"I'll take her to my room and show her around." Said Ian's sister, bounding forward.
"Loretta...." murmured Ian warningly. I looked over at him; his face was as hard as stone. I fidgeted uncomfortably.
"It's okay," I said to Ian. "I'm totally fine with that."
He nodded slightly, but his hard expression didn't change. I sighed and hurried after Loretta, who was already trotting at an unnaturally brisk pace down a long hallway.
We entered Loretta's room and the first thing I noticed was the intricate dreamcatcher hanging on her wall. I touched it gently, remembering the dreamcatcher just like it that was hanging on my wall. It was one of the few things I liked about my room.
"You have one, too?" I asked Loretta. I turned and found her startlingly close to me. I instinctivly stepped back.
"Yes. It's one of the few things I enjoy about this room." Loretta answered, scrunching her nose in distaste as she looked around the fairly drab room.
"Really? I feel the same way about my room, too." I said, smiling at her. Her replying smile shocked me yet again.
She brushed by me and sat on the egde of her bed. I hovered uncertainly, finally settling on standing next to her.
"Can I tell you something?" asked Loretta suddenly.
"Um, sure." I said.
"I've never been able to tell anybody this before....but I trust you."
I looked at her in confusion. What did she mean, she trusted me?
"What do you mean?"
Loretta stood up and looked at me. Her eyes seemed to flash scarlet.
"I'm a vampire."
The room wavered around me, and the next thing I knew I was on the ground and Loretta was shaking my shoulder and calling my name urgently.
"Erika! Erika! Erika, are you okay?!" I opened my eyes to see Loretta's worried face inches from mine.
"I-I'm okay." I sat up shakily. Loretta straightened up, and looked at me with concern.
"What happened?"
"You passed out." Loretta's face looked like she was about to cry. "I'm sorry!" she wailed, her face anguished. "It's what I said, I'm really really sorry!"
"It's okay, It's not your fault......I just got dizzy." I lied, trying to control my shaking.
I suddenly remembered the real reason I had passed out and looked up from my position from the floor. Loretta's face looked scared, and her eyes had returned to their normal brown.
We both heard running footsteps and the door suddenly banged open.
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"There is no way in hell, Ian!" yelled my mother. "If she doesn't know what we are, then she can go back!"
I started to retort angrily. I didn't know why, but I couldn't bear the thought of Erika leaving. My words had formed on my lips when I heard the sound of something falling to the floor, and Loretta's high pitched voice yelling. I whirled around and sprinted down the hallway.
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"What's going on?!" yelled Ian, bursting throguh the door. I tried quickly to stand, but my trembling knees betrayed me.
"I'm fine, honest!" I said, finally succeeding in standing. I looked Ian in the eye and repeated, "I'm fine."