The Vanishing

Chapter 25

The main problem with our plan is the waiting. The waiting is excruciating. I stowed my necklace in my dresser when I got ready for class this morning. I was still tucking my white dress shirt into my blue plaid uniform skirt as my phone buzzed with an alert that I needed to head to class.

"Ah the last buzz of the morning." Nina chimed in.

"Sorry it's buzzing constantly, I'd never be anywhere on time without them." I said sheepishly.

She lifted her shoulders nonchalantly. "I only ever notice it when I'm already awake, so no worries."

I smiled. "I guess you would have told me by now if it was bugging you." I really need to stop overthinking.

"Oh yeah, you'd know." She said with a sly grin.
I chuckled as we both headed out into the hallway.

"I've never noticed how insanely bright your aura is." Nina remarked.
I tried not to cringe. "I feel like I'm going to get stared at all day."
She squeezed my arm a little. "Only by other supernaturals. Unless there's an Artemis Group member in our midst."
I gawked at her and she laughed so hard she snorted.

I saw Gemma heading up the hallway to greet us.
"Good morning." Gemma said with a bright smile.

As we fell into step with one another, Gemma and Nina started talking to each other about some TV show they're both obsessed with and I started to feel a bit like a third wheel. I wondered if there was more to their fast friendship than meets the eye. My stomach twisted at the thought of how much of my friends' lives I had missed while being so wrapped up in my own. We parted ways while they walked to class together.

As I walked alone to my first class, I started to get that feeling like someone was watching me. Looking around frantically, I searched the faces of students near me in the hallway. No one was watching me, I'm just being paranoid.

As Wyatt rounded the corner, my mood lifted considerably. He seemed to notice that as he smiled brightly at me and fell into step with me. "How are you this morning Weasley?" He said, taking a swig of his metallic smelling liquid inside his thermos. Sometimes I forget he's a vampire. He's just so normal.
"Just thinking. Worrying." I said wistfully.

"I know!" He sighed dramatically. Please tell me mind reading isn't one of his powers. My alarm must have shown on my face because he pointed to a spot between my eyebrows.

"Crinkle." He said.

"Excuse me?" I said, feeling a little self-conscious.

"Whenever you're worrying about something you get this crinkle between your eyebrows." He said. "There you go again!" He pointed out.
I couldn't help but laugh in exasperation as I realized I was powerless to my forehead crinkle.

"Much better." He remarked. "You know what you need?"

"What do I need?" I laughed.

"A day off!!" He exclaimed.

"Don't we all." I replied a little sadly. "But with my attendance and grades, I don't think I should."

"I'll help you catch up, and if not, I can just compel you good grades." He said.
I remembered vaguely that compulsion was some sort of weird vampire mind control.

"No you will not!" I whacked him in the arm and let out a frustrated huff.

"No frowning! For the rest of the day! Promise?" He said with a serious face.
"I promise." I had to laugh, the face he was making was just too good.
"Good." He said with a grin and grabbed me by the hand and took off running towards the parking lot.
I tried to keep up, but man he's fast!