Blood Run

Chapter 1

One week from today is the Blood Test. It's what we've been waiting for since we were young, the day we find out one of three things. One; we are free to live the rest of our lives without worry, two; we may be able to live, but the constant threat of death will always be hanging over you, or three; the first 16 years of our life were a total and complete waste.

Our blood type remains unknown and until the first of February of our sixteenth year, and now it is only one week from today when I will discover my fate. And not only me.

"Noah," I greeted the boy on the other side of the open door. His hands were tucked into the pockets of his khakis, and his brown hair was messy, as always.

"Hey," he said, walking into my house.

"What's up?" I asked, gesturing for him to follow me into the living room. I sat on the love seat, while Noah spread out on the couch.

"Took Isabelle for lunch at Addy's. She didn't like the club sandwich, which makes me question her taste."

"She doesn't like Addy's club sandwich? She must be crazier than I thought," I chuckled.

"Ahh, she's not that bad, Autumn."

"Noah, anyone that doesn't like Addy's club has to be crazy. We've been eating those since we came out of the womb." He gagged a bit at the last part.

"Can't deny that." The front door opened.

"Autumn?"

"Hey Willy," I called. "How was work?" I heard a small grunt.

"I promise you, Autumn, one day I will quit that bloody store," my brother vowed, walking into the living room. Noah sat up, making room for William to sit beside him. He sat down, shaking his head.

"I know, Willy. And I can get a job after next week too," I reminded him. If all goes well, I added in my head.

"I know, I know. Anyway," he said, his tone suddenly light, "what have you lovebirds been up to?" Lovebirds. That's always been William's name for us. Since Noah and I got "married" in his tree house when we were five. Even after Noah and Isabelle started dating, he kept the nickname. It used to bother me, but not anymore. Noah is my best friend, and I do love him, even if not in the way Will likes to think. Noah's my second brother.

"Noah just came over after his date."

"Isabelle Marie still?" William said, dread dripping from his voice.

"William," I cautioned, knowing how he felt about about her. How we felt about her. Lets just say we're not Isabelle's biggest fans, or fans of her dating Noah. At least I'm better at hiding it.

"It's fine, Autie, honestly," said Noah.

"But it's not fine!" William yells out. "She is a jerk! She doesn't like Autumn or me, and we are closer to you than she is. She treats us terribly and you still have puppy eyes for her!"

William was right... I'm just not willing to say that. Except maybe the puppy eyes- I can tell Noah thinks she's attractive (no boy couldn't), but he doesn't drool over her. The urge to mention the fact that Noah seemed to barely like her as a person threatened to spill like poison out of my mouth. I know there must be a reason that he's dating her. More than the fact that she's practically a supermodel. I've known Noah my entire life, and he's a really good guy. He's only had an actual girlfriend once before, when we were fifteen, a girl named Madison, and she was amazing; nice, respectful, smart, pretty, and funny, everything I thought Noah loved, and I still don't understand why he broke up with her. The point is that Noah has always liked good people, and this Isabelle thing came randomly a few months ago. There's a bigger reason. Me, I've never had much luck with guys, and with my average looks, Noah's always been the heartthrob, not me.

"Willy, that's Noah's girlfriend."

"It's Will or William. When will you stop calling me that stupid nickname?! I hate it Autumn, and you know that!"
I've always called him Willy. It's just the nickname I gave him when I was learning to talk, and I think it's cute. I'm never going to stop calling him that.

"In a week I might not be around to call you anything anymore, so enjoy it while it lasts Willy," I know that's a low blow, but it's true.

"Anyways, back to the conversation of Isabelle and I, Autumn, really. It's fine. I get it. Izzy's an acquired taste," he said calmly, giving me a small smile that I matched. 

"Sorry," I mouthed at Noah. He gave a small shake of his head, as if to say don't worry about it.

William stood up. "I'll go start dinner. You staying, Avery?" Will only calls Noah by his last name when he's mad.

"Please," Noah answered.

Once William was out of earshot, I crossed the room to sit on the couch beside Noah.

"The test is a week from today," I said blandly

"Yup."

"Does Isabelle have any ideas about what she'll be?" I asked.

"She comes from mostly Common bloods. She should be safe." I sigh, though I'm not totally sure why.

"Yeah. I told her that I might not make it. Said that we have everything in my family. It didn't seem to bother her much." Noah and I both have similar heritages. A bit of everything; some Common bloods, some Mixed bloods, and the Rare bloods... I suppose most Rares never live to have children, but the gene is still carried through the surviving Mixed bloods, and even in the Commons.  William is lucky to be Mixed- he's 18 now, and usually if you haven't been hunted within a year of the Tests, you're safe. But Noah and I might not be that lucky.

"What did Isabelle say?" I asked. "When you told her the... possibilities." Noah sigh. There was a pause.

"She said... she said that if I was Mixed or Rare that she would just... she would just break up with me so she wouldn't get caught up with the Blodjegers." Blodjegers. We have talked about this before. Our blood, and the Blodjegers that will kill us if we don't have the right type. Or rather, do have the right type. Rare blood.

"Oh my god! Noah, that's not okay," I cried, turning to my best friend. "If she is ready to leave you because of your blood then you know that she's not a good girlfriend. Or person. Listen, I know I scold Willy for complaining about Isabelle, but honestly, Noah..." He didn't answer.

Silence.

"You know what she did after ?"

"What?" I asked, looking him in the eye.

"She made out with me," he laughed.

"Oh my god, really?" I asked, a laugh bubbling in my throat.

"Yup," he said, throwing his head back in laughter. "Like she hadn't just told me she will probably break up with me in a week to save her own sorry ass," he continued. We were laughing even harder now.

"So you guys just kissed?" I asked, as Noah roared. I let out a small scream, and hit his arm playfully.

"If we're gonna break up in a week..." I let out a small screamed, suddenly finding the whole Isabelle situation funny. As our laughing calmed, I realized what Noah had said- he had assumed he wouldn't be Common. It hurt to think about the possibility of Noah being murdered by the Blodjegers. And it hurt to think about the possibility that in two weeks, we could both be dead.

I rested my head on Noah's shoulder, leaning into him. He grabbed my hand and squeezed.

"Autumn."

"Mm hmm," I mumbled.

"Don't worry too much about next week. Whatever we are, it's been the same since birth. We can't change our blood this week, and we never could have. So we just have to wait. And next week, whatever the results, we'll be okay." His words were calming, despite their content. I knew what he meant. We both knew.

"You're my second brother."

"You're my best friend."

We both knew. We knew that Will was lucky. The luckiest. The odds against us were higher than the odds for us.

But I knew that I would be okay, and so would Noah. It was safe here. He was my safe place. No matter what comes in the future, I have Noah.