I wrote this for an English short story assignment. It was supposed to be longer, but I ran out of time ."

Hope you like it!

Vampire's Kiss

Spring rain splattered against his window, the clouds darkening the evening sky. The droplets' casting glistening shadows across his floor. Edward lay on his bed, forearm covering his eyes, his other laying across his chest. Wisps of thought drifted around his mind, as he desperately tried to hold them all together, and make the words sink in. But they wouldn't. They were too absurd, too unbelievable. He just couldn't process that they were true.

The growing familiar ache in his chest throbbed dully, evidence of the shunning truth. His mother's voice echoed in his mind, fragments of a recent memory.

I know it sounds crazy…

Your father was one…passed down to you... It's in your blood.

Transformation…fifteenth year…

You can't ignore it…won't go away.

Sudden changes…strength…smell…sight…speed…a gnawing hunger…

Blood…

He knew the different things he'd been feeling weren't normal. But could what his mother told him be the only explanation?

She had been so serious; completely unlike her usual kind, carefree self. He knew his mother was sane. As sane as sane can be. There'd be no reason for her to joke about this. So that meant…

Was he really turning into a vampire?

Edward hadn't come to school today, Cameron noted dully. She stared out the window at the passing scenery, raindrops hitting the window and distorting her view. Her tennis racket bumped against her leg as the bus stopped then started up again. Her friends continued their chatter of what they did today, what they were going to do tomorrow, and which poor boy currently had their interest. Cam – as most called her – politely tuned them out; more pressing things occupied her mind. Things like her childhood friend, Edward.

With each passing day, Cam grew more and more worried about him. His lightly tanned complexion had turned pale, his golden eyes had become dull, his bright smiles were now fake, and he had completely distanced himself from her, becoming barely a shadow of his once up-beat and cheery self.

Ever since his father passed away, he would bottle up any of his negative emotions, not truly opening up to anyone but Cam. There was nothing they couldn't talk about; crushes, homework, food, sports, and anything else that came up. She knew it couldn't be family issues; he and his mother got along formidably. So then, what was it?

Cam sighed, and pulled the cord to get off. When the bus stopped, she waved goodbye to her friends and headed out into the rain. She didn't have an umbrella.

As she sloshed down the road to her house, she made the resolution to go to his house after school tomorrow if he wasn't at school, and ask him what was wrong. They'd work it out together from there. They always did.

Edward rubbed at the bags under his eyes as he trudged downstairs for a late breakfast. His mother had gone out for groceries, promising to get some steak and hamburgers – his favorite foods.

He yawned and ran his hand through his bronze hair. He'd gotten no sleep last night. The dull ache had kept him awake, seeming to intensify just that little bit more each minute.

He rummaged through the fridge, looking for something to eat. Settling for some cold pepperoni pizza and flat cola, he sat down at the table and took a bite. The pizza was flavorless and bland on his tongue, choking the rest down, he took a long swig of cola that tasted just as bad. He dumped his dishes in the dishwasher and shuffled over to the couch. He grabbed the navy blue fleece blanket and wrapped it around himself, snagged the remote and plopped down onto the couch. He leaned against the armrest and turned on the TV.

His mom had said he shouldn't go to school until he had completely changed, and was used to his newly transformed body. He didn't mind missing school, the only downside being there was nothing but kids' programs on TV. He did miss Cam, though. He flicked off the TV and tossed the remote onto the coffee table.

Cam. He groaned. What was he going to tell her? How could he explain that he's turning into a blood-sucker? Some…thing that had to drink blood to survive? Merely the thought of drinking blood nauseated him, but made the ache in his chest throb pleasantly, made heat gather in his gums.

He curled his knees up to his chest and encircled them with his arms. He rested his forehead on his knees and let out a shaky breath.

It'd only be natural for Cam to fear him, be disgusted by him – hate him. Just the thought of Cam despising him made his heart constrict painfully.

He was going to need Cam to help him through this. He needed to know that he would still have someone beside him in this new, alien world that had been opened up to him.

Someone in a way his mother couldn't…

The rain had let up, but clouds still covered the sky. Cam walked slowly down the drive towards Edward's house, her backpack slung over one shoulder, her tennis bag hanging from her other hand. She reached the front door and took a deep breath; trying to ready herself for whatever problem Edward was facing. She rang the doorbell.

"Coming!" a muffled sing-song voice called. A few seconds later she heard approaching footsteps, and the dark mahogany door opened to reveal Edward's mother. Her long, pale blond hair was tied in it's usual ponytail at the base of her neck and was swung over her shoulder, she wore a white apron and was wiping her hands on a dishtowel. At the sight of Cam her tired face brightened. "Cammy!" She exclaimed and brought the fifteen-year-old into a warm hug.

As Emily let go, Cam greeted the woman with an equally warm smile. "Hi Emily."

Emily moved aside and ushered the girl in. "You're just in time! I'm making hamburgers. Are you going to stay for dinner?" Cam came in and shut the door. She dropped her bags in the foyer and took off her shoes, putting them on the shoe-rack. "I'd love to, but I can't. I have tennis practice tonight."

Cam followed Emily into the large, new-age kitchen; all silver appliances and dark navy blue cupboards with starch-white doors. "That's too bad." Her mouth twisted into a cute little pout, but then easily twitched back into a smile. "Are you here to see Edward, then?" The lean woman brightened. "I'm sure he'll be pleased to see you." The young woman leaned over and lowered her voice conspiratorially. "He's missed you dearly, you know." Cam turned away to try and hide the tint of pink gracing her cheeks as she got out some plates. "I've missed him too." She admitted.

Her voice faltered. "Is…is he okay?" she asked, turning back to look at Emily.

Emily stopped what she was doing and turned to look at Cam with a small smile. "I'm sure that as long as you don't abandon him, he'll get through and be all sunshine and smiles in no time." She said gently.

Cam was about to question why she thought she'd abandon Edward, when said teenager walked in.

"Cam!' He declared happily. Cam was delighted to see that a true smile graced his features, not an awful fake one. "You here to see lil' ol'me?" he joked and walked into the kitchen.

Edward listened from the upstairs hallway to figure out who was at the door, and smiled when he discovered it was Cam. So she'd come to visit him. His smile faded; he must have worried her.

He still hadn't figured out what he was going to tell her. His mom thought it would be best to tell her everything, but he couldn't help to think that it'd only end in heartbreak.

He sighed. He had to go down there, he wanted go down there. He wanted to see her face again, her smile, her glittering violet eyes, wanted to hear her talk about weird little things that seemed to interest her. A thought struck him. Cam loved the paranormal, supernatural, fictional, and everything in between. She'd go on and on about how cool it would be if fantasy creatures existed; faeries, pixies, demons, angels, ghosts, werewolves, vampires. His mood lightened considerably and he practically bounded down the stairs.

He could see her short, brown hair from the hallway. "Cam!" He called happily as he reached the kitchen, unable to sustain his joy at seeing her. His old personality shone through and he began joking around like he used to. "You here to see lil' ol'me?" He drawled in a fake southern accent.

She returned the accent with a small curtsy, a large, beautiful smile on her face. "A'course, dahlin'!" His mom turned back to what she was doing, smiling at their silly antics.

He continued to walk into the kitchen, towards Cam. The aromatic scent of raw hamburger meat and spices drifted around the room. Another scent reached him. It was warm and smelled of cinnamon and earth. He closed his eyes and inhaled the fragrance deeply, unconsciously stepping towards Cam.

"Something smells good…" He murmured, taking another step toward Cam. The aroma swamped his senses, sending him into a daze. He inhaled again. His chest ached, his gums throbbed; expanded. He felt canines hitting his bottom teeth, but was unaware of the meaning. All he knew was that beautiful, tempting scent was getting stronger, closer.

Responding to his earlier comment, he could hear Cam's voice close in front of him. "Yeah, your mom's making hamburgers…uh, Edward?" she sounded a little wary, but it didn't register in his muddle mind.

He was close now – so close. His glazed eyes opened halfway, he stared down at the girl in front of him.

God, she was beautiful.

His hands reached out and grasped her shoulders, bringing them that little bit closer. He leaned down…and down…and-

A warm hand was on his shoulder, pulling him away. "Edward!" a familiar voice from behind scolded. He jerked up at his name, snapping out of his daze. He looked down to see a confused and flushed Cam in his arms. He stumbled back in surprise.

He tried to form words but his mouth was too dry – too full. He went to lick his dry lips, but something was in the way. He brought his hand up to his mouth.

His eyes widened in terror as he felt two sharp fangs protruding from his lips.

Cam watched as Edward began to walk towards her, as if in a trance.

He was right in front of her, now; she looked up into his glazed gold eyes and gulped. His close proximity and the hungry look in his eyes made heat run up her neck and stain her cheeks red. The blush deepened when two warm hands grabbed her upper arms gently. He began to lean down, mouth opening slightly. Her breath hitched as she saw a flash of white hidden behind his lips, his warm breath ghosting over her face.

Was he going to kiss her? Right here, with his mom watching?! Her surprise grew when she realized…that she hoped he would.

The next thing she knew, Edward was pulling back, surprise plain on his features, as though he hadn't known what he was doing. She was about to say something when she caught the flash of white again and froze at the sight. Two large, sharp fangs glinted at her from between Edward's lips. As though just noticing them himself he reached up and touched them, giving Cam a full view of them.

It was though someone had tried to freeze time; everything was in slow motion. Edward brought his gaze down to her and they made eye contact for a split second, before he bolted from the room, practically at inhuman speed.

Cam felt her knees collapse and she slid to the floor, letting out a breath she hadn't known she was holding.

Emily slowly walked over to her and crouched down cautiously. She placed a concerned hand on Cam's back and rubbed small, soothing circles. "Are you alright?" she asked softly.

Cam slowly turned her head, eyes still wide. "What…?" Her voice died in her throat, her words lost on her tongue. Her brain was attempting to process what had just happened, but there was something there preventing it.

Unseeingly, her eyes darted left and right, trying to find the missing pieces. Cam hadn't noticed that she was breathing hard, the sweat that had started to prick at her forehead, and her heart beating a mile a minute.

Emily brought her into her arms, Cam's head resting on her collarbone, small soft hands stroking her hair and murmuring soft reassurances. "Shhh…shhh. It's all okay. Breathe…yes, like that. Deep breaths. Good…"

Cam took in deep, long, shaky breaths and slowly felt her pulse returning to normal, her eyelids fluttered close.

When she felt she was calm enough to speak, Cam pulled away just enough to keep eye contact.

Many, various questions flitted through her mind. What's going on? Is Edward alright? What's happened to him? What just happened back there? Why did he have fangs? Did it have to do with his recent behavior? Why was it happening to him? Was it bad? Could they stop it? Was he going to be okay??

Running through all of them, she decided on the one that mattered the most. "Is Edward alright? Is he okay??" She desperately gripped on to Emily's apron, bunching it up in her hand as she searched the woman's face for a hidden answer.

Emily gently uncurled Cam's white-knuckled fingers, patting the hand softly. She smiled soothingly and in a calm voice told her, "Edward is fine. Although," her voice hesitated, her smile saddened, "he won't be if…if you don't help him." Emily's brows furrowed in grievance. "Soon." She emphasized.

Crap!

Crapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrap!!

Edward paced his bedroom anxiously, wringing his hands. Tears stung his eyes, a few rolling down his cheeks.

His elongated canines hadn't gone away, biting worriedly at his lower lip. His gaze seemed to sharp, too focused.

How could he? How could he simply lose control like that? At Cam, no less!?

He was so angry at himself for losing control, terrified that he'd scared away one of the best things in his life, disgusted that he ached for – longed for – what he now knew was Cam's blood.

He had to calm down, quell the awakened monster within him. He clutched his arms around his chest, trying to squeeze the throbbing craving away. Shut his eyes and grinded his teeth, as though trying to push the fangs back in.

Neither worked.

He spared a glance at his mirror and almost fell back in fright. What he saw terrified him; pupils narrowed to slits, long glistening pointy-sharp fangs, mouth opened in what looked like a snarl, sweat glistening against his forehead, dark circles under slightly bloodshot eyes, irises glowing with hunger.

He snapped his gaze away when he heard a tentative knock on his door, and his mother's soft voice calling, "Edward? May we come in?"

He was about to consent when he realized she had said 'we'. Which meant…

Almost as soon as he had had the revelation, he could smell her again, he could feel every sense focus on her smell, her presence behind his door. His door that – at the moment – seemed to be made of very thin, flimsy wood. He backed away from it, trying to suppress the urge to tear it down and seize her in his arms, nestle his nose into the crook of her throat and inhale that heavenly scent, the urge to sink his fangs into her soft, pale, slender neck and drink in the wonderful taste of her sweet, thick blood.

"No!" he croaked anxiously, his voice hoarse. "I-I don't think that'd be a good idea." Try as he might he couldn't completely rid himself of the urges of what his body so desperately wanted, which made him even more of a danger to Cam.

Edward receded further from the door, the back of his knees hit his mattress, causing him to collapse onto his bed.

His mother's voice sounded once more. "Please, Edward! You can't go on like this!" He could hear the doorknob rattling, and he thanked the heavens that he had locked it. "You know what will happen if you don—"

"I won't!!" He yelled, interrupting her. Tears had formed in his eyes again, dangerously close to spilling over, he clutched his sheets on either side of him. "I won't become some blood-sucking monster!" he spat bitterly. The angry tears began to pour down his cheeks, leaving hot trails in their wake. "Some thing that has to live off someone els—"

"Edward!" His voice caught in his throat when he heard her voice. Cam's voice. "Edward, please!!" She begged, frustrated concern and despair heavy in her voice. "Let us in!" He could hear her choke back a sob. "Your mother explained everything." She was crying now, he could smell the salt of her tears, hear her trying not to sob.

"I don't want you to die!" she uttered, pounding her fist on the door. It seemed like everything in his body had froze. So, she new about that too…

Cam had been beyond shocked – and not just a little skeptical – when Emily had explained how Edward's father had been a vampire and that it had been passed down to him. Nevertheless, the evidence was clear; after all, she had seen it first-hand.

The tears were streaming steadily from her eyes, her throat had tightened in anguish, and her heart seemed ready to break. If only the mere thought of Edward's demise did this to her, how would she live through his actual death?

When Emily had told her that Edward did need blood to survive – which he hadn't yet consumed a drop of – and that he would eventually die without a constant source, everything vanished from her mind; the only important thing being Edward's health and long life. She realized that she didn't care what he had become, he was still 'Edward'…with a few new quirks.

Cam closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself. When she opened them, a flame of fierce determination burned strongly in them, and no more doubts or fear plagued her mind.

She rammed her fist on the door, barely noticing the dull pain. "Edward!" She yelled, "You open this door right now, or I'll break it down myself!" It was within her capabilities; she was, after all, a black belt in judo. She spared a small glance toward Emily, who nodded in resigning agreement.

"I'm giving you to the count of three." She called, and readied her stance.

"One…" No response.

"Two…" She gritted her teeth at the silence.

"Thr—" Cam stopped as the door swung open, revealing a very ashen – but calm – Edward. His expression was unreadable. After opening the door, he retreated to sit back on his bed – holding his nose all the while – and stared at the floor. Cam raised an eyebrow in question about his nose, but didn't inquire about it aloud.

Cam and Emily entered the dark room, neither felt the need to flip on the lights for the evening light was bright enough.

Cam approached Edward as Emily stayed back near the door.

The Edward Cam saw now pained her; depressed, angry, on the verge of death. She wanted the old Edward back – her Edward.

She crouched down in front of him, looking up at his blank expression. He stiffened a bit at her approach. She also noticed how he barely breathed.

She slowly and gently placed her hand on his knee, giving him the chance to brush it away. He didn't, but tried masking a small wince.

"Edward," she said softly, "I don't want you to die."

A grim smile enveloped his features. "I don't want to die either." A sad hardness came over him. "But I'm not going to become a beast just to survive."

"Edward…living won't make you a beast or a monster or whatever you want to call yourself. It's instinct in every living thing to do whatever it takes to survive." A small smile twitched on her lips and she poked his leg teasingly. "You were the one who told me that, remember? When we were watching that discovery program with the food chain."

His gaze shifted to the side, but he nodded in agreement.

"What I have to do to survive is drink blood." He turned back to her again, self-resentment flaring in his eyes. "Blood, Cam. How would that not make me a monster?!"

She reached up and gently cupped his cheek. "If it was given willingly, would it still make you a monster?" His eyes widened and he shot up ion surprise.

"No!" he yelled in disbelieving fury, accidentally removing his hand from his nose. "No way in hell!!" He receded to the side of the room, still staring at her in disbelief.

Cam pouted in stubbornness. "Why not?" she demanded as she stood up. She took a step towards him. "Well? Am I not good enough?"

"No! That's…" Edward trailed off as her scent reached him and swamped his senses. He shook his head to clear it and held his nose again. "That's not it!" he continued, with slightly less fight than before because he was still a bit dizzy from her aroma.

Her pout turned angry. "Would you stop that! Do I smell bad or something? How rude." She huffed, crossing her arms against her chest.

"Stop jumping to conclusions!" he yelled, irritated as her actions had caused a waft of her natural perfume to drift towards him. Although he was breathing through his mouth, he could still smell her ever so clearly.

"Well, then explain!"

"You smell too good!" he admitted. "I wouldn't be able to stop! I know it!" Tears began to sting at his eyes; a few made their presence known as they slipped down his cheeks. He averted his gaze and his softened voice was muffled as he wiped the tears away with his sleeve. "I'd end up hurting you…"

Cam looked taken aback by his confession.

He looked up at her. "You're too important to me. I wouldn't be able to stand losing you." He looked down, a small flush staining his tear-streaked cheeks.

His gaze jerked up quickly when he heard her approaching.

She softly took his face within her palms, a small smile playing at her lips and light pink traced cheekbones. Her eyes were sincere, but wary.

"I feel the same way about you."

"Cam…" he began, but was lost for words. He was completely elated that she had the same feelings.

"I trust you indefinitely." She stroked his cheeks with her thumbs. "I know you trust me, right?" He nodded.

She smiled at his response. "Then trust me to be fine afterward,"

"But…!" She placed her finger on his lips to silence him.

She continued, "and I'll trust you in return." She moved the finger from his lips and gently removed his hand from his nose.

"Cam…!" he warned as her scent flooded him. He could feel his fangs and inhuman senses react strongly to it. Her eyes widened slightly from his feral reaction, but he couldn't detect any fear from her, only slight interest and awe.

"Wh-what if I don't stop in time?" he asked weakly. He held eye contact as he leaned closer, clutching her shoulders gently but strongly.

"I'll stop you." He heard his mother say from a meter or two away – he couldn't tell, he was still staring at Cam.

Edward searched his mind for something to get her to reconsider. He was so happy that she would do this for him, but the frightened feeling of ruining everything – ruining her – outweighed it.

"Aren't you scared of turning into something like me?" He lied desperately.

She gave a small laugh. "It's hereditary, Edward." He knew that, but was hoping she wouldn't.

Cam smiled earnestly. "I promise you that I'll be alright." She reassured him.

He could feel the fight dissipating from him. Edward sighed and gave a small smile of defeat as he moved his arms down and around her waist, bringing her closer.

"You're sure?" he asked one last time.

"Yes." There was no trace of doubt in her features.

He leaned in toward her, she tilted her head to the side to be more accommodating as she circled her arms around to his back and shoulders. The sound of her heartbeat thudded loudly in his ears, his whole body seemed to pulse with it – their heartbeats seemed intertwined. As though he was instinctually guided towards the correct place, Edward hovered over her jugular, inhaling her sweet, thick aroma. His fangs were fully extended, his gaze sharpened and focused, his pupils slitted. He was breathing heavily in anticipation.

"Last chance." He whispered roughly, his breath ghosting over her neck made her shudder. He could still pull back now, he told himself.

"Just do it already." She breathed, annoyed at his stalling.

He took a deep breath and placed his mouth on her neck, enjoying the taste against his tongue. His lips curled back to reveal his sharp, white fangs before he sheathed them within her flesh. She gave a sharp gasp.

The first few droplets hit his tongue and made his body pulse in excitement. He gave an experimental suck and was gifted with a heavy flow of sweet red. He gulped it down hungrily. It seemed to coat the dull ache in his chest, slowly making it dissipate.

Cam gasped as she felt the twin points break her skin, but the pain was quickly replaced by warmth. Pleasurable warmth drifted from her neck and spread through her body. She sighed Edward's name happily.

Cam could feel dull tugs on her neck, but paid them no heed. Her head was growing foggy as the warmth intensified. Her hands clutched the soft fabric of Edward's shirt as an anchor.

A few tugs later, she felt darkness encroaching upon her conscience, before it engulfed her completely.

Cam felt like she was floating. Floating in the middle of a large body of thick water; so thick that she couldn't move. Yet she was still breathing, which puzzled her. It was pitch black, but she could still clearly, which was also puzzling.

She was dreaming, she decided, so she floated. Not really being able to focus on one thing for too long, she thought about many different things she'd never think to think about before.

After a while, Cam noticed that the darkness was growing lighter; as though she was drifting closer to the surface. She began hearing muffled voices, but was unable to determine what was being said.

Her thoughts drifted to Edward again; whom she had repeatedly thought about whilst she drifted. Was it his voice she was hearing? It'd make sense, she reasoned, he was the last person she had seen.

As the space around her brightened, the voices she heard became louder, but she could still not understand what was being said.

After a bit, words began to break through the dense water, and she found that she could move a bit easier.

Worry…She'll be...

I…never forgive…

Cam…

The next thing she knew was that she was opening her eyelids – which she hadn't even known were closed. She could see blurry images dancing across her vision. She blinked to try and clear them, but found that her lids seemed unnaturally heavy.

Cam groaned when her feeling and senses came back all at once; showering her in different sensations that her body was feeling. Her small noise seemed to attract the attention of whomever was with her because the voices stopped talking amongst themselves, and seemed more focused on her.

Through her haziness, she managed to make out someone repeatedly calling out her name, and realized that it was Edward.

"Cam! Cam, can you hear me?" As Cam focused her gaze, she tried to reply, but found her throat was too dry. She nodded her head, wincing slightly and groaning at it's stiffness.

She felt warmth encircling her hand, then warm liquid hitting her arm. Soft sobs came from beside her.

"I'm so glad." She heard Edward murmur.

Cam's vision cleared and she could see that she was lying in Edward's room, on his bed, with Edward holding her hand and sobbing next to her, and Emily sitting at Edward's desk facing the two teenagers with a soft smile.

She raised her free hand and put it lightly on Edward's silky hair. He lifted his head up and Cam brought her hand down, caressing his cheek.

Cam cleared her throat and smiled. "I…" she began hoarsely, "I told you I'd be fine." She whispered.

THE END

(...or is it?)