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  Going outside, I found a guy dressed in all black sitting under a tree studying. I walked over to him. "Mind if I sit with you?"

  He looked at me in surprise.

  "I'm new here and you look like you might be nice."

  "I do?" he asked, laughing. "I don't hear that often."

  "Why? Because you're wearing black?" I asked, sitting next to him.

  "Pretty much."

  "Do you like vampires?" I asked, cutting to the chase.

  "Vampires, huh?" he asked, leaning back against the tree. "I watch that vampire show with my sisters sometimes. They just like it because of the guy vampires, though."

  I nodded, having no clue what he was talking about. I didn't spend much time watching TV, and when I did, it wasn't watching shows about what people thought vampires were like. "They don't sparkle do they?" I asked.

  He laughed again. "No, they don't sparkle. They don't eat forest animals either."

  "That's good. So it's more realistic."

  "If you can call anything having to do with vampires real."

  I pursed my lips. "So you don't believe in…them?"

  "Vampires? No."

  "Don't you ever wish, though? I mean, really. They never die and they're beautiful forever. What's not to want?"

  "They're not real though."

  "But it would be cool, wouldn't it?" I asked, seeing if he was at least open to the idea. If he was, then I could at least work on him. I wouldn't jump in with telling him that I was one like I had with Jason.

  "I don't know. I think we're all meant to die and that's the way it is. Death hangs over us for our entire lives—and then it takes us."

  "Isn't that cheery?" I asked, and then sighed.

  "You don't like thinking of death?"

  "No! I want to live forever. I think that's what we're meant for."

  "If that's the case, then why does everyone die?"

  I looked at my phone, seeing that there was about a half an hour before the bell was going to ring. "Oh darn. It looks like the next class is about to start," I said, standing.

  "It is?" he asked, looking confused.

  "I gotta go," I said and headed back for the building. Was there anyone in the school open to the idea of vampires? I found another guy in the library who clearly wanted nothing to do with studying. As soon as I brought up vampires, he looked like he was going to bolt so I had to use mind control on him to make him forget.

  After school, I went to the volleyball game and decided to watch people. After having talked with three separate guys who scoffed at the idea of vampires, I felt that I had a better idea of what I was looking for. I didn't have a solid idea, but at least I had something. I figured that if worse came to worse, I would just use mind control on some guy to get him to talk to Alexis. But it would be a lot better if I could find a guy who would be willing to do that on his own.

  As I was walking to the bleachers, Jason walked right by me as though we'd never talked. I smiled. What would I do without mind control capabilities?

  When the game was over, I was disappointed that I hadn't found anyone yet. What was I going to tell Vince? He would want to hear more than just this. This wasn't progress. I sighed as I watched everyone pile out the doors.

  "What's the matter?" asked a voice from behind.

  I turned around and my gaze locked with the gorgeous eyes of a good looking guy in a varsity jacket. He was a lot better looking than most of the other guys at the school. He was no vampire, but I couldn't help smiling as I looked at him. He wasn't the type who would talk to Alexis, but he was the type that I would be more than happy to use to forget about my frustrations from the day. "Nothing's the matter now."

  "You must be new here," he said. If you actually want to spend time with me, he thought.

  "How did you ever guess, in a small town like this?" I asked, ignoring his thoughts, but noting to find out more later because I definitely wanted to spend time with him.

  "Well it's not that small of a town," he said. "We do have a mall, you know."

  "Do you want to go there?" I asked.

  "To the mall?"

  "Yeah. Unless you have a better idea."

  "Sure. Let's go to the mall. By the way, my name's Tanner Monroe," he said, extending his hand.

  I took his hand; he had a firm grasp. "Samantha Erikson."

  He smiled and was even more gorgeous. "It's very nice to meet you, Samantha. Do you want to take my car or yours?"

  "Let's take yours," I said, since I didn't even have one. I didn't need one because vampires are so much faster than cars.

  "Okay, but I have to warn you that mine isn't as nice as most people's around here."

  "That's fine by me. I don't understand the obsession with cars to begin with."

  "You don't? They're a status symbol. The more expensive your car is, the more it boosts your popularity. I'm not sure how it is where you're from, but here most people get a shiny new car for their sixteenth birthday."

  I thought back to my sweet sixteen nearly two and a half centuries earlier. "I didn't get a car for mine."

  We made small talk as we made our way to the mall. There was something about him that I really liked, but I couldn't put my finger on what it was. Sure, he was enjoyable to look at, but it was more than that. Even though he was strong and well built, there was a gentleness about him. It made me curious to get to know him more.

  As we meandered around the mall sipping smoothies, he told me about Delphic Cove. It sounded like a town full of rich snobs and he lived in the part of town that wasn't as nice.

  "Why don't you guys have as much money?"

  He looked at me curiously, as though my question was strange. "It's just my mom because my dad took off on us. He doesn't pay anything and she won't let me help financially. She wants me to enjoy high school so I'm not even allowed a job. My contribution is watching my kid brother after dark and then making dinner when my mom works late at her second job."

  "Do you have to go soon? Won't it be getting dark?"

  He shook his head. "She doesn't work that job tonight so I'm fine."

  I smiled. "Let's go grab some dinner then. I saw some fancy looking restaurants in the parking lot—my treat."

  "A pretty girl wants to treat me to dinner?" he asked, shaking his head again. Someone pinch me. "Sure. You pick the place."

  Once we were eating appetizers, I was ready to pick his brain about why he was so surprised that I'd want to spend time with him. Looking at him, I thought he'd have a line of girls waiting to hang out with him. "What sport do you play?" I asked, looking at his letterman's jacket.

  "I play football and I manage the girls' track team."

  "The girls' track team? That must be fun. I'll bet you're popular with the girls. They probably join the team just so they can be near you."

  He looked surprised. "No one has much of an interest in me. There were some rumors spread around school about me, and well…I'm not exactly popular. Can we just leave it at that?" he asked with a pained expression.

  That moment was the first time that I'd ever felt any kind of compassion for a mortal. "No problem. We can talk about something else." I was still curious, so I tried to spark a thought so that he wouldn't have to talk about it. "I really don't see why anyone would have a problem with you."

  "Thanks." I hope she never hears about the rumors. I'm not gay and never have been.

  So that was it. I had thought that humans were more progressive about that these days. Apparently not in Delphic Cove.

  Tanner looked at me, smiling. "So tell me about yourself. I'm sure you have guys lined up around the block."

  I panicked, but kept a straight face. What could I tell him? That I was vampire and I was dating one of the world's most feared vampires? I'd already scared off three guys by bringing up vampires. "There's not much to tell," I said, shrugging my shoulders.

  "You must have something to tell," he said. "You aren't like most girls."

  "I'm not?"


  "There's definitely something different about you, but I can't pin it down."

  "Well, I guess that makes two of us. I feel the same way about you."

  We just looked at each other in silence for a few moments and were saved by the meals being set in front of us. I was feeling a little shy, which was something that I wasn't used to. Even among vampires, I was bold and enchanting.

  "Are you one of the top players on your team?" I asked, finally breaking the silence which was strangely comfortable. Especially considering that I was eating with a human.

  "I used to be, but my game has taken a hit lately."

  "Why's that?"

  "With the rumors going around, people don't treat me like they used to. I guess my confidence has taken a hit," he said, looking away. I can't believe I just admitted that to her. I'm going to scare off the one person who will actually speak to me.

  "I'm sure that would happen with anyone. People can be monsters," I said, thinking of all the times that I'd seen crowds gathered to kill a vampire. Obviously that wouldn't happen with today's humans who clearly didn't believe, but when they did, they were nothing short of horrendous.

  His face softened as he looked me. "Yeah, they can. Have you been bullied too?"

  "You could say that."

  A song started playing, and he pulled his cell phone from his jacket. "I need to get back home now," he said, looking disappointed.

  "Let's get together tomorrow," I said. "If you want to."

  His heart sped up. It was music to my ears. "Yeah, I do. I have to watch my brother after practice though. Do you want to join us for dinner? My treat this time."

  "That sounds like an offer that I can't refuse."

  CHAPTER FIVE

  The next day, I was looking for a guy to use to get to Alexis, but my mind kept drifting to Tanner Monroe. I couldn't wait to have dinner with him again. I was glad that none of the vampires could see me, because I would never hear the end of it. Vince would be the worst, not that he would be jealous. I knew that he had girls on the side, which was why I had my share of guys of my own too. But Tanner wasn't like the others. I didn't want to use him. I actually wanted to get to know him.

  Was this how my sister had felt? I had watched her have relationships with several humans, and it never ended well. As a result, I had sworn that I'd never let myself fall for one. I wasn't falling for Tanner. I just wanted to get to know him. What harm could possibly come from a dinner with his kid brother?

  As the day wore on, and I was no closer to finding someone to work with, I decided to get my nails done. It wasn't because I was trying to impress Tanner. They just needed some work.

  "How do you get your nails like this?" asked the manicurist.

  "Like what?"

  She held my hand up as though I'd never seen it before. "They're perfect. What's your secret?"

  "It's probably my diet. I'm careful about what I eat."

  "What?" she whispered, leaning close.

  "I have a condition that requires me to have a special diet."

  She begged with her eyes to know.

  I leaned close and whispered, "I have to drink human blood."

  "If you don't want to tell me your secret, then don't!" She slammed the clippers onto the tray.

  Mortals never really want the truth. She didn't say anything else as she painted my nails. I watched her, amused, and then left her a hefty tip for her trouble.

  When I got back to school, I could see people piling into the gym to watch the volleyball practice. They sure loved their volleyball team. I headed around back to the football field. The coach was yelling at the players and I could see Tanner standing off to the side, swinging his helmet back and forth.

  The coach blew a whistle and Tanner put the helmet on. I stood back as I watched them play. I wasn't familiar with the sport, but I could tell that Tanner was good and that his teammates were clearly going out of their way to make things difficult on him. I felt like running onto the field and pushing them around, but I knew that wouldn't help his already hurting reputation.

  I walked a little closer to the game, until I was near the bleachers. I took a seat, trying to be inconspicuous. It didn't work because Tanner looked up and saw me, and then ran into another player, who shoved him. Tanner looked back at me, and then to the other player and hit him. The other one hit Tanner back, and soon they were rolling around on the ground wrestling. Tanner's helmet had come off and the other guy was taking shots at his face.

  The coach blew his whistle and several of the other players ran to them, trying to pull them apart. After they did, the coach ran over and yelled at them, pointing to a bench. The two of them argued as they walked off the field to the bench.

  When the practice was over, I walked up to Tanner who looked thoroughly embarrassed.

  "Sorry you had to see that. I'm surprised you stuck around after that."

  "Why? It was obvious that the other players were being rude to you on purpose. I don't know how the coach couldn't see it."

  "He chooses not to."

  "If you'd rather, I won't watch you practice anymore."

  His heart picked up speed. "You can watch anytime you want. I was just surprised when I saw you and then I ran into the biggest jerk on the team."

  "Do you want me to let you get cleaned up? Then I'll meet you at your car."

  "I usually wait until everyone else has cleared out of the locker room before I go in there. Like I said, they treat me pretty bad since those rumors went around."

  "You have to fight back, like you did on the field."

  He shook his head. "They're not worth it."

  "They're making you miserable. You're worth it. You want me to take them out for you?"

  Tanner laughed, obviously unaware of what I was truly capable of. "No thanks. I'll fight my own battles."

  I ran my fingers over a bruise on his chin. "I could always hang on you and be your groupie. Then maybe they'd leave you alone, seeing that you—what's wrong?"

  He had tears in his eyes that he was trying to blink away. He cleared his throat. "Nothing. Why would you offer to do that for me? Why do you care? You're more beautiful than any other girl in the school and I'm obviously just some loser that nobody likes."

  His vulnerability awoke emotions from deep inside that I wasn't even aware were there. I wanted to wrap my arms around him and protect him, take care of him. I was confused by the strange, selfless emotions. "You're nothing of the sort," I whispered, pulling him to me. The smell of his sweat combined with dirt and grass wrapped itself around me. "There's something special about you that none of those idiots can see."

  He looked at me with the same confusion that I was feeling. I kissed the bruises on his face and heard his heart race. It made me want him. I craved him, but in a way that was different than anything I'd ever experienced before. I couldn't even explain it to myself.

  I kissed the remaining bruises on his face. My lips made their way to his and he kissed me back, dropping his helmet and wrapping his arms around me. Just as I started to open my mouth, I heard laughter.

  Tanner and I both looked in the direction from which it was coming. There were several of the football players, now in their varsity jackets, making hand gestures and calling out to Tanner. His face flushed.

  "Did you pay her to pretend to like you?" called one guy.

  "Yeah, cuz you know that no girl would really like you!" shouted another.

  Resisting the urge to run at them so fast that their weak eyes wouldn't even be able to see me, I stomped over to them at normal human speed. "You guys are real class acts, let me tell you. Are you proud of yourselves? Tanner over there is not only far better looking than all of you combined, but he's a much better person. Just leave him alone."

  "Or what? You'll beat us up?"

  I stared into his eyes, watching his pupils shrink. "Leave Tanner alone."

  His eyes slowly went back to normal, and then he turned away from me and looked at his friends. "Let's just
get out of here."

  "What?"

  "Come on, dude. We have better things to do."

  I turned around and saw that Tanner was walking towards me. "You didn't have to do that."

  "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you. I know that guys—"

  He smiled. "You didn't embarrass me. That was awesome. I haven't had anyone stick up for me in a long time, much less someone as gorgeous as you. You managed to shut them up. I mean, I probably wouldn't want you to do that every day, but thanks."

  "I know you can handle yourself," I said. "I'll let you get cleaned up. Want to meet me at your car?"

  "That sounds good. I won't be long. I don't want to keep you waiting."

  As I walked to Tanner's car, my cell phone rang. It was the tune that I had set for Vince's number.

  "You're actually calling me yourself? What happened to going through Adam?"

  "Where are you? You haven't checked in or shown up."

  "I decided to stay in Delphic Cove. Do I really need to travel back and forth each day?"

  "Where did you stay?"

  "Just in an empty hotel room. I haven't found anyone yet that's willing to consider the idea of vampires."

  "I'm sure you can find someone. Keep in touch even if you don't think you have anything important to report."

  Rolling my eyes, I said, "Yeah, sure."

  "Good. Keep trying. You're bound to find someone."

  I heard a female voice in the background. Typical Vince. "Try not to miss me too much," I said, and ended the call.

  "You okay?" Tanner asked, walking up to me. "You look like you weren't having a good conversation."

  "I'm fine. That was just…my dad. You know how parents can be."

  "Was he all in your grill about something?"

  "You could say that. Let's forget about the jerks of the world and have ourselves some dinner."

  "I like the way you think!"

  We made small talk on the ride to his house. When we got to his house, he wanted me to watch TV while he made the food.

  "No, I want to help you. I don't usually prepare food. I think it would be fun."

  He looked at me as though I was one of the spoiled rich kids he went to school with for a moment, but then he said, "Okay. It would be fun to teach you."