Part 3

One week later. Today I was officially moving into my new home. It's an apartment near the university that I'll be attending next month. It's also a mile out of Dullsville and a couple more before you reach Hipsterville. So I'm sort of in between the towns. My parents were supportive in me getting my own place so I let them help me out. My dad insisted on making payments for the first quarter of the year on my lease, which was a big help and helped me with the first payments of my first car. Then my mom took me shopping for household supplies, but was a little put off on my choice of décor. She does realize Goth isn't a phase, right?

My phone rang while I was loading boxes into my BMW. I checked the caller ID before answering and saw Becky's cheesy picture. "Hey, Becky what's up? Are you coming by?" I asked. She was supposed to come help me load boxes into her pickup so I wouldn't have to make double trips. I wanted to be out of here before nightfall.

"Sorry Raven, I know I'm late helping you move. Matt's car broke down and he needed a lift. We're on our way now."

"NO! Becky I don't want anyone else knowing where I live! Can't you like drop him off somewhere or something?" The last thing I needed was Matt mentioning where I'm living to Trevor, Sebastian or Alexander, or anybody else in this town. Only my parents know where I'll be, and Becky was supposed to come find out and keep it secret.

"Raven, he's my boyfriend! I'm not gonna dump him off somewhere!" She argued. Why does she have to be so frustratingly dense?

"And I'm supposed to be you best friend since third grade. I don't want anyone else to know where I live, can you respect that?"

"Matt won't say anything. Besides we tell each other everything." She tried to reason.

"Fine, just don't come at all. I mean what I said; I don't want anyone else to know. If you can't understand that then you don't need to know either. I'll see you around, Becky. Enjoy your boyfriend." I hung up.

I'll just need to come back tomorrow early for the rest of the stuff. But I needed to go, now! After saying goodbye to my parents and Billy-Boy, and reminding them to keep my address to themselves, I got in my car and drove to my new home. I was so paranoid that something bad would happen so I kept looking in the rearview mirror to see if anyone had followed me. Thankfully it was all clear. I unloaded my stuff into my apartment, which was on the fifth floor WITH an elevator that worked, then went back down to park my car in the residential parking garage. As soon as I was back inside my new home, the sun started to set and I breathed a sigh of relief. I made sure all the windows were closed and covered with my dark purple curtains, and my door and fire escape gate were locked. Again I breathed a sigh of relief. It's not that I was afraid of anything; I was just avoiding everyone, especially two vampires that wouldn't stop calling me every two hours of the night.

On cue, my cell-phone rang and the caller ID showed a picture of black roses. Alexander. I ignored it, and then it rang again. The caller ID changed to a picture of an electric guitar. Sebastian. This happened again repeatedly. With Becky, Matt, Alexander again, Sebastian again, Alexander again, and ended with Becky again. After the constant ringing ceased, I began putting my things away.

My apartment was small with one bedroom, one bathroom, a kitchenette, a little dining room and a cozy living room. I put away the black and pewter dishware and utensils. Mom already took care of the groceries and cookware. Then I put away my linens and products into the linen closet and bathroom. And lastly I put my clothes and shoes away inside the drawers and closet. I didn't want to put anything out in the open just yet because I wanted to paint first, so everything else stayed in the boxes. Everything else that I left at home was mostly school supplies for when class start, other decorative items, books and movies. My furniture doesn't arrive until another two days so I'll have to sleep on my blow up bed tonight and do the painting tomorrow. My stomach started to growl and I remembered that I hadn't eaten since breakfast, so I went in the kitchen to put something together when my phone rang again. I then remembered that I had promised to call my parents once I got settled and silently cursed myself before answering.

"Raven," CRAP! I forgot to check the caller ID. It was Alexander. We hadn't spoken for almost a week now and I didn't know what to say to him if we did.

"Alexander… hi," was all I could think of saying. What could I say? What did Sebastian say to him? "How are you tonight?" I added.

"I miss you, Raven." He said. I could here the sadness in his voice and felt a little bad for dodging him. But it couldn't be helped. "You haven't been answering my calls or returning my messages. I know you're upset about how thing went that night. But I didn't mean to hurt you or push you away. I want to be with you Raven. I love you! Please, come over. I need to hold you." I couldn't stop crying because I really did miss him. But I feel so guilty about kissing Sebastian.

"I miss you too, Alexander." I heard him breath a sigh of relief. "I'm sorry for avoiding you but you really made me feel like crap that night. I'm not going to let you think that I'll stay a virgin, because you're being irrational. Whatever reasons you have, you need to get over it and decide where this relationship is headed. Do you want to take the next step with me, or am I not good enough for that? I don't even care about the whole not turning me into a vampire part anymore. Onyx offered to do it after college for me anyways, but being with you is even more important to me. I don't want to rot away and die off, or be a virgin forever and never experience that kind of intimacy, have hot sex, mind-blowing orgasms, and yeah, a couple of kids in the future. So if you want that with me then… man up, Alexander! And if not, let me know now and you don't have to waste your time on me." Throughout my ranting I was able to make a decent pot of spaghetti to hold me over for the next three days.

Alexander was silent while I spoke and for a while after, so I had to check the phone to see if it was still on. Then I heard him clear his throat before speaking. "Raven, I do want… all of that, with you. You're right, I need to get over this, but I honestly don't think I could do it right now. Would it be so bad to wait a bit longer? Many people choose to wait until after they're married to have sex… and did you seriously just say 'mind-blowing orgasms'? What have you been up to all this time? Where are you now? Come over to the mansion and we'll talk, maybe go out to the cemetery."

"Are you seriously asking me to wait until you decide to marry me, if you decide to marry me, in the unseen future that I can't be sure of? When was the last time you had sex, Alexander? I know you're not a virgin, I don't believe you would cheat on me, but I know that guys mostly think about sex and you obviously have those needs. So what's so wrong with it? I have needs too Alexander! No, I haven't had sex yet, but I do know how to masturbate, which is totally healthy by the way, so I've been very… needy lately, my batteries are dying, and doing it to myself isn't as efficient as it was years ago. I'm seriously not in the mood to be touched and kissed by you if I get left unsatisfied in the process. I want more. Kisses in the dark, cuddling in your coffin, and watching movies that get more action than I do is really starting to put a downer on my self-esteem. It seems that lately I've been a real bitch to everyone around me because of it. I don't like how I am right now, Alexander. I'm an adult now, we're about to start college soon, and… I'm really lonely. I need to know if you're ready to walk away from us, or move forward."

"We'll move forward, Raven. I promise you. I feel just the same and the thought of you masturbating is NOT helping me keep it together right now, so… you're right. Now tell me when can I see you. I need you, Raven. I need to be with you, now."

"I'm home."

"I was just at your house, Raven. Why won't you tell me the truth? Where are you?"

"I am telling you the truth, I'm home. I moved out and got my own place." I said innocently.

"WHAT? WH… WHEN? WHERE? Why didn't you tell me anything? Where are you staying? Nobody told me anything!" he yelled.

"Well it's about time I got out on my own, and I don't want to really live with anyone… especially if they're gonna kick me out. I decided that night that I wanted to move out. My parents supported it and helped me get settled, and I even got a car. My dad helped me out with paying for all of the down payments and my first couple of months, and mom helped with my shopping. Becky was supposed to help me move but refused to keep it secret from Matt so I'm not telling her along with everyone else where I am for now. I kinda want some peace from Dullsville, especially anyone trying to make surprise visits or pranks. And lastly, I didn't tell you because I was still… am still mad about… you know."

"So you're not going to tell me where you live? Isn't that going against my rights as your boyfriend? How long am I going to be in the dog house before I get invited over?"

"You're in a mansion, a far cry from a dog house." I retorted.

"You know what I mean," he responded.

"If you promise not tell anyone, and make sure you're not followed, I'll let you come by and help me decide on paint options…" I offered… more like waved a treat in front of my batty lover.

"Of course! Give me the address." I told him and we hung up. I ate my food and got ready to make my blow up bed. When I was done and ready to take a quick shower my phone rang. Thinking it was Alexander, I answered right away. It wasn't Alexander… it was Sebastian.

A/N: thank you Sammysam13 for the correction XP