A lot of the chapter will be about Krimson, about how everyone is handling it. But, a new character will be introduced. There's really not much else to say aside from that. Read On!

I cried. That's all I did for three days. I cried. I didn't eat, I barely slept. The only thing that finally made me do something was the thought of Allie. She'd need her mother when she got back. There were days I talked to no one. Not even Adrian. Vengeance was worse. She stayed in bed, never moving, never talking, never eating. Always crying. She slept worse than I did. Nikky stayed in Pierce's room and talked to no one but him. No one had seen Adrian since the day Krimson died.

I pulled out my cell and text Zoey.

How is Al?

Zoey texted me back almost immediately. Her reply broke my heart.

She misses you. I bit my lip and held back more tears.

I know… She text back a smile and a kind reminder that me and my friends were required to start school again tomorrow. I just dropped my phone then. I didn't really want to tell Ven that it was time to keep moving on. Not to mention Nikky. But it had to be done. I decided to start with Ven. I got out of bed an tried not to look at the empty bed across the room. I just walked into the room, knowing Vengeance wouldn't come if I knocked. I shook her shoulder.

"Go away," she sobbed. "I don't want to talk to you." I turned her over. Her hair was a mess and she still had mascara in trails down her face. Her eyes were red and wet. She was pale.

"Honey, you have to get out of bed," I told her. "We have school tomorrow."

"I don't want to." Her voice was stubborn. So I tugged her arm and made her sit up.

"Ven, come on. You need to get up. We all knew it could happen." Her eyes widen, shocked.

"Like that makes it any better! I've known her since the first day of preschool! She knows all my secrets, saw me go through all my weird fazes. She knew me when I cut my hair to my neck and dyed it purple! She was the one who said it still looked fine. And yet, just because we knew it might happen, I'm just not supposed to care that she's gone? That she's- she's…" All her anger had gone out of her and she slumped.

"No, Vengeance. That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying that's how it has to be. We need to get up because that's what she would want us to do. She'd want us to get up and smile and for you to go through more wacky fazes. She loved you Ven. She loved you when you're name was Violet, when your hair was purple and when you dressed like a kid from the seventies. And I love you and it's killing me to see you like this. Now get up sweetheart. Get up and get dressed. We have to get ready for school tomorrow." I tugged her again and she got up. Ven walked to the shower and I left to go see Nikky.

Pierce answered the door.

"How is he?" I asked. He sighed and held his head in his hands. He was wearing sweatpants. Looking now, I vaguely registered that he had some nice abs and muscles. For a second I almost wished he didn't play for the other team. I ignored the thought and went in. Nikky sat on the edge of the bed, staring into space. His eyes were dry but empty. There was no life in them. Pierce sat next to him.

"Nikky. Baby, look at me." Nikky continued to stare at the wall. Pierce kissed him. Nikky didn't even move.

"Nikolas Hart, look at me. Think of Krimson," I said. Her name got his attention.

"That's all I've been able to do." I sighed.

"We have school tomorrow." He looked up.

"I know. He got up himself, he kissed Pierce, and took a shower. But, his eyes stayed empty. His voice stayed hollow. I didn't know what else to do so I got up and walked away. It was only then that I noticed that Adrian wasn't in his and Pierce's room. I wondered briefly if he was in Nikky's room while Nikky stayed with Pierce but, no. Even if he was I had no desire to see anyone else. So I walked back to my room and fell asleep on my bed, somehow hoping that the past couple days were only a dream, a horrible nightmare, that I'd wake up from.

I had no such luck. I woke up to my alarm clock. School. I walked over to Krim's bed and reached to shake her shoulder. When my hand hit empty air, it flooded back to me. I saw Krimson spitting up blood and dying surrounded by us all. A strange, choked sound escaped my throat before I could force myself to take a shower, to blow dry my hair, to get dressed, to eat breakfast and to go to class. I saw Vengeance walking in between classed and winced. Her red and purple hair was thrown up into a bun and she was pale and she talked to no one.

I didn't see Nikolas until lunch. He looked almost fine… until you look at his eyes. The brown looked like dishwater instead of chocolate. They were empty, as though he was dead inside. He looked at his food but barely ate any. He talked to Pierce but no one else. Even Pierce sometimes had trouble coaxing words out of him. Adrian remained nowhere to be seen. The seat in front of me was empty. That was where Krimson always sat. Ven just ate her food, not tasting it at all. Her eyes were red but alert.

Pierce, who had been taking care of Nikky, I just now noticed the bags under his eyes. It looked like he hadn't slept in days. His amber eyes looked worn and his black with blonde-highlights hair was a mess. But, he kept the grief and the sadness and exhaustion away for Nikky's sake. Pierce was going to take care of him, just like he'd promised.

I was finally the one who tried to end the silence. I couldn't take it anymore.

"Nikky. Eat," I said. He looked at me like I'd spoken Greek. "Eat your food. You're skinny as a twig." He reluctantly picked up a fork and stabbed at the spaghetti on his plate. Pierce looked relieved. If Nikky was eating he'd be alright. So he picked up his own fork and ate his food. I looked at Ven. "How was class?"

She shrugged. "Tell me." She shrugged again.

"Everyone treated me like I was made of glass. I got a couple offers from girls in my Spells and Rituals to fix my hair. Everyone tried to talk to me but mostly I kept my head down and did my work. She was in four of my classes, you know, and she always sat right next to me."

"I know. What did the teachers say?"

"Not much. Most of them just left me alone. Zoey tried to call on me, maybe to take my mind off things but when I just looked at her she called on someone else. I almost walked to Krim's class before lunch to get her. I broke down when I remembered she wasn't there." There was no emotion in her voice. It was monotonous and she stated everything matter-of-factly. I remembered the incident this morning. I was reluctant to share it but I knew I had to. I grabbed Vengeance's hand.

"Ven. This morning when my alarm went off I went to go make sure Krimson was awake. When My hand just hit air I almost fell apart. But, instead I made myself get up." She looked at me, glad she wasn't the only one who forgot sometimes that Krimson was gone. She just nodded and continued to eat her food, but some of the light had come back into her eyes. Looking back at Pierce and Nikky, I saw them locked in a discussion. I heard the word "funeral" and felt the blood drain from my face.

"Her funeral is in Austin," Nikky said.

"You could get permission to go. Zoey would let you. Erin's going," Pierce told him. Nikky looked at him and I was almost glad to see his eyes were wet.

"Would you go with me?" Pierce looked at him, shocked. Then he kissed him hard on the mouth.

"You know I would. And so would Kales and Ven and Adrian. Don't you worry. We won't let you be alone." Nikky nodded and pressed himself into his chest, sobbing. Pierce held him, oblivious to the tables of people staring. There were mixed sounds and I felt the emotions. From most-

Pity.

Awe.

Glee.

Adoration.

Respect.

But, there were some darker emotions mixed in.

Disgust.

Hatred.

From some even

Jealousy.

I know I could dig deeper into that, but I figure I already knew. "In the closet" gays who were jealous of how comfortable they were. But I figured it best not to figure out who they were.

I touched Nikky on the back. "Nikky," I said. He looked at me, his eyes and nose red. "I overheard. I just wanted you to know, I'll go." He nodded and dug his head back into Pierce's chest. Pierce kissed the top of his head and whispered comforting words. The emotions had just died down when new ones rose up.

Shock.

Curiosity.

I looked to the doors of the dining hall and saw Zoey and Stark walk in with someone else. A new boy. I tuned into his emotions.

Curiosity.

Under that, though, was darker emotions.

Sorrow.

Anger.

Hatred.

To my disappointment, Zoey led him over here.

"Kalie, this is Gabriel. He's recently been Marked and I want you and your group to guide him through the school. He'll be rooming with Nikolas. Understand?" she said.

"Understand," I mumbled. He tried to slip into the seat across from me until I said, "No! Not there!" He quickly moved to sit instead where Adrian usually sits next to me.

"I'm sorry," he grumbled. He had blonde hair that he kept in a ponytail. He had long, if lightly colored, lashes and pale skin. He had a gash across his left cheek with stitches in it and another above his left eyebrow. His left wrist was in a cast. He had blue eyes that reminded me too much of Krim's. He had a slight build and was tall to the point of lankiness.

"It's alright. I'm sorry. It's just that a friend of mine usually sits there."

"Well, where is she?" The innocent question made my heart stop.

"She- she recently r-rejected the change," I stuttered. His blue eyes flew wide.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize…"

"It's fine." Just then the bell rang and I left him to be handled by Pierce and left to the only class I had with Krim. Zoey's.

Zoey was standing at the front of the class. We were learning about the Amazons today. They were an ancient Vampyre group of all women and a Vampyre Queen. She also talked about someone named Sgiach, who apparently she'd met. That's pretty much all I heard until I just zoned out. All I could notice was the empty seat in front of me where Krim used to sit.

"Kalie," Zoey called on me.

"I'm sorry Zoey. What was the question?"

"I asked why you'd want to be a Queen, away from Vampyre society?" I simply said the first reason that came to my mind.

"Because you disagree with their laws or rules or customs?"

"Yes, that is one reason." Her dark eyes flashed. "Nice cover-up. Now pay attention." Any other day that would've made me smile. In fact I almost did, until I remembered that I'm not supposed to do that. Then I simply listened to Zoey's lesson, trying to pay attention. When the bell rang I went to the front.

"How is Allie?" I asked. She was always the first thing on my mind.

"She's good. I'll bring her by your table during lunch tomorrow if you like." I saw all the sad faces and remembered how good Allie was at coaxing smiles out of people. I nodded and went to my next class without another word.

So that's that. This chapter depressed me so I'm going to keep reading Catching Fire now. I hope you enjoyed. Anyways, what're your theories and opinions on our newest character? I love to hear. I love you guys and have a great rest of your day. Peace out, StevieRae2011, signing off!