Rebecca Cross, or Bex as many people call her, has a routine. The same mundane activities completed day in and day out. A schedule ingrained into her brain
7:00 AM – wake up.
"Rebecca! Don't make me come in there. You're going to be late!" Her mother called.
Bex turned over in bed and put a pillow over her head. Like any second-year high school girl, Bex wasn't exactly thrilled to go to school. The urgency wasn't there. She wasn't an excited freshman anymore, and it was too soon for her to be worrying about grades for college. She was just there to be there, which wasn't exactly motivating.
"How many times do I have to come in here? Come on get up," Her mom walked in, stepping over the piles of mess on the floor.
There were several piles of dirty and clean clothes mixed all together. Shoes tossed here and there as Bex often kicked them off her feet as soon as she got home. Empty food containers and foil wrappers littered around her bed. Several pillows tossed to the floor through the course of the night.
Her mom stumbled forward as she tried to dodge Bex's homework.
"I've had enough. You are not a baby anymore. Get," her mom grabbed the blankets. "Up!" she grunted as she heaved them with all her might.
The covers flew up in the air leaving Bex exposed to the cold room.
"No!" Bex complained.
"Now Rebecca."
"Ugh! Fine!" Bex got up and narrowed her hazel eyes into little slits.
"Hurry up, your siblings are almost ready," her mom once again walked around the land mines on the floor before exiting her room.
Bex huffed and jumped out of bed and expertly navigated her room as she made her way to the bathroom. Only to find her younger sister, a year apart, already waiting.
"Hurry up Nathan!" Abby banged on the door.
"Seriously?" Bex also banged on the door.
"Well wake up earlier," Nathan called through the door.
Nathan was the oldest. Older than Bex by two years. He was often seen as the most responsible of the siblings, while Abby is the family baby. She's babied by everyone in the family, even Bex despite their minimal age difference. Bex got the title for the least responsible and most likely to get herself into trouble. The sibling hierarchy was just Nathan looking after his two sisters who are seen as equals.
After having an all-out war with her sister on who got the bathroom next, the two forced their way in once Nathan got out. In the end, they shared it. Once washed up, Bex walked back to her room to get dressed.
She wasn't the kind of girl that put forth effort into her appearance, what you saw was what you got. She was lazy, but her natural beauty often saved face. She grabbed a random pair of skinny jeans off the floor. Knowing it was a 50/50 that they were clean but she was pretty sure they were. She threw them on in a hurry before slipping into a plain black and white striped t-shirt.
Glancing at the time she grabbed her backpack off the floor and shoved all her homework inside. She did a quick glance around the messy room for the nearest pair of basketball shorts. She snagged them and shoved them in as well. Pieces of the fabric stuck out of the small holes in the torn and tattered backpack.
She zipped it up and bounced back to her feet before walking over to her dresser mirror. She grabbed a fist full of her bright almond brown hair and stuck it into a ponytail without even brushing it. Burnette colored hair ran in her family but due to years of outdoor activities and band practice, the sun naturally bleached the hair several shades lighter. Although her natural hair color could still be seen in the roots of her hair.
On her way out of her room, Bex shoved her feet into her slip-on checkered shoes and trotted down the stairs. She distracted her dad by kissing him goodbye on the cheek while secretly using her hand to steal his jellied toast off his plate. She shoved the toast in her mouth, flipped her brother off when her parents weren't looking, and stole her sisters freshly poured apple juice. Then she hugged her mom goodbye before running out the door.
She ate the toast and drank the juice as she walked across the neighborhood towards the ditch which led all the way to the high school. In less than five minutes she was skipping up the steps of the school two at a time and tossing her plastic cup in the trash on the way in.
7: 30 AM – Arrive at school.
"Hey," Bex sat down at their usual table in the back corner of the cafeteria.
Her friends were already waiting for her, well most of them at least.
"Bex, tell Darci she doesn't need anyone to validate her," Joan, Bex's best friend gave her an incredulous look.
"Darci, you don't need anyone to validate you," Bex immediately responded.
"You don't even know the context," Darci defended herself.
"The context being her boyfriend said she looks fat today," Mike jumped in.
"What!" Bex's eyes went wide.
"He didn't say that," Darci quickly said.
"Not in so many words," Joan added.
It is no secret that Darci is overweight, that doesn't mean she's not pretty. Her friends like to be uplifting and never pointed it out as a flaw or a problem. Still, Darci is subconscious. With everyone in her friend group being in good shape and a lot slimmer than her, she often felt like the odd one out.
Darci is quite fashionable, she always wears dresses and cute accessories. Her makeup is always done up. Her blond hair is always stylized. Today she curled her hair loosely and let it frame her round face.
"I mean maybe I should lose some weight," Darci pushed her food away.
"That doesn't mean you stop eating," Joan pushed it back.
Joan and Bex were very similar in the fact that neither cared much about their looks. Joan has dark copper-colored skin and dark brown hair. Her jeans were purposely worn down looking and rolled at the ankles. She always wears these clunky army-looking boots. And always has some type of tank top and flannel combo going on. Her nails are always chewed off to the nub and her hair always pulled back into a braid. She wears big thick-rimmed glasses; the weight of them causes her to often push them back up the bridge of her nose as she talks.
"I swear to god I will punch him in the throat. You aren't fat Darci," Bex said.
"Yes, I am, that's a fact of life. Anyone looking at me would say so. I mean he might like me better if I were thinner," Darci pushes her two index fingers together.
"If that loser can't appreciate you for who you are, then screw him, you don't need him," Mike said.
Mike is a sports reject. He always tries out for all the sports teams but he also always gets rejected. He's too scrawny and short. He has shaggy brown hair that hangs in his face. He wears blue jeans, a plain t-shirt, and black chucks. He always has earphones around his neck. He is clean-shaven mostly because when he tries to grow something out it comes in patches and makes him look creepy.
"Guys can we just drop it," Darci begged.
Darci is dating Aron, aka the student council vice president. Bex often suspected he only dated Darci for appearances as he tried too hard to look like the nice guy. Yet despite her friend's warnings Darci agreed to date him anyway. They have been dating for two weeks.
"Hey what'd I miss?" Jaden sat at the table.
It was also no secret, except to Darci, that Jaden has a crush on her. They all knew and often urged him to confess to her, but he is too shy. Jaden, like the rest of the group, is also pretty average in appearance. Dark ebony skin, hair braided to his scalp, and deep brown eyes. He wears polo shirts and khakis as well as a baggy zip-up jacket.
"Nothing," Darci eyed everyone.
They all gave a collected sigh.
"Freak twelve o'clock!" Monroe, the basketball captain, called across the cafeteria.
Bex let her eyes wander over to Lyssa Norwood. It was a part of her routine. Every morning the strange girl would walk-in only for Monroe to announce her presence. Lyssa would usually react in one of three ways. Ignore it, own it, or snap back at Monroe. Bex liked to try and guess which one it would be today based on the level of annoyance she saw on Lyssa's face.
Lyssa is a loner. Every school has at least one. The person with no friends that has that cold I'm above you all attitude. Lyssa was Thorndale high's version of that person.
Her eyes are so light green they looked yellow in the light. One steely look was all it took for people to look away from her. Lyssa is beyond pale, any paler and she would be see-through. She has long black hair, except half of her head is shaved and all her hair is pushed to one side. She always wears all black. Today she had on black lipstick, black skinny jeans, and a black ripped up tank top, even though it was chilly outside. Her nails are black, her eye shadow dark and smoky.
There was a necklace around her neck that often drew the attention away from her face. It was a simple rusted looking chain that wrapped around a large red crystal. One the size of a quarter.
Bex's eyes followed Lyssa as the girl walked right over to Monroe. Bex smirked to herself ready for the usual morning spectacle that Lyssa always put on.
Lyssa walked over to the table full of Basketball players and she put on a fake haughty smile. Then she grabbed Monroe's apple and locking eyes with him crushed it to a pulp in her bare hands. She dropped the mush on the table and wiped her hands on his shirt.
"Freak!" he called out to her as she hopped onto the table and then hopped from one table to the next.
She did this until she sat at her usual vacant table. She is the kind of girl who wears her attitude on her sleeve. She simply kicked up her legs and pulled a book out of her bag per usual.
"That girl is something else," Joan commented.
"I think it's funny," Bex smiled.
"Yeah, I mean, what would Thorndale High be without Lyssa Norwood? She gives this place character," Mike added.
"She creeps me out," Jaden shuddered.
Just then the bell rang and Bex groaned as she heaved herself off her chair.
"See you guys at lunch," Joan called as they all went their separate ways.
The rest of her schedule usually goes as followed,
7:45 AM – Classes. Chemistry, Algebra, World History, Art class.
12:15 PM – Lunch
1:15 Pm – Lit. Band, French.
3:30 PM – Band Practice
5:45 PM – Hang with friends after school and do homework
7:30 PM – Parents force her to get home
But as Bex would soon find out. Today had other plans for her.
After the last bell rang signaling the end of the school day things took a turn in her usual routine. Bex got up and began to walk out of her French class when her teacher, Mr. Pyre, called her back.
"Rebecca, before you go, can I see you for a second?"
She groaned inwardly and turned on heel back into the classroom.
"Your grade is slipping; you still haven't turned in your report. I don't want to have to get your band director involved," He warned.
"I have it done, promise, I just keep forgetting it," She lied.
"Well you have until Friday to turn it in," he frowned.
"Of course, I'll have it in, promise," She turned and headed out of class.
She glanced at the time and noticed that she was going to be late for band practice, something that would earn her laps on the track. With a groan of annoyance, she took off running. She rounded the corner going full speed ahead and smacked right into Lyssa Norwood. Bex stumbled back and fell down.
"Ow, watch it," Bex rubbed her butt.
"You watch it," Lyssa hissed in a cold tone.
Bex looked up to those chartreuse eyes cutting through her. She gulped and bounced to her feet.
"Sorry," Bex said sheepishly.
"You better be. People have no class these days," Lyssa stepped around her.
"Maybe you're the one with no class," Bex muttered under her breath.
Lyssa froze in her steps.
Bex's eyes got wide at the thought of Lyssa hearing her.
Lyssa did an about-face and once again glared at Bex. Bex felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassment at being heard.
"What did you say?" Lyssa narrowed her eyes.
"Nothing, I was just, I didn't mean—" Bex backed away nervously only to go stumbling to the floor again.
Her hand caught on the locker and a jagged piece of metal sticking out slit her palm wide open. She hissed in pain and quickly brought the injured hand to her chest. Her palm filled with blood and the first drop of many dripped past her knuckles and onto the floor.
Lyssa swallowed loudly and took a large step back.
"Ow, ow, ow. Don't just stand there, help me!" Bex snapped at Lyssa.
She pulled her hand back to inspect the damage, the cut wasn't that deep but it was long stretching across her palm.
"Hello?" Bex shot Lyssa an incredulous look.
The halls were empty now with everyone having gone home. Only the two girls remained. Lyssa took a deep breath before outstretching her arm to help Bex up. She grasped her forearm and hoisted the girl off the floor. Blood dripped down her arm and onto Lyssa's.
Lyssa recoiled as if she was going to be sick.
"Sorry. Does blood make you squeamish?" Bex realized that Lyssa looked ill and was focused on the blood.
Lyssa grabbed Bex's hand roughly, yanking Bex closer to her.
Bex yelped. Then to her horror, she watched as Lyssa moved her arm to her mouth, licking the blood that dripped down her skin all the way up her arm. Bex's face quickly dissolved into one of disgust.
"Eww!"
Lyssa jolted in place, almost as if she was startled back to reality. She looked at Bex with a look full of hunger, her eyes radiating danger. Bex pulled away.
"That was sick," Bex said.
Unable to control herself any longer Lyssa jumped forward and took Bex's hand in her mouth, licking the blood clean from her skin.
"Ah! Stop it!" Bex screamed.
Then, to her ever-growing shock, a tingle enveloped the skin on her hand. It spread up her arm and all over her body. Bex found herself caught in a haze of strange unexplainable euphoria. She was unmistakably aroused and felt herself drift into a state of peace and tranquility. She had no desire to run away or scream, she just watched in fascination as Lyssa Norwood licked every last drop of blood.
She could feel Lyssa's lips nipping at her skin sucking as much blood as she could. The distinct sound of large gulps going down Lyssa's throat filled Bex's ears. Lyssa's tongue snake between her black-painted lips licking up and down the thin slit. Bex marveled at the sight of it, not sure what was happening or if she wanted it to stop.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Lyssa pulled back. She licked her lips and showed Bex her now clean hand. Bex let her glossy eyes meet Lyssa's and for a second, she saw that Lyssa had bright red eyes that held a sort of snake-like pupil.
Both girls were breathing heavily as they stared at each other for a moment. Then Bex blinked and Lyssa was gone.
The strange tingly feeling lingered inside of her. She relaxed against the lockers and looked at her hand. She watched as the skin slowly healed up. Erasing any signs that she had ever cut herself. She wiped the saliva on her pants and, in a daze, grabbed her bag and started walking home.
Confusion couldn't even begin to describe how she felt. It was all so bizarre. Unable to process this interruption into her daily routine she walked into her house where her sister and brother both questioned why she was not at band practice. She only gave a weak grunt as a response and then walked upstairs to her room.
She felt exhausted and as soon as her head hit the pillow it was lights out.
___________________________________________________________
A/N: Here is the first chapter of the rewrite of Love Bites. You can check out my recent announcements for more info as to what is going on with me and my works. I am currently seeking publication for this book, so far I have nothing but no's. I haven't sent out my second round of queries yet. I've had no internet connection and have been really busy. Let me know what you guys think of this rewrite, things will be mostly the same but also slightly different. Some scenes got taken out and new things got added in! So I hope you all enjoy!
Sorry for taking so long to pull myself together. I had to get another job, making my total job count to two and a half. I had to move apartments because I couldn't afford my old one anymore. My pay was cut and my hours cut. I lost my health insurance because I can't afford it. Because of this, I had to go do all my checkups before the end of August. Yesterday was my birthday (August 24th), I have had many issues with getting the internet set up at my new apartment. Just lots of crazy stuff going on in my life. I've been hella busy and exhausted. For more details about what works will be coming back to Wattpad and what isn't as well as where to find all of my works and read them just the way they are go check out my latest announcements. I am still posting updates to all my stories on my tapas account so you can go there to catch up or pick up right where you left off. Thank you all for coming back and sticking with me through the trialing times. It means a lot! Lots of good stuff coming your way.
If you would like to help me out you can support me through Ko-fi or directly through Paypal. I'll post the links below as well as the link to my tapas account where you can find all my works, unedited, and just the way they are.
PayPal.me/MCAndr1
https://ko-fi.com/mcandr
https://tapas.io/MCAndr (find my works here!)
You can also follow me on Twitter, although I am not very active just yet. Been too busy and have had no internet.
@AndrM