Second Name

Mira's POV

I don't know how long I have been asleep, I slowly opened my eyes and adjusted my sight from the light so I could see clearly.

I sat up and realized that I am inside a cave after looking and studying the surroundings. There's a big leaf covering my body and I was using the book 'A.G.E' as a pillow.

I remember what happened before I passed out.

The rain… I told the vampire that I felt melancholic whenever I was looking at the rain.

Flare and I used to like sneaking out on our hospital bed to play in the rain before.

After we get caught, our parents, nurse, and doctors will scold us for playing outside without their permission. They said it's against the rules, but after that, Flare and I would laugh together because it's fun breaking rules when you have someone to break it with you.

We did that more than 3 times, making our parents guard our hospital room by themselves whenever it's raining to make sure that we won't be able to sneak out again.

Playing in the rain is fun especially when you have someone playing with you.

Every sound of the rain echoes Flare's laugh while she's having fun in the rain. Every drop of it feels like reminiscing our happy memories together.

It was a happy memory, but why is it sad to remember?

That is the reason why I feel like I wanna cry whenever I look at the rain. I keep on remembering Flare. I miss her so much.

"You're finally awake," 

I heard someone speak.

It was the vampire who entered the cave and he is holding my backpack in his left hand.

"We will stay at this cave for tonight so I went to the well to get your backpack and bring it here. From now on, you should bring that backpack with you." He said.

I nodded my head and said that I understood what he said. He lent my backpack to me and I move my hand to accept it.

"How do you feel by the way?" he asked after a few minutes.

I smiled a little before answering his question.

"I'm feeling fine. Sorry for fainting earlier though." I apologized.

"I told you that I'll let you tag along with me just don't faint or fall anywhere… But you don't need to apologize to me. I'm the one who did something wrong to you so I should be the one who should apologize right now." he stated.

I blink in confusion. My forehead crumpled and I suddenly couldn't understand what he's talking about.

What does he mean that he did something wrong to me? Why did he have to apologize? What did he do wrong?

"I called you stupid earlier before you passed out. So I want to ask for your forgiveness." he said, as if he just read my mind asking why he needs to apologize to me.

My jaw drops and I look at him in awe.

Is he serious? It's not even a big deal to me.

"Why do you need to apologize for calling me stupid?" I curiously asked.

Flare often calls me that as well. I actually like it when he calls me that because that only means he's already thinking of me as his friend.

I've been called stupid many times already. Hearing it again doesn't hurt a bit.

"Even though it's okay with you. For me, it's not. I don't have any right to call anyone stupid because I don't know everything. That's why, I want to ask for your forgiveness…"

"Then you're forgiven." I said.

This vampire is full of surprises. First, he doesn't want to drink human blood when he should be drinking it because he is a vampire.

Second, he asked forgiveness for calling me stupid when it's not even a big deal to me.

He surprised me alot and I can't help but to get more curious about him.

"Can I ask for your name?" I asked after he took a seat beside me.

We've been together since last night but I still don't know his name. I want to be close to him and I should start by knowing what his name is.

"My name is Galen…" he answered. He said it while looking at me straightly.

"How about your surname?" I asked again.

"Eagerton." he replied immediately.

"Galen Eagerton." I repeated his name inside my mind so I won't forget it.

He has a unique name too.

"How about you? What's your name?"

I was taken aback when he suddenly asked for my name. I thought he wasn't curious about me so I didn't expect him to ask that question. Knowing that he wants to know my name made me so happy. I couldn't suppress my smile.

"My name is Miracle Iris Omari. You can call me Mira for short." I introduced myself with a friendly smile.

"I like to call you Iris though. Is that fine with you?"

I stare at him as my mouth hangs open. He wants to call me using my second name? I was never called by that name before. Even my mom always called me Mira or Miracle. Flare once called me Iris, and she said that my second name is pretty, but she still prefers calling me Miracle.

"Yeah, sure," I answered him while still in shock.

There's a moment of silence between us. No one speaks so I thought that would be the end of our conversation, but after a few minutes, he breaks the silence between us.

"Iris…" he called my name using his soft voice.

I was stunned and my eyes grew wider. I was never called by that name before. I turned to him before replying with a stuttering voice.

"Y-Yes?"

It takes him a minute before he speaks again.

"I just tried calling you with that to see what would be your reaction, but you look uncomfortable with it so I would like to apologize. If you're not comfortable with Iris, then, I'm just going to call you Miracle," he said.

I shook my head twice to tell him that he got it wrong.

"No, it's not because I'm not comfortable with it. It's just that I'm not used to being called by that name. No one has ever called me Iris before, but calling me Iris is fine. If you call me by that name often, then maybe I will soon get used to it." I explained.

He studied my reaction for a while before he smiled and nodded his head.

"Okay, Iris."

My face suddenly heated up when I heard him call me that name again. Is it just because I'm not used to being called by that name or is it because that name comes out from his mouth normally like he's the one who gave that name to me?

Either way, I'm happy that we already know each other's names. That's a good start to get closer to him. If we became friends, then maybe he would soon agree to drink my blood and turn me immortal.

I need to convince him to do that before it becomes too late for me.