by J. P.
“School?” I ask.
“Yeah, Aaron said that we have to go to school tomorrow. Did you not get the memo?” Sean asks with a smirk.
“No,” I groan. “I did not.”
“Well, you better get ready. Our vamp—” Sean begins, but I cut him off by shushing him and pointing to Tate. “Our,” he pauses and glances at Tate, who’s now just playing with her food, “vampire,” he whispers, “group is going to school tomorrow. Not Mason, though. That would be crazy.”
“This is going to be impossible,” I say as I run my hand through my hair.
“And what are we supposed to do with Tate?” Olivia asks.
A knock on the door startles us all. I make eye contact with Tyler, now sure that Elliot is at the door.
“Um, I’ll get it,” Mason volunteers when no one makes a move to get the door.
Tyler shakes his head as he folds his arms over his chest and leans further into the wall.
Mason returns a second later with Elliot right behind him. “Do you know this guy, Nina?” Mason asks.
“Mason, are you serious?” Sean scoffs. “It doesn’t matter now since you already brought him into the house. You need to use your head.”
Mason rolls his eyes as Elliot steps further into the room. “Hello, everyone.” He looks around. “I’m Elliot. I’ll be assisting you all from now on.”
“No. You will not be,” Tyler snaps.
Sean looks to me from his place beside me, eyes wide.
“Tyler—” Elliot begins.
“If you’re staying here, I’m leaving,” Tyler says as he storms out of the room.
“Elliot is his dad,” I whisper to Sean.
“What! Talk about your plot twist,” Sean says with a laugh as I watch Elliot follow Tyler out of the room. “Aren’t you going to go after him?”
“Why would I?” I ask.
“Um, I don’t know, isn’t that in the girlfriend handbook?” he asks.
“Oh,” I say when I understand. “You never heard.”
“Heard what?”
“Tyler and I broke up.”
Sean’s eyes almost pop out of his head. “What! When did this happen?”
“The night of the dance. He cheated on me with Marissa, which now he claims was an order from Marcy—”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Sean holds his hands out in front of him. “You’re telling me Tyler,” he says as he points to the hallway, “that guy over there. He cheated on you?”
“Yes,” I affirm with a nod.
“How much did I miss?” he asks as he tilts his head toward me.
“A lot.” I feel the weight of the world on my shoulders, and Sean notices.
“Go upstairs and rest for a while. I’ll clean up and figure things out down here.”
“That isn’t—”
“You’ve been held captive for the past few weeks, first by Emma, which we need to discuss, and then by Malum. You need to rest.” He stares at me while I think about it. “Go,” he adds as he gently pushes me to the hallway.
Suddenly, what we were talking about before Elliot got here pops into my brain again. “But I have to make sure Tate—”
“Just go,” he says as he gives me one more shove.
I give up and make my way to the stairs. I glance into the living room to find Tyler and Elliot speaking in the living room. Well, Elliot is speaking, but Tyler is yelling. At least they are having a conversation. I make my way up the steps and shut my bedroom door behind me.
I lay back on my bed, and I sigh. This might’ve been the longest day of my life. I force myself up and change into pajamas. I frown again when I remember that I have to go to school tomorrow.
I am not ready to face the kids at school. Especially not with two new vampires behind me. Maybe we should wear disguises, so people won’t be able to recognize us. Maybe—
A knock at the door interrupts my thoughts, and I don’t think I have the energy to get up. “It’s open,” I call from my bed.
Sean pokes his head in. “Hey.” He comes into the room and closes the door behind himself. “You’re going to love me.”
“Why?” I ask with a laugh.
“Because I solved all your problems.” He gives me a grin as he sits next to me. “Olivia is getting Tate ready for bed, Mason is out buying a car for us, I spoke with Elliot and Tyler, who are now getting along. Elliot knows of a nursery school Tate can go to while we’re in school. And finally, I cleaned the kitchen.” He holds his arms up, waiting for me to applaud him.
I laugh instead and push myself up to a seated position. “Thank you. That was very kind.”
He frowns at me as he nudges me with his elbow. “What’s wrong?”
I exhale and prop my head up with my hand, my elbow resting on my knee. “Just a lot going on.”
“Tell me.” He scoots back a little, so he can face me all the way.
“I don’t really want to relive it—”
“Then you’re never going to get past it. You have to be able to work through these traumatic things. Talking it out with someone always helps me.” His eyes beg me to tell him everything, and I do.
The story of the past few weeks comes pouring out of me, starting with the dance and ending with the events of today. When I begin talking about the experimentation, I start crying, and Sean hands me a tissue as he continues to listen. I talk for what feels like hours before I finally finish.
“And now here we are, alone in this empty house, trying to fend for ourselves while I keep trying to talk to my dad.” I wipe under my eyes with the tips of my fingers before I clasp my hands together.
“Wow,” is all Sean says as he stares at me. “I’m sorry you’ve been going through hell. I wish I was kidnapped too, so I could’ve helped you.”
I shake my head. “It wasn’t that bad. Luke was there—”
“But what Ethan did to you, that’s traumatic.”
Tears well up in my eyes again and slip down my cheeks. “I just feel like…like…like I was used. He didn’t care that I was in the most pain that I’ve ever been in. He didn’t care that I almost died. I was just a puppet to him.” I finally get a grip and stop crying. “He really believes that I’m nothing, just because my mom was a human.”
“It’s a crazy way to think,” Sean agrees.
“Will seemed really nice at first,” I blurt out as I hug my knees into my chest.
Sean leans in closer to me.
“I was inclined to be around him because he reminded me of you. It was just nice to be around something that felt familiar and safe.” I shut my eyes for a moment before I open them again. “I’m sorry he went to the dark side.”
“He’s angry,” Sean says, suddenly.
“At me?”
“No.” He sighs. “At our parents for dying. He’s angry, and he’s trying to get back at them by joining the opposite team.”
“You think that’s what it is?” I ask.
“I’ve been giving it a lot of thought recently. When we were kids, he always was upset when they had to go on missions, and he would get angry and act out. This is just like that, on a much larger scale.”
“That makes sense.”
“Right?” Sean runs a hand through his dark hair. “I want to try and find him. I want to see if he can be saved. Hopefully, he’s not too far gone.” Sean studies my face and grimaces. “Although, if he tried to kill you, he might be. I’ll never forgive him for that.”
“I think you’re right. I think he’s just lost.”
Sean gives me a grin. “Thanks for talking to me and for listening. I’m here for you, Nina. Always.”
“You’re a good friend,” I tell him.
He opens his arms for me, and we hug quickly before he pulls away. “Now get some sleep. You have to be up early for school.”
I roll my eyes as he laughs and exits the room. Not even a minute later, there’s a knock.
“Come in,” I say as I start straightening up everything.
Tyler
pokes his head in. “Can we talk?”
“Sure.” I sit on my bed, and he sits next to me.
“I just talked to Elliot. You were right before. I was being arrogant. I was letting my emotions get in the way of what would be best for everyone.”
“I think anyone would do the same thing. Seeing your dad after all these years must be shocking.”
Tyler shrugs. “I don’t know. It’s just weird.”
“I can understand that.”
Tyler’s eyes lock on mine as his jaw clenches. “I need to ask you something.”
“Okay.” Nerves make my heart start to race.
“I know I messed everything up between us, and I know that it was probably all really confusing for a while, but then I told you the truth, and I don’t know if it changed anything, but now we’re back here, and we’re acting like we’re still together. I just want to make sure I’m not misreading anything,” Tyler rambles.
“Oh.” I frown, not ready for this conversation. “Honestly, I have no idea.”
Tyler’s brows knit together. “Do you not feel like that about me anymore?”
“No, I do, it’s just…” I trail off. “So much has happened, I think I just need some time to figure out what I want.”
Tyler nods. “That’s more than fair.” He looks down at my comforter and then back up at me. “Whenever you’re ready, I’ll be here waiting.”
“You don’t have to—”
“Look, you’re the only girl I’m ever going to want.” He grins at me. “Take all the time you need.” He leans in and kisses my cheek. “I love you.”
23
I groan the next morning when my alarm goes off. I slap my phone, trying to get the noise to stop and sigh in relief when silence fills the room again.
“Olivia wake up, wake up!” I hear Tate call from the room next to mine.
Everything that happened yesterday hits me in the face, and I groan again as I pull myself out of bed. I stumble to the closet where I pull on high-waisted dark washed jeans and a dark grey tank crop top. I throw on a black cardigan and slip on black boots. After digging my backpack out from the bottom of my closet, I put a notebook and a few pens back inside before I zip it up and head downstairs.
“Good morning!” Elliot calls from the kitchen. The scent of pancakes fills the air, and when I walk in, I see a stack on the counter.
“You did all of this for Tate?” I ask him.
“Yes. I think the rest of your crew is in the laundry room eating their own breakfast,” he says as Tate walks in the room.
Her jaw drops as she sees the pancakes. “Can I have one?”
“Of course,” he says with a friendly smile.
I help Tate up onto the barstool as Elliot gives her a plate.
“I can take it from here. Go with your friends. We don’t want any accidents on the first day,” Elliot says to me with an even stare.
I find Olivia, Tyler, and Sean in the laundry room. Tyler is propped up against the wall while Sean and Olivia are sitting on the washing machine and dryer. Each of them has a bag of blood in their hands.
“Morning,” Sean grumbles as he holds up his bag to me, as if to cheers.
“Morning,” I answer back.
Tyler opens one of the cabinets in the room, and cold air rushes out. Apparently, it’s been turned into a fridge. He takes a blood bag and holds it out to me.
“Thank you.” I hold the bag up to my lips and drink.
“Tyler was just telling us that he was on the soccer team here,” Sean says, trying to bring me into the conversation.
“Are you going to rejoin?” I ask him.
“I don’t know if I have that much of a choice,” he says with an easy laugh.
“What do you mean?” Olivia asks.
“The coach of our team will probably make me,” Tyler tells her.
“Make you?” Sean asks, his eyebrows knit together.
“Tyler is the best one on the team,” I explain.
I see Tyler’s cheeks blush as he glances over at me. “I don’t know if I’d say that—”
I roll my eyes. “You don’t need to be modest.”
“If you say so,” Tyler says with a laugh.
“Mason got us a Range Rover,” Sean says, suddenly.
“Fancy,” Olivia says from his left.
“I know but get this. He walked in, and they told him he could have it as long as he posts pictures with it and stuff,” Sean says.
“So, while we’re at school, Mason is going to be having a photoshoot with a car?” I ask with a laugh.
“Are you guys talking about me?” Mason asks from the doorway.
“No,” Olivia says at the same time Sean says, “yes.”
“I just came to tell you that the carpool leaves in five minutes,” he says as he holds his keys out.
“We can just drive,” Sean reaches for the keys, but Mason pulls them away.
“No way. They specifically said the car couldn’t be dented.”
“I wouldn’t dent it!” Sean argues.
“Sure, you wouldn’t,” Mason says sarcastically. “C’mon, I’m driving, and we have to drop off Tate first.”
Mason pulls up into the school parking lot, and my stomach sinks. Students are all scattered around talking and start making their way into the school building. As I watch them, I feel a hand slip into mine.
“It’s going to be okay,” Tyler tells me from my right.
I sigh and nod my head as I try to put a smile on my face. I know it’s going to be okay. I just haven’t been here in a while, and I don’t want to deal with the attention.
“C’mon, we don’t want to be late,” Sean says cheerfully as he opens the passenger’s side door.
The four of us file out while Mason waves to us.
“Have a great day, kids,” he says with a laugh before he pulls out of the parking spot and drives off.
“He’s the worst,” Sean scoffs as we start to walk towards the school.
I notice Olivia fidgeting a lot to my left, and I look over at her. “Are you nervous?” I ask as Tyler and Sean walk a few steps ahead of us.
“I guess,” she says with a shrug.
I start laughing, and she turns to look at me, scowling.
“What’s so funny?”
“Olivia, you’re the head fight trainer for an organization of evil vampires. You have nothing to be afraid of.”
She stares at me for a second and then starts to laugh. “I guess if you look at it that way—”
The bell rings, and my head snaps towards the school building.
“C’mon,” I say as I loop my arm through hers and pull her towards the school.
We make our way to the office first to get our locker assignments and schedules before we walk down the hallway, trying to find our lockers.
“Wait, I think I passed mine,” Sean says as he looks down at his paper again.
I glance around, and find people staring. I duck my head back down and I feel Tyler’s arm around my shoulders.
“Yeah, I think yours is that way,” Tyler says as he points back down the way we came. “And Olivia, just make a right down this hallway, and it’ll be somewhere on your left.”
Olivia looks like she might pee her pants at the thought of going somewhere alone.
“I’ll go with you, Liv. Then we can find mine together,” Sean says as he begins to walk with her.
“Don’t call me Liv,” she snaps as she keeps in step beside him.
“I think our lockers are this way,” Tyler says as he points to the right side of the hall, his arm still around me.
We walk together and stop right in front of the maroon lockers. Tyler’s is just a few down from mine. He releases me and goes to put his books away while I take a look at my schedule again. First period is economics with Mr. Post. That’s not too bad.
“You have economics, right?” Tyler asks as he appears back at my side.
“Yep,” I say as I shut my own locker after p
utting nothing in it, since I only have one notebook in my backpack.
“Me too,” he says with a grin.
“What do you have after that?” I ask him, glancing at my own schedule.
“Pre-calc with Mrs. Torres.” Tyler glances down at the schedule in his hand.
“Me too.” I eye him suspiciously as I grab the paper out of his hand. “We’re in all the same classes.”
“That’s weird,” Tyler says with a smirk.
“Tyler—”
“I just want to make sure you’re safe.”
“Tyler Lombardi!” a man’s voice echoes throughout the halls.
My head snaps in the direction that the voice came from, and I see the coach practically running over to us.
“I see that the rumors are true, you have returned. Now can you explain to me where the hell you’ve been?” Coach snaps as he finally makes his way over to us and crosses his arms over his chest.
“My summer vacation got delayed,” Tyler says as he glances at me.
Coach looks over at me as if he didn’t even know I was there in the first place. “Ms. Blair.” He nods his head before he turns back to Tyler. “You have a lot of catching up to do. Our first game is tomorrow night, and I don’t have you in any of my formations!”
“It’s okay if I sit this one out, Coach—”
“Sit out?” The coach laughs so loudly, I wince as the sound hurts my ears. “That’s funny, Lombardi. I’ll see you at practice after school.” He doesn’t even wait for Tyler’s answer before he turns and walks away.
The second bell rings, and we both jump before we rush to class.
“Late on our first day back,” Tyler huffs.
“It’s Mr. Post. He loves you.”
“Yeah, I guess we’ll see just how much.”
“Well, well, well,” Mr. Post says as we enter the room. “The prodigal student has returned and late, might I add.” He clicks his tongue as he shakes his head back and forth.
“We were just—” Tyler begins.
“I don’t need to know the details.” Mr. Post holds up his hand. “I’ll forgive it this time, assuming you haven’t been in school so long, you forgot where my classroom is.” He laughs to himself as he turns to look at the class. “There are two seats available in the front, as per usual,” he says as he points to the two empty desks in the front and center of the room. “It’s like you kids think being cool is contagious or something.”