Chapter 5
I hurried to school after I finished doing what I had to do at home, but I was still late to my first class. Even Lance didn't make it to class on time--or second period, and his spontaneous disappearance really worried me. I couldn't explain how I felt about him, especially after last night when we went to Florida.
I kept trying to ignore the fact that I hadn't seen Lance in only a few hours, but the time ticked slowly by, making it feel like an eternity longer than Lance had lived. Noting seemed to take my mind off of him and how much I was falling for him.
I squirmed in my desk as the second hand ticked ten times slower than yesterday, and I tapped the desk and chewed ferociously on my gum, the entire class looking at me with crooked glances. Even my teacher had his eye closely on me and my nervous twitching.
"Chloe?" Nat whispered, kicking my boots, "What's with you today?"
"I-I'm worried about Lance," I clicked, snapping around to face her, "He hasn't been here all day, Nat!"
"He might be sick," She fidgeted with the ends of my soft, curled hair, "Just don't dwell on the bad stuff. He'll probably be here later. Ya never know."
"Ugh, Nat, but I miss him," I groaned, aggravated, "Plus, he was perfectly fine yesterday when we were--"
"When you what?" Her diabolical mind wheels were cranking up a bizarre fantasy, "What did you guys do?"
"Nothing," I waved her away, turning around to face the teacher, "Absolutely nothing."
"So when you say nothing," She poked my back with her sharp mechanical pencil, "Does that mean something I should know about?"
"Nooo," I teased her until the bell finally rang, releasing us to lunch, "And I'll see you later, Nat."
I shoved what little things I brought to class into my torn tote bag, and I made a quick getaway to the library, hoping that Lance might come and find me before I started to worry even more. With my luck, he wouldn't show up, leaving me to wonder about his safety, but I kept praying and hoping that he would meet me behind one of the many bookcases, just in case someone were to see us.
I rushed into the library, heading to the back of the library where hardly anyone went unless they needed to research a major project, and thankfully, all the major projects were yet to come, giving me the perfect opportunity to hide there for the rest of the school day-or at least for my lunch period.
"Psst."
I heard someone calling me from the far end of the reference section, and I got to my feet, grabbing a random book just in case it was a librarian or administrator. I didn't want to get caught skipping class-or should I say lunch. However, I soon noticed Lance's familiar face staring back at me from behind the bookcase.
"Lance!" I screamed in a hushed tone, "You had me so worried. I thought something terrible happened to you."
"I know," He circled around the bookcase to sit down on the floor, next to me, "I should have told you about this, but I didn't want you to worry too much."
"Well, I am worried," I paused a second to register what he had said, "Wait, what do you mean?"
I saw his face go a little paler than he usually was, "I-I have to leave soon."
"No, you can't. Why?"
"Because of Macey," He sighed, wrapping his arm around my waist, "She found that newspaper of me from years and years ago, and she's telling and showing everyone. Just to prove I'm a vampire."
"B-but I told Nathalie that it was just a coincidence, and I think she may have believed me," I whispered quieter, keeping an eye out for any wandering students, "Can't you just stay?"
"I'm so sorry, Chloe, but I have to leave, otherwise..."
"Otherwise what, Lance?"
I already knew his fate if he stayed, but I still wanted to go with him, even if that meant I had to give up my mortality for fangs and an urge for blood.
"They'll kill me," He mouthed, letting a soft sound come from his mouth, "I can't let that happen to me. I can't let that happen to us."
"Then take me with you, Lance," I demanded, gripping his hands in mine, "Turn me into a vampire so we can be together. Forever."
