PREFACE:

It was hard to wrap my mind around it. I… I couldn't seem to. I was still seeing their lifeless eyes, cold bodies, open mouths…

And yet I couldn't understand it.

What? I was seven, for God's sake! I didn't know what death was. I just assumed that people's bodies just floated away up into the sky. Well, duh, that's not how it happened. I repeat: I was seven.

But… It's ten years later, I ignore all and any conversation about mothers and, or, fathers. I step away from humans on those days, for I don't want to hear, "Daddy I love you!" or, "Number One Mom. You!"

I hear that and it's like driving an endless dagger through my heart.

Also, please notice how I said humans, and not people. That's because I mean. I stray from humans.

That's because I am not one.

I'm a vampire!

Yeah, yeah, run and scream, "Go get the wooden stake!" or, "The silver bullets!" Blahblahblah… Hate to break it to you, but—um—silver bullets are for werewolves you doof.

"Roxy!" I heard my name being called, and I ignored it. As usual. I stared into the full length mirror in front of me. Of course, my skin was paler than your average humans'. I had long chocolate hair, with a few pink streaks in them. Don't ask. Mayla wanted me to get them done. And soon, you're going to learn that arguing with a determined Mayla is a nightmare.

I had a height of about 5'8. Aila always teased me that I would be a good basketball player. Good? Good? We're freaking vampires! Good is a freaking understatement! I would rock the court!

But I don't. Because I won't.

My father had wanted me to play basketball.

I tugged a little at my halter top. I didn't like how the pink had such a contrast to my skin. Why couldn't I have been chocolate? Pink looks good in my hair… it would look good on my skin too, right?

Ehm…

"Roxanne!" Aila and Mayla called at the same time. If you haven't picked up the hints yet; they're twins. I ripped open my bedroom door, running down the stairs. They had my backpack in hand and wore the biggest grins. I scowled at them, snatching my backpack out of Aila's hands.

"Aw, Roxy, stop being such a poop. It's the first day of school! It'll be fun!"

"Yeah… right. First day of school for the fourth time. Yeah, sure, it'll be fun when I have to take a shower to wash off all the boys' drool."

They both grinned at that and we marched out of the house to my teal Spyder convertible. I slid into the driver's seat, Mayla, the passengers, and Aila into the back. Neither of us bothered to buckle. We vampires have a thing for speed, yet, since we're as graceful as humans would put it, we can't crash unless it was on purpose. And if we were caught speeding, I could just daze the officer into belief that I wasn't.

And if it was a girl… who cares? We'd been 'alive' for so long that we've made huge investments.

Before I leap into my big honking story, I should explain a little bit more.

My parents' were murdered when I was seven. Right in front of my eyes. The last thing that my mom had done for me was given me a little ID tag necklace. It had skull and crossbones on it, but I'd seen her wear it all the time, so it hadn't scared me anymore. She'd said she'd gotten a new one and she's wanted me to have it. Forever.

My father gave me a ring that had four birthstones in it. One of the birthstones was for my new baby kitten, Kip. My mother laughed at my dad when he'd explained why he'd put four birthstones in it. When my fingers outgrew the ring, I put it on the necklace mom had given me.

I'd become a vampire when I was, duh, seventeen. But—you see, the change left me looking, like, twenty-five. So… Uhm… if that doesn't explain it…

I pulled into Lafayette High School. Mayla and Aila giggled as some of the freshman gawked at my car.

Oh yeah… I almost forgot to add that little tidbit. Those psycho myths you've heard… aren't true. We can go out into the sunlight. The myths actually have it backwards. We can still go into moonlight, but it changes our eye color and gives us…. Even more strength than the change did. I'd…I'd tell you more, but—you wouldn't understand it even if I tried.

"Roxy!" Aila giggled. "Stop zoning and get your ass up. Some hottie is checking you out over there."

"Tell me something I don't know," I muttered under my breath, swinging my backpack over my shoulder and locking the car. Mayla laughed and the three of us walked into school.

Of course, our beauty, strength, agility, and gracefulness made us become the clique of Lafayette. People practically worshipped us. Once one guy knew what my locker number was, every guy knew which locker number was mine. Every day I'd pull out at least ten love notes, and, not even bothering to read them, I'd toss them into the garbage. No point in breaking their hearts even more.

So… before my explanation turns too long… I'll jump into my story. This:

This is my story, of how I, Roxanne Anita Isabel Neero, fell in love.

With a human.

Se, after my parents died (murdered) I taught myself that love wasn't a necessity. Oh, boy was I wrong! Going into my senior year for the fourth time—love smacked me in the face with the force of… a vampire's punch. (Pun not intended)

So… read on if you want to know the most horrific, yet terrific, year of my long, long, long, life. I know. Those two words don't belong together in a sentence,but... deal with it. I fell in love. A terrifically, horrible thing.