Chapter One:
The Truth

"James! Come down to breakfast! Your food is getting cold!" My step mother screamed up the stairs.

I woke up startled. I realized that I just had a dream. A nightmare, to be specific. I stared at my alarm clock. 7:00! My heart started to beat fast. School started in less than 15 minutes! Plus, it was the first day of Junior High!

I frantically through on my clothes, throwing on random things from my dresser. I ran down the stairs and smelled the sweet aroma of breakfast waiting on the table. I walked into the kitchen and took a seat.

"James, look at you! You look like a slob!"

"Sorry, Mom. But school starts in like, 15 minutes!"

My mom stared at the clock with a horrified look.

"Well, your right! And it's your first day too! I have so much to do!"

As she continued to mumble under her breath, I started to eat my breakfast. Suddenly, I threw up! What had I just eaten? This was my favorite meal, bacon and eggs but it felt like I had just eaten rubber!

"Sweetie! Are you ok? What happened? Why did you throw up!"

"I don't know mom."

" But you eat this all the time! Oh, darling, would you like to stay home? I know it's your first day but....."

I cut my mom off.

"No! Mom! I just threw up. It's nothing. You know I never get sick!"

"Fine. I guess I'll just clean this mess up. James, can you go tell your father to get away from his desk and come down here! You're going to be late for school!"

"'K, Mom."

I ran back up the stairs. At the top of the stairs I heard my stomach grumble.

"Dad! It's time to go to school!"

My dad quickly came out of his office, his black suit on. Everyday was like a special occasion for him. Everyday he wore a suit. Such a business man.

I groaned. "Come on Dad!" I shouted, ignoring my strange hunger. He sighed.
"Fine, fine. Well? You don't want to be late," he shuffled down the stairs and ran towards the car. I rolled my eyes and got in after him.
The drive wasn't that long, but wasn't that short either. It was full of the worries of the first day of school, boring old music (thanks to Dad), and, of course, Dad's 'cheer up champ!' speech.
By the time we got to the school I almost flung myself out of the car. And as I touched the ground of the school, the car drove off. Leaving me and my thoughts alone.
"Yo, James, what's up?" Someone called. I looked up and gave a small smile.
"Nothing much Jeff, you?" I asked, he shrugged,
"Nah, not much," he answered simply.
My stomach growled again. Jeff must have heard it.

"What was THAT!" he asked suspiciously

"My stomach. I kind of threw up this morning, so I had nothing to eat."

"Eww.... Hey, James, I heard that in junior high you can go eat breakfast in the cafeteria in the morning! How cool does that sound!"

"It sounds cool but doesn't school start in like 5 minutes?"

"We can get a pass. I mean we do have an excuse."

He nodded at my stomach.

"Yeah, I guess your right. It would be pretty embarrassing for it to grumble during class on the first day!"

We both laughed.

"Let's go to the cafeteria. Here I'll show you the way. My brother showed me all around the school. I know it by heart!"

We started walking. As we entered the doors of the Middle School, I was awed. It looked nothing like elementary. Nothing looked friendly. Deep red lockers lined the walls and student and teachers scattered about the hallways.

"Wow!" I screamed.

"Awesome isn't it. We're sixth graders now!"

As we walked through the hallways I saw Julie. She had been my crush since 1st grade. This year I wanted her to notice me. But of course she walked right passed me as if I was an invisible man.

"So how was your summer, James?" Jeff asked.

I snapped out of my daze and answered Jeff.

"Fine" I answered simply, still staring at Julie as she passed. Jeff must've followed my gaze, because he smirked.

"You like Julie," he whispered, I hid my embarrassed face and scowled.

"Shut up and lead the way to the cafe!" I ordered, he laughed.

"Whatever Mr. Grouchy!" Jeff laughed. I rolled my eyes and sighed.

This was definitely going to be a change.

"How was your summer?" I said trying to switch subjects as we neared the cafeteria. I could smell the bacon and eggs from a mile away

"Oh! Well, my trip to France and Italy was great! I saw the Leaning tower of Pisa, the Eiffel tower, the.... James are you even listening to me?"

"HHhhhuh? Oh, sorry.... Ouch!"

I was staring at Jeff in another daze. But something was strange. He looked appetizing. I smelled some delicious aroma drifting off of him. I shook my head. What was I thinking! Just as I did that, something sharp in my mouth poked my gum. Blood trickled down my chin. My stomach growled and lurched once more.

"Jeff, I feel sick! I'll meet you at the lunchroom later!"

I ran to the restroom. Thankfully, it was next to where I was. I looked in the mirror, holding my self for support against the sink. What was wrong with me? I opened my mouth and what I saw astounded me. Glistening fangs popped out of my mouth. My skin was pale white and sweating. My eyes were a deep black. I blinked, hoping the horrible picture would go away. I opened my eyes again. There in the mirror was just me, no glistening fangs nothing. Just the blood trickling down my chin. I cleaned the blood and splashed my face with cold water. I was still hungry after seeing the blood. But at least what I saw was just a hallucination. Maybe I was getting sick for the first time.

The day went by fast after the incident. Other than that my day was pretty normal. I was afraid to throw up again so I skipped breakfast with Jeff. I did not tell him anything. Every class I had with him, he asked what had happened that I didn't meet him in the lunch room. It turns out that he did not get a pass because I was not there.

What had I learned from the first day of school? Run. Run and keep running or be late to class.
My stomach groaned and my head was now pounding. 'Note to Self: Never get sick again!'
As I was about to head down to the exit doors, I was shoved against a locker.
"Hey, looky here, we got a little needle in the hay stack" someone laughed. I groaned as the metaphor was as horrible as my mood.
'Not them, not now!'

"Hey Zach, look who it is! Its little James Tod! Look at how big he got!"

"Yeah your right, Josh. But he's still a little shrimp! How was your first day of school? Are you going to go home to your mommy? You look upset!"

Josh and Zach laughed and slapped each other a high five.

"Morons." I thought in my head.

I started to walk away but they stopped me again.

"Where do you think your going Little James?" asked Zach.

"Yeah, we were just about to start the fun!" Josh snickered.

"Leave me alone."

" Oh, little baby James is going to cry!"

" Give him a punch in the stomach, Josh! Show him what middle school is all about!"

I felt a surge of pain as Josh punched my stomach with full force. I fell to the ground and bent over for air.

"You want more James?" asked Zach.

Zach kicked me. This time I had it.

"I... Said... Leave... Me.... ALONE!"

I stood up. I felt a surge a power. I didn't even get a chance to throw a good punch when Zach and Josh both screamed with a horrified look on there faces.

"MONSTER!" they both screamed.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

I looked at my reflection in the glass display case. My face was pale white again, my eyes glowed a deep purple, and my fangs were once again sticking out. I covered my mouth and ran outside. Of course, Jeff saw me and ran over to see what was going on.

"Hey James!"

I couldn't talk. I had to get home. I then started to run.

Jeff finally caught up to me since I ran out of breath and needed to stop for a second.
"What's the matter with you?!" he shouted, I turned away. I could almost hear the blood running through his veins.
"N-nothing, I just, I mean, I..." I stopped as he took a step back.
"James, your eyes..."
"What about my eyes?" I asked, he sounded very worried..........
"There a strange color...purple I think... and glowing......" Jeff took a step back, afraid of me. I was afraid of me too. I barely noticed his mouth, but more of his neck and the veins that moved from the movement of his mouth.

He had noticed my eyes. I couldn't let my best friend see me like this.

I ran away from Jeff leaving him behind me. He stood there, looking hurt, sad and very suspicious. I always walked home with him. But I couldn't let him be near me in this condition. I shouldn't have looked back, but I did. Without me knowing it I was in front of Jeff. I could smell that sweet aroma. I was... attracted to him. My stomach growled. I felt the fangs elongate.

"James, what are you doing? You look ravenous! Come on buddy, don't look at me like that!'

" Jeff.....I don't know what's happening to meeee... I'm sorrrryyyyyy...." I slurred my final words because I just could not help it. I was hungry.

"No JAMES!"

I jumped on top of him and let my fangs pierce his neck. Blood trickled out from the wound. I licked it and drank most of it. When I was done, I was full. But, I looked at Jeff and almost cried. He was pale, like all the blood had been sucked out of his body. He was in shock! What had I done! I was a monster. Not just a monster but a... vampire.