Ethan noticed and he raised his eyebrows. "That girl needs to get over herself." Ethan looked over at Steven, but his expression softened when he looked back at me.
The bell rang and we all got up to walk to our classes. When Steven passed me in the hallway, I noticed that he still avoided any eye contact with me.
I wondered, "What happened to Steven?"
Ethan looked down at his feet as we walked to English. I waited for him to answer me, but it seemed like he wasn't going to.
When I was about to ask him again he said, "I punched him in the face a couple of times."
"What?" I asked bewildered, not knowing Ethan had this side to him. Why on earth would he have a fight with Steven? They got along just fine yesterday …
"He said some pretty nasty things about you … I kind of reacted and I hit him," he said nervously, now looking at me.
We had stopped in the middle of the hallway which caused some of the students to walk slower wanting to listen to our conversation. I felt nervous and another part of me felt special. He protected me … why? I raised my eyebrows.
Ethan shifted awkwardly and said, "You're my friend. He doesn't have the right to talk about you the way he did."
"What did he say exactly?" I asked crossing my arms tightly across my chest. My heart beat faster with worry and my hands balled into fists.
"Don't worry about it," he said and started to walk to class again. I grabbed his arm before he could move any further and I tugged at him. He sighed in defeat and said, "He called you a slut."
My eyes widened and I suddenly felt like punching something. Okay, yeah I guess I was wrong; I couldn't put up with this. Why would he call me that … what had I done to him? My mind was overloaded and I shook my head, feeling a little dizzy. I tightened my grip on Ethan as I nearly lost my balance. I closed my eyes tightly, waiting for the turmoil to go away.
I could hear Ethan's voice, but it sounded far away, like he wasn't standing next to me anymore. The voices of the students and the noise of lockers shutting faded away. I felt a slight breeze hit my cheeks and then something pinched me. My eyes snapped open and I saw Ethan gripping my arm. I looked around to find we were outside, alone. I was still holding onto Ethan and when I looked up to meet his gaze I found him staring at me with deep concern.
"Are you okay?" he asked, worry in his eyes.
"I think so … I have no idea what just happened," I said, suddenly breathless when I realised that Ethan had his arm around my waist, supporting me. The thing that bothered me was that I was so aware of it. I felt like if I moved he would pull away only to make me feel empty again. "Thanks," I said smiling up at him.
He gave me a genuine smile nearly knocking me off my feet for the second time. "Come on, let's go to class."
He still had his arm around my waist, making sure I wouldn't pass out, but I wondered if maybe he didn't want to move his arm from my waist. I found comfort in that. When I finally got to class, my teacher, in his worn grey suit and badly in need of a shave, glared at me.
"I hope you won't make this a habit Ms Cruz. Sit."
The whole day passed in a blur. Thoughts of Steven crossed my mind, whenever I wasn't thinking about Ethan. I sat next to Ethan at lunch and I noticed that Steven sat at the end of the table avoiding both of us. Well at least he got the message. Nate, Daniel, and Ethan spoke to me asking questions about my old school and what stuff I liked. It felt nice, to be accepted by people other than Ethan. I noticed Meredith staring at Ethan and I chose to ignore it. Jealousy gnawed at me and I frowned as to why I felt so strongly about it.
Ethan took me home after school. We stayed in the car for a while, talking and laughing.
"So what about your dad?" I asked, wanting to know what he was like.
"He's a workaholic. He's away from home on business trips most of the time and when he is home he's giving me lectures or pretending to be interested in my life. Because my brother moved out, I'm always alone in the house," he shrugged like it wasn't a big deal, but it was. I could tell just by looking at his face, his jaw had tensed and his hands had balled up into fists on his legs.
"It's okay to feel lonely. If I didn't have my brother I would be lonely," I said softly and placed my hand on his shoulder. His posture relaxed as soon as I touched him and he looked over at me and smiled. "Thanks for the ride," I said and climbed out of the car, feeling his stare on my back while I walked to my front door. I waved and he drove off.
I opened the door and something knocked the breath out of me. It was Jamie. He clung to me as his arms went around my waist. I laughed as I dragged him into the house.
"Can we play?" he asked excitedly.
"After dinner!" mum called out from upstairs.
Jamie pouted a little, but he soon got over it when he found his crayons. I looked over at him as he hummed to himself. I wished I could be as free as he was in that moment.
The days passed and then turned into weeks. I hung out with Ethan most of the time, but I started to talk more to Nate and Daniel. Meredith still gave me cold stares in the hallways and during lunch, but I was so used to it now that I accepted it as her way of saying hello. Steven hadn't spoken to me since the first day and I was glad to be free of that drama.
Ethan took me to and from school; it became a routine after a week or so. My teachers now accepted me and left me alone with their questions, especially with my high grades. I guess they didn't expect me to get straight As. People still stared at me as I walked with Ethan in the hallways and all around school. I knew they were confused as to what we were. They were curious about whether we were an item or just sleeping together. They wouldn't take 'friends' as an answer and that annoyed me.
My mum was still depressed and I didn't blame her, but it wouldn't hurt if she spent some time with Jamie and me. We both missed her, we lost one parent and we couldn't afford to lose another.
Jamie slept in my bed again that night. He told me he missed dad and I told him I did too. When he asked me if mum would ever get better I had no answer to give him so instead I hugged him to me and kissed his forehead, rubbing his back as he fell asleep.
I couldn't get to sleep while thinking things over. Ethan had invited me to a party he was throwing next Saturday. I was so nervous and surprised that I just nodded. He seemed excited that I was going and I felt flattered he felt that way. Whenever I would catch him looking at me or laughing at something I said, my heart would jump in my chest and my stomach would do flips making me feel overwhelmed but happy. When Ethan spoke to me I would get lost in those green eyes of his and, occasionally, I would see swirls move around in his irises. I could gaze into them all day and not get bored.
Not one day had passed that I didn't think about my dad. I sometimes wondered what he would be doing that day or what we would all be doing. Sometimes I wished it were me who died instead of him. But he gave up his life for me. And he would want me to make the most of it.
Ethan
T
atiana had texted me this morning telling me she wasn't coming to school. She didn't say why and I didn't ask.
Today is going to be a slow day, I thought, groaning as I parked my car in the school parking lot.
Nate was parked next to me and I walked towards Daniel and Nate where they were hanging just in front of the office.
"Where's Tatiana?" they both asked at the same time.
"She's not coming to school today," I said, shrugging as if it were no big deal, but I knew they weren't fooled. At least they kept their mouth shut.
Steven walked up to me quietly, he seemed like he wanted to say something.
"Uh … Ethan? Listen, I'm sorry," Steven said, still not looking me in the eye.
I shook my head and said, "You should be apologising to her, not me." I patted him on the shoulder once, noticing that his face had brightened.
He was looking over my shoulder and I looked back seeing Meredith walking up towards us. She was wearing tights with an oversized t-shirt and knee
high boots.
She stood in front of me, smiling, "Hey Ethan."
The sound of my name coming from her didn't have any effect on me like it did when Tatiana spoke. Tatiana made me feel like I was the only one for her, like she thought about no one else; just me.
"Do you have a date for your party this Saturday?"
I wasn't paying attention until I heard Nate and Daniel laugh.
I raised my eyebrows, "In your dreams Mere." I shook my head and walked off with Nate and Daniel laughing.
Steven stayed behind. It was so obvious why he was giving me shit about Tatiana. He was jealous that Meredith liked me. Steven either had bad taste or he was desperate to get laid. Nate, Daniel, and I walked into the cafeteria when the lunch bell rang.
"Do you have a date?" Nate mimicked Meredith's girly voice.
"I love you Ethan!" Daniel followed Nate's example.
I couldn't help my laughter escaping. Meredith and her friends walked past us and glared at us. They actually thought we would care if they hated us; better than having them thinking that we actually liked Meredith. We sat down and started talking about basketball. I grabbed my phone from my pocket and saw that there was a new message from Tatiana. I smiled and my heart jumped.
Hey having fun @ school w/Meredith?
I laughed and Nate and Daniel looked at me with interest. I shook my head.
HA! She asked me out again. I laughed in her face!
I pressed send and she replied straight away like she was waiting by the phone the whole time, which made my heart beat faster.
HAHA! Wish I was there 2 c it!
I knew I was smiling like an idiot and I knew my friends were staring at me. I quickly typed a reply.
U comin 2morrow?
I waited a few seconds and then those seconds turned into a minute, so I went to put my phone back into pocket. It vibrated again.
Yeah, if my bro is OK.
The day passed slowly. I would look at the clock feeling that minutes had passed, when really it was only seconds. I needed to see Tatiana. I knew she was going through a rough time with her dad and all and I wanted to be there for her. Even though I had only known her for a few weeks, I wanted to be with her all the time. It was the main reason I wanted to throw a party this weekend. Saturday was just two days away – it was taking forever to get here.
I drove home alone, missing Tatiana. I was so tempted to stop by at her house, but I didn't want to intrude.
One more day, I thought.
My phone vibrated when I got home and I checked to see if it was Tatiana.
Your bro comin on sat?
It was from Austin, my brother's best friend during high school. He was popular, blonde-brown hair with hazel eyes and the body of a surfer, and every girl loved him. He was also a vampire. When I found out, I wasn't too happy about it but he grew on me. I knew he would never hurt anyone since his dad taught him that life was important and not to be destroyed. His dad is a hunter but his mum is a vampire.
Where there are girls there is Brendan.
He replied straight away, laughing.
I shook my head and fell back on my bed, feeling the springs stretch and bounce back. I looked up at the ceiling, imagining Tatiana in my room right now with me. I suddenly felt warm inside and wiped my face roughly with my hands as I sat up.
What is this girl doing to me? I thought.
Friday; what a beautiful name for a gorgeous day. The sun was out and I looked out of my window knowing that it was going to be a little warm today. I tugged on a pair of loose jeans and a plain green shirt and bounded downstairs.
My phone vibrated on the kitchen counter and a message popped up.
Pick me up today?
It was Tatiana. I smiled at my phone and quickly sent her one back.
Always.
Okay, maybe that was a bit too much, but maybe I needed to drop a few hints for her because no one was single forever … well except me. After grabbing an apple, I walked out the door and locked up. I sped the few blocks and stopped in front of Tatiana's house. I didn't have to beep the horn, she already knew I was here. I smiled at her when she looked up from the ground as she was making her way towards my car.
"Hey Eth," she said in greeting as she closed the door behind her and buckled her seat belt.
"Hey yourself," I winked at her, teasing, and she laughed a little and my stomach did a couple of flips.
As usual, we walked into the cafeteria together towards our table. We joined Nate and Steven who were deep in conversation.
"Hey guys," I slapped Nate on the back of the head in greeting and Tatiana laughed.
A smile stretched across my face as I looked at Tatiana's happy expression. Steven laughed too which put a frown on Tatiana's face. She must've thought he was too stupid to laugh along when he bitched about her.
Steven noticed and he cleared his throat. "Tatiana, I'm sorry for insulting you behind your back. You didn't do anything to deserve that," he said it so sincerely that I might've actually believed him.
Tatiana didn't speak, she just nodded and gave Steven a reassuring smile. I sat down next to her and an electric shock went up my leg all the way to the tips of my fingers when I felt her thigh brush against mine. If I had been wearing shorts and she had been wearing a skirt, our skin would've touched which would've been even more exhilarating. I think I would've grabbed her face in my hands and kissed her soft, luscious lips if Daniel hadn't ruined the moment.
"Stop staring at her like an idiot, boy!" he slapped me across the head as I had done to Nate and the boys laughed making me feel suddenly warm.
Why did they always embarrass me in front of Tatiana?
I shook my head, rubbing the back of it where it was stinging slightly. Tatiana had covered her mouth so her laughter wouldn't escape.
In fact, the whole day was filled with laughter. No one seemed to ruin our mood, even when Meredith came to join us. She didn't bother me or Tatiana as she was talking to a happy Steven. Whenever she looked over at me, Steven would try to get her attention back and I definitely didn't mind.
"Hey Ethan, can't wait for tomorrow!" a girl purred as she walked past our table.
I knew who she was, her name was Sandra. She was the hottest girl in school and everyone was after her, even the girls. She had the long, shiny blonde hair that every girl would kill for and she had the hottest bod that every guy dreamed of having for their girlfriend. I was usually turned on by the thought of her coming to my party and I would obsess about what I would say to her, but not today. I didn't even care if she didn't show up at all. I only nodded, frowning slightly, confusing her. Daniel and Nate watched her with their mouths open and their eyes wide and I actually laughed at their obvious desperation. I looked over at Tatiana. She only rolled her eyes.
I even think she mumbled, "Boys." Her expression was blank as she stared straight ahead not looking at me. I stared at her and waited for her to look at me but she didn't; like she didn't want to see my face.
Hmm … I thought. "Jealous?" I whispered in her ear only teasing her.
"What?" she turned around. I could feel heat radiating from her skin, making me want to touch her just once. "Me?" she asked whispering, sounding offended.
"Chill, I was kidding," I put my hands up in the air.
"Sorry," she said and her cheeks turned pink making me want to trace her skin with my fingertips.
I shook my head and tried to clear my thoughts. The bell rang and it was time for last period.
History, I thought with a groan.
Tatiana and I parted ways in the hallway and I couldn't help but notice the longing in her eyes.
My parties were known for being the best parties anyone had ever been to. Not that I cared, I just wanted to piss off my dad. My brother didn't care either, as long as I invited girls. I offered to pick Tatiana up, but she refused, telling me she would be fine. The truth was I was excited, I was picturing what she was going to wear tonight.
Everyon
e started arriving around seven. I looked at every guest and not one of them was Tatiana. When I was about to go outside and wait for her there, I felt a cold hand tug me backward. I spun around to see who was touching me and came face to face with Sandra; literally. She was like three centimetres taller than me, which was a little awkward. She was giving me that seductive smile that always made me smile back and want to kiss her, but not tonight.
"Wanna go upstairs and finish what we started last year?" she purred like she did yesterday.
"I'm meeting someone, I have to go," I said giving her a hint. But either she wouldn't accept it or she just was plain stupid. She tugged on my arm again, pulling me towards the stairs. I was halfway up the stairs when I pulled my arm back. "I can't, I'm not interested."
She growled, like an animal, and my eyes widened. Her eyes turned to a bright gold, like she was thirsty, and I took a step down.
"I will suck you dry if you don't come upstairs right now." Her voice was full of venom and I could see her teeth now, or should I say fangs?
My heart hammered in my chest and I followed her. She looked satisfied and was lying on the bed when I locked the door, surreptitiously grabbing a wooden stake from the first drawer of my dresser. "Vampire," I hissed and suddenly Sandra jumped up into a crouching position on my bed.
"Hunter!" she growled at me again. She leapt towards me and her claws just missed my chest by inches. Luckily, I had the sense to move back.
"I should've known!" she hissed.
She showed me her fangs to scare me off, but this wasn't the first time I'd killed a vampire. The stake was gripped firmly in my hand. When she went to jump on me, I ran towards her and tackled her to the ground. I had knocked the breath out of her and she clawed at me, but she couldn't reach me. I knew she was weak otherwise she would've been able to push me aside and I could tell she hadn't fed in weeks by how bloodshot her eyes were. "Who else is a vampire?" I demanded.
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