Once Bitten Twice Shy

Chapter Three

I woke up to the light streaming in brightly through my half open curtains. It stung my eyes and I hissed instinctively and hid under the blankets.

“Does it... hurt?” my aunt asked cautiously from the doorway.

“Just my eyes.” I groaned. “Can you close the curtains?” I asked. I heard the careful footsteps across the floor of my room, and the slide of the curtains across the metal bar. I pulled the blankets back over my head and looked at my aunt in my now close to pitch black bedroom.

“Are you out from under the blankets?” she asked. I saw her in the dark, looking for me. My vision as clear as in dim light, like a cat, it's predatory senses heightened.

“Yes.” I said.

“Okay,” she said. “Well, it's time for you to go to school.” I groaned.

“Do I really have to? What if-” she cut me off before I could complain.

“No excuses. You said you'd work past it.” she said. “I have to go to work now, and you're going to school.” she said. She walked over to the window in her scrubs and ripped open the curtains, causing the light to flood in again. I groaned loudly and covered my eyes. Moments after, I felt something hit me in the chest. I opened my eyes a to a slit and discovered them to be a pair of sunglasses.

“But these are... Ray-Bans?” I exclaimed in shock.

“Consider them my gift to you.” she smiled. “I figured you'd be using them for... the rest of forever.” She smiled, although I could tell it was hard for her. I was practically her daughter, and the thought of me living forever seemed to have the same effect as me dying. I couldn't understand how she took it so easily.

“Thanks.” I smiled. She nodded and made her way out the door to go to the hospital for the day. The moment I saw her car pull out of the driveway, I fell back onto the bed and sighed, my Ray-Bans on my face and my mind on what would be the first day of the rest of forever, thinking; I better make it good.

*

I stepped out of my red pick up, my dark brown hair a wind-blown mess from the open-windowed drive here. I stared out at the school from the parking lot, no one had seemed to notice my arrival... yet.

I saw my group of friends standing by the entry way. Jess was waving her arms around wildly while Ashley laughed at whatever she was saying. She then preceded to use her index fingers as fake fangs and started hissing. Leah laughed nervously, but went along with it anyway. Ashley then began to tell a story while Jess opened up her Coke. I grabbed my bag and shut the door to my truck, and began to walk over to my friends, already sensing a couple eyes finding their way towards me.

“Hey,” I said.

“Hey Mel-” Ashley started as her sentence dropped off dead. Jess began to choke on her coke. “Whoa.”

I just laughed nervously.

“Mel! You're pale!” Jess pointed out. “Like really pale... you look like some kind of freaky super model!” she said. She reached out to touch my face and I swatted her finger away in expert reflexes. She just stared at me confused.

“Ah, I have a cold?” I more so asked than stated.

“I would sure hope so.” Ashley said rolling her eyes. The bell rang before anyone could say anything else and people began to push past us on their way to first period.

“Jess and I have to get to Social Economics.” Ashley said. “Lunch in the quad?”

“Always.” Leah nodded.