DRAWN TO MY SIRED VAMPIRE

chapter two

DIANNE'S POV

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The following morning, I woke up still wrapped in Derek’s jacket. It smelled like him, that mix of fresh rain and something unknown, and my heart did an embarrassing little flip as I remembered our encounter. He had been so close, his eyes so intense, and I had no idea what to make of it.

I sighed and pushed the memory away. There was no point in getting my hopes up. Derek Knight was still the most untouchable guy on campus, and I was still... me.

I forced myself out of bed, trying to shake off the strange feeling. My room was small, with chipped paint on the walls and a single, cracked mirror above my dresser. It wasn’t much, but it was home.

I got ready for class, carefully folding Derek’s jacket and setting it on my chair. I had to return it to him somehow, though the thought made my stomach twist with nerves.

The day started out the same as always. People whispered and snickered as I walked through the halls, and I kept my head down, pretending not to hear. But there was one big difference: I could feel eyes on me, and this time, they weren’t just from the people who liked to make fun of me.

Derek was watching me.

It wasn’t obvious, and I probably wouldn’t have noticed if I hadn’t been so hyper-aware of him. But every time I looked up, he was there, leaning against a wall or walking a few steps behind me. He wasn’t smiling or even acknowledging me—just watching. It made my heart race and my mind spin with questions. Why was he paying so much attention to me now?

At lunch, I sat alone, picking at my food. The cafeteria buzzed with noise, and I tried to ignore Amanda and her friends at the next table. They were talking loudly about the new girl on campus, someone who had apparently turned heads the moment she arrived.

“She’s stunning,” Amanda was saying, her voice dripping with jealousy. “Like, unfairly beautiful. And she’s already friends with some of the most popular guys here.”

My curiosity got the better of me. A new girl? It wasn’t like anyone at Clifford University to make friends so quickly, especially with the popular crowd. But I pushed the thought aside. I had bigger things to worry about.

Then, as if on cue, the cafeteria door swung open, and a hush fell over the room. I turned, my breath catching in my throat.

She walked in with a confidence that made everyone else seem small. Her hair was long and dark, cascading over her shoulders like a waterfall, and her eyes… they seemed to glow, almost like jewels. Her skin was pale, almost translucent, and I felt a chill run down my spine.

I knew, deep down, that she wasn’t normal. She couldn’t be. She looked like she hadn't been aging a bit and her finger nails were incredibly long and shining.

And then she looked directly at me. Her lips curved into a smile that wasn’t friendly, and I felt my stomach drop. Something about her gaze felt... dangerous.

“Who’s that?” someone whispered behind me.

I didn’t have an answer. All I knew was that something had shifted. Something that made me feel like my world was about to change in ways I wasn’t ready for.

“Dianne,” a voice said, and I jumped, nearly spilling my drink. I looked up to see Derek standing beside me, his expression serious.

“Oh,” I stammered, my cheeks heating up. “H-Hi.”

He didn’t smile. Instead, he glanced toward the new girl, who was now talking to a group of popular students. “Be careful,” he said quietly.

My confusion must have shown on my face because he sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Stay away from her, okay? Just... trust me.”

I wanted to ask him why, but before I could, he walked away, leaving me more confused than ever. I glanced back at the new girl, who was laughing now, her teeth white and perfect. There was something unsettling about her laughter, something that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

The rest of the day was a blur. I kept replaying Derek’s warning in my mind, trying to make sense of it. Why would he care if I stayed away from her? And why did the new girl seem to notice me, even when I tried to blend into the background?

Later, as I made my way to my last class of the day, I found myself walking down an empty hallway. The air felt colder, and my footsteps echoed off the walls. I hugged my books tighter, a sense of unease creeping over me.

“Dianne.”

I froze. The voice was soft, almost musical, but it sent a shiver down my spine. Slowly, I turned around.

The new girl was standing there, her eyes locked onto mine. Up close, she was even more beautiful, but there was something wrong with her beauty, something too perfect. It felt... unnatural.

“You’re Dianne, right?” she asked, her lips curving into that same unsettling smile. She stepped closer, and I took an involuntary step back.

“Y-Yes,” I managed to say, my voice barely a whisper.

Her eyes narrowed, and for a moment, I thought I saw something dark flash in them, like shadows moving. “I’ve heard a lot about you,” she said. Her voice was still sweet, but there was an edge to it, like a warning. “I hope we can be... friends.”

I swallowed hard, not knowing what to say. Every instinct I had was telling me to run, but my feet felt frozen to the floor.

Before I could respond, she leaned in, her breath cold against my ear. “Stay out of my way,” she whispered. And then she was gone, disappearing down the hall like a shadow.

I stood there, my heart pounding, trying to make sense of what had just happened. My hands were trembling, and I felt like I might collapse. What was going on? And why did it feel like I was being pulled into something I didn’t understand?

It almost felt like I was caught in the middle of something I wasn't ready to find out.