CHAPTER 2

The Vampire Physiology exam was extremely hard. I walked up the stairs of the girls' dorm brain dead and tired and glad that exams were finally over and winter break had finally started. I flopped down on my bed. Kaylyn was packing for our trip to California to spend the holidays with her family. Kaylyn had dark brown curly hair that contrasted against her pasty skin and her bright jade green eyes. She had always been taller than I was.

She placed a pair of shoes into her bag, "Have you already packed?"

"Nope."

"Jem, we leave tomorrow. You need to start packing."

"I know." I laid there for a moment longer before saying, "I can't move."

"Sure you can."

"No really I can't"

"Then I guess I will just go to Hollywood with out you, and go to the beach with out you and meet all of those really hot guys with out you." She gave me a devious smile.

California was supposed to have great weather this winter break. The weather guy said that it would be hot and sunny, perfect beach weather. I heaved a deep sigh before finally willing myself to get up and start packing.

As I was packing my mind wondered, recounting the day's events. I replayed my encounter with Xander and how I had told him the fake story of what happened. That's when the memories started to flood back. A tear ran down my cheek and I quickly wiped it away before Kaylyn saw. I threw in a pair of jeans when Kaylyn said, "Will you help me?"

I turned and saw that her suitcase was so full it wouldn't close. I sighed and jumped up on top of it, shutting it close so she could zip it up. I hopped off and resumed my packing.

We went down to dinner after I had finished packing. We sat down with Ayden and Landon at our usual table. Ayden had skin like black coffee and eyes just as dark. His hair took the shape of a small afro. We had all laughed when he told us he was going to grow it out, but it actually looked good. Landon, however, was as white as a piece of paper when he sat next to Ayden. He had brown eyes that reminded me a lot of Bambi. His short blonde hair was always styled in a perfectly messy sort of way. Ayden had a puzzled look on his face, "Where's Jasmine?"
Both Kaylyn and I just shrugged. "We thought she was already down here."

"Hey, there's Jasmine." Landon was looking in the direction of the group we typically tried to avoid, "the popular girls". All of them were skinny and blonde; I don't think I could tell them apart even if I had super powers. Jasmine, however, with her mocha skin and black hair, stood out like a sore thumb.

Jasmine and I made eye contact and I smiled and waved. She just turned her attention back to the conversation they were having. "That was odd." Kaylyn and Ayden nodded in agreement.

Scott sat down with us, "What's odd?"

"Jasmine turning into a Barbie Slayer."

He looked in the direction that we were staring. "Oh wow."

"Yeah. Wow." I stood up.

Kaylyn gave me a questioning look. "What are you doing?"

"I will be right back." I walked confidently over to Jasmine's new friends. I plastered a fake smile on my face. "Hey Jazz."

Jasmine suddenly looked uncomfortable, and every girl's eyes were on us.

"So what's new?"

Jasmine still looked a little uncomfortable. "Nothing."

"Oh really? So you didn't just ditch your friends for girls who think it's cool to backstab people and get nose jobs at the same time?"

One of the Barbie clones spoke up, "Hey there Juliette." She was tall and super skinny with bottle blonde hair and hazel eyes.

I rolled my eyes. "Megan."

"Can I help you with something?"

"Nope. I'm just talking to my friend."

"I thought you didn't associate yourself with us popular girls."

"I had a perfect track record of avoiding you people until you ruined it by talking to me. So please go away."

"By 'you people' do you mean pretty and perfect right?"

"No I mean, snobby and conceded. And by the way, your roots are showing and your new nose is so last season."

"At least I have a perfect nose unlike that monstrous thing on your face."

"A. I don't have a big nose and B. At least I'm not insecure about my imperfections and have to get daddy to pay for a new face."

"Well at least I'm not pining for a guy who will never want to go out with me."

I punched her.

"OWWWW! OH! MY! GOD!"

Blood was gushing out of her nose. "Ooops I'm Sorry, I hope your doctor gave you a warranty. Although I think it looks better this way." I gave her an over exaggerated smile.

Blonde girls started to swarm her, trying to help stop the bleeding.

During my encounter with Megan I had forgotten why I was over here. I turned to Jasmine, "Jazz. What are you doing here?"

"You wouldn't understand."

I put my hands on my hips, "Try me."

Jasmine took a breath like she was about spill until someone cut her off. "Juliette Miller!"

"Crap it."

Ms. Pettick. She always caught me when I did something wrong, always. She grabbed hold of my arm before I could run away. "Did you just punch Miss Harrold?"

I looked at her innocently, "No, I don't know what you're talking about. I was just standing here talking to Jasmine when Megan's nose started bleeding." I looked at her angelically. I could get out of trouble with almost every teacher by just acting innocent, but Ms. Pettick was a little trickier to fool.

Ms. Pettick narrowed her eyes and put her hands on her hips, it was her stare down. With her beady eyes and beak like nose, any kid broke when she did her stare down, well except for me. I had gotten in trouble so many times her stare down seemed to be permanently on her face whenever she saw me. "Well, Miss Miller, it seems we don't have any evidence proving otherwise. But if something like this ever happens again there will be serious consequences." She always gave me this speech when I punched someone. "You shouldn't go around punching other students; your combat training is to be used against vampires, not Slayers." She said some other things but I tuned her out. So to me it sounded like "Blah Blah Blah Blah, do you understand Miss Miller?"

I nodded my head and she left. I turned my attention back to Megan, I couldn't help but smirk. She was holding a tissue to her face and had her head tilted up. "You will regret this Juliette! Come on Jasmine, let's go." Megan stormed out of the dining hall.

"Sorry Jem, I have to go." She gave me an apologetic smile then followed Megan and the others out of the cafeteria. I walked over and sat back down with my friends who all had seen what happened.

Kaylyn had on her disappointed face, "You didn't have to do that."

I shrugged, "She had it coming."

"You guys used to be inseparable."

"Key words being used to."

"Whatever, you better pray she doesn't get her little group of clones to be witnesses and tell Ms. Saber," Ms. Saber was the Dean of St. Francis's, "otherwise I don't think you will be coming with me to California."

"She won't tell. I have too much stuff on her from when we were friends." I said 'friends' like it was the most disgusting thing ever, and being friends with Megan was.

"So, what did Jasmine say?"

Ayden's head jerked up, he wanted to hear this part of our conversation. I shrugged, "Megan," every time I said her name it sounded as though I would rip her throat out, which I would if I could, but that meant getting in serious trouble, "cut her off before she could say anything. I hate her."