Dark Secrets

Vampire Girl

I don't know why, but I was weirdly attracted to Cynthia Rose. She is extremely beautiful in her own exotic and unique way. She is like a dark shadow, trying to fade into the background but no quite managing it. None of my friends, however, agree with me. "Her? Hot? No way!" Laughs Tristan as he chews his macaroni cheese, flicking his blond hair out of his brown eyes. "Not hot" I sigh, stabbing at my food aimlessly with a plastic fork, "you know...mysterious". I wave my fork in the air to exaggerate my point, and as I do so, the piece of pasta that was loosely attached to my fork flies off and hits my other friend Angus in the eye. "Ouch" he jokes as he rubs the slimy piece of over-cooked cafeteria macaroni cheese out of his hazel eyes. "Anyway" Angus states as he flicks the stray piece of pasta onto the floor, "she's definitely not Ashleigh hot!"

 The other guys on our table, all other members of the football team, nod in agreement. Me and Tristan roll our eyes. The other guys on our table practically worship the stereotypical beauty of Ashleigh Stews, but me and Tristan actually base girls off their individuality and their personality! I know for a fact that Tristan has a crush on a girl called Sylvie Harris, a humorous member of the fangirl society, a girl who wears little make-up and comfy rather than super stylish clothing. Loose floaty shorts, band t-shirts, converse, nerd glasses and her long ombré hair in a loose plait that she is known for proudly stating as "inspired by the hunger games".

 Out of the corner of my eye I see a haze of black hurry along the back wall. I turn and see that it is Cynthia, clutching a navy blue notebook, her shoulders hunched over like she wants to disappear. And then the vultures notice her.

 One by one they get up from the nest at table 2 and creep slowly towards her, their talons of threats poised to strike. "Hey vampire girl" yells the leader Charlotte Maver as she strides jauntily towards Cynthia who's back is pressed hard against the wall. She knows what is coming.

 "Hey vampire girl" she repeats in her screechy voice, as if to check that Cynthia heard her. The cafeteria had fallen silent, ready for the daily attack of the Overland high vultures. "You finally come out of your cave?" Taunts Charlotte her greasy black hair whipping around her face as she laughs at her own joke. Her crowd of vultures shout jeers at Cynthia, targeting her dark attire, shy attitude and unique personality. I can no longer see Cynthia's face under the dark brown hair that surrounds it like a curtain. Her knuckles are white from clutching the notebook so tight. I noticed that she's shaking slightly, probably from fear. But when she looks up, her eyes so shaded by her hair that they look more sludge green than vibrant emerald, I see that she's shaking from anger. The way that she is standing, her hands clenched at her sides, her hair blowing in an invisible wind, sets a pulse of fear in my gut. I hear Charlotte gasp before a large shake rocks the cafeteria. Several girls squeal loudly and Katy Roth, always a drama queen, faints hard onto the floor. A large crack appears on the ground and snakes it's way along the length of two tables before it stops with a jerk.

 Cynthia jerks back and hits the wall as if hit by an invisible hand. She clasps her hands with their black chipping nails to her mouth, her eyes once again green and rapidly filling with glistening tears. She clasps her book to her chest and runs out of the cafeteria, tears streaming down her cheeks.

 And as if pulled by some invisible force...

 I follow her.