Chapter 13

"Are you going out to meet up with Mark?" My mothers eyes followed me as I skipped to the door. I shook my head as I answered, 

"I won't see him until tonight, I'm meeting with Jae, he's a transfer." I wasn't planning to see Mark. I hadn't seen Mark since he talked about how Jae couldn't be trusted. If I was over at the house, Mark wasn't. If Mark was at the house, I wasn't. At first I thought it was coincidental, but I wasn't seeing it like that anymore. If Mark wanted to have a fit about Jae, then so be it. He wasn't going to cause problems for me. I wouldn't let him. 

"Are we still meeting at the Indian Restaurant for dinner tonight?" My mother asked. 

"Uh yeah, I'll make sure he and I are there." I smiled again at my mother before trying to make my way out the door again. 

"Park Soo-Jin." My father now joined the conversation. I gulped before turning around. My full name being used was never a good sign. "Sit down. We have to have a talk." 

"I really have somewhere to be, Dad." I tried to argue but with one look from him I was sitting down across from my parents at the table. 

"Are you okay? Is Mark treating you right? He is a really attractive boy, Jen, but if he is making you do things that you don't want to do then you shouldn't be with him." I frowned at my mothers words. 

"What are you talking about?" 

"You come in late. You miss dinner. You cancel plans with us." My father stated. "Are you doing drugs, because if you are we can get you help. There is no judgement, Jen. We just want to make sure you're okay." I gulped. 

"Mark treats me like a princess." I assured them. "He and his friends are taking great care of me. I guess now that I'm with him I just spend more time with them. They are a huge part of my life. None of them do drugs and they're some of the greatest people I know. I'm not doing drugs. I guess between school and hanging out with them I've neglected you a little bit." I sighed, "I love you both to the moon and back. I'll make more time for you guys. I mean, we live under the same roof." My mother laughed lightly and got out of her seat and held her arms out for a hug, which I accepted. 

"We love you too honey. I just have a bad feeling. I don't know what it is. But something is off." My mother held onto me for a little longer before she spoke again. "Your dad and I care about you." She started in Korean, "We're worried, and you know you can tell us anything right?" I closed my eyes tightly as I felt her pull away. I swallowed. I wished nothing more than to be able to tell them everything that has happened to me since I bought that stupid book. I wanted to tell them about how Mark isn't the person he says he is. How all of my friends are vampires and I'm working for them because this town has a vampire problem. I wanted to tell them about how I was attacked by one of the vampires who were causing problems. I wanted to tell them how scared I was. But I couldn't That was just how it was. It was how it had to be. I put them in enough trouble. So it needed to end there. 

"I know. I'm fine. I promise." My mom started to say something else just as my phone rang. "It's Jae. I really have to go." I said before hugging my mom once more and nodding to my dad before going out the door and answering my phone.   

"Yes, Jae. I'll be there in a few minutes. Calm down." I laughed into the speaker. 

"It's uh, it's not Jae." I recognized the voice and frowned, 

"Mark, uh, hi. I'm a little busy righ-" 

"You're going to hang out with Jae. It's fine. I just wanted to check in, but whatever, call me later." Before I could respond the line went dead. Sighing, I shook Mark Tuan, my parents, and vampires in general out of my head and drove to pick Jae up. 

"What do you want to do?" I asked as he got into my car. I hadn't know Jae for very long, and the circumstances in which we met probably weren't the most ideal, but I felt as if I already connected with him on a level more personal than before. Besides. He knew. He was human, and he knew. I could talk to him. I could tell him what was on my mind.

"Uh? How about Mini Golf?" He offered. 

"Mini Golf?" I laughed. He nodded. "Mini Golf it is." I shook my head and looked up the closest one on my phone before using the GPS to lead the way.

"So what's up with Mark. I haven't seen much of him?" Jae asked as we pulled onto the highway. 

"I haven't seen him much, either. We have dinner tonight." 

"Wait are you two dating?" Jae seemed genuinely concerned. 

"No oh my god. It's something we do so my parents don't ask as many questions." I laughed, 

"Well do you like him?" I wasn't expecti