Between Fangs & Claws

Chapter 2

Third POV

The next day, Ethan walked into school even more stressed than he was the day before. Last night, the dark skinned girl he ran into landed on his roof, he and Benny followed her after she hurriedly left, found out she was a rat-snatching vampire then had a run in with a party full of vampires.

As he walked down the hall, he stopped right before he ran into a blonde girl. She was around his height, but she's slouching so he was sure. When she turned around, he immediately recognized her.

"Hey, you're...um. I actually never got your name, but we were in gym together yesterday. Are you ok?" He asked in concern. The blonde girl went through a rollercoaster of emotions. First was the shock of someone being behind her. Then it was anxiety from it being someone she (vaguely) recognized and finally it was confusion when he asked her if she was OK.

"Um, yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." She muttered nervously. "That's great. Sorry I couldn't do more or stop those guys from..." He trailed off, not even sure if she remembered or wanted to remember. "It-it's fine. Really. Thanks for...ya know. Helping me." Ethan smiled and the blonde blushed. "No problem. Um, I'm Ethan. Nice to meet you." He held out his hand. "Erica." She said and shook his hand. Immediately cringing whe she realized just how sweaty her hands were.

Ethan didn't seem to mind though. That or he just didn't want to embarrass her which she was grateful for.

Ethan said that he had to get going and started walking away after telling her to have a good day and to be careful. She wanted to ask if he wanted hang out later, but the words died in her throat, making a weird choking sound come out. Ethan stopped snd turned back to her, worry on his face. She blushed and gave him a panicked wave before spinning on her heel and running off.

Ethan was walking to the cafeteria when he almost bumped into Erica. The other one. She looked stressed and panicked.

"Woah, sorry- are you ok?" He asked in worry, immediately backing up when she gave him a disgusted glare. "Why would I tell you, nerd?" She asked condescendingly. "Well, ok then. Never mind." He muttered and went to walk past her. However, she grabbed his arm. "But...if I were to tell you that I was stressed out. Feeling like I was moving a thousand miles a second in a car that had stopped in time...what would you say?" She asked quietly. Ethan looked at her and saw the vulnerability in her eyes.

"I'd tell you to just...take a moment. Take a seat and just...stop thinking." He suggested. "Stop thinking?" She asked incredulously. Ethan gently, yet firmly grabbed her biceps and guided her to the floor. "Hey, thus skirt--!"

"Shhh." Ethan interrupted, placing a finger over her lips while praying it was still there when he pulled his hand away. Erica looked up at him, eyes wide and face red. "Just. Stop. Thinking." He said. "Look at the lockers. The walls. The floors. Hell, look at me." He said patiently. "Just breathe. The future or what's going to happen, doesn't matter right now. What matters, is me. You. And now. Kay?" Erica nodded, staring into Ethan's eyes.

"Alright. Look. I don't know what...being a vampire is like. Obviously." He said. "But...being immortal. I imagine it's a very...stagnant feeling. Just...watching the world move on without you." He said, making Erica realize just how shitty this life might be. Yeah, she was beautiful, popular and confident now, but.

What about her parents? The rest of her family?

But she had friends now, right?

"I...I don't know what I could do to help, but you've got Sarah. She's a fledgling, yeah, but she's immortal too." Erica huffed. "Not for long. If she doesn't drink human blood soon, she'll die." She hissed angrily. Sarah has been the only friend she had for years. Even with her new ones, that didn't even care about her outside of her loyalty to Jesse and her fangs, she couldn't imagine going on without at least Sarah.

"We'll figure something out for her. I promise." He said with conviction. Erica looked at Ethan ready to argue, but she paused. There was so much determination in his eyes, she got jealous. How did Sarah get people to want to help her so much?

But Sarah's not here.

She is.

Ethan is telling her about this help.

Not Sarah.

"She'll stick with you. Even with how different you are." He said, a smile working it's on his face that made her feel comforted. "Promise?" Erica asked. "Promise. Now, come on." He grabbed her hands and helped her up. "Don't want your new friends seeing you with me, huh?" He joked. Erica laughed awkwardly. She knew they wouldn't agree unless she planned on turning him, but she didn't want him to leave. Not just yet.

"Yeah, right." She nodded, avoiding eye contact. "See ya later." He patted her arm and left her there. A, unfortunately familar, cold feeling taking the place of the warmth Ethan filled her with the further away he got.

Neither noticed another blonde named Erica looking at them from around the corner, a jealous expression on her face.