I feel like being nice today. I know I haven't updated in a long while. So sorry. But the readings have been fantastic! I have readers all over the world on this story! Thank you everyone, I love you all and Mina does as well. This is the first in a long line of updates for today. I will post up till their last day of school. A long way from where we are currently.

As for those who have skipped chapters. I find that very unwise. Every chapter has at least some important. My stats tell me that some have skipped over the second and fourth chapter. Unwise, readers, unwise. For moments in chapter four will be remembered again. So, yes I am scolding you, suck it up and take it like a vamp! But here you go. More.

Disclaimer: Do I have to mention that I only own Mina?

10 What?

Henry didn't ever tell me how everything went with Vlad and Mr. Otis. I was a worried wreck! Though, of course I wouldn't let them see that. So I went to school, trying to hide my fears. Even though Henry told me not to I was planning on asking Vlad how it all went down.

But I was to face disappointment when I entered my class. I saw Mr. Otis, sitting on his desk. He smiled at me, an all-knowing smile. I looked around and saw Vlad wasn't in the room. If he wasn't at his locker or in the room he couldn't be here. I tried to concentrate to think about where he could be, yet I felt no pull at my soul. Vlad wasn't even in the school.

"Mr. Otis?" I walked right up to the substitute.

"Yes Miss Lovett?"

"Uh well, how was your dinner last night?" He paused, his expression hard. "I, uh I mean… Well I need to talk to Vlad. And he isn't here today. So..."

"Well he could quite possibly be out of the room at the moment, Mina." He told me, his expression still hard. I felt a hard pounding at my head, a headache flooded over my mind.

"No, Mr. Otis, he isn't. I would know. Trust me. But I just wanted to know how dinner was… If that question bothers you…?" I muttered, looked down as I rumbled my temple. I saw him force down the hard façade and change it into a passive one.

"No, not at all. My dinner was just fine. Why exactly would you know where Vlad is or isn't?"

"Oh, well I…. I kinda just have a strong feeling."

"Explain." He pressed, crossing his ankles and arms. The bell rang after he spoke.

"I am going to sit down now." I told him and sat down. Well how was I supposed to explain how I know where Vlad is all the time? It didn't make sense to me. So it would sound crazy to a teacher. Especially, when the teacher was thought to have killed the parents of your friend, and wants to kill him too.

Soon enough the announcements went on and covered the school with sorrow. Mr. Craig was dead. My real teacher, the man who was supposed to welcome me every morning into my newest school is dead. I would never meet my meant-to-be teacher.

School was announced to be cut short in honor of the deceased teacher.

It ended sooner than I thought. I was sympathetic about everyone's lose. Yet I never met the man and could understand the pain. The awkwardness was unbearable. I was glad when the bell finally rang. Henry met me at the foot of the stairs leading out of the school.

He offered me a hug. I guess it was just a cover for him needing one. I didn't object as I held my cousin close to me.

"I can't believe he's dead." He muttered into my shoulder before he pulled away.

"I'm sorry Henry. He must have been a great man." We started to walk home before Henry took a different turn. "Where are you going?"

"I am going to Vlad's. You want to come?"

"Of course. I want to know how the dinner went."

"You are really freaked out huh?"

"Well unlike you!" I gave him a shove. "I trust my friends!" He laughed and he continued to walk toward Vlad and his house in silence. That was before I decided to ask him. "Henry?"

"Yeah, cuz?"

"I want to tell you something but I need you to promise me something." I let my shoe skim the ground as I walked slowly.

"Anything."

"Promise me you will not tell Vlad." I say him watching me and pause before answering.

"I promise."

"Are you seriously promising or do you just want to know what I will say?" I asked him.

"No Mina. I won't tell him. I promise, just tell me. I won't tell a soul." I looked deep into his eyes. He was honest, I sighed and nodded.

"Well it involves Vlad." He rolled his eyes playfully. "Well I have some weird… feelings for him. And it is not what you think. I know what you want to say, don't say it. It's not like that. I feel kinda…attracted to him. And not the romantic kind of attracted, only a little. I feel a kind of… predator-prey attraction to him."

"I'm not sure I'm following you."

"Like, well, it's hard to explain. Like you know how the prey kinda knows they shouldn't in their subconscious mind yet they do it anyway and it ends up destroying them? Well I feel like the more I am with Vlad the deeper I am getting to destroying my own life. But I can't stop being around him, and not just because we are friends or because he is your friend or even our classes. It is like I can't stop being around him because I couldn't even if I wanted to. Like I wouldn't have the will power to turn away."

"So you think that Vlad is like the predator and you are the prey?"

"Yes." I nodded. He went deep in thought.

"Well maybe that's just your reaction to something totally different. Maybe, and I'm not trying to piss you off, but maybe you are like meant to be."

"What do you mean 'meant to be'?"

"Meant to be together. Because I have seen many stories and stuff where two people feel that way and they are like soul mates. So maybe that's what it is."

"I highly dought that Vlad and I are soul mates. We are close friends." I laughed.

"I know, but you never know."

"It's just that I think of him as a friend but these emotions are too much. The emotions make me second guess myself, which just leaves me confused. So I don't know why I feel this attraction to him."

Vlad's house was already in sight and we were drawing near. Just before we reached the turn into the house I heard Henry mumble to himself. I'm not sure if I was meant to hear or not.

"You're more involved than I thought."

We walked onto the porch and I saw Mr. Otis attempting to shove his way inside Vlad's house. I was immediately appalled that my teacher was attempting to break into my friends house. I heard Mr. Otis speak threateningly through the door.

"Let me in, Vlad. Don't make this difficult."

"Make what difficult?" I heard Henry ask. Mr. Otis turned to us. He looked back and forth from us to Vlad. Then he nearly stomped off of the porch. Vlad let us in and he seemed worried. Henry asked me to get some sodas, I didn't mind. Henry wanted to talk to Vlad.

"Oh man. I'm screwed, Henry. I'm totally screwed." Vlad told my cousin with horror. I came around with the sodas and we started upstairs.

"Vlad, if Mr. Otis wants to hurt you why come to school?" I asked him. "Can't you get Nelly to allow you to stay home?"

"You told her?" Vlad went pale… paler. He went into hysterics and gripped Henry from the shoulders as he started to shack him. "I told you never to tell her!"

"Whoa Vlad it's not what you think! I didn't tell her what you think I told her!" Vlad was still in his hysterics, but stopped shacking Henry. "I told her I was worried that you were getting ideas from your dad's journal about Mr. Otis. I didn't tell her what you think Vlad. I swear!"

"Are you sure?" Vlad demanded.

"I swear!"

Vlad relaxed his whole body and fell onto his bed. By now I had leaned against the wall as far from them as possible.

"What is so horrible you don't want to tell me Vlad?" I asked him softly when he turned to me, now calm. "Is it really that bad? I can handle it. Just please tell me what it is. I thought we were friends."

"We are, Mina." He rubbed his face with his hands.

"Then why won't you tell me? If you really think of me as more than just a girl in your school then you'd think you would actually know me. At least know me enough to be certain that I will still care for you even if you were a psycho killer."

"Uh…" He seemed to be debating on it. Then he looked at me and he somehow didn't seem able to do it. "No, I'm sorry Mina."

"Vlad, if you don't trust me as a friend you might as well not trust me at all." I told him calmly and turned out the door. I heard footsteps following me and someone grip my arm and turn me to them. I looked up at Vlad's eyes as they stared at me seriously. He held me firmly but gently just above my elbows.

"Mina I want to tell you. I really want to. But I can't and this isn't the right time for me to explain anything. And I don't have that time. But you have to believe me when I say that I want to tell you and I will. I just will tell you on my own time, and until then I need you to just stay. Stay and trust me, Mina."

I pulled away, nodding as I did so. He was honest, I could feel it.

"I won't leave Vlad. And I do trust you. I just need to think a few things through." I went passed him and out his door. He didn't try to catch me again. I walked home and went deep into thought about Vlad.

I knew I liked him, a thought that I still don't have the courage to say aloud. I knew that he was keeping something from me, and intent on not letting me find out. I knew that I felt something stronger for him then a crush or friend. I knew he just had to feel something for me as well. Yet the main question in my mind was what? What do I feel for him and what does he feel for me? What is he hiding? What?

There you all go! Review.