshi and Rakela burst through the door, each carrying a handful of bags. "Mom, that's spying," Yoshi scolded.
"I can't hear anything, so no, it's just looking and being curious" Nora quipped.
"Open the window, I've got to hear this," Rakela hissed eagerly. Nora obliged and opened window to eavesdrop on Vicente and Naoko's conversation.
Naoko and Vicente were sitting on the front porch swing, whispering. "My family loves you."
"I just lucked out with a sweet tooth," Vicente smiled.
"Nah, my family really does. Sure, the sweets help, but my family isn't exactly normal," Naoko replied.
"She's going tell him about our gifts...?" Nora asked.
"He told me that my ability wasn't a curse and could really help people," Yoshi whispered happily.
"Yeah, he's very understanding," Rakela agreed.
"Yeah, your family gets along," Vicente muttered. “That in itself is a rarity. My father forsaw me as a clergyman…” he trailed off, glancing at the ground.
"Not exactly what I mean," Naoko replied. "Everybody has an ability." She thought for a moment, “Clergyman as in…church?”
"Yes, the church. You know..pastor, priest, altar boy….” Vicente replied flatly.
Naoko grinned, “You’d make such a cute altar boy!”
“Thanks…I think…” Vicente blushed.
“As a thought-to-be holy man, do you think psychics are hell-sent?” Naoko asked, mindlessly twiddling her thumbs.
“God gave everybody a hand to play and you can either use or throw away the gifts he wanted you bestowed with, but he does not damn those he loves to hell for what he has given.”
"Wow, he's good," Nora muttered.
"Very eloquent…” Dean commented, taking in his words.
"Shhh..." Rakela hushed him.
"Can you guess my psychic gift?" Naoko asked.
"I have a few ideas," Vicente grinned. "But do you ever get the feeling that you're being watched?"
"Yes, I do," Naoko replied, glaring back at the window where her family was spying and eavesdropping. Everybody waved sheepishly.
Vicente was still looking forward, "Think they're expecting something?"
"I know they are," Naoko replied.
"You can make people do whatever you want them to just by commanding them," Vicente said, changing the topic.
"Well, that works for one person...even though I think asking would be just as effective," Naoko replied.
"Am I close?" Vicente asked.
"Is correct a synonym of close?"
"I'm good," Vicente grinned.
"Back to the other topic..." Naoko started.
Vicente blushed as he felt her eyes upon him, "What do you think they're expecting?" he asked.
"They seem to think that Rakela and Yoshi served as spies on a date," Naoko stated.
"If you're referring to a good night kiss, I wouldn't give you one," Vicente said simply.
"Oh?" Naoko was curious and wanting that kiss more than ever.
"Well, it's only four o'clock," Vicente pointed out, "And that's way too tacky of a reason to give somebody a romantic gesture. I think that romance should be more impulsive and meaningful," Vicente replied.
"You're not your typical human boy," Naoko commented.
"I try not to be," Vicente replied, watching her confidentially.
"He's telling the truth," Rakela hissed.
"Although he's nervous," Yoshi added.
"Why would he be nervous?" Nora asked.
"He knows we're spying and that we like him and that we were expecting a kiss. He does like Naoko, a lot, and he doesn't want to give us what we want since it goes against his beliefs," Dean explained. "He's an eccentric personality."
"Hey, I'll be back by dinner," Naoko called into the window.
"Where are they going?" Rakela asked.
"For a walk," Nora said.
"Rakela, take my bag to my room, thanks," Naoko added as she and Vicente walked away from the house.
"He bought you all something?" Dean asked.
"And he paid in cash with all big bills," Yoshi explained, “I swear he doesn’t know what singles are…”
Dean laughed, "Do you suppose he and she already..."
Rakela shook her head, "No, he's way too nervous around her."
"How can you tell?" Yoshi asked.
"For one, you told me, and I noticed that every time she paid him a compliment he blushed and when she said his name he couldn't help but smile. He's head-over-heels in love with her."
"They just met so how can he be so sure, let alone you?" Nora asked.
"Don't question my readings," Yoshi ordered. "Rakela and I discussed it and picked at his brain while we had a few seconds here and there and we both agree that he is."
"And as for him, he can't explain how he feels about her. And just the way he looks at her, you can tell that he cares about her deeply, but he's hiding something from us," Rakela said. "He's not lying because we haven't asked him anything that he lied about, he just hasn't told us everything."
"But Naoko knows," Nora added.
"She has to since he was worried about what she thought of him for whatever it is. And I wouldn't be surprised if he does live here," Yoshi said.
"That was just a joke," Dean pointed out.
"Fifty percent of what people say when they're joking is true," Rakela muttered in sing-song.
"So we have a fifty-fifty shot of him living here?" Nora asked, only half believing the hypothetical.
"Think about how he and Naoko reacted while we were laughing. They just exchanged smirks," Yoshi suggested.
"Do you think she just took him in?" Dean asked.
"No, I think she had to," Rakela said simply.
"Under what circumstances would she have to without consulting us first?" Nora asked.
"You live in a family of psychics and you're doubting a psychic connection between you oldest daughter and the man in love with her?" Yoshi asked.
"No, I just don't see her going behind our backs to do something like that," Nora replied.
"You can't tell that she really likes him, too?" Dean asked.
"I know she does. That's why she's so open with him," Nora replied, "but there is nothing that she couldn't talk to us about. She knows that."
"It's not her secret to discuss," Yoshi pointed out. He quietly sat on the couch having made his point during the discussion.
"You both honestly believe that Vicente lives here?" Dean asked, crossing his arms.
"Don't say anything to her if you see him come in and go to her room. He lives here and he slept in there last night. I can prove it, too," Rakela replied.
"Why wouldn't we say anything?" Dean asked. "He's a teenage boy and she's a teenage girl and they're sharing a bed..."
"You don't get it, do you? That's why she won't tell you. She knows you'll over-react if she tells you. And if you can't tell, Vicente isn't a teenage boy. He looks a lot younger than what he is," Rakela said simply.
"A grown man sharing a bed with my teenage daughter. That's so much better..." Dean growled. He balled his fists as the thought remained in mind.
"She's eighteen years old," Yoshi said simply. "And Vicente wouldn't ever touch her if she didn't want him to. He has too much respect for her. And she wouldn't ever disrespect you two by doing anything of the sort."
"If I prove he lives here, but he doesn't live up to the young male reputation, will you act like you don't know unless she tells you?" Rakela asked.
"I'll do whatever it takes to prove to her that we trust her and will always help her and her friends when need be," Nora replied.
"I will as well," Dean agreed.
Rakela smiled and tapped Yoshi’s shoulder, “Race you!” before darting toward the stairs.
Yoshi sighed, rolling his eyes as he hopped off the couch and slowly meandered up the staircase, stopping when he reached Naoko’s doorway. “You don’t have to turn everything into a competition, you know.”
“How am I supposed to know what’s in the loser’s Bible?” she asked. Rakela picked up the shirt that was on Naoko's bedroom floor and tossed it to her Dad, "His school uniform shirt." She crawled under the bed, "Too obvious a place, Vicente," Rakela commented as she pulled out the red suit case that he stashed beneath the bed. She set it on top of the bed and opened it revealing eight pairs of men's jeans, a pair of male tennis shoes, a twelve pack of socks, two spare school uniforms, a hooded sweat shirt, three pairs of gloves with the fingers cut out, three T-shirts and five button-up shirts of different colors and seven pairs of boxers.
"Not Naoko's styles," Yoshi muttered, lazily leaning against the door.
"Do you notice anything that will prove that he's not malevolent," Dean asked, hating the seriousness of the topic at hand.
"Only my gut feeling about him," Rakela replied. "If you want proof, you’ll have to wait until she can ‘sneak’ him in tonight.”
"This is crazy. There’s no way he lives here,” Nora placed an aggravate hand to her temple as she shifted her weight.
“How can you question his stuff being here?” Dean asked, slight irritation in his voice.
“Maybe he asked to do laundry here,” Nora shrugged, trying to remain logical.
“Or maybe I’m right,” Rakela suggested, rolling her eyes.
“I guess we’ll see,” Yoshi said in a matter-o-fact tone.
"You think they were expecting a kiss?" Naoko asked.
"I know they were," Vicente replied. "They know I care about you so I guess it's natural to act on adoration romantically?"
"It is," Naoko assured him. "But, now you see why me telling them that you live with us is a bad idea, right?"
"Your dad did say that I could move in," Vicente grinned.
"You know that was a joke, right?" Naoko asked.
"Yes, I know," Vicente replied. "Tell me something, were you expecting a kiss?"
"Yes," Naoko replied, blushing.
"Sorry to disappoint you," Vicente apologized. "But, it goes against my policy to do what's expected of me."
Naoko couldn't help but smile up at him as they slowly walked through the evening air hand in hand. "Did Rakela and Yoshi give you the third degree today?"
"Only a little. They weren't that bad," Vicente assured her.
"I'm thinking of telling Rakela and Yoshi that you live there since they both love you so much," Naoko whispered.
"Do they, now?" Vicente asked.
"You mean to tell me that you can't tell?"
"No, that was the sugar rush talking," Vicente replied.
"Well, it would be easier to sneak you around with three people shielding you instead of just one," Naoko thought aloud.
"Or if your parents knew and agreed to let me live there," Vicente suggested.
"They wouldn't let us sleep in the same room, and violating that ten foot rule is quite painful..." Naoko replied, reliving the consequence’s pain.
"I know, I was zapped, too," Vicente replied.
"I'll run it by them and see what they think," Naoko muttered. "If they agree, we'll move you in and act like that's the first time you've lived there. If they don't agree, then we'll continue to sneak around everybody."
"Even the girls from school?" Vicente asked.
"Especially them since they'll all want to move in to gawk at you constantly," Naoko replied.
"It sounds like you're being greedy, now," Vicente teased.
"Only a lot," Naoko grinned.
"Any reason why?"
You're mine technically, and I like it that way," Naoko said defensively.
"Can't argue with that, mistress," Vicente said obediently.

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Vampire Heart 10