“...so do you think you’ll still be able to go?”

“Of course I will! Why wouldn’t I? I’m still his girlfriend.”

“Yeah, well, I’m just saying, the new girl seems to kinda complicate things.”

“Helen Morris means nothing to him! She’d be an embarrassment if he had to take her with him, he told me himself.”

My inside turned to ice as I realized who was speaking.

“Yeah but, won’t he have to anyway?”

“It doesn’t mean he has to be with her. It’ll be more like bringing a pet than anything. Still...ugh, it’s so unfair! Why did it have to be her, she doesn’t even belong here! Just some plebeian outsider, I bet she’s just trying to infiltrate…”

All the relaxation and peace undid themselves within me as Victoria’s voice and footsteps faded away, and I remembered who and where I was. I had no idea what they were talking about or why it bothered me, but the listless depression I felt pressed hard on my back. I hugged my knees; I didn’t want to move anymore.

I’m so tired of this. It’s like a never-ending roller coaster; every time I think things will be okay, every time it feels like maybe it won’t be so bad, something happens to remind me that NONE of this is okay. I miss the boring simplicity I used to have, I miss complaining about school with Emily. I miss my mom. I miss not feeling like a mutant, and feeling invisible enough where people didn’t stare and gawk. I miss not having to feel this weird, stupid pulling sensation every minute of the day, trying to drag me everywhere.

“Is there a reason why you’re sitting among the foliage?”

I jumped and looked behind me. Zain was leaning around the leafy plant with a raised and suspicious eyebrow. I inwardly groaned. Not now, not here…

“No reason at all,” I grunted back as I pulled myself out from behind the plant and doing my best to remain neutral. I wasn’t winning that battle.

He stepped back to allow me to climb out, his arms crossed, and his expression twitched ever so slightly into a curious smirk. “Really? ‘Cause it seems like there must be a reason.”

“It’s nothing,” I tried to growl, but my voice cracked and the mental wall was beginning to crumble.

“HEY.” He grabbed my wrist to spin me back. “Don’t lie to me.”

I tried to jerk my hand away. “Don’t tell me what to do,” I spat, desperately trying keep it contained.

“I’ll do as I please,” he leered, “and you’ll do as I say.” He didn’t let go of my wrist, instead narrowing his eyes at my defiance. I can’t let it happen. I can’t let him see me exposed, I won’t give him the satisfaction of bullying me to pieces. But my wall was coming down fast, and he was way stronger than I was. And I could see it in his eyes he knew that too. So I tapped into some of that resentment we shared.

“Let me go, you jerk!” I yelled and, using the form I had learned from kickboxing, swung my fist at his face.

Had circumstances been different I would have laughed; his face was priceless. The last thing he expected was for me to try to punch him. Soon as I felt my fist contact his chin and my wrist was free, I ran, leaving behind the bag of swim gear and ignoring my throbbing knuckles. The rage I used to hit him faded quickly and was replaced by fear; I just punched a vampire. I just PUNCHED a vampire.

Suddenly the cord-pull intensified, and I was yanked back by my shoulders into a wall, pinned in place.

“You…” Zain’s voice was low and husky, and to my complete shock there was a strange, almost exhilarated smile on his face. “...are incredible. No one else would dream of even TRYING to hit me like that, and you…!”

My heart was thundering in terror while he continue to look amazed and entertained. He released me from the wall, and it looked like a lightbulb went off in his head.

“You might actually be fun to have around,” he said with a smirk, and my insides ran cold. “Go on then, run. Run as fast as you can. Let’s play this game.”

I stared at him in disbelief, feeling sick. I didn’t know what to do, so I just started walking, trying to ignore him and regain my composure.

“Oh, come on, where’d all that fire go?” He kept pace with me, taunting me, passing back and forth trying to egg me on as I felt everything in me start to shatter.

“Go away, Zain,” I muttered quietly, trying to keep my voice steady.

“Why, what’s wrong?” He said, leaning forward with a grinning face. And then it fell a little when he saw mine. “What’s wrong?” he asked again.

“Just leave me alone!” I shouted at him, making him recoil a moment. All sense of amusement fell.

His eyes narrowed. “Watch yourself,” he growled warningly.

“NO! Just shut up!” Tears welled up in my eyes and he stopped. My voice was still echoing off the halls. “You think this is funny? You think I want any of this?” My voice trembled as they fell down my cheeks. “I just want to go home...but I can’t,” I sniffed and wiped them, the pit of my stomach feeling hollow. “This isn’t my fault. So just...just leave me alone, alright?”

I couldn’t look at his face, so I couldn’t tell what he was feeling. Not wanting to stand there any longer, I started walking again. Back to the dorms. The magnetic pulling sensation was so intense it almost made me stop but I pushed against it. I wasn’t going to look back, I wasn’t going to go back to him, no matter how much harder it got. I wanted to run, to hide, to find somewhere to be alone and rebuild my walls again.

I expected him to try to stop me, to chase me down again, but he didn’t. He just stood there.