Chapter One
Vampires. When said, the words that come to mind are death, evil, and bloodlust. All we do is try to survive. Just like humans, or any other species. We aren’t the dark, malevolent creatures we’re portrayed as. It’s those few who were crazy that gave us all a bad name. Humans are so hypocritical. There are crazy humans, too. We can, but rarely bite people to feed on them.
We can be photographed by newer cameras. I don’t know what it is about old cameras, I think it’s the way the film was developed. Now, the digital cameras don’t need film. We don’t turn into bats, or have any special affinity with any animal. We need blood as much as humans need food. We also need normal food for the nutrients, and I personally get tired of the rusty-iron taste of blood. Sunlight hurts our eyes, but we don’t spontaneously combust, or sparkle, that’s all a load of bull. Garlic’s actually pretty good, and it’ll burn our tongues and noses after a while.
My name’s Layla Baker. Believe it or not, I am a vampire. Fangs or no fangs, I still need a small amount of blood to get by. My fangs are there, but they’re so small they look like regular canines. I hope they grow in soon. When your fangs are full size, you stop aging. At least, when you’re born a vampire, that’s how it works. I’m seventeen as of right now. Most vampires’ fangs come in when their about eighteen, and are fully grown by twenty-one.
I awoke to the poster of Alex Pettyfer on my wall. He’s so gorgeous. “Good morning.” I whispered.
“Mrow!!” My cat, Benny, begged for food.
“Alright. Alright.” I groaned. “I’ll get your food.”
Benny purred at my feet as I put down a new bowl of food. He dug right in and didn’t even chew the little bits of dry food. I put the water next to the food.
“Jeez, Benny. Slow down. If you keep eating like this, you’re gonna get fat.” He glared at me when I said fat. I giggled. “It’s true. You are going to be fat.” I drew out the word fat forever.
“Layla. It’s time to get up.” My mom, Michelle, yelled up the stairs.
“I’m up!” I responded. “I had to feed Benny!”
“Okay. I have a meeting. I have to leave. Can you get yourself to school?” Mom said as she stuffed a bagel in her mouth.
“Yeah. I have about an hour until the bus comes. My car’s almost out of gas, but I get paid today.” I walked downstairs and poured a bowl of cereal. “Bye.” I said as she walked out the door.
Mom got, not weird, but distracted when Dad left her. She went on all these dates with weirdoes. Most of them were like, twenty years older than her. But then, she married Robert. He’s younger than her, he’s thirty-nine, and she’s forty-one (but looks like, twenty-four). He was pretty cool, except the whole “Licensed Pedophile” thing. My mom says he’s changed, but, sometimes I can here him sneak into my room at night and just watch me. Creepy.
I put my bowl in the sink and went to my room to get dressed. I decided to wear my boot-cut jeans, an Aéropostale t-shirt. I found my basketball hoody and slipped it over myself. I brushed my hair and teeth in my bathroom.
“Bye Benny. Don’t break anything.” I patted his head and walked out the door. Once outside, I locked it.
I heard footsteps from behind me. I turned around to see my best friend, Alexis, approaching. “Hey.” I said.
