ARGH!! I am so sorry for the long wait! My summer has been off the wall crazy! I cannot even explain how crazy everything has gotten! ARGH! I am so so so sorry!
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Chapter Nine
I woke up the next morning with the gray light from a cloud streaked sky streaming in. I got ready for school and a dream like wonder, the memories of the previous day running through my head.
So much had happened. I had finally found out Sophia's secret. She was finally mine.
I was in the bathroom when I realized this. I looked at the mirror. What did she see in me? I wasn't that good looking, sure average, but nothing more. I wasn't the smartest. I got good grades, but I never had the highest G. P. A. There wasn't anything extraordinary about me.
And yet she chose me. It didn't make any sense. Sophia was beyond perfection. She was the most beautiful person on the planet. And that went beyond physical attributes, although I couldn't over look those, she was smart and witty, and perfect. It sometimes hurt my head to think about her. I loved her with every part of my being.
I moved down the stairs, tripping down half, and went into the kitchen. My mom was sitting at the table in her pajamas. Her head was down and her hair was greasy and in a messy ponytail.
"Mom? Are you ok?"
She lifted her head and opened her eyes. "Uhhh" she moaned.
I walked over and put my hand on her forehead, it was warm. "Mom, what's the matter?"
She shrugged her shoulders, sneezed, and grabbed a box of Kleenex that were sitting on the table. "I woke up and felt like crap. I'm not going to work today." She started to hiccup and then grabbed a trashcan and puked into it. I shuddered. Bodily fluids and I did not mix well.
"Umm Mom, have you called a doctor?" She shook her head no. "Well then maybe you should." She nodded and dropped her head back on the table. "You should also go back to bed. You look exhausted." She nodded again and stood up. She wobbled around a bit, then made her way to the stairs. She turned back to look at me.
"You're going to be late, aren't you?" I looked at the clock and noticed just how late I was. Great. I nodded and started for the door.
"Call the doctor, then go to bed!" I shouted at her. I heard her mumble something like "I'm the parent I know what to do..." and I pretty sure I heard a "Stupid, overly caring, over responsible teenager." I laughed and went out the door.
I saw the black Mercedes waiting in the drive. I guess this was a regular thing now. I didn't even wait for an invitation, I just slid into the passenger seat. She was listening to music from an old radio station. She was humming along slightly. She nodded at me and smiled. I smiled back as she took off. We made it to school in record time. I didn't even count this time, I knew we were going to fast.
As we got out, Sophia handed me a jacket.
"What's this for?" I asked, holding it but not putting it on.
"Andrew still has yours." She answered simply.
I started to hand it back to her, knowing I would see Andrew in five minutes anyways. "I don't need it."
She shoved my hand back and said, "Don't be an idiot Will. It's practically freezing and you hardly have long sleeves on!" I looked at my cotton blend long sleeved t-shirt. It really wasn't that cold.
I looked her up and down and said, "You're one to talk! Tell me, is that a skirt or a scrap of material?" It was true though. Underneath her jacket and striped navy and white sweater, with those necklaces from the other night, she had on the shortest denim miniskirt I had ever seen. She had on dark navy tights and blue heels, so it wasn't tasteless, but it was still ridiculous for her to be saying anything about someone's clothes being to thin.
Her eyes narrowed and she all but snarled, "Will, put on the jacket." It wasn't a suggestion. I rolled my eyes and dropped my backpack. I slid the denim jacket on and picked up my bag. I shot her a look that obviously said, Happy now? She beamed at me and my heart all but stopped. She and I started walking towards the school grounds and as we made it past building one, we saw Andrew and Jonathan sitting on a bench, hastily scribbling notes down from their history books.
I looked down at her. "I missed seeing them yesterday. They're bound to have questions...?" She nodded. "Well what are they?" She laughed and shook her head.
"That wouldn't be fair."
"No, what's not fair is when you have valuable, crucial information and you don't share."
She giggled-it was a glorious sound- and said, "They want to know if we planned meeting in Port Angeles. They also want to know if we're secretly dating. Oh and Andrew forgot your jacket in his car. Told you that you would need a jacket." She was so smug, I just rolled my eyes. She started to stick her tongue out at me and stopped halfway, pulling it back in quickly. I laughed quietly and said, "How should I answer?"
She considered this and decided. "You should tell them that we didn't plan on meeting in Port Angeles. And that yes we are dating, it's better than the alternative."
"What? Me telling them that you could really kill them in about ten seconds- or less- and then you would drink their blood? Yeah, that's probably a good idea."
She and I laughed and the guys looked up at the noise. I watched as their eyes dropped as we walked to them.
"Hey guys. You know Sophia." They just nodded and Sophia looked at me.
"I'm gonna go. I've gotta be to building seven in two minutes. It's nice to see you guys." She said to the guys. She turned back to me and quietly said, "I'll see you later."
We all watched her as she walked away. Andrew turned to me and said, I'm sorry dude. I have your jacket in my car. I'll give it to you after school..." He trailed off when he saw the jacket I was wearing. "But I guess you don't need it after all."
I looked down and said, "Oh... well yea. Sophia thought I would get cold so-"
"Sophia did? Hmmm you seem to be around her a lot recently." Jonathan observed.
"Yeah. How do you explain yourself, William?" Andrew inquired.
I rolled my eyes, nervous how to answer. I stuck with naiveté. "What do you mean?"
They both scoffed and Andrew said, "Will, what. Is. Going. On. Between. You. And. Sophia?"
Jonathan nodded, "Yea, are you guys dating or what?"
Of course he would ask the most direct question, the hardest question to blow off. "I don't know guys. She'd hard to read. We really haven't hung out that much at all. There was the other night and yesterday and then this morning but that's about it." Knowing that she would be listening to the conversation, I threw in, "She's so cryptic. I never know what she's really thinking. She's so different, it's driving me crazy."
"So did you guys plan to meet in Port Angeles or what?"
I shook my head. "Nope she was just shopping and we ran into each other." We heard the warning bell ring and the guys threw their stuff into their bags. We all started walking to the English and Math building. The guys headed off to Trig and I walked into my English class.
When I was coming out of the computer lab, Sophia was leaning against the door frame. She smiled and we started walking to the lunch room. "So I'm cryptic, huh?" I laughed and responded with, "That was for your listening pleasure." She rolled her eyes.
"I have told you everything that you need to know. That's all you should need."
She was so dramatic. "That's not what I meant." She raised one perfect eyebrow. "What I meant was that you seem to be holding back. I don't know how to be around you when you do that."
"Will you are so dramatic." was all she said. We walked into the lunchroom. She started walking to the line and we went through. She grabbed things here and there and I looked at the tray full of food. I leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Is all that for me?" She smiled and said, "Of course not. Part is for me." I rolled my eyes as she paid.
She started walking to a table on the opposite side of the room from her family. They were already sitting down at their usual table. She sat with her back to them and didn't even spare them a glance. I, on the other hand, watched them as I sat across from Sophia. Eight pairs of eyes were trained, either on her back or me. I blushed as Bella's eyes found mine. She smiled a warm smile and I looked down. I snuck a glance at Sophia and then back at her family. She rolled her eyes. I saw Edward laugh from across the room and then whisper in Bella's ear. Bella started to laugh to and then the whole table was laughing. They looked like movie stars.
I looked at Sophia and raised one eyebrow. She shook her head and didn't say anything. I looked at the tray of food and then back at Sophia.
"I was wondering what you would do if you had to eat food?"
She shrugged her shoulders, and picked up an apple. She held it out to me for one second and then sunk her teeth into it in the next. My eyes widened as she chewed and swallowed. She laughed at my expression.
"Will, if someone dared you to eat dirt, you could do it right?" I nodded. "Well, it's kind of the same concept. It's just about as appealing to me as dirt is to you."
I nodded, not quite understanding. "So what is it that you like..." Her eyes narrowed. I wasn't sure if she was going to answer or not.
Reluctantly she said, "Gazelle, or deer since gazelle's live on a different continent." I nodded, seeing as how I was stunned that she actually told me.
"Were you hunting earlier this week?" She shook her head, the fluorescent light gleamed on her hair.
She stated simply, "No we just can't go out in the sunlight."
"And why is that?"
"Maybe I'll show you sometime."
I beamed. More time with her was all that I could hope for. "Will?"
"Yea?"
"I was wondering..."
"Yes?"
"Seeing as how the dance is this weekend, and knowing you had plans to go to Olympia-"
"I didn't really have plans. I think I was just gonna sulk in my room all weekend."
She smiled that half smile and continued. "I'm slightly worried about-"
I cut her off again. "You don't need to worry about me in Olympia. I can manage my way in a big city I promise."
Her tone became sharp but her eyes were dancing so I knew I was safe. "I was going to say that I was worried about your pathetic excuse for a car making it there."
I gaped at her. She didn't need to make fun of my car. It was a classic. "My car is just fine to make it to Olympia."
"Can it make it there in one piece? Or-" as I tried to cut her off- "on one tank of gas? Or going the actual speed limit?"
"Sure it can." "Will, I'm completely positive that I could drive to Olympia and back, driving the speed limit, on one tank of gas, and still have enough gas to go to Seattle. And that's in my Mustang."
Stupid sinkin' Mustang driver.
"Well your Mustang is pretty old too."
"Will, the Mercedes could do that."
"But-"
"No buts. Will can I please drive you to Olympia on Saturday?"
I had to weigh my options. On one hand I would be with Sophia for hours, on the other hand she would be driving me, and that was not cool.
"On one condition." She raised her eyebrow at me. "I get to drive." She rolled her eyes.
" What is my driving a little too intense for you?" Partly but I wouldn't tell her that.
"No, I just wanna drive the Mustang."
"Ahh so manly. Driving around in a purple Mustang." I scowled at her. She just laughed an exhilarating laugh and my anger faded away. I watched as her eyelids crinkled around her golden irises.
"Can I ask you another... personal question?" She nodded reluctantly. "Why do your eyes change color. It seems every week they're a different color."
She seemed to deliberate and then said, "When I'm hungry- or thirsty if you prefer- they get darker. When I've just hunted they get golden." She hesitated I stayed quiet, hoping that she would continue. "Our diets aren't the only thing different from the regular vampires. The animal blood creates some kind of weird reaction in our bodies and it makes our eyes turn gold."
I didn't want to ask, but curiosity always gets the better of me. "What color would your eyes be if..." I trailed off, knowing she would follow.
"Red, bright red. The color of fresh bloo-"
I held one hand up and said, "I get it. Thanks."
She raised one eyebrow. "Too gruesome for Will?" I shook my head but didn't answer. The bell rang for final warning and I jumped up. "We're going to be late for class." She just nodded and gracefully slid the uneaten tray of food into a trashcan and started to walk to the door. She turned and looked at me, "Coming?" I smiled at her and followed her out the door.
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I'm sorry it's so short. I wanted to post since I have taken an eternity and a half and it felt like a good place to stop. Review Please!! O and I couldn't think of a good name for this chapter. I'd like to have one for each. Does anyone have an idea? I'd like to try and stick with one to three words if at all possible BUT I will take more than 3 if it is totally amazing!
