Ice Cold

Chapter Nine

I had cheer practice after school today so when the last bell of the day rang I quickly got changed out and headed to the gym. I met Jade and everybody else there. I'd guessed that I was the last one here which didn't look good since I was the captain. I heard one of the cheerleaders, Kiara, gasp as I walked in and run over to me. 

"Lex! What happened to your face?" Kiara asked, her wide baby blue eyes boring into me with worry.

I gave her a small smile and repeated the same thing to her that I had to everyone else today. "I fell in the kitchen last night washing dishes and cut my face on a broken plate," I said.

"Oh my gosh! Are you okay?" Hannah asked, the one who'd hit on Hayden recently.

"I'm fine," I said, assuring her. "Come on guys, let's get to work," I said and we got in formation and did our usual routine.

When practice was over Jade skipped over to me as I drank from my water bottle. "Do you want to go to the café with me and a couple of the girls?" Jade asked.

"I would, but I'm really tired today. Tomorrow?" I asked and Jade smiled.

"Of course! I'll let the girls know," Jade exclaimed and skipped back over to the others.

I grabbed my bag and then my bag with my other clothes in it and then walked from the gym and towards the parking lot. We'd worked late today so it was almost dark outside. The last bit of light was fading behind the school as I headed for my mom's car. I could see several other cheerleaders heading for their cars as well.

When I looked back in front of me I stopped dead in my tracks, almost falling. There was a boy with Hannah laid over his knee as he crouched down in the parking lot, his head was bent over hers but Hannah looked like she was out cold. I was close enough that they were less than three yards away from me so I could make out every detail. The next thing I knew I saw a thin trail of blood drip from Hannah's mouth and then a thicker line dropping from her neck.

I screamed and I heard it echoing off the trees around me before I'd even closed my mouth. The boy bent over Hannah looked up at me and I gasped. He had blood red eyes that seemed to give off a glow of red as well. He smiled at me and I took a couple steps back, he had fangs that reached his bottom lip when his mouth was closed and they were sharp and to a point. He lowered his head once more to Hannah's neck before he dropped her body to the ground and stood up to look at me.

I wanted to turn around and run but I knew I needed to make sure Hannah was okay too. I needed to save her if I could but after seeing a scene like that I was still in shock. The boy started charging at me and a scream released itself from my throat again as it used the same speed the intruder in my house had used. Within a second he was almost on me and I turned my body to protect myself from the blow.

A body jumped in front of me and the boy stopped inches before running into it. I could tell from the dark brown hair that brushed the bottom of his ears and slightly curled in the back that it was Connor. He reached out and grabbed the red-eyed boy by the shoulders. The boy tried to bite at him but after what seemed like a low growl from Connor the boy stopped struggling.

I felt a hand against my lower back and I jumped only to see Hayden dressed in football gear, missing his helmet, and a scared look in his eyes. Hayden wrapped his other arm around my shoulders and I looked back at Connor to see him bite the side of the boy's neck and then plunge his hand into the boy's chest and my eyes widened in shock. Connor snatched his hand out and he held a dark red heart that was almost covered in black in his hand. I almost threw up but didn't. Connor picked up the lifeless corpse from the ground and looked at me.

Connor had the same blood red eyes, but they seemed to be a darker red than the bright red of the boy who'd hurt Hannah. Connor's mouth was slightly opened, revealing his own fangs than were just as long as the other boy's, maybe longer. Blood was covered around Connor's mouth and dripping from his fangs. His dark brown hair fell into his crimson eyes and I stood there in shock. Even though I knew their being was bad they still had a beauty about them.

Connor wiped his mouth on the sleeve of his shirt and blinked. His amber eyes were back but his fangs were still out. There was still a smudge of blood in the corner of his mouth but he smiled at me, fangs and all.

"Sorry about that, Lex," he said in an almost shy voice.

I looked up at Hayden who was still holding me. Hayden was glaring at Connor the best he could but he blinked and sighed. "Thank you, Connor," he said.

"What─?" I asked but couldn't finish the sentence.

"This, is a rogue vampire," Connor said, holding up the lifeless boy. I grimaced and then looked back up at Connor, "I'm a vampire as well and so are the rest of my clan. We're here to protect Redwood from the rogues like this, and to do a few other things," Connor said, holding up the corpse once more.

"Y–you, saved m–me?" I asked shakily.

"Yes, a thank you will do, just don't work yourself up about this," Connor said.

"Thank you, but, you can't really be─," I started but stopped myself since I knew I couldn't deny what I'd just seen.

"We're the good vampires, Lex, you don't have to be scared of us. It's rogues like this and rogues like the one that was in your room last night that are dangerous," Connor explained.

"How did you know about last night?" I asked, still clinging to Hayden's jersey.

"I know everything that goes on around here," Connor said and glanced at Hayden.

I looked up at Hayden, "is that what you're doing that's so dangerous? Are you working for them? Helping them?" I asked.

"Something like that," Hayden said sounding strained.

I looked back at Connor but he was beside Hannah now, Connor had already discarded of the rogue's body and changed shirts that fast. I walked over to where she was. Hayden came with me, his hand still on my back, assuring and comforting me. When I saw Hannah's lifeless eyes still open, blood trailing in a thin line from her mouth and a bloodied mess at her neck emotion overwhelmed me. When Connor shook his head I turned into Hayden and he embraced me.

I gripped his jersey in my hands and started crying my eyes out, the emotion too much to bear now. The stress of everything I'd just seen weighed down on me. I'd watched someone die and found out that vampires exist and that a vampire had just protected me from another vampire. Hayden pulled me tight against him as I started crying.

Hayden hated it when I cried. I opened my eyes to see most of the football team running up next to the school, watching us, with the cheerleaders mixed in. Eventually an ambulance and police arrived and took Hannah's body away, the police finally declaring Hannah dead after a call that came fifteen minutes after the ambulance had left.

Hayden and Connor had ushered me into my mom's car after the police had questioned me. I eventually stopped crying during the questioning. Hayden and Connor sat beside me and answered questions as well. They both said that they came when they heard me scream. Hayden had run straight out of practice and Connor had heard me from his car. It was hard to not flinch whenever Connor touched me while we were there when he was comforting me.

"I'll make sure she's safe," Hayden said and Connor nodded.

"If you have another rogue problem at your house let me know," Connor said and then it was Hayden's turn to nod.

"Lex, don't be afraid of us, there are good vampires," Connor said and I gave a small nod. Connor's last words echoed through my head the whole ride home.