Yippee! Chapter 2's second upload! Yay....
So it's is basically the same, just some spelling corrections and stuff. Original chapter upload (don't know why you would want to read it if you're already here, but whatever) can be found at my SimPage (in links). Rated PG-13 for violence, suggestive themes, romance, and mild language. Enjoy!
~Yarnie~
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Ian pushed me behind him and stepped forward cautiously. The pounding came again, making me jump. Someone was outside the door.
Ian yanked the door open, and three people stepped inside.
"Gabriel!" Ian cried, embracing the young man, or, should I say, vampire. "It's great to see you!"
Gabriel smiled, but his grin was weary, and didn't quite meet his exhausted eyes.
"Erika, this is Gabriel, Lyra, and Avra." Ian said, putting an arm around my shoulders. "We've been friends for a long time."
I studied the threesome more carefully, my instincts telling me I was right in the assumption that Gabriel and his companions were vampires.
Gabriel had spiky, white and black hair that covered the right half of his face. His piercing silver eyes made me feel slightly uneasy, but yet he had a kind air about him.
One of the two girls behind him smiled carefully at me. Her streaked hair was pulled back in a printed headband, and her light blue eyes were appraising as she looked me over. She looked sort of punky.
The other girl was...well...gorgeous. Her silky back hair draped gracefully over one shoulder and her pale skin seemed to glow in the sun. However, I noticed deep circles under her eyes, and that her eyes were in-between hazel and red.
Thirsty, I thought, repressing a shiver.
"We heard about the werewolves," Gabriel said, a steely edge to his voice. "We know where they're going to strike first."
"So do we," sighed Ian. "Here." Gabriel nodded, frowning.
"How do you know?"
Ian pulled me close. "Erika was captured by them, and one let slip that they were on the lookout for spies trying to get their "battle plans", or something like that." Ian's hand found mine. I squeezed it tightly, not wanting to be reminded of the awful few hours I had spent as a prisoner.
"We came to help you find reinforcements." Gabriel said. "And we've already found a few. You know the Stormwoods? They're in."
Loretta must have heard us, because the next instant she had bounded down the stairs and was hugging Lyra tightly. I was slightly startled. Lyra had barely moved since she had smiled at me.
"Loretta, go back upstairs." said Ian in a quiet voice.
"Just let her be, Ian." Lyra said. Her voice was similar to Loretta's; high and musical. Ian scowled but didn't argue
"We'll need to scope the surrounding area for more families willing to help us," Ian said, his teeth gritted. Obviously he didn't want Loretta overhearing this, which I found miffing. She was going to find out anyway, wasn't she?
"What do you mean?" asked Loretta.
"We'll explain later," said Lyra, patting Loretta's shoulder soothingly.
"You go sit down," Ian said, speaking to Gabriel. "I'll take Erika home."
"Why?" I asked, feeling annoyed that I was being overly-protected.
"Because the werewolves know your scent now," Ian explained, taking my hand and pulling me outside. "And also because we're going to be moving, so you should stay with your mom until we're settled in."
"Okay," I agreed, but I couldn't really do anything about it if I wanted to, for Ian had already scooped me up easily and was now running through the forest at an impossible speed.
We reached my house, and Ian set me down. He kissed me, but he was too tense and anxious for it to be more than a goodbye.
"Here," he said, slipping a small piece of paper into my hand. "Our new address and phone number." I almost laughed at how childlike it felt, exchanging phone numbers and such, but we were both too nervous to accomplish laughter. He touched my cheek softly, and then he was gone.
A month passed, and I didn't see Ian or Loretta. However, I often found notes slipped under my door, saying how things were going and that they were going to be moved in to their new house soon.
Winter break ended (and also the school was finally finished re-building after a huge fire had destroyed practically all of it), and the first day of school came.
I sat on the plasticky playground swing and smiled slightly at the rememberace of the last note; "Hey Erika, it's Loretta. Ian is being such a turd. he's not letting me out of the house or anything. Isn't that my mom or dad's choice? He's so bossy and controlling. I don't know how you stand being with him. Anyway, we're almost moved in now. See you soon! Loretta."
How she knew about me and Ian being together puzzled me. As far as I knew, she had never seen us do more than hold hands. A velvety voice interrupted my walk down memory lane.
"Hey, Erika."
Ian slid into the swing next to me, smiling at me. I grinned stupidly back, wondering how on earth I was lucky enough to be with this gorgeous creature.
"Are you moved in yet?" I asked, gripping the swingset chains tighter than nessecary.
"Yes." Ian replied, repressing a smirk as he noticed my white knuckles. "And hopefully the werewolves won't bother us anymore." He said that part quietly. My happiness leaked out of me like water out of cupped hands. I had almost forgotten about the werewolves.
"It'll be okay," said Ian, pulling me off the swing and into his arms. "We're stronger than they are; even if it does come to a battle, I'm sure we'll win."
"Okay," I said half-heartedly. I was still freaked, but I decided to put my fears aside for now. "Where's Loretta?" I asked. Ian grimaced.
"Over there." he said, pointing.
I clamped my hand over my mouth, choking back a burst of laughter. Loretta surpassed any girl's fashion sense by a mile, and I would kill for her sleek blond hair. But I could see what had Ian ruffled. She had paired a set of striped gauntlets with a black tank with the words "I'm with the vampires, of course." printed on it.
"It's not funny." grumbled Ian as a giggle burst past my hand.
"Yes it is," I snorted. "It's just a shirt, nobody would suspect anything. I saw three girls the other day wearing the same thing. Nobody staked them in the heart."
Ian chuckled despite himself just as the bell rang for last period.
"Ugh." I groaned. "I hate history."
Ian tweaked my nose and pulled me in for a kiss. "When you're a hundred years old, and have seen most of the stuff they go over, I must agree it gets boring."
I felt my jaw drop. "A--a hundred?!" I choked.
He looked surprised. "Vampire?" he said, raising his eyebrows at me.
"Right," I stammered, feeling my cheeks grow hot. "I forgot."
"You forgot?" Ian rolled his eyes. "Oh, wonderful. She forgets I'm a blood-sucking monster, this is just great."
I nudged him playfully, my face still hot. "Come on, bloodsucker." I teased. "It's time for history."
Ian kept up a steady stream of faces and grimaces through the entire class. I had a hard time keeping a straight face when the teacher handed out pop-quizes and Ian made his eyes go wide and clutched his throat with both hands.
"So, have much trouble?" I asked sarcastically, flicking his arm, which only succeeded in brusing my finger.
"Nope." he said flippantly, trapping my hand under his. Then I noticed Gabriel, Lyra, and Avra across from us, looking like they just stepped out of a modeling show.
"They have to stay inconspicuous, too." said Ian quietly. I nodded, even though I didn't really know what he meant. He saw the confusion in my eyes and explained,
"We can't just disappear from school or work, of wherever." Ian said. "We have to live as though we were actually normal humans."
"Were you ever a human?" Ian's fingers tensed on mine. "No," he said slowly. Oh, duh. I had forgotten the story he had told me about how vampires were created. Ian was right; how could I forget stuff like that?
"Do you ever wish you weren't, you know, a vampire?" I asked softly, not looking at him.
"Sometimes," said Ian, but it wasn't a terse reply. On the contrary, I detected a hint of longing in his voice.
"Excuse me," came a snappy voice, breaking through our bubble. We looked up, startled, to see the teacher glaring at us.
"Please act like civilized children and don't talk during class." She turned back to her desk. Once her back was turned, Ian lobbed his pencil at the back of her head, somehow darting from his seat, catching the pencil and sitting down again in two seconds. Laughter bubbled out against my will, which earned me another glare and a detention warning.
We met up with Avra, Lyra and Gabriel and walked to our neighborhood after school.
"Do they even change clothes?" I whisperd to Ian, who was walking next to me holding my hand.
"Yes," Ian whispered back. "But they don't like to go out more then neccesary. They really don't want to be who they are." That was strange. You were who you were, but I guess if you were a bloodsucking creature that had to be careful not to kill anyone around you, you might feel different.
"Avra pushes herself way too far." Ian whispered suddenly. "She'll wait until she's practically ready to massacre whoever's around until she goes hunting."
I turned to look at Avra. She didn't look good. Her eyes were blood red and her hands shook with the effort of not attacking---shoot. I was the only one who had actual blood in their veins. She was practically killing herself so she wouldn't attack me.
I had turned back to Ian to tell him that they should probably go ahead of me so Avra wouldn't hurt herself when we heard a quiet groan. I whirled around in time to see Avra fall to her knees. In a flash Gabriel was beside her, holding her arms tightly. Loretta knelt down too, tucking her blond hair behind her ears, but Ian flung out an arm warningly as I hurried forward.
"She pushed herself too far!" cried Gabriel, his voice frantic as Avra fell back into Gabriel's arms. "She needs to drink in a matter of minutes or---" he didn't finish.
Fear flooded me. I knew what I had to do, it was just a matter of gathering up the courage to do it.
"Let her have some of mine," I burst out, pushing past Ian and dropping down beside Gabriel. Loretta's eyes were wide as I pulled my pocket knife out of my pocket and flipped it open.