Chapter IV

The next day I wake a little bit hazy. I don't even know how I managed to sleep. My head it's trying to process this...this thing. Vampire. I'm a freaking vampire. This kind of stuff doesn't happen in real life. Is it possible that everything once held in books and spread around like legends are actually true? Looking at the mirror I see my eyes going from soft brown to deep blue. I need to control this. How do I control this? Am I going to become a blood-sucking monster? I get out of bed and head to class, even though I know I won't be able to concentrate.

In the hallway, I meet up with Dean. "Hey," he says.

"Hey" I look down from his face. I don't want him to notice my eyes.

"Will you tell me what's going on?"

"What are you talking about?" Has he noticed? I can't see his expression, but I know he must be frowning in exasperation at me. 

"You know what. You have been acting all weird the last couple of days, and I swear I saw your eyes go red. And now you are not even looking at me in the eyes when I'm talking to you." I look at him and his eyes widen when he sees mine.

"It's complicated, Dean." I glance to the side, not sure if I can handle his freak out. 

"I- I don't care." -He's freaking out. - "I hate being out of the loop. I know this has to do with Mia. I remember her wanting to talk to you and you dismiss her hunches. I know that has to be related. Her weirdness has to be for a reason. Even though she has always been a little cray-cray. So tell me, what is so complicated." He swallows, clearly trying to contain his erratic emotions at the moment. 

I hesitate for a moment but come to the conclusion that he is right. I can't keep avoiding the matter and he is like my brother. I know that he will understand or at least try to. I chew on my fingernails and start to talk.

I talk and talk nonstop, all the way into our classroom and during class. We get scolded a couple of times by the professor, but we just don't care. Dean is hanging by my every word. He doesn't comment and he keeps a poker face so I can't tell what he's thinking. We get to the common room. I look from my hands to his face. Why doesn't he say something?

"And that's everything I know so far." He looks down and my heart starts beating faster. "It's still me Dean. I'm still Alice, just a more complex one." Silence. Tears start to fill my eyes. Is he going to stop talking to me? Is this friendship over for what I am? "For heaven's sake Dean, please say something." He looks up and surprises me with a hug. I can't stop the tears.

"Shhh, Alice. Stop. I know that you are still you, but these news are hard to swallow. Don't worry, you will always be my little sister no matter how you look, what you do, or what you are." I sob in his embrace not knowing how to stop my tears.

He keeps hugging me until I slowly return to normal. With the back of my hands, I wipe away my tears. Tears of fear and frustration. Tears that have been accumulating inside me ever since that weird attack in Chicago. Somehow I have always known that I couldn't just be human. Somehow I knew there was more. More to this world. More to me.

"I'm sorry. It's just having you in my life..." He smiles at me holding my hand in his. "I know, I'm the best thing that ever happens to you. You can't live without me. Blah, blah, blah." We laugh and he gives me another quick hug.

"I'm hungry. Do you want me to do something quickly in the kitchen?" I ask Dean after I have managed to calm myself down and after I made sure that we are good. He comes around and leans over the counter.

"Sure. I could use something to eat." I open the fridge and start picking some bread, ham, and cheese when I smell something heavenly. What is that awfully sweet scent? I look in the fridge but is not coming from there. I turn and look at Dean. The sweet aroma of chocolate syrup invades my senses. I can hear the blood running, singing inside Dean. Inside his body. On his veins. I take a step towards him and stop. Pain envelopes me. The pain of thirst. Before I can reach him I turn around. My hands automatically rest in the hollow of my collarbone.

"Look for Mia" I can't contain the panic in my voice. "What's wrong, Al?" Dean comes around towards me. I take a step back.

"Don't! It's...it's you...your blood. I can smell it, hear it. I can almost taste it in my tongue, Dean." I explain to him, my panic increasing. His eyes grow wider. He's frozen. Fear creeps to his eyes, but then determination, not fear. Understanding. Quickly he spins and goes to look for Mia. 

Please let me stay alone in the kitchen, I think. Nope, my luck is not that good. Soon as Dean's out, Chris comes in.

Chris, the popular jock from the school. The boy that every cheerleader wants for boyfriend and every loner girl only dreams of. I can't deny it, he is handsome. Tall, toned, seductive blue eyes, great blond hair. The works. He is the on/off boyfriend of Megan, so that makes things worse. He probably is just like her, and besides that, he is a jock. Rudeness presides him. I look away from him. He walks towards me and I freeze. What does he want? He has never approached me before. Right now that I can't be around a soul, he comes near me.

"What's wrong, baby girl? I'm just here for a soda." I press my body to the counter trying to get far from him.

"Why are you so close to me?" He just laughs.

"Well, Alice, right? It happens that you are right beside the fridge and there's the soda." He reaches for the handle and opens the fridge. After he's got it, he doesn't move away from me. The lower part of my back starts to ache from the pressure I'm making to stay away.

"You know Alice, you are quite hot. Do you want to hang out or something?" His grin widens, his perfect teeth exposed behind his plump lips. I roll my eyes.

"Please, Chris you pull that line to almost every girl in school. Don't you just get tired?" He is surprised by my response. I can tell that he isn't used to rejection. I laugh on the inside.

"You can't tell me you haven't thought at least once of me. Every girl does." He almost could seem hurt if he didn't have that exciting glimmer in his blue eyes.

"I'm not every girl." He smiles and even though I'm pushing hard against the counter to stay as far as possible from him he gets closer. And before I know it I'm also moving close towards him. My hand goes up against his body. Lower abdomen up towards his chest. He smiles and leans down to kiss me, but I turn his face to the side and lean towards his neck. I bite. I hear his intake of air because of the pain. But then he moans. Pleasure. He grabs my hips and pulls me closer. His blood is so exquisite. It's a rush of adrenaline. Of lust. As soon as my lips touched his skin I was all in. My hands move to his hair and I pull it back slowly to have more room to his neck. He pulls me closer, his hands on my back, my hips, and my skin.

"Alice Thompson!!" Mia snaps me back to reality. She pulls me away from Chris and I fall to the ground. Everything is heightened. The air. The smells. Myself. I look up and I see Mia's hand over the relatively small wound on Chris's neck. There is a faint yellow glimmer and then when she moves her hand away from the wound of my fangs- which I didn't know I even had- is gone. 

I look at him and he looks back at me. His glare is so intense, so hot, and so lustful. I think that mine equals his. I see my reflection on the fridge mirror panel and see my blood-red eyes. Chris walks away and I see only his back. I struggle to get up and follow him, but I feel my arms being held up. On either side of me are Dean and Mia.

"Let go of me." I try to get rid of them, but their grasp is strong, especially Mia's.

"Snap out of it, Al." I struggle once more, but it's no use. She said, "snap out of it". Why? This feeling is too seductive and hot to want to let go of. It's too good. So exquisitely dark. My eyes blink once, twice. I slowly come back to my normal senses. Mia looks into my eyes and I think she's satisfied with what she sees because she lets go of my arm. Dean looks back at her and does the same. I look down at myself. I have some blood in my white shirt. Makes me look horrifying. Monster like. I look back at them. They are looking at me with apprehension.

"I'm...I'm sorry...I don't know what..." My words seem to fail me. I was drinking Chris! What?! Mia steps forward and takes my hand. A small smile lingers on her mouth. "It's alright. I knew this was gonna happen sooner or later. You are half-vampire after all. I just hoped that the pull would be weaker. I guess you are developing this side much faster than your Blessed." She gives me a little squeeze to my hand. She's trying to reassure me? Is she crazy? I could have killed him.

"Guys..."Penelope enters the kitchenette and freezes in mid-sentence when she sees the blood in my shirt. She looks at me, then at Mia and Dean. She rushes towards me and starts looking everywhere for a wound. She touches my neck, arms, back, and butt.

"Whoa." I step back when I feel her squeeze. She smiles playfully at me.

"Penelope she's fine. She just had a nose bleed." Dean tells her to relax her. The air rushes out of her mouth. I didn't notice she was holding it.

"Oh, OK. I thought you had cut yourself or something. I know how clumsy you are." She smiles. "I came looking for you guys to tell you that our club is organizing a movie night and I expect you guys to be there."

"The cheerleading club is making a movie night?" Dean says sarcastically. Penelope gives him the evil eye.

"Yes, Dean we are. We are collecting funds for a charity and I hope to have your cooperation." He smirks. I think I see her boil on the inside. We are used to having parties from the cheerleaders club. We don't do movie nights. To calm the waters I agree to go and so does Dean.

Mia leaves saying that she has to do some research for a project. But I know better.

"Good, I see you guys at 7:30 pm, sharp, in the auditorium." She waves at us and leaves. Dean looks at me expectantly.

"What?"

"Are you gonna keep her in the dark too?" His brows raise and I know what he means. Penelope's pretty little head won't handle this craziness.

"I don't know. You know how volatile she is. I might end up in the mouth of her next boyfriend material or another make out buddy." I say shrugging, trying to put her and Chris in the back of my mind. 

"At least she doesn't bite them. Do you imagine her a vamp like you? She'll be in bed with half of the boys in school." I look at him. Did he just use me as a joke? Even more, how did he know I was...aroused before?

"Dean, how do you know about, you know...how I felt?"

"I could see it in your eyes, and in his. Thank goodness we came in when we did, if not we would have found you on the floor with him." He snickers at me playfully.

"Dean!" I pinch his arm. He howls pretending pain. "Not funny, I could have drained."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry." But he knows that I can see the humor in his eyes. I roll mine.

"Don't call me "vamp" feels like a bitchy name or something worse." I give into his contagious mood. "And Penelope is already on her little horny way with the boys." We start laughing and I try to keep what happened with Chris in the back of my thoughts still.

*****

The water is hot against my cold palm. I shut the water valve off and step into the bathtub. It's relaxing, warm, and inviting. The water softly kisses my skin. The aroma of vanilla wraps up my senses and I'm drifting quickly to light asleep.

Rows and rows of tall, dark trees surround me. It's cold and humid. I'm wearing a white sleeveless dress and it clings to my body. A cold sweat covers my curves. I'm barefoot. I glance around and recognize that this is the same forest I have seen before. The same forest where the overwhelming feeling of loneliness and emptiness spooked me. I walk a little further into the forest. Into the shadows. In the distance, I see a little wooden house. It isn't bigger than my house. The windows are big and wide. The wood of the walls looks old and moldy.

There is a chimney, but there's no smoke. I glance through the windows and see no one. Someone lives here alone in the shadows. A hermit type of lifestyle. There is wood beside the chimney. Papers upon a table. The living room couch has the silhouette of a person's body marked on it. On the wall behind the couch, there are swords. Rows and rows of weapons alike. Knives, daggers, athames, antique swords. Some have crystal incrustations. Emerald, ruby, sapphire, diamonds. Others have stones. Quartz, agate, tiger's eye. Each one is different. Each one lethal. I hear the door opening. I take a step back. I'm too close to the house, to the window. Someone has seen me nosing around. A tree branch crumbles under my weight. I glance down then up towards the door. 

I'm back. I'm soaking in my bathtub. Drying off quickly I decide to go to my room and get ready for the movie night. 

I grab a pair of jeans and a purple shirt from my closet. I wasn't in a very good mood to dress a little more decently for the movie night. The dream I had left me trembling and uneasy. I set my hair up in a ponytail and head to the auditorium. On my way I find Dean and we go arm in arm toward this 'magical' movie night. I'm so not looking forward to this.

The auditorium is crowded. There are rows and rows of plastic chairs in front of a huge projector screen. There are people that I haven't even noticed we're in school before. The cheerleading club really went all the way. Sodas and snacks are being sold around the aisle of chairs. It's just like a football match or a concert. Dean and I make our way to the back rows. There isn't that much room in the front.

"There you guys are. I thought you guys weren't gonna show." Penelope looks at us exasperated. She is very dramatic. She bosses around the other girls and looks for seats with us. After all, she is the captain of the team. She has really put a lot of effort into her clothes. Short skirt, crop top, and heels. That woman never stops looking for a little trouble.

"Sorry, I fell asleep in the tub," I explain our tardiness. We hurry and find a couple of seats. The movie starts, but I don't really pay much attention. I'm talking with Dean and he tells me that Mia healed the wound on Chris's neck and did a little something to him to forget. But there had been some trouble because Mia's spell, or whatever she did to him, wasn't working that well. That was odd according to Mia. I just hope that he doesn't remember what I did. But it was so deliciously good. Almost boarding in intoxicating.

I feel Megan walk pass me and she turns and comes back towards me.

"You were talking to Chris. Why? You do know he's mine right?" Her voice is sour. Bitter. I ignore her.

"I'm talking to you, dummy. I don't want you talking to him or even being in the same room he breathes on, you got it?" What's her problem? I look at her coldly. My heart starts beating faster. My breathing increases. I feel a rush of adrenaline through my whole body. My thoughts go red. She flips her brown hair back and scans me up and down. I feel Dean's hand on my arm. I try to calm down. I stare back at her. 

"I can talk to whomever and whenever I want to. And I think you have some misinformation. Chris was the one that talked to me, in fact, he was hitting on me. Maybe you should check up the facts before you come running making threats and whatnot. Hey, who knows, maybe he needs new meat. Maybe you are not enough anymore. But have you ever been?" I feel like I'm about to combust on the inside. She's in shock by my words. Her eyes scan me. They linger some time on my own eyes. Then she turns and keeps walking to the back rows.

"What the hell was that, Alice?" Dean looks at me in disbelieve. I shrug.

"I don't know. I don't even know why I said that. Someone or even the same Chris told her something. It's ridiculous." Dean looks at me and smiles.

"I think that being a Blessed and a vampire suits you. You don't let anything get under your skin. But you still need to calm down because your eyes are blood red again. I don't want you...you know." He doesn't need to finish for me to understand his meaning. It wouldn't be good for me to go all murders in the auditorium which is full of my classmates. 

"Right." I agree with Dean. I take deep short breaths. The blood stops pounding so loud in my head. The rush of adrenaline settles and my eyes go back to honey brown.

"Can you guys zip it and watch the movie?" Penelope says besides Dean.

"Yeah." Dean and I say in unison.

After the movies, Dean catches some eye candy. He was flirting with a boy that was in the row beside us. He disappears with him.

I walk back to the dorms with Penelope. We are in silence until Penelope talks.

"I've heard rumors, Al." I frown and look at her.

"Rumors about what?"

"About you and Chris. Some say that you guys kissed in the kitchen." My eyes widen in disbelieve. This just happens and there are already people talking about it? "I'm just telling you because you are my friend and I know you are not like that. You haven't even been with a guy yet. You haven't done anything naughty, but oh so nice." My eyes spring wide open.

"Jee, thanks. It's not true though. I bet whoever is saying that doesn't even know what they are talking about. Just people with nothing better to do than to ruin the quiet girl reputation." I need to talk to Chris. I guess that whatever Mia tried to do to him didn't stick.