3. Love at First Fight

Vincent

I ran out of there with vampire speed. I had to get away from this girl, Gaby. She was beautiful. She was nice. She smelled delicious.

I went to my first period class, Math. I volunteered to stay in the average class. Even though I've spent decades learning.

My mind lingered on her image a while longer. How she bit her lip, making her the only girl in the room. How her blue gray eyes looked up at me from he small figure. All girls fell for my beauty. So why is this one different?

Math passed by quickly as I was busy in my head. I went to History next. My mind stayed in the clouds with her face. I couldn't stop thinking about her. My thoughts were parted by someone. A girl turned around and started talking to me.

" Hi" she said.

This was the third girl to talk to me. A blonde tried to flirt with me after math. I could tell she was the popular alpha female. I politely let her down with a " I'm not interested." The first girl was Gaby. Nobody could match up to her.

" Hello" I replied, looking up at her. She was a small, peppy Asian girl.

" You're the new kid Vincent right?" she asked. As if she didn't know.

" Yes."

" Cool, well I'm Sophie" she said, sticking her hand out.

I dreaded moments like this. Why did humans always need to touch people they just met. I had to put on the charade of a human so I tucked my hand into the sleeve. I shook her hand with my covered hand. She smiled and turned around.

I wasn't able to touch humans. At least not with my bare skin. Because my body was no longer working internally, I had no body heat. My skin was ice cold. It didn't bother me, but people usually suspected something was wrong if they touched me. I recall that's why we left a town in North Dakota 30 something years ago. Kara hugged a girl, causing us to leave.

History ended, sending me to English. The course for the rest of the year consisted of reading books. All of which I already read. Angelo had a large collection of books from all over the world. His library usually shared the biggest truck with Juliet's wardrobe. I walked into the class to be hit by something powerful. Her scent.

I eyed the girl called Gaby sitting in the middle of the classroom. She was talking and laughing with the Goth girl and another boy. I cringed as I searched for an open seat. I saw one in the back. I put the books I didn't use to my face as I walked the long way to the back. It didn't help.

I sat down as the teacher walked in. Mrs. Freeman was a middle aged woman who was slowly losing her mind. Many times she forget things or got off track. Old age does horrors to a mind. Eighty years and I still act like teenage boy pissed at the world.

I eyed Gaby most of the class. She slouched slightly in her chair. She hung her head down to write in her notebook in her lap. Her neck was perfectly bent, her hair was parted onto her shoulders.

Her neck was pale and appetizing. I could hear her heartbeat. I could make out the outline of the blue veins in her neck. The smell of her blood coursing through her body filled my nose. I needed her, but I couldn't.

I had desensitized myself to everyone else's blood. They were like saltine crackers to me. They could satisfy my hunger, but they weren't appetizing at all. Gaby was like…..a juicy piece of fruit. She was good to look at and so very tempting. But I knew if I snuck a snack at home, my parents would punish me. That's why Xavier would go away. Smart.

I pondered that idea. I could follow Gaby and kidnap her. With vampire strength and speed, it would be too easy. I could take her into the woods and have my feast, come back within an hour. I'm sure she'd be missed, but it could've look like an accident.

Her hand rubbed her neck in pain. Maybe I could massage it, then sink my teeth into it. In fact, I could probably break everyone's neck. I could easily kill the back row in three seconds. I could then snap everyone else's necks before anyone could get up. Sure a scream would get through, but I would risk that. If it meant her blood. I dug my finger into the desk, creating ten indents. I pulled away before I broke the desk. The bell rung and I swallow the venom in my mouth before leaving the classroom.

I made my way to the lunch room. I quickly scanned the room for my siblings. I found them in one of the corners. We always claimed a table in the corner, later which would be named the Drailen table, the Drailen property, or even the Drailen dungeon.

I sat down next to Kara, across from Xavier and Juliet. I kissed her on her head. As I told you, I had become to believe in the charade that she was my sister.

" Why are you eating" I asked Xavier. Three trays of food were on the table. All the food was untouched. To vampires, human food was completely tasteless. Our stomachs didn't work, so even if we did eat the food, we would have to vomit it back up later.

Xavier was eating a packet of Fruit Gushers while leaning back in his chair.

" These feel amazing" he replied. " One bite and they explode into some gooey stuff" he said, stuffing a handful into his mouth. " Even without taste buds, it tingles my tongue."

We all laughed. We soon recounted our day to each other. Xavier had the same story, sitting in the back of each class and eyeing every girl. He would eventually talk and flirt with them later in the year. He even told us about the hot teacher, Ms. Gram.

All Juliet talked about was how dirty all the kids were. In her defense, there was a large, grunge and skater population at Hawley High. There also was a group of girls who gave her 'dirty looks'. Juliet didn't take kind in girls who challenged her beauty. Luckily, she had self control, unlike myself.

Kara had normal news as well. She made new 'friends' in her classes. Friends she would keep her entire life a secret from. Friends she would eventually leave without reason. She mentioned a girl in her art class named Sophie. I stayed quiet most of the time.

Xavier and Juliet soon got in another fight. I looked around the cafeteria to avoid them. I heard a door open, and the smell hit me again. Gaby was in the room. Just my luck. I searched for her. I saw her walk through the room and to a table near the middle. The lunchroom had a large clearing in the middle. I saw her sit with her Goth friend. She had other friends at the table. There was the Asian girl Sophie. The boy who was with her in English. He was tall and awkward. There was a gloomy, long haired boy there too. A voluptuous blond soon joined them. An odd group.

I felt a nudge against my arm. Kara was drawing my attention. I turned around to see my siblings eyeing me warily.

" We were calling you for 5 minutes" Kara said.

" Something wrong?" Xavier asked.

" No" I replied.

I stayed silent until the bell rang.

I stayed gradually silent for the rest of the week. I would've done that with the humans anyway, but I was even quiet with my family. Kara tried to cheer me up with her own perkiness. She tried to talk to with me and even tried to make me sing with her. Now I knew that her perkiness could only be matched by the Sophie-girl's.

When the weekend came, Xavier took his turn to try and cheer me up. He suggested we go into the mountains to hunt. He tantalized me with stories of wolves, bears, deer, and even moose. I dismissed his idea.

Eventually, he went with Kara and Juliet. Juliet challenged him to a contest of 'who can kill the biggest animal'. I swear those two would be perfect for each other. They say opposites attract.

I stayed home with Angelo and Nella. Nella spent Saturday decorating the house. She was very interested in home design. Angelo spent Saturday organizing his precious study. I spent it driving though town, collecting my thoughts. Sunday was a new day.

" Take my Mercedes" Angelo said, tossing me his keys. " You won't be needing your Lamborghini to drive to the airport."

Angelo was a nice guy. He normally wouldn't let anyone drive his Mercedes, but today was a special day. A relative was coming to live with us. And by relative, I mean another vampire is going our secret clan.

" Drive fast, but careful okay" Nella told me in her 'worrying mother' tone. She kissed my forehead. " I want to see how much Gregory has grown."

" Nella, he's going to look exactly the same as we last saw him" I explained.

" I know, but 20 years does a lot to one's mind. Especially with who he was living with."

I smiled and kissed her back as I went out the door. I got into Angelo's car and drove to the airport. Hawley did have an airport, but it was small. I parked in the parking lot easily. Not many travelers in February.

I went inside and looked around. Not many people. I went to wait near the gate. I would see my little brother.

Gregory had lived with us during his first years. Angelo turned him in 1981. He was now the youngest of the Drailens, only 27. He was only 16 when he was turned, he died as an innocent bystander in a riot. He lived with us for five years. It was hard. Newborns are wild and unpredictable. We basically held him captive from the outside world until we failed. He killed two young boys. That's when he left.

We sent him to live with another coven. A coven led by someone who had the most self control of any vegetarian vampire. Gregory has been living with them, learning about self control.

The voice of a woman over the P.A. caught my attention.

" Attention, the 421 flight from Vancouver, Canada has been delayed half and hour due to weather" said the woman's robotic voice.

Everyone groaned around me. I myself simply sighed in disappointment. I hated being in this airport. It was filled too many noises for my ears to handle. I walked to a row of seats and sat down.

I studied the people curiously. I saw Asian businessmen. I saw European tourists. I also saw a specific brunette who smelled like heaven. Gaby was at the airport too.

I saw her with what I assumed was her family. A thin, pale woman was talking to her. I assume it was her mother. Age had obviously effected the woman.

Attached to the woman was a little girl. She was tugging on the woman's hand.

" I want candy mommy" she pleaded.

I saw the woman sigh. She transferred the little girl's hand to Gaby.

" Gaby, buy your sister a candy bar, but only one."

Gaby was wearing jeans, a yellow t-shirt, and a matching yellow beanie cap. She led her little sister, whom looked nothing like Gaby, toward a concession stand. Even through a crowd of people, I could still smell her blood.

They reached the candy aisle and she let go of the girl's hand. The girl carefully scanned the selves for the right candy. Gaby looked around. She put her hands in her pockets and started rolling back and forth on her heels. It wasn't long before she spotted me. Unfortunately, beauty isn't good for camouflage.

She looked from her sister, to me, and back again.

" Andre" she called out. A tall guy standing in a military pose, his hands behind his back and shoulders straight, turned to Gaby. " Watch Remi" she told him. The boy named Andre nodded and went to Remi. Gaby then started her journey to me.

I had two choices. I could be rude, run, and count it as a victory. Or be polite and suffer. There was always the middle ground of killing her now, but I dismissed that. I adjusted my position and gulped as she got closer. She had a cute walk, her hips naturally swaying side to side. Not intentional, but it still hurt me.

" Hey" she said, stopping mere feet from me.

" Hello" I muttered quietly.

She took the seat next to me. I clutched the armrests.

" Why don't you ever talk?" she asked after a pause. I assumed it was hard for her, coming over to talk to a gorgeous guy.

I shrugged. " I don't know. Do you want me to talk?"

I looked deep into her eyes. She blushed and bit back a smile. " Yes" she answered.

She turned her head to the concession stand. I glanced over to see Andre holding Remi in one muscular arm as he paid the cashier. We returned to our conversation.

" Why are you so interested in me?" I asked. Curiosity started to flood my mind, overcoming the hunger.

" What?"

" You come up to me in a crowded airport on the weekend to talk to me? Why?"

She swallowed hard. " I just thought I could get to know you better. Since you're new to the school I thought…."

" You should leave now" I said, cutting her off. She kept a straight face.

" I'm not scared of you" she stated.

" No?" I sarcastically teased.

" No. In fact, you should be scared of me?"

I smiled.

" I can't be afraid of a girl with a butterfly on her shirt." I pointed to the purple butterfly on her yellow shirt.

" Hey" she said. " No one insults the butterfly. Besides, what I meant was that I'm the only one at school not afraid of you. That's why you should fear me."

She was standing up to me.

" Everyone else fears me because I'm different. Completely gorgeous yet I'm a loner. People admire the outside, but fear the inside. Which side are you on?"

She took a deep breath, making her chest rise and fall.

" Looks aren't everything and I'm getting to know your insides."

" You don't want to know the real me" I said smiling.

" Why, are you some kind of crazy monster?"

" Something like that."

" Well don't worry" she adjusted her seat so that she was leaning towards me. " I think I can tame the monster."

I felt the warmness of her breath on my face. I shot out of the chair and put a couple yards distance in between us. A frenzy started brewing in my mind.

" Leave" I choked out through gritted teeth.

She was shocked. "Why?"

" I don't want to see you again?" I muttered. That was a middle ground between biting her and……kissing her.

" You're a jerk" she said sternly. My vision started to blur. My ears pounded. The muscles in my legs tensed, ready to pounce. I felt my toes rising, my knees bending….

" Leave!" I shouted.

I glimpsed her face. She was hurt for a second. She turned the hurt into anger.

" Fine, but I'm warning you. I'm one vicious butterfly."

She stormed off to the direction of the concession stand. I ran in the opposite direction. I planned to avoid her by walking around the whole terminal. I got to the gate within 2 seconds.

People started pouring out of the gate. I noticed a dark-skinned man in a business suit was out first. I traced him to his family. He hugged Gaby and Remi, nodded to Andre, and kissed his wife. That explained that.

I looked for Gregory. I sniffed heavily at his vampire scent, to hopefully block out Gaby's scent. I saw him walk out from the gate.

He looked the same as he did 20 years ago. He was shorter than me, about 5'7. He had medium length black hair. It hung around his eyes, giving him an 'emo' look. He had deep bags under his eyes, as if he was tired. He was paler then me, almost albino. He wore jeans and a zipped up black hoodie. He carried a black backpack.

I wrapped my arm around him and quickly led him away. To get away from my possible meal. My possible lover. Love at first fight.

" Nice to see you Gregory" I said.

" Hey Vincent" he said. His voice was gravely and depressed almost.

" You didn't bring any bags did you?"

" They said they shipped all my stuff" he replied. They being his former coven.

" Good" I said. We exited the building into the cool, gray air. " Ready to be a Drailen again."

" Yeah. Gregory Drailen. I like it a lot more than Gregory Cullen."