It doesn't heal when a vampire bites II

"Okay ready?" Brittany said, dusting off her hands, "Give me everything you've got kid."

"Um okay?" I swallowed unsure of myself. I looked down at her feet and lunged for them.

"Wrong!" Brittany yelled, as I stopped in midair. "You lunge at my feet, I just step aside and you go crashing to the floor. She took one step to her right and snapped, letting me crash to the ground where she once stood. "Try again."

I jumped to my feet and began circling her slowly, and she just pivoted to face me. Beneath my feet I felt the rocks through my shoe, finding one that I liked. I went around for another circle and dropped down picked it up and threw it at her head. It stopped, "I catch and through it back at you." She snapped her fingers again and the rock continued to her hand, and she threw it back at me with enough force to crack my skull. I jumped out of the way just in time to see the rock go crashing into a tree twenty feet behind me. "Keep going."

I started circling around her, watching carefully as she pivoted to face me. I thought carefully Keeping in mind everything brittany said. I attempted attack again and again, but all proved fruitless. I now lay sprawled on the ground watching her shoes as she came closer.

"You need to think faster. It should come like instinct, dont even think about it." She said kneeling down by my head, tapping my forehead for emphasis. "Acy!" she called standing up and making circles above her head with a finger. Acy hurried to me and set to work on my wounds. Soon enough, I was back on my feet trying to figure out a new, near-foolproof, plan of attack. My thoughts were interrupted by rustling leaves. Everyone turned to look, and I seized the opportunity. I pounced forth quick as possible knocking over Brittany, and pinning her to the floor, or so I thought. I soon as I had a hand down on her throat, her knocked me over, holding me down with a knee on my chest.

"Dirty play." Brittany spat, "Nice, now you're starting to get it."

She stood dusting off her hands before offering one to me. I took it then smiling pulled her down and caught her in the same pin that she once had me in.

"Alright, alright," She said pushing me off, "we get it you're learning, but you've still got a long way to go."

I nodded slowly, ready to take in everything that she had to say. She looked at D. and nodded. D. gave a dirty little smirk that made me wonder, as she took Brittany's place.

"Lets see how well you do with ambush." She continued while trying to keep Acy from checking her for wounds. "D."

Suddenly D. was gone, and I felt and arm snaking its way around my neck, then choking me. I grabbed her arm fast and slipped me foot behind hers, while pulling forward. I flipped her over my head and watched her, waiting for the dirt to fly, but instead she stopped in mid air, arms splayed and stiff, then she was gently lower back to the ground and on her feet.

"Good" Tom said clapping slowly, "but it wont always work."

Before she even finished, D. was gone again, and slipping me into a choke hold, but this time her foot was infront of mine tripping me. I fell forward, D. keeping me from stopping my descent until she jumped away at the last second, landing neatly on her feet. I rolled forward, quickly finding my footing and spinning to face D. standing but a few feet away. I dropped down, and kicked at her feet. She jumped just in time, but I used my momentum to throw another kick, catching her full on the side, sending her flying. She was only feet from landing harshly on the ground, then sliding into the tree only feet behind her. I was frozen in my present pose.

There was an echo of clapping, but out of the corner of my eye I saw Brittany's confused look. She looked to D. whom nodded, and she snapped again releasing us. Out of the bushes came Philip's voice, followed closely by himself.

"Very nice." He said, smiling at me, then adding to Brittany, "Time's up, The Prince has some very special courses in stored for our little brother here."

"Special Courses? I didn't here about any of this." Brittany said bewildered.

"You skipped out on breakfast. Now my student, please? I promise I won't let him fall behind on his self defense lessons."

"Ha. Says the one who got beat up after dinner yesterday!"

At this Philip only smiled, and lead me away. I hurried to his side, wondering what was in stored for me next.

"You're so curious, just ask." He said, breaking the spell of silence.

"You used to stammer, and you dumped the glasses." I said blankly, waiting for his response. He looked different without them on, much different.

"That isn't really a question now is it?" He said after a slight pause.

"What does he have in mind?"

"Werewolf recognition." He said, then seeing my blank expression adding, "We are the newest members to this family, the wolves here do not know us, and you know I'm not really one to follow the rules."

I nodded and smiled at what he said, but I was pretty sure that, that wasn't the entire reason why he would know so much about wolves. He said the girl he liked was on the werewolf side of this war, but he said she was human. [i}Was human. I was quickly pulled out of my thoughts when I heard him laughing.

"Her boyfriend was a werewolf." He said catching my glance, "But she liked wolves long before he had told her that he was."

"What happened to her?" I asked.

"He had just asked her out at the Trinity Peace Dance, which is a tradition in our town. The three schools were made for Humans, Vampires and werewolves, but of corse the humans never knew what was going on. He took her to his school afterwards, thats how you know when they want to turn someone. They bite them at the school. A couple weeks later, she was reported missing."

"That's horrible." I said shaking my head sadly. I thought about how bad it must feel, knowing you lost the love of your life to your sworn enemy.

"You learn to live with it." He added quickly, before i could put much thought into it.

"But, what happens when you have to fight?" I asked, imagining a huge fight between the vamps and the wolves. Philip's emotion torn expression as he was confronted with a faceless girl.

"The wolves took her away from me. It'll be easy to tear them limb-from-limb." He said, the hatred in his voice scared me, and set off a small section of my mind, that wanted to defend the wolves, that wanted to fight him, prove him wrong. I suppressed it, thinking nothing of it, pushing it to the back of my mind. I looked up at him seeing a spark light up in his eyes, filled with so much determination to kill.

"I meant what if you have to fight her." I said, looking at him intently. He stopped, shocked, and looked down taking in a deep breath.

"I'd rather be ripped apart and burned alive than ever even think about hurting her." He said, every word was filled with so much intensity, it knocked out my breath and found it too hard to say much more. The trees of the woods broke, and again I found myself on the streets of downtown.

"There's a diner on this street." Philip said leading the way. "It's vamp turf, the one across the street is wolf turf." He said opening the door to the diner.

As we stepped in the air seemed to changed. there were few people in the old fashioned diner. The floor was black and white tiles, with a bar opposite of the booths, separated from the rest of the diner with a velvet rope. The walls were covered with shelves jammed with trophies.

"Nice place." I said sliding into a booth. Its red leather sticking to my skin. The waitress handed us menus, and asked what we wanted for drinks. She walked away, to give our orders to the chef.

"So on to business." Philip said, taking off his back pack and pulling out a binder stuffed with papers, most of them about to fall out. He laughed trying to organize the mess of papers. Our food arrived shortly, and Philip flipped open to the first page as I took a bite out of my food. It was a picture of a wolf, staring up at me, so lifelike it haunted me.

There was something about it, the attention to detail, the way it was shaded, something, that seemed so familiar to me, but I couldn't figure it out. There were notes scrawled on the side, hardly legible.

"She draw this?"

"Everything in here." He smiled. His face seemed to light up every time he talked about her. "She drew these after she was bitten. See the date here?" He pointed at a scribble on the top left corner.

"How do you read that?" I laughed barely able to make out the numbers.

"Takes time." He laughed with me. He spun around the binder so that I could see it properly. He turned the page and pointed at the first note. "Werewolves have three forms. Human, " He pointed to a picture of a normal girl sitting on a bench reading a book, "Anthro, thats pretty much the normal hollywood style wolf," He slid his finger to a picture of a wolf standing on its hind legs and it looked like it was out to kill the girl. "and wolf form," he slid his finger to a picture of a wolf, just a normal wolf.

"Not A normal wolf." Philip said, then he turned the page. "They generally have a large mane of fur, how big it is depends on the gender, or hair length in human form. Their eyes are normally golden, but some genetics can change that. The fur patterns can be unnatural, and they are generally much larger, like three times larger."

I finished my mashed potatoes, and turned the page a Philip ate some of his food. The next picture was one of of a werewolf in anthro form. Along the sides there were various notes with arrows pointing at specific points o the wolf. It's upper body was leaning forward and its hind paws were separated greatly. There was a line running its height out to the side.

"Three? st biggcr thun humuns?" I laughed trying to decode the seeming cryptic writing. Philip laughed along with me.

"Close, but it's ' three feet bigger than humans.'" I scrunched my eyes trying to see it. I traced my finger down the lin then moved on to the next note.

"Ok so is this one, 'fur lirefoltows nonmal contour ot the human body?'" I asked trying to find the spacing between each word, and trying to see if some letters were scribbled out or actually letters. Philip smiled at me after he had swallowed his mouthful.

"Closer. 'The fur line follows the normal contour of the human body.' Think you can tell me what that one says?" He point his finger to a set of notes in the corner.

"umm what? These are pictures!" I exclaimed when I saw a sloppy drawing in place of words. Philip nodded to me, he was testing me, "Ok so, is that someone talking?" I pointed to a picture of an open mout with squiggly lines coming from it, but when Philip didn't answer I figured he wanted me to traslate this on my own, "And a brain? What? This makes no sense! Wolf, talks, brain? What the heck is that supposed to?- oh." I laughed stopping myself in mid sentence, as I realized what the pictures meant.

"Yup, they're telepathic, like me, Jake, Michael, Jared, and Edward Cullen." We both laughed wildly at the mentioning of the " Twilight hotty," gaining curious stares from the Waitress, as she picked up our plates, and a few customers. Two girls had walked in during our outburst, and drifted towards our tables and he caught our breath. Philip shut the binder quickly before they had the chance to see the picture.

"What's so funny?" One of them asked batting her eyes, while the other twirled her hair trying to look flirty. They leaned against our table, awaiting our answer. Normally I would've been cool, made them laugh, offered for them to sit, but now, it didn't matter, i felt like they were nothing, nothing of importance to me.

"watch yourself, they're not ours." Philip's voice rang through my head. My eyes shot to him quickly, then back at the girls.

"Oh nothing much really." I said leaning back cooly fixing them in my soft brown eyes, "It's just the Wolves are so stupid, they walked right into one of our pranks, and then another one and another one. You'd think they'd learn from the first two." I smirked, pretending that I was flirting with them, playing along with their little game.

"Oh?" Said the one twirling her hair. they look like barbies I thought. "That does sound funny, but, oh, I haven't seen either of you 'round here before?" She tried to look interested, but I didn't fall for it, I saw the other one's had sliding slowly towards the binder.

"I was just sent here. My dad had just died, so I was shipped off to live with Michael." I said, finally creating a spark of intrest in their eyes, but I need more to distract them."Then my boy here, got kicked out of our old school." I twitched my head towards Philip, "What was it they said again? 'bout why?" I looked to him confused trying to think of a good story line, "Oh, that's right! They said he made everyday a bit too interesting." I smirked teasingly, hoping the mystery would knock them off the binder long enough for him to think of an excuse to leave. Both of them turned their heads to me, then kept switching their gazes from me to Philip, whom did the right thing by just sitting there and acting bored, like the girls weren't at all interesting to him. I saw in their eyes, they wanted his attention.

"Wow really? And you know Michael too?" Said the first girl in fake awe. She leaned forward slightly to mask her attempt at snatching the binder. Philip turned to her, flicked his eyes over her, then the other before turning out the window, crossing his arms and sliding slightly down his seat, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else. The girl's hand inched forward slowly, but we pretended not to notice. Then, just before she was able to grab it, Philip spoke, making his voice deep and smooth. A voice you'd expect to come from the guy every girl in school drooled over. It shocked me.

"You know you really shouldn't touch a strangers' stuff." He didn't turn from the window as he spoke. "They might get mad."

The girl's hand snatched back slightly, then began making circles on the surface of the binder with her finger. There was a spark in my mind. He hated letting them touching her binder.

"Well, I'm megan, and my friend here is Ashley." She said smiling, "We were just curious about what's in it."

She slid her hands down the side and slowly began lifting up the cover. Philip finally turned around and propped his elbows on the binder slamming it shut before the girl could see what was inside.

"Well, then, Megan, I think you and Ashley should leave." Philip said, still using his deep, hot guy voice. I laughed inwardly as I compare his voice, to the voice he had now. Maybe if he used that voice all the time he would've had his girl, and she would've been a vamp instead of a wolf.

"Aw come man," I pretended to whine playfully giving a sly smile, "they're just havin' some fun."

"If this is their idea of fun then this town must be boring as hell." He said pressing his lips into his hands. I snorted and leaned back.

"You do realize that by they I meant me, right?" I said completely ignoring the ugly grimace that had creeped across Megan's face. "'Cause seriously sometimes the annoying, persistant ones are the most fun to dump in front of the whole school. Then again, I guess the torture of going out with them wouldn't really be worth it."

"Excuse me?" Ashley said haughtily. I turned to her slowly. "Do you have any idea how rude you're being?"

"Do you have any idea how annoying you are?" I asked mockingly.

"Apparently not." Philip cut in, then turning back to them and adding, "You know this town is surrounded by woods. Why don't you do the world a favor and go get yourselves lost in them."

Megan gasped and turned around to walk out with Ashley right behind her. She glanced over her shoulder, hoping for us to get up and apologize, but we just smiled and waved goodbye. The waitress came with refills a bright smile on her face.

"Wow, you got rid of them that fast!" she exclaimed, "We've been trying to get the them out of here forever."

"Yeah? Well I guess it just need that gental touch." I joked, earning laughs fromt he others.

"Alright how 'bout some dessert? On house." The waitress said.

"Gosh, free food for driving ou customers? I like this town." Philip said, his voice back to normal. The waitress laughed heartily at his joke.

"You know you're not all bad 'quarter breed.'" My fondness of her stopped there. Everyone called him that, there was no respect for him, no matter what he did. I wanted so much to jump at her, force her to say his name, but that would solve nothing.

"Why do you let them call you that?" I asked him quietly, leaning forward.

"I'm used to it." he shrugged dully as the waitress handed us dessert menus. We skimmed over them and handed them back.

"Peach cobbler with vanilla on the side." We both said as she picked up the menus. We turned to each other shocked. We laughed off the coincidence, and continued our lesson.

"Okay, okay so that one is um. wait, is this even in english?" I asked unable to make out words from the scribbles. Philip just laughed at me.

"Those aren't even words. She was testing her pen." He said laughing.

"And how do you know?" I asked.

"Well its just a bunch of tiny circles. What did you think I was stalking her?"

I eyed him curiously, but he just laughed. Just then a bell rang as some one entered the store. I was sure it was the barbie twins, back for more harassment, but before I could turn around to check, the space next to me was occupied.

"Hey there! I'm mar-" She cut herself off hissing at Philip. "Oh sorry Philip. I guess I'm still not used to you."

"It's fine Mariah. Here to brief Matt?" Philip answered putting away his binder.

"Yeah so we better get going." She said pulling on my sleeve. She was short for her age, her hair was long. She could've been passed off for a ten-year-old.

"No! I don't want to go yet!" I yelled when she had me halfway off the seat, sounding like a little boy.

"Too bad we're on a tight schedule! You can gossip later!" Mariah yelled back tugging harder.

"Well, let me eat!" I yelled again as the waitress brought out our dessert.

"Oh hi, Becky." Mariah said sliding into the seat, "Sorry about that."

I grabbed my food, and ate as fast as I could while Mariah made small talk, but before I could finnish I was being dragged across the diner to the door with my plate in hand.

"You could at least let me finnish!" I screamed clinging to every table as I was pulled across the floor, trying, desperately, to finnish my food. I swallowed my last spoon-full as Philip paid for our food, and walked pass me to the exit, as if nothing was going on. what is wrong with that boy? I wondered watching him leave. I left my plate on the floor as Mariah forced me to my feet and literally pushed me outside. I was barely able to stop myself from falling onto the road and getting hit by a car.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Mariah yelled as I backed away from the curb.

"Yes I am officially a suicidal, emo vampire. I tried cutting myselft, but it didn't work every well." I laughed sarcastically.

"Come on!" Mariah said as she pulled me down the street. "Ok so I'm just gonna show all the vamps, and all the vamp 'safe' places here. That's it, you can handle that right?"

"Yeah, I think so."

just as I spoke there was an echo of voices coming from the street behind us. Laughter rushed over my ears as I turned around. There was a small group of kids stumbling out the store across the street from us. One of the was wearing a black hoodie with faux fur trim and a green knit beenie with wolf ears sewn onto the top, Though the others were dressed normally. As I observed the small group more closly I recognized Josh, jay, and Skylar from the other day. With them was a short blonde girl and the kid with the wolf ears.

"you see those are obviously not vamps." mariah said pointing at the group. I laughed halfheartily as I tried to makeout the othe person. The group stopped laughing and looked up at us. They froze, their faces blank. Jay walked to the front of the group, and everine fell into place behind him; josh and Skylar to his right and the two others on his left. He stared us down debating whether we were a threat or not. He turned and walked away the rest of the group following closly. All of them except one. The kid that was dressed srangely stayed behind, staring at us.

"what do you think she wants from us?" Mariah asked almost sounding annoyed.

"she?" I repeated unsure if the statement was fact. She looked

down the street both ways then hurried across as if afraid that a car would appear out of the blue and run her right over. I gasped when she got closer.

"Nerissa?" I recognized her hair swept face and her deep blue eyes.

"Um, hey?" she said unsure of herself. She held her arm nervously. Now that she was standing in front of me I noticed her belt had a tail swaying behind her.

"Shouldn't you be with your pack?" Mariah asked, more confused than accusing. Nerissa looked over her shoulder at the group walking away dramamtically.

"higher ranks can do what they want." She answered timidly as not sure if her answer was right. "I... I just wanted to say hi."

"Well then, hi? Higher ranks? you just moved here."

"Yeah, well. My brother, he's like a legend. So, what'ch'ou doin'?" She shrunk back a bit at the mention of her brother, and turned away as if she wasn't supposed to be talking about it. "I, I'm sorry, I should, just, just, just, uh, just."

She sounded like a scratched CD, like she couldn't remember what she was saying. Not once had she looked either of us in the eye. Ws she scared? Nervous? She shook her head, letting the braided strings of her beanie swing across her face, her eyes were shut tight.

"Mariah was just showing me the town. You wanna come with?" I asked. I felt so bad for, I didn't think about what I said. Mariah elbowed me in the rib, then eyed me as if I had some master plan going on.

"Huh? Uh, sure, sure, yeah, ok." Nerissa attempted a wak smiled, but failed and turned away again. Is she always like this? I wandered watching her rub her arm frantically. her eyes darted around behind the swath of hair that covered her face, as if she were afraid of something.

"You ok?"

"What? Oh. Yeah. Yeah i'm fine. I. I'm just not used to this whole vamp/wolf split, law, rule, thingy. Is it like that in every town?" She tugged at the strings of her beanie twirling them around her fingers. "Sorry. no. don't answer that. That was stupid. I'm just. it's. um. it's it' it's BIG. Yeah that's it. It's big. There's so many people here. Where I came from, the population wasn't even big enough to be considered a village."

Nerissa made a confused look when we started laughing, then just smiled at us, waiting for us to catch our breath.

"We better get going, come on." Mariah said leading both of us away. Nerissa followed behind me looking around in awe at the old styled buildings and cobblestone road. Mariah pointed at different "Vamp safe" shops and restaurants, while Nerissa showed "wolf territory," or as Mariah calles them "danger zones." Most of them were easy to tell apart, from the name to the look, but some I just had to memorize.

"You know, you kinda stupid in that hat. Plus, if people see you with us there'll be some major problems for all of us." Mariah pointed out. Stupid? I thought looking at her I think it's kinda cute

"No. No,no,no, no, no." Nerissa answered quickly, pulling down her beanie as far as it would go and shaking her head. "I'm not taking it off."

"Well, at least take off your tail." I said nodding my head at the fur cloth hanging from her belt. She nodded and ripped it from the belt tossing it into the nearest trash can. Then she unzipped her jacket showing off a black shirt that sported a vampire-smiley with blood dripping down its fangs, and red letters that spelled "Bite me."

"Interesting choice of clothes." I said unsurely, Thoroughly confused by her shirt.

"I'm a rebel." She shrugged smirking at me. I caught mariah eyeing her suspiciously, but she didn't seem to notice, "Nah, it's just an inside joke with me and my buds back home." She caught herself off again and started staring past me, suddenly interested in something else.

"And you just happened to be wearing it on the day you go on a tour of the town with a couple a' vamps?" Mariah spat viciously. Nerissa turned to her shocked.

"You know I looked up vamp in a dictionary once. Apparently, its the upper front part of a boot." Nerissa replied awkwardly hoping to change the topic. I let out a slow breath. This was going down hill fast.

"Yeah, well you're a wolf right? doesn't that make you a female dog?" Let me rephrase what I just wrote. THis was going down hill really fast. How long would it be until I'm dragging Mariah off of Nerissa?

"Weel this was fun, but I'm gonna go before we start a scene. I guess I'll see ya both at school?"

I watched her drift away with mixed feelings. yeah. I'll see ya at school. I turned on Mariah.

"Did you really have to throw the dog card?" I growled, "Did you really have to drive her away? I mean really-"

"You like her dont you?" I look at her confused," Forget that. You cant trust them Matt. You can't trust any of them. She probably came with us to pick up some vamp secrets or something."

"Ok, whatever. So she just somehow knew that we were gonna go around town pointing out every vampire related thing here?"

"I don't know, maybe she tapped into our brains or something."

"Can werewolves do that?"

"How the heck would I know?"

I shrugged and walked away, finding the trail the lead back home my head low and my thoughts scrambled.

I barged through the front doors of the house. ignoring the echoes as they slammed closed. I ran up to my room. The beauty of the forest beyond the glass wall of the large house, meaning nothing to me in my confused rage. Nothing mattered anymore. Nothing was there. It was just me in an empty house. I slammed the door to my bedroom, feeling picture frames shaking on the wall. For a second I worried something would fall, but the feeling left as quickly as it had come, as if it wasn't even there.

I paced the floor of my room one or two times, then did what I always did when overwhelmed with emotions. I stopped, snatched up my acoustic guitar then let my body fall onto my bed. I felt the springs give way beneath me.

I let my finger play chords. My brain processing every note carefully, figuring out what to play nest to fit my feelings. Every time I strummed a bit of my rage escaped the hollow my my guitar mixing into the sounds my instrument sung. I lay there staring at the ceiling, feeling nothing , but my dying anger, the strings cutting into my fingers, the sweet vibrations as my nails dragged over every single string, making my guitar sing, its song reverberating through the room, down the hall, reaching its way into every corner of the house.

Soon it wasn't me playing the song anymore. I was just listening as my guitar played itself. I wasn't strumming the chords, I wasn't thinking of notes I was just lying there, and listening as my guitar told its melodious story. My anger dead. my confusion gone. It was as if nothing had ever happened. That all I'd ever done was lie here and listen.

The door opened slowly; as if it were afraid to interrupt me. Then faces peeked in from behind the door; their eyes wide with wonder and awe. I strummed my last chord slowly letting each note ring, its soft sound echoing loudly across the room. Then, I lay there. I just lay there, my legs hanging off the side of my bed, my guitar still humming softly on my torso.

The door creeked open further as my house mates filed in. Or at least a two of them. I watched as Michael and Jake walked into the room and took a seat on either side of me. Michael looked at me saddly, his bright green eyes staring through my soul.

"Hey kid, we um, we got some sad news." Michael said taking away my guitar as Jake helped me sit up. My scars seared with pain for the first time since I first woke up here. "Ben, um, he got moved to another tribe. The Prince he, they said it would be better for him in the states. His cousin lives there, got bit recently."

I looked at Micheal in disbelief. He was kidding. He had to be, but the his eyes seemed so dull. I swallowed hard. Sure I haven't known any of them for too long, but I already made a connection with all of them. I shook my head slowly biting back my tears. It'll be better for him there I kept telling myself, but I still couldn't believe it. Its been three days and I've ready made and lost one of my best friends. Jake pats my shoulder and Michael ruffles my hair as he gets up to leave.

I fall back down and pick up my guitar from where Michael left it. I fiddled around with he notes, to shocked and depressed to play. Jake turned to face me.

"Hey, remember that band idea you had?" Jake asked. I nodded slightly, just enough for him to see. "Lets do it. You, me and Micheal. you on lead, Micheal on base, and me on drums. You know what else? I know exactly what Ben would've wanted our first song to be"

I turned to Jake and smiled. If he was tryind to make me feel better. It was working better than he thought. The next thing I knew we were shoving past each other trying to get through the door calling Micheal frantically laughing hard. I pushed my way through sending myself over the edge of the walkway. For a few seconds I felt nothing but the rush of air. There was nothing beneath my feet. There was nothing holding me up. A rush of joy rose in my stomach, a sort of warmth like my first taste of human blood, except a thousand times better.

I landed hard on the sofa, the hidden springs bouncing me back up to my feet. I stood there for a few seconds my arms splayed for balance, before breaking down laughing while Jake hurried down the stairs.

"Dude! That was So cool!" I yelled gasping for breath. I turned to Jake who was standing be my side now, staring at me with the same wonder that he had, when I was playing the guitar. "Jake? You okay?" I asked frowning.

"Oh." He said quickly shaking his head and fixing his short hair," Yeah, yeah. It's just... nothing. Nothing."

"Sure." I said looking past him for Michael. I spun around scanning the entire room, than ran to check the breakfast knook and kitchen.

Jake walked slowly behind me as I looked around hopelessly in the kitchen. He leaned against the door watching as I opened the fridge.

"Is he in there?" He asked me smiling. I chuckled slightly and closed the door.

"I was so sure too." I laughed back.

"He's probably in the library." I looked at Jake thoroughly confused. "C'mon, this way." Jake said beckoning me to follow him.He combed his fingers through his hair then lead me across the living room to a door hidden beneath the stairs.

I stared at the old, heavy wooden door. My eyes traced the faded designs that had covered it once, but now have faded away to few barely noticeable scraps. Jake knocked loudly on the door then stepped back. He took in a slow deep breath, then exhaled quickly kicking the door open.

He stepped inside, and I followed slowly, my eyes wide with awe as I looked around the circular room. I held my breath as i scanned the floor-to-ceiling- shelves filled with ancient books. I didn't dare move for fear of disturbing the dusty covers.

It wasn't until I ran out of breath, did I notice the soft melody ringing through the room. I spun around, until I saw the round desk sitting in the middle of the room. Michael leaned back in a chair his feet propped up on the table top; a guitar laying across him as he picked softly at the strings.

"Hey, hey mopey," Jake said sitting on the desk so that his face was directly in front of Michael's, "cheer up a lil', huh, c'mon we got a surprise for you in the garage."

"Jake, You know I hate surprises." Michael mumbled, spinning his chair around.

"Ah, but this is a good one, promise." I said popping up in his face, smiling. Jake jumped off the desk and grabbed his wrist, while I took the other, and we dragged him out of the room, trying our best to ignore his protests.

"So what's the surprise?" I whispered to Jake,"And, uh, where's the garage?"

"No worries, I got it." Was all that I got back from Jake. I shrugged, and dropped back as he whispered to Michael, whom finally agreed to go with us, without us pulling him along.

I followed them slowly, thinking about earlier. There was something about Nerissa, Something that made her different than everyone I've ever known, but I didn't know what it was. There wasn't anything special about her. There was nothing that made her stand out, but I couldn't stop thinking about her.

I fell asleep that night smiling, the echos of our laughter mixed with strangled chords as we struggled to piece together our first song. The sound of the chorus played perfectly, and the feeling of victory still fresh in my mind. We played it over and over in our joy, until the melody was burned into the back of our heads. That night when I closed my eyes I felt as if I was sleeping on a bed of feathers.



I dreamed again. I dreamt of her. We were alone. I was running, from something, but I don't remember what it was. I wasn't scared, not this time. This time I was laughing; my arms out as I ran. I ran and I ran until I saw her sitting. When I saw her sitting beneath a tree with dark blue flowers, I stopped and just looked at her. She was wearing a long white dress and her hair was down, being tossed around by the wind. I couldn't see her face, but I knew she was sad. As I walked closer to her, noticed that her bare feet were dangling off the edge of a cliff. I sat down next to her, but she didn't seem to notice so I didn't do anything.

"Matt," She whispered, I moved closer so that I could hear her better, "I have dreams too, but they're not like your dreams. There's never someone there to save me. I'm always chained up and tossed in a cage; forced to watch all of my friends die, but I can't do anything. Then. Then they come for me b-b-but i-i."

She looked down gritting her teeth together fighting back tears. Her voice was shaking as she spoke, with every word the fear became more and more real. I wanted to help her. I wanted tell her that everything was okay, that all of it was a dream. I wanted to hold her close, to let her cry on my shoulder and whisper all these wonderful things just to see her smile again. I wanted to brush back her hair and just stare into those sorrowful blue eyes until something magical happened. I wanted to, but I couldn't. I tried to speak, but my voice caught in my throat. The most I could do was slide my hand over hers, but even that took so much effort.

The wind began to pick up again. I heard the branches above us shaking, and beautiful blue flowers fell around us like pieces of the sky drifting down like snow. Nerissa watched one of them as it drifted down. She stood up as it came closer her hands reached out towards it. It landed in her palm, but when she looked down at it, I could see the tears streaks running down her cheek.

She turned to me, the wind pulling at her hair and tearing at her dress. I looked into her eyes, and felt so much pain. No one should suffer. I heard her whispering " I'm sorry " I heard her, but her lips never moved. the flower in her hand turned into a butterfly that flittered towards me, but I didn't care, because Nerissa stepped off the edge.

I tried to run to her. I tried catch her. I tried to save her. But her fingers slipped through mine. I would have screamed for her, I would have broken down and cried, but before I could register what happening I was falling towards her.

I saw her hair whipped face, but there was no emotion there. It was if she were already dead. I called her. I screamed her name, but she was just getting further and further away. I felt hot tears streaming from my eyes as I watched her fall. I closed my eyes telling myself that none of it was real, that all of it was a lie, but in spite of that I felt that the air rushing through my eyes, and ripping at my clothes was actually a dagger in my chest.

I felt something snaking around my neck, but I didn't open my eyes.

"Matt." It was Nerissa. Her lips her so close to me. My heart jumped, then skipped a bit. My skin started to tingle, as I wrapped my arms around her waste.

"Nerissa?" I whispered back pressing my cheek to her head.

"Matt, save me." she said slightly louder. I opened my eyes shocked and looked at my hand. There was red liquid trickling down my arm, and a growing scarlet stain on Nerissa's back where blood was spilling from a stab wound. I grabbed her tight wishing that I could save her, wishing that the rocks below us were getting further away rather than closer, wishing that some how I could make all of it go away. Then I heard a gentle whoosh, like the sound of a birds' wings beating as it takes off. I looked around me, and we weren't falling anymore, but there were arrows raining down on us.

I woke up gasping for breath again. I sat up to calm my breathing, leaning my head on my hands. I looked to my right at Jake's bed hoping that I didn't wake him, but he was already up, staring at me, his eyes wide like I had seen them so many times that day.

"Jake?" I said leaning against the headboard. I looked around the room while Jake shook his head gathering his thoughts.

"You were calling for her." Jake said finally, "Nerissa, you kept saying it in your sleep."

"Yeah?" I whispered playing with my sheets, "I don't really remember."

There was a rustling of sheets as Jake settled back into bed. After a few minutes I did the same, then something poked my side. I felt around the bed looking for what it was. I found it. A long sleek feather. I couldn't see what color it was in the dark, but I thought IT was pretty none the less. I ran my fingers down it a few times then tucked it beneath my pillow, and drifted back into my restless dreams.



I jumped out of bed, and hurried to change. The blinds were still closed, but I knew I woke up later than usual. It's been about two weeks since I've been here, and I was finally starting to feel at home. I learned all the hot spots, and memorized about half of the vamps. A couple days ago, Mariah and I beat Philip out of store and halfway down the street because we caught him doing something that got him kicked out of the tribe. He ran away, black blood streaming down his face. I know it sounds wrong, but I didn't feel bad about it.

I walked down the stairs following the scent of Acy's sweet cooking. I stopped at the base of the stairs, the sounds of conversation stopping me from moving further. I held my breath listening carefully, using my training to keep from getting caught.

"It's true." Jake yelled, There was a loud crash, probably Jake slamming the table with his hands.

"I'm not saying you're lying Jake." Michael said calmly.

"Besides if you did see it so long ago, wouldn't we have too?" Acy asked. I imagined Michael nodding to her point.

"Well, maybe It only happens when I'm around." The frustration in Jake's voice rang out clearly.

"That doesn't make any sense though," Michael countered poised and rational, "The only thing special about you is that you were the first one he's met since he became one of us, and that's never affected anything before."

Me. They're talking about me. I thought shocked. I listened even closer now.

"But I swear I saw it." Jake growled.

"Two times? One of those times you were half asleep." Acy said accusingly.

"I'm not lying."

"I never said you were," Michael said quickly, before Acy could comment, "but you don't have any proof."

"You want proof? I'll give you proof." Jake growled.

I walked in yawning loudly, and stretching my arms above my head. Everyone turned to me as I took my seat. I rubbed my eyes, and looked at them.

"Mornin' sleepy head." Michael said pushing a plate of cinnamon waffels and an omelet towards me. "Best eat up, I've a feeling Trainings gonna real bad today." I caught him glancing at Jake.

"Oh big news by the way-" Jake started, cut off as Mariah walked in. "Never mind."

"You're kidding." I laughed, "Tell me that you're kidding. Please. Is this like Aprils Fool's Day in Canada?"

Jake threw a napkin at me laughing. While Mariah took a seat at the table.

"Is everyone from The States this stupid?" She asked filling her plate.

"Sorry it's just. Wow, awkward." I laughed again stuffing waffle into my mouth to keep me from saying something stupid.

"This is our new housemate. I'm sure you two have met." Michael said ruffling my hair.

"Where's D.?" I asked when I finished my food.

"Out on rounds." Acy said twirling her finger in the air, "She should be back in a couple of hours."

I nodded leaning back in my chair.

"GUYS!" I jumped when Dariela popped into the room.

"Or now." Jake said to himself.

"Guys, there's a wolf."

"Where was it?" Michael asked immediately, while the rest of just sat there with our mouths wide open.

"I don't know exactly, but the tracks come in on the northern edge" D. answered calming her breaths.

"Not good." Jake said. Wolves owned the territories just north of us. If what D. was saying is true then that means...

We split up each of us getting a different section if the territory. Mariah was in charge of securing the boundries, which, evidently, meant cover the bourders of our land with wolfbane scented perfume. There's a pact between the wolves and vamps that states clearly that we can kill the other freely if they are in our territory, and by what I heard about how the war was going now, trapping the wolf in our own territory to kill it was well worth all the trouble it'll cause.

I ran through the woods quickly the trees passing by as little more than a giant blur. (Vampire super speed really comes in handy once you learn how to control it.) I skidded to a hault at the edge of our land. I walked a long the border searching for any sign of werewolf activities. Judging by the scent Mariah was hear already. I could see why werewolves would be driven off by the smell, it was horrible. I had to keep a hand over my mouth to stop myself from gagging.

I was quick to get away from the stench, and continue my rounds slowly circling towards the house. Before long I heard the rustling of leaves above me. I stopped to listen, trying to pinpoint the exact location. I didn't have try too hard though. Seconds later there was a giant thud and a small voice squeaking in pain. It was a voice I knew well considering I was thinking of it for weeks on end.

I spun around, and sure enough Nerissa was sitting on the ground, her bangs mostly covering her frustrated face. She blew them up, just to have them fall back down.

"Nerissa?' I said helping her up. She kept looking up at the tree.

"Dang that was one heck of'a fall." She said laughing slightly. She rolled one of her shoulders and turned to me, "Thanks for the help."

"What are you doing here?" I asked shaking my head.Was she the wolf? Is she the intruder that was caught on our territory by D.? What am I going to do if she is? My head was spinning as she looked around at the trees seeming lost.

"My dog. I was taking her out for a walk, but she got loose." The urgency in her voice sounded so real, there was no way she was lying. "I chased her here, but lost her a little while ago, so I climbed that tree to get a better view. I can't find her anywhere, Matt."

She tipped toed to look past me, her hardly visible eyes wide with worry. At first I wanted to console, then I realized the worst thing in the world. My best friends were going to kill her dog. Oh'ma'god, oh god oh god oh god. I thought pacing NO, no-no-no-no-no. I grabbed Nerissa's hand, calling out mentally To Jake, Michael, Mariah, anyone that could hear it, but I was too far. What made it worst though; was that we were all armed with a hand gun loaded with silver bullets. I ran fast as I could, without accidently pulling her arm out of her socket, or worst, pulling it off. She kept up fine, except for stumbling over a lot of rocks; once, even, falling over and doing a full summersault and landing almost perfectly square on her feet. I had to catch her (much to my own enjoyment.)

"Where are we going?" Nerissa asked as I tugged her along. I didn't answer. Maybe it was because I was too focused on getting to the others on time. Or maybe it was because I knew she wouldn't like the answer.

A loud Bay-like barking filled the; that was enough to encourage Nerissa. She picked up speed, her feet no longer uncertain of the terrain. There was determination in every step that she took, but, still, she held tight to my hand.

A gun shot echoed through the air, mixed with a sharp yelp. No. Oh, no. No-no-no-no-no. Oh, dear God, no. I thought to myself. Nerissa skidded to a halt, her breath caught in her throat. Her mouth was open, but nothing came out of it. In front of was us there was Jake, holding a handgun, loaded with silver bullets, pointing it at the still body of a large dog lying on the ground. Nerissa's hand went slack.

"Nerissa, I'm so-" I started, but before was able to finish, she ran towards the gods body. She bent down slowly, and ran her fingers through it fur, then wrapped her arms around it's neck. I walked to her, kneeling by her side as she lifted it up onto her lap, let the blood pouring from it's chest soak into her clothes.

"Terra." I heard her choke out. I put my arm around her shoulders, as she buried her face into it's fur. I looked over her at Jake, who's eyes were wide.

"What did you do?" I mouthed rubbing Nerissa's arm. She leaned into my chest, which lightened my heart despite the situation. Jake hurried to her side his hands restless.

"Oh, my God," He said shaking his head and crouching down, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I just. I. I didn't. I. Oh my God." Nerissa swallowed hard, and shook her head.

"It's cool, I get it." She said, sounding fine, despite the way her body was shaking. Jake Leaned over to hug her, saying how sorry he was, but I saw the flash in his eyes. He smelled blood.

Nerissa stood up heaving, Terra's body with her, and turned back the way she came. Her fingers clutched the dogs silvery coat, and it's feet dragged along the ground as she stepped forward awkwardly.

"Where're you going?" I asked placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Home, I'm gonna bury'er." She answered. I caught the lsightly southern accent in her voice; it made me wonder.

"Wait, we'll drive you." Jake said suddenly. Nerissa looked at him skeptically.

"You can drive?"

"Me? No, but Michael can." Jake answered awkwardly, "Oh, look there he is now."

Jake explained the situation to Michael while I stood with Nerissa, out of hearing range. She stayed close to me holding her dog awkwardly. I heard her whisper, "It's almost as sad as the dreams." My lungs forze. I was about to ask her what dreams, but Michael walked back to us.

"C'mon," He said, "the truck's this way."

There was no concern in his voice, no hint of emotion, or even relevant care. He made it seem like he just wanted the whole day to be over with.

We got into the back of the truck, Jake squirming into the awkward silence. I guess Nerissa saw him, so she started telling us stories about herself. She explained that she was sent here after her brother left home, and the "twins" got her Terra to make up for her lost dog back home. She smiled at Jake when she said this and added, "Tell ya the truth, Terra was a real pain. Sh's always gettin' herself into trouble"

Jake smiled back. I knew he was just acknowledging her forgiveness, but I couldn't help but get mad at him a bit. After we dropped her off, Michael sent me off to get training with Jake. He stayed near by with Acy and D. close at hand, in case something happened. I would've been worrying about what Jake was going to do, but I couldn't stop thinking of Nerissa. Her voice flooded my mind, but what I thought of most, was how much it hurt seeing her in pain. Even though she didn't cry I felt that I had to cry for her.

I was so unfocused that I didn't even notice that I was heading right for a cliff. I tried to skid to a halt, but My shoes had no traction on the ground, and I fell to my side, my momentum carrying me forward. I dug my nails into the dirt, but nothing could stop me.

I closed my eyes and felt nothing, but the ground disappearing from beneath me. My body met nothingness. The wind whipped pass me as I fell, seeing nothing but the deep emptiness of my closed eyes. It was like I was just falling into an empty rifted, and I'll keep on falling and falling into the dark black forever. Was I dead yet?

I heard a gentle woosh, and the air was no longer tearing at my hair. I opened my eyes, slowly, scared of what I might see. Was I dead? Was this the end? Is there a heaven for vampires? Those whom denied the laws of life and death?

I looked down, and my breath came in quick. It was impossible. Then again, now nothing in my life should be possible. I was staring down into a fifteen foot drop into a rapid river, but it wasn't coming any closer, nor was it getting any further.

I looked up at the cliff above me to see everyone looking down on my their eyes wide with wonder. My breath was shaky. My heart was beating. Every time I breathed in I felt a rush. I felt free. Even though I was only seconds away from death, and I didn't have any idea how I was flying, I couldn't help but smile.

"H've you guys seen anything like this before?" Jake asked slowly.

"Once, but," Michael started shaking hus head, "no, it, no."

"What?" D. and Acy asked.

"It was too long ago. No one should be able to." Michael shook his head again fighting for words. "The gene, it's. I was so sure it was dead."

"Dead?" I called from below trying to find out how to moved.

"I thought no one coud possibly be able to, neh." Michael yelled gesturing to me.

"Which is what exactly?" I asked looking back down. Again there was the river, cutting deep into the forest, and drifting slowly towards it was a sleek feather. At first it looked black, but as I looked closer, I saw in it every shade of green and blue, slightly over powered by a royal purple. I remembered the feather I found that night. I remembered slipping it out from under my pillow early the next morning. I remembered it glinting brilliantly in the morning sun, the same as the one now being whisked away in river's current.

"No way." I gasped to myself.

"C'mon." D. said tugging at my shirt. "Just think."

"Think what?" I asked as D. pulled me up.

"Hey, hey, hey. Watch the wings." D. said slapping them away. I felt pressure on an invisible limb.

"This is crazy D." I said shaking my head.



"Matt. Wake Up Now." Jake screamed in my ear. I rolled over, and mumbled into my pillow. "Matt. C'mon boy. Its the first day of school. You know you wanna go." Jake said talking to me as if it were a dog.

I struggled to pulled my thoughts together. I pushed myself up struggling to adjust to the morning. I got out of bed groggily, tossing away my sheets. I began to step heavily to the closet and changed. I walked downstairs half-asleep searching for a breakfast to wake me up.

We hurried out the door. All of us; backpacks on, shoes half tied, pushing and shoving our way through the French doors.

"Ah, first day of school." I sighed, "Wonder how I'll completely embarrass myself this year."

Everyone laughed, forcing me to go into detail about how in fifth grade I walked into the wrong class, in sixth grade I fell into a pit of mud, and in seventh grade I dropped my lunch tray onto a girls head, totally on accedent though. (Yeah I know humiliating.)

We hurried down the path through the forest that lead into town. We couldn't use any of the nine cars in the garage because, evidently, Michael lost his license 52 years ago. and can't get it renewed until he turns eighteen. Again.

I took in a deep breath and walked up the first steps to my new school. I would say that stepping through those doors was like stepping into a whole new world, just like they do in every other cliche book, but I really can't. I mean seriously, there were no doors. Just stairs that lead up to a courtyard, that basically made up the whole school, which was split up into four or five different buildings; one for seventh grade, one for eighth grade, one for ninth grade, one for art, and one for science, plus the cafeteria.

"Remember your number?" Jake asked. I nodded slowly remembering the e-mail we received with my new ID#. "Alright, C'mon Matt."

I got my homeroom number from some chick I don't know and hurried off to find my class. I walked into, what I guess you could call a building, though there were no doors except those leading to the classrooms, and the main part of the hallway had no ceiling with a wondrous garden growing in the middle cut by small side walks.

"This school is-" I started.

"Get to class, you're gonna be late." Jake cut in, leaving me alone in the crowd to fend for myself. I fought my way to class, and stepped in timidly, and took a seat.

The small classroom was filled with tables each adorned with four, bright red chairs, and the Yellow flourcents drilled their way into my vision slowly burning its way into my dreary head. I lay down my head, waiting silently for the teacher, too shy and tired to atempt a search for new friends. I heard the feet of the chair in front of me scratching the surface of the white tile floor. I looked up weary of my accompany, shocked to see Nerissa smiling gently at me and setting down her stuff. She twitched the hair out of her face, letting half of it drop back down into her face.

"You don't mind do you?" She asked softly as she took her seat. I shook my head feicely, sitting up as straight and tall as I could. She smiled again and lay down her head, using her right arm for a pillow. Her fingers began twiching rapidly, so quickly that my eyes could barely follow their movement.

Eventually she stopped, bored, and looked around the class, eyeing each and every poster. Slowly, the classroom filled, and the soft murmer of old freinds whispering, afraid to disturb the silence, grew to the excited chatter of the first day of school, and remeneicens of summer; leaving me to to dwell in my own awkward silence.

I could feel the people staring into my back, pointing at me, whispering to their friends, "Is that the new kid?" just like I had in my days at home.

"Hey man, cool if I sit here?" Someone said. I looked at yet another unfamilar face. He smiled back at me exstaticly.

"Um, sure." I said seeing Nerissa twitch her head "yes." He sat down quickly throwing a blank paper filled, black binder onto the table.

"Im Gabe." He said holding out his hand. I bumped his fist.

"'M Matt. That's Nerissa." I said twitching my head at Nerissa. She gave a small wave, then turned away quickly, suddenly more distracted by a flickering light.

"She's cute." Gabe mouth to me while, Nerissa wasn't looking. I smiled at him, but right then and there, all I wanted to do was punched his face in. I caught a small group of guys in the corner looking at us, confused, wondering what to make of our group. I caught Nerissa's eyes glance at the door. A Blonde walked in, but not the same blonde I saw her with earlier that month. The girl smiled and waved at Nerissa, Whom smiled back weakly.

"Hey there." she said taking the seat next to me.

"Hi, Mel." Nerissa answered softly.

"It speaks!" Gabe gasped, jumping back in his chair. A little over the top, dont you think? I snarled inwardly. Nerissa let out a small, almost invisible smile, but Gabe caught it.

I saw Mel mouthing, "he's cute," To Nerissa while Gabe wasn't looking.Do all of them think the same thing? Nerissa just shrugged. The tardy bell rang. The teacher walked in. Despite my new life school was still just school. We got our schedules, and everyone exchanged them, seeing what classes they had together, guys whoo-ed, girls squealed, nothing especially entertaining. Nerissa and Mel checked their schedules, and I "unwillingly" checked Gabe's. Again nothing especially entertaining.

The whole day was like that, quiet, uneventful. Even in band, the most I could do was sit in the back, and watch Nerissa's fingers go crazy on her clarinet keys. The bell rang for lunch, we accidentally bumped into each other, (the most excitement I've had so far.)

"How goes school Matt?" Jake asked as we picked out our table. I shrugged.

"Boring as heck, really." I answered monotonously. Jake laughed.

"Not for long." I ate my lunched, or at least tried to, with Jake, Mariah, Acy, D., and Brittany yelling at each other, and starting small food fights, with most of the excess ending up on me and D.. Through all of it though, I was able to catch a few glances over at Nerissa's table. She was laughing, having fun, trying to fend of Josh and Skylar, whom were starting fights from both sides of her. Both of her blonde friends laughing through it all.

"Which one is it?" I heard Jake ask, following my gaze.

"What are you talking about?" I asked quickly, trying to convince him that it was nothing, I was just drifting off again.



"Kat? Mel? Nerissa?" Jake kept asking. Our group grew silent, all their eyes on me. I shook my head.

"You're going crazy Jake." I said trying to shrug him off.

"It's Nerissa." Mariah said shortly. Their gazes grew even more intense.

"That wolf?" Brittany got up, and towered over me, threatening to eat me down. "THAT WOLF?!?" She said again. The cafeteria grew silent, all eyes were on her. She looked around at them.

"She's deaf in one ear." Jake yelled out, they all turned away, going back to their own conversations.

"You can't be serious, Matt. You're kidding me. You're kidding me right?" She continued, her fist coming closer and closer to my face. "Your, freaking, kidding me Matt. There's is no way that you-"

"She's cool Brit." Mariah said cooly. Brittany spun on her sharply.

"SHE HANGS WITH JAY." Brittany growled.

"So?" D. said defiantly, "She's really not that bad."

"Yeah, she's really nice." Acy added, "I think it's because she's from so far away. I guess The States just don't think the way we do."

"I give." Brittany sat back down throwing her hands up. Jake turned to me smiling.

"You are going to give us sooooo much grief Matt." He grabbed me, and pulled me into a bear hug. "Where, the heck were you three years ago."

"Hur-ting-me." I choked out. Jake released me, and I fell back laughing. "Hey, before you hated her." I turned to Mariah.

"I have to sit next to her in band....And math." She said standing up then walking over to another group of people. Some time later the bell rang. We hurried to the science building. This building was built recently and only had two rooms, so every grade had the same science period, but one of two teachers. I walked into the Classroom, and suddenly felt like I was in college. Labs were set up in arching rows gently sloping down to the black board. I was almost too shocked to step inside the room.

"So this is what college feels like?" I wondered aloud.

"No actually, it's a lot scarier." Jake said shoving past me. That's right. You would know. I found myself thinking stupidly. I looked down at the extra large black board, Seating arrangements. And I got to sit next to...

"You again?" I looked up to Nerissa as she took her seat, a bright friendly smile lit up her face. She seemed more open now. I guess she had adjusted to her environment. "You're not stalking me are you?" Playfulness twisting around her words, though she looked genuinely concerned.

"Me? Stalking you?" I asked matching her tone, cocking an eyebrow. "I think it's the other way around."

Nerissa chuckled at me. I smiled, feeling a warmth growing inside of me. I made her laugh. I really made her laugh, and she was smiling at me, and... I saw her looking past me. I turned around, to see Jake having a staring contest with the twins. Or at least half of them. Josh was watching me, while Skylar snarled in Jake's face. Nerissa stood up slowly and walked over to Skylar. She placed a hand on his shoulder. He bent down slightly, and I watched as she whispered something into his ear.

"Sorry, Jake." She said softly, entering back into her shy mode. Her head was down, her hands close to her chest.

Jake nodded to her, and she back to me and sat down.

"Gneh, hope Sky, doesn't make too muck trouble for ya." She said looking more at the table than me.

"I don't run into him much." I answered reassuringly. She smiled at me, and gave that quick twitchy nod of hers. The teacher came in, Ms. Jonston.

I started drifting off, my mind wandering slowly. I thought about how I was sitting next to Nerissa. Then I drifted into daydreams of where this might lead us.

I imagined, us laughing together at lunch, the same we she did with her friends, with the entire school looking at us for breaking their age old rule. My friends, would tease me about it, the twins would hate us for it, but we wouldn't care. Then there would be a dance, we'd both go with our friends. She wouldn't see it coming. I'd stay in my corner, finding the strength to ask her to dance. She'd smile awkwardly at me, joy finally finding her sorrow-filled eyes. I'd take her hand and lead her on to the dance floor, and guide her hand to my shoulder. She'd laugh awkwardly, as I placed my hands on her waist. We'd sway slowly to the soft song playing in the background both of us lost in each others' arms. She'd slowly drift closer to me, her head would rest on my shoulder her hands on my chest, and I would wrap her in a warm embrace. She would look up at me, and we'd both smile. The song would end, and she would step back, her head down, her bangs falling into her face. I would catch her glancing behind me at the twins, and I would just smile at her. I'd brush back her hair, uncovering, her beautiful face. She would look away, shy. I'd caress her face in my hands, gently getting her to look at me, and I'd whisper, "I don't care about them." and we'd both lean into each other.

The bell rang, and I looked up sharply. I heard a little laugh coming from Nerissa. I shook my head and rubbed my face.

"Did I fall asleep?" I asked her. She smiled at me and shook her head, sort of. It was more like a tiny sideways twitch.

"No, but with the look on your face, you might as well have." She laughed again, and I smiled at her, "That happen a lot?"

I shrugged slightly. She looked pass me, at the twins, then turned up the aisle.

"You coming? Don't want you being late for class, un?" She said. My smile grew, and I hurried to her side.





I fell into bed smiling that night. I had sat next to her. I had spoken to her. I had walked to class with her. It was only my first day of school, and already the year was looking up, despite a little chair malfunction in English, I made it through rather un-humiliated.

"What's up Matt?" I heard Jake asking from his bed. "Had too much fun today? Or you still steamed from flipping over your chair? How does that work anyways? You were just sitting there and... BAM! you're on the floor."

I started laughing so hard, Michael was banging on his walls to get us to shut up. We lower our voices slightly.

"Hey." I said back through my laughter, "I happen to be very well coordinated... Just not when I'm sitting down." We started laughing again. It wasn't a good joke, and we both know it, but the day went by so great that we didn't care. Michael was slamming his wall again. We could see the window frames shaking.

"Think he's mad about me and..." I trailed off, lowering my voice, and leaning closer to Jake, as if it were some huge secret.

"Maybe. She's a wolf, but we did..." He cut himself off. He was remembering that day. He shook his head, as if it were going to get rid of the memory, but I could see that it was still there. "I swear, if I had known it was..."

"She doesn't hate you, you know. In fact, didn't she practically save your life in science today?" I said trying to reassure him. He looked at me and smiled. "Good night?"

"Not yet." I sighed, I was hoping I would dream of her again.

"The dreams you have." Jake said steadily, "She's in them isn't she." I hesitated, staring at him shocked. Then, I just nodded slowly, unsure, "Sometimes, your dreams get so power, they force their way into my mind, but normally they get scrambled in the process, you see?" He looked at me, almost condescendingly. I nodded slowly wondering what this had to do with me. "Sometimes, when someone is turned, they have visions, kinda, of how, like, Things will be for them, or like, what's gonna happen to them, or somethin'." I turned over in my bed suddenly tired.



The dreams started fading away. Now, whenever I closed my eyes, all I saw was the darkness of rest. No more dreams. Even school remained uneventful, but as Halloween kept coming closer. "Everything always gets a thousands times more fun when Halloween comes." As Jake says. As September melded into October, the school grew louder. The division between the vamps and wolves grew clearer. already there were twenty reported fights within school property, and at least twice that reported in town. Everyone Seemed to be taking it well enough, until I had a little encounter after band.

"Halloween dance, un?" Nerissa said pulling a flier off the door as she opened it. She held it up, the sunlight lit up the bright orange letters, "This Friday, too. She turned to me and Mariah, Wat'd'ya think? Sound like fun?"

"From what I heard. You know, as long as we can keep from jumping at each others' throats." Mariah answered shrugging. I watched her eyes flickered. She was afraid of being seen with a wolf. I nodded, and she left to join her friends in the lunch line.

"You thinkin' of goin'?" I asked, my tone matching her playful southern drawl. Nerissa nodded quickly, then something came over her. Her teeth were bared slightly, her eyes were scanning the entire courtyard, and her steps slowed.

"What's this? Looks like some Vamp has his hands all over our little girl." Someone said. His voice was taunting and, and sung in an accusing tone. It annoyed me. I turned to face him. There was a group, four maybe five, all of them Asian. The "head" stepped past me. He slipped his fingers underneath her chin and tilted her head up. Their faces were so close together. So close

"Takashi." Nerissa growled back, though her eyes never moved. "Is this really necessary?"

Another came and wrapped his arm around her neck pulling her close.

"We can't let our little sister go running around with," He looked up, and ran his eyes over me, "shady characters like him."

Little sister? I remembered that night. Those images. The pain. But these boys. They weren't the same one. I looked at Nerissa again she didn't fight back. She just stood there, her eyes straight ahead. I wanted to destroy them, but the detention probably wasn't worth it.

"So why doesn't this little vamp just back off?" Said one more behind me, I don't know when he got here, but his lips were so close to me, I was almost startled. I backed off, my hands up in a gesture of submission.

"Hey, I didn't want any trouble. I'll just be on my way." I said stepping back awkwardly. Nerissa's eyes shot to me. There was a fire there. One I haven't seen before.

She slapped away the hand holding up her chin, and shrugged off the boy holding her. When I looked at her, I could almost see a black wolf snarling.

"No." She stepped up to me, "No you won't." She turned to my antagonists. "Takashi, Kouryu, You're acting like children. You're older than me act like it. Besides I'm your superior, I can take care of myself. And Avery, Cal." She spit at their feet. "He's my bud, so just shrug off it. If I hear about you two bugging him again." She shook her head, and slipped her foot behind Takashi's and flipped him over, saying nothing more. She twitched her head toward the cafeteria. I took it as an order to follow her. I shrugged at the boys crowding around their fallen leader, and gave them a quick sarcastic smile like, "Well...sucks for you." Then ran after Nerissa.

"You shouldn't give up like that." Nerissa said as soon as I was next to her. She didn't lead me back into the cafeteria, but to a little ledge on the corner of the building. She jumped onto and sat down leaning against the cold brick wall. I climbed up and took a seat next to her, about to protest. She held out a finger and added. "Survival rule number one: Do not, under any circumstance, ever show any sign of weakness. Especially wolves. They see weakness they'll keep at you until you break."

"Good to know." I chuckled awkwardly. Nerissa turned to me, and looked at me for a while, then just smiled, and went through her backpack.

"I can only give you half, but it's better than nothin', un?" She held out half a sandwich to me, still smiling weakly, as if nothing happened.

"Um, Thanks." I said shyly taking the sandwich from her. "Sorry, I didn't."

"'S'cool." She dug around her bag a little more and pulled out a water bottle, an apple, and a bar of chocolate. She offered me the chocolate, and water.

"No thanks." I said, feeling sorry for taking her lunch so unexpectedly.

"Wha'ever, I'll just leave it here in case you change your mind." She said placing everything between the two of us. "Why're you so far away? Come'er."

She was laughing a little. It made me smile, the way her voice always sounded so happy and joyful, but every time I looked into her eyes, there was so much sorrow there. I wanted to take it all away from her. I slid over closer to her to where I could feel her warmth almost burning into my skin. She looked up at me, her smile gone to curiosity. I felt suddenly awkward under her gaze, but there was still a warmth growing inside of me, from being so close to her.

"What?" I stuttered out, my voice shaking, despite determination to keep it smooth.

"Sorry," She said, immediately turning away. I felt a sting, "It's just, no one can look into my eyes as long as you do. It's...interesting."

"Really?" I suddenly felt proud, and was sure I would be glowing, if I could. I was laughing. I don't even know why I just started laughing, and before I knew, Nerissa was too. We just kept laughing, not even finishing our lunch. We couldn't stop long enough to even say a word. I'm not sure how, but we ended up in silence after awhile. She was lying down, her head resting on my lap, and I was leaning against the wall staring at the sky; watching the clouds drifting above our heads.

"Matt?" Nerissa whispered, her voice so soft, so smooth. I wondered how she could keep so steady.

"Hm?" I answered, leaning forward so my face was directly above hers. My lungs stopped. Was this it? I could almost picture her saying it. Maybe asking me out. Maybe just leading up to it. I don't know. I couldn't feel my heart beating, but I know if I could, It would be pounding so hard, I would almost expect it to jump right out of my chest. everything I wanted to say to her was caught in my throat.

"I was thinking, and," Here it comes, "I kinda want to have a Halloween concert." I let out a long breath, and leaned back, my hopes crushed, She propped herself up on her elbows and looked straight at me, "I know it's a stupid idea but..."

No. nononono." I said immediately, "I think it's a great idea. What's better for bringing together, to age long enemy occults like music, right?"

Nerissa smiled at me. I relaxed. I didn't even know that I tensed up like that.

"You think? Then you won't mind playing in it would you?" She looked at me with those big, sad, pleading eyes. I struggled for an answer.