by M. K. ROZE
fever?”
Constin peered over his shoulder at me and turned back
to him without saying a word.
“Go to the principal’s office. I’ll meet you there,” Mr.
Roberts commanded.
Constin stepped closer to Mr. Roberts. “No one tells me
what to do.”
Mr. Roberts stepped back and rushed over to Clay who
was holding his head while moaning. Constin looked back at
me with concern, turned around, and walked away slowly. As
I stood there still in utter shock, some of the boys started
talking about Constin getting expelled, and the girls were
saying how hot and strong he was.
Sara didn’t say anything and turned away from my glare.
“The show is over. Go back to class,” Mr. Roberts said
and walked Clay to the nurse.
In class, I opened my book, but the letters on the page
were blurry because I was too busy trying to remember
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where I heard someone else say, something like that. When I
couldn’t figure it out, I gave up and tried to focus on the
history teacher.
In third period, I sat next to Kaylee and told her what
had happened. She’d already heard about it, and she was
happy for me, but she was mad because she missed him
kicking Clay’s ass. I agreed with her about how he stuck up
for me, but I felt terrible for Clay because he got rushed to
the hospital for a broken arm and a minor concussion.
When I got home, I hid in my room and forced myself
to eat crackers and cookies. I don’t know why, but ever since
Constin stuck up for me, I became obsessed with him. I
texted him to see how he was, but he didn’t answer me back.
I went to sleep thinking he was mad at me.
The rest of the week went by slowly. It was weird not
seeing Constin there, and I still felt horrible that he got
expelled because of me. Sara wouldn’t even look at me,
which was nice, but I didn’t like her being afraid of me like I
was of her.
After school, I drove home and yawned nonstop. I
decided to take a nap on the couch before work. The rain
hitting the roof was relaxing, causing me to pass out. In what
seemed like only minutes, someone was shaking me. I sat up
and Kaylee was standing over me.
“Don’t you have to be at work in fifteen minutes?”
“Oh, crap. I’m going to be late for my shift.” I jumped
up and grabbed my keys. “See ya later.” I slammed the front
door on my way out and flinched from the loud bang.
Stopping at almost every red light had me cursing like a
trucker, but after I pulled into the restaurant, I screamed out
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in excitement because I was right on time. As I got out, I
used my apron to shield my head from the rain.
It was slow for a Friday night, so I sat at a booth and
watched the rain lash the building relentlessly and the
lightning light up the sky. I’d been there an hour or so when
one of the other waitresses approached me.
“Viata, someone’s asking for you.”
“Who?”
She pointed at a man sitting alone with his back to us.
“Thank you.” I wondered who it could be.
I got up and moved to a position where I could observe
him without being seen. I still couldn’t tell who he was, so I
walked over. As I got closer, he turned in my direction.
“Constin,” I said, smiling.
He got up and gave me a huge hug.
I stood on my tippy toes and wrapped my arms around
him. “Why haven’t you texted me back?”
His gorgeous green eyes gazed into mine. “I figured I’d
come here instead. Would you like to sit and talk for a
while?”
“Um, sure.” I looked around, knowing I could get into
trouble.
Constin sat across from me with his hands at his sides.
“I’m sure you heard about me getting expelled.”
“I’m sorry. It’s all my fault.”
He reached across the table and turned my face towards
his. “No, it’s not. Sometimes I can’t control my anger.”
“How did you lift Clay off the ground like that?”
“I lift weights all the time. Between that ... and what he
said to you, made my adrenaline kick into full power. I’m
sorry you had to witness that.”
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“Don’t be. Clay is okay, except for a broken arm and a
minor concussion.”
He chuckled. “So, how do you like working here?”
“It pays the bills. What about you? Where are you going
to school now?”
“I’m finishing it online.”
I turned away because I felt horrible that he couldn’t
graduate like everyone else.
He placed his hand on mine. “I never really cared for
school anyway. There’s too much drama.”
“Is that why you didn’t show up for two weeks while I
was out sick?”
He smirked. “Yeah, that’s why.”
I smiled. “Do you have a job?”
“Yes, I work with my father doing construction.”
“That’s nice. Where are you from anyway?” I asked.
“Miami.”
“Do you have any siblings?”
“No, I’m the only child. What about you?”
“Me too. So, tell me about your father’s company.”
“As you wish.”
I couldn’t help but be captivated by his soft, full lips as
he spoke every word. I felt like a prowler, so I glanced at my
boss. He walked past us and cleared his throat.
“Oh, no, I hope I don’t get fired.”
“Don’t worry. You won’t.” He seemed confident.
I watched my boss walk into the kitchen. “I would love
to chat, but I need this job. I’ll call you after work.”
“Understood.”
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We got up at the same time. Constin walked over to me
and pulled me in for a hug. “I hope to hear from you when
you get off.”
A rush of hormones moved through my body as he held
me. “You will.” I didn’t want him to let me go, but he did. I
stepped back and looked up at him smiling back at me.
“Thank you for stopping in.”
“You’re welcome.”
I walked him to the door.
“Talk to you shortly.” He walked into the rain.
I felt better when he turned around and smiled. I
couldn’t believe I waited so long to hang out with him and
get to know him.
After he left, it got busy. I waited on table after table and
before I knew it, I clocked out. As I got in my car, Constin
texted me.
Are you off work yet?
“Yes,” I screeched and texted him back.
I tossed my phone on the passenger’s seat and drove
home faster than usual. I didn’t know what changed with me,
but I liked it.
When I pulled up, I was hoping Kaylee was there so I
could tell her about Constin, but she wasn’t. I rushed into
my room, sat on the couch, and began texting Constin. We
commun
icated like that for an hour. In one of his texts, he
asked me out on a date the following night, and I accepted.
When someone opened the door, I jumped up and
raced out to the living room. “Kaylee?”
“What are you so happy about?”
I told her all about Constin showing up at my job and
him asking me out.
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“He’s persistent. I like it, but it sucks that he has to do
homeschool now,” Kaylee said.
I frowned. “I know.”
She elbowed me. “It’s not your fault.”
“That’s what he said. I have something to confess.”
“What’s that?”
“I know this sounds crazy, but do you think it’s possible
that God put a man from my dreams in my life?”
She grabbed her chest and laughed. “Oh, shit. I thought
you were going to tell me you already had sex with him.”
I smacked her playfully. “No way. I’m still a virgin.”
“Me too.” She snorted. “Why? Does Constin remind
you of your dream lover?”
“Not at first, but that may have been because I was so
messed up in my head that I wasn’t paying attention.”
“I have no clue. Just be careful and take it slow.”
“I will.”
She looked away for a second and back at me. “Hey, do
you want to go with me to my aunt’s wedding on Halloween?
I don’t have anyone who will go with me.”
“I don’t know her that well. I’d feel stupid. And who
gets married on Halloween? That’s weird and freaky.”
She pouted. “It’s better than staying at home like we do
every year and watching scary movies.”
I thought about it.
“Pretty please? She’s a little strange, but she’s a cool
aunt. And we can hang out together like we did when you
were homesick.”
“Thanks for the reminder.”
“I didn’t mean it like that. Please go with me?”
“If I say yes, can I bring Constin?”
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She backed away and gagged, being funny. “Hell, no. My
aunt would flip out having to add another person to her poor
budget. Why do you think she’s getting married on
Halloween?”
“Because she likes blood and gore?”
“No, because it’s cheaper where she got the venue.”
“Oh, I pictured her wedding in a haunted house.”
“No, it’s a gorgeous venue downtown.”
“Okay, I’ll go with you.”
She hugged me. “Thank you!”
“You’re welcome.”
Kaylee disappeared into her room and came back out to
the living room wearing pajamas. “Do you want to watch a
movie and eat tons of junk food?”
I looked at the time on the cable box. “It’s after
midnight.”
“It’s Friday, and we don’t have to work tomorrow.”
“It’s technically Saturday?” I replied.
“Whatever?”
We sat on the couch next to each other. I grabbed the
remote, turned on the TV, and stopped when I saw a
romantic movie. “This looks good. What do you think?”
Kaylee snatched the remote out of my hand. “Boring.
I’ve got something better to watch.”
She went on Netflix.
I shook my head. “I’m not watching a stupid vampire
show, especially before bed.”
“This one is cool. You’ll love it. It’s romantic,” she
mocked.
“How the heck is someone who’s dead and feeds on a
human romantic?”
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“You’ll see.” She pressed play.
We ended up watching The Vampire Diaries. After three
hours, I got freaked out because some of the stuff that
happened in the show reminded me of Constin and how he
acted.
I got up. “I’m going to bed.”
Kaylee yawned and stood. “Did you like the show?”
I walked into the kitchen to get a bottle of water. “Yeah,
but it’s not realistic.”
“Who cares? Damon is hot. That’s all I care about.”
I laughed and opened the refrigerator. “Yes, he is, but
Constin’s got my attention.”
“Yeah, I know.” Her tone was sad.
I turned to her. “Maybe he has a friend I can introduce
you to.”
“I hope so.”
As I reached for a bottle of water, I fell to my knees.
“Kaylee, I’m getting those sharp pains in my head again.”
She grabbed me. “What do you want me to do?”
I curled into the fetal position.
Kaylee said something, but her voice was muffled.
Her face blurred out, and I was standing in an alleyway
with three males in front of me wearing medieval clothing.
One of them flew at me, and I tore off his head. The other
two looked at me confused and hissed, showing their fangs.
“Why are you killing your own kind?” one of them
asked me in a Romanian accent.
I walked toward them. “I’m nothing like you.”
They eyed each other, nodded, and took off running. I
ran after them at an incredible speed, leaping over horse
carriages and climbed a two-story building like a cat. They
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turned to me and hissed. I jumped on them and impaled
them with the Sicuro, then I slammed my hand through their
chests and ripped their hearts out with my bare hands.
“Viata!” Kaylee screamed out as she shook me.
Her face came into focus. I got up looking at my hands.
“Holy crap.” I paced the kitchen.
Kaylee followed me. “What the heck just happened?”
“I—I think I fell asleep again and you snapped me out
of it when you shook me.”
“Viata, your eyes rolled in the back of your head. You
were talking to someone, but it was all garbled. What did you
see?”
“I was a damn vampire, and I killed others like me. It
was so surreal.”
“Are you okay now? You looked like you were having a
seizure or something.”
“I’m fine. I forgot to take my pill when I got home.”
“A ... I thought you take them before bed and b ... you
need a doctor, not a damn pill.”
“A,” I shot back. “I’ve already been to the doctors and
b ... they can’t help me. And c ... I take the damn pills when
I feel like it.”
Kaylee looked away.
I hugged her. “I’m sorry. I think I’m just tired. I never
stay up this late either. Not anymore.”
“I’m sorry too, and I’m super sorry for having you
watch that show.”
I exhaled sharply. “It’s not the show or your fault. It’s
me. Will you go get me a pill and lay with me in my bed until
I pass out?”
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She nodded. “Are you sure you don’t want me to take
you to the hospital?”
“No, I just need my pill, and I’ll be fine.”
“Okay, go lay down, and I’ll be right in.”
I went into my room and laid in my bed, wondering if
certain things triggered my headaches
and caused me to see
things. Kaylee ran in and gave me my pill with a glass of
water.
“Do you want me to give you angel touches until you
pass out?”
I laughed, remembering when she was sick with a high
fever one year, I gently ran my fingers over her skin until she
fell asleep. I caught her bug a few days later, and she did the
same for me. Ever since then, when we were sick, tired, or
stressed, we would take turns giving each other angel
touches.
“Sure.” I took the pill and curled up into a ball.
Eventually, I fell asleep after trying to figure out what was
going on with me and hoping that I would be normal for my
date with Constin.
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woke up with Kaylee’s foot in my face. I pushed it
off and grabbed my head from the throbbing pain.
Kaylee sat up with her hair in her face. “How did I
get to the opposite end of the bed?” She looked
confused.
“I don’t know, but I do know that you’re impossible to
sleep next to.”
“Why are you holding your head?” She jumped up. “Are
you about to start seeing shit again?”
“No, I just feel like crap from staying up late.”
She sighed. “Now you know what a hangover feels like.”
“How do you know? You’ve never drunk alcohol
before.”
She got up. “I guess you don’t know me as well as you
think you do. I like to take a few sips of my mom’s wine
when she’s not looking.”
“You better get that under control before it’s too late.”
“I’ve only gotten drunk once.”
“You did? When?”
“Remember when I said I had the stomach flu before
you went to Romania?”
“Yeah.”
“I didn’t have a bug. I was puking all day from the glass
of wine I drank.”
“Ew.” I sat up. “I can’t believe you never told me you
drunk before.”
“My dad messed me up in the head, so sometimes I
drink for the pain to go away. Sad ... but true.”
“I’m sorry he left you, but you shouldn’t drink to numb
the pain. You’ll end up an alcoholic. Talk to me instead,
okay?”
She smiled. “You better pass back out for a while. It’s
only 11:20 in the morning.” That was her way of telling me