"OKAY LISTEN UP! Abigail, move stage right – no, you're other right. Michael, move with her. Nicolas, go down left with Kyle and Amy. Vanessa, just a bit to your left and you'll be perfect…Good!"

I sighed, folding my arms across my chest as Mr. Jones ordered us around stage in Theatre class. He seemed as thought he was still ticked off from Chorus class, and just wanted to make it through the day – he hated his Chorus class. We had already performed out end of the year play about a week ago, a version of Phantom of the Opera. Now we were just reviewing and such for out finals.

By practicing Romeo and Juliet.

My least favorite play.

And of course, I was stuck as Juliet.

My Romeo?

Michael, the kid next to me.

He wasn't all that ugly – cute actually. I had a crush on him when I had first moved it, but then he was ended up being a jerk.

But I still kinda liked him.

Even though my attention was focused on the God across stage from me, looking thoroughly bored, I tried to continue my lines. Nicolas was playing the part of Paris, and he held the script in his hand as if he already knew the lines.

"All right! Juliet, Paris, center stage please! Go from line three!" Mr. Jones ordered us.

At least it wasn't so bad.

I stepped forward with Nicolas, the script in my hands. We began to read – I stumbled over my lines, the Old English tripping me up. Of course, he said his flawlessly, without even looking at the script. I glanced down at mine again and suddenly; he was inches from my face. His breath tickled my face as his eyes stared directly into mine, as if he could read my mind or something else creepy. I barely registered that he had finished speaking.

"Abigail!"

I jumped and gasped, glancing down at my finger – I had cut it along the edge of the script and blood was now forming on the cut. I frowned slightly, looking up at Mr. Jones, who had shouted at me.

"Pay attention!"

When I turned back to Nicolas, he was storming off the edge of the stage, heading for the exit backstage. What the hell was his problem? Sighing, I walked back to my previous spot as Nurse and Lady Capulet began their scene.

As we waited for class to end, we all sat on the edge of the stage, feet dangling off the side as we chatted aimlessly. Nicolas still hadn't returned.

"Hey Abigail!" Michael greeted, flopping down beside me. "How's the finger?"

I laughed and held up the newly bandaged finger.

"All good."

"That's cool." He grinned. "So I was thinking of catching a movie in Florence on Saturday. Want to come with me?"

Were all the guys in this school playing some kind of joke by them all asking me out?

"Like a date?"

"I guess you could call it that. But some of my friends are going too." He shrugged.

"Er…okay then…" I muttered, not sure of what else to say. Did I just agree to a date with Michael? And his friends – but they didn't matter.

Well, at least it would get me out of planning prom with Vanessa, a task I absolutely dreaded.

When we were released from class, Vanessa approached, instantly launching into more stuff about prom. I inwardly groaned.

"I can't help this weekend. I'm going to the movies with Michael."

Vanessa grinned broadly.

"About time! You've had a crush on him for, like, ever!" She said quickly and I laughed.

"It's nothing special – calm down."

She just giggled, shaking her head.

The rest of the week seemed to fly by – Nicolas hadn't returned to school at all that week, which I found semi-odd. But when Saturday rolled around, Logan seemed determined to get my mind off things that morning at breakfast.

"I don't see why you don't want to go to prom with Will – Sam say's he real disappointed Abs."

"I'm not going to prom, so I'm not going to go with him when he can perfectly well go along with anyone else." I replied, taking another bite of cereal as Logan sat across from me, drinking coffee and flipping through the paper.

"Such a shame…."

"Give it a rest will ya?" I snapped. He raised an eyebrow at me.

"I wasn't talking about that. There's been several unsolved killings in Cincinnati, but it's nice to see you in such a great mood."

I spent most of the day finishing up the chemistry homework. Since I didn't know what time Michael was arriving, I began to pull on the skirt, legging, and the blouse I had picked out, before straitening my curls to at least where they were tame.

I had just come back downstairs, the purse I rarely used slung over my shoulder, when the doorbell rang. For once I managed to beat Claire to it. Playfully sticking my tongue out at her, I opened the door to find Michael waiting.

"Hey."

"Hey."

We stood there a moment in silence.

"Shall we go?"

"Yeah…. Logan! I'll be back in a little while!" I called to where he was in the kitchen – yes, he practically lived in there.

"Have fun!"
I laughed and followed Michael out to his car – a gray Nissian Altima.

Soon, we were speeding out of Warsaw, taking the familiar route to Florence.

Michael reached down and turned the radio on, to where it was nothing more than background noise.

"So what's with that pale moron? The new kid or whatever? He just upped and left the other day. You stab him with something or what?"

I blinked. Nicolas was the last thing I wanted to talk about.

"No – I cut my finger on a script and when I looked up, he was storming out of the room." I replied.

"What a baby…."

"No he's not. You think maybe blood makes him sick?" I said as he sped further down the road. We had gotten there in record timing. He was pulling into the movie theatre parking lot when I realized two things.

His friends obviously weren't there.

And he was drunk.

I had wondered what the smell had been – it was his breath. God was I stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

The minute he pulled into the parking lot, I reached for the door, by somehow, even in his drunken stupor, managed to press the lock button that locked all four door before I could get it open. I fumbled, still trying to open it, but he grabbed my wrists, pinning them to my sides as his lips forcefully pressed against mine.

I jerked my head away, his breath nearly gagging me. My hand instinctively came up, the heel of my hand hitting him in the nose. Something cracked and blood began to literally pour out. Trying not to hurl my lunch up, I reached over and hit the door lock, unlocking the door and finally getting out of the car.

Ignoring Michael's cries of pain at his obvious broken nose, I stalked through the parking lot, so angry I could hardly see straight. How could he do this? I was never going out with that idiot again. I was still pissed at myself for not sensing it when he had first knocked on my door.

Unfortunately for me, I had no way home. My cell phone forgotten at home, I couldn't call Logan.

As I made to cross the road in the crosswalk, I heard the squealing of tires. Glancing up, I spotted Michael's Nissan barreling down the road toward me, intentionally speeding and aiming to hit me.

And I was too frozen with fear to move.

Then, I suddenly wasn't standing there anymore. The Nissian sped past the place I had been seconds before, nearly hitting the cars crossing in front of it.

I had somehow gotten to the concrete of the sidewalk, and I wondered for a moment how until I felt the cold hands gripping my arms.

"Are you okay?"

I whirled to the figure on the concrete behind me, my breath catching in my throat the moment I saw his pale face – it was creased with actual worry.

"Abigail. Are. You. All. Right?" He repeated, as I still hadn't answered. I nodded and he helped me to my feet. It wasn't until then that I realized I hadn't actually fainted from touching him, though suddenly my fingertips and lower arms were numb.

"Come on – I'll take you home." Nicolas murmured, taking me gently by the car. He pulled me to the Aston Martin parked on the curb. He opened the passenger door for me, then got in on the driver's side.

"So what did you do to tick off that boyfriend of yours?"

"He's not my boyfriend." I scowled, folding my arms across my chest. "And he was drunk – and a liar."

"Then it's a good thing I found you."

"Yeah, I guess…why haven't you been at school?" I asked quietly. It was funny – I felt safer riding with this almost stranger than I did with Michael.

"Sick." He replied quickly, almost defensively. I raised an eyebrow, but didn't question it – it wasn't my business really.

"How did you find me in Florence?" I asked after another beat of silence. This time, he didn't reply at all.

We drove the rest of the way back to Warsaw in silence, finally pulling up in front of my house.

"Thanks." I murmured, glancing over at him, but he was already out, opening my door for me.

"No problem." He said and flashed a perfect smile. I bounded up to the front door, not hearing the purring engine leave until I was inside and had locked the door.

"You're home early." Logan noted form his place in front of the television. Claire was obviously still asleep.

"Yeah – I left Michael at the movies."

"Why?"

"Don't want to talk about it."

"Abigail…"

"Logan."

He gave me a look, but I ignored him as I headed upstairs.

I ripped off my clothes and changed into the pair of shorts and t-shirt I used for pajamas before flopping down on my bed, wanting nothing more than to get a good night's sleep. I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

And that night, I dreamt again.

I stood in the same forest, same dress. The large wolf was in front of me again, looking rather frightening. And then, it did something weird.

It actually nudged the hand that was hanging against my side, almost like a dog that wanted to be petted. I cringed away, taking a step back, but it followed, nudging my hand again. Gingerly, I reached up and scratched it behind its ear as it sat on the ground. What the hell was going on? Seriously….

Just as it seemed to be relaxing, the wolf suddenly jerked up. I pulled away my hand, startled as it's haunches rose and a low growl escaped it's mouth. Something rustled in the trees behind me, and not two seconds later, a pair of icy arms was around me. I gulped, remembering the faceless man that had been in my last dream.

"Abigail."

I whirled in his arms, running into a rock hard solid chest. I knew that voice. Oh God did I know that voice. I looked up, and my faceless man was no longer faceless.

It was Nicolas.

Except his eyes were blood red, instead of the blue they usually were.

"You need to come with me." He was saying and began to pull me away from the Wolf. The Wolf let out a growl that turned into a howl, almost sad. I frowned, but before I knew it, Nicolas was carrying me again, running faster between the trees. And this time, I surprisingly wasn't scared. Even though I should have been.

I jerked awake as my alarm went off. Sitting up and yawning widely, I only realized it was Sunday, and I didn't have to get up. I groaned and made to crawl back under the blankets, but instead my cordless phone on the nightstand decided to ring. Muttering under my breath, I grabbed it and put it to my ear.

"Hello?"

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"
Vanessa's shrill voice on the other end actually forced me to pull the phone away from my ear. I groggily peered up at the calendar above my bed – I had completely forgot about it! It was April 24th, and at 10:27 in the morning – which was about four hours away – I would officially be eighteen.

"But anyway – come over at about two and we'll start cramming for the Bio test on Monday – Kay?"

Yawning, I nodded, until I realized I was on the phone.

"Yeah, sure." I mumbled sleepily. Without another word I hung up and flopped back down on my bed, snuggling back underneath the blankets.

My door was thrown open moments later.

What the hell? Were people in this house against me sleeping? I mean, really….

"Happy Birthday Abigail!' Logan grinned as he planted a tray on the edge of my bed. It was a plate of scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, and a glass of orange juice. Also on the tray was a tiny wrapped gift. I smiled at Logan groggily, and not wanting to offend him, I forced myself awake and pulled the tray toward me.

"Thanks."

"No problem Abs." He grinned and hugged me tightly. "Come to the resteraunt later."

"Why?" I asked curiously, stabbing a bite of eggs with my fork and popping them in my mouth.

"Just because." He said mysteriously. "About five should be good." He added before leaving my room, shutting the door behind him. I blinked after him for a moment, confused, but just shook my head and let it go. He was just such a weirdo sometimes.

After breakfast, I spent most of the Saturday in my room, sorting through emails from my old friends back in California who emailed me at least twenty times each day. After that, I finished my homework and grabbed a shower, getting dressed with just enough time to make it down to Stardust at five.

As I drove, I was absorbed in my thoughts, even though it probably wasn't the safest thing to be doing. My thoughts were mostly swirled around my recent dream. Nicolas was obviously my savior from the wolf, but I still had no idea what the dream meant. Was I going to get lost during prom – still in my dress – and some giant wolf attack me and Nicolas will save me? Heck if I knew.

Sighing, I turned into the parking lot of the resteraunt, turning the car off and pocketing my keys. I was still curious as to what the heck was going on, but I had the faintest idea I knew what it was.

Taking a deep breath, I pulled open the door, the little bell jingling overhead that signaled a customer had walked in.

"SURPRISE!"

People from every possible corner popped out of nowhere, and I took a step back in fake surprise. I had a feeling it was coming, but I wasn't going to let anyone know that I knew. Better to act surprised.

Logan pulled me into a tight hug and Vanessa approached me from the left, giggling.

"Happy Birthday Abigail!" They chorused and I laughed.

"Thanks you guys. Really."

But I didn't have time to say much else as I was pulled toward one of the tables that had my birthday cake on it. Of course, I knew Logan had made it, and I could instantly tell it was my favorite – an ice cream cake with loads of frosting, the words 'Happy Birthday Abby' written in blue frosting across the top. I resisted the urge to reach my finger toward it and swipe a bit of frosting.

Vanessa disappeared for a moment, but appeared a moment later with an armload of presents and I rolled my eyes. I had told them I hadn't wanted that much for my birthday, but apparently they hadn't listened. Then again, they never did.

One by one, I went through my presents, reading the cards and thanking whoever had gotten them for me. Mostly it was clothes, but besides that, a digital camera from Logan, a painted picture from Claire (this one made me laugh, because it was an attempted picture of her, Logan, and I), a gift card to Wal-Mart, and some money from the insides of the cards.

My mouth was watering for the cake, which had been taken away so it wouldn't melt, and I was about to open my mouth until Vanessa handed me a small, wrapped package. I hadn't noticed it on the table before. It was wrapped in silver with a matching bow, but it didn't have a name on it. I frowned and carefully opened it, half expecting it to be a joke.

Inside were a small white box and a note. Setting aside the box, I opened the note.

Abigail,

Happy Birthday. Enjoy your present and I hope you like it.

Nicolas

Surprised, I set the note aside where Vanessa instantly grabbed it to glance over it. I untied the ribbon around the box and opened it, thoroughly stunned at the gift inside.

It was a silver charm bracelet, with several charms already on it. I held it up to examine the charms: a carousel horse, a diamond heart, a silver flower, my birthstone (an aquamarine stone), and a snowflake. They glittered as the light hit them and I smiled, examining my new gift.

A pair of fingers snapped suddenly in front of my face and I was drawn out of my stupor as Logan brought my cake back out. Slipping on my new bracelet, I was very careful with it as I focused my attention on the cake.

It wasn't long before we had to leave. Well, Vanessa and I at least. We had promised Will we'd come over and study for the Biology finals on Monday, something I completely dreaded.

Did I ever mention how I hated driving in the rain? Yeah, I hate it. And it was raining as we were driving along the back roads around Warsaw that led to Will's house. Why he had to live back in the boonies completely dumbfounded me.

Vanessa turned on the radio as background noise as we drove along, her chatting slightly in my ear about all the stuff we had to do for finals and prom and bleh, bleh, bleh – I stopped listening after the word prom. I am very anti-prom. I tuned her out as best as I could, but the moment she screamed, my attention focused back to her.

"Abigail! WATCH OUT!"