“Teagan. Teagan? Teagan Bailey!”

My head snapped up, surprised to hear my name being yelled. I had been letting my pencil drag idly across my math notes, scratching through the pages in a few places, in others leaving wells of granite. “Yes?”

“Your classmates are waiting for the answer to the question on the board.”

My teacher watched me, eyes staring down her thin, pointed nose. She tucked a piece of perfect corn silk blonde hair behind her ear and placed her hands on her tiny waste. Young, and beautiful, none of the administrative officials ever said a thing about her normal attire of low cut tops and short, pleated, preppy khaki skirts. The boys in class were all forever distracted by her and sighed now as she shook her head at me.

There I sat, dumbfounded, looking through my notes. Not a single equation was there to help me. “I don’t know.” I gave up. It’s not like I was good at math anyways. Whose idea of a sick joke was it to have me placed in the fast paced class? Someone truly had it out for me…

“I’m very disappointed with you, Miss Bailey.” She clasped her hands and adopted the tone teachers adopt when they wish to embarrass you and make you feel guilty for having a lot on your mind. God forbid students act human once in a while. “See me after class.”

The snickers erupted around me. My face flushed warm. A kick from behind really did it. “Grow up, David”, I hissed turning to glare at him.

“Well, well… Someone’s in a sensitive mood today”, I head Trent coo. A real smooth talker, he added to David, “Don’t take it personally, man. She just needs to get laid.”

I felt my hand curl into a fist at my side. I closed my eyes, and counted to five in my head, running my fingers through my hair, trying to find my sanity.

“She’s a little too uptight”, I head him add, even more of a smug edge to his voice this time. “We could fix that for you, sweetheart. Relieve a bit of that tension and a bit of mine too, eh?”

That was it. I turned around swiftly, grasping the edge of my seat lest this new outburst knock me out of my chair. “Swallow a knife, Trent”, I told him giving him the finger.

“Ooh, angry. I like ‘em sassy.” He winked at me, leaning closer to my desk.

I sat diagonally from him, to the front right. This time, my entire body swiveled towards him. I crossed my legs and leaned back against the desk, the formal proceedings of math class now entirely escaping my little corner of the class. “Really? This is what you want? Me angry. Are you sure?” I batted my eyes; a display of sarcasm that I could quickly see had evaded his senses.

“For real?” His eyes grew wide and bright, excited. Pathetic really.

“It was a question of desire.” I leaned forward, resting my elbow on my knee and my head on my palm. “Do you want me?”

He was speechless for a moment. “Well Teagan, I mean… ugh… What I really meant to say was, ugh….” He ripped a corner from his notebook paper. “You wanna write your number down? Maybe I’ll call you or something?”

I took the sheet of paper and scratched something down. I folded it up, handed it back to him, and turned around, reaching down to my ankle.

Trent took the small corner of paper and I listened to him unfold it;

Fuck off.

The message was clean and simple. I didn’t see how he could mistake it for anything else, but on the other hand, I was well aware I was dealing with an idiot.

“Cute”, he said. I turned in time to catch him rolling his eyes. “Seriously Teagan?”

“Seriously what? Do I want you to fuck off? Yes, as a matter of fact, I would like that more than you know.” I pinched the bridge of my nose between my fingers. Today wasn’t turning out so well.

“Teagan, let’s get serious here.” He stretched himself out, grinning stupidly, arrogantly. “Why don’t you stop fighting your temptations babe? We all know I’m irresistible.”

My precautionary step had found its use. I pulled my shoe over the top of my desk and stabbed the heel into his leg, knowing I wouldn’t permanently injure him, but that I may dissuade him a little.

He winced in pain, biting his lip and clutching his shin. I raised my eye brows to him, and smiled evilly. “I am very serious.”

“Whoa, dude… Vicious”, I heard David behind me, after I had turned around.

“She’s such a head case.” This latest remark on my behavior came from Elizabeth. Elizabeth was perfect, in the eyes of most of the people I went to school with.

She was everything. She was a cheerleader with straight A’s and a perfect body. She wasn’t blonde, and she didn’t have inflated silicon boobs. Everything on her was perfectly sized. She had a perfect smile and a perfect face framed by perfect light brown hair. Naturally, as the epitome of perfect, she hated me.

But I knew her secret. It was the same secret I’m sure my sex goddess math teacher probably employed at our age, as she did now; dress to meet the bare minimum requirements, and sleep around. Elizabeth’s latest conquest was Trent, and his new interest in me probably drove her crazy.

Claire, one of her soldiers in the army of sluts that controlled the school, giggled quietly. “She is so weird.” Her voice was high pitched, and shrill.

“Something that corner of the room would like to share?” Miss James arched a perfectly sculpted golden eyebrow at us.

“Teagan is being horribly distracting”, Elizabeth whined. “I can barely concentrate.” I could imagine her face now, eyes wide and pleading, arms strewn forwards over her desk, slumping in mock despair.

“Yeah, like, I don’t know what’s going on. Like… At. All.” Claire came to Elizabeth’s aid, a shocking turn in events of course.

“Teagan?”

I sighed in defeat. I had to learn to pick my battles. This was getting impossible. “I’m already staying after class right? So let’s not interrupt class right…” The sound of the bell cut me off. “Now”, I sighed laying my head on the desk.

Everyone got up, shoving books and folders into bags hurriedly.

“You’re gonna pay for that little stunt back there”, Trent hurled his words like bullets at me under his breath.

“Bite me.” It was all the response I could muster under the circumstances.

“Miss Bailey?” Miss James’ voice was soft and comforting. Yeah, right. Like I was going to suddenly let my guard down and spill my life’s story to some whore math teacher just because she spoke softly to me. Really, did I look that easy today? Was I that much of an easy target?

I paced up to her desk.

“Take a seat.” She gestured to the chair next to her desk. “Teagan, what’s going on? You’re not usually a problem. You’re usually very quiet and attentive. Something going on?”

She peered at me waiting for a profound response, something that would give her an insider’s perspective on my life, and undoubtedly some ammo against me in the future.

“I’m fine”, I lied. “Just having an off day.”

“You know, you can always come to me if something’s wrong.” How many times had I heard that speech before from teachers.

“I will Miss James.” I begin to gather my things, eager to get out of school and put this day to rest.

“One more thing Teagan.” Ugh-oh. “Claire and Elizabeth are working on some signs to promote the blood drive here at school, as I’m sure you know…” Double ugh-oh. This wasn’t looking good at all. “I think the girls could use some help and seeing as you’re quite the little doodle bug-” Damn it, damn it, damn it. Curse my habits and not paying attention in class. Damn them to hell! “-I think it would be a good idea if you helped them. I’m offering extra credit, and after seeing your recent test scores I think it would be a good idea for you to take this opportunity.”

She was right, and I knew it. But that didn’t mean anything. “Miss James, that’s gotta take a lot of time and well, I just don’t know if I-“

“And considering your recent behavior in class, I might be persuaded to be a little more lenient about not assigning you detention for this recent interruption if you were to get more involved.”

Aha! It wasn’t a suggestion at all! My “interruptions” in class were leverage against me. This was an ultimatum.

Thusly, I sighed in defeat. “So I don’t have a choice? Once again, the sluts of the world unite against those of us who have an original thought and force us into situations we should be guarded against by that part of the Constitution that says that bit about no cruel and unusual punishment!” I didn’t say this. I screamed it in my head.

“I have to be home early to make dinner Miss James.” That’s what I said instead.

“So I can be expecting you here tomorrow to help with the signs then? It’s in the morning. I’m heading up the project and…”

“Saturday morning?”

“Well, Miss Bailey, if you prefer…”

“I’ll be here.”

“Excellent Teagan. So glad you’ve decided to volunteer.” I nodded. “See you tomorrow morning.” She curled her delicate fingers in a wave to see me out.

I mustered what bit of a semi-smile I could, gathered my things, and left.

It was going to be a brisk walk home today. It was late February and the sky was covered with thick gray clouds. The wind reminded me of the cool air that comes out of freshly refrigerated bottles of cream soda. Luckily, the rain of the morning had cleared up. Still, looking out the glass doors from my locker, the journey to my house seemed like it was going to be too long and far too cold for my taste, not that I had many options. Everyone with a car was far gone. Schools don’t stay full for long on a Friday afternoon.

I zipped my sweater and threw a thick sweatshirt on over it. Leave it to me to let my cocky attitude about weather leave me free of a coat in February and in flip-flops. I shoved head phones in my ears and made my way, hesitantly, into the outside world.

“Teagan!”

My mother’s voice made me jump. If I was on the edge about watching a scary movie alone to begin with, this pushed me over it. “Stupid.” My brain was scolding me for horror over comedy. I fiddled with the remote, considering flipped the channel and catching what was left of the other movie.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t move my eyes for the TV. My brain was locked on. A man with a brilliant smile was watching a busty blonde scream in horror. What had I missed while my brain was yelling at me? That was answered when he took her by the neck, and drained the rest of her blood from her body. I watched as the girl’s lifeless corpse hit the floor.

“Teagan!”

I jumped this time and turned to see my mother in the door way. There I was, in pajamas sitting on our couch eating Italian ice. My mother was obviously pissed about something. This was also not good.

“Teagan, why are you lounging around watching some… vampire movie when there are dishes in the sink?” My mother’s biggest flaw.

“Madeline, Sissy was supposed to take care of it tonight. We traded. I made dinner remember?”

She snorted. Madeline wasn’t really my mother; she’d been my step mother as long as I could remember, but she obviously favored her blood daughters to me. Times like these, I used her name over calling her mom and it drove her up a wall.

“Sicily was going to make a roast with steamed vegetables, and a pie for dessert. You threw pasta in water, and premade sauce into the microwave and called it spaghetti.” Another thing Madeline hated was informal dinners.

“Spaghetti’s spaghetti. Just because I didn’t make the dinner you wanted doesn’t mean I didn’t cook. Have Sissy do the dishes. It’s not my job.”

I turned back towards the TV, which was promptly switched off. “Madeline!”

She glowered at me from the doorway to the living room. Sicily and Michael appeared at her side.

Sicily was two years younger than I was and molded by Madeline. She had on pajamas in the same model as Madeline but in pink instead of red.

Michael was a year older than I was. He detested Madeline just as much as I did, but she was his real mother, and he loved her. Luckily, as Michael was freer of his mother’s grasp, he might come to my rescue.

“I’m taking the car out”, he told Madeline flatly. “Don’t wait up.”

“Micky!” I was whining.

“What do you want?” He didn’t like his plans being stalled by family. I didn’t blame him. If I had a place to be tonight, I’d flee too.

“You were there when Sissy and me decided to switch chores. Tell Madeline Sissy should be doing the dishes and not me.”

Michael and I got along better than he and Sicily, which was also to my advantage now. He hated seeing Sicily get out of work. She’d always find some excuse to swap chores with me, and then find a way to have me doing double the load.

He sighed. “Mom, Teagan made dinner. Sicily does dishes. Why is this so hard for you people?”

“Michael, Teagan made…”

“Dinner.” He cut her off. “Sicily wasn’t going to made roast anyways and you know that as well as I do. She was up in her room…”

“Michael!” Sicily shrieked stamping one of her perfectly pedicured feet on the floor.

Michael rolled his eyes. “Sicily”, he told his mom, kissing her on the cheek. “See ya.” With that, he was gone.

Sicily shot a death glare in my general direction. “Mom you absolutely cannot make me do the dishes. She ruined dinner!”

“Ruined? It was spaghetti! God forbid somebody in this house eat pasta. Carbs!” My arms were flailing for enthusiasm, and it was received poorly.

I woke up early the next morning. The sun was streaming in through my window, blinding me with its happy, gaseous star, glow.

“Mock me why don’t you.” Talking to the sun would somehow surely make it feel bad for looking so nice and inviting when I had my life locked up this Saturday morning. “And tell your friend the moon that it did a horrible job pacifying Madeline. She made me do the damn dishes.”

I pulled my comforter over my head sighing in defeat. I could only hide from Elizabeth, Claire, and Miss James for so long. I threw myself out of bed, and made a loud thud on the floor. I wasn’t going to do anything to be quiet today. If I woke up Sicily and Madeline, good. They deserved it after sentencing me to kitchen duty in the middle of my horror flick last night. I couldn’t wait for Michael to come home today so I could sit in his room and bitch about my unfair life. Maybe he’d write me an epic rock ballad to make me feel better. (Then again, maybe he’d play Halo or scales and tell me at least I’m not biologically related. He’s got me there.)

I got dressed quickly, throwing on the closest pair of jeans and my White Stripes tee. “Jack White, why does every garage band feel the need to play Fell in Love With a Girl?” I sighed tugging at the shirt while I admired myself in my mirror.

I pulled a brush through my hair and grabbed my bag.

“Where are you going?”

Madeline’s voice made me jump. I hadn’t seen her sitting in the kitchen when I made a dash for the sliding glass door.

“School.”

She watched me through squinted eyes while she sipped her coffee. “That is the worst excuse for going to see those hippy dippy dope smoking friends of yours.”

It was no secret that Madeline was very disapproving of my friends. She thought they were all on drugs. Really, they were all really dorky shaggy haired musicians.

“Yes Madeline. I’m going to go spark up, do a couple shots, maybe get naked. See ya later!” I smiled and waved.

I’m sure Madeline was awestricken. Let her sit there worrying about me. Let her get a line in her perfectly toned skin. After last night, it was all out war. I instantly felt better.

That wore off as soon as I walked into the school cafeteria.

Miss James and Elizabeth were sitting on the floor with their stupid Starbucks coffees gossiping about God knows what. They were still sitting there laughing with Miss James looked up and noticed me there.

“Oh Teagan”, she cooed. “Excellent. Elizabeth, you know Miss Bailey. She’ll be helping you and Claire and the rest of the blood drive committee with posters. She’s quite the doodle bug.”

“Hello Teagan”, her voice was dripping with venom.

I waved in her direction. The tension was electric. I couldn’t wait for Miss James to leave us alone. I was sure we were just going to be the best of friends.

Just then Claire and Trent walked through the door towards us. Claire squealed and ran to hug Elizabeth who gave her a formal pat on the back, still awestricken, I believe, by my presence.

“What are you doing here?” Claire wasn’t known for her subtlety. Miss James explained my presence to her, Trent, and all the other scary slut cronies that walked into the cafeteria and looked on horrified at the situation that lay before them.

The work started swiftly. Paintbrushes and poster board were dispatched and we set out to work, like sweat shop workers. And before I knew it, I was lifted off of sign duty (Miss James was very disappointed that my “doodle bug” talents translated into sloppy handwriting and red paint smears to represent blood.) and assigned to take names and manage things at the ACTUAL blood drive during school on Monday. Fantastic.

Madeline was quite obviously surprised to see me home. She was sitting at the kitchen table, still, but with dad this time, and crying.

“What’s this your mother tells me about you getting naked and drinking”, the expression on his face matched his accusation. It was a look of horror, shock, and displeasure at the alleged behavior of his teenaged daughter.

I sighed. There was no getting out of this one alive. “It was a little joke. I was just kidding. See mom asked me why I was going out this morning and I had to go to school and help make signs and well now I’m in charge of the blood drive at school and…”

“You shouldn’t scare your mother like that.” He cut me off comforting Madeline, who was sobbing over dramatically, again. None of this was surprising. In this house, it was easier to bend to Madeline’s will than try to fight the demon.

“But dad I was just…”

“No buts young lady.” Somebody had been watching one too many daytime sitcoms. No buts young lady? What were we, the Brady Bunch? I think not. “Let’s not have any more displays like that okay?”

I nodded and plodded off for my room. I couldn’t believe my only biological ally was even against me (I didn’t count my half brother and sister as biological. They didn’t have whatever genes my mom gave me, which must’ve been a lot because my father and I were polar opposites.).

Before I hit my room, I knocked on Michael’s door, hoping he’d come home by now.

“Who wants what”, the voice came from inside, exasperated.

I cracked the door. Michael cracked an eye open at me from his bed.

“Refuge. Am I supposed to hide you or something?” He sat up and gestured me to come in.

“I guess you caught Madeline’s act.”

He nodded. “You’ve been causing quite a fuss for her lately apparently.” He scooted over out of the sunlight. “Hey, pull those blinds would you kid?”

I walked over the window to draw the blinds. “Nocturnal.”

“Guilty.”

I sighed and flopped myself backwards in a bean bag chair in the corner. “I don’t get it. Life’s out to get me and it’s using Madeline as its number one hit man… woman… whatever.”

“Life isn’t out to get you, ridiculous girl. If it was, you would know it by now. Trust me.”

A threw a death glare in his direction. “Oh don’t play Mr. Optimist now.”

I knew Michael’s habits. He liked to be out all night, and asleep all day. He avoided this family like the plague. His friends never came around. It was all very black and dark and gloomy. The only time I ever saw Michael was when I could catch him coming in mid morning. You could always tell he was home by his car with the windows tinted almost black. The closest connection I felt I had to him was when his strange, depressing guitar ballads woke me from sleep nights he stayed in.

“So they’ve got you managing the blood drive tomorrow.” It was a statement.

“How’d you know?” Michael made me nervous. We were close when we were younger, but for a few months now the distance had grown. Who knew how much longer it would be until I lost my only fellow soldier in the fight against Madeline?

He ignored my question. “They want me to pick up the blood.”

“Ew.” I cringed. “What a creepy job… Why are you getting it? You don’t work for the blood bank.”

“This drive is for a private organization.”

“Ooh well isn’t that special.” Michael was being much more of a pain today than a help.

He rolled his eyes at me. “You’re such a child Teagan. Why can’t you grow up and enjoy your last year of high school? Instead you have to make enemies and get your weekends tied up in school functions. What’s wrong with you?”

I was stunned, to say the least. “Me!? What’s wrong with me!? You’re one to talk Mr. Prince of Darkness! All you do is sneak around in the night with your creepy friends and I’m sure they’re all decked out in black too. I bet you just sit around smoking crack or something and laughing at shoe laces or something equally moronic!”

Michael rose, eyes smoldering with anger. They seemed darker than usual. “Get out.” It was a command.

I was feeling particularly betrayed and put out today. “I think I’ll stay right here. You have some nerve Mick, really.”

He grabbed my shoulders and stood me up rigid. “Last chance.”

I laughed. “Or what? You’ll throw me out?”

Obviously, Michael was feeling very literal these days. He picked me up over his shoulder (I don’t remember him being that strong) and, in the truest sense of the expression, threw me out of his room into the hallway and slammed the door.

Sicily was standing down the hall, just outside the bathroom in a towel. She raised a dark eyebrow at me.

I stood up slowly. She was still watching me, God knows why. “What? Never see anyone leave a room before?”

“You’re such a freak”, she stated very matter of factly before stalking into her own room.

“Like I haven’t heard that one before”, I muttered finding my way to my own room.

I flopped onto my bed and stared out my window. It was barely noon. I had the rest of my Saturday stretched before me and nothing to do but lie here, staring out the window.

“Fuck this.” I jammed my headphones into my ears, threw my pillow over my face to block out the sun, and fell asleep.

When I finally woke up it was dusk. The sky was violet and my iPod was very very dead.

I walked down the hall to knock on Michael’s door. He was sleeping. I rummaged through his room trying to find the only iPod charger in our house (the family battle could easily be caused by the violent battle of the iPod owners versus the Zune owners). When I couldn’t find it, I decided to check his car.

Michael’s car was like the Bermuda triangle. It was weird and strange. You didn’t go near it. I, however, was quite cranky from an afternoon long nap and a wasted Saturday. I let myself in through the passenger door in the front and shut it behind me. The cable was plugged in to Michael’s car charger with no sign of the outlet piece anywhere.

I sighed and resigned myself to the back seat. The cable stretched between the bucket seats in the front easily. I stretched out and stared at the sky through the black tinted windows. They made it look much later than it really was. Before I knew what was going on, I had fallen back asleep.

I was awoken to loud speed metal being blasted from Lord knows where, but certainly not my iPod. I popped my headphones out and lifted my head. I noticed we were moving. This was not good.

The music was coming from the car radio. Michael was driving and someone I’d never met was in the front passenger seat.

As I tried to come up with a way to expose my presence without it being extremely awkward, Michael stopped the car. We were in the driveway of an unfamiliar house. The front door opened and light flooded out. Next thing I knew, a girl with raven hair had opened one of the back doors to the car. She had dark, almost black eyes that matched her hair.

“Uhm?” She looked at me puzzled, but not angry. Of course, she didn’t yet know I was Michael’s little sister, the unknowing victim of kidnap.

Michael turned around. “Holy… What the hell are you doing in here?”

“Dude, don’t be so harsh. Scoot over little rapscallion.” Little what did she just call me? I obeyed. She crawled in next to me and shut the door. “Let’s get rolling Mike. What’s the hold up?” Now she looked a little nervous.

“Teagan…” Michael’s teeth were clenched as he glared back at me.

“Nice to meet you Teagan”, the girl said cheerily. “I’m Olivia.”

I waved again. This was a habit I had gotten into for when I was at a loss for words.

“Teagan what the hell are you doing in my car?”

“Well you have the only iPod charger in the whole house and I woke up and I wasn’t going to try to deal with dad and Madeline and Sissy so I just let myself in your car cause I figured if it wasn’t in your room then it had to be in here and then when I got in here…”

“You were in my room?” Oops.

“Well I knocked but you were sleeping.”

Michael laid his head on the steering wheel rubbing his temples.

The boy in the front seat next to him laughed. “So this is one of your little sisters? Hilarious!” He turned around to face me. “I’m Rudolph, but usually people call me Nicholas. It’s a little more contemporary. I should really start introducing myself as Tristan… Hyphenated middle names you know.” He laughed at himself.

What were his parents like a hundred? Where did they get names like Rudolph and Tristan?

Michael snarled at him. “Contemporary? Would you shut up Nicholas! Teagan, you should be home.”

“They haven’t noticed I’m gone”, I protested. “They haven’t called me. Have they called you?”

He opened his mouth, but shut it again.

“Why can’t she stay”, Olivia asked.

Nicholas agreed. “I don’t see why you’ve never taken her out before. How is she supposed to hunt on her own? It’s not like she knows anyone else in town.”

“What are you all doing out hunting at night?” Michael really did have some bizarre friends.

Michael growled again. “She doesn’t need to hunt.” He glared back at Olivia.

“Let’s go pick up Layla and Addison.” He pronounced the last name very formally.

“I need to take Teagan home.”

“Well Addison and Layla are on the way anyways”, Olivia suggested.

“There’s no room in the car.” This was almost offensive. Why was Michael so opposed to me meeting his friends? And why were they going hunting at night? It wasn’t hunting season was it? Oh let’s be honest, I didn’t know when hunting season was.

“Addison can stay behind then. Layla hasn’t been out in almost a week though”, Olivia protested. “And I’m sure Teagan can fit between us. She’s small.” Olivia flashed me a grin, but it was really more frightening than it was reassuring.

Michael backed out of the driveway. “Have it your way…”

The drive to pick up Layla was silent. Soon we pulled into the driveway of a massive house on the outskirts of town. The door to my left opened and a girl with short cut pink and purple hair slid in next to me.

She pointed a thumb at me and looked at Olivia. “This is his sister?”

Olivia nodded. “Addison knows he’s not coming right?”

The girl nodded. “He’s a little frustrated, especially since Michael thinks he’s taking her home. But I told him you think we’ve got him convinced to keep her.”

Olivia giggled. Michael fumed. Nicholas turned around in his seat.

“Hey, wanna clue the kid in a little bit?’

The girl with the multi colored hair rolled her eyes at him and turned to me. “I’m Layla. And you’re Teagan. Pleasure”, she said very matter of factly.

“Did I miss a phone call in there somewhere”, it was a genuine question. How did this girl know everything already?

Olivia giggled. “You’re a riot Teagan.”

Michael growled again. Why was he so mad? “Something like that, Teag. Ready to go home?”

“Oh come on”, Olivia let her syllables drag out, pleading with him. “Everyone needs to hunt. If she doesn’t need to right now, fine, but that doesn’t mean she can’t come tonight anyways.”

“I don’t have a hunting license anyways”, I stated. Being out after curfew hunting without a license when no one knew I was gone sounded like a very bad idea.

Olivia, Layla and Nicholas all laughed this time.

“Mike, your little sis is a riot”, Nicholas said. “I mean really do you listen to her?”

“Nick don’t go…”

“No really Mike. Hunting license? It’s great!”

Olivia giggled. “And she’s just the cutest little thing. I assume she’s new. She’s still got such a fresh, innocent, live look to her.” Was it just me or was Olivia licking her lips?

“I need to take her home. Teagan, I’m really disappointed in you. You made a BIG mistake coming in here without my permission.” Michael looked back at me, but he looked more worried this time than angry.

“Well, I’m only human Mick. I make mistakes too.” I was hurt.

Nicholas laughed again. Olivia drew her breath in and Layla’s jaw dropped.

“See Mike? Riot!” Nicholas was roaring.

“Nick”, he said calmly gripping the steering wheel as he began to back out. “It’s not funny. She makes mistakes. She’s only human.” He emphasized the last word.

And that was it. The car ride home was quiet. Why was he making fun of me? Of course I was only human! At least I wasn’t out running around in the middle of the night hunting things in February. That was ridiculous.

Michael pulled up in front of the house.

“Layla, if you don’t mind…”

“Sure”, she said in a quiet tone. Layla opened the door and slid out of the car.

“Michael”, my voice broke in the middle. I said his name more like a question than a statement.

“Sorry Teagan. I can’t have mom and dad on my back cause of you.” I let myself out of the car.

Layla let herself back in the car and Michael pulled out of the driveway.

I had no idea what time it was, or how to get back in the house. If the doors weren’t locked, I really didn’t wanna go in that way anyway in case Madeline and my dad were still awake. Me walking in in the middle of the night wouldn’t help the events of the past day or so anyways.

I walked up the side of my house until I got outside of my where my room would be, if I was on the second story. It was too bad I couldn’t float, at times like these.

I sighed in defeat. “Another fine mess…” I was mumbling to myself while staring forlornly at my window. Then I had what I felt was a great idea.

There was a large ladder in the shed in our side yard. If I got into the house, I could think of a way to explain the ladder in the morning, or I could sneak out early to put it back in the shed, if need be.

I went to the shed, got the ladder and rushed back to prop it up to the side of the house. Much to my dismay, it fell just short of my bedroom window. I put the ladder back in the shed and went to sit out on the curb in front of my house.

There was no way in hell I was risking getting caught sneaking into my house. If no one had noticed I was missing, there was no reason to get caught and give them reason to think that I was sneaking out.

It was nice out and I decided to go for a walk. Even in the small, quiet town that I was resigned to living in there had to be some kind of activity on a Saturday night. After all, my brother and his friends were going hunting. Obviously, the young adults of this town were active. Maybe they were doing weird things, but they were out there just waiting for me to find them. If everyone was like Layla and Olivia and Nicholas then they would surely welcome my company.

After all, I was a riot.

I strolled down our dark street, taking in the night air and pondering where I would head. I had never done this whole night thing before and wasn’t quite sure how it worked. Surely none of my friends would be up. Dorky musicians don’t go roaming the streets at night. As well, none of their parents would be interested in housing a fugitive at… What time was it anyways?

I decided rather than wander for miles trying to find company, I would just go someplace familiar. There was a park about a 20 minute walk from my house. Better than that, walking just beyond the park’s perimeter brought one to a small forest like grove of closely growing trees. Make your way through that, and one the other side was a shallow creek across which the real forest began. That couldn’t be a bad place to spend my hours under the moon and the stars.

I made my way to the park, through it to the trees, and as far as the edge of the creek. I looked across it, realizing how dark it was without the aid of the streetlight. The moon was almost full though, and left some semblance of a guiding light for me.

I took a deep breath, rolled up my jeans, and started across the creek. The deepest point only came halfway up my shin. It was cold, but the creek was narrow, and it was bearable. Before I knew it was at the edge of the forest. Actually walking in the forest was a little more of a challenge. The thick trees, even bare of their leaves, blocked out most of the moonlight. I was hesitant to venture into what was fairly unknown and in the dark, completely alien.

Even so I found my feet moving forward without my consent. The silence was piercing now. I remember I had a freshly charged iPod with me and popped the headphones in without a second thought. Unfortunately, the soundtrack to one of the vampire movies I had seen on TV was playing. The songs were all very ominous, but at the same time listening to them made me feel unafraid. Vampires had lived in front of my eyes to these songs. Nothing that bad could be out here, especially in the dead of February.

The song that played in my ears was by a band called Kidney Thieves whose singer was a girl, which made me feel even stronger. I suddenly felt a surge of power rush through my veins. Adrenaline was pumping through me. I was out at night, alone, in dark woods. No one could touch me. I was a living Goddess among a thick grove of trees. Volume at full blast, I took off at a run.

I couldn’t take on top speed with trees coming into my vision not far ahead of me. I also couldn’t see the ground I was running on. Soon, I felt a strange presence come over me. I chalked one up to nerves. Vampire movie music was sure to put thoughts in anyone’s head. Especially running through dark woods at night. Who wouldn’t be a little paranoid?

Next thing I knew, my foot caught on something I had somehow missed. There couldn’t have been a root or a log or a rock though. I knew the ground before me was flat. I was watching where I was going to avoid such a catastrophe. I flew face first to the ground. My headphones popped out of my ears. My iPod flew out of my hands and landed in front of me.

My first thought was of the pain in my hands and knees. My palms were scraped, bleeding, and I assumed my knees were the same. My next thought was my iPod, which seemed unscathed as I could still hear the song playing through the headphones.

I reached out for the little white box, but something caught my wrist.

“Are you okay?”

I tensed. Who could possibly be out in the woods at this hour? The chances of anyone being out here besides me were slim. The chances of them being friendly were even slimmer.

“W-Who…” I couldn’t finish my question. I was scared stiff. The voice had been low and smooth, definitely the voice of a male.

I felt warmth near me sitting me upright. “A little scraped up I see. Stupid girl. What were you thinking running through the woods at night? Are you suicidal or just really slow?”

Being infuriated was always enough to make me forget the situation I was in. “Who the hell are you to call me stupid? You don’t even know me!”

“I know you listen to music from movies about vampires and run through pitch dark woods at night in flip flops. That makes you a stupid girl.”

“What do you mean movies about vampires? What’s wrong with that?” I was getting really pissed off. The nerve of this guy!

“Vampires aren’t like they are in the movies. The movies are stupid.”

I laughed at him. “You’re calling me stupid when you’re sitting here talking about vampires like they’re real.”

He ignored me. “You’re bleeding.”

“No shit Sherlock…”

He snorted. Who was this reminding me of? (Hint: The answer is Michael.)

“I shouldn’t be around blood”, he said, his voice much calmer than before. “You should run along home and find someone who can help you.”

“What are you afraid I have some disease?” Now I was really offended. He had offered me help, insulted me, and then had the gall to say such a weird audacious thing. No wonder I had never gone around at night. Everyone out at this time of night was really weird…

“Not quite…” He leaned in to examine my palm closer. His face was close enough that I could see him. He had sandy blonde shaggy hair that fell almost to his shoulders. His eyes were the color of rust hidden behind a long veil of eyelashes. He spoke again, his voice still smooth and low, almost a whisper now. As he did, his eyes met mine, “It’s cold out, and you’re hurt. I’d bet anything you want to go home.”

The words he spoke were like a poem. The wind picked up a little, blowing his hair around his face. He looked almost like a ghost. I was waiting for snow to fall around him and him to fade and vanish.

“Are you trying to use Jedi mind tricks on me?” I was mystified, but not enough so to forget the fact that he had insulted me, even if he was gorgeous.

He smirked. “Not quite. Is it working?”

“Obviously not.” I crossed my legs and wiped my free hand on my jeans. “All better.”

“That’s not sanitary.” He looked at my pants, now stained with my blood.

“I suppose you have a better idea?”

“I might…” There was an edge to his voice that made me nervous. “I’m Addison”, he said softly.

My mind made the connection. “You know my brother Michael.” He raised an eyebrow to me. “And Olivia and Layla and Nicholas!” Now I was excited. My brother couldn’t keep me from his friends after all.

“So you’re Teagan”, he mused.

“Yes. And I’m the reason you aren’t out hunting. Well with the others. Are you in the woods hunting now? Can’t that be hard?”

He laughed. “You can only hunt at night.”

I was staring at him, and I must’ve looked as confused as I felt. “Are you smoking something?”

He laughed at me again. “You’re not a lot like Michael. I’d almost say you were a different species.”

“We are.” I realized he still had a hold on my wrist. “So if you’ve got an idea about that hand of mine you have, wanna spill it?”

“Well”, he started slowly. “I could clean it for you.” His eyes caught fire.

“You carry a first aid kit around or something?” This kid was really weird. And really pretty.

“Not quite.”

“You say that a lot.”

“You say a lot of cocky things for a stupid girl.”

I let out a mocking laugh, something more like a high pitched whine really. “I can say whatever I want. Especially to people who insult me when they know nothing about me.”

“You’re cute.”

“What, are you trying to get back on my good side now?”

“You’re not making this easy.”

“What?”

He sighed. “You’re supposed to trust me.”

“Why would I trust a stranger?”

He looked in my eyes in a new way, like he was looking for answers. “Because I’m not a stranger to you. I’m your brother’s friend.”

“Michael has some weird friends. You all go hunting at night.”

His eyebrows pulled together and a puzzled look clouded the rusty orbs burning holes in my mind. “You have no idea do you?”

“If this is you trying to insult me again, you’re really not in my good graces already. I’m telling you now…”

“No. That’s not it.” He interrupted me. Then he pulled my palm up to his nose, and sniffed it, like a dog. His eyes grew wide and he dropped my hand finally drawing back slightly.

“Yes… The smell of blood has that effect on me too sometimes.” I stared at my hand. It had almost scabbed over completely now. The copper and metal smell shouldn’t have bothered anyone any. I sniffed it myself just to check.

“Teagan, it’s been nice meeting you but I really think it’s not a good idea for me to stick around.”

Now it was my turn to be confused. “Insult me, tell me to trust you, call me cute and leave? You have some rule against having things with your friend’s siblings? Or am I just that much a charmer?” The last word came out between barred teeth.

There was something enchanting and mystifying about this Addison character. I didn’t want him to leave. I was confused and for some reason I was hurt by his sudden need to vanish.

“You are cute. And it’s nothing personal, with you or Michael. I’m just not… It’s not safe for me to be here.”

“Well me either but you don’t see me running away.” As if the forest had some extra danger for him.

As if reading my thoughts he responded, “It’s not the woods. It’s you. You’re not safe for me.”

My eyes grew wide again. How could I be a danger to anyone!? “Addison, this is a really scummy thing for a person to do.” My hands balled up into fists. Moisture gathered in my eyes. My lids grew warm as I fought back tears. But why were tears coming to my eyes? I barely knew this kid. So what if he left? I made it out here alone, and surely I could make it back alone.

But he was so different, so intriguing. I didn’t want him to leave. I wanted him to stay so I could soak him in forever. I wanted his rusty eyes to watch me. I wanted his perfect lips to form the words that told me I was cute. I wanted him to tell me I was cocky and stupid. I wanted to know how the hell he had intended on cleaning my cut with no first aid kit! What was he a wizard or something?

“This is for your own good. But you wouldn’t know that. You’re more foolish than you think.” And with that he was gone.

I don’t recall even seeing him get up. One second he was kneeling by me and the next he had fled.

I let tears spill up and over my eye lids. I let myself cry over the boy who had come and gone, with no explanation.

The music still emanating from my headphones caught my attention and reminded me that I should be getting back to civilization. I decided I had run in a fairly straight path, though I couldn’t remember for sure. I picked up my iPod and headed back in the direction from which I thought I came.

I reached the creek with ease and came out only a little off the mark from the park.