NOTE: This is the SECOND version. All the BOLD words are new. Take those out and you have the first version. I MAY have taken some lines out, but mostly it was tweaking it and adding more details.

Immortal, the living dead, eternally damned, leeches, bloodsuckers; so many things they call us. So many stereotypic labels based on myths made by humans who were too afraid to grasp the reality of what we honestly were. Humans, long ago, wanted to rid the world of us – ‘Purify the living,’ as they had said all that time ago. We were shunned for being inhuman; for being vampires. Although we lived in peace with them – considering they had no idea we were still in this world – some would dare to cross the lines and attempt to reveal us out to the people.

I slumped down into my seat before the bell could scream its warning to the students. I pulled out my lengthy book and flipped it open to where I had stopped in my last class. I tried to take my mind off the inevitable lesson that would be taught in this class by focusing on my book; which didn’t seem to help. My ears wandered around the classroom, catching clips of my classmates’ conversations.

I rolled my eyes, sighing at the predictable words gushing from my side of the room. It was mainly just girls in the classroom at this time, but they were talking about who had been saying what about whom; the main topic of their day, everyday.

The boys who were in the classroom were talking about what cool show they had seen late the previous night, or who was wearing what, taking bets on when said person would be sent to the office to call their parents and change into more appropriate clothing.

I sighed once more, frustrated and thoroughly exasperated at my wandering mind. I closed my book and sat up straight. Although I had been enrolled in this school for three years, I still hadn't met a single person I'd consider a friend. I didn’t see the need. Once I graduated from this school, I would move and start all over again. Why would I put myself through such emotional stress? My family often asked the same thing. One girl did want to be my friend though. She had been picked on for being a little different in the head, but I was surreptitiously nice to her.

Naturally, I followed the crowd many times. I just wanted to blend in. Soon after I enrolled, I was considered weird because I was a perfect, straight 'A' student with good-looking siblings. Befriending a ‘freak’ would surely make me stick out, and that’s not exactly what I needed; even though I knew it was wrong. I had spent my first year or so trying to blend in. I had finally made it and had been careful not to ruin it, but she would make it hard every now and then.

The bell rang, pulling my attention back to reality. I glanced up at the bright white board that hung on the wall at the front of the class and smiled, careful not to expose my recently bleached teeth. I pinched my forearm, making sure that I didn’t break the skin. Pinching hard enough only to make me stop smiling. I had smiled at the large, bold, red letters that seemed to dance across the white board; pop quiz.

“Hi, Eric,” A small, timid voice whispered as she sat down one row over in the desk beside my own. If it hadn’t been for my vampire hearing, I would never have even heard her come into the classroom. I looked up and smiled; surprised she was even talking to me.

My mind traced over the gouge the memory of the previous day created in my mind, shying away from it.

“I-I’m sorry, Alexis. For yesterday,” I said, surprising myself at how tentative my voice sounded. I had never had any problems talking to anyone, just girls, which is typical for guys. It was common for me, even when I was human. I had trouble apologizing, also, so both of those elements combined didn’t make anything easy.

She stared at her hands. “It’s okay.”

No it wasn’t.

I couldn’t answer or even talk to her after that because Ms. Becor called the class to order and started handing out the test papers.

Once I got my paper, the memory flooded my head, refusing to let me work, taking hold of the reins, and kicking my brain into reverse at high speeds.

Alexis had just walked into class and had her arms full of the previous class’s books. She must be running late, I had thought. She had usually put her books into her black book bag. Right as she got to her seat, she dropped all of her books and slipped on them, landing flat on her back. Everyone had immediately burst out laughing at her, calling her names like ‘dumb ass’ and ‘klutz’. I of course, wanting to blend in, laughed at her, too, though I hadn’t called her any names. She stood up, with a light blush and small smile, trying to brush it off; and then she turned to me. I saw her eyes shine up with tears almost immediately as she saw me turn my head away in attempt to hide my laughter from her.

The next thing I knew, she had raced out the door, and a wave of extreme guilt washed over me. I felt worse that night because I had all evening right up until school the next day, considering I had already filled my quota of twenty-four hours of sleep a week.

When the memory ceased and I regained control, I looked around to see if I had done something without realizing it, but as I glanced around, my eyes landed on Alexis.

“Are you okay?” She whispered, glancing over her shoulder to make sure Ms. Becor hadn’t seen her.

I nodded and got to work on my quiz. Even with the ten-minute setback, I was the first one done. I got up and put my paper in the basket labeled ‘Third Block’ and returned to my desk to find a neatly folded sheet of paper. Sitting down, I quietly unfolded it, looking around to see if I had caught anyone’s eye by the noise. My eye’s skimmed over the text lightning fast and the words carved themselves a semi-permanent place in my mind, along with everything else.

Tell me what happened. You’re not okay. I can tell when you’re lying. Please. You know, you can tell me anything, even if you don’t want to.

I won't tell anyone.

The familiar wave of guilt washed over me and I folded the note back up, shoving it down into the side pocket of my baggy, dark-wash denim jeans. My mind reread the note, memorizing Alexis’s straight, girly handwriting. I sighed as my mind did this, causing a deep, aching pain between my eyes, and put my head on the cool desk, crossing my arms underneath the desk so that I was holding my elbows in my lap.

I continued to sit like that even after it was declared that we were allowed to talk until the lesson – the one I was dreading – was ready. I had no plans on moving, even after class started back up, but that plan was disrupted by a jab into my ribs. I rolled my head to the side and looked at Alexis.

“Seriously, are you okay?” She asked quietly. Her voice dripped with concern, which caught me off guard.

“Yeah, just a headache,” I replied slowly, adding a faint smile at the end for reassurance.

“I don’t believe you,” She stated, crossing her arms. I sat up and slid down into the chair, resting my shoulder blades on the back of the chair. She did the same. “Why won't you tell me? I’ve known you for three years, and you still won't talk to me much.” Why was she confessing this to me?

I looked at the clock in the front of the class. “It’s complicated,” That had to have been the easiest thing I’ve said, but I knew it hadn’t fooled her in the least.

She opened her mouth to protest, but the lesson was starting. Groaning to myself, I pulled out my binder, ready to take notes on the myths that irritated me so much.

“When you say ‘vampire,’ what are the first things you think of?” Ms. Becor prepared to make a list on the massive white board. Hands shot up in the air. “We’re going to go down the rows and everyone is going to answer.” She put emphasis on ‘everyone.’

Among the list were bloodsucking, fangs, pale skin, living dead, zombies, and red eyes. Then it got to me. I couldn’t help it, my brain took over, and I blurted out the first thing that came to my mind whenever the topic was brought up.

“Stereotyped.”

“What makes you say that?” Ms. Becor’s eyes glue to me as she awaited my answer. I ran through my brain and looked for an answer that would help, but not make me seem weird. I shifted uneasily in my chair, feeling dozens of eyes on me.

“Hu-People,” I corrected myself before I could call them humans. “Assume these things based on what others have told them in the past. What if, in fact, they aren’t even like that? What if they don’t sleep as often? What if they don’t have pale skin?” My voice was growing louder and I found myself nearly yelling. I took a deep breath to calm myself. “Why is it that people believe what they are told? How is it, you think, people become vampires? Not by being bitten!”

“Thinking outside the box,” Ms. Becor smiled and moved on.

I felt my face heat up and quickly put my head on the desk and wrapped my arms around my head before anyone could see my face. I knew it was turning blue and I didn’t want anyone to catch it. It definitely wasn’t normal to blush in a shade of blue.

-x-x-x-x-

ORIGINAL A/N: Okay. Chapter 1! Please R&R! Chapter 2 will be up soon! For your note: The main character is a dude XD.

NEW A/N (posted Sept. 21 ’07): I have decided to go back and correct my grammar and make it a little more detailed. I can almost promise you that I’ll change this up more later, but for now, this is how it is. If you have ANY suggestions AT ALL, please PM me or review. If you see something that’s not exactly worded correctly, please let me know. Give examples of how I could improve. Thank You!!