Not Even Human

Chapter One

It had been my fourth kill that week, and Mr. Fernandez was getting tired of the excuses. Usually, I only fed twice a week, but when I saw people in trouble, it was like my body acted before I could even think about it. He wasn’t taking it this time, though. That was last month.

Now he decided to locate me in another city for the second time this year, as if the first transition wasn’t annoying enough. Was it legal to make as many transfers as he did during his police career?

Sometimes I wondered if he was actually a detective, but we never got into his personal life no matter how I pried. He would just help me out everywhere I went, rent me a place, enroll me in school, and leave me alone. Right now, however, he was driving me towards my new place. Technically his, but he always insisted it was mine.

I looked at him, feeling defeated as he didn’t even look back. He always got really mad whenever I started being conspicuous, but I couldn’t help it. If someone needed help, and I had the power for it, shouldn’t I help them?

“I’m sorry, okay?”

“Don’t say something you don’t mean.” I winced at his harsh tone, and I sighed.

“Okay, yeah. I don’t mean it, but I don’t want you to be ignoring me-“

“I’m literally driving you to the new apartment-“

“Yeah, but you’re not speaking to me. You didn’t even say hello to me, which is kind of rude.”

“What’s rude is that you keep jeopardizing where we live. My family can’t take this much movement-“

I perked up. This wasn’t the first time he’s mentioned his family, but I always loved hearing what I could about them. From what I gathered, he has an angel of a daughter, and a wife that makes him crazy.

“-I mean, this is the second time this year. My daughter had very good friends back where we were. And you killing anybody that does bad is really annoying, not to mention, bad.”

“I got justice for people-“

“No, you got vengeance. It’s different-“

“What’s the difference then?”

“Vengeance is how you took the law into your own hands, you killed him for his actions. You fought fire with fire. Justice, however, is when his punishment is decided by the government system. That is justice-“

“But justice doesn’t always work. You know what just as much as I do. There’s so many problems in the human’s government, especially with racism, sexism and homophobia. Not to mention, innocence until proven guilty can be really faulty when everyone knows the person is guilty already. People get small sentences, they get let out on bail, etcetera. I solved it for them, they should thank me.”

“Oh please-“

“The victims certainly do.”

He shook his head with a sigh, “Let’s just agree to disagree, okay?”

I laughed, “I’m right, and you know it.”

“I thought we agreed to disagree, Kimberly.” His tone had an edge to it, and I knew it was time to move onto another subject.

I looked out the window as we crossed the bridge, towards the city. I looked it up the minute he told me the name, ‘Jade City’. There were a lot of different myths and legends of who first settled the place, but no confirmations on it. The city resided on a large island just outside of New Hampshire.

“This is the final straw, Kim. I can’t just up and move, anymore. Not because of you or your…”

I glared at him, almost daring him to mention it. He sighed, “I need this to be different. We need this to be different. Okay?”

I nodded, “Okay. I’ll stay under the radar, not draw attention, all of it.”

We passed the sign that welcomed us into the city, and I gave him a raised brow. “So what’s my name this time?”

“Well, he’s only found you twice before. And we did use different names then, too. I was thinking maybe hide you in plain sight, use your actual name.”

“Mm. Not my last name, though, of course.”

“Of course. It’s Kimberly Fernandez now.”

I smiled on the inside, but made my face stoic. “Sounds good.” I felt proud to wear his last name, even ecstatic. “So, anything else I should know?”

We made our way to the downtown of the city, and pulled up to the most plain apartments I’ve ever seen. I looked at him confused, “Seriously? This is-“

“I know. But it’s what we have for now.”

I nodded, restraining my sarcastic tone once he gave me a slight glare. I knew I was pushing my luck, moving was expensive after all. I should be grateful, even though I kind of wasn’t. I got out of the passenger seat and met him at the trunk. There were a couple boxes of clothes, makeup, jewelry, dishes, and a few other decorative items I’ve collected. All the necessities.

I picked the heaviest box; dishes, while Mr. Fernandez picked up the box of clothes. I smirked, and he glared. “You’re not human. Doesn’t count.”

We climbed up a set of stairs, and I followed him into apartment number one-hundred and twenty-four. I set down the box on the kitchen island, and looked around. There was a decent sized kitchen, a living room, and an open wall to the bedroom. The only closed off room was the bathroom, which was kind of annoying, but I didn’t mind too much. At least it was somewhat spacious.

“Decent. Comes with furniture. The flatscreen isn’t too bad either.”

“Yeah.” The bed looked old, I would need to replace the sheets. “Thanks again, Mr. Fernandez.”

“Of course.”

We went downstairs again, and got the rest of the boxes. He set the décor box down and huffed, “Well. That’s it for me. How much money do you think you’ll need for groceries?”

I hummed, thinking to myself for a second. The basics were milk, eggs, bacon, cereal, ham, poultry, ramen, fruits, snacks. I gave him a skeptical look, “How much are you willing to give?”

He sighed, “Two-fifty it is. And an extra hundred for other things you’ll need around here. Sound good?"

I nodded, “Yeah, that sounds fine.”

“Want a ride to the store and back before I go home?”

I internally debated, on one hand it’d be nice to walk around by myself and get to know the city, but how was I supposed to get around with all the groceries I needed to get?

“Sure. Unless you’d let me borrow your car-“

“Yeah, no. Not happening.”

“To the grocery store it is then.”

He waited in the car while I went to go get my food from the marketplace. I was making my way to the front when I saw the cutest plant from the plant selection. I went over, gasping as I observed it closer. It was a beautiful little orchid, just barely blooming out of its small stem.

“Pretty, isn’t it?” I looked over, startled to see a guy standing a couple feet away from me. He looked to be a little older, with shades that covered his eyes, and the crop top he wore showed off his abdomen. His sweatpants actually looked nice on him, and I restricted myself to look at his face so I don’t look like I’m checking him out. His hair was a dark chocolate, almost black, curly, and only made him more attractive. He stepped closer, and his cologne actually smelled nice, subtle, unlike others around my age that smothered it on. “I, myself, prefer succulents. But I still get flowers sometimes.”

I picked up the plant, drumming my fingers along the pot as I spoke. “I don’t always find a lot of other plant connoisseurs. What’s your favorite type of succulent?”

“Cacti, of course. Some people don’t understand them a lot, but if you keep at it, it pays off. Especially when they bloom.” He smirked, his lips caught my attention for a second before he continued, “They’re beautiful.”

I scoffed and smiled, “I bet you say that to all the girls.”

“Maybe.” His smirk turned into into a smile.

“Your accent, is it…” I trailed off, unsure.

“British. Yeah. A little. I stayed there for a while when I was younger, though I’m originally from here.”

“Ah, yeah. I get that, I’ve moved around a lot too.” I suddenly remembered Fernandez, and cursed mentally knowing he’d complain about my taking too long. “Um, I have to go. But it was nice meeting you.”

“Likewise.”

I extended my hand, and he took it. It felt different, and I stared up at him in awe. It was like he was the same temperature as me, though most humans weren’t. In my experience, I was always too cold. I immediately took my hand away, and put the pot in the cart. I practically ran to the cashier, and then to the lot. I felt freaked out, did he notice my hesitance? Did he think I was a freak? Did it matter? I probably wouldn’t see him again anyways. Was he like me? No, impossible. No one was like me.

In other cities I used to live in, I would come across people that were like me, but they ended up being very territorial. Every time I crossed paths with one, vampires were what I suspected, they’d try to kill me. None were strong enough to get the job done, but it was still annoying. I could never get the answers I wanted, the answers I needed. Was I one of them? Most likely, but how did I know for sure? I wasn’t going to take a chance with this guy.

I packed the groceries from the cart into the trunk with the help of Mr. Fernandez, but he noticed my silent panic.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

I closed the trunk with a sigh, “Nothing. Just anxious for tomorrow. High school can be a lot of work, and I’m not ready for that.”

“Sounds tough. How ever will you survive?” His monotone voice earned him a glare. He rolled his eyes as he sat in the driver’s seat, and I joined him with the plant in my lap.

I shook my head, “Just drive me to the apartment, please.”

“Yeah.”

He helped me get the groceries down with ease, and I placed the plant right by the window sill. It’s color in the petals looked even more beautiful with the sunset, I grinned at Fernandez.

“Isn’t it pretty?”

“Yeah. Okay, so, tomorrow you have school. Seven in the morning, be on time. And join a sport.”

I rolled my eyes, “That’ll happen. Which one?”

“Mm.” He drummed his index finger against his chin in thought, then laughed. “How about cheerleading?”

“You think that’s funny?”

“You’re joining cheerleading. It’s official.”

I frowned, “Fine, only if you come to the games.”

He ignored me as he opened the door, “Sunday as usual?”

I nodded, “Yeah, sounds like a plan.”

He patted my shoulder, “See you then.”

As he left, I went to unpacking and putting away the groceries. It took awhile, but the apartment felt more comfortable now. I even changed the sheets on the bed, they were a lot more colorful and cleaner. I collapsed on the bed, and started scrolling through a website to find a job. I still had two-hundred and fifty dollars left of what Fernandez gave me, and I wanted to make more for other things. I wanted to be able to purchase more items for entertainment, because who would honestly expect me to do schoolwork? After an hour, I had already applied to a couple places nearby, and I felt accomplished for a change. I got up, deciding to change into something comfortable before watching television and inevitably falling asleep.

I woke up as soon as the sun arose, extremely early, but I was used to it. I stood on the shower as the hot water hit my back, and I wondered who I’d be this time. Fernandez never forced me to join a sport before, but now I’d have to. And with my age, I’d have to be good at it too. Would they peg me as some stereotypical cheerleader type? I had agility thanks to my supernatural genes, so I could do it, no problem. What was the problem was the annoying teenagers that were cheerleaders. I’m sure they were great people, but personally, they were just too loud for my type of personality. Too outgoing, I’d rather stay inside and eat ice cream all day. They’d ask questions, as anyone would, about where I come from and what I do. Why do I live alone, and how do I have enough money to sustain myself?

I shook my head as I turned off the water, and got ready for the day. I put the lotion and sunscreen on, knowing it would help with the sun. My skin was sensitive, and I knew if I didn’t put the sunscreen on today, I would regret it tomorrow. I put on my undergarments, my black ripped shorts, my crop top undershirt, an unbuttoned and baggy flannel rolled up to my elbows,I looked in the mirror, and carefully dried my hair with the towel so as to not get its coily features frizzy. Originally, my hair was black, but now it was dyed orange which I thought was a nice blend with my skin. I chuckled to myself when I remembered Fernandez’s horrified face, he looked as if he had seen a ghost. I looked emo with the black nail polish, but I shrugged it off. I sprayed some fruity perfume on me, and relished in the delicious scent. Cheerleaders could wear black nail polish too, it was a free world.

I huffed when I couldn’t remember where I put my backpack. A simplistic black backpack with patches I sewed on, the patches were about my favorite shows and characters, and I loved the thing like it was my child.

It was in the closet. I grabbed my sunglasses just in case the sun hurt my eyes more than usual.

I grabbed two pop-tart bags before heading out the door with my phone and house keys in hand. I had a standard anime key-chain, which I kept the keys of all my past apartments. Kind of weird, but they changed the locks everytime I left anyways, so it was more like a souvenir. I would change my name every year, even college would be the same. I wondered what would happen afterwards, would I have to change my name forever?

I shook my head, walking out of the apartment complex completely. It was fresh outside, and I could see some adults that I passed on the sidewalk look at me weird. Huh, maybe it was the fact that I wasn’t human and the cold was normal for me. Oh, I was wearing shorts and a crop top, and they thought it was weird, so it must be really cold for them. My eyes practically burned, and I groaned as I put my sunglasses on. I probably looked stoned off my ass.

The highschool was only a couple blocks away, which was more convenient, and I stopped for a latte on the way. It was tasty, but maybe it wasn’t worth the five bucks. I took a sip, then decided it was, in fact, worth the five bucks.

I got there thirty minutes before seven, so I was a little early, which was actually okay. It was extra time for me to get to know the school. I ignored the stares from the other students, probably curious and bewildered about the new student who didn’t feel the cold. I was looking for the signs to the front office, but I couldn’t find anything, I just kept getting lost.

I ended up by some lockers, and cursed under my breath. Someone tapped my shoulder, and I fought against my instinct to bare my fangs at them. I turned around, gritting my teeth with my mouth closed, so as to not follow my instincts, and I widened my eyes in surprise.

It was a guy with light pink hair, and the pinkest lips. I could see his blonde roots peaking out, his bangs clipped back with red clips. He had a white tee with fishnet gloves and black skinny jeans. His shoes were converse, wore sunglasses as well, and I could tell I would like him immediately.

He laughed, and his voice sounded melodic to me. He was adorable, and for some reason, I wanted to adopt him on the spot. “You look lost.”

“I really am.” I begrudgingly admitted, “I’ve been looking for the front office so I can register, but it seems like every turn I make is a bad one, so…”

“Oh, you’re new.” I nodded, feeling a little flushed. People weren’t usually this nice to me, and they never really usually approached me. I really appreciated it though. “And you’re like, super pretty.”

“Thanks.” I chuckled, wondering if he was flirting or not. I personally thought he was too adorable.

“Oh so you agree?” I gave him a confused expression, “You think you’re really pretty.”

I laughed, “Is that supposed to be a ‘Mean Girls’ reference?”

“Heh, yeah. Most people don’t get that on the first try, but I can tell you’re cultured.”

“Yeah, it’s one of the most iconic movies. Obviously.”

“Obviously.” He extended his hand with a grin, “My name’s Nico. How about you?"

“Kim.” I shook his hand and smiled, “What year are you in?”

“Junior. You?”

“Senior.”

“Nice. Okay, so let’s see about that office.” We chuckled, still a little awkward from meeting for the first time. “So this is the locker hallway, obviously. Down here are most of the classes, but if you follow me towards the front of the school, you’ll see the administration offices.”

“Ah. I see, so I’m just an idiot.”

“Maybe a little.” I rolled my eyes, and he laughed. “Maybe afterwards we can see if we have some classes together.”

“Yeah, that sounds cool.” I say as I slowly walk away from him and towards the front office door. I open it and walk in to see the receptionist typing away at her computer.

“Um, excuse me?” My voice felt small. Why was I so nervous to inconvenience her? She raised an eyebrow, and I gave her a sheepish smile. “Hi. So today’s my first day-“

“Kimberly Fernandez.” She hit a few buttons on the computer causing a mechanical whir from behind her, and sighed before continuing and grabbing the paper that was just printed out, “Here’s your class schedule, and here’s your standard issue class calendar. Above is your student I.D. Number, and you need a student picture for your student I.D. I’ll call the student tour guide here, and we’ll take a picture now-“

“Wait, what-“

“Smile.”

She held up a black device, and I blinked in surprise as it flashed before my eyes. If I hadn’t had my sunglasses on it would’ve blinded me, then I realized how I must’ve looked to her; like a stoner reject. Eh, wasn’t that bad.

The slam on the desk startled me again, as I saw it was just the calendar notebook, I frowned. She seemed bored with me, and I suddenly felt like I was intruding.

“You can get your textbooks at the library in between classes, at lunch, and after school. You can come in at lunch for your student I.D.”

“That’s it?” I scoffed, acting as if it wasn't a lot to take in. It was a little bit quicker than I was used to for sure, but I didn’t mind. It was the same old, same old. She narrowed her eyes at me and I grinned at her annoyance before turning and leaving the office.

I saw Nico standing outside against the wall and on his phone. I hesitantly approached him, he looked up and I waved my calendar book in an attempt to start a conversation as I smiled.

“I’m all set.”

“Can I take a look?” He said, and I nodded. “Ah, you have first period with Mr. Damocles. And Charlotte is in there too, I’ll introduce you guys.”

“She sounds nice.”

“She’s actually too nice. A little of a pushover, if I’m being honest.” He looked panicked all of a sudden, “Not that I want you to take advantage. I don’t know why I said that-“

I laughed, “Don’t worry, I’m not like that. I’m as honest as they come.”

He raised an eyebrow, but stayed silent. Did he know something? Was I too obvious?

“Anyways, what do you think of the school? Your first impression?”

“Regular, I guess. I’ve only been here for, like, ten minutes.”

“Well, yeah.” He started walking and I followed, “Let me know later, but for now, it’s almost class time.”

It was my turn to raise an eyebrow, “Really? I mean, you barely know me.”

“Well, how do I know if you’re worth getting to know if I don’t get to know you?” He made a left, so did I.

I chuckled, “I guess I’ve just never really met someone so hospitable.”

“I’m honored to be your first,” He stopped beside an open door as students fluttered inside, and I assumed it was my classroom.

I smiled, “Thanks again.” I was about to walk in before I stopped myself, and mentally cursed Fernandez. “Oh, by the way, do you know if cheerleader tryouts are happening anytime soon?”

Nico looked taken aback and I shrugged, “The folks are forcing it on me. Something about fitting in or something.”

“Ah. Wish I could help with that, but I’m not that good with parents.” I rolled my eyes as he spoke, “It’s not like you could lie or anything.”

I frowned. He chuckled, “No judgement, it’s just that some people in that club think they’re elite or something.”

“Maybe I can spice it up."

“I’d like to see you try.” I narrowed my eyes and he lowered his sunglasses, as if saying ‘Seriously?’ I didn’t waver, and he sighed. “There are cheerleader tryouts after school in the gymnasium.”

“Thank you,” I preen, being grateful he told me even though he thought it was a bad idea. I wondered if he was scared for them or for me, but it wasn’t easy for me to bend my will to others. I was too stubborn, that was what Fernandez would say at least.

I didn’t get to know Charlotte. Students here were the same as they were in other schools. It was their nature, in their instincts to be afraid of me. Or at the very least, intimidated. So of course, none of them approached me whatsoever besides Nico, who hadn't been scared in the slightest. He helped me to every class, and even went with me to the library to get my books in between classes. He was very helpful in navigating the hallways, and I memorized the paths quickly.

Lunch came, but I never had much of an appetite for what they sold, if that could be called food. Out of all human foods, what I detested the most was the ones they’d give for lunch at schools. I would much rather eat the snacks and drinks from the vending machine, especially since they didn’t affect my body as drastically as they did for the humans. Yes, I could put on and lose weight, but it would be solved with exercise easily. But then again, humans couldn’t exercise like me. My endurance and strength was greater, so I could go on for far longer.

I used my money to buy some chips and a drink out of a vending machine just outside of the cafeteria, as well as some cookies; the lemon kind. I looked around for Nico, and saw him sitting with a group of people, presumably his friends. I wondered if he’d want me to go over…

I shook my head. I’d barely just met him, new friend or not, it’d be rude to just suddenly invade his life uninvited. I turned to leave the cafeteria when I bumped into someone, and I gasped when I saw a girl with spaghetti thrown into her shirt. Her ebony eyes glared into mine as I heard her shriek, “What is wrong with you?!”

I could feel everyone’s eyes on us, on the situation. I wanted to move, but I was paralyzed by her. Not because she was yelling at me in front of everyone, nor because I felt bad, but because she was so beautiful. Her creamy mocha skin, her lashes, her glossy lips, the crease in her eyebrows, all of it entranced me. My eyes seemed to travel on their own, down her slender and attractive body. I scolded myself for objectifying her, and refocused on what was going on at the moment. She was still yelling at me.

“Are you even listening to me?!” Her teeth were pearly white, which only made her lips look all the more alluring.

I sighed, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bump into you. I was distracted-“

“You need to watch where you’re going. I mean, do you know how much I loved this outfit?” She looked down, wiping off the spaghetti completely and onto the floor. I immediately bent down at her harsh tone to clean the mess onto the tray, setting my snacks aside, not really minding if my hands were dirty.

“I’ll replace it if you’d like-“

“No thanks. Next time, don’t be distracted.” She turned around in a huff, glancing around before leaving the cafeteria completely. I saw someone run after her and I contemplated doing the same, but then realized it might aggravate her more. I looked around, seeing a sink on the wall and went over to rinse my hands. Tomato sauce and bits of meat weren’t exactly appealing to me at the moment.

“Forgot your snacks.”

“I was going to go back, but thanks for saving me the trouble of walking a whole of five steps,” I say as I grin, looking up to see Nico.

“I accept your crappy thanks. So, how’d you like the b***h?”

“And why is she called that?” I frowned, not liking how she was being called that. Was it because she was a woman? Because she knew what she wanted and had an assessing quality?

“Because even I couldn’t be friends with her. I mean, I get some people don’t always click, but she downright just didn’t like me. She didn’t even try to get to know me.”

“I sense you don’t handle rejection well.”

“I tried for weeks, but she just wouldn’t budge.” I laughed, and he scowled at me finding humor in this. “I’m glad you find it funny. Wanna know something else that’s funny?”

I raised an eyebrow at his teasing tone, and his scowl turned into a grin.

“She’s the head cheerleader.”

“No.” I gasped, knowing I would have no shot no. Would she reject me without seeing my skills? Could she be petty? Does she think I’m ugly?

“Well, technically she can’t just say no. Three cheerleaders, including the head, judge if you’re good enough for it. But I have a feeling she’ll influence them…”

“Ugh.” I bit my lip, “Can I be honest with you?”

His eyebrows furrowed, “Shoot.”

“I totally had a bi-panic right there.”

“Yeah, she’s really pretty.”

“Would you mind being there to support me, if you’re not busy?”

He contemplated for a second before shaking his head, “Sorry, no can do. I’ve got plans.”

“I guess it can’t be that bad,” I say as I take back my snacks with my now clean hands. He chuckled at my enthusiasm, and I frowned as I followed him over to the table. What was the worst that could happen anyways?