BLOOD

ONE

POV: Jane

There is little I remember from the time we were together. Little, only because a part of me has tried to suppress them from the moment it all ended. I loved Forrest dearly, but to be with him, I had to fight with fate, family, and blood. You see, when your destiny has been mapped into the very blood that courses through your veins, there is little you can do to change it. At least, that is my belief. Forrest thinks otherwise. Because for him, love was enough. He often told me that if I did love him, I shouldn’t be afraid. But I was afraid. I was very afraid. Not of the forces that I knew would come once they found out about our love affair. I was deeply afraid of losing him.

Now, I am still afraid of losing what little I have of Forrest. Even after all these years. However, maybe if I will myself to remember, I could still gain back the bits of him I have so carelessly thrown away. Maybe I can, if I try hard… If I try hard enough. And so, I have decided to tell our story…

If there was one thing I was certain of that day, it was that the night would not end well. For some reason still unknown to me, I had allowed my roommate (and occasional hater) Hayley Volakis to drag me all the way to Sanford University to attend a party. And it wasn't just any party; it was an Artist's Meet—an annual event where, as Hayley said, artists of all kinds would gather and talk about their latest creations. For me, however, it was just a glorified acquaintance party that the university held to give justice to the budget allocated for the liberal arts.

I didn't even have the slightest idea of why they continued to hold these parties. First of all, based on my observations, everyone seemed to hate everyone. No one agreed with each other, and someone always found something to complain about like the color of the drapes, or the brightness of the ceiling lamps. Earlier, I heard a tall guy arguing within a group about how a man named Dante was the greatest poet of all. He was being gamely rebutted by a girl wearing large spectacles. According to her, Shakespeare was far more superior. Now, I knew very little about these two writers. I wasn't very fond of classic literature, but their conversation reminded me of something my grandfather told me about how well Shakespeare could hold his liquor. Knowing how long he's been around, it's quite hard to doubt the things he said. Well, most of the time.

As the debate about Dante and Shakespeare continued, I couldn't help myself from silently agreeing with the girl with the large spectacles. A couple of steps from where I was standing, another girl with a purple mohawk and a full sleeve of tattoos was reading out loud from a little black notebook to a guy with dark hair, who listened with mild interest.

I continued to eye the crowd, noting each face and making mental notes of how they looked, or what they wore. It was amazing how you could almost immediately tell if a person was a writer, an artist, or a musician with the way they looked or dressed.

I checked my watch for the nth time, then, I made another sweeping glance at the crowd. It's been twenty-five minutes since we got here, and I was already bored out of my mind. Where the heck was Hayley anyway? Suddenly, a mental image of Hayley making out with a faceless stranger popped in my mind. How typical of her.

"Care for another glass?" I was drawn back to reality by a guy dressed in a black vest. He was pointing at my empty cup. He smiled, and my heart skipped when I saw a set of pointed teeth. Was it possible? But, how? After all, he didn't seem to possess any of the characteristics that made my people easily distinguishable to each other.

"No, thank you," I answered, smiling politely. "Nice teeth."

The guy smiled widely, exposing the rest of his teeth. "Thanks, I had them done last week. They cost me a fortune, but it was worth it. Makes it easier to cosplay."

"Oh, I see." How disappointing. I smiled again and turned away. What the hell was I thinking? Of course, he wasn't like me. It was impossible to have another vampire in this territory. Not in a hundred miles or so, ever since all clans agreed to that pact.

Once again, I scanned the crowd for any sign of Hayley, only to be disappointed yet again. Maybe she really was in a closet somewhere, making out with a stranger. It wasn't long before I finally resigned myself to my fate. I walked over to the buffet table and got myself a paper plate. If I were to spend the rest of my time on my own, might as well make the most of it. There was an array of food to choose from including spring rolls, stuffed mushroom, buffalo wings, and some gouda.

"Hi, freshman?" someone spoke from behind me as I carefully filled my plate. I shook my head, not even caring to look back. Now that I've decided to enjoy this party, I was determined to do it alone.

"So… what are you? Writer? Painter?" the voice continued.

"None of those," I snapped as I placed a piece of spring roll on my plate.

"How—"

"Not interested!"

Finally done filling up my plate, I inched my way back towards my old spot, avoiding a small group of excited freshmen along the way.

Damn you, Hayley! It was all I could think of as I furiously shoved food into my mouth. I chewed hard, imagining that each morsel was a part of Hayley's severed body. I imagined her face—contorted in fear, as her blood—STOP! STOP! STOP!

I closed my eyes to try and forget about what I just thought about. That was the third time I found myself consumed with thoughts of blood this week. And I hated it. Still, I'm glad that I could stop myself. It means that I haven't lost control of my humanity just yet. Although I am aware that someday, I have to give in to the blood lust of becoming a full vampire, I would like to stay human for as long as possible.

To forget completely, I shoved every last bit of food I had left on my plate into my mouth. A little bit too quickly. Soon, I felt a lump clump in my throat. Wheezing a little, I punched my chest twice to free whatever had blocked my airway. When I could finally breathe easy, I reached around for my cup, only to realize that I didn't get a refill.

"EHEM!" I continued to thump at my chest.

"Here." Someone handed me a cup filled with punch, which I gratefully took and drank bottoms up.

"Thanks," I said, taking deep breaths.

"You're welcome." A guy with blonde hair and the bluest eyes I had ever seen answered. He was smiling widely.

I stood there, too stunned at the sudden apparition of perfection in front of me. He had the kind of face you'd stop to look at if you saw him while shopping at a grocery store. The kind that will make you forget about what you're supposed to order at a coffee shop. He was… handsome.

"You okay?" the guy said. I hadn't realized that my mouth was slightly open. "Do you need another drink?"

"I… I ne—"

"Careful!" The guy grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the way as a group of newcomers arrived. A sudden surge of electricity seemed to zap at my whole body. Suddenly, I was very aware of my surroundings and my heart, which just started to beat furiously. Maybe it was out of embarrassment, but for some reason, I had this immediate need to flee this place. The feeling disappeared as quickly as it came.

"I'm sorry for grabbing you like that," the guy said, gently letting go of my arm.

"It's okay," I answered. I smiled at him, but I was still wondering about what I just felt.

"A lot of people tonight," he said. His eyes followed the new arrivals as they settled around the bar.

My eyes followed his. "Yeah."

"I'm Evan by the way," he finally said. "Evan Willis." He laid out a hand, which I shook. His hand was warm.

"Jane Stein," I answered, trying to compose myself.

Evan winked. "I know."

He knew? "Oh, you do?" I felt flustered, but in a good way.

Evan nodded. "Yeah. For a while now. Want to go for a walk?" he said. "I don't like the way he's looking at you." He motioned towards the bar and to the new arrivals, where a guy with messy black hair sat staring at us. He was almost a total opposite of Evan when it came to how he was dressed—combat boots, slim pants, and a single silver ear piercing. I wouldn't be surprised if he had a full sleeve tattoo hiding beneath his bomber jacket.

"He does look… creepy," I answered.

"Walk?" Evan asked again.

"Sure."

Sanford was the oldest university in Dabney. No one could tell the exact date of its founding, but it was agreed that it was even older than the University of Bologna. The campus was nearly empty, save for some stray cats foraging for scraps. Evan and I were sitting on one of the concrete benches that lined the main plaza. A faint breeze rustled through the trees every now and then. I had my hands in my jacket pocket, and I was staring at my shoes. It's been a while since I last sat alone with a guy. Two years, from what I could recall. So, to be really honest? I didn't know how one should behave in situations such as this. Whatever this is.

Evan, on the other hand, was gazing towards the sky. As though there was nothing wrong with the silence.

"The façade is the only thing that's left of the original, you know" Evan said, startling me.

"Original?" I said, turning my head to look at him.

Evan was looking at the main building now. "The rest of the building is new," he added, gesturing in the air. "As time went by, they had to redo bits and pieces… strengthen weakened structures… until all that was left was the façade. And the grand staircase." Evan grinned at me, as if what he said was something that not every student knew.

"Oh, I see… but, doesn't everyone already know that?" I said, smirking. His smile faded.

"Not if you're new… You are new, right?"

"What do you mean new?" I asked, emphasizing on the word new with hand quotation marks. Although I already knew exactly what he meant, I just couldn't help it. For some reason, the flustered look on Evan's face made him look a lot cuter.

"I… I … My bad, I thought you were a freshman," Evan said.

That remark made me laugh. "First of all, thanks for the compliment. But, I'm not a freshman. You?"

"Same."

"Weird."

"What's weird?"

"You know my name, but you don't know if I'm a freshman or not. I mean, it's not like I have a reputation or something," I said.

"Well," Evan said. His face started to flush, and there was a change of pace in the rhythm of his heartbeat. That is, I thought I heard a change. I was never sure when it came to matters such as this. After all, having slightly heightened senses didn't necessarily mean I was always right. "You kinda have a reputation."

Of course. A small amount of the population of Sanford was sure to know who I was—the niece of the mayor of St. Ives, a large town at the south of Dabney. A small piece of me died. Maybe Evan wasn't interested in me, but in what I can do for him. Maybe he needed a favor, or someone who can pull some strings for him. That was the only reason most people who approached me and tried to make friends had. They approached me because their family needed favors. Truth is, Hayley was the only one who had befriended me without any hidden motives. That is why I still stick to her, regardless of how insensitive she could be as a friend.

I looked at Evan's face. Damn! Looks can be deceiving, indeed. I never imagined him to be a user. He didn't look the type. Suddenly, the night didn't seem so interesting.

"So, you're from St. Ives?" I asked. I was losing interest. All I wanted to do was leave.

Evan shook his head.

I raised an eyebrow. "Then how do you know who I am?"

My words seemed to surprise Evan. For a moment, he seemed confused. But then, once understanding dawned upon him, he smiled. "Isn't it obvious? That's because I think that you're a very pretty girl."

Stalker alert!

"You do?"

False alarm.

Evan nodded. I was shocked. Aside from my father, no one has ever told me that I was pretty, point-blank. Even my mother was careful, but she had her reasons. She wanted me to give in to my blood thirst, and let my true nature take over—that is, to be a full-fledged vampire. "It's the only way to be truly beautiful," my mother would always say. But my father had a different mind. He wanted me to enjoy my humanity for as long as I can. "Unless you're old or dying, do not give in," was what he would always say.

So, hearing someone compliment me about my looks was truly shocking. I was at a total loss as to what to do. Should I thank him with a wide grin? Or should I just nod my head and accept what he said in silence? Flustered, I decided to do both. It didn't end as well as I had planned. It seems that I grinned and nodded my head a little too vigorously — it looked like I was having a seizure.

"Are you okay?" Evan said with concern.

"Y-yes, I'm fine—HAHA! Don't mind me." Damn! I am such an i***t! I apologized and immediately told Evan about why I had started to act so weird. Of course, I had left out the part about my real identity.

"That's fine, really," Evan said, after I apologized for the hundredth time. "No harm done. You're adorable when you're nervous."

I managed to give a weak smile, though at the moment, all I wanted was to be swallowed whole by the ground. When the clock on top of the main building struck 9, we decided to head back to the party. Besides, Hayley might be looking for me.

"You'll come, won't you?" Evan said as we walked.

"What?"

"Tomorrow, three-thirty, you promised."

I had no idea what he was talking about. Was I too caught up in my own embarrassment that I had become deaf for a while? But still, I answered, "Yes. I promise."

Evan's lips curled into a smile; his eyes twinkled. It was difficult not to swoon. "It's a date, then," he said as we reached the door. I could hear the faint sound of the music playing from within. Was this the start of something new?

"It's a date."