With A Side Of Blood

Chapter One

Cristian Costellano grinned from the row behind me in history class. Mouthing, "I want you so bad," he shot me a very obvious - not to mention obnoxious - wink. He must think he's acting sexy, but he's really quite a nuisance.

"Miss Sterling!"

I turned my attention back to Ms. Baggoti, trying my best to look as innocent as a person looking behind them during a test could. She scowled at me, and I instantly gave up on being innocuous.

"Are you looking at Mister Costellano's paper?" she growled.

For a human teacher, she was scary enough to make Lil Wayne piss his pants. I looked down, my face turning as red as my lipstick.

"No, Ms. Baggoti," I replied softly.

Ms. Baggoti cackled, "Right." Swiftly, she picked up my half-finished test and ripped it in half. I squeezed my eyes tightly together, trying my best not to cry. Dad and Mom will be very disappointed to hear about another zero.

Cristian's voice broke the tension. "Excuse me, Ms. Baggoti? Celeste wasn't copying my answers. I was copying hers, and she was just glaring at me. Don't blame her, it's not her fault."

Ms. Baggoti - plus most of Cristian's friends - looked at him in awe. He'd never defended anybody before. This was certainly going to be interesting.

"Is that right, Miss Sterling?" Ms. Baggoti asked, her eyes still widened from shock. "If so, I'll have to give you more time to write a new test."

My lips quivered as I whispered, "Yes, Ms. Baggoti."

With a flourish, she brandished a brand-new test from her desk. "Restart, then. As for you, Mister Costellano, I'm afraid I'll have to give you a zero and a detention."
Why would Cristian Costellano, the rich-bitch of the school, lie for me? I am certainly not his friend, nor his enemy. I don't even know what I am, honestly.

I, Celeste Sterling, am a one-of-a-kind vampire child. Born at the stroke of one A.M. to Raven and Alexander Sterling, I have always been different, starting from my incredible dislike of the darkness. But that's not the only reason I'm different. I'm the only vampire to ever walk in the daylight.

You see, my mother, before becoming forever tied to my father, was a human. Therefore, human blood traces around my body, making me immune to the sun's deadly rays that otherwise kill the bloodsuckers of the Earth.

Strange, really.

When the bell rang, signalling lunch (or rather, dinner, since it was about midnight), I nearly ran out of class to avoid talking to Cristian. But Cristian is a fast vampire, and he managed to find me among the bustling hallway.

"Celeste!" he called. "Celeste!"

If I ignored him, he would continue calling me, and soon grasp his on-and-off girlfriend's attention. Delia Cezario does not like it when her on-and-off boyfriend calls out other girls' names, whether they're in bed or in school.

Grudgingly, I walked up to him. He smiling, showing off his obnoxiously-perfect white teeth (his father is obsessed with dentistry).

"Hello, Celeste," he said, in a tone homage to Hannibal Lecter. "How are you on this fine night?"

"What is it, Cristian? I really don't have the time for unwitty banter," I replied, crossing my arms over my chest. "What is it? Did my father call your father again or something?"

Cristian's father Sebastian is apparently my dad's friend. They talk often, and they once invited the Costellanos over for dinner. That same night, I had snuck out to see a bandslam with my friend, and thankfully missed the entire affair.

"Of course not," Cristian answered. "I was wondering if you'd like to sit with me in the cafeteria."

I laughed. Harshly and cruelly, I laughed. Cristian was obviously up to something. Why else would he invited me to the very-exclusive Vampopulars table? To show everybody that he could fool the daylight-walking vampire? To pull a Carrie and douse me in blood? (Wait, that one wouldn't be so bad.)

"No," I refused.

Cristian raised his eyebrows. "Really? What if I told you that if you sat with me for the rest of the year, I'll keep Mitchell from stalking you?"

By "Mitchell", he meant Vladimir Mitchell, son of famous soccer player Trevor Mitchell. The Mitchells had moved to Romania a few months ago and Vladimir soon began courting me. Even though the idea of a boy hopelessly in love with me was romantic, I didn't like it one bit, especially since he'd snuck into my room two nights ago to grab a picture of me.

"Deal," I said. What was I supposed to do? Let Vladimir stalk me to the point of getting raped? Or simply sit there while the Vampopulars chatter about bloody nuisances?