Katie was relieved when the final bell rang, signaling their dismissal. Almost subconsciously, she dashed out of the room, almost forgetting to grab her backpack on the way out. Usually, she would wait for the rest of the class to leave so as not to get caught in the rush. Today, however, she was in a hurry. In a hurry to get as far away from school as possible. In a hurry to talk to her sister. In a hurry to get this guy out of her head.

Luckily, the Levinson’s didn’t live far from the school. And all those years of running track were finally paying off.

As soon as she opened the door, she almost collided with Amy. The older girl had seen her coming and managed to grab her by the shoulders before they were both sprawled at the bottom of the staircase. “Whoa, Cat, calm down. What is it?.”

Katie panted as Amy let go and the younger fell to the floor. “What’s wrong? You look a little red.” Katie nodded as Amy helped her up.

“Yeah, I’m fine, just… listen, falling in love with a human is even more disgraceful if the immortal is a half-breed then it is for a full fledged vampire… right?” The question caught Amy by surprise. Not only had Katie just referred to herself as a half-breed-the most foulest of all names for vampire hybrids- but she had said love a human?

A sudden realization manifested itself in Amy. “No, Cat, you don’t mean… No, Katherine, you cannot love a human! We’re already shunned by the world around us!

“Dad loved a mortal! If he could love Mom, why can’t I?” The words escaped her mouth before she could think about them.

Amy looked at her, anger burning in her eyes. “So you do love a human.” She spat out the last word like it was poison on her tongue. Katie immediately regretted saying anything to her older sister. The person she had tried to please, the person she’d always looked up to. She was prepared to apologize when Amy spun on her heels and climbed the stairs. The girl watched her sister’s retreating form.

Had she honestly said that?

This guy-Byron- had only had contact with her in Reading and Art II. That was it. How could she think she loved him? It was impossible for her to even contemplate the idea. “Love... snap out of it, Katherine. You don’t- No, you can’t love him.” With that she walked slowly up to her room.

As the third hour bell rang, Katie bit her bottom lip. Oh, God. I think I can hear my heartbeat. Realizing what she had said, Katie laughed at her own small joke. More like everyone else’s heartbeat.

Her class was soon erupted into a sea of obnoxious teenagers as the break ended. Katie didn’t even look when she felt the boy slip into the seat beside her.

She swallowed hard as the teacher walked in and told them to get out there books. Katie didn’t listen. To everyone in the class, she appeared to have taken a sudden interest in the raindrops beating against the window. However, the thoughts running through the adolescents mind were far beyond that of the storm outside.

Byron… she could hear his soft heartbeat, feel the warmth of his body. And yet, she was so cold. She felt what little body heat she had inherited from her mother drop to that of a cadaver. Her vision became blurry as her pen fumbled between her fingers.

“Katie!”

She looked away from the window as her name was called. Not only was Mr. Kile looking at her, so was her entire class. “I’m sorry, what is it?”

“Hey, are you okay?” The girl behind her-Marissa- asked. Without turning around, Katie nodded her head yes.

“Good. Then would you mind reading us the first story in the book, ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’ by Edgar Allen Poe?”

Katie nodded, but instead of opening her book, she stood up and began reciting the story from memory. The advantage of growing up with Black Creek’s number one Edgar Allen Poe enthusiast.

“TRUE! --nervous --very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses --not destroyed --not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily --how calmly I can tell you the whole story. It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted me day and night…”