by Dima Zales
"Have fun," I said. "I still have a lot of homework to do today."
"I'm sure your teachers don't expect you to have everything completed tomorrow."
"No, they don't. They all sent me emails telling me what they expect, but I want to be able to be right where everyone else is when I get there tomorrow."
"You can't seriously get like two weeks homework done in two days," Natalie said.
"I can and I will," I told her. "I was up all last night working on it. I'm slept out, and I intend to get it all done before tomorrow."
She made a face. "Sounds like you're back to your old self."
"Natalie, be nice," my dad said.
She rolled her eyes. "So tell us about the exchange student. Does she have a name?"
"We don't have too much information," my mom said. "We've gotten all of the information from the Flemings. We haven't talked with the agency at all. Her name is Clara, and she's from England."
I wondered if Clara was going to be my warden or if she might actually extend some trust to me.
As they continued to discuss plans for unknowingly bringing another vampire into the family, I became distracted by a noise that seemed to be getting louder until it was all that I could hear. I acted normally as best as I could, but I wanted to run to my room.
The noise was overpowering and very persistent. I needed to figure out what it was, so I focused on it with all of my energy. It seemed like it was more than one noise, so I tried to zone in on one of the sources, and then realized it was a heartbeat. The full sound was a combination of three heartbeats.
I picked at my food as the sounds of my family's heartbeats screamed at me. The blood pumping through their veins sounded like a rushing river.
My mouth watered, and I could feel my teeth…fangs extended. My eyes were probably going to turn red soon if they hadn't already.
"Alexis!" my dad exclaimed. "Alexis, are you okay?"
"I need to get some fresh air." I ran outside, knocking something over on my way out.
As soon as I was outside, I took as many deep breaths as I could. I had not expected to react like this to my family, but I knew that it shouldn't have surprised me, since I had done the same thing when Amanda spent the night.
I leaned against a tree. "Think, think." I waited for inspiration to hit. Then I thought of a movie I had seen about vampires where some of them hadn't wanted to eat humans, so they drank the blood of animals instead.
It was worth a try, and there were some real woods about 20 miles away. I could probably run there and be back before anyone knew I had left. I looked around to make sure that nobody was watching and ran as fast as I could to the woods.
When I arrived at the woods, I ran up a tree and put my hearing to good use. I listened for any sounds that would indicate the presence of a large animal. My ears began picking up all kinds of sounds, many of which were unfamiliar to my suburban-dwelling ears.
I zoned in on some heavy footsteps. I could tell the direction that they were coming from, and decided to see if I could jump to the next tree over. I found that it was easier than I had thought, and landed on a branch rather quietly.
I kept listening to the large animal that I had heard, and followed it from tree to tree as much as I could, and on ground when I had to. Finally, I saw a lone coyote. It wasn't as large as I had hoped, but I could hear its beating heart and it would probably do the trick.
I jumped silently to the ground and started tiptoeing my way closer to it. It froze where it was, and its ears twitched. It knew that it had become prey.
I sniffed the air and breathed in its scent. I took more steps toward the animal, and then it started running through the thick woods.
At first, I followed it by sight, but then stopped to give it a bit of a head start. I sniffed again and tracked its scent. I could tell which way it had gone, and my heart raced with the excitement of the chase. I could smell its fear.
This was exactly what all of my hypersensitive senses were for. I had never felt so alive.
The coyote knew that I was close and that I was toying with it. It zigzagged around trying to fool me, but I was not a human, limited by just sight and sound.
Finally, my hunger got the best of me, and I stopped playing with it, pouncing on it with ease. It fought, but didn't stand a chance against my bite. The blood satisfied me, although it was not as good as human blood. It was like comparing chocolate mousse and plain bread. Given the choice, the mousse would be preferred, but the bread would do.
When I was finished, I put the coyote under some shrubs hoping that its pack would find it and do whatever it was that coyotes do with their dead members.
I remembered that I needed to get back home, so I ran back as quickly as I could this time, feeling much better than when I had left.
When I got home, I was assaulted with questions.
"Where were you?"
"Why didn't you tell us that you were leaving?"
"What were you thinking?"
"Stop!" I said. "I didn't mean to worry you guys. I wasn't feeling good so I went out for some air. I felt like I needed a run, so I ran. I'm back, and I'm safe."
"Don't do that again. You had us worried."
"Okay, I won't do that again. I'm going to go upstairs and get some more homework done."
While I was busy with my homework, Brooke called my cell phone. I hoped that she was calling to see how I was, not to lecture me about something.
"Hi Brooke."
"You're finally answering your phone." She sounded exasperated. "What's been going on?"
"I had a little downtime."
"A little? I would say that it was quite a lot. I tried to visit you, but your family wouldn't let me. Natalie said that you weren't feeling well and that she wouldn't let any relative of Cliff's near me."
I smiled. "She knew that Cliff and I had a fight, so she must have been trying to protect me. Surely you can understand that."
"Well, what's going on? Why weren't you answering your phone? We've been worried about you."
"I left it unplugged, so I didn't get any calls or texts until I plugged it in yesterday."
"Why didn't you respond to any of them?" she asked.
I sighed. "To be honest, I don't know who called me or texted me. I've been busy catching up on my homework."
"What have you done about blood?"
"I haven't wanted any until this morning, and I got some from a forest animal."
She laughed. "Don't expect to start sparkling in the sunlight."
"Whatever," I said, rolling my eyes. "I know the movies aren't accurate, but I was desperate and gave it a try. Did you guys find Cliff?"
"No, we haven't heard from Cliff yet. It's been a slow couple of weeks with both of you in hiding."
"So I hear someone named Clara is coming to be my new warden. Who is she?"
"I'm sure that the two of you will get acquainted when she arrives, but she's your cousin, and she's seen your parents recently. She might be able to tell you more about them than us."
"Is she really my cousin, or is she my cousin like Cliff is your cousin?"
"She's really your cousin. Your fathers are brothers, so she's also a descendant of the Fyrsturae. She's not in line for the throne because her father married a common vampire."
"How do you classify a common vampire?" I asked.
"One who was changed from being a human. Her father caused some upset among the royals when he married a common vampire, but he was madly in love, and they still are, from what I hear."
"That sounds interesting," I said. "I'll have to ask her about that."
"Yes. You'll have plenty of time for that."
"So do you have any new clothes for me, or will I have to wear one of my other outfits two whole times? Not that it would bother me to wear something twice, but I know how you feel about it. Most of the clothes that I wore before you started making me clothes were worn hundreds of times."
"That I believe." She laughed. "
I'm still making your clothes, and I can drop them off a little later if you'd like."
"That's fine. I'm doing just homework here all day."
16
At school, the rumor about my absence was that I had been out with mono. I knew that it was impossible, but everyone seemed to believe it, so I went with it. I definitely didn't want to get into the real reasons with anyone.
I was glad that I'd had plenty of space while I was gone, because I had no space whatsoever once back at school. Every time I turned around, someone was there to ask me about my absence or to tell me about someone that they knew who had mono. Popularity was suffocating.
During lunch, I avoided the cafeteria where most people were, but ended up wishing that I had gone there anyway. I was by my locker, reading the texts that I had gotten while I was in bed, when I became aware of two people looking at me from a slight distance.
Looking up, I saw Hailey and Emma standing at the other end of the hall staring at me and whispering to each other that I was poser and fake.
They didn't know that I could hear them or their predator heartbeats. My senses didn't know the difference between a physical or social threat, but they were screaming at me about those two. I would have to be careful, or I might end up acting on my reflexes.
I walked over to them carefully and asked, "What exactly is it that makes me a poser?"
They looked at me in shock.
Emma asked, "How did you know…?"
Hailey poked her with her elbow and whispered, "Shut up."
"You two were just discussing that I am a poser and fake, right?" I asked.
"What exactly doesn't make you fake or a poser?" Hailey asked. "You went from nothing, and I do mean nothing, to popular and homecoming princess in one night. The only reason is that you got dressed up and had the hottest date in the place."
"Oh, you mean when I took that crown that you thought was going to be yours? I didn't ask for that. The people made their choice."
"I've worked hard to become popular," Hailey said. "For years, everyone has loved me and wanted to be me. You don't know anything about what real popularity takes."
"Everyone seems to like me well enough," I said. "I can barely get any space anymore, because everyone wants to talk to me and be my friend. I'm here by the lockers to get some air. It really does get to be too much at times."
I can't believe she's taunting me.
"You think I'm taunting you?" I asked, as her face went white. "I'm not taunting you. I'm only sharing facts."
"What are you talking about?" Emma asked.
There's no way that she's reading my mind.
"Oh, but I am, Hailey. There really is a way, because it is happening."
Emma looked completely confused. Hailey looked like she might vomit, and her heart rate had increased significantly.
"You're some kind of freak," Hailey whispered.
"Is that all you have?" I asked. "Name calling?"
"I'll tell everyone what a freak you are," she said. "Then we'll see how popular you are."
"You think that people will believe you when you tell them that? They will think that you're the freak."
"Tell them what?" Emma demanded. "What are you two talking about?"
Hailey ignored her and tried to stare me down. "So tell me, where is your boyfriend? I haven't seen him around the entire time that you were gone. Did he figure out how pathetic you are and leave you? Is that the real reason that you were gone from school so long?"
It took every ounce of self-control I had not to attack her right there.
"He's traveling," I told her. "Don't try to change the subject."
"Get a life," she said. I'll get you later.
"When you do get me later, you had better stay away from my new car or you will regret it. I could overlook what you did to my old car, but not anything that happens to my new car."
"Emma, let's go," Hailey commanded. She grabbed Emma's arm and yanked her along as she stomped away.
As I watched them walk away, I knew without a doubt that they wouldn't leave me alone. I was sure that they would do something to me soon.
After school, Tanner was waiting for me at my car. "Nice plate. It's very clever: A Lexus, Alexis."
"That was my dad's idea," I told him. "But yeah, I like it too."
"So after a couple weeks, are you in need of some more blood?"
"You don't beat around the bush at all. Tell me what you're really here for."
"I see you're just as funny as ever. My football game is going downhill, and I could use some help."
"Find yourself a dealer to get your fix," I told him. "I can't use you as my volunteer anymore. Your blood makes me feel things that I shouldn't. Cliff is my boyfriend, I love him very much and I can't allow anything to come between us."
"It doesn't have to. I'm not looking for a relationship. I just need the fix for my game."
"Your blood does something to me that I can't explain," I said. "That's why I did what I did last time."
He smiled. "You mean when you threw yourself at me?"
"Don't flatter yourself," I told him. "It was only because of your blood. That's the problem."
"Where are you going to get the blood that you need now?" he asked.
"I'll either hunt animals or raid a blood bank."
I thought his eyes would bulge out of his head. "Seriously?"
"Of course."
"That sounds like a lot of trouble, especially when you have a more than eager human volunteer. No chasing and no raiding."
"It's actually quite a thrill," I informed him. "As for raiding the blood bank, I won't be the one to raid it. I'll get it from some other vamps."
"You've hunted? What was it?"
"You sound pretty interested, Tanner. Maybe I'll have to take you with me sometime. So far, I've only gone after a coyote. But I let it get ahead of me so it would put up a fight. Next time, I'll probably try something a little more dangerous."
"I'm impressed, but not sure if I want to try it myself. You know, if you really like a good chase, I could make it a challenge to get my blood. It could be a lot of fun. I may not be able to outrun you, but I have more mental capabilities than a forest animal."
My heart began to race at the mention of hunting a human, but I didn't want to acknowledge that to myself, much less him. I needed to focus on getting Cliff back and showing him that he was the only one for me.
"I've got your number," I said. "But I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you."
He smiled. "I'll hear from you soon enough, Alexis." He gave a slight wave and walked away.
I sat in my car, deciding what to do. I missed Cliff and wanted to talk to him so much that I ached. I didn't want to think about him and end up depressed for another two weeks. I couldn't keep my mind off of him.
Why had I kissed Tanner? What had overcome me? More than anything, I wanted to go back in time and take it back.
Something caught my eye. It was shining on the passenger side floor. I reached across and picked it up. It was a fancy men's watch. Who wore those anymore? Everyone checks the time with their cell phones. I wondered if my dad had dropped it, and then a memory flashed of Cliff wearing it one day.
I held it close to my chest and hugged it. It was the closest thing that I had to him, and I had no intention of ever letting it go.
Suddenly, it felt like the car started spinning. All I could see was a blur of colors. When everything stopped moving, I was standing in a hallway, in what appeared to be a log cabin. I wondered if I was really there, or if I was having some kind of a vision. I reached to my left and touched a coat hanging on a rack. It was soft and made of a slippery material. It felt very real.
I walked down the hall as quickly and as quietly as I could. I peeked into a room when I reached an open door. It was a bedroom, and someone was in the bed. I tiptoed to the bed, and saw Cliff sleeping there. I stood there and just stared at him. I was too stunned to be able to think clearly. I couldn't decide w
hether I should wake him or let him sleep.
He started to roll around back and forth, looking like he was in anguish. "Why? Why would you do this to me?" he mumbled.
I jumped back, afraid that he had realized that I was there, but he was still asleep. I held my breath as I continued to watch him.
"How could you break my heart like this?"
A tear rolled down my face. "I'm so sorry, Cliff. I'm so sorry."
His eyes opened. I was so surprised that I dropped the watch.
Suddenly, I was back in my car. The tears that had started in a mysterious cabin continued to flow in my car at Delphic Cove High.
After I had cried my last tear, I was filled with a determination to work on my powers and gifts. I couldn't get back to Cliff without his watch, and I couldn't take back what I had done. But, I could do one thing. I decided to go and train myself to be better. That would be a lot better than doing nothing.
I drove to the forest to practice using my senses. There were a lot of unfamiliar sounds, and I wanted to learn how to focus and use my abilities to their full potential. I had a strong feeling that I would need them, and I wanted to be prepared for anything that came my way.
It was a certainty that I would be the one to rid the world of the Morettis, but I didn't know what that would entail. One thing that I knew was that I needed to learn how to use all of my gifts and abilities to their fullest extent.
I ran about two miles into the forest and climbed about half way up a tree. I sat quietly and listened, allowing the quieter sounds to fill my ears slowly as I tuned out the more obvious noises. Many strange noises filled my ears, and I picked one that I would search out.
I tuned out every other sound to the point in which I felt I had nearly become one with the unfamiliar noise. I jumped out of the tree and landed soundlessly on the soft ground below. I walked in a near crouch in the direction of the sound.
I went around bushes, over fallen trees, under low branches and basically through an obstacle course until I had found the source of the sound. I found a little family of mice building a nest within a small crevice in a dead tree. I estimated that this was about a mile and a half from where I had originally heard the sound.
