Disclaimer: Richelle Mead is the amazing author of the Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series. This story was made only for entertainment purposes, and I take no credit for her characters, places, or ideas.

Author's Note: I know that it's been a long time since I updated this story, I'm terribly sorry to all the fans who have supported it. It's hard to find time in my day to write, much less write fanfiction, rather than work on something of my own creation. I'm trying my best to get new chapters of my fanfiction out ASAP, because I love this story, and I love making up my own ideas for the story in anticipation for The Golden Lily. I really hope you all enjoy this chapter, I know it's pretty short but I'll try to make up for that with the next chapter.

Trey Juarez asking me for a ride back to Amberwood was probably the last thing I expected. Well, it was right before Ms. Terwilliger actually driving over to Spencer's herself to find out what had been holding up her coffee, which was probably what she would be doing if I didn't get back in the next few minutes. I ushered Trey into my car, making sure he was well aware of the damage he'd receive to his face if he spilled any coffee in my car.

"Duly noted," he replied, looking more than slightly taken aback by my threat.

"So what was the deal with you at Jill's modelling gig?" I blurted out unexpectedly, even to myself.

"What do you mean?"

"When Adrian showed up, you acted really weird and then left. I thought you'd have some kind of explanation for it later, but so far, you haven't, which is why I brought it up."

"I know that you guys aren't related. You, Jill, Eddie... None of you look anything alike, and I'm pretty sure it's almost impossible for all of you to be blood-related, unless your parents are just really promiscuous. You never mentioned having a boyfriend. Maybe I was just being silly, but I really thought you liked me, or would've at least given me a shot." I blushed. Trey liked me? I was utterly lost and confused. Just when I thought things at Amberwood couldn't get any weirder, they did.

"Boyfriend, why would you think he's my boyfriend?"

"He's tall, dark, and handsome, you don't need to tell me anymore."

"Trey, just because someone's attractive doesn't mean I'm into them, or DATING them! Adrian is not my type. And, you're right, Jill, Eddie, Adrian, and I... We're not really related, but there's reasons behind it, and it doesn't have to do with any of us dating each other."

"Oh..." Trey mumbled pensively.

"Yeah."

We arrived back at Amberwood less than ten minutes later, Latte remaining unscathed by any unsightly coffee mishaps. I didn't know what to say to Trey about the Adrian incident, so I just said a quick sorry. I rushed to Ms. Terwilliger's office, praying that she would let me do whatever assignment she had for me in my dorm.

When I reached her office I was greeted by a mysterious cackling voice that I couldn't seem to find the source of, and a missing teacher. The papers from her previously cluttered, but not impossible desk were scattered amongst the floor, most of them torn and dogged, with a red liquid from behind the desk seeping toward them. My head told me this wasn't a good scene to walk in on. Being around vampires for what seemed like twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, made me pretty rational when it came to bad situations, but even I wasn't comfortable with a dead body. The voice cackled again, speaking garbled words that I couldn't understand. I looked around in all corners of the room, avoiding seeing what was behind the desk because I didn't want to confirm any suspicions.

"Had to go! She had to go!" it croaked sickeningly.

A lot happened in mere moments; my heartbeat fluttered and quickened in a panic, my breaths became shallow and unsteady, and my mind started reeling in a frenzy of stricken thoughts. The world span around me. Fearing the worst, I turned to scurry away. A firm hand had grasped my shoulder from behind, keeping me from exiting the classroom to get help. I should have figured; the girls in horror movies never get out of a dangerous situation so easily. I grasped my silver cross necklace in my hand and began a silent prayer. Then my captor spoke. I'm not even sure what was said. My voice caught in my chest. Maybe I was just a theatrical person, or maybe my worsening fear had made me entirely too woozy, but at that moment, I did the least badass thing a girl could do. I fainted.

I came to in less than ten minutes, but my fall had caused quite a scene. There were teachers standing over me, the most noticeable being -

"Ms. Terwilliger? But... I thought you were dead!"

"Dead?" she exclaimed quite dramatically, "why on Earth would you think I was dead?" The faces of everyone around me were contorted into sympathetic and concerned grimaces.

"Behind the desk... The classroom... The blood... The weird voice...?" Ms. Terwilliger gives a hearty bellowing laugh.

"I think you've greatly misinterpreted the situation Sydney. The liquid was from a glass of, - ahem- wine," she looked embarrassed, "Since it took you so long to get here with the coffee, I needed something to hold me over. And since it looks like I've just lost my cup of coffee that took so long to get here, I'll have to send someone else out to get me a new one."

"Um, Spencer's is actually closed now," I mumbled nervously.

"Ah, well, we'll just have to find somewhere else that's open! As far as the voice you heard and the mess," she ventures over to the other side of the classroom, reaches behind her desk, and takes hold of a contraption with a sheet over it.

"I was trying to keep him a secret," she unveils what's hidden under the sheet. "This is Lester." And that's when I realized - the cause of all my panic and fainting was a silly African Grey Parrot.