“It’s not your best intention now to burn your friends. This is your last night; this is your last chance.” -Die Romantic -Aiden

I take my sack lunch and wiggle my way through the cafeteria to find my friends.

“I hear there’s a new vampire at our school.”

“Are you kidding? He’s a prince, not a vampire.”

“Heard he was in a gang and got kicked out of school.”

“So hot.”

“I love him already.”

“Lame. I wanted a chick. Do you know if he has any sisters?”

“Dude, he’s a player. He knows tons of girls! Just look at how he handled that wannabe vampire chick.”

“They made out right there in the classroom.”

Out of all the grapes in the grapevine that was the most sour one I’ve heard. I almost turned around and yelled at the person who said that, but they weren’t worth the energy. The new guy wasn’t worth the energy.

“Whoa, that’s some angry aura,” Payton says as I drop across from her. Izze sits on her right, which leaves me alone, except for my bag.

“I told you. It was awesome the way they fought.” Izze grins maliciously.

“And you’d think that if she found someone like her she’d be happy. Huh.” Payton forks her crappy Caesar salad.

“He’s a fake!” I exclaim dramatically. “Darren is just making fun of vampires.”

“It’s Damien,” Izze corrects.

“I said that.”

“No, you said Darren.”

“Well, anyways,” I open my paper sack and pull out a wrapped PB&J, “he didn’t even look sunburnt.”

I lean forward and whisper, “Does my face look red?”

“Yeah, it does,” someone answers.

I glance behind me and see my newest foe glance down from above.

“You,” I sneer.

“Me,” he says jovially. “I really don’t want that sunscreen anymore, Sunscreen Girl, seeing how it didn’t really work on that red face of yours.”

“Sunscreen Girl?” Payton asks.

“It’s a nickname for her,” Izze explains, her attention transfixed.

“Go away.” I turn to my neglected sandwich.

Damien sits on the empty spot beside me. “Let’s be friends. Here, shake.”

What am I, a dog?

I stare at his pale hand. It looks very smooth; like the one that could belong to a vampire.

“Like I said, go away.”

Damien plops his chin on his palm, intrigued. “I say, I’ve never met a vampire quite like you before. What century were you born in?”

“The twenty-first,” Izze blurts. I glare at her.

“Wow,” Damien pretends to sound blown away. “You’re a young one. Which makes sense since you are so rude. If you were a bit older you’d know how to act when meeting a superior.”

“…Stupid,” I mutter pathetically.

“Well,” he slaps the table, making it shiver, “I guess I’ll see you later.”

“Hopefully not,” I respond.

Then, when he’s gone, I whip to Izze with such intensity.

“Do you do anything when you’re in love?” I question.

Izze nods.

“Then I’d love to see you jump off a bridge.”

…

Damien and I only shared French II.

And Physical Ed., which I realized at the end of the day, as it’s the last class I have.

When I saw him, all relief I had of knowing I only shared an hour every other day with him deteriorated.

“Fare.” Coach Bander shook his head at me while doing roll call. “You need to do better.”

Impossible but sure, I could try.

“Yes, Coach.”

“And it’s because of this,” he uses his pen to point at my choice of clothing. A hoodie with cap, boots, and skinny jeans. A whole violation to the assigned outfit of cherry gym pants, tennis shoes, and white t-shirt shirt.

He’s right, of course. But receiving a failing grade won’t stop me from wearing my armor.

“I’m sorry, Coach, but for my health I have to wear this,” I respond calmly.

“Yes, I know,” Coach sighs and walks past me, continuing to mark down the other students. I know he wants to turn me into one of them and honestly, I’d like to, also. But I’ve got a doctor’s note from Uncle telling Coach over his dead body would he allow Coach to try and change my outfit.

I glance over my shoulder and see Damien looking at me.

“So, I guess you’re the fairest of them all, then,” he teases as he jogs next to me.

I tried to shrug him off by running faster, but he always catches up without a sweat.

“It’s F-A-R-E,” I snap, lowering my head to avoid the sun.

“So, Sunscreen Girl Fare-”

I groan.

“What?”

“That sounds even worse!”

“Okay, then, just Sunscreen Girl?”

I say nothing. Whatever I say he doesn’t listen to. I don’t really matter. I’m just his pick of the day, which I wish would end more than anything at the present moment.

“You really are a vampire?” It sounded like an amused statement but slithered from his lips to be a question.

“Yes,” I answer tightly.

“Cool. I’m one too.”

I want to sigh. Again?

“Leave me alone.”

“Why? I think it would be good if we were friends. Here,” Damien lowered his collar, “want a bite?”

I gasp in disgust and push him. “You just want to be friends with me because I’m a vampire? How sick can you get?”

Then I turn around and run back, thanking whatever it was that made Damien stay behind.

…

“So, you pushed him?” Payton asks through the line. “That’s nice.”

“No, it’s not,” Izze objects through her side. “I feel so bad for him! I mean, he’s a guy! Of course, he’s going to say something stupid!”

“So, says a girl who always says and does something stupid,” Payton comments.

I laugh.

“That’s not funny.” I can see Izze pouting. “I feel really bad.”

“Yeah, because he’s the new hot guy. You’ll get over him as soon as you get him and you know it,” Payton accuses.

“It’s true. You are a chaser, Iz,” I agree.

“I don’t believe you two! I thought we were here to all about Page’s dilemma and now you’re ganging up on me!”

“We were but then you started defending the boy. Don’t forget you’re Page’s best friend, not his.”

“…Yeah, sorry,” Izze mumbles.

“It’s cool. I just don’t want to see his face tomorrow. Knowing I have four more days in a row to see his face drives me crazy. Tell me what I have to do to survive.”

“I don’t know, Page, but you’ll figure something out.”

I scowl. Payton is not helping.

“Seriously, Pay? That’s all you’ve got for me?”

“Okay, well, I’ve got to go,” Pay says through the line. “See you tomorrow.”

“Okay, later,” Izze and I say in unison.

“So, Izze, how’d your mom take your new hair?” I ask curiously, but Izze’s already gone and all I get is the buzz of a disconnected line.

Ah, true friendship.