In the morning I wake up to the sun shining brightly through the window onto my face. I look over at the clock on the night stand.

"Ugh," I groan. It wasn't even ten yet. I lay there a minute, replaying what happened yesterday in my head. I couldn't believe that there was a possibility that I could be a vampire in a few days. Either that, or dead.

I decide to get up and go downstairs and get breakfast. It was Saturday and Aunt Samantha was making pancakes.

She looks up as I enter the kitchen. "Good morning, honey," she says. "Would you like some pancakes?"

"Yes, please," I reply. I walk over to the table and sit beside Jane. All the boys are looking at me warily, like I'm going to bust my cap any second. "What?"

They look down at their pancakes, all muttering, "Nothing."

I shake my head and start eating the pancakes that had just been set in front of me.

"Did you sleep well?" Jane asked.

I looked down at my little cousin. "I guess you could say that," I say, shooting a glance at the boys, who're still looking down at their pancakes. This time with guilty expressions .

"So, what're you guys doing today?" I ask the boys.

"Watching an all-day Galactica marathon," Ethan answers first. He knew I wouldn't go off on him, like I would Benny and Rory.

"Cool," I say, faking interest. " I think I'm going shopping at the mall today."

"Can I come?" Jane asks, excitedly.

I look over at Aunt Samantha. "Can she?" I ask. "I don't mind."

"How about all three of us go?" Aunt Samantha suggests. "School starts in a couple of weeks, and Jane needs new clothes."

"Sure," I say, glad that I didn't have to watch a nine-year-old all day. I get up from the table and put my plate in the sink. Then I go up the stairs towards my room to get ready. When I get to my room, there's a knock on my window that makes me jump. I look over at the window, and one of Jesse's flunkies is there, floating in front of my window. I walk over towards the window and open it up.

"What?" I ask.

"Jesse wants you to meet him in the food court at the mall in an hour," he says.

I sigh and nod. "Okay. Tell him I'll be there."

The vampire was gone as quickly as he appeared.

Great, I had to meet Jesse in the food court. I instantly dreaded and also anticipated it. Which was very stupid of me. There was something about Jesse that made me drawn to him. Was it that he was a vampire? Or sort of a bad boy?

"Kate!" Aunt Samantha yells up the stairs. "We're leaving in about 10 minutes!"

"Okay! Thank you!" I holler back down the stairs. "I'm almost ready!"

I rush over to the vanity mirror and apply a few coats of eyeliner and mascara, then spray a few spritzes of perfume on me, and rush out of the room, almost forgetting my purse. I dig out my phone from the bottom. Two new messages.

One from my mom: "Hey, sweetie. Just checking up on you. I haven't heard from you in a few days. Love you! XOXO"

The other was from a number I didn't recognize: "When you ditch your aunt and cousin, come see me in the food court. I'll be at one of the tables in the back. We need to talk. Tell no one."

The last one was no doubt from Jesse. I just shake my head and reply to my mom: "Hey, mom. Love you too. I'm fine. Having fun with Ethan and Jane. I'm going to the mall with Aunt Samantha and Jane later. I'll call you when we get back."

I pause for a moment. How did Jesse get my number?

I go into the kitchen and the boys are popping popcorn. No doubt getting ready for their Galactica marathon.

"Hey guys," I say. They all look up at me, expecting me to go off on them at any moment. Was I really that terrifying? This was getting old. "Look, I'm sorry that I went off on you guys last night. I was having a bad night, and I shouldn't have done that."

Benny was the first to speak. "In all fairness, we did deserve it. We all just busted into your room while you were sleeping. So, what do you say, wanna go canoodle?"

"Go Benny!" Rory blurts out.

"With you?" I ask.

Benny starts to smile and nod.

"No," I say shortly.

I walk out of the kitchen, but before I get out of earshot I hear Benny talking about me.

"Is it wrong that I still think she's hot?" he asks. It takes all I have not to bust out laughing.

"Dude, that's my cousin," says Ethan.

And with that, I walk out the front door and out to the car where Aunt Samantha and Jane are waiting for me.


The ride to the mall was short. Only about five minutes by car. I looked at the time on my phone. 10:45. Fifteen minutes until I had to meet Jesse. When we walk into the mall, we go straight to Justice. A store that Jane had fallen in love with that served the needs of preteen girls. I followed my aunt and cousin around the store while Jane picked out clothes she thought were cute, and gushed over them. I looked at my phone again. 10:56. Four minutes, better start heading to the food court.

"Aunt Samantha?" I said, trying to get her attention.

"Yes?" she asks, distracted by what Jane was picking out.

"I think I'm going to go get something to drink, I'm kind of parched," I lie.

"Okay, sweetie. We'll probably be here when you get back. Do you need any money?"

"No thank you. Mom made sure to load me up with money before I left."

Without another word, I leave the store, and start toward the food court.

When I get there, it takes a minute for me to spot Jesse. He's sitting at one of the tables in the corner. He waves me over when he sees me. I slowly walk over. Wondering why he wanted to talk to me.

"Jesse," I acknowledge him.

"Why don't you sit?" he asked, pointing to the chair across from him.

I do as he says, and pull out the chair, sitting down. I sit there looking over the table from him.

"How'd you get my number?" I ask, accusingly.

"Not important," he answers.

"Then why am I here?"

"I know that you're a Seer."

"I don't know what you're talking about…" I lie.

"Don't lie to me. I saw your eyes cloud over. You're just like your dorky cousin, aren't you?"

"Yes," I admit.

"Hmm…I could use that to my advantage…" he trails off. "Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about last night."

"What about it?"

"Acting dumb when Sarah asked if you'd seen me."

"Oh."

"That was very intelligent. I will admit, I got a crack out of the Dusk part."

"You were spying on me?" I accuse.

"I had to. To make sure that you would keep our deal." I nod, and he continues. "I didn't realize you knew so much about Whitechapel. Especially my personal history."

"I had to know what I was coming into when I was told that I was spending the summer here."

"Smart girl," Jesse says. "But you left out an important detail."

"What?" I ask, confused.

"You were born here."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"You said it yourself: 'who doesn't take an interest in their birthplace?'"

"So?"

"Barely anyone I know, myself included, takes an interest in their birthplace."

"Fine," I admit. "I just did that to get Ethan off my back."

"You're omniscient, too. Aren't you?"

"Yes," I admit looking down at the table. Only my grandmother knew this, and now a homicidal vampire did too.

"And it fuels the Seer in you. Explaining why you don't need to touch a supernatural being to get a read on them."

"How do you know all of this about me?"

"Listening to you and your dorky cousin talk last night, I pieced it together. I've been around for a long while, and I know an omniscient Seer when I see one." Jesse explains.

"What do you want with me, though?" I ask.

"Revenge."

"On Ethan and Benny?"

"Yes."

"And I play into your plan by..?"

"I want the satisfaction of seeing the dork's face when I turn one of his loved ones and disappear with them."

I'm still staring at the table. Listening to what he's saying.

"What would I get out of it?" I ask, curious.

"Living forever," Jesse smiles. "I've also been around long enough to notice when someone's falling for me."

"I am not…" I try to say, but I'm interrupted by Jesse placing finger on my lips.

"Shh…" Jesse says and leans across the table and kisses me lightly on the lips.

I was stunned. Since when did he think it was okay to kiss me? I barely even knew him. What a player.

I look over towards Justice, where Aunt Samantha and Jane were waving to me. I turn back to Jesse.

"I should probably go…" I trail off, indicating my aunt and cousin.

He nods his head, signaling me to go. "Just remember what I said. And don't tell anyone what we talked about. Especially that I'm in town."

I nod, and walk over towards Aunt Samantha and Jane. I look back over at Jesse, and he's gone.

"Who was that?" aunt Samantha asked.

"Uh…No one. Some guy who I just met," I lied.

We continued to shop for the next few hours. However, I never got the encounter with Jesse, or the kiss, out of my head.