My Fated Vampire Mate

7:00am - alarms blaring! ‘Shuuuuuuut uppppp!’ Kori groans as she turns over and smacks the clock. Punishment for daring to wake her like it does, every, dang, day! The audacity! ‘So close!’ she breathes out, turning on her back to stare at the dark ceiling, speckled with light that relentlessly pours from the small holes in her worn out curtains. She dissects the sun spots for a moment. Tracing the beams of light back to their source, watching tiny orbs of dust effortlessly float through them before closing her eyes and muttering, ‘three more!’ She sighs! ‘Three more days until I’m 18 and three more months til I’m outta here!’ Kori wasn’t particularly great at school but she knew that a full ride to any university was her only way out of this dead beat drowsy town and if you don’t get out while you’re young, you don’t get out, ever! She refuses to repeat her mother’s existence! Small towns like this don’t keep secrets, everyone knows everyone and your business is everyone’s business and our business… wasn’t business people liked. Kori takes a deep slow breath in, replaying the disgusted faces and cruel stares from her classmates. She winces at the thought of her pet name, ‘Kori the whorey.’ Not the most clever in her opinion, especially since she’s never even kissed a boy let alone slept with enough to garner the title w***e. But when your outsider, impoverished, nobody of a mother sleeps with the towns most well off, prominent family’s engaged son… yeah, it’s a hard reputation to shake. She breathes out sharply releasing the weight of this unfair life that had she had a choice in, she wouldn’t have chose! She forces a smile cuz well… there’s nothing she can do about it! ‘Oh well!’ She says as she sits up, flips her legs over the side of her bed, grabs her phone from the side table and promptly hits play on her WAKE UP playlist! She jumps in the shower, breaks it down and sings her heart out as she washes her hair. Her mom knocks on the bathroom door, ‘breakfasts ready, baby! It’s on the table!’ ‘Okay mom! Thanks! I’ll be out in a minute!’ Kori shouts towards the door and jumps back into her jam without skipping a beat! Her mom leans into the door for a moment. Listening to Kori sing and slip around on the tub floor. She giggles and breathes in the moment. She knows Kori’s leaving soon, probably for good. Parenting’s hard. She sighs! She hears Kori turn off the shower and the squealing bar as she grabs her towel! She lets out another bittersweet sigh and heads back to the kitchen. Kori drys off, flips her stupidly long, dirty blonde, wet wavey hair up in the towel and brushes her teeth! Her reflection staring back at her with soft blue-grey eyes, freckles and rosey cheeks. She looks at her oversized black Fleetwood Mac tee, her fave band and pouts for a moment as she silently curses the stupid school uniform she’s been forced to wear the last 4 years. Reluctantly, she slips into the nearly too small, well used, since grade 9 white button up shirt, black tie and black pleated skirt, she pulls up some plain white socks and puts on her scuffed up high top, old skool vans. At least she could wear whatever shoes she wanted. She doesn’t put on any make up, she doesn’t need to. Who’s she trying to impress? Plus, she’s effortlessly pretty but doesn’t even consider it. Shes just trying to survive and as quiet as possible for the next 3 months while she secures her scholarships. She lets her hair down from her towel, it’ll air dry into the perfect beach wave! Grabs her books, tosses them in her backpack and heads out to the kitchen. Sandra, Kori’s mom greets her happily, ‘Mornin’ baby girl!’ Sandra’s a little taller than Kori. Shes got bright blue eyes and a wise smile! She’s wearing her flowy taupe hippie pants, a tucked in white tang top and her similar care-free, long wavy hair, but dark brown was pulled back in a claw clip! She’s so stupid beautiful. There’s literally no guess work in why Seth Gray (the engaged nearly 18 year old boy) wanted her back then! Though the rumours say she seduced him… ‘yeah, right!’ Kori thinks to herself. ‘He 100% wanted her! Who wouldn’t?’ Kori learned at a young age it wasn’t up for discussion and she never pried. Kori smiles! ‘Mornin’ Mama! Sleep good?’ Sandra replies, ‘yeahhhhh, only got up twice to pee, it’s a new record!’ They both giggle! Sandra asks as she pulls Kori in for a side hug, ‘how’d you sleep?’ Kori embraces her back, ‘I slept good, mom!’ Their eyes meet and they smile! They touch foreheads quickly before both sitting down to eat! The kitchen was bathed in bright morning light, blinding and warm! It smelled like coffee, bacon and eggs, I could still hear the hot pan popping with grease! The oval cherrywood table always had a vase with fresh cut flowers, dead centre. Today, lavender and orange Californian poppies! Divine to see and smell! Kori smiles as she sits They chat about what they dreamed of that night as they ate together. Sandra asks, ‘so, what do you want for your birthday this year?’ Kori ponders for a moment and replies, ‘nothing mom! I got everything I need! Besides, God gave me you! What more could I ask for?’ Sandra’s eyes start to well up…Kori interjects pointing at her mom, ‘ok, no.. don’t start!’ She gets up from the table and quickly washes her dishes and says, ‘thanks for breakfast mom but I gotta go or I’ll be late!’ Sandra wipes her tears quickly and says, ‘alright my love!’ Sniffling, ‘give me some sugar!’ Kori kisses her mom on the cheek. Sandra smiles and Kori says, ‘Love you, mama!’ ‘Love you, too baby! Have a great day at school!’ Sandra replies. Kori looks back, smiles, waves goodbye and closes the door behind her. She pauses for a moment, still holding the closed front door knob, takes a deep breath as if putting on her armour, no doubt for the battle ground! She puts her headphones in, chooses The Chain by Fleetwood Mac and turns it up allllll the way. Darts her eyes down and starts the eternity like 10 minute walk to school. The Chain ends for the second time, She lifts her head and sees it. ‘Deep Hallow High School’ - ‘s**t…’ she says under her breath. ‘Here we go…’