CHAPTER ONE: LATE NIGHT WORRIES

I groaned to myself. Valentine's Day, tomorrow. I leaned back against my bed and ruffled my hair. The infamous holiday of love was tomorrow, and my secret admirer hadn't even given a name to his note. Assuming that it was a boy. I opened up the note again.

Valentine's Day, tomorrow.

Meet me by the cafeteria

At five...see you there

-Your Secret Admirer

It was dropped into my locker at lunch. Well, that was a clue. But, this writing. It was so familiar. A little too familiar. None of my parents wrote like that. Too fancy. Well, they couldn't write notes to me anymore. I sighed and folded the note again. I'd meet him tomorrow. But I was still a little scared. I didn't know who he was. And the cliche way of dropping it ever so calmly into my locker. I sighed again. I should stop worrying about this. If only someone was here to help me decipher the note. I had no friends, not even family. I was lonely. I put the note next to my alarm clock and went to sleep. Another day, another problem. I'd find out soon enough.

NEXT DAY

I woke up. Nightmares. Again. I really needed to go visit a pshycologist sometime. I laid in my bed enjoying the peace and quiet, until my alarm clock went off. I sighed. What's the use of setting up the alarm, when I'm going to wake up five minutes before it? I got up and shut off my alarm to quit the annoying noise. I quickly started getting ready for another day of high school. I sat at the kitchen table quickly finishing off a breakfast of ramen. After that, I decided to go to school earlier than I usually did.

I grabbed my car keys, put it in the ignition, and revved the engine. My family was rich. And when my parents died I kept all the money to myself. I never allowed myself to spend over three hundred bucks a week. Which most of the time, I only spent about half that amount. But sometimes money could get you out of a tight situation. It only took me five minutes to get to school in my car. Which was a Camry Hybrid. I sat in the school yard, studying my notes, when he came up to me.

"H-hey there." he said. I took a quick look at him, but I think the way I was looking at him turned out to be a glare. He had spiky brown hair, and his eyes were a dark shade of blue. He wore a black jacket over a dark green shirt. He even had a dazzling bright white smile that temporarily blinded me. Even in the usual gloomy weather.

"Hi." I said flatly. I never really had social skills. He smiled even wider. If that was possible.

"My name's Kenneth Malva. But most people call me Kenny." His vivid blue eyes seemed to bore through my skull. A shadow of what could've been a smile crosses my face.

"My name's Arabella Leolia." I said quietly.

"Arabella, eh? Old German for 'eagle heroine', nice name." I stood there slightly amused. Not many people knew my name's meaning.

"So, Kenny. What year are you?" I asked. He chuckled.

"Well, I'm a sophmore. What about you, Arabella?" His teeth shined.

"Same." I didn't really like to talk much. I was more of a person to be left alone. Before he could answer, the warning bell rang. I grabbed my notes and shoved them into my bag before rushing off to History class. I loved history. Best subject in the world.

AT LUNCH

I saw Kenny sitting at a table with a large group of friends. I looked out the window as it started to rain. Perfect, I just happened to not bring an umbrella to school today. I poked at my food. I never ate much anyway. Then, I saw them walk calmly into the cafeteria. Four boys, they weren't too friendly to me. One had bright blonde hair. Another with shaggy brown hair and red marks on his face. Next one had crimson blood red hair. The last one, which I had suddenly taken a liking too, had his hair in a high spiky ponytail.

"Move. You're at our table." The one with blood red hair growled. I was sort of new to the area, but that didn't stop me from holding my ground. I sat there saying nothing as he just stood there. Hopefully baffled.

"There's something called sharing." I said shortly. "You should try it."

"Oh, a feisty one, eh?" The one with blonde hair and whisker marks on his face said. He sat down at the table and put his chin on his hand, suddenly admiring me. I let out a deep sigh.

"Hurry up and sit down, Gaara. What a drag." The one with the spiky ponytail said. He had already seated himself at the table. The lazy type. Just my kind.

"So, what's your name?" Blondie asked. I looked into his eyes.

"Arabella," I didn't want to give a last name, but his eyes were so piercing. They pryed into my brain, somehow, making me say my full name. "Arabella Leolia."

"My name's Naruto Uzumaki." he said. He gestured to the other ones, telling them to introduce themselves. I didn't like anything that included socialness. If that was a word.

"What a drag. My name's Shikamaru Nara." The one with the ponytail said.

"Gaara." said the one with blood hair. I looked at him quizzically. No last name? I wanted to ask aloud, but I thought better of it. Pointless questions won't get you anywhere.

"My name's Kiba Inuzuka." said the one with red marks on his face. Lunch was only halfway done. I stood up and walked away. I headed to my next class. I really didn't like talking. I took out my crumpled notes from the morning and rewrote them in a clean sheet of paper. By the time I was done, people were coming into the classroom. It was time for math. My most hated subject. As the teacher started up his lesson, I wrote down every important detail.

AFTER SCHOOL

I unpacked my homework. Luckily, I had straight perfect A's in all my classes, so I got a lot less homework than everybody else. I finished up homework, and went to check my email for updates. There weren't any. I sighed.

"I just really don't like talking." I muttered to myself. I went downstairs to make a quick lunch. Then sat on the couch to watch the news.

"Many people hiking in the woods have gone missing. The people have been identified as, Jim Marleston, Anastsia Beleso, and Martin Shimlock. If you spot any of these missing persons, please call the police immediately." I watched the rest of the news report. They've been missing for two weeks. Strange, it would've been on the news before that then.

I checked the clock. Shoot, it was already four fifty! I got ready and drove back to school in my car. I walked with a purse in hand, just in case someone attacked me. In the cafeteria, I was really surprised at who I saw.

"Kenny?" I asked. I was a bit shocked. Okay, scratch that. I was really shocked. He walked over to me.

"Hello, Arabella." He said. I nearly choked on my own spit. I haven't even known this guy for a day, and he's making a romantic love interest in me? He back me up against the wall, licking his lips. I shuddered.

"What do you want with me?" I asked, hoping to get more bark than bite in my voice. As ironic as that is. He smiled.

"Just your delicious smelling blood. You don't know how long it's been since I've had a good drink." I shut my eyes tight. Was he a cannibal? Or, was he a vampire? My mother had warned me that I might bump into one when I was older. I took my purse and tried to hit him in the head hard. I had stuffed a brick in there before I walked in. He stepped back clutching his head. I took the chance to run. I was in my car, and he still hadn't caught up to me yet. I drove away. Then, a loud thump on the hood of my car caused me to swerve into a tree. I got out of that car and saw Kenny ready to pounce.

I ran, knowing it was useless. He quickly caught up to me. I had no weapon to distract him, because I left my purse in the car. He held my shoulders. I was terrified, and by some miracle, I saw those boys I met earlier appear.

"Gaara, Naruto, Shikamaru, Kiba!" I yelled. He crushed me in a tighter hold. I couldn't breathe.

"Let her go, monster." Naruto said in a serious tone. I nearly felt like crying, but I knew that crying would only show weakness. Kenny growled at him. I kicked him in the shin. Unfortunately for me, he bit down on my wrist. I screamed, just barely being able to pry him off me. I wasn't too injured, but it felt like fire was coursing through my bloodstream. I stood there baffled. Kenny zoomed out of view, and Kiba just as quickly chased after him.

He had bitten me. Shikamaru came over and put his arm around my shoulder, but whatever comfort that he was trying to give didn't work. I looked into his eyes, searching. Searching for something that would help me. He almost shook his head, but Naruto spoke up.

"Shikamaru, get that venom out of her." Naruto said in a monotone voice. Shikamaru looked stunned.

"But, you know that this means that I'll have to go over the line. I don't know if I'll be able to stop." Shikamaru made it sound as if the line was a horrible place to cross. I let out a bloodcurdiling scream. The pain had intensified by tenfold. Shikamaru looked at me, then he said, "I'm sorry for this." I couldn't solve his puzzle, until he sunk his fangs into my wrist where Kenny had bit me. I felt him sucking the venom out of me, and the pain slowly ebbed away.

"Shikamaru, stop. Stop! You're killing her!" Gaara said. I was somehow still concious. By a miracle, Shikamaru stopped. I looked into his hazelnut eyes, and my little crush had studdenly become love.

I said to him, "Thank you." In an almost inaudible whisper. But I'm sure as sure that Shikamaru heard me well.

AUTHOR'S NOTES ON THIS CHAPTER

So, how'd you like it? Love it hate it? Or liked it but it had some flaws? (My cousin had pointed out some already.) I really don't care if you review or not, unlike most authors. So, just read the story. I only post my own stories, because it somehow gives me joy of letting people read. (I don't understand my ways, either.) There are some references from Twilight, however. (I've been reading and watching too many vampire related stuff.)

Oh, and I forgot to say this, but I DO NOT OWN NARUTO CHARACTERS OR REFERENCES FROM TWILIGHT! I DO HOWEVER OWN MY MADE UP CHARACTERS!