The Start Of Something New.

12.

"I don't have a problem with you missing school." My mom said the next morning at the table.
Dad nodded in agreement.
"You're one of the top students at that school with excellent grades, so missing one day won't hurt. Especially when its something as important as this, just make sure you're careful on your way over to the hospital." My dad told me.
I nodded looking to Emberly.
She gave me a thumbs up.
"I'll give you my notes after school today, I'll also drop by the hospital to see how he's doing." She told me now.

I nodded.
"Bryce should be here shortly to pick you up for school, just let them know that I'll see them later." I told her.
She nodded as I headed outside.

The hospital was only a twenty minute walk, so it wasn't exactly killing me.
But the cooler air was a bit more nippier.

When the hospital came into view I could only make myself stop.
At who was coming out, and heading straight my way.
Jace.

His eyes fell on me and I saw nothing but hatred.
Suddenly the pieces began to connect.
Emberly didn't know who Jace was or what he looked like.
Not to mention, she told me it was dark.
So she couldn't tell who attacked Monty.

"It was you." I accused as he came closer, before stopping.
He shoved his hands in his pockets as he glanced around.
"What was me, human?" He questioned lowly.
I frowned at the bruise around his neck, before his eyes caught me staring as he glared harshly.
"Well?" He demanded.
Flinching I frowned.
"You attacked Monty." I said now.

Jace blinked before smirking.
"And yet, you stand there calm and look at the monster before you with concern." He said.
I frowned deeply.
"You didn't kill him, he's alive in there." I told him.
He smirked.
"For now."
"You don't mean that." I hissed now.
Jace arched a brow.
"You don't think I won't kill him the next time we meet?" He stepped up to me, his eyes dancing with pure amusement.

"You are nothing but food to us, and all he was to me last night. Was a snack, wrong time and wrong place. But I won't apologize for nearly killing him, if his health is that bad. Perhaps he should see a doctor, or stay away from the Italian." He suggested.

I glared.
"You sound concerned." I pointed out.
Jace scoffed.
"Hardly concerned, I'd just move on to my next victim after the string bean you love so much, falls over dead." He told me.
I glared at him now.
He smirked.
"I'm surprised you're not blasting me right now, telling the world that there is a vampire right in front of you. I nearly killed your friend, you should be furious." He pointed out now.

I frowned at him.
"I am furious, but as I said before. Monty is alive in there, and you are Carter's brother. His family, I wouldn't hurt him like that." I told him.
"Well aren't you considerate?" Jace rolled his eyes.
"But don't keep me alive for my brothers sake, he'd get over my death pretty fast." He shrugged.
I frowned at that.

"Did Carter do that to your neck?" I asked him.
Jace glared at me then a bitter smirk appeared.
"Carter doesn't have a chance getting this close to me, none of those rejects in that house do. This?" he pointed to his bruised neck.
"Was for letting my guard down for a moment, but don't worry princess." He walked past me now.
"I won't be killed that easily, not by you, not by the humans and not by him." He paused for a moment.
"And that human in the bed you're coming to see? He's awake but doesn't remember a thing, its better that way." He said before vanishing in the crowd of people.

I looked in the direction he went, before heading into the hospital.
The nurse at the front smiled softly at me.
"You must be Lexi, your friend has been asking for you ever since he woke up." She told me.
I smiled softly.
"What room?" I asked.
"Room 103." She said.
----
I walked into the cold hospital room, the sound of a monitor beeping was the only thing that was heard.
The t.v. was off as I appeared from behind the curtain that hid the bed.

Monty sat there, eating apple sauce before his tired gray eyes fell on me.
"Lex!" He exclaimed then winced at the bandages around his neck.
I frowned.
"Don't move, you should be resting." I told him.
He rolled his eyes at that.
"Trust me I'm rested pretty well, the nurse told me I had to wait for my parents to come so I could be released. Its bullshit." He hissed.
I smiled softly.
"Someone's feisty." I pointed out.

"Hell yeah I'm feisty, I asked my nurse for pizza and she flat out told me no. Who tells the patient what they can and can't eat?" He asked.
I smirked.
"Once you get out, we'll go by a pizza place and get you some pizza. My treat." I told him.
Monty grinned.
"Wait, aren't you supposed to be in school?" He asked me now.

I smiled softly.
"You're kinda more important than school, Mon." I told him.
He smirked.
"I'm blushing." He joked.
I looked at him.

"Do you remember anything that happened from last night?" I asked.
His brows furrowed as he looked at his apple sauce.
"I know I was in the cemetery with Emberly.. we were talking a lot.. everything else after that is a massive blur? I kind of remember bits and pieces, but according to the doctor. It was another animal attack.." He bit his lip.
"But, it didn't feel like that to me.. I remember Emberly screaming, but then I heard someone else scream." He looked at me.
"But, like I said. Its all fuzzy." He smiled now.

I frowned but managed a soft smile.
"Have you heard anything about when your folks will be here?" I asked him.
He shrugged.
"The nurse was supposed to go and make a call to them, that was over an hour ago I think though? She hasn't been back in since." He told me.
I frowned.
"Maybe they got busy?" I suggested.
Monty rolled his eyes.
"I doubt it, ever since my mom told the military she wouldn't be returning after she told them she would, everything kind of went to shit? Even my dads been pissed at her, and yet he hardly cares about what she does with her time. He's probably bummed his girlfriend can't stay with us now." He spat.

I looked at him concerned.
"Your dads ha-"
"Having an affair, yeah." He hissed.
"He told me I had to keep my mouth shut about it, or I'd hate the outcome. So while my moms out busting her ass to help keep her family fed, hes over here tapping ass and making a pig of himself." He looked at me with tears in his eyes.

"Honestly? Ever since Hayes passed away, they've both turned into something unrecognizable. My parents used to be so high lighted and full of life, but after Hayes killed himself.. they've both fallen so far down their own holes, its like they forgot that I lost him too. That I was also their son!" He slammed his fist against the bed as his heart rate went up.

"But I guess also coming out bisexual to them, also ruins the relationship. My dad can't stand me, because he thinks I either want ass or to be ass, and my mom is never home to either side with him or me. So I go home to nothing but verbal abuse." He hissed.

"Monty-"
"They should just drop dead." He said harshly.
I froze at the hatred in his eyes.
He actually meant that.
There wasn't a single ounce of regret as that sentence came out of his mouth.

The nurse walked in with crossed arms as his mom walked in.
Her brown hair done in curls while she wore a t-shirt and jeans.
Her eyes falling on Monty who stared back at her.

"What'd you get yourself into this time?" She asked as the nurse walked out, leaving the three of us alone.
Monty looked away from her.
"Doctors are calling it an animal attack." He told her.
She looked to me then smiled.
"How are you doing, Lexi?" She asked ignoring her son for the moment.

I cleared my throat.
"I'm fine Mrs.Reese-"
"Ah, just call me Ashley sweetie. In a few weeks, it'll be back to Ms." She told me now.
I looked to Monty who frowned.
I forgot all about the divorce that was happening.
Monty never brought it back up.
But I guess it was official.
His parents were really splitting up.

Ashley looked to her son.
"When the papers come in, you'll have a choice to either stay with me or to go with your cheating bastard of a father to New York, to live with him and his slut of a girlfriend." She said bitterly.

Monty looked to her.
"Can I just focus on getting better first? I did sort of get attacked last night." He pointed to his neck.
His mom frowned at him.
"Its nothing too drastic, you have a few days to decide and then we'll get moving boxes afterwards." She looked to Lexi with a smile.
"It was nice seeing you dear." She said walking out of the room.

Monty sat there.
"I don't want to live with either of them." He told me now.
I looked to him.
"You're sixteen, its not like you have much of a choice, unless they both agree to let you live with a friend or relative here." I said.
Monty frowned.
"Do you think Sage or Bryce would talk to their parents-"

"About what?" Came Bryce's voice.
We both looked up at the football player who walked in, his backpack hanging on his shoulder as he looked at us.
"Why aren't you in school?" I asked him.
He smirked.
"I could be asking you the same thing, I just saw your mom in the hall Monty. She looked irritated, you guys okay?" He asked.

Monty rolled his eyes.
I looked to Bryce.
"His mom doesn't exactly care that Monty nearly got himself killed last night, shes more focused on moving and leaving his dad. But Monty doesn't want to live with either of them." I explained for the other so he wouldn't have to.

Bryce blinked then looked to Monty.
"I can always talk to my moms into cleaning that back bedroom for you to stay in, I'm sure they wouldn't mind having another mouth to feed. Not to mention, it keeps them from stressing over the idea of adoption." He told the other.
Monty looked at him confused.
"Weren't you adopted?" He asked.
Bryce shook his head.
"No, when my mom Nancy got pregnant with me. My sperm donor of a dad abandoned ship, not wanting to raise a kid, so she carried me alone for five months before she met Melissa and then those two kind of fell in love at first sight you could say, so Melissa was there to help my mom every step of the way. Especially when it came to raising me, which I was a painful child."

"You were a pain growing up." I teased.
Bryce grinned in my direction before focusing his attention back on Monty.
"But yeah man, I can talk to them tonight over dinner and see if they'd be willing to let you live with us, I don't exactly blame you on not wanting to live with your parents. Especially with your old man." He said with crossed arms.

Monty frowned softly.
"Thanks Bryce." He said now.
I smiled softly at the two.
Bryce looked to me.
"I did drop Emberly and Sage off at school though-"
"You sound like a dad." I pointed out.
Bryce smirked.
"I'm that parent friend apparently, offering to take kids in off the street, dropping them off at school. Its a hard life." He grinned.

We both rolled our eyes at that.
"Em said they'd drop by after unless Monty was out before school ended, then they'd just show up at Lexi's. Because they were sure that'd be where we'd end up." He said now.

I nodded looking to Monty.
"Well, ready to get out of here and get some pizza?" I asked.
Bryce arched a brow.
"Pizza?" He repeated.
Monty looked to him, getting out of bed as he removed the gown as he slid his jeans on.
"The nurse wouldn't feed me Italian, so Lexi offered to get some after I was discharged." He told the other.

Bryce nodded to that.
"Alright, makes sense. Oh!" He reached in his bag, pulling out a plain black shirt tossing it to Monty.
"You kinda don't want to go around town with blood stained on your shirt." He said.
Monty blinked looking to his gray shirt that had blood caked to the shoulder of the front and back.
"Right.." He said pulling the black shirt over his head.
----
"Monty slow down, the pizza isn't going anywhere." I said as he stuffed his face with a slice of pizza and a breadstick.
Bryce cringed watching the other practically stuffing his face.
"There is no rush, Monty." He told the other.

Monty paused as he looked at us.
"I haven't ate in two days, I'm kind of hungry. But sorry, I'll slow down." He said, taking slower bites and longer drinks.
I frowned softly.
"Why haven't you been eating?" I asked him.
He shrugged at the question.
"Just haven't been hungry I guess, I wake up nauseous and think. Hm alright, no food today it is. But Italian will always be my weak point." He said now.

I smiled softly at the other.
"Well like Bryce said, there's no rush. We can stay until you're full." I told him.
He nodded, going back to eating his meal.

I looked up at the door as Carter walked in with Jace, and I felt my stomach turn.
They were both skipping?

Carter's eyes fell on me and he whispered something to the other, before Jace glanced to us then rolled his eyes walking over to the cashier.

Bryce looked up from his slice as he scowled in silence.
Carter looked to me as I smiled.
His eyes fell on Monty.
"Heard about the accident from last night, how are you feeling?" He asked him.
Monty used a napkin to wipe the sauce off his face.
"Better now that I'm getting food in my system." He told the other, taking a long drink of his Pepsi.

Bryce looked to me.
"Did you invite-"
"He was concerned, so I wrote him our whereabouts." I told the other.
He frowned then looked up at Carter.
"Are you skipping school for Lexi's sake or for Monty's?" He asked him.
Carter blinked at the question.

"Ah neither, we actually have relatives coming tonight and my brother isn't the sociable type, so we're going to be in town while they're visiting." He explained.
My eyes fell on Carter.
More vampires were showing up in Crossroads?
Was that safe for them?
What happens if a vampire tries feeding and gets caught, or gives Carter and his family up?

Carter looked to me for a moment as Monty cleared his throat.
"Well, do you and your brother want to join us for lunch then? Its on Lexi." He grinned my way.
I rolled my eyes as Carter smiled softly.
"I'll see what Jace will want to do, we may. Just because its on Lexi." He winked as he walked away.

Bryce was glaring at Monty.
"Really?" He asked.
Monty blinked, clueless about the tension filling the room.
"Was I not supposed to invite them?" He asked.
"Monty, you're recovering from an animal attack, are you sure you want to be around more people?" He asked.
Monty arched a brow.
"It was just an animal attack, Bryce. Nothing that can stop me from being sociable." He shrugged as Carter reappeared, soon enough Jace right behind him.
But didn't look thrilled, until his eyes fell on Monty and then his eyes lit up a little.

"We'll have lunch with you." Carter said with a smile, only aimed at me.
"But, it'll be on me. I can't let a girl pay for a group of boys, who eat nonstop." He said taking a seat next to me.
Bryce being who he was, moved out of the booth to allow Jace to slide in.

"Just so you know, if an emergency comes up and I need to get out. I won't have an issue tossing you out of my way." Jace told Bryce.
Bryce made a face.
"And just so you know, that if you try to toss me out of the way. You'll be in that dumpster outside." He said.

This caused a smirk to appear on Jace's face.
"I appreciate the challenge." He said.

Soon enough, there was nothing but silence and tension at our booth.

Monty took a bite of his pizza, looking at me.
"So, I heard through Jordan that Mr.Monroe will be coming back in a few weeks." He said trying to get a conversation started.
Fixing to speak, Jace cut me off.
"Did your friend explain why he decided to walk off the face of earth at an important time?" He asked the other.

Carter looked to him as Monty pushed his plate back.
"Just that his other job a few towns from here, needed him for a few weeks." He told him.
Jace frowned for a moment.
"If that job is more important, he should just work there. Instead of half assing as a teacher, by teaching us shit to only disappear as soon as an exam shows." He said.

Monty frowned as Carter smirked.
"Jace enjoys algebra, he won't admit that, so when the teacher man decided to leave. He got pretty mad." He explained.
Jace rolled his eyes as Monty smirked.
"Nothing wrong taking math seriously, math geeks are cute." He shrugged.

I felt myself blushing at his courage.
He literally called Jace cute, right in front of everyone.
And didn't look phased.

We all just kind of sat there as Jace stared at the other for the longest time.
I wasn't sure if he was plotting the others death.
Or if he was registering that my best friend, just called his attacker cute.

Jace looked to Carter who smirked softly.
Jace cracked his neck, finally making a sound.
His jaw ticked.

"I wouldn't call myself a geek." He finally said.
That was his defense?
He wasn't going to get hostile like he does with us?
Really?
Monty looked to him.
"Really? Then what would you call yourself, if not a geek. Then-"
"Someone who is just into math, names are not required." Jace told him.

"I need some air, can you let me out?" Jace asked.
Bryce moved out of the others way, as Jace walked out of the restaurant.

Monty looked to Carter.
"Did I say something wrong?" He asked.
Carter smirked softly.
"Jace doesn't usually get compliments, so he isn't good at reacting to them. But I'm sure he appreciates hearing that from you, Monty." He told the other.  

Monty looked to the door then nodded.

After the meal, we all stepped outside as Monty's eyes followed Jace who walked over to the cigarette area, popping open his box before popping a stick in his mouth then lit it up.

"He smokes?" Monty questioned walking over to us.
Carter looked to him.
"Stress causes it, we've told him its not good for his health being sixteen and all, but he doesn't care what we say." He shrugged.

Monty frowned then looked to me.
I wasn't really into the idea of Monty getting close to Jace.
Not after what happened.
And once Monty finds out, Jace was his attacker.
I wasn't too sure how the other would react.

I also wasn't sure how I felt about Monty and Emberly getting close either.
It wasn't jealousy, because I had nothing to be jealous of.
Everything just felt wrong.
Like.
Any time Monty was near either of them, I was worried something bad would happen to him.
He was like that puppy you had to aggressively watch, around the bigger dogs.
To make sure nothing happened.

But something already did happen.
Jace attacked Monty last night.

I went to ask Monty a question, to only find the other walking over to Jace who had been putting out his cigarette.

Monty crossed his arms.
"Carter said you didn't get compliments much." He began.
Jace blinked at the statement.
"Not usually no, but that's alright. Yours just threw me off, I wasn't expecting it at all." He shrugged.
Monty smiled softly at that.
"I tend to speak my mind a bit." He looked over to us then back to Jace.

"If you want to, I don't know. Hang out some-"
"No." Jace cut him off with a soft smirk, shaking his head.
Monty's face fell as he frowned confused.
"You didn't even let me finish my sentence." He protested.
Jace looked at him.
"Hanging out with you is a nice thought, but its also a dangerous one. I don't know what could happen." He said.

Monty blinked.
"Well that's a tad sexual." He stated.
Jace stared at him.
"It wasn't meant to be," he smirked now.
"But its also a nice thought." He shrugged.
This time Monty blushed.

Jace looked at him.
"I'd rather not involve you in my mess of a life, not to mention the hidden truth about me." He said.

Monty looked at him.
"You're the vampire that attacked me last night." He stated completely unfazed.
Jace stood there frowning deeply at him.
Monty frowned now.

"I know everything about last night." He told him.