Author's Note-Troy is introduced in this chapter! Thanks for the reviews. Any questions then just ask me! Thanks.
Usually I don't get spooked often. However, this night was different. I heard a clapping and that wasn't a good thing. It was one thing to kill a creature in front of an innocent victim who was being attacked. They would either run off too afraid or they would thank me with so much gratitude that I blushed, however, no one had ever clapped for me.
My senses were on high alert. My eyes darted around everywhere in order to try to see who was with me in this ally.
"Who's there?" I called out, and the clapping faded. I really wished I hadn't thrown my stake aside because as I tried to get into this persons head, I couldn't. I concentrated real hard to figure out who was near me. "I know you're a vampire."
Footsteps became louder, and right before the immortal revealed itself Chad and Zeke showed up behind me. "Gabs?" Chad called out.
And just in one second, the vampire was gone. I looked from my friends to the spot where the vampire was and then back to my friends again. "Someone else was here."
"We didn't see anything," Zeke said carefully. He was walking on eggshells around me. They both knew how serious I became when it came to slaying demons. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, Goddamn it," I snapped while rubbing my brows. "I couldn't read its mind, so I don't know if it was a good vampire or a bad vampire."
"In my mind, they are all bad. We have yet to come across an angel vampire," Chad spat out.
He was very against vampires and anything supernatural without a soul. He was wrong, in my opinion; considering over the last ten years we had met vampires who lived off of animal blood and willing people. In my books, I already had enough to worry about, and so if a human wanted to volunteer themselves to be bitten, then I wasn't going to stop them.
Zeke rolled his eyes.
I think Chad needs a break from all of this.
I nodded my head, agreeing with Zeke all the way. Chad did need a break. He had been working himself to the bone. He was pumping iron in the morning and night time. He trained with me every other night. He also worked eight hour shifts for his dad. Sometimes he even patrolled with me when I wanted company. I always tried to choose stress free nights for Chad to tag along, because I couldn't fight side by side with him and worry about him at the same time. And so the less I had to worry about the more safe we all were.
"Chad, why don't you head home tonight? It's almost closing and no one else is ordering anything besides booze." I watched as Chad mulled over my suggestion. "You need to rest up for tomorrow. We have to patrol for this guy who just got away. I need to know if he's a problem."
This was the topping to the sundae I created. Chad smiled. "Yeah, okay. You're right. I need to get up early tomorrow to train and then I'll be all set to go tomorrow." He was like a child on Christmas morning. "I haven't slayed a vampire in forever."
Once Chad left to go collect his things from Charles' office I walked up to Zeke. "You know Shar's pissed at you. This was your third time this week canceling on her."
Zeke looked down at the ground and rubbed his neck. "Work has been hectic. I don't know why she expects me to be two places at once. I cannot support her and her needs if I don't work."
"Hey," I scolded lightly. "I need you to breathe. You do not have to defend yourself to me. I get it, okay? I know you have to work to pay the bills. We're in the same boat here."
"Yeah," Zeke said with a sigh. He bumped my shoulder playfully. "Wish me lucky trying to calm her down tonight."
I grinned. Watching Zeke smile eased me a little bit. This was how it always was. Zeke and Sharpay had been a couple ever since freshmen year, and so when Sharpay found out that I was the Chosen One sophomore year, it was too hard for her to keep it from Zeke. Taylor had found out by herself one night and ever since she found out, the five of us, Chad included, became inseparable.
Shit, I don't know how long I can keep doing this crap. Why do I have to be the one to smooth things over in the relationship? Shar does nothing for me!
"Zeke!" I exclaimed. "I can't believe I'm hearing this."
A pissed off look came across his easy going face. "Stop listening to me. You're invading my privacy Gabriella."
Uh-oh, he used my full name. I just caused a huge problem between us. "Zeke, I didn't mean—"
"No, you never do. Just stay out of my mind, please," Zeke said before walking off and getting into his car. I watched him drive away without even going inside to try to talk to Sharpay.
Patrolling always sent a thrill through me. There was something primal about hunting down a beast. Out in this world it was either me or them. Don't get me wrong, what I do is dangerous. If I make one mistake than I'm dead and so are my friends and victims. And sometimes I didn't even feel like fighting. I would be in a mood where I saw this more as a burden rather than a gift. After all, a girl can only take hearing the words Death is your gift so many times. After my first couple of years of being the Chosen One I was told just that about death being my gift. It made me a litter nervous and upset. Who wanted to be told that? No one, that's who!
"So," Chad said, "You excited for your birthday?"
I rolled my eyes before I hopped up onto a hedge stone. "You know I don't like birthdays. I'm especially set on hating this one."
Chad nodded his head, casually leaning against the giant stone I was sitting on. He understood what this birthday entailed. In a week this would mark my tenth year of being the Chosen One. Usually that would be something to celebrate. Hardly anyone made it five years, let alone ten. And I would celebrate if ten years didn't make me nervous and anxious. In fact, I loved to party and would hardly want to turn one down.
The thing with being the Chosen One is that if you make it for five years than you are put to a test. Your powers which include healing, strength, and speed are taken away for a month. You must still patrol and protect others, but you're just a simple human. If you reach ten years (which I'm told only two other girls reached in the last one hundred and fifty years) than your powers are taken for an unknown amount of time. It's something that scares me, but I won't ever admit it out loud. In seven days I will be just an average human protecting the world.
Before Chad could say anything at all, I stopped him. "There's something coming up from behind us." I tried getting a read on its mind, but I couldn't. "Duck!" I yelled as I nicely pushed Chad down onto the ground. He braced himself with his hands while I spun around to glare at whoever threw an energy ball.
You see, energy balls are literally purple balls of energy that some demons can produce with their hands. They are used to either kill or injure innocent things and people. And I just saved Chad's back of the neck by pushing him to the ground. Instead of the energy ball hitting him, it hit the mausoleum in front of us.
I took in the normal looking person in front of us. He was stalking towards us in an unbelievable pace. Chad stood up, wiping the dirt from his jeans. I might not be able to read this guys mind, but I was able to sense his presence.
"Who the fuck are you?" I asked. My chin rose defiantly.
"Talic. You should get out of here little girl." His eyes scanned my body, his tongue darting out to lick his lips. "Or maybe you can stay and we'll have a little fun afterwards."
"Have you ever heard of the Chosen One?" I asked. He was standing before me and Chad now.
Talic looked confused.
"Wow," I saw to Chad. "It's been a while since someone never heard of me. It's kind of exciting."
"Let me kill your boyfriend and then I'll show you what a true man is," Talic taunted, enticing Chad to charge at him.
Chad was a hot head who didn't know how to control his temper sometimes. He was reliable in some cases, but in the heat of the fight he never thought clearly. Talic easily grabbed onto Chad's shoulders and through him thirty feet into the air. Chad came crashing down against the mausoleum. I could smell the blood coming out of his head.
Instead of waiting for Talic to attack me, I threw a punch to his face and followed that up by kicking him in the side. He was wounded for a split second before popping up from bending over and smacking me across the face. He was stronger than I gave him credit for. My head hit a gravestone, but no blood was spilled…yet.
I was on the ground, and so I swiped my leg out to knock him behind the knees. He fell while I quickly hopped up. I went to punch his face by slamming all my weight down, but he got up and moved as quickly as lightening. He was behind me within a half of second.
I threw my head back, directly hitting him on the soft side of his head. My arms gripped his face and snapped it to the side. His body died in my hands. The only indicator that he was even fighting me was the orange stain on my jeans. His body decomposed before me. Although he wasn't ash like vampires, he had insides like a human and orange blood spurted everywhere. You would think I would learn by now that I should step back from his body when he died like that.
Forgetting my soiled clothes, I rushed over to Chad. I looked him over for any other injuries besides his gashed forehead. My fingertips gently ran over the cut, evaluating his wound to the best of my abilities. Charles would have to look at him when I took Chad home.
However, before I could even lift Chad or attempt to wake him up, a clapping could be heard again! Really, I thought to myself, as if my night couldn't have gotten any worse. I didn't fight that many things that soiled my clothes, and so I was just a little pissed that Talic managed to hurt my friend and ruin one of my favorite pairs of jeans.
I whirled around, a fierce look on my face. I wasn't taking any bull shit tonight. I had an injured best friend and I now needed to go shopping with money I didn't have. Charles should really reimburse me for protecting the world and all.
A figure came out from around the mausoleum. I stood fully up now, the stake that I kept in the inside pocket of my jacket resting in my hand. He was a vampire who had just fed. I couldn't tell if it was human blood or animal blood. I didn't have a super ability to smell, but over the years my nose had been trained to sniff out blood and various other scents. Animal and human blood smelled nearly the same though, and so I couldn't tell if I was safe or not…I'm guessing I'm not.
The vampire was tall. He was at least six foot while his shoulders were broad and muscular. He was wearing a black wife beater, showing off the guns on his arms. His torso was long and slender while his legs were even lengthier. His hair would have fallen just over his eyes, but it was slicked back. His hair wasn't plastered though because I could see all the individual strands and it kind of turned me on. If he wasn't a pale blood sucking vampire I would totally go for this guy. Unfortunately for me the red thick liquid that blood was made up of was still on his chin and surrounding his mouth.
His eyes were blood shot, but behind the disturbing color I could make out a bluish tint.
"You take one step closer and I can promise you that I will stake you," I warned. Chad was starting to stir at my feet. I prayed to God that he would just stay down for once. I did not need Chad to interfere with this. Something in my gut told me that this vampire was a little different than others.
A smirk crossed his face. "Is that anyway to great someone?" He took a step closer. "I'm Troy Bolton. And you are?"
"I'm your nightmare."
I charged at him, throwing punches and kicks to his sides, but each time I went for an attack, he blocked me. I hadn't fought anyone who could block so many of my hits. He went for my shoulders, but I ducked and rolled onto the ground. I completed my summersault, hoping my movements were fast enough to confuse him. I wanted to come up behind him, take him from the back, but he was quick too, and turned around so we were front to front again. My nose was directly an inch from his chest. Troy leaned his head down while I looked up so that we could see each other's faces. If he wasn't a blood thirsty vamp then I would have kissed him.
His fangs were out with the twitch of his face and a drop of blood from his chin fell onto the ground. I slowly brought the stake in my hand up to his heart. In the back of my mind I knew that if I pressed it into his chest he would be quick enough to take the stake from me and press it into my own body. That's not what I needed at the time.
"What are you?" His voice was deep and threatening. I think Troy's patience was running thin now. Vampires were temperamental creatures.
"I told you. I'm your nightmare."
"Gabs?" Sharpay's voice called out from a distance. I closed my eyes, praying to God that my friends wouldn't find me. I had a small doubt in the back of my mind that I wouldn't be able to protect them as much as I should. "We know you're close. We can hear Chad's phone going off!"
Troy growled in disapproval of my friends' timing. He looked at me, licking his lips while his eyes ran up and down my body. "I'll be seeing you beautiful."
Within a blink of the eye Troy Bolton was gone.
Usually, when vampires promise to see me again, they always have a plan to kill me.
