Craving (Old Vamp & Shapeshifter Story I Wrote)

Chapter 11

Carlos walks up the steps, which are lightly dusted with snow flakes.

“Good day, Jayce. Didn’t expect to see you here.” Carlos smiles, making his fangs visible.

“I didn’t expect to see you here either.” Jayce grits his teeth, baring his long, sharp fangs too.

“Well, if I’m here, I might as well say something.” Carlos cracks his knuckles.

“Then what is it?”

“I’m sticking to the official date as planned, but since I ran into you here,”

“Get out of here. I thought I made myself clear when I was going off on my own.” Jayce growls.

“Which I have no problem with, but I just want you to know if you ever decide to come back, we’ll welcome you with a steaming mug of hot chocolate, wait, I mean blood.”

“I made myself clear when I left.”

“Alright, but maybe if the girl wants to go with me . . . Autumn, right?” Carlos lifts up my chin with a pale finger. “She could find out why she is so important sooner.”

“No.” I jerk my head away.

“Ah, stubborn.” Carlos remarks.

“You know nothing about me.”

“You don’t either, but yet we’re still talking to each other.”

“GO!” Jayce screams.

“I’ll see you in a week.” Carlos winks, and walks away, to a car. He gets in and pulls out, then drives away.

“I can’t believe him.” Jayce shakes his head.

“In a week?” I ask, in disbelief. “In a week?”

“A night of music and snowflakes,” Jayce recalls.

“Anyways, its really sweet you asked me to the winter dance.” I lean against him, expecting him to kiss me. Because Jayce is a really good kisser.

“Thats it! The winter dance!” Jayce snaps his fingers. “You can’t go, he’ll get you there.”

“And stay home, alone? I think I  would rather be in a place with witnesses.” I shake my head.

“But he might kill if you go.”

‘He couldn’t kill two hundred teenagers by himself.”

“He has a whole army of vampires. Even a few demons and a dark angel. Do you know how dangerous that is?” Jayce asks.

“Listen, would he even want to expose vampires to the world?”

“Yes, he wants people to fear him. He likes to make a scene.”

“I’m going to the dance, and you can’t stop me.” I stand in front of Jayce.

“Aw come on, he’ll kill you!”

“I’m going to test out the hot tub. Goodbye.” I stomp back into the ski resort, go in the pool, take off all my clothes covering up my swim suit, and try to relax. My phone rings. I don’t answer. I hear repeated voice messages.

“You cannot go.” Jayce’s voice repeats over and over.

“NO!” My head screams in response. It takes a lot of willpower to not chuck my smartphone into the deep end, where it would sink to the bottom and I would never have to hear Jayce saying I can’t ever again.

 

At school on Monday, I’ve all of a sudden become the popular girl. Everyone gushes about the resort opening, and I’m the the new hottie, since Lakeesha and most of her friends were expelled and Lakeesha herself is actually on trial, but she’ll definitely go behind bars at one point.

Bethany and Mira seem to be drifting away, especially at lunch. Because when I go to sit with them, they’re silent and then they see another friend at a crowded table with only two seats left.

So instead I’m invited to sit at the popular girl table. I’m not like the most popular there, but not the kind who just follows around the populars all day and tries to look cool. I’m more like, the popular girl’s best friend or something.

“Are you okay, Autumn?” Delia asks,

“Yeah.” I snap away from staring longingly at Jayce.

“He can sit with us, if you want.” Kayley says. “Its not like he’s Sam Grosset.”

“Ew! I can see why his name is Gross-et.” Miarah cringes.

“I know, right?” Diantha holds up her hands. “I mean, like, Leo Carrington is waaaay cuter, ya know, that guy from that band, All Time.”

“Nah, me and Jayce sorta had a fight.” I wave it off.

“Well, there's still tons of guys you can go with, like Mike Green, and Jaykob.”

“And don’t forget Noah.” Delia slams her fork into her mushy carrots, and one flies onto Aubrey’s face.

“Oh my gosh!” Aubrey laughs. “Why did you do that?”

“It was an accident!” Delia snorts, and giggles. Ariana laughs too, and soon the whole table is laughing for no reason. Except me.

I’m starting to think this popular girl thing isn’t my style. Then everyone calms down and starts to talk about how these two kids tried to rape each other.

“I need to use the bathroom.” I excuse myself, and I go into the girl’s room. I shut myself in a stall, and sigh. This was going to be a long day. I should be happy. The popular girls have accepted me.

But it seems like Mira and Bethany resent popular girls. I just had a fight with Jayce, because he just wants to keep me safe.

Just go with it. Act like you’re happy, and besides, you don’t need Jayce. You don’t need Mira or Bethany. Just go with it.

Fine.