Satomi's POV

Today has been decently quiet. The last class of the day is a study hall and with the great weather out, suggested by a female classmate, we were moved outside. A few groups had broken off to actually study while the rest of our class decided to chit-chat with one another. Akahina and I sit underneath the shade of a tall maple tree. Mostly, it was to keep the sunlight out of my eyes. Akahina and I are looking over my Chemistry notes from earlier today so that we would be prepared for any unannounced quiz or test we could get handed. Our teacher liked to do that a lot much to our dismay.

I sigh, closing my notebook, finally understanding what I had written down. "That should do it for today," I yawn and stretch my arms over my head.

"M'kay!" Akahina chirps eagerly. She obviously couldn't wait until I said we were done. If I didn't understand it, I doubt she did. I love her when I say this, but she doesn't seem to try to understand things until I explain them.

I lay back in the soft grass. The auroma of freshly cut grass mixed with the smell of the maple tree relaxes my stiff nerves. I close my eyes and fiddle with a few blades of grass. I almost feel like taking a nap. Being a vampire and living as a human is not easy, let me tell you. I'm always a bit sleepy in class because I don't usually sleep at night. I listen to the rustling of the leaves in the breeze paired with the giggles coming from my fellow peers. It is so peaceful. Yawning again, I sit back up. I strech just as a calm breeze cools my face.

"Mmmm. The breeze feels so nice..." A peculiar scent wafts up my nose and I cock my head to the side, "Why do I smell popcorn?" I bet someone is making popcorn in their room at the Moon Dorm.

"Oh my God, you're so random!" My best friend laughs.

"Oh, and you're not?"

"I know I am!"

We both burst out laughing. Ah, it feels so good to laugh with her, like nothing could ever go wrong. I want it to stay this way. Just me and her, always laughing together.

I smile brightly and give her a small hug. I grin, "So... How are things going?"

"Going? With what?"

"Not with a what, a who."

"Who're you talking about?" She asks, completely confused.

"Hanabuuuuusa," I joke, nudging her ribcage with my elbow a few times.

She bristles in embarrassment. "I thought I told you to never mention him again!" Akahina punches me gently on the shoulder.

"Ok! Ok!" I laughed, "I won't mention him again. Forget I asked."

Akahina stands up, brushing the grass off of her black uniform skirt and jacket. She extends a hand to me to help me up.

"Thanks!" I smile and grasp her hand. That's when I notice she isn't facing me anymore. She is staring in the direction in front of us. The look on her face does not make feel better. 'W-what's up?"

"Uhh, do you see what I'm seeing?" She points to two figures not too far from us.

I look over to see Shindo, another Day Class girl with Zero. She's the girl that Zero had to rescue the day of St. Xocolatl's for climbing the Moon Dorm's walls and nearly fell to her death and or severe maiming. From what I could see it looks like she is flirting with him. Or at least attempting to since Zero doesn't seem to be reacting.

"Isn't that Shindo... With Zero?!" I growl, becoming a little jealous as she draws closer to Zero. AND HE WAS LETTING HER!

Akahina whistles, not taking the situation too seriously, "Damn. That girl has some serious guts."

"But no brains!" I hiss, baring my fangs. My eyes turn blood-red as emotions of rage and jealousy flood my mind. I take a slight step forward, feeling the need to beat something to a pulp. Sure, I know Shindo likes Zero and that no one knows of my own crush on him. And it isn't like Zero's my property just because I like him... But UUUURGH! This just made me so agitated. Shindo had nothing to hide from Zero, so she could bear her heart to him without fear while I could never speak my words to him. He would never accept someone like me.

I take another menacing step, not afraid of being expelled from Cross Academy for blowing, not only my secret, but the Night Class' secret as well. Envy fills me and I need an outlet fast.

"SATOMI, NO!" Akahina yells quickly, snatching my arm. She wips me around to try and deter me from doing something I shouldn't. She doesn't think that my anger would make me turn on her, her best friend. But she is wrong.

My temper always blinds my actions, as she quickly found out. I grab her wrist and have a sound grasp on it. "Akahina!" I snarl before angrily sinking my fangs deep into her skin, ignoring her yelp of surprise and pain. The sweet taste of iron fills my mouth as I drink. The scent of her blood coaxes me into continuing, I hunger for more. I keep drinking and my friend who at the start had been struggling falls silent. I am practically unaware of what I was really doing in my mind though I saw my teeth in her flesh and was tasting the blood in her veins.

Finally, she speaks out, "S-Satomi! S-stop! Stop it! Stop!" I hear her begin to panic as her breathing becomes sharp and uneven, she's hyperventilating. She desperately tries to pull away from me. It only succeeds in making me more agitated. I bite down sharply to make her flinch and stop resisting. The blood seeping out is soaking her jacket sleeve.

I've become a savage beast, draining the life out of the girl I called my best friend. I'd finally let out what I really am, a pureblood vampire. I'd become the exact thing I hated most, a vampire that attacks humans.

Akahina tries one last time at escape, "Satomi, stop! Zero's coming!" She whacks the side of my head with the bottom of her palm, causing me to startle and rip my fangs painfully out of her wrist. I hiss at her when she strikes me. My roommate lets out a small yelp and shoves me away.

I come to my senses as she yelps. My eyes return to a normal shade as my rage dissapates. I wipe my bloody mouth on my jacket sleeve, erasing the evidence of my attack from my lips. I hear Zero making his way up the hill and whirl around. He stops as his eyes meet mine.

"Kaneshiro, what's going on?! I heard Ryo yelling," he shouts.

Shit! I froze. Does he know?! I see that he has not drawn out Bloody Rose yet so I believe I am safe for the time being. "Sorry, Zero! Akahina just tripped and fell. She scratched up her arm pretty badly! I'll run her to the infirmary right now!" I take Akahina by the arm not soaked in blood and scurry not to the infirmary, but the safety of our dorm.

I lock the door behind me as Akahina stood in the middle of the floor.

"Oh, God! Oh, God! Oh, God!" I panic, "I am soooo freaking sorry! I don't know what came over me! Are you alright?!" Inside, I pray that no one from the Night Class smelled her blood. I'm especially freaking about the idea that Kaname would figure this out.

Akahina wavers, her dark brown eyes are dull and lifeless. She looks deathly pale. "I..." she mumbles, "... feel dizzy..."

I lurch to her side before she collapses. I practically carry her weight on my shoulder, leading her to bed to lie down. Leaving her side only to grab a bandage from the bathroom, I began tending to the mess I caused. Assessing her skin, I see my fang marks still visible on her wrist.

"Oh my... God, I pierced your skin really deep..." I softly gasped, my voice cracking. Without a word, I went through my satchel and found 2 wrapped cookies I had packed for a snack in case I got hungry during class. I handed them to my sickly friend, "Eat these while I go to the vending machine and get you juice." I leave, once again locking our dorm room before skidding down the hall to buy apple juice.

"Come on! Come on, come on, come on! Come ooooooon!" I argue with the machine as it steadily keeps its on pace and me waiting. I do not need anyone to see me panicking right now. They'd find it fishy to be freaking over a slow contraption. When the drink finally drops down, I snatch it and make a mad dash for home.

Zero's POV

I still ponder about Ryo's accident. According to Kaneshiro... she fell and tore up her arm. I didn't see anything so I can't say otherwise. But I stil feel like I'm not seeing the whole picture. "Maybe Kaneshiro's a vampire... Ha. Don't be stupid," I muse to myself, "I'm just thinking too hard."

Satomi's POV

As I return with the juice bottle, Akahina still seems to be listless. She ate the cookies, but the sugar won't take effect for a while.

I go to her and put the bottle on her nightstand. "The juice is here when you want it. You need to drink it all. Try and get some rest if you don't feel like having juice yet." I pet her head, "You're gonna be okay..."

"Mmmm..." she weakly moans, closing her eyes. It doesn't take long for her to drift to sleep.

What I told her wasn't true at all. She'd be ok in the sense that she'd feel better... But she is going to turn into a level E. This spells out danger for her.

"Shit!" I exclaimed quietly, pacing around the room, "What am I going to do?! I can't tell Kaname about this!" That's the least of my problems. I glance back at Akahina. At least the bleeding stopped... Oh! What am I saying?! You bit her, you idiot! A pureblood vampire, let alone her best friend! I just turned my best friend into a level E. Oh man! The Association will be after me for sure!

The Vampire Hunter Association is a great threat to us vampires. Any vampire whose name ends up written on their list... will be persued until they no longer exist. Level E's are the usual targets of these guys. As a pureblood, I'd usually be off the hook from them. Killing a pureblood, because we are so rare nowadays, is strictly forbidden not only in my world, but the hunters' world as well. If they catch wind of my attack on a defenseless human, I can kiss my get-out-of-jail-free card goodbye. My high rank won't matter anymore. That's not the worst. The worst is that they'll kill Akahina too.

Even more, Akahina would also most likely face many vampires sent by the Senate along with the aristocrats here at Cross Academy. The Senate often send vampires out to erase level Es that go bonkers, which most if not all do. Akahina would only be safe until she starts to show signs of losing her mind and changing. Then, she'd have nowhere to run...

I flop down on my bed in agony. How could I have done such a thing?! I just begin to cry and cry and cry and cry. My guilt is starting to seep into my mind, breaking me from within. Akahina will, there is no doubt, become a crazed, bloodthirsty level E. And it is all my fault. I thought about what the Senate would do if they found out about this. I actually don't mind the thought of the Senate taking my life. It would be a fitting punishment for my sin, for what I've condemned Akahina's life to be. Mother and Father warned me to watch my temper when I was around humans. I broke my oath to never ever bring harm to her. I knew it was a big risk, living all these years beside her. But I never thought that I would be the one to have hurt her. I didn't believe that I was capable of hurting her. And if she was going to be taken from me, then I have no desire to live. All I can do now is to continue to protect her.

I must have dozed off during my breakdown because I am awoken in the middle of the night by a familiar scent of blood. I rocket it up in a panic only to realize the scent is not from Akahina. My eyes glow red through the darkness of our room. I sniff the air again cautiously. This smell is... Yuuki! That's why I know it.

I sneak out of my dorm, following the scent down the halls and to the staircase. Drifting closer, I catch wind of two other scents belonging to two people that I do not want to see me out of bed. K-Kaname! And Zero! What are they doing in the Girls' Dorm?! I dart behind the corner created by the adjoining stairs, eavesdropping. I peek my head out just enough to see but not be seen.

Kaname looks absolutely pissed. This boy rarely shows any emotion, so it must be bad. He's glaring at Zero, while little Yuuki stands between the two. Kaname bares his fangs threateningly at the other boy. "You've been reduced to a bloodthirsty beast... Zero Kiriyu!" Kaname hisses, stepping towards Zero. Oh no! He's going to kill him!

That's when I got a real good look at Zero. I silently sucked in my breath. His clothes were spattered with blood. I knew that he'd bitten Yuuki. Zero's finally turning. He's going to become a level E. He must have given into his urges and snacked on Yuuki. His mistake is going to cost him his life.

"NO! KANAME!" Yuuki squeals, abruptly blocking his way to Zero. Mid-step, she wavers and faints. Kaname catches her limp body with ease and lifts her up into his arms.

Zero looks nervous. "Y-Yuuki?!" he asks, trying to get a response from her. The scent of Yuuki and her blood is on every inch of Zero.

Kaname then snarls, "You devoured her. She can't even stand." He glares at the girl's attacker. Kaname adds, kicking Zero while he was down and out, "Was she delicious?"

His comments cause me to being recalling the exact events between Akahina and me today, makes my stomach sick. It feels hard to breathe, like a heavy weight is pushing down on my lungs. Fearing of being caught, I flee from my hiding spot and crash into the nearest door I could find. To my luck, it's a supply closet. I wait there until I hear Kaname pass by before opening the door. I slowly cracked it open and stay that way until the two disappear out of sight.

"Whew... that was too close. I should get back before I get caught..." I sigh and head back to the safety of my dorm. I lean against the wood and think about what I just saw. So, Zero's changing. That vampire who killed the Kiriyus is a pureblood. There's no doubt. They are just like me... Just like Kaname...

I couldn't stop thinking about it. Even seeing that Akahina is feeling much better the next morning could not deter my thoughts. But then again, I have to focus on her well-being so my thoughts are pushed aside. I just hope she's not too angry with me. I can't blame her if she is though.

Through the halls, Akahina remains quiet. I don't push her for conversation. She'll talk to me when she's ready.

Entering the classroom, I notice Zero is immediately missing. I remember last night as well as my own attack and suddenly feel exhausted. I drag my feet to my desk. I take my seat and lay my head down. I close my eyes, uncaring if I'm going to get into trouble for sleeping.

"Satomi? You okay?" Akahina shakes my shoulders gently.

I raise my head, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired as normal." I yawn, covering my mouth.

"You disappeared last night." So she woke up during the night. She must have stirred when I'd left. I am at least happy that she is speaking to me.

"It's a long story. I'll tell you later."

"Whatever."

I pause, hearing it in her voice. She is upset with me. She's just not telling me. I wonder if she'll say something to Kaname. All I can do is put on a fake smile, though on the inside I am begging for forgiveness. Yet, I know I deserve none. I twirl my fingers through one of my low ponytails. I half-listen to my lesson while deep in my thoughts. I decide that I need to talk to someone about all this, and I know exactly who to go to.

So after class, I got up and follow everyone out, except I leave in the opposite direction. I feel someone tug on my jacket sleeve. I turn to see an angered Akahina.

"Where are you going?!" she demands, glaring.

I reply curtly, "Nowhere that you need to worry about."

"Seeing the shit, I mean... no I mean shit you pulled yesterday, I think I have the right to know, Satomi!" Akahina hisses back.

My temper flares for a moment, "YOU DON'T THINK I'M SORRY?!" I lower my voice, but the words are still just as hateful, "The Vampire Hunter Association plus the Vampire Senate will be after me. I'll be executed as soon as they find out about what I did. So, go! Go tell Kaname and Takuma! Will that please you? Does knowing I'm going to die make you happy?!"

I take Akahina's sudden silence as my chance to get away. She looks completely and utterly shocked. I forcefully yank my sleeve out of her now loosened grip and briskly walk away.

Akahina's POV

I only watch on as my best friend in the whole world strides away from me. Even though I am upset with her, I would never in a million years tell Satomi's secret. I'd never tell Kaname what happened yesterday.

"I'd never wish for you to die. How can you possibly think that... how can you say that?" I ask her back, knowing that she can't hear me. She's been acting weirdly since yesterday. She seems tense and confused. But why is she keeping secrets from me? Isn't a best friend supposed to be someone that you can say anything to without fear of rejection? We never hidden things from each other. I sigh and reluctantly follow my girly classmates to see Kaname. Forget Hanabusa for now, Kaname might have an idea as to why Satomi's acting strange.

Standing alone feels so wrong. I realize then that my life would be so different without Satomi by my side. If only she would realize that... She's more important to me than she believes. She's so hard on herself...

Kaname's POV

It doesn't take me too long to notice the lack of Satomi. The uneasy look on Akahina's face paired with her nervous aura makes her stick out of the crowd. I exhale, scanning for my childhood friend. When I don't see her, I shake my head, "That girl has gotten herself into trouble again, I bet."

"Dorm President? Who're you talking about?" Ichijo asks of me.

"You don't happen to see 1st year, Satomi Kaneshiro anywhere, do you?"

Takuma's POV

Ah, this one again. I am very familiar with Kaneshiro. Kaname and I would often visit her home when we were a bit younger. I believe it was a bit after his parents died. There was also that Akahina Ryo girl living with Satomi as well. She was orphaned as well. Apparently the girl had been living with Kaneshiro and her family before her parents passed away. I am a little confused on his interest in these two humans. Though, I recall Satomi saying on multiple occasions that they were childhood friends, which made no sense.

"Well, do you, Ichijo?" Lord Kaname asks again. Whoops, guess I forgot to answer him.

I glance around quickly, but I don't find the girl in question. "Uhhh... no. Perhaps she went back to her dorm. She seems very dedicated to her studies," I surmise.

Ruka jealously cuts in, "You seem awfully interested in some of these Day Class girls..." She's referring to Yuuki as well.

K-KANAME!" Akahina's voice calls out. We watch as she squeezes and shoves past the waves of her classmates.

Akahina's POV

I try to weave my way through the madness but only succeed in being jostled around like a rag doll, much to my unamusement. "K-KANAME!" I cry out, hoping he'll rescue me. Instead, my rescue is a tackle that sent me stumbling out of the crowd. Panting, I refrain from kicking a few asses and approach Kaname, surrounded by Ichijo and Ruka.

"Akahina, where is Satomi?" Kaname frowns. Uh oh... what do I do now?!

I paused. No matter how angry I am at Satomi, I wasn't going to speak a word about what happened yesterday afternoon. Coming up with an excuse on the fly, I tell him, "She felt ill during class, so she went back to the dorms to rest. She apologizes for not being able to make it to see you today." It's a good thing I'm good at lying... Satomi... Giiiirl you owe me big time.

"Well, I hope she feels alright... and stays out of trouble," he answers me, brushing past. His tone said it all. He doesn't believe me.

I look back and blink in shock. D-does he already know?!

Satomi's POV

It wasn't the smartest decision to sneak into the Boys Dorm. But here I was, standing outside Zero's door. The knuckles of my right hand are literally centimeters away from his door. Taking a deep breath for courage, I knock 3 times.

"Zero..." I cough, clearing my throat, "Zero, it's Satomi. I know I shouldn't be here, but may I come in? I have to talk to you." There's no answer, just like when he was in the bathroom. He's there, he's just ignoring me.

I reach for the knob. The door is unlocked. I quickly warn, "Zero, I'm coming in." I open the door to darkness. The light from the hallway illuminates his room, giving me a clear picture.

He's sitting on the edge of his bed, the barrel of the Bloody Rose gun to his temple. Zero's eyes are closed. That's when I notice the safety is unlocked. The idiot's gonna kill himself!

"ZERO, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" I scream shrilly as I sprint to his bedside. I slam, full force into him, grabbing for the anti-vampire weapon. Luckily, this one doesn't react with my touch. I sit with my knees on his chest and pin his arms down. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Nothing..." he mutters, his lavender eyes cold as usual.

Angry mixed with scared tears well in my own, my throat burns as it tightens up. "BULLSHIT!" I argue, "You were trying to shoot yourself! Why, Zero?!"

Zero just stares at me, unmoving.

"ANSWER ME!" I yell.

"Why did you even come here? You know girls aren't allowed in the Boys Dorm," he changes the subject, which pisses me off even more.

"I needed to talk to you. You weren't in class."

All of a sudden, my weight is thrown off as Zero takes me by the wrists, sits up, and flips me onto my back. He towers over my small frame.

"Try anything and I swear, I will scream!" I threaten.

"Go ahead, you'll get in trouble for trespassing," he answers. Urrgh, I hate it when he's right. Zero positions the gun in my hand to his throat. He holds my arm arm. My finger trembles against the trigger, but I will not pull it.

My whole face feels like it is burning. Here is my crush, almost laying on top of me. My heart pounds into my ribcage. I can hardly breathe. I am holding back from panicking at the thought of the gun going off by accident. I don't want to hurt him. "Z-Zero, stop..." I sniffle.

His eyes burn into mine. Zero questions, "Why? Why do you care, Satomi? Why do you care if I shoot myself?"

I try to find the right words to tell him. Ones that would not blow my cover or my secret crush on him. "Because... I know more than you think..."

"Oh yeah, like what?"

"Like... I know you're a level E."

"What?! Did your "good friend" Kaname Kuran tell you that? How do you know?! Tell me!" he commands.

I flinch at his outburst, the tears finally flowing down my cheeks. "He didn't! I swear!" I sob, "Let me gooo,"

His grip on my wrists tighten uncomfortably. "Tell me! Now!"

"I was there last night!" I cry out. I kick myself on the inside for cracking so easy, but the Bloody Rose gun just made me want to leave the room. I feel like I'm going to be sick. "I heard noises outside my dorm, so I went to investigate. I didn't mean to se-"

Zero's blood red eyes stop me in mid-sentence. They return to normal as he draws close to my face. His mouth leans towards my neck. I can feel his breath. My instincts are telling me to escape. He can't drink my blood.

"I could kill you in this instant... if I just devoured you mercilessly!" he whispers in my ear, "I may kill anyone that I target... as my prey." Zero straightens back over me.

My heart is still racing, "Z-Zero... don't say that."

"Satomi, shoot me. Pull the trigger," he tells me.

I shake my head furiously, "No!" I argue, "I won't do it!" My tears pour down my cheeks. I am so scared. I just want to go back to my dorm.

"It's not a sin to kill a vampire, Satomi," Zero replies.

I can't do it. I cannot bear the idea of taking his life. "I WON'T DO IT!" I yell at him. I glare in annoyance.

He returns the glare. "Satomi! Pull. The. Trigger!" Zero orders with more force. He really wants me to take his life.

I close my eyes, unable to look at him anymore. I feel so dizzy. I remain silent, but shake my head. I can't do it. I can't bring myself to shoot the boy I love. I can't bring myself to shoot him for what he is because he is the same as Akahina. I could never harm these two.

Zero sighs and releases his grip on my wrists. My arm with the gun flops down, the gun still in my grasp. "Fine, then. Go back to your dorm and forget about me." He takes a bag from the floor. Zero walks out of his room without any regrets.

I lay there, my thoughts all jumbled. I know he's upset about biting Yuuki. It reminds me of Akahina. Zero doesn't understand, doesn't realize that I know just how he feels. To sink your teeth into someone you care about. I sit up abruptly and chase after him, leaving that accursed weapon behind. I run as fast as I can, heading for the entrance of the academy. I see Zero clearly in front of me.

"STOOOP!" I scream, "DON'T LEAVE!"

He ignores me, like I'm not even there. He continues on without a single word. Where would he go? What would he do once he was gone? He's safe here. No one can harm him here. Out there, the other hunters, his so-called "allies," they could easily kill him if they wanted to. Once he loses total control, they'll get rid of him. Then act as if he never existed. Just as they have with all their targets...

"IF YOU DON'T, I SWEAR I WILL... I WILL SHOOT YOU!" I emptily threaten.

Zero pauses his steps. He doesn't turn to look at me. "That would only be effective if you had Bloody Rose with you, Satomi," Zero sighs, "Why do you insist on following me? I told you, I'm dangerous. Go back to your dorm. This has nothing to do with you."

Blinded by my tears, I crash into his back. Zero lets out a small gasp in surprise. I wrap my arms around his chest, refusing to let go. I want him to know that he's not alone. "Please... don't go. I know what it feels like... to hurt someone that's precious in your heart. I've felt this pain before. I'm begging you... don't turn away. Don't run away from your mistakes. Please! Don't leave Cross Academy!" I plead endlessly into his back.

"Sa-Satomi... s-stop..." Zero stammers. Could I be getting to him after all? His body relaxes under my grip.

I yell, with so much conviction I even startle myself, "I won't abandon you! I will be your ally. I can help you, just ask me! Whatever it takes! I will not regret my decision!"

I will not. I will stay by his side. I will come to his side when he needs me. I intend to be his support, no matter what happens. I will not back away!