The Young and Gifted

87. predator and prey

Sebastian was right, most of the school was now talking about the odd relationship between the human and the vampire. Stephanie tried not be offended when they were labelled the 'Predator and Prey' couple because it was all fake.

Somehow, the thought of it unsettled her. What happened back at the kitchen and the lake didn't feel fake. Didn't feel fake at all. And she knew that she had shut down any advances Sebastian had made on her but the feeling only confused her. There was Landon, who she was madly in love with, and then there was Sebastian, who she felt an attraction towards.

She would have told Josie all about it but she would only enforce her previous statement on how things were getting dangerous. Stephanie sighed and sank into her bed. She reached for her cell phone and before she knew it, she was dialling her mother. "Hi, mom."

"Stephanie. I was actually just about to call you, how is everything over there?" Elena answered chirpily.

"Everything is...fine. I just wanted to ask," she mumbled as she toyed with a thread at the ends of her pillow. "When dad and Uncle Stefan were fighting over you, how did you know which one to chose?"

Stephanie could feel her mother frown through the phone. "What's this about?"

"There are two boys that I'm interested in and I'm not sure what to do." She avoided the context of the situation because her mother would have pulled her out of SBS immediately. Especially once she heard about the bleeding for the price of the fake relationship.

"I see," Elena clicked her tongue "When it comes down to picking between two guys, it's not about which one hurt you the most. I know, it sounds silly but it's true because we all hurt each other at some point. For example, even though your father was fighting over me, he still hurt me. But the moment I knew it was him...was when he picked himself over me. Sure, the concept of love is all sunshine and butterflies but it can be suffocating." The irony. "But that's different. For you, it's different because you're young. The best I can tell you is to listen to your heart, listen to your body. Does your skin crawl when he touches you?" Yes. "Are you lost in his eyes as he speaks or his mouth as he smiles?" Yes. "Is he with you in your dreams?" Yes. "The answer is to always listen to your body because she is the only one that's doing everything to keep you alive."

*

Stephanie sat at the Old Mill, admiring the sun and cotton-soft clouds, watching the tweeting birds fly around. When the floorboard creaked behind her she didn't feel threatened or scared. Instead she kept her gaze fixed on the painting of peace seated before her.

"You're angry," Sebastian stated so softly, she thought it was a whisper of wind.

Stephanie swallowed and her gaze dropped to her lap. These days it seemed she couldn't look him in the eye properly. "I'm confused."

He took a careful step forward. "About?" She didn't elaborate but he already knew what she was referring to. "What is it you want, Stephanie? Because I know I can't give what people like you always desire. You're better off pinning over your pretty boy." People like you.

She took a deep breath and turned her head to fully face him. Enough cowering, it was time to face the situation head-on. "You're not the monster I thought you were," she admitted, especially to herself.

"Cause all vampires are bad?" He huffed with a faint grin and sank in one of the couches idly.

"Not that. My parents used to be vampires so it's not that I was afraid of your kind. It's just...after you tried to feed on me that one time, you were the villain in my eyes. You saw someone who couldn't help themselves and you took the opportunity. But now I realize that it's your nature to...hurt people. But Ric wouldn't let you go to this school if it was serious so now that we are close, I trust you."

Sebastian clicked his tongue with reprimand. "I think we can both agree that this has gone too far. Landon seems unbothered and you're only confused. And the biggest red flag is that you trust me. Even if you know you'll always be food to me, even if you know I'll always be using you. We might have to--"

"Why?" She said abruptly, defensive even. "Why do care about what happens to me now?" He sighed and stood to his full height, making it his goal to leave. Stephanie scrambled up as well and stood in his path to prevent him. "Answer me. Because as far as I know, we're both in this."

He only blinked and stared down at her like she was a small butterfly on his sleeve. Stephanie didn't even flinch when his fingers brushed her cheek, pushing her hair behind her ear. "While yours is trust, my red flag is that I actually worry for you. Do the information what you like but if we keep going with this, you'll only end up hurt."

Stephanie rolled her eyes. "I've already been hurt."

"No, you haven't. Pain goes way beyond heartbreak and jealousy."

*

Stephanie massaged her temples, about to meet Josie for some tea. Josie said something about finals coming up and having to study really hard. Stephanie wasn't paying much attention to the text, she was too busy turning over what Sebastian had told her. Pain goes way beyond heartbreak and jealousy.

The girls met up and spent hours past night talking and reading. Josie shut her book when she noticed Stephanie biting her lip nervously for the 9th time within that hour. "You know what? I think you need closure."

Stephanie laughed. "From who?"

"Landon. He obviously doesn't know how to end a relationship if you're sacrificing this much for him," Josie explained as she pulled out her phone.

Stephanie's eyes widened with alert. "What are you doing?"

"Texting Hope to tell Landon that you want to talk to him."

Stephanie lunged forward to try and snatch the device from the witch's hand but it was too late, the ping of the sent message emitted from the device. "Josie! I don't want to talk to him, that would be weird."

"What, so you get into a dangerous 'fake' relationship with a vampire that asks you to bleed yourself every night to get Landon back but you won't talk to him because it'll be 'weird'?"

She shook her head. "Shut up. After what's been going on with Sebastian...I don't think I want to see Landon right now."

Josie's eyebrows rose with interest. "Oh?"

"I think I should accept the fact that Landon and Hope's story has been written in the stars since I was born. There was no getting in between, it's always been them. I'd be crazy to think I can get break that. Landon and I...we had our fun, we had our story," Stephanie explained, toying with her fingers. "But I don't need closure to move on from the past. And I'm done trying to sabotage their relationship. My father didn't teach me to be that type of person."

Josie smiled and pulled her into a warm hug. "I'm glad you've come to the light, Stephanie. But where does that leave you and Sebastian?"

"I..." she trailed off in thought. "I think I want to tell him how I feel."

"Even when he said he doesn't want a relationship?"

She nodded. "If he still doesn't want one, I'll stay away from the concept of men and finally focus on school."

Josie scrunched her nose. "Men are horrible, I'm glad I realized that when I was 15."

Stephanie only laughed as she sipped her tea.

~

"I've worked so hard to move on."

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