CHAPTER ELEVEN
Joseph opened the door to his room slowly so as not to wake his brother, but Eric was already sitting up on the edge of his bed. His head was buried in his hands, and he did not move as Joseph entered the room.
"You okay, man?" Joseph asked.
Eric remained motionless and said nothing. Joseph sat down gently next to his brother and reached to put his arm around him, but Eric jerked away from his touch and slid down along the edge of the bed so that he was just out of reach. He still did not speak.
"Eric, we need to talk," said Joseph.
"Do we? What exactly do we need to talk about?"
"Don't be stupid. You know what we need to talk about."
"Do I? Do I know what we need to talk about? Or do I know what you need to talk about? I cannot possibly imagine what you would have to say that would be of any use to me right now."
"You're probably right. But I could listen. You can't tell me nothing is wrong."
Eric didn't respond to this and resumed staring at the floor.
"Eric, look at me," said Joseph softly.
"Make me."
"You know I can."
"And that is exactly the problem now, isn't it? Now that I'm... whatever I am and you're not... I can't trust anything I say or do or even think when I'm around you, now can I? I might as well be your puppet. So make me look at you. Make me talk to you. Make me do whatever you want. Make me think whatever you want."
"I wouldn't do that, Eric. You know I don't believe in that. You're the one who got yourself into this situation by trying to manipulate others."
"Of course not. Always on your high horse. You finally have the opportunity to get what you want from me, and all you can think to do is remind me how morally superior you are. Well, thanks. Message received. You win at life," Eric said while still staring at the ground.
"Will you just look at me? Look, I'm sorry. I'm not here to lecture you. We've both used our... powers, I guess, to manipulate others. We have to to survive. But I won't use them on you, regardless of what Hannah wants me to do."
"Wait, what?" said Eric, finally looking up. "What does Hannah want you to do?"
"She wants me to clear your memory of last night. Actually not just last night, of being turned in general."
"Oh. Well, I guess that would be merciful at least. If I'm going to be human, might as well not know any better," Eric said with a look of defeat on his face.
"I don't think she intended to be merciful, Eric," Joseph replied, inching a little closer to his brother. "She seems really protective of Taylor. I think she knows more about her than she lets on."
"Like why Taylor looks like human, but tastes like vampire?"
"Well yes, that, but I think more importantly, she might have some idea of what has happened to you. And maybe what we can do to fix it."
"Fix it? Being a vampire is a curse, right? Accursed ones and all that. I should be thrilled to be cured, right? Yaaay," said Eric weakly, pantomiming as if he was shaking pom-poms in the air.
"I don't really think curse is the right word," said Joseph.
"Oh, right, science guy. Infected. Diseased."
"I don't think that's right either. It's just... it's like a condition. No, not a condition. That still sounds like an illness. Just a different way of being. Like being gay."
"Right, if you could get infected with gay. How very un-PC of you, little brother. Is that what happened to you, Joe? Did you get infected by a gay?"
"A gay person, not a gay. Gay is not a noun. And I'm not your little anything. Just because you popped out first does not change the fact that I'm taller than you. And no, it's not a perfect metaphor. I just think it's something that can't be helped. It's not right or wrong, it just is. And it can't be cured."
"Can't it?" asked Eric. "I seemed to be pretty well and cured. I should write a book. I'm Ex-Vampire and So Can You! I'll be rich. There's my consolation prize in all this."
"Let's not jump to any conclusions. This could all be temporary. I don't really think you want to stay this way, do you?"
"I... dunno... no. I feel... weak. Stupid."
"Well, that was always the case. I'm talking about the vampire thing," Joseph said, nudging his brother playfully in the arm with his fist.
Eric gave a weak attempt at a smile.
"I may be the thick one, but you were always the weakling," Eric countered.
"No and also, no. You are forgetting that I'm a full inch taller than you. I could take you in a second."
"Well, now you could. But only because you can cheat."
"Oh please. That's always how I've won. This doesn't change anything!"
"This... But Joseph, what is this?"
"Whatever it is, Eric, you know we're in it together. We always have been. Since the day we were born."
"As humans or as vampires?"
"Both. All of the above. Always."
Joseph slid closer to Eric and this time his brother did not move away from him. Joseph put his arm around his brother and pulled him close. Eric did not resist this time and let his head fall onto Joseph's shoulder.
"So what are we going to do, little brother?" Eric asked.
"I think you should just focus on surviving school right now. It just got a lot tougher. Let me see what I can find out from Hannah. I'll tell her that I cleared your memory, so you just need to need to act like it. Lay low. Study."
"Whoa there, buddy. Let's not get carried away. Lay low, I can do. Lie, I can do. But studying is where I draw the line. You're just going to have to glamour all my homework for me. It's the least you can do."
"The least," said Joseph, gently squeezing his brother's shoulder.
Neither of them spoke any further. Neither of them had what they would have considered easy lives, but as twins they always felt fortunate to have each other. In these moments they felt safe. Connected. There was nothing that could be said that would change how they felt about each other. Nothing that needed to be said.