I'm so hungry. Samantha thought as she took a deep breath of fresh park air. She opened her boxed lunch in her lap and the scent of fried chicken tickled her nose. Smells delicious, but it's too bad this barely helps the hunger. Her nose twitched as someone came near. He smells more delicious than this meal...

"Oh, Miss G, that smells so good," one of her students, Jason, stared at her lunch from a few feet away, his mouth agape and practically drooling. "You always seem to bring these awesome looking lunches."

"Have you not had lunch yet?"

"I did, but a growing boy needs more than a sandwich for a meal." He inched closer to her, fiddling with his fingers and biting his lip.

"Fine, I'll share with you, again." She patted the spot beside her on the bench.

"Really?" His face lit up.

"Yes, really; I'm afraid you won't be able to concentrate in class with how hungry you seem."

"Thanks, Miss G." He sat beside her, his eyes glued to the food instead of her for once. She handed him the box untouched. "Aren't you going to eat some? I know you've shared with me before, but normally you've eaten at least half of it by the time you hand it over, and I don't want you skipping meals."

"I'm not..." she trailed off. I am most definitely hungry, but if I tell him I'd rather eat him, I'm pretty sure he'd take it the wrong way. "I don't feel like it today."

Jason's expression dropped. "Don't tell me you're like those other girls who avoid eating to lose weight... I mean, come on Miss G, you're smoking hot and don't need to lose even a pound."

"Jason."

"Yes?"

"I'm your teacher and comments like that aren't appropriate."

"Just stating the facts. And besides, I don't want anything bad to happen to you." He stared at the boxed lunch absentmindedly as thoughts about his little sister who got so caught up in her body image and losing weight, that she skipped meals, hid food and ended up in the hospital.

"Jason?" Samantha lightly touched his shoulder.

He jumped and turned to her, not realizing what he was doing. "What? Oh... Um... Sorry about zoning out, Miss G." He stuffed fried chicken into his mouth, filling both cheeks.

"Maybe you're hungry because you don't pace yourself," she laughed, trying to disperse the odd air around them. There's something else behind his despondent gaze. To pry or not to pry, that is the question.

"I can't help it though; I eat fast when I'm hungry and I'm hungry almost all the time," he swallowed and poked at the salad. "You can have that part," he tried to hand the box back to her.

"Finish your greens and I'll get you something from the sweets cart across the street for dessert."

His face lit up again. "Really?"

"Yup." He feels like a puppy. "Any requests?"

"Anything sweet works for me; I love dessert."

"I'll be right back," she smiled at him and walked away.

He gobbled up the salad in an instant, his eyes never leaving her receding figure.

"Boo!"

"Ah!" Jason yelped, jumping and almost dropping the box.

His best friend and fellow football player, Roy, held onto his belly as he burst out laughing. "Man, you should've seen your face. What were you concentrating on so much you didn't hear me coming?" He wiped away a tear. Miss Gilbert came into view and he smiled. "I see how it is; you've still got the hots for Miss G."

"What? No way! I mean, yes, she is hot, but I ain't after her or anything," Jason waved the lunchbox around. "I was able to secure some delicious food from her again though. I wonder if she makes it herself."

"Well, if you're not going to go after her, should I?" Roy smiled, biting his lip as he watched her.

"You? Hell no; you'd strikeout in an instant."

"I won't know unless I try, and if I get her, everyone else will revere me," he leaned on the back of the bench, thinking about all the attention he'd get. Jason shoved his face away. "Ugh, what the hell dude?"

"You had a stupid look on your face; it was creepin' me out."

Samantha sauntered back over to them holding two plates of mini-cakes. She handed a paper plate to Jason and turned to Roy. "Would you like some as well?"

"Don't mind if I do," he snatched the plate away from her. They both took a bite and looked at each other.

"Is something wrong?"

"It's so good!" they said in unison. "Here, try it," they both held a bitten mini-cake out to her.

She laughed. I'd much rather eat you two... Ugh, I have to learn how to stop those kinds of thoughts before even pass through my mind. "I'll pass; you two enjoy your dessert and try to not be late for class. I'll see you two later," she waved and walked away.

"See, you failed," Jason said, biting another piece of cake.

"Tch, that's only because you're here. If we were on our own..." Roy trailed off as his mind wandered.

"It still would've ended like that," Jason laughed, wiping icing off his face. "Do you know how many students have gone after her this year alone? She's turned them all down, so you might want to keep your expectations in check or you'll end up crushed under her magnificent high heels."

"Her shoes are sexy, aren't they?"

"I swear, you have selective hearing."

"Yeah, I agree, we're so lucky to have her as a teacher..."

"Or you just hear what you want to hear." Jason smacked him in the back of the head. "Let's go; class is starting soon."

Roy grumbled, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, yeah..."

Samantha walked into her next class, eyes drawn to her. "Alright everyone, settle down and hand in your homework on paradoxes."

"I'll help collect them, Miss G," Roy eagerly collected everyone's papers and handed them directly to her.

"Thank you, Roy," she waved her hand towards his seat in the back beside Jason. "Now, open your books to the next chapter."

Throughout the class, Samantha caught Roy staring at her with a dopey gaze. She sighed, shaking her head; every year, a few students that gave her that same, lusty look. Some of them even tried asking her out, and she refused every single invitation.

At the end of the class, after everyone else had filed out, Roy approached her. "So, Miss G, do you think you'd ever date a student?" he asked.

Going the roundabout way? "Of course not, Roy; that's unethical and I'd lose my job which I love."

He frowned. "Oh, right... I guess I never thought about that. But what if you—"

"Roy, you're going to be late for your next class."

"Right, I'll see you tomorrow, Miss G." Roy gave her a wave as he left.

"Told you," Jason laughed, waiting outside the classroom for him.

Jason waited outside of his school by his Jeep for his little sister. He glanced at his watch. "Geez, what's taking her so long?" Every few minutes, he'd circle the parking lot looking for her.

"Jason?"

He nearly jumped out of his skin and turned around to face the familiar long-haired brunette. "Miss G?"

"Is something the matter? You're here later than normal," she asked, her brows knitted as she checked her watch.

"Ah, I'm just waiting for my sister; she's normally not late."

"Have you tried to contact her?"

"Right... Contact her..." he pulled out his phone and texted her.

No response.

He dialled his sister's number and it went to voicemail. "Sis, it's me, where are you? Are you okay? Call me back right away." Jason gripped his phone tightly as he rubbed his forehead. "What do I do now? This has never happened before."

"Is there anywhere she likes to hang out? Maybe her phone is off and she's with friends."

"She only hangs out with one girl, who likes going home within a few minutes of school being out. She shouldn't be late at all, never mind how long she's been gone now..."

"Ah!" An ear-piercing scream rang through the parking lot.

They exchanged a terrifying look and took off towards the sound in the school park.  They ran straight through the bushes, their heads whipping to both sides as they checked for the source of the scream. A hunched over man in worn-out clothes came into view and they came to a stop.

Jason's eyes widened. Between the man's legs, he could see a pair of familiar sneakers. "Maggy?" he called out his sister's name. In a fit of rage, Jason charged towards the man.

The man turned to them, hissing, his eyes red and blood dripping from his mouth.

"What the—" Jason recoiled, skidding across the grass as he stumbled backwards and hit the ground.

"Jason, get out of here," Samantha said as she stood between him and the demonic man.

"B-but—"

"Go!"

"No," he got to his feet, shaking. "My sister." He swallowed as he looked around them, down at her limp figure. "I have to save her..."

"Tch..."

The man lunged at them, his hands outstretched.

"Miss G, watch out!" Jason yelled, reaching out for her.

She grabbed the man by his wrists and twisted them around, easily overpowering him. The smell of blood and death on him was overwhelming.

"Jason, grab your sister and go," she commanded, not wanting him to watch. The man struggled, growling at her. She watched him pick up his sister. While she was distracted, the man wriggled free and lunged at Jason and Maggy.

Jason stumbled back with Maggy cradled in his arms. The man suddenly jolted, a bloody hand with sharp nails protruding from the front of his chest, his heart in the hand. The man's skin turned grey and he broke apart, turning into dust.

Jason's legs gave out as he stared at the pile of dust and clothes on the ground with wide eyes. "What... what the hell was that?!" He gazed at the blood on his teacher's hand.

"Tch, why are vampires showing up at school?" she mumbled to herself, staring at the blood on her hand.

"Miss G..." Jason swallowed, hugging his sister closer to him as he stared up at her wide-eyed. "What did you... What was... Did you say vampire?"

"Crap..." She knelt down in front of him and gripped his chin with her clean hand as she stared into his eyes. "You didn't see a vampire. A man attacked your sister and you scared him away; that's all that happened here."

"Are you telling me to pretend this didn't happen?"

"Wait, what?" She turned her head to the side. "It didn't work? Have I really gone so weak?"

"What are you talking about?"

Crap, I didn't mean to say it out loud. I guess I need human blood to be able to hypnotize him... Dammit. "Yes, I'm telling you to pretend that didn't happen."

"I can't do that!"

"Shh! You'll attract attention."

"Oh, sorry. But, what about my sister? Is she okay? She was bitten; will she turn into a... a vampire now?"

She knelt down and took a look at Maggy. She shook her head. "I think she'll be okay. He didn't take enough blood to turn her and I doubt one that's out of control like that used the other method..."

"You... seem to know a lot about them."

She froze. Crap. I can't hypnotize him, and I proved I know about vampires. Besides, he saw me kill a man with my bare hands. What should I do now?

Jason watched as she argued with herself in her head. He took a breath to steady himself and called out to her, "Miss G, if you're worried about me telling someone what I saw, don't; I promise not to tell anyone about it if you tell me one thing."

"Oh? What do you want to know?"

"Why do you know about vampires? And how were you able to put your hand straight through him?"

"That's two things."

"Oh... Uh, so the first one I guess..."

"I suppose the answer to one actually does answer both," Samantha sighed. "Because I am one." How do I fix this? I can't even hypnotize him to erase it! Guess I'll have to move to another town again.

His eyes widened. "You're a vampire?"

"Yeah, but can you not spread that knowledge," she asked, winking as she held up a finger to her mouth.

He took a deep breath, trying to go back over what happened in his mind as he kept his sister safe in his arms. He nodded. "You just saved us, so... of course, I'll keep it a secret."

Not sure how much I trust a teenager to keep their mouth shut, but at least it's Jason. She glanced down at him, still sitting on the ground. He's a good kid.