Everything

[drama]

This is a story I'm writing. I'll post it one chapter at a time as I type it up. Hope you like it.


I woke to the irritatingly loud buzzing of my alarm clock. It seemed even louder and more demanding than normal, and I knew why. It was the first day of school, and not only my first day of public school after eleven years of homeschooling, it was my first day as a senior.
My parents were actually making me go through with this charade, but I knew a student like me wasn't meant for public school.
My parents were poor, very poor. And I was as dumb as they came, or at least I pretended to be. I understood algebra, and I knew Robert Frost wasn't a singing snowman. I just pretended not to to avoid exactly what I was being put through anyway. Public school. A place of unheard of evil in my mind.
At that time, at least.
I rolled over and looked at the clock. 8:30am, the exact time school started. I had it all planned out. My plan; cause as much trouble as possible until I get expelled. And I was starting with being late on the first day.
Reluctantly, I stood up and turned off the loud, annoying alarm. Shuffling my feet, I walked over to my closet to get ready.
I pulled into the school parking lot and, with the breaks of my old Bronco my dad had given me squealing as I parked, I cut the engine and looked at the school with a grimace.
I shouldn't have been there. I should've just skipped or ran away. I could've gone to Mexico or something. We were close enough to the border in our little Arizona town. Yeah. As if Mexico could solve my problems. But it was a comforting thought. If things ever got too unbearable, I'd just run away to Mexico and hang out with all the little Mexican gamblers who spoke so fast that you could barely understand them, even if you did know Spanish.
Perfect. I was going to grow up to be a Mexican gambler. But I'm not Mexican. And I really don't have the money to gamble. Maybe I could just cheat. Yeah, that works. But what about those short chubby Mexican mafia leaders who sent out hit men after the cheaters? So I was going to die then. Oddly enough, I was perfectly content with the thought of my own death. I had nothing to live for, so why not?
I finally stopped babbling about Mexican gamblers and got out of my Bronco. I slammed the door with a loud rickety rattle. There I was. Public school, the place of unheard of evil. I walked into the school and looked down at my schedule as I walked down the hall at a laggard pace. I was in no hurry.
I had Mr.Stoneking for math first period. Heh, 'Stoneking'. By the end of first period, I'd either have him crying or laughing.
Just then, I suddenly walked into someone else that was walking in the hall. I bent down to pick up my books at the same time he bent down to help me pick them up. Then, him and I lifted our heads simultaneously to look at each other. I immediately found myself swallowed in his eyes. I couldn't look away from them, and he was obviously staring into mine too. But it was different... The way he was looking into my eyes, I felt almost as if he could see into my soul. And strangely... I wanted him to.
He smiled, a mysterious, yet warm and friendly, relaxed smile. "Hi." He said as he stood up. His voice was as mesmerizing as his gaze, and as smooth and soft as velvet.
I stood up too and tried to issue a return 'Hi' but was unable to muster any more than a small squeak.
"Do you need any help?" He asked me in his beautiful velvet voice.
I still couldn't gather myself to speak. I quickly shook my head, grabbed my books, and got outta there. All the while I was trying to get to class, I was thinking about him. about his short, shaggy, black hair, his ceramic white, perfect complexion, his deep, hypnotizing, liquid gold eyes...
When I finally got to Mr.Stoneking's class, it was almost over. Mr. Stoneking looked over at me as I walked noisily into the class. Here we go, and the trouble begins. "Name." Mr. Stoneking demanded as I sat down in a desk.
"Drama Stewart." I told him.
He laughed, "Drama. Interesting name."
"And like Mr.Stoneking is any better." I said with a grin.
He smiled back, "Touche."
Okay. He was a cool teacher. This was good.
He started reciting the normal first day introduction teachers tell the classes. Well, maybe 'started' isn't the right word. More like continued, considering I had been so late.
Then, he gave us the rest of the class to pick a person in class and introduce ourself. Most of them knew each other and picked one of their friends. And then there was me. The Black sheep. all alone. Everyone in class had someone to talk to except for me. There was apparently an odd number of students in the class.
I sat there awkwardly, an outcast. I felt stupid. I knew I shouldn't have come. I suddenly had the idea of becoming a Mexican gambler back in my head. Wow.
Then I heard the door to the classroom open. I felt the mood of the room appear to immediately change.No one else seemed to notice.
I looked to the door to see who it was. It was Him. The boy from the hall. Living up to my name, I clasped my hands together, looked up, and whispered, "Thank you, Lord!"
Him and I were the only two without partners. The teacher directed him over to me, and he came and sat by me. "Hi again." He said with the same mysterious, warm, relaxed smile as he had in the hall.
"Hi." I mouthed, unable to actually speak.
"nervous?" He asked.
I nodded and showed a crooked half-smile.
"I understand." He said, "It's my first year here. I take it it's yours, too?"
I nodded again, "Yeah." I said in a sheepish voice.
He laughed, "So you do know how to talk."
I gave him another half smile.
"So," He said, "You left in such a rush earlier, I didn't get to introduce myself. I'm Kane." He held out his hand.
I shook hands with him and shuddered. It was as cold as ice. He pulled his hand back when he felt me shiver, "Cold hands, yeah, sorry."
"It's okay," I said, "My name's Drama." I felt myself blush. I was truthfully embarrassed about my unusual name. What was my mother thinking? I'll bet she was drunk. Maybe thats why I'm so messed up. Or maybe she just didn't want a child and saw me as nothing more than, well, Drama. I'm babbling again. I need to make a mental note to stop that. Nah, why waste time on the impossible? I'll end up mind-babbling again anyway. Yeah, sorta like right now.
I was then suddenly snapped back to reality by the sound of Kane's voice, "Drama, huh? I like it." He smiled, "It's different."
I couldn't help but smile too, "Thanks. So is Kane."
Next thing I knew, Mr.Stoneking was leaning over with his elbow on my desk and his head resting in his hand only about a foot away from my face. He grinned wide and gave me a fluttery wave, "What's up, Drama?"
I started at him blankly for a moment. "You should grow a beard, Stoney." I finally said.
Kane laughed.
"Hmm..." Mr. Stoneking pondered."Perhaps I will." Mr.Stoneking said as he stood up straight. He ran his hand over his bare chin in thought.
"Just walk away, Stoney. Just walk away." I said.
Mr.Stoneking laughed, "Okay, I guess I'm not wanted here." He said as he walked off.
"Well that's not fair." Kane said, "You get nervous when you talk to me, but not him."
I suddenly felt my throat close. I didn't know what to say to that. I wasn't even sure if I could say anything. "I..." I said in a strained voice, "I'm working on it." My throat suddenly burned like I had drank hot sauce. Then the bell rang. Saved by the bell, I grabbed my books and practically ran out.
I swam through the ocean of students in the hall. Bump here, push there, just shove my way through the idiots who find it okay to stand around and block up the hallway. I even plowed straight between a couple that was making out. I was going to be hated here. I could already tell by the angry couple glaring at me with a devil stare.
I, by some miracle, made it to second block in one piece. Mrs.Titsworth? You've got to be kidding me. Are any of my Teachers going to have normal names? I'm never going to be able to keep a straight face during her class. Mrs.Titsworth the english teacher. Wow.
I took a seat near the door. I suddenly got a strange familiar feeling of comfort that I had felt not too long ago... Then I saw him. Kane was in this class with me, too. He saw me and came and sat right behind me. Then came, once again, the painful red-hot burning in the back of my throat. I desperately wanted some cool water. Or orange juice. That sounded good.
Mrs.Titsworth closed the classroom door and walked back to the center of the front of the classroom, "Hello," she said, "My name is Mrs.Titsworth, but please call me Mrs.T."
Just then, some guy in the back row of the room felt the need to scream, "Yo, Mrs.Boob!" He was cast out of the room.
Then Mrs.T dove into her first day introduction. I didn't pay attention. I was too distracted by the nagging of the raspy, thirsty, burning in the back of my throat. Why was it like that? How could nerves alone cause this?
Just then, I suddenly had a feeling that was like I had just been punched in the stomach. Kane was looking at me, I could feel it. His eyes bore into the back of my mind, as if hearing my thoughts. As if he was in my mind. I suddenly felt vulnerable. Like he could control my mind if he wanted to. The burning in the back of my throat was gone, dissolved away. But I didn't notice. I was too distracted by my new affliction.
I was sitting straight up in my chair with both hands flat on my desk and I was staring into space. I must have looked like I was in a trance. I felt like I was. Suddenly, I snapped back at the sound of the bell signaling it was time to switch to our next class. The bell must have broken Kane’s concentration or something. I suddenly felt tired. Was class really over already? I felt like it had only been about five minutes.
I gathered my things and, unable to resist, looked back at Kane. He was looking at me too. The burning in my throat is back. I practically ran to third period. Ms. Culbreth. A little closer to a normal name. Kane wasn’t in this class (Thank God!) Ms. Culbreth was mean. She made us do work on the first day and then gave me detention for calling her Ms. Cold Breath. As if that’s going to make me stop calling her that. It’s a fitting nickname, detention isn’t going to change that. I’m not going to go anyway, so what’s it really matter?
After science with Ms. Cold Breath I went to lunch.
Sitting at an empty lunch table all alone was a drag. Then Kane came over and sat with me. I guess it was better than sitting alone.
He spent over half the time staring blankly into my eyes and probably hoping I would up into his so he could do that freaky hypnotizing thing he had done in the hall and in English. I was too scared and wouldn’t look up from my nasty tray of generic school pizza. He finally gave up and stopped. I felt like I had just taken off a heavy winter coat that I had been wearing in summer. It was a relief.
“So who do you have for your last three classes?” He asked.
I thought to remember and answered without looking up from my tray, “Mr. Stephen, Ms. Coach, and Mr. Thompson.” Wow, Ms. Coach? Guess what class she taught.
“Cool,” Kane said with a smile, “I have them too.”
“Great.” I murmured with fake enthusiasm, still looking down at tray and stabbing at my pizza with a fork. I wondered if the fries were actually made of potatoes…
I wanted to walk to History class alone, but Kane insisted we walk there together. He was exceptionally good at navigating through the hall crowd without the use of violence. He kept getting so far ahead of me that he’d have to stop and wait for me as I caught up.
Finally, he grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me along with him through the masses of people. As soon as our hands locked together a cold shiver passed through my body and crept down my spine. I wanted to let go and pull away but his tight grip on my wrist prevented me.
It was effective, though. We weaved through the crowd quickly and didn’t bump into a single person. It was almost like we were ghosts floating among the crowd. As soon as we got to Mr. Stephens class, he let go of my wrist.
“Sorry,” He said, “I know my hands are cold, but you’re just no good at getting through big crowds.”
“Yeah, I know.” I mumbled, rubbing my wrist to warm it. Then I realized my wrist wasn’t only cold, but sore. I looked at it. I already had the form a purple bruise in the shape of his hand around my wrist. I poked the tender skin like an idiot. “Ouch.” I cringed.
“Oh God! Crap!” He said looking at the already dark purple hand-shaped bruise left by his grip, “I’m so sorry Drama, that was stupid of me.”
“It’s okay, don’t worry about it. At least it’s not my writing hand.” I assured him. We both sat down. I sat near the door and Kane sat in the desk right behind me. Mr. Stephen started his long boring introduction with, “My name is pronounced Stee-VEN, not Ste-FEN.
I decided to forever pronounce his name that way. Saying ‘Stee’ then putting emphasis on ‘Ven’.
I felt Kane staring at me again. Trying to worm his way into my mind. How did he do that? It was creepy, and I didn’t want it to happen again. I wrote a note to him.

Kane,
Please stop staring at me.

I folded the note into small neat rectangles and passed it back to him. He opened it, read it, wrote a reply, then passed it forward to me again. I opened it again and read it.

How did you know I was looking at you?

How did I know? I just had a feeling. I just knew. I wrote my reply and passed it back, not even bothering to fold it again.

I just had a feeling.

The rest of the class was okay. Apparently, Mr. Stee-VEN is from New York, is lactose intolerant, is allergic to cats, obsessed with dogs, and hates History, the class he teaches. He said he wanted to teach art, but the school wouldn’t let him because they didn’t think he was good enough at art. Wow, what a let down, eh?
My next class after History was Gym class with Ms. Coach (teehee.)
Today we got our uniforms. We’re going to dress out tomorrow. Goodie. After we got our ugly red and orange (What wonderful school colors!) uniforms, we got to sit in the bleachers and talk the rest of the period. I was, of course, sitting with Kane. It wasn’t so bad this time. At least he didn’t do anything freaky. My head was finally clear and my throat wasn’t burning. Hoorah? Maybe he’ll come be a non-Mexican broke gambler with me. Coolio.
“Did you move here over the summer?” I asked him.
“Yeah,” He answered, “You?”
“Oh, I was born here. I used to be home schooled. This is my first wonderfully torturous year of public school.” I said sarcastically with a fake enthusiasm.
He whistled, the kind that starts soft and gets louder. Crescendo. “That’s gotta be tough.”
“Yeah.” I responded. The bell rings and this time I grab his hand. It’s warm.
We made it to sixth block. Band class with Mr. Thompson. Kane stood dumbly flexing his hand as I went to get my flute from my instrument locker. My mom must have brought it, ‘cause I know I sure didn’t.
I came back with my flute.
Kane looked dumbstruck, “My hand didn’t feel cold? At all?” I
shook my head no as I put my flute together.
He looked back and forth at his hand and me with confusion on his face.
“Uhm,” I said, “You might want to go get your instrument.”
“Huh?” He said snapping back from his thoughts, “Oh, yeah, right.” He went to retrieve his instrument from the small closet-like room where the instrument lockers were and came back with a saxophone.
“What songs do you know?” I asked.
He smiled “It would probably take a few years to list them all. What about you?”
“I know quite a few myself.” I answered smugly, “Do you know Millennia?”
He replied, “Yeah.” And started playing it.
He was good. No, better than that. He was amazing. He hit every note perfect, and played it smooth and hypnotically. The class joined around to listen then applauded with loud clapping and a lot of whistles and whoops. When he finished, he asked me to play. I was nervous. I had been playing my flute for nearly seven years and I didn’t sound anywhere close to as good as him. I told him I had a sore throat.
Just then the teacher came in and closed the door. Everyone rushed to their instrument sections and a few clueless people who didn’t know where their section was, and possibly didn’t even know what instrument they played, stood around daftly. Idiots idiots idiots.
Class starts and Mr. Thompson dives into, for the sixth time, basically the same introduction speech we’d been hearing from all the teachers all day. No one paid attention. Kane and I traded playful nudges most of the time. He would reach forward from the second row and poke me in the back, then I would issue a return nudge by turning around in my seat and reaching out to poke him with my flute from the first row.
After a while, Mr. Thompson finally realized that no one cared about what he was saying and gave us the rest of the class time to talk. I went back and sat in the saxophone section with Kane. I grabbed his hand. It felt like a cold hard block of ice. I felt the shiver of cold run down my spine and let go.
I felt kind of rude for it, but then he smiled a warm friendly smile that seemed to melt all my discomfort away. Is he messing with my head again? No, he can’t be. I would feel it. I would know. We talked the whole time. I asked him about my non-Mexican broke gambler scheme. He didn’t think it was such a good idea.
After class, Kane walked me to my Bronco.
I opened the door. The creaky hinges of the car door gave me a big welcome back cheer.
“Where’s your car?” I asked him. He pointed over his shoulder at the car next to mine.
I moved to look around him. Holy crackers! He has a sports car! It was a blue Porsche Convertible. I’m not very car savvy, so I’m not sure what model it was. I’m amazed I could recognize it was a Porsche.
“You’re rich!” I blurted dumbly.
He laughed, “My parents spoil me.” He said with a shrug.
“Lucky you.” I mumbled, “My parents are too broke to spoil me.”
He laughed again, “Just remember,” He said, “Things can always be worse.”
“Meh.” I shrugged with a smile. I climbed into my Bronco and he closed the door for me. I looked in the rear-view mirror as I drove away and watched as he got in the shiny sapphire blue Porsche and drove off. Envy.
I pulled into my driveway at home. Crap. I don’t have anything to complain about. I’m going to have to admit to my parents that they were right and I was wrong. Aw man.
I walk inside and slam the door behind myself. I have to make this look convincing.
“How was school?” My mom asked robotically without looking up from the newspaper.
“Sucked.” I said and stomped off. They won’t care about it any more than that. I slam my bedroom door to complete the performance. Perfect show. The actors are rewarded with mint Oreos later.

[drama]

Chapter 2

Months go by and school is great. Stoney actually grew a beard, Mrs. T tries to keep class fun, she fails, but A for effort, right? Mrs. Cold Breath is an evil demon in disguise, I swear. Mr. Stee-VEN hates teaching history, so we watch movies every day. Documentaries about America's past and stuff. Ms. Coach completely works us to death with running and stupid weightlifting. And Mr. Thompson picks awesome songs.
Kane and I have grown very close. Nothing freaky has happened since the first day of school, and by how he acts, I think he may ask me out soon. Hooray. But he's still my only friend I've made in public school. Boohoo. Oddly, I think I'll live.
It's almost the end of the first marking period. We have four a year.
I'm set into a regular pattern now, and my whole plan has changed. I make straight A's and never get in trouble. I wonder if the principal even knows my name. I still have a major attitude, but Mrs. Cold Breath seems to be the only one who notices. I've also become Mr. Stoneking's pet. Actually, no. When I think about it, he's more like my pet. Awesome.
Halloween fell on a Friday this year, and today is that Friday. Yippie? I've really never been that into Halloween, really.Maybe if we actually got out of school for it I'd like it. Not even when I was home schooled did I get to take a break from class for Halloween. Evil people.
I get out of my bronco and met Kane at his Porsche to start my school routine. But... Holy bajeezus, Kane's wearing a costume!
He was dressed up as a Zombie for Halloween. He had his sit painted a pale green color, and a dribble of fake blood running down his cheek. "Hey... Uh, wow..." Was all I could say as I walked up to him.
"What's wrong?" He said with a taunting smile, "Not into the spirit of Halloween?"
I gave him a crooked half-smile, "I just don't see the point in dressing up like a... Retard once a year." The more I thought about it, the more I thought he looked more like a skinny version of Frankenstein, rather than a zombie.
"Halloween isn't about dressing up to look stupid." He said, "It's about becoming someone else. You know, getting out of your own identity."
"Hmm..." I said, pausing and pretending to think for a second, "I thought it was about the candy?"
He laughed at my revelation, "It is to little kids," He said with a smile, "But not to me."
"Oh. I still don't get the point, though."
His expression seemed to lose it'd hopeful gleam and his smile dissolved into a disappointed frown, "Oh, then I take it you won't want to spend some time out with me tonight?"
Was he gonna invite me trick-or-treating with him or something? I'd still go as long as it was with him... "Of course I'll come," I assured him, "I'm not wearing a costume, though. Where are we going?"
His face lit up with his beautiful smile again, "It's a surprise. You'll love it, just wait. I'll pick you up right after dark."
I was about to say something when the school bell rang signaling we had two minutes before class started. Kane and I always walk to class holding hands. I've gotten used to how cold his hands are. It's not like a lonely, harsh cold, it's more of a warm, friendly cold. Huh? Does that even make sense? No, I don't think so. It's so cold it's warm? Still no sense. I give up. It was cold. End of story. That's... four three word sentences in a row.
Kane and I walked into first period and sat next to each other in the front row.
"Hey Stoney." I greeted Mr. Stoneking.
"Morning Drama." He returned my greeting with a wry smile.
Today we reviewed two-step equations. It was so easy I almost fell asleep. Luckily, Kane woke me up. I owe him for all the times that's happened.
After class, Kane and I walked to English class together. Mrs. T had gotten fed up with all the talking in class and gave us all assigned seats. There was still alot of talking.
Kane and I sat right next to each other. Mrs' T had put the quiet kids near their friends and separated the loud obnoxious ones. One kid had an isolated desk up front facing a corner. He complained daily about spiders in the corner. Big surprise that it was the one who had called her Mrs. Boob on the first day.
We were reading Edgar Allan Poe's work in her class. It was loads of fun. The Tell Tale Heart was totally creepy, and The Cask Of Amontillado was awesome. I'd entomb someone for insulting me too. I don't take crap from wanna-be wine experts like Fortunado. I'll bet he didn't no jack about wine.
After English class, Kane and I were ripped apart to opposite ends of the school for third period.
Today, Mrs. Cold Breath went after Cody Emlen, one of the beefy, testosterone-filled jocks. It seems so far that she goes after one person each day. Why did I have to get the first day?
Today we talked about astronomy. It was really cool. I'm gonna show Kane where Orion is one night.
As soon as Science was over, I walked briskly to lunch. Kane and I met up at the door to go in together like always. I looped my arm through his tattered-sleeved, painted-green arm and we made our entrance.
The wild-cat huntress siren alarm cheerleader preps that watch the door for prey let out shrieking laughter that quieted the cafeteria ruckus and drew the rooms attention to the door.
The room went entirely silent for almost a solid minute before it erupted into laughter then quieted back to the dull roar of mosquito's buzzing about their daily gossip: Frankenstein and Frankensteins Bride.
But that was the good thing about being outcasts. You had no reputation to be trashed.
I plopped into a seat at our usual table in the corner. A light was out right above it and there was a window right next to it, so rather than the eye-straining, buzzing, yellow-tinted fluorescent lights of the school, our table had dim, but still better-looking natural light. Kane sat next to me. I could feel nervous energy radiating from him. His hand twitched on the table like he was debating whether to put his arm around me.
I smiled and leaned into him, shuddering as his cold body made contact. His arm stretched up and went around my shoulders, pulling me slightly closer to him.
He and I had both brought our lunches since the first day. The school food was just too nasty.
It was an odd thing, though. Kane brought his lunch every day and never ate it. He waited for me to finish, then threw his away, occasionally giving me something good from his lunch, or letting me have it all together when I forgot my lunch at home.
I'd only seen him eat once. I practically forced him to eat one of my home made cookies, finally getting him with, "I won't talk to you anymore." After he ate it, he looked like he was about to throw up. After that I worked for hours a day for weeks perfecting my cookies. Now I'm a master baker, and I still smell like flour. In fact, I think we still have some stale cookies left over from that.
The whole lunch period we chatted with our usual meaningless small talk and joking. He stayed away from the topic of his surprise, completely dodging it every time I threw it at him. I guess he knew that I'd get the secret out of him if he even got close to the subject.
I finished my lunch and we threw away our trash to head to History class together.
Mr. Stee-VEN was talking in a fake Romanian accent for Halloween. Kane grimaced at the accent.
I leaned over to whisper to Kane as Mr. Stee-VEN dredged on about the movie we were going to watch, "Yeah, pretty crappy job on the accent, huh?"
"What? Oh, yeah. Horrible." He whispered back.
"Kane, Drama, shut up back there! I will rip out your throat's with my bare teeth, so help me God!" Mr. Stee-VEN joked. It sounded more like, "Kaaane, Draaah mah, sssshut up back they'll! I weel reap yoll thlloat'ssss out weeth my bayll teeth, ssso help me God!"
I couldn't help but chuckle at him.
Kane just glowered angrily, looking like he was the one about to do the throat ripping.
The movie we watched was a cool mummy movie that was ll fiction. I mean, there were no mummies running through New York eating people for disturbing their final resting place, were there?
That would be cool, I mean, I wouldn't want to go to New York, though. If I ever go I'll probably be paranoid.
Now that I think about it, though, it isn't really mummies who eat people, right? I thought that was zombies who were into cannibalism. Well, not technically cannibalism, since they aren't really human.
But my point, mummies just, like, curse people, right? Like snakes and black cat's and all that mumbo jumbo. and spiders and all that scary stuff. And the curse of the mummy burning your skin like acid and making your eyes pop out of your skull and hair fall out.
I want that to happen to Mrs. Cold Breath, and I want to watch as Her skin dissolves and eye's pop out.
I suddenly got a creepy, spine chilling mental image of it. "Never mind that." I whispered under my breath, shivering.
I suddenly heard Kane chuckle, snapping me back to reality from my babbling thoughts. I looked up at the screen. The two main characters, a man and a woman, were kissing because they knew they were going to die soon. He was immature enough to find that funny?
I looked over at him. He was looking at me.
"What?"
"Nothing." He replied, turning back to the screen.
I looked back at the screen to. Right as I did, a mummy popped up between the kissing couple and ate them both. such a happy ending.
Finally came the time to switch to fifth period.
Kane and I walked together to the gym then parted at the door to the opposite locker rooms.
I dressed out in my hideous red and orange gym uniform and made my way out to the Gym. Seriously, I'm not very into fashion, but that gym uniform, is like, a crime to humanity. I guess the colors kinda go with the Tigers mascot... not.
We played dodge ball today, class against class.
I was getting really into it, ducking and weaving.
A guy from behind let out a foxy whistle and shouted "Go Drama!"
It distracted me for a moment and I turned to look for the culprit. Suddenly Kane's voice called my name. I turned back to face the other side of the court just in time to be smacked in the face with a dodge-ball by some guy. Him and the guy who had whistled busted out laughing. They had planned it.
I was taken off the court with a bloody nose from it. It wasn't fair that they let the guy who hit me stay in.
Kane finally got a change to glance over at me from the game. He saw my nosebleed and rage sparked in his eyes that I could recognize all the way from the bleachers where I sat.
He got his hand on a ball, skimmed the other team for the guy, and threw as hard as he could...
The ambulance arrived about a half hour later. The kid had a cracked rib. Again, the retarded school dismissed it as an accident like when he had given me the nosebleed.
Seeing that animal thirst for vengeance in his eyes and watching as he cracked the guys rib with a mere dip-foam dodge ball -yes, the school was too cheap and paranoid for real dodge balls- set me on edge around Kane for the rest of the school day. I jumped every time he spoke to me in band.
I tried to get out and to my Bronco alone after school, but he wouldn't allow it. He obviously knew how freaked out I was.
"I'm sorry." Kane said pleadingly.
"You seriously hurt him." I said, picking up pace. "He could die."
He sped up too, "I didn't mean to."
I was closing in on my Bronco. I reached for the handle. Right as I wrapped my had around the cool, reassuring metal, he closed his own hand around my wrist. He pulled my wrist up to about my face level, scaring me. Then I caught the wounded puppy look in his eyes.
"You're scared I'll hurt you," He said, "I promise, I would never, could never hurt you."
I pulled my hand free and got in my Bronco, "I know," I whispered to him out the window that I had left down all day, airing out the musty insides of my baby, "See you tonight."
On my way home I tried to focus on the fact that I was still completely freaked out and didn't want to go. I focused also on the tiny thread of hope I had that I might now be able to go. Dad was out of town and mom liked Kane more than any mother should like a teenage boy that their daughter is friends with, so the chance was microscopic.
But I clung to the hope that my dad may get in a bad accident and die and I wouldn't be able to go because I was emotionally scarred for life. Lovely.
Of course I had no luck. Mom was happy I was getting out, and insisted that dad didn't have to know I was going out alone with a guy at night. I was allowed to stay out as late as she wanted.
Kane came around 7:30, right after the darkness of nighttime chased away the sun.
I couldn't help but marvel at his beautiful car. It wasn't my first time riding in it, of course, but the car was so awesome. It was as mesmerizing as Kane's gaze. As strikingly breathtaking as his deep, glistening sometime liquid gold, sometimes ocean blue eyes.
Iwalked the long way around to the door of the car, sliding my hand across the sparkly blue paint job on my way. It was so smooth.
I got in the car and smiled a fake beam at Kane.
He smiled back, his pearly teeth only slightly whiter than his marble pale skin. I caught a flash of something in his eyes. Something like hurt, or nerves.
The car ride was quiet and awkward. I wished he would speak, and a few times he looked like he was about to then my mind started racing about what he might say and what I should say back and he stopped and looked back to the road like he could sense my panic.
We pulled up to a lake. The beauty of it took my breath away. The water, even in the dark of night, was a deep shining blue, almost the exact color of his car. The moon beamed exactly in the center of the lake, a large mother ship of broken white light rippling with the movement of the water.
Kane gave me another hurt and nervous smile, this time with a bit more confidence. Then he got out and opened my car door for me.
The air was crisp and clean and only a bit chilly. The wind was just enough to pick my hair up slightly and blow it softly around me. The light feeling made me feel like I was beautiful.
"You look beautiful." Kane said, staring at me like he was hypnotized by me. It was normally me looking like a baffled child at his beauty.
I smiled quietly, blushing. He took my hand, his cool skin sending excited shivers up my arm. I was now happy to have come. I could tell this would be a great surprise.
We kicked off our shoes and walked down the shore of soft sand and small shrub plants to a gently bobbing boat tied up and waiting.
Kane rowed us out to the middle of the lake, silently ginning int anticipation. He stopped right in the middle of the full moon's shining reflection. I felt like a beautiful goddess under the light of the bright white light.
I could almost feel Kane's fluttering nerves. By then I had my own butterflies, too. I tried to calm them by looking around at the beauty surrounding me, but I ultimately found myself looking square into Kane's deep beautiful eyes. They we're that gleaming ocean blue.
Finally, he spoke, "Drama..." He paused for what seemed like forever, the nervous gleam intensified in his eyes so much I thought he was going to die. Finally, he finished, "I want to ask you something."
My mind started rushing. OhmiGod ohmiGod ohmiGod! He's definitely going to ask me out!
"But," He continued, "There's something I have to tell you first that might affect your decision."
My heart paused, and I stopped breathing automatically. Please don't tell me he's bisexual or something!
"Drama, I'm not bi." He said with a chuckle.
I blushed, "Okay, right. Who said you were?"
He laughed again, "Drama, I said that for a reason. I wasn't just assuring you of that out of the blue."
"What..." I thought for a moment, "What do you mean?"
He took a deep breath, "Okay, Drama, here we go." He fiddled nervously with a button on his sleeve. "I can read minds."
I twitched like I had been slapped, faltering and dangerously close to tipping the boat and falling into the water.
"Drama!" Kane grabbed my shoulders and steadied me.
"I'm okay, I'm okay." I assured him, feeling dizzy, "I'm overreacting. Right, so you can... read my mind. Okay, okay." I was hyperventilating.
"I'm sorry," He said, "I didn't want it to freak you out."
"No, no. I'm good. Fine. Perfect."
He took another even deeper breath, "There's more, Drama."
Oh God no. No no no. Why's this happening? Am I dreaming? I prayed to God it would be something easy to handle. Something I could deal with.
"I'm a vampire, Drama."
I drew in a frightened breath, and automatically moved back as far as I could in the boat. I had forgotten the seat was level with the edge and found myself slipping.
The icy water slapped me in the back and back of the head hard. It wasn't the comforting cold of holding hands with Kane, it was a harsh, suffocating cold. I breathed in the water and could feel my lungs fill with the icy bitterness. I felt as if someones hands were grasped around my ankles, dragging me under. I was surrounded by the velvet smooth darkness. There was no visible light, no shapes or objects. Just the cold, unforgiving black water pulling me deeper. Drowning me.

[drama]

Last night was a dream. A nightmare, it had to have been. I woke up the next morning, warm and comfortable in my bed. I was in my pajamas and everything.
It was just a nightmare. Just a hideous, frightening, and wonderful nightmare.
Wait, wonderful? Why'd I say wonderful, how could that be considered wonderful? I found out the guy I like is a vampire who can hear my thoughts, then I fell into the water. Last night was not wonderful. Last night was a crappy nightmare, as crappy as any other only alot more realistic. That's all. Just a normal nightmare. A normal, wonderful nightmare.
Correction, an almost wonderful nightmare.
Kane never actually asked me out. I'm positive he was going to, but I just had to freak out. I actually probably wouldn't have freaked out if he had asked me out, then told me he was a vampire.
I shouldn't blame him for last night, though. It really was my fault, not his. It's not like he pushed me into the water, I overreacted and fell.
No. Shut up, brain, last night wasn't real! He's not a vampire, he can hear my thoughts, and I never fell in the water. It was all a dream. A freaky, realistic nightmare.
Halloween sucks.
I tried to call Kane to verify that last night was just a freaky messed up nightmare my imagination concocted, but no one answered.
I decided to drive over to his house. It would be better to laugh with him about my crazy dream in person, anyway.
I pulled up in the slightly familiar driveway of his large Victorian style house. A small, scrubby, but elegant garden circled around a huge oak in the front yard and the whole back yard was woods. seven acres of them.
I rang the doorbell, hoping Kane was home, but his mom, Kym, answered. She said Kane was out hunting with his Dad.
Kym invited me in. I was happy to sit with her and talk, she was just one of those people who were easy to talk with.
Kym was tall and had an elegant beauty to her. Her skin was the same pale, pearl color as Kane's, and her hair fell long and curly down her back and framed her heart-shaped face with perfect spiral curls. Her eyes were the same deep blue as Kane's and sometimes turned that silvery, liquid gold color.
Their living room was set up with a long tan leather couch across from the TV and a gray recliner sitting vertical to the couch. Kym sat down in the recliner and I sat on the couch.
As soon as I sat, Kym raised an eyebrow at me, "Bad dream last night?" She asked. She always had a way with knowing what was up.
"Yeah." I said. I laughed quietly at myself and told her, "I dreamed Kane was a vampire."
Kym blinked at me a couple times. Nothing really changed on her face, but somehow her expression seemed more serious now. Finally, she spoke, as she jumped up from the recliner and stomped into the kitchen, "Not you too Drama!" She shouted, "I'm so sick of non-believers!"
I felt a chill run down my spine. I had only met Kym a couple times, but she had never so much as seemed angry before. Now it was obvious she was angry.
Then I felt stupid as her words finally sank in, "Wait..." I said, "You're mad at me because I don't believe Kane's a vampire...?"
Her head poked out of the kitchen doorway I wondered momentarily what she was doing in there. "Not all fiction isn't true." She whispered. "And since you're so curious, I'm just getting a drink."
I had never thought much of Kym's knowing everything, I always figured it was some sort of mothers sixth sense that my mom didn't care about me enough to have, but it finally sank in, leaving me feeling stupid again. "You can read minds too..." I said, "It's true..."
"Surprise." Kym mumbled. Then she straightened up, "I'm sorry sweetie, it's alot to take in, I shouldn't be so rude."
"Oh, it's okay... I'm okay, it's okay." I stuttered.
Kym laughed, "Yeah. It really sounds like it." She walked back in the living room with a glass of cool aid. Or at least I had always thought she drank alot of cool aid, but with the new knowledge I had, I finally realized what it really was.
I covered my mouth after my Revelation. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, that's just so... so... I'm sorry." I shot up from the couch and ran to the bathroom.
But I got caught in the hall when I ran into someone head on. I fell to the ground and landed hard on my butt. I looked up to see Kane.
He reached a hand down to help me up, "Oh God, sorry Drama. Didn't really expect you to be running down the hall. We came in the back door." He pointed to the door that came from outside straight into the hallway.
I looked dizzily at his offered hand. A million imagined images flashed through my head of him drinking blood. Before I knew it, my head made contact with the floor and I was out.
I woke up to a tall, sturdy man with dark brown eyes and short jet black hair standing over me fanning my face with a sheet of paper. I was on the couch in the living room and my head was laid in Kane's lap. As soon as I opened my eyes I began to freak out again. My first move was screaming, my second was rolling straight off Kane's lap and meeting Mr. Floor once again, this time face first.
The man looked down at me, looking me over. Evaluating me. Freaking me out even more. If it was even possible for my freak out level to rise anymore. It was already the highest it had ever been. Dangerously high. I wonder if it's possible for me to freak out so much that I would explode. It would be funny if I exploded and my guts got all over the three of them. They're vampires though... Wouldn't they just eat my guts?
Kane laughed, snapping me out of my mind babble. "Oops." I blushed, looking back down at the hardwood floor.
"You have an imagination like that, yet believing in vampires is so hard for you? Crazy girl." He offered his hand and helped me up.
I stood shakily, testing my ability to walk. When I confirmed that I wouldn't fall right back down, I let go of his hand and replied, "I know, but... well, it's just so unexpected that you would... that youwould be one."
I sat next to him on the couch as he said, "I guess it makes sense. But I figured you'd be able to figure it out after the first day of school and everything that happened. Remember?"
My throat ached at the memory, but my heart also skipped a beat and jumped. Sure, I was freaked out by alot of what happened, but there were plenty of good memories too. Like when Kane and I met and I got lost in his gaze. It wasn't like a scary 'ohmigod, I'm lost, help!' It was more like, 'yup, I'm lost. Don't come find me.'
In truth, it was love at first sight.
I looked at Kane and he smiled at me too. The kind of smile that said, "That's exactly how I feel, too."
I smiled back and snuggled my head against his shoulder. I'm snuggling a vampire. I couldn't help but giggle. Then I noticed Kym and the man were looking at us. I straightened up. "You guys can both read minds too, can't you?"
They both nodded and Kym chuckled. "Don't corrupt my little boy too much, okay?" She said as she stood up and left the room.
I felt my face turn blood red. Then the mans eyes locked on Kane's, "Don't do anything stupid, son." He said in a stern voice.
"This is me we're talking about, Xan." Kane replied in an equally stern and bitter voice. "I care about her, I'm not going to do anything wrong."
"You'd better." He said as he walked out after Kym.
"Who is he?" I whispered once the man had left.
"That's my dad." Kane answered, "He's okay most of the time. When he's not treating me like a five year old or being overprotective."
"He's a little scary."
Kane just laughed at me and I couldn't help but chuckle along also.
I spent the whole day at Kane's house, and later on we ended up outside on his back porch watching the sun setting on the tall trees in the woods in his backyard. Kane's arm was wrapped around me and I was happily snuggling against his cool body.
Suddenly I heard a yapping sound. A dog came bounding around the corner of the house and jumped up in Kane's lap. There was a bow around the dogs neck.
I looked up at Kane with a confused face. He just smiled at me. "What's going on?" I asked.
"Her name's Emmy, and she's yours. Your mom already said yes." He said, then kissed my forehead lightly as Emmy yapped loudly like she was cheering.