Monday, August 20, 2012 1:00 PM

The first day of school again. Why does this place have to be so boring? Although I wonder how Josh feels? He is returning as a junior unless he decides to graduate early…again.

I have even tried to make this year more challenging by taking AP classes. It would help if something exciting would happen. So far I think this will be the most boring year of my existence.

I did notice the new girl in school. Her name is Alexis. All the guys seem to like her, but she doesn't seem interested in anyone. Even with me. It's weird, usually the new kids will ask about my family and me. She hasn't. I just can't keep from staring at her though. There is something about her that I find interesting.

I wonder how one person can change your life so drastically?

Friday, August 25, 2012 1:00 PM

I found her lying on my bed. I knew who she was, but didn't know how she got there. I went looking for Josh because he would be the only other person that would know how she got there.

"Josh…what happened?

"What do you…oh you found the girl?"

"Of course I found Alexis. She is lying in my bed. How did she get there?"

"Well…I hit her with the car…it wasn't my fault!"

"Um…Jared it wasn't his fault. It was mine. I was running and he saw me too late. Luckily your dad said I just sprained my ankle and broke my wrist."

"Let's get you back to bed."

"No! That's ok my aunt is probably looking for me"

"Ok. I'll give you a ride home then."

The look on her face told me that there was something wrong at home. Alexis just wouldn't say anything. This is probably because her aunt is the mayor. I drove her home and helped her inside. I met her aunt Margo. To me she didn't seem all that upset that she was hit by a car until she heard that Alexis wasn't filing a lawsuit. I went back to talk to Josh to see if he knew anything about what she was running from. I said that he didn't but that she was terrified. So I went to talk to his dad.

"Hey dad, you got a minute?"

"Sure son. Uh oh…what's wrong?"

"Well it's Alexis…I think she's being abused."

"That's pretty serious son…I'll look into it, talk to tomorrow at school. I'll talk to her aunt as well. I think something is going on as well."

"Thanks dad."

The next day Alexis wasn't at school. my dad called the school and pulled me and Josh out. He had Josh go to the police and tell them about the accident. He then took me to the hospital onto the psych floor. I started to wonder why I was there until he saw Alexis. I almost didn't recognize her. She was badly beaten. The right side of her face was so swollen that her eye was swollen shut.

"I had to hide her son, but she said that she won't talk to anyone but you."

"Why me?"

"She said that she felt safe with you. That's why she was in your bed yesterday."

"Did...her aunt do this?"

"I believe so, but I need confirmation son.""

"I'll get it. I feel so helpless. Is she in pain?"

"Some, but she wanted to be awake when you got here. She said then she will sleep if you would stay."

"I'll stay."

I just couldn't leave her like this. Someone needs to watch out for her, and I have this strong urge to do so. I know she needs me. I feel like I need her too though. I know that she will teach me something in return.

Saturday, August 26, 2012 1:00 AM

I am watching her sleep and she is beautiful. I think I'm falling in love with her. I want to tell my dad, but I don't know what he would say. He would probably tell me to go with my heart even though we are forbidden to be together. I can't help what my heart feels.

"mmm…Jared?"

"Hey…how you feeling?"

"I'm ok…I want to talk to you."

"I'm here…" I wondered if she could hear the fervor in my voice.

"My aunt did this to my face."

She put it so bluntly that my jaw dropped a little.

"I'll keep you safe Alexis…I promise. Do you want to press charges?"

"Do you think I should…she is my aunt"

"It doesn't matter who she is. This shouldn't happen. I think you should press charges on her."

I can't get her face out of my mind.

"We need to tell my dad."

"Am I safe here? Can't I go to your house?"

"I think you need to heal here some, but you are not going back home just yet. Until this matter is cleared, you and I will go somewhere. We will go back to my house or somewhere else safe."

"This started soon after my parents died. They died when I was a little girl. Soon after they died she ended up being my guardian. That's when she would start with just the spankings."

By this time she was crying. I couldn't help myself. I crawled into the bed with her and held her. I grabbed some tissues and wiped her eyes.

"Thank you. The beatings came a little bit later. This one was one of the worst lately. After you dropped me off she beat me like this. Then she shoved me into the bathroom and made a gas chamber. I was barely clinging on when your dad showed up. I don't know how he found me, but I'm glad he did."

5:00 AM

"I kind of sent him. I was worried about you. He went over to your house to talk to your aunt. That's how he found you."

That's when she snuggled close to me. She felt good in my arms. Right. Geez I know this shouldn't be happening. Dad starts rounds now. I'll talk to him when he comes in here. She's finally sleeping. I don't want to disturb her by moving. Soon my dad came into the room. He didn't even look worried as much this morning. Most parents would worry about their child being out all night with a girl, although this is a unique circumstance.

"How is she?"

"As fine as can be expected. I believe she'll press charges. She just needs to rest right now."

"I expected you would talk her into pressing charges. That's a very good thing."

"I can't leave her dad. I think I'm falling in love."

"I know."

"What? How did you know?"

"You're my son. It's obvious."

I was sitting across the room watching Alexis sleep when I heard a blood curdling scream. At first I thought it was coming from down the hall, but then I heard Alexis scream again.

"Jared?"

Without thinking I was over there with her in my arms at vampire speed. I shook her a little to wake her up.

"Alexis what's wrong?"

She wrapped her arms around me and just started sobbing and repeating my name.

"I'm here…Alexis…I'm not leaving you."

"You're not? What about the baby?"

"Of course not. I'll be here always if you want me. I'll protect you both."

"My aunt tried to kill me so she can be the next high priestess. Jared I'm a witch. I get my powers on my 18th birthday. Happy Birthday to me huh? Anyway I became immortal at midnight. I worry about what to do with the baby after it's born. Your dad said that the baby is mortal. I don't want to force you to be with me."

She was crying the whole time she was talking.

"I'll always be here for you."

"There's no need to hide Alexis…"

"Aunt Margo? How?"

"Alexis, Do you trust me?"

"Always"

"Then hold on tight"

I swooped her up into my arms and we jumped out the window. I swung her onto my back as we were falling. As soon as my feet hit the earth I was running. I took my cell out and called my dad to tell him what was going on. He told me to go to our other house for now. As I got close to the other house I swung Alexis back around into my arms, and I kissed her gently.

"Jared can you get Josh here? I need to form a circle so I can cast a spell. I know you two aren't witches, but it can help me concentrate and draw power. Also do you have any clothes?"

"Yeah."

I got onto the phone with Josh as I carried her up the stairs because she was weak from being in the hospital. She told me a few other things that she needed to be able to cast the spell that she had in mind. I asked her how she knew the spells. She told me that her mother taught her a lot before she died and then she learned as much as possible after that.

Josh got there just as we were coming down the stairs. She looked radiant in a flowing garment in white. We went to the study and created a circle that she cast. She was beautiful and so powerful. She called upon the earth to protect us. This I wasn't used to. That's when I heard her aunt coming. That's when Alexis had this glowing aura around her. Her aunt came in and Alexis put her hand out like a stop sign and Margo hit the wall. Just before she hit the wall Margo moved and was able to throw some kind of aura shield thing at Alexis. Margo couldn't move. She then made a flourish of small movements and then Margo just twitched and then she burst into a ton of little pieces. Alexis grabbed the salt and poured it on the pieces. She then said a few words that I didn't understand and then lit them on fire. Josh and I stepped back in fear, but the pieces disappeared as did the fire. Then she collapse. I caught her before she hit the floor. That's also the moment that I saw and smelled her blood. She was holding her stomach and screaming in pain. I had Josh call our dad. I flew her upstairs in the meantime and grabbed towels. I think she tried to stop me because of the blood. I can't believe that she is the one that could be dying and she is worried about putting me through pain because of her blood. I smoothed her hair and told her that I was fine. I don't think that she believed me but she let me stay because she was in too much pain. Dad came in at that moment and was by her side in a second. He was able to stop the bleeding. There wasn't much blood luckily. He did tell us that the baby was gone because of the blunt force trauma. I kept smoothing her hair and telling her that I'm here for her. My dad said that if the baby would have been immortal then it would have survived.

She looked up into my eyes and asked, "Are you ok?"

"Why are you asking me if I'm ok? You're the one who is hurt."

"But my blood…it's everywhere!"

"It's nothing compared to thinking that I could lose you. I can't handle that, love. Josh and dad are gone. How about we go take a shower?"

"I think that is a good idea."

So I went and got the shower ready. I came back and scooped her up into my arms and carried her into the shower with me. A nice hot shower is needed after the kind of day that we had and with all of the blood. I sat her down on the toilet and she started to take off her clothes as well as I. I grabbed her hand which was shaking a little from nervousness, and we walked into the large shower stall. I had her sit down on the bench and started soaping her up while she was soaping me up. Things started out innocently enough. A few caresses here and there. Kisses on the mouth, and then a few kisses not on the mouth came next. I think we just felt like we needed each other. If we were to have sex it would be our first time. I still count her as a virgin because up until she was raped she was one. As I was kissing her I caressed her breast. She moaned into my mouth. At that moment I felt her shiver. The water had turned cold. I quickly turned the water off and kissed Alexis this time. She wrapped her legs around my waist as I carried her to the bedroom. I laid her on the bed.

She whispered, "Jared…I need you."

"And I need you, love."

"Alexis we will only go as far as you want. I love you."

"I love you too Jared."

After a little bit she fell asleep in my arms, and I covered her up during the night. This was the first night that she slept throughout the whole night. She did not scream in terror. There were no nightmares. She only had a smile on her face. I kissed her forehead again, and she curled into my arms some more. She kissed my chest in her sleep. I laid there rubbing her back for awhile thinking how drastically my life has changed since I have met Alexis. I felt her stirring against me, but she stopped, sighed, and fell back asleep. I gently un-tucked myself from her, so I could go hunting without her noticing I was gone. I was back making her some breakfast before she woke up. I brought it to her in bed.

"Breakfast in bed? What did I do to deserve this? What about you? You should be thirsty."

"I have already hunted this morning. You deserve a nice quiet meal in bed…unless my dad decides to show up…come on in dad."

"Hey son…Alexis how are you feeling?"

"I feel…wonderful actually. I don't hurt. I slept so peacefully last night after a hot shower. I think that it's only going to get better."

"Great! I just wanted to check on you on my way to the hospital. Bye guys!"

"Jared…come here I want to talk to you."

Uh oh I thought. "What is it love?"

"About last night…"

"Last night was the best night of my existence."

"Really?"

"Is that what your worried about? I didn't get any pleasure? My god, Alexis, I was a virgin until last night! I don't want to force you into anything, but the only thing that could have made it any better is if you were my wife."

She choked on her juice. "Your wife? Why me? Jared you deserve someone better than me to be your wife. I'm broken Jared. I don't know if I can be fixed."

"Alexis I know what you have gone through. I can't even fathom what it's like for you…"

"Jared! I was raped daily for four years. Not just the one time. I…"

She started sobbing then. I tried to put my arms around her to comfort her, but she pushed me away. That actually broke my heart more than her words have. I walked into the other room and I called my mom. I explained to her what was going on. She told me that the best thing to do is to do the one thing that she says that she doesn't want. Mom said that since Alexis has basically said that she doesn't want me it's because she needs me and is scared to admit it. She has had to be only dependable of herself for so long that she doesn't know what it's like to need someone. So I walked back into the bedroom and lay next to her and just held her. Soon she rolled over and curled up against me. I wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Jared…you didn't leave me? I basically told you to leave me, but you didn't"

"Alexis, I didn't leave you. When are you going to realize that I am utterly in love with you? I don't go around telling every woman I want them to be my wife. I have waited for you for so long. You have awakened a part of me that I thought I have lost. I didn't think that love was a possibility for me until you showed up. I want to be your protector, even if that means from yourself. I want to be your friend, and your lover. Most of all I want to be your soul mate. I love you Alexis."

I brought her face up to mine and kissed her deeply.

"But I said…"

"Alexis…that's enough. Please tell me the truth. Do you love me?"

"Jared, I think that what I feel for you is deeper than love. I'm scared though. I have never loved someone like I do with you. Then there is the complication of my being a witch and you a vampire. I'm kind of glad that I'm not pregnant, but if I were to choose to have a baby I think it would be with you. Jared…I love you with all my heart and soul. You are my life. I shouldn't try to push you away anymore. You just keep coming back to me like a fool."

"Then call me a fool."

"Kiss me you fool."

So I kissed her.