Free Being Human by Patricia Lynne Page B

I won the first round. With a tap of a few buttons, he sent my character flying out of the ring. I tossed the control down with a growl. “How do you do that? How do you knock them out of the ring?”
    He laughed. “I thought you said video games were pointless.”
    “They are. I like winning. It's nice.”
    “Sore loser, that's a human trait.”
    “I am not human,” I indignantly replied.
    He laughed harder. “Now you sound like a human in denial.”
    “Why do guidance counselors suck?” I asked, not caring for his observations.
    His face turned serious as he started another round. “He just asks me stupid questions. How do I feel about our parents' deaths? How do I feel about you being a vampire? What makes me think I need to defend you? Do I know you'd kill me if given the chance? Stuff like that. And I've tried to explain it, the twin bond. He says that's only a myth, there's no proof that twins have a psychic bond that lets them feel the other's emotions. I get to sit my whole free period talking about my feelings so Mr. Vargas can feel good about himself.”
    “Lie,” I replied. “I know lying is pointless, but not for that. Lie to the human and tell him you want me dead. I won't mind if it keeps you happy.”
    “I'm happy.”
    “You're not. What happened with that human caused you pain and not just physical. Tell them what they want to hear and they will leave you alone. You can be happy,” I insisted.
    “That won't make me happy,” he sighed. “Being honest about you makes me happy. I want people to understand what I see when I look at you. Sure, I see a vampire, but I also see my brother. You do things my brother did, say things he did. You are still him. Even if you don't remember or feel like it.” He slumped back, eyes distant. “You make me wonder if we've been misjudging vampires. Maybe there is something human left in them. It's small and vague, but it's still human.”
    “There's nothing human left in me.”
    “Then why are you the only one of us who refers to our parents' deaths as murder? Every other time you've talked about hunting or feeding or blood, you say kill,” he pointed out. “In your mind, you murdered our parents. How is that not human?”
    “That’s how I see it.”
    “That's why I accept you now. So indifferent at times, but I can still see my human brother. I recognize you . That’s what I want everyone else to see.”
    For a long time, neither of us spoke. We played the video game. I won a few rounds, a grin filling my face each time. He snickered at my smile – along with shuddering. I felt content in the moment, happy to be with him, overjoyed at his feelings for me and at ease with our location. I was starting to feel like we had both found a new home.
    “Danny.” The door opened, my aunt froze halfway through, gaze locked on me.
    “Tommy, run!”
    My body jumped to action, instincts telling me to listen to my brother’s order. I slid off the roof, my feet hitting the ground running. Once tall buildings surrounded me and not a human in sight, I skidded to a halt.
    What happened back there? The sudden noise had shocked me, caused my thoughts to freeze in their tracks when I should have automatically melted into the shadows. Now my aunt had seen me with my brother. What would she say to him? After what happened to him at school, I was sure her words would be anything but kind. She might even hurt him.
    I whirled around, heading back. My mind raced through everything he had told me about humans and vampires. Any human that sought out a vampire was frowned upon and usually wound up dead. But what happened to the humans that consorted with vampires and survived?
    When I reached the house, red and blue lights flashed in the driveway. Humans stood in doorways of homes or watched from windows. I lingered in the shadows, not daring to move any closer.
    “And you're sure, Ma'am?” the cop asked my aunt, writing on a small pad of paper.
    “Definitely, it was trying