What Meets The Eye

Chapter Nine: What's Your Weakness

When Monday came around, I dreaded the thought of going to school. I didn't want to face Damian afterーthe incident. I just wanted to stay at the hospital with my mother. It was uncertain how much time she had left.

All weekend I thought about what happened with Damian. Sometimes I decided it was my fault and that I regretted not kissing him because I was sure that I liked him. Other parts of me argued that I still had feelings for Jason and that getting involved with Damian would just make things complicated. But if I didn't want a complicated life, then why was my life turning into one?

The one class I dreaded the most was History. It included Damian and Jason in the same class, both sitting extremely close to me.

Jason was fidgeting in his seat, his breathing rapid and his hands tangled in his hair. I eyed him out of the corner of my eye, concerned about his unusual behavior. Was something bothering him?

Damian sat silently behind me. I could feel a tingly sensation burning on the back of my head the entire class period.

"Are you alright, Mr. Stanley?" Mr. Rockwell asked, pausing from his presentation.

"Huh? What?" Jason panicked with nervous eyes.

"Are you alright? You seem a bitーon edge," Mr. Rockwell clarified.

"Yeah," Jason nodded vigorously, "I'm fine."

Mr. Rockwell nodded and returned to his presentation on Pearl Harbor's aftermath.

"Gwen," Damian whispered.

I turned to look at Damian behind me.

"You need to get out of here. Now," he instructed quietly.

"What? Why?"

He looked at me firmly. "Trust me," he nodded in Jason's direction.

I furrowed my eyebrows at him, confused. But I did trust him.

"Excuse me, Ms. Darkley and Mr. Montgomery? Is there something you'd like to share with the class?" he raised his eyebrows.

"UmーI have to pee," I said.

Mr. Rockwell stared at me. "Can you hold it for two minutes? That's all we have until class ends."

"No."

He took a deep breath and looked at the clock. "Fine. We're done for today. You are dismissed."

Damian then rushed me out of the classroom. I looked at him, wide eyed.

"It's Jason," he said.

"What about him?"

"He's... turning," he said tentatively.

"What do you mean?" I asked, concerned.

"He's transitioning into a vampire."

I stared at him as endless amounts of thoughts ran across my mind.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

He nodded. "He's not a vampire yet. It will take a day to fully turn him into a vampire. During this period you become agitated and everything seems larger than it actually is. People's voices echo through your head, just a small amount of light can be blinding, and your body feels like it's vibrating and you can't stop it... until you've finally transitioned. And from what it looks like... he's close."

"Does he know what's happening to him?" I asked.

Shaking his head, Damian said, "No, I don't think so."