Tangled Hearts.

~Chapter 7~

~Colby~

I walked into class that day, as usual, expecting to find my usual spot at the paired desks. The second seat today, however, was taken. It wasn't till I inhaled that I noticed something was different.

A scent, unfamiliar yet intoxicating, filled the air. Cashmere, Rain and vanilla. It was almost... alluring. But there was something else, something darker, lurking beneath the surface. The scent of vampire hit my nostrils, making me inhale sharply.

She was sitting there, at the desk next to mine. Silver eyes, framed by clear glasses, and a glow of light skin that seemed almost ethereal. Her brown copper hair was tied up in a messy bun, with two stray pieces framing her round face perfectly. Her lips were full and inviting, and her heart-shaped face was delicate and feminine. Her eyebrows were arched perfectly, completing the picture. Models don't do this girl justice. She was small, almost petite, and I knew I'd tower over her.

No way. There was no way a fucking vampire was sitting next to me right now. I fought the urge to shift, my blood boiling beneath my skin. I had to remain calm.

Exhaling deeply, I tried to focus on my book, fidgeting with my cartilage piercing. I hated that I found her attractive. She was my mortal enemy.

~Raelyn~

The bell rang, a harsh sound that echoed through the classroom. Colby slammed his book down on the desk, the force sending it sliding across the surface. His eyes met mine, and I flinched involuntarily. He leaned forward, his intense gaze pinning me to my seat. "I've got my eye on you... half dead," he said, his voice dripping with menace.

I couldn't breathe. His intimidation was palpable, his presence overwhelming. He yanked his backpack off the floor and stormed out of the room, leaving me trembling.

He knows.

The rest of the day was a blur. I tried to avoid him at all costs, but the feeling that I was being watched was constant. When the final bell rang, I made a beeline for the exit, hoping to lose him in the crowd.

"Think I lost him... finally," I breathed a sigh of relief. But then I felt it – a chill down my spine. I turned, my heart pounding.

"In a hurry there, little half dead?" Colby stood behind me, his smirk sending shivers down my back.

"Colby!" I gasped, turning to face him. "Would you quit calling me that?! Especially in public!" I hissed, my voice barely above a whisper.

He chuckled, his eyes glinting with amusement. "I'm sorry. Am I making you uncomfortable there, little bat?" he taunted.

I rolled my eyes, trying to remain calm. "That's even worse," I replied, crossing my arms.

"Alright, fair enough. You know my name. What's yours, fangs?" he asked, his tone laced with sarcasm.

"My name is Raelyn... not fangs," I said, my patience wearing thin.

I looked up at him, pleadingly. "Look, I don't want any trouble, okay?"

He crossed his arms and regarded me with a cold, calculating expression. "Why don't you start by telling me why all of a sudden you're at my campus. How many more of you are there?"

My heart sank. "It's just me. I just moved here and transferred to the school. I have no one else with me. I swear."

He scoffed. "Yeah right, I call bullshit on that."

"I'm being serious! Just leave me alone, Colby!" I shouted, my voice rising.

"Whatever. Where is your nest or coven or whatever it's called?" he demanded.

"Oh, bloody hell," I muttered under my breath as I rolled my eyes.

"I'm telling you now... I'm here by myself... just leave me alone, you bloke!" I shouted, my anger finally boiling over.

"Hey, watch it-" he threatened.

"Just stay out of my way, and we'll have no problems!" I yelled, turning on my heel and sprinting away.

~

It was about a 10-minute walk to my house nearby. I made it there in two. I would be here permanently for me and Blake's safety. I would of course visit my family when I could, or they would visit me. I guess this was a fresh start for me. It was refreshing but it was still so sad.

Sure, I made some new friends, but I still felt so alone, aside from Blake, I had no family here at all. I had never been away from my family like this...I was on the other side of the world, and I hated it. Everything was so different here. the weather, the energy, the style, the people.

I rolled my eyes. "I can't believe the nerve of that bloke." I sighed.

"Just breathe, remember, this your fresh start...you can do this." I said to myself.

I noticed Blake was asleep on the couch, so I took the opportunity to call my mom. I quietly tiptoed into my bedroom and shut the door, so I wouldn't wake Blake. I put the phone to my ear as I hugged my midsection and grabbed my upper arm. "Mom"?

"Raelyn? How was your first day"?

"It was ok." I said as I rolled my eyes thinking about the shitty day I just had, leaning on my side slightly.

"You sound upset; did something happen baby"?

"No, I just miss you and home." I said as I took a deep breath to keep myself from crying.

"I know, I'm sorry honey. You can call me any time you want baby."

"I know Mom." I said as i wiped a stray tear fell down my face.

" Are sure nothing else happened, none of the human kids gave you any shit, did they?"

I rolled my eyes thinking about Colby, trying to hold back my tears. "Well, they're all very welcoming..." I said sarcastically.

"Oh no, tell me all about it..." I sighed. "This is just gonna take some getting used to. Everything is just so different. And don't even get me started on the new times I woke up at six thinking it was 10:00 at night." I said with a chuckle.

She laughed. "It'll be ok baby, once you get the hang of it, you'll get into a routine in no time." I smiled.

She always knew exactly what I needed to hear. "Thanks mom."

"Ok baby, well I'll talk to you soon ok. I love you."

"Ok, love you too mom."

"Bye, love." She said as she hung up the phone. I started crying. Hearing her voice just made me even more devastated about the whole situation.

I then called Devyn as I started to break down in tears. I couldn't take it anymore. my voice trembled as she dialed Devyn's number, the afterimage of Colby's scorn still burning my mind. She answered immediately, as soon as she picked up, the words tumbled out, rushed and fragmented.

"Dev, it was awful," I choked out, the tears I had been holding back now streaming freely. Everything just came down at me all at once my dad, moving to LA, being away from my family, now Colby.

"Colby just cornered me after class, and he... he was so cruel." Devyn's voice crackled with concern and rising anger through the phone. "What did he say to you, Raelyn?"

"He called me half-dead, Dev. Like I'm just some sort of monster," I sobbed, the hurt evident in my voice.

"And it's not just him. There's so much going on back home, with the conflict in my town... It feels like it's all crashing down on me." There was a sharp intake of breath from Devyn.

"That ass! He has no right to treat you like that. You want me to go slap him for you? I know violence isn't the answer, but I feel like that may help." A small, watery chuckle broke through my sobs.

"Yeah, as if that would change anything. Thanks, though. It means a lot to have you and the girls on my side."

"Always, Raelyn. You'll get through this, okay? You're strong and a bad ass; remember that." Devyn's voice was firm, a rock for me to cling to amid the storm of my emotions.

"Thanks for taking to me D, I really appreciate you being here." I said as i sniffled.

"Of course, that's what friends are for, now, you just take the night off and relax with Blake, I'll deal with Colby's dumbass."

I sighed. "Thanks, Devyn, I'll talk to you later". "Ok, bye love." "Bye Devyn," I said as I hung up the phone and walked out of the room to check on him.

Blake saw me come out and ran up to me. "Aww hi handsome, how was your day"? I asked kneeling down to his level, hugging him.

"It was good! I missed you." I smiled. "How about we order some Italian for dinner then we can watch some movies, how about that love"? I asked excitedly.

I just need to relax tonight.

He nodded his head as I picked him up. "I'm gonna go get us some comfy clothes, you wanna find a movie for us to watch"? I asked. He nodded. Blake decided on the lion king. We both settled down on the couch and snuggled till we both fell asleep.