It was three weeks after the Count had thrown me out that I had an idea. It took me all of that weekend to prepare. I bought a black journal and started it about two days before we kissed. That day was in pink, the other days done in plain, black ink. The diary was soon filled with thoughts of suicide. The end had in big letters; 'If Vladimir doesn't notice me soon, I'm going to do it."

I got a kitchen knife from home on Monday and grabbed the journal. I put the journal in my backpack. Since I go to his locker with him every day, I pretended to be looking through my bag trying to find something. I dropped the notebook on the floor next to him. Around the next corner, I peeked a look at him. He picked the book up, then threw it away.

I tried again the next day, this time having Chloe give him the diary covered with pink. He opened it, directly to the page where we kissed. He snapped the book shut and put it in his locker. Later in the day, I overheard Vlad and Chloe talking about the diary and my recent behaviour.

"He's been moping around the house for three weeks and you've been ignoring him. What happened?"

"I… we kissed."

"You what?"

"We kissed. I just did it, and then he kissed me back, but dad got mad and then said that we couldn't see each other again."

"Is that why you're ignoring him?"

"No. I'm ignoring him because he left me. I asked him to stay, but he didn't."

"Look, just make both of you happy by forgiving him for leaving you. He would have had to leave sometime, anyway."

Vlad sighed. "Fine. I'll forgive him… after I read this." I couldn't see him, but I knew that he was talking about the fake dairy.

I ran away then, to bang my head against a brick wall, very hard. If Vlad read that dairy, he would think that I wanted to commit suicide. I decided that I would have to act out the scene, pretending that I hadn't heard him.

After school, I got the kitchen knife out of my locker. I sliced my wrist and walked right past Vlad's locker. I stopped a little while away and dragged the knife with a little pressure down the side of my chin. I ran my fingers along it, smearing the blood further, then down the locker I was leaning on. I continued down the hallway, leaving a trail of blood behind me. Three minutes until the end of classes for the day.

Vlad's POV

I looked nervously at the clock. Three more minutes. I twiddled my fingers. I had to tell Robin how I felt. Then, maybe he would stop thinking such terrible things. The bell rang. I ran out of the class room. Then I saw the blood. I followed the trail out the door and saw… him.

Robin's POV

My arm and chin had started to ache, but I didn't stop. I flicked the blade absentmindedly up and down my arm. My leg had started to bleed from an accidental nick while I was walking. I felt light-headed, but I didn't stop. I saw Vlad, but I thought that it was an illusion, so I didn't stop.

"Robin! Robin! Stop! Please stop."

My vision blurred then refocussed. I realised that Vlad was not an illusion and that he was crying.

"Please stop, Robin." He gently pulled the knife from my grasp. My head was in his lap. "Robin," he whispered. "I love you."

I laughed and reached up to touch his cheek, but he slapped by hand away. I started when I felt his lips on mine, but accepted his affections with an open heart. There was a huge gasp from most of the students, but Chloe thought it was adorable.

"Aw, how sweet."

A teacher quickly scolded her for encouraging such behaviour. I didn't care.

"I'm sorry, Robin. I overreacted."

"That's okay."

Vlad held me in his arms all the way to the hospital, only letting go when he had to. When Vlad finally came in to see me, he looked less upset. When he saw all the bandages, though, he burst into tears again.

"Robin, I'm so sorry. You didn't need to do that. I would have forgiven you eventually."

"I couldn't wait for 'eventually' to happen. I need you now, Vlad."

Vlad walked over to my and gently took hold of my arm. He laced his fingers into mine and kissed my hand twice. "I know… now." He smiled gently. "Idiot."

I was out of hospital the next day. They didn't even bother with anti-depressants. I met Vlad outside school. "How are your injuries healing?"

"Quite well. I was lucky that none of these would scar. None of them are deep enough."

"Can I see?"

"Sure." I lifted a bandage and Vlad gasped. He pushed me to the wall of the school and hissed, "have a look at those marks, Robin."

I looked. "What's wrong? They're just healing."

"How quickly are they healing, Robin?"

"Well, they're already scabbed over, but none of them were deep, so that's no surprise."

"How many are there?"

"A lot less than yester-. Oh."

"Yeah. You know what this means, don't you?"

"I'm a… vampire?"

"Yes. But don't tell anyone, apart from your sister, Chloe."

"What should you tell me?"

"That your brother's a vampire."

"Oh. That's cool. How? Was it from your public kiss yesterday?"

"No. I drank blessed dragon's blood."

"Awesome. Well, see you later."

"Yeah, you too."

I saw Vlad later on in the day and said hi. I got a few snickers.

"Saying hello to your boyfriend, lover boy?"

"Yes, actually." I shook my head and walked away.

After school, I met Vlad and kissed his cheek. A girl screamed and ran away.

"So, have people been making snide comments at you all day as well?"

"Yes."

"Oh, well, they don't know what they're missing out on." I kissed him on the lips. I could feel everyone around us shudder. I held his hand as we walked to the gate and kissed him goodbye.

"See you tomorrow."

"You too."