"Freak." They laughed as I fell to the ground, my sketch book flying from my grasp. Pain seared my elbow and knee, as I picked myself up off the ground, rubbing the skin that burned from the rapid healing.

"What's this?" Derek the football quarter back, picks up the worn and ragged sketch book and flips through the pages. "Pictures of you're dead friends? The only friends you can get?" They all laughed as if it was the funniest thing in the world, his cheerleader girlfriend, Grace, mashed to his side.

I sneered, disgusted, "Yeah, yeah, hardy har-har. Very funny, now give me my book back." I reached for it, but he jerked it out of my grasp. His grin getting wider more amused at my helplessness. Grace smiled cruelly, showing her pearly whites, at me as well as giving me the once over while smirking distastefully, like she should be the one disgusted. I wanted to smack her senseless using my vamp strength so bad and rip that fake hair extension right off her pretty little head, but I, thankfully, reframed from it.

"Now why would I do that? It would mean the end to all our fun. We wouldn't want that now would we?" he dangled the sketch book above my head, wanting me to jump and beg for it. I stood my ground unmoving, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of my vulnerability.

"What? Not going to jump?" he looks at his friends and grins while I glare at him. "How about run then." he flung it in the air toward the water fountain. I gasped as a rush of wind blows it off course and it barely misses the inside rims, settling down on the lining of it. I breathed out a sigh of relief. Disappointed groans filled the air behind me."How could you miss that, man?" Derek punched the guy who criticized him and frowned.

"Must've been the wind. 'Cause I know that should have made it in." he glared at me. His eyes strayed off behind me and he sneered while backing up. "Come on lets' get outta here an' leave the freak to talk to herself." they stalk off but not before Derek throws me one last look of resentment. When he turned his head and disappeared behind the corner, I stuck my tongue out at him and flipped him the bird when I heard laughter behind me, I jumped.

"That wasn't very nice." Jared put his hand on my shoulder, still laughing.

I held my hand to my chest where my heart was hammering and slapped him on the arm, "Holy- do you always have to sneak up on someone?!" I shook my head and tightened the strap to my bag. "The stupid jerk deserves it, and much more." I let out an angry chuckle, "Much, much more."

Jared laughed and brings' me back my sketch book, but before he hands it to me, he picks at the edge of it, looking down at me.

Immediately, I understand that he wants to look at my sketches and I vigorously shake my head. "There aint no way, so you can go ahead and give it back right now." I held my hand out, the other on my hip, waiting for him to plop it into my hand.

He still holds it in his hand," I thought 'aint' aint a word?" he snickers at me. I try to fake a sneer," It is now; they put it in the dictionary because bozos like you wouldn't stop using it. Now hand my book." Hand still outwards, I cross my other arm underneath my breast. His eyes follow and he grins as he hands over my sketch book. As soon as I took it and put it in my bag, he grabbed my hand and whirled me around in a dancers spin. My black skirt twirled as I giggled, showing more skin than I would have liked but I allowed it.

"Look at you. Radiant as ever in your black attire. Starting your senior year off with a bang huh?" he slowed me to a stop and steadied me when I started to wobble. I laughed, dizziness taking over.

"I suppose so. It helps a little, ya' know my best friend being the star quarter back to scare off the evil bad people." I fix my wayward skirt and smiled up at him. Jared Hicks was the star quarter back and my best friend other than Jezebell Desiree, Shail Freish and Cybilla Mithci, he was the first to treat me with kindness when I moved down here from Washington. The others didn't notice me till I tripped and somehow 'moved' Graces' food try in front of her face, then they started to treat me the way Jared did, with kindness, like I was one of them. Though they were good friends I still missed Poppy and Caster. Jared reminded me of them, he's carefree style like Caster's and a badass temper like Poppy's, that didn't help at all. Jared was a tall brunette with hair that swept in front of his eyes and nice broad shoulders as well as biceps that can easily pick me up in just a second, his bright green eyes making him appear hard to approach.

Jared sings his arm around my shoulder and leads me to my first period. "Come on Miss Thang, bells about to ring and you don't want to be late for class now do you?"

I grumble as we walk, "Ugh, why wouldn't I?" He laughs out loud and I could feel it rumble through his chest. It gave me a warm feeling that I had a friend as nice as him