For the next few weeks, Nick and Star began to get closer to one another. Andrew hated seeing them together because he wanted her back. She wouldn't even give him the time of day to speak.
She started hanging out with Nick outside of school at band practice and inviting him and the guys over to her apartment to hang out. She's become more open with Nick about her past. She feels significantly comfortable with him. She considers him a friend whom she can talk to.
He on the other hand feels almost an infatuation with her. He feels this need to protect her at all costs. He wasn't completely obsessed but he knew he would do whatever he had to to keep her safe. He yearned for her. What he felt for her was dangerous. It was dark, ravenous. He was so scared of what he could accidentally do to her if he gave into his hunger. He was keeping a deep and dark secret from her and he was terrified of what was going to happen if and when she found out.
–
Today was a new day of classes. Nick was quieter than usual and, of course, she took notice of it. Andrew couldn't take his eyes off of her as per usual. But today she had a very bad feeling.
"Class today I'm going to have you all work silently. Plus some headphones in or something. You all have a huge exam coming up that is worth half of your grade. Take this time to study and go over material you feel unsure about" their teacher says.
She plug her earbuds in when her phone buzzes.
Nick: I know I seem off today. I am slightly. But I want you to know that it's nothing about you. I'm still here for you. I'll still take you home after school. Just wanna be left alone in our classes.
Star: That's okay. Thank you for telling me.
Nick: Of course sweetheart.
She looks up at him to see him with his hood up and looking down into his lap. She could feel a deep regret coming off of him and it frightened her but it frightened her even more to be feeling it. She then began to wonder how she was feeling it off of him.
She goes to play with her necklace, given to her by her father when she was a baby. He had always told her she was special but chalked it up to a father loving his daughter. But she began to wonder if things were maybe not as they seemed.
"You can hear me, can't you?" she hears.
She looked around but it didn't seem like anyone was talking.
"You feel it, don't you?" she hears.
She looks around again and begins to feel as if she's losing her mind. She begins to feel her heart racing. Her condition was starting to really affect her. She begins feeling dizzy when Nick turns around and looks at her. He can feel her condition affecting her. She lays her hand over her heart as she struggles to breathe.
She raises her hand and her teacher sees her struggling to breathe. He knew what that meant and nodded her way. She hurries out of the classroom and into the hall. It was as the world was spinning in her vision.
She could barely hold herself up. She knew she was going to go down but she was fighting as hard as she could. She feels arms grab her and as she cautiously looks up the world around her goes dark as she slumps down in his arms. He could feel that she was weak but never knew she was sick. He carefully lowers her down to the ground. He leans against the wall and holds her in his arms.
"Come back to me, young one. It's going to be okay. You are strong. You have strength. You have courage. You have power" he says to her.
He hovers his hand over her chest then looks side to side to make sure there is no one watching him. He closes his eyes and channels his power into his hands. He transfers the energy to her causing her chest to glow orange. He then notices her necklace and furrows a brow. He knows the symbol. He knows who and what she is. He knows-
