The Vampire Prince graduates High School (Book 3)

Remain Calm

Dr. Daniels determined that whatever the ambassadors had been afflicted with, wasn't contagious, but quarantined would still be in effect.

Saturday morning, my mom woke me up early and started working on my hair. To be honest, I wasn't sure what she did to it. All I know is that she kept pausing a video on her phone. For the hour plus she had me in front of her vanity, she straightened my hair, braided it, and somehow ended with a low bun at the nape of my neck. I called it the braided bun. She had me dressed in a blue and white striped short- sleeve shirt, and olive colored jeans.

I looked down at the shoes, beige flats. Wasn't sure what type of look Mom was going for, but I'd trust her. I'm sure she put more thought into my wardrobe than I did. At least, she wasn't forcing me into a dress. For breakfast, all I had was oatmeal.

It didn't hit me who I was meeting that day until Alexander pulled up the front of my house. At this point, Dad was awake and glaring from the window.

"Wish me luck," I said, walking to the door.

"Not so fast," Dad said.

Within moments, the doorbell rang. Dad strode up to it and opened it. Alexander looked surprised to see us all at the door.

"Good morning," he said, with a smile.

Dad looked him up and down. I did too but for a different reason.

"You best be on your way," my mom said, stepping in front of my dad. "Take care on the road, please."

"Yes ma'am," Alexander replied. "We'll have an escort with us."

I hugged my parents and followed Alexander to the car. There were three of them in total and we were in the middle. Alexander opened the passenger door for me before getting behind the wheel.

"You're driving?" I asked, buckling up.

Last time we drove, we got into an accident.

"Yes," he said. "Don't worry. It won't be like last time. I can't walk away from a crash this time."

An hour later, we left the sector behind. Soon after, we hit the agricultural sectors.

"You might as well settle in," Alexander said. "We're in for a ride."

He reached into the back and pulled forward a paper bag, placing it on my lap. Curious, I opened it and found a coloring book and crayons. I gaped at him.

"You have your own coloring book? Why didn't you tell me?"

He chuckled. "New product," he admitted. "This one is a sample."

I looked down at the coloring book. It was rather thick and the crayons that came with it had more of an assortment than just primary colors.

I bit my lip.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "You don't like it?"

"Is it okay for me to . . . Be here?" I asked.

Alexander grabbed my hand. "What's going on?"

"What if your mom doesn't approve of me? What if I'm not worthy?"

Smiling, he kissed the back of my hand. "I've chosen you. All I need to know is whether you want to me at my side or not."

"I do," I told him. "It's just that, I'm still nervous. She's your mom after all."

"Be yourself," he said. "Don't sweat the small stuff."

"Okay."

Two hours later, we finally made it into the next sector. This one, as Alexander explained, was for private citizens. I looked at the clock, it was a quarter past ten. My stomach growled.

"We'll join my mom for brunch," Alexander said. "Don't worry. I will feed you."

Blushing, I rubbed my stomach. "Don't worry about me."

At the checkpoint, they made us wait for a few minutes before finally allowing us through. It was only past the guard towers that we saw the large, green estates with their abundance of trees and yard space. Black metal fences surrounded the properties.

I put away the coloring book and crayons, sitting up. "All this belongs to one person?" I asked.

"The family name does," he replied. "I don't know the details but it's like a legacy thing, I think?"

It took another half an hour before we finally made it to where we needed to. We turned on the next street and followed it to a large gate. A guard leaned out of the guard building. He and the driver exchanged a few things before the gate finally opened.

We drove down a well-kept path with trees on either side of it. Moments later, I saw the massive house. It had very large, with columns, and balconies. Panic settled in my chest. I gripped the edge of my seat. Might have forgotten how to breathe.

Alexander grabbed my hand again. "Relax. This is an informal meeting."

I nodded stiffly.

As we continued to approach the house, I wiped my hands on my pants. It took me a moment to realize the car had stopped until Alexander opened my door. He practically helped me out of my seat. My legs wouldn't stop shaking. Hand-in-hand, we walked up to the door. I forced myself to take several deep breaths.

All I needed to do was remain calm. Right. I could do that.