by W. J. May
Tessa turned her head to hide the rising warmth on her cheeks. Her family never blushed. They probably couldn't – yet another way she was different.
With her hands fisted on her hips, her mom spun around to face Seth. Outrage vibrated through her slim frame. "That's not true. Tessa knows she's beautiful – inside and out. Any boy would be happy to go out with her."
Tessa's dad had stayed suspiciously quiet. She glanced at him warily from the corner of her eye. He rarely spoke, but when he did…
"What's his name?" his deep voice boomed and it was like he shouted it to the world. How did he know she had a crush on someone?
She gasped, her shoulders hunching protectively. Catcalls and a chorus of teasing bombarded her. Tessa raced out of the room.
Her mother's chastising voice lingered in the space she'd left behind. "Stop it. Don't tease her. You've all been there."
"Yeah, but this is way more fun!"
Tessa ran faster.
She wanted to run from her life.
***
Two hours later, Tessa ventured out of her room a second time and snuck through the house and out the back door. Exiting the yard, she lifted her face to the sunlight and smiled. One huge advantage of her genetics – she could go outside in daylight. David could for a short time. Seth couldn't at all. That's what evolution did for this new generation. Now there were mixed breeds and mixed families, but the purists looked down on all of those.
The treaty between that stopped vampires from preying on people helped. Although as her family had never been big on hunting humans to begin with, they'd been happy to move forward peacefully.
Not that Tessa trusted the treaty to control all vampires. She'd heard too many stories.
And, if a full-blooded vampire preyed on her, he'd get a mouthful of something he wasn't expecting.
She snickered. Maybe someone should try. He'd probably poison himself. And if he didn't, he'd have to deal with the rest of her family. She might be different than other members of her family, but she was theirs. Families. Couldn't live with them and couldn't live without them.
Now that they'd figured out what was bothering her, they'd never stop hassling her. If they found out who she had a crush on, her life would be officially over.
The sun peeped out from behind a cloud. Not hot and not cold, it was just a beautiful sunny day. A breeze whistled down the street. She passed several people on the sidewalk. With night and day schools to accommodate the two societies, Tessa was an odd duck in that she often attended both. It depended on what classes were offered.
The back and forth really messed with her sleep patterns.
Being part of two worlds gave her an odd perspective, a unique insight into both – affected by the prejudices of both. Her human friends often criticized the vampires, and there'd been times she'd had to bite her tongue because she wanted to defend her species. She could walk in both worlds – yet didn't feel normal or fully welcome in either.
She attended just enough vampire affairs that most local vampires knew who she was – but maybe not what. Not that she knew, either. She didn't have the standard fangs – hers elongated, just not as long as normal vampires’ – yet her wicked retracting fingernails were envied by many. Not even her mother had those. Tessa was tall, but not overly tall, compared to her mother. She was skinnier than most vamps her age. And then there were her eyes. Vampires were known for their dark eyes. Only Tessa's were emerald green. She liked them.
"Tessa."
Tessa turned, spotting her friends, Jill and Catherine, on the other side of the street. They studied the traffic, then ran across. Idiots. Both of them. They could die doing that.
She grinned as they surrounded her. Jill was tiny, dark and on the plump side. She stared at Tessa, her mouth hanging open. Catherine, blonder with shoulder length curls, gasped. "Oh my gosh, it is you!"
"Look at your hair. It's gorgeous." Both girls reached out to touch her waist-length hair.
"Really? You aren't just saying that to be nice?" she asked shyly.
Catherine moaned. "No way. You look great. How did you get it that color? It's so cool. You know what you should do now – get a suntan. A honey-nut tan and wow!"
Tessa beamed. At least they liked her new look. She held out her fingers. "What do you think about my nails?"
"Ohh." The three girls fell into a full-on fashion discussion as they completed the walk to the mall.
"So, did you hear about Dane and Tami?" Catherine always had the latest gossip.
Tessa lit up. Dane and his on-again, off-again girlfriend kept everyone entertained. "No. What?"
"They had a huge fight right at the movie theater. They were actually asked to leave the building."
"That bad? Oh my." She giggled. Tami was a drama queen extraordinaire. Dane, on the other hand, was king of the football field. He liked his girlfriends gorgeous and stupid. They both liked to be the center of attention. It had appeared to be a match made in heaven.
"That's so normal for them. They'll kiss and make up again. They always do." Catherine snickered.
Jill glanced over at the other two girls. Words burst from her mouth in a high squeaky voice. "Kurt called me last night."
"What?" Squeals erupted as the trio stopped in the middle of the length of sidewalk.
"Spill. Every little detail. Now!"
As the story unfolded, Tessa found herself overjoyed her friend had been asked out – but inside a small kernel of envy reared its ugly head. She was the only one of the three who couldn't attract any interest from a guy. Was she so ugly? So yucky?
She peered at her reflection in the big window of the clothing store beside them. Her hair helped her stand out, but everything else appeared normal. Too normal. Nothing special or attractive about her. Obviously nothing that attracted human males. She frowned at herself.
"Stop doing that." Catherine smacked her lightly on her shoulder. "You look great. What I wouldn't do to have those cheekbones."
"Not to mention those witchy eyes. Your white skin and green eyes… absolute dynamite," Jill added enviously.
"Right," Tessa scoffed. "Then why don't I have any guys hanging around me?"
"You probably intimidate them."
Tessa gave Jill a sidelong look. She was kidding, right? Her?
Five-foot-nine in her stocking feet and boyishly slim. Intimidate the guys? Not likely. Or maybe it would embarrass them to be seen with her? Yeah, that was closer.
"Shh. Look who's coming."
Tessa twisted around.
"Don't look!" Catherine's horror had Tessa turning back again without catching a glimpse of who approached.
"What? Who?" After a moment Tessa added, trying to look around surreptitiously, "And where?"
"Behind you. Shh."
Tessa checked out the reflection in the glass display cases beside her to see who was behind her. She stiffened. Oh, no. Her stomach jumped with nerves.
"Hi, Catherine, Jill."
Tessa stared at Catherine, her eyes widening in panic. She slowly turned. "Hi, Jared."
Jared started, his shock turned to gleaming appreciation as he studied her. He was slightly taller than Tessa and his gorgeous brown curls hung down his forehead. Her heart sighed happily.
"Ohh. Wow. I didn't recognize you there for a second," he said warmly. "Wild hair."
Really? How sweet.
"Doesn't it look awesome on her?" Catherine studied Tessa's white tresses enviously. "I wish I had long hair."
"No, you don't," said Jill. "Your short curls look great." She turned to Jared. "We don't usually see you here."
"Nah. I had to pick up some school supplies. Can you believe in only a couple of weeks we'll be back in session?"
Everyone groaned.
Jill pounced on him. "Remember that unwritten rule that you're not allowed to mention school when it's summer vacation?"
"Sorry." He grinned that lopsided grin that sent Tessa's heart pumping at a crazy rate. Damn, he was cut
e. "I'm going to see Night Stalker tonight. Any of you girls want to join me? I mean us, Billy and Zack will be going, too."
The three girls exchanged quick glances. Tessa desperately wanted to say yes, but only if one of the other two would go with her. She compromised. "I might be able to go. What about you, Catherine? Jill?"
Jill smiled shyly. "I've got other plans." Right, she had a date with Kurt.
"Catherine?" Tessa sent her a hopeful glance. Maybe she'd go? Please let her say yes.
Catherine glanced at Jared. "I might. I dunno. What time?"
"It starts at 7:30. We're meeting around the corner from here just after 7:00."
Tessa glanced down at her watch. Almost four o'clock now. So in three hours. Catherine opened her mouth. Tessa held her breath. "Oh what the heck." Catherine rolling her eyes at Tessa. "Sure, why not?"
Tessa could have kissed her. Jumping jacks bounced in her stomach before they raced up and down her nerves.
Jared's smile lit up the area. "Hey, that's great. I'll meet you both in a couple of hours. I'll go finish my shopping for you-know-what now. Talk to you later."
He gave a small wave and walked away. The three girls watched in silence until he disappeared.
"It's okay, Tessa. You can breathe now." Catherine grinned at her.
Tessa's exhale whooshed out in a noisy gust. "I was so afraid you'd say no."
"Oh, I got that message. So now on to something really important. What are we going to wear?" With Catherine's words, the girls got down to the serious business of deciding on the right clothes.
***
Tessa panicked as she scrambled through her closet. There was no other way to describe it. She couldn't figure out what to wear. Five outfits later, she'd texted Catherine. Catherine had chosen jeans and a T-shirt. Comfortable in her skin, Catherine wasn't even going to dress up.
"Oh, no. Now what do I do?" Tessa looked at her jeans and T-shirts. And hated everything. Okay, this wasn't exactly a date…but her nerves couldn't be convinced otherwise.
So what about her worked? Jared liked her hair. So, white hair and white jeans? Black cami shirt with a little white lace? Or would that be too much white and black?
Once dressed, she realized it was too much white. She quickly switched for black jeans and a white belt. Groaning, Tessa flopped backwards onto the bed. Using her cell phone, she clicked a picture and sent it to Catherine.
She'd better say this is fine, because I'm out of time.
Her phone vibrated as a text message came in.
"Perfect." Tessa read out loud. She gave a fist pump in the year.
Yeah. Now shoes. It was summer and hot – so sandals? She pulled out three pairs and frowned. Damn it, why couldn't she just get dressed and be done with it? Her phone rang again. Talk about being late. She slipping into the most comfortable pair, grabbed her purse and raced downstairs.
Her family had gathered in the kitchen. David was getting ready to go out and Seth looked to be sleeping on his chair. Cody had disappeared. Good thing. He made her uncomfortable.
She grinned. She'd be ready for bed in a few hours and they were just revving up. She didn't follow a human schedule all the time, yet it was the best way to keep in touch with her friends.
She bent down and dropped a kiss on her mother's cheek. "Going to the movies. Yes, I'll be careful. Yes, I'll be coming straight home." She neatly cut off all the questions bubbling out of her mother's mouth. She continued on her way through the kitchen and out the door. She sped to the movie theater that was attached to the same strip mall she'd been at earlier.
Catherine waited outside with Jared, Billy and Zack.
"Hi, everyone. Sorry if I'm late."
"Love your outfit." Linking arms with her, Catherine dragged her to the ticket booth. "You're just in time. We've already bought our tickets. Grab yours so we can go in."
That took only minutes and then they were inside. Tessa sighed at the cool darkness of the theater. The girls chose their seats before the guys took off to buy popcorn and pop.
Tessa sat down beside Catherine and waited nervously to see which seat Jared would take. Next to her? Next to Catherine? Or on the outside away from them both?
She released a shuddering breath and waited. And tried to ignore the smell of stale buttery popcorn that lingered in the room.
"Relax," Catherine leaned over and whispered in her ear, "he likes you. You'll see."
"I hope so," Tessa muttered into the dark room. Switching from her human to vampire vision – another one of those differences between her and her other family members – her sight sharpened in the dark to diamond clarity. The guys returned as the music started, so they immediately took their seats. Jared sat down next to Tessa. His arm bumped hers on the narrow rest.
"Sorry."
She tossed him a quick smile and moved her arm slightly to give him more room.
His grin glowed in the dark.
Sighing happily, she snuggled deeper into her chair and settled down to watch the action show.
An hour later, Tessa shifted in the uncomfortable chairs and wondered for the hundredth time what would happen when the movie ended.
Jared leaned toward her, a lone curl shifting down across one eye. "Are you okay?"
She smiled. "Yes. It's just the seats. They aren't the most comfortable."
Happy and content in her world, Tessa never thought twice when something flashed across her vision. Her vampire vision.
When it happened a second time, she tuned in and straightened slowly. What was going on? Had those dark flashes been vampires? In hunting mode? She didn't know of anything else with the ability to move that fast, or move that far without touching the ground. Definitely nothing could move that silently. Not that it was unusual to see her people in town. It was nighttime, after all. Except, in her experience, vampires did not show up in a human hangout like a movie theater.
And never in hunting mode.
Her attention focused on her inner senses. The movie didn't even register as she expanded her awareness to sort through the conflicting information overwhelming her.
Catherine nudged her shoulder. "Hey, what's up? You aren't even watching the movie."
"Sorry," she whispered, "just distracted."
Settling back, she couldn't stop the frisson of worry that rippled down her spine. Something was stirring. Something dark, unsettling. The peace treaty between humans and vampires had been in effect for close to half a century, but she’d heard it hadn't happened easily or convinced everyone on both sides that harmony was the best way forward.
Instead, small fringe groups on both sides continued to stir up trouble. She remembered hearing her family discussing various groups' actions. Moltere's exploits were legendary. And they had happened a long time ago. Her father still hated him with a passion. It was one of the few subjects that made her dad slide into vampire mode instantly. He'd let something slip once, something about Moltere farming humans? She shuddered. Good thing he'd been caught and dealt with – whatever that meant. She had no idea what kind of punishment had been meted out. She didn't want to know.
Vampires weren't known for their compassion. On the other hand, banishment was a common penalty for doing anything wrong.
The lights in the theater went on, making her rear back in surprise. She’d been so lost in her own thoughts Tessa hadn't realized the movie had ended.
"Awesome movie! Love that big bloody scene at the end. What a wild finish!" Zack's enthusiasm was contagious and all the guys erupted with comments on their favorite parts of the movie while Tessa struggled to figure out which big bloody scene they were talking about.
She shook her head and joined the line to exit the movie theater. She stumbled as she moved around the last seat in the row…and smiled as Jared reached out to steady her. Tonight would go down as the special event in her life.
The crowd milled in the lobby before making their way slowly outside. Tessa joined in the raucous laughter of her group and savored
the experience. The moon hid behind clouds and the sun had long gone, leaving everyone in the twilight zone of half-light.
Vampires loved it. Made for a perfect stalking time. Except they weren't allowed to hunt anymore.
The group meandered outside the theater, talking aimlessly among themselves. Tessa walked at Jared's side, close but not touching. "That was a great movie."
Jared grinned. "Oh, yeah. Great stuff." He glanced at her before adding, "Hey, do you want––?"
Screams split the air.
People scattered. Tessa was shoved to one side as panicked people overran her group.
Chaos ensued. No one knew what had happened or who was after them, so everyone scrambled for cover.
More screams split the air behind them. Streetlights sparked, then went out. Her heart pounding in her chest, Tessa huddled against a huge cement planter full of summer blooms. Jared pressed up beside her. The other three snuggled close behind them. Peering over the top of the cement, Tessa tried to see what the commotion was all about.
They were only fifteen or so feet from the front entrance of the building. The inside lights shone outward, giving an eerie glow to the sidewalk area. People continued to pour out of the movie theater to scatter throughout the several parking lots.
The darkness deepened even as she watched.
What had happened? Oh right. In her panic she'd shifted to her human eyesight. Now she shifted back. And watched in horror as a wave of blackness raced beside them. Shit.
She ducked.
"What the hell was that?" Jared whispered against Tessa's ear.
"I'm not sure." But a horrible knowing slipped inside her heart. Triggered by the silent movement, the fear engendered by their presence, the darkness and the little bit she'd seen. Vampires. She groaned silently.
Did she know them? What and why were they doing this – besides to scare the crap out of everyone? Just for fun? Because they could? Or was their motivation something more sinister?
