Lost In The Night (On Hold)

The Official Meeting

As soon as we arrive home, I race upstairs into the shower, wanting the stench of the recently killed vampire gone. Adrian and I live alone, our parents having passed away about a year ago. Our parents were hunters as well, great ones at that. Unfortunately, they were caught in the middle of a vampire nest, they didn't stand a chance against all of them. Mom and dad did their best to kill as many as they could, but there were too many. Hunters have a secret organization commonly referred to as "the League", once our parents passed away and the mundane services found out, the League had to pull a few strings to cover things up. They also had to pull a few strings so that Adri and I wouldn't be sent to a foster home or anything until we turned eighteen. Hence why we're seventeen and fending for ourselves, with the occasional assistance from the League.

I close my eyes and revel in the feeling of the hot water running down my skin, only to be shocked when a pair of blue eyes swim behind my closed lids. I gasp and my eyes open instantly. I had forgotten about the strange vampire on the way home, but now everything comes flooding back. Piercing blue eyes, tousled light brown hair and slightly tanned skin, a posture that holds so much arrogance it'd make my eight grade Phys Ed teacher jealous. My mind reels and I begin to wonder why I didn't tell Adrian about the vampire when we were at the club, we would have dealt with him accordingly. Then I remember how I felt when I sensed the mystery vamp, it was different than when I normally sense a vampire, but I couldn't quite place how it felt and I still can't. It's then that I decide that I won't tell Adrian about this, because despite us being so close that we practically think with the same brain, this is something I need to figure out on my my own and I can't risk Adri telling the League about this.

Sighing, I shut of the shower and climb out. Quickly putting on some clothes I pull out my Chemistry homework and get started on it, my advanced hearing telling me that Adrian is blasting music through his headphones and fast asleep.

Putting away my, now finished, homework, I climb into bed where a fitful night of sleep awaits me.
---------------------------------------------------------
Adrian and I enter our Chemistry class, taking our seats next to each other. Before we can even begin to take our books out from our bags, our Chemistry teacher, Mr. Coles, walks in and claps his hands once.

"Good morning ladies and gents!" He booms, Mr. Coles is a fun teacher, he makes you like school for the duration of time that you have him. Except, what's said next makes me reconsider. "Today, a new seating plan is in place. I know, I know, you all like your lab partners. But I think it's a good idea to interact with people other than those in your work area. Also, we have a new student today. His name is Raphael Zantos, he should be here soon."

Just then, I feel the same feeling I felt at the club. No, it can't be him. But it is, he walks into the classroom and I see the same eyes, it's those eyes that I find the most unnerving. Our eyes lock in a silent battle, two bulls butting heads, and that same smirk crosses his face.

Mr. Coles proceeds to give out orders of who sits where, but I'm not listening, my central thought being the fact that a vampire is now attending the same school as Adrian and me. "And Raphael, your lab partner will be Cressida. Cressida, say hello to your new lab partner." I freeze, this is not happening. It's bad enough that that thing is in the same school as me, now he's my new lab partner?! I inwardly groan.

Raphael walks over and slides into the seat that was occupied by my brother moments ago. "Hello, Cressida." The way he says my name sends shivers down my spine. His voice is smooth as honey, but holds an undertone of daggers and ice. Now that I'm close to him, his scent wraps around me like a suffocating blanket. All vampires have a scent, some vampires are able to control their scent, with practice. That makes it harder for hunters to track them down, Raphael probably controlled his scent at the club. Vampires have to be old to control their scent, if my judgment serves me well, Raphael is very old. But now I can smell it, and it smells like things that mundanes wouldn't normally put a scent to. He smells like the dark of night, a cold, pitch black, foggy night. There is also a scent of seduction, danger, and the most prominent scent, death. Despite vampires technically being dead, the majority of their scents do not contain death, and even if they do, it's a faint scent. But this time, death stands out the most. I repress the urge to gulp, for the first time in a very long time, I am afraid. Everything about this vampire screams trouble, and I have a feeling I'm going to end up stuck in the middle of all that trouble.

With a start, I realize Raphael, if that's even his real name, is waiting for a reply. I clear my throat, "uh, hi." I glance over at Adrian who is now across the room, he is already looking at me. His posture tells me he knows what Raphael is, but his eyes ask me what the hell a vampire is doing at our school. I shrug slightly as way of telling him I have no idea, looking past Adrian I see his new lab partner is Stacey Ross. Stacey is practically drooling over Raphael, I catch her gaze and she glares at me. I scoff and glare right back. If she wants Raphael she can have him, I have no interest in him, I have no interest in any of his kind.

"So," Raphael's lips are right next to my ear and I jump slightly. "Are you going to help with today's work, or are you going glare at your brother's new partner all day?"

I scowl, "sorry, Raphael." I say his name with as much contempt I can muster, "I never expected I'd have to work with one of your kind, I guess I'll need some time to adjust."

Raphael arches an eyebrow at me, "one of my kind?" He chuckles, to someone who doesn't know what he is, that chuckle would almost seem warm and inviting. "Whatever could you mean by that?"

"You know what I mean, vampire." I hiss the last word and clench my hands in an effort to hold myself back from punching that cocky smirk right off of his face.

He only grins wider, "cutting right to the chase, are we little huntress? Alright, yes, I am a vampire and yes, I am currently in high school."

I roll my eyes, "what are you doing here, bloodsucker?"

"Would you believe me if I say I'm here to experience the joy of learning in the twenty-first century?"

"No."

"Alright fine, I'm here because I'm bored. I needed a change of scenery, I honestly don't care for the learning part, but hey, take what you get right?" He shrugs and turns around to look at the teacher as he answers a question on today's work, I follow suit, if I don't I may very well do something that gets me suspended.

Finally, class ends. I don't think I've ever been happier to get out of Mr. Coles' class before, but I needed to get away from Raphael.

Adrian and I fall into step beside each other as soon as class is over. Once we're sure nobody will overhear us, he says, "there's a vampire in our school."

"I know."

"And he's in our Chem class."

"I know."

"He's your new lab partner."

"I know."

"What are we going to do?"

"I don't know."

We stop walking and Adrian turns to me, "I mean, the obvious answer would be to kill him, right? That's what we're trained to do, it's obvious Raphael is full of trouble. Did you catch his scent back there? Of course you did, you sit right next to him. We need to kill him, the League will deal with the rest, but we have to kill him."

"Adri, I actually don't think we should kill him just yet." Adrian gives me an incredulous look.

"Cress, he's a vampire."

"I know, I know. But-" I cut myself off before I could get into explaining the encounter at the club. But it was too late, Adrian notices my hesitation and he pushes for answers. I sighed, knowing there was no getting out of it now. So I explain how I saw him at the club last night and how it felt different from when I normally sense a vampire. Adrian listens patiently and by the end of it, worry is written all over his face. He opens his mouth to say something, but I beat him to it. "Please don't tell the League, I don't know what this means, but I don't want it to mean I lose my status as a hunter. I don't want the League knowing about this, you know their methods of dealing with 'special' cases are questionable at times."

Adrian considers this for a moment, "alright, no telling the League. Just you and me, don't worry Cress. We're going to figure this out." I sigh in relief, silently hoping we can keep this covered up from the League until it all blows over.