23. Mask

Amber walked with me to class, until we split up. I watched her go down the hallway and turn left with a pang of unease. There was something wrong about the way she walked. She always walked with confidence, and easy stride that made you feel welcome. This time it was strained, like it took so much effort just to take that single step. Amber clutched her side as she walked, almost like she was holding herself up. I wanted to follow her, but the bell rang and I entered the room.

Once I saw Brooke staring at me with a coy smile, I thought my head was about to explode. Everything from that night was shoved into my mind. Her breath, her touch, the feel of her on my skin. And it wasn't just the guilt of cheating on Amber that made me feel…dirty. It was the fact that when I thought about the cheating, a picture of Cody Evans was in my mind. His smile, his attitude, the way he treated others, especially girls. He used them and threw them away. It made me sick the way he did that.

I sighed, taking my seat, the farthest one from Brooke. I was the same as him. It was more like he was my father than Jason was. I was more in tuned to him than anyone I had ever met. Great. Just what I needed. Another reason to hate myself. Was I going to start raping women? Would I be just like him. The answer hit me like a battering ram. I already was exactly like him, using people for myself and not caring what they think or how much they hurt. Of all the people I could have been like, why him? Was I going to find someone to harass like he did to Jason and Claire? Was I going to end up killing the girl? Was Amber my Claire, the one I was going to end up stalking?

No, of course no. Cody took that role. It was just like Jason said. Since there was no more Claire to annoy, her was going to settle for the more fragile human and the ill experienced hybrid. I was sure I could learn to kill him, but the only person who had a prayer of doing so, who had any chance of killing him, who was able to stand her ground and fight like hell, was dead.

I had killed this worlds only chance of ridding itself of Cody Evans. Like I didn't have enough guilt on my shoulders.

I slid my text book and binder over to the side, looking at the empty seat. Who sat here? Or had this desk always been empty? No, that couldn't be right because there were two empty desks where Christopher and I had sat. where was Christopher anyway? I shook my head, feeling swamped. It had only been two days since I had seen him, but it felt like an eternity. Just one weekend had changed my life, and then ruined it in the same day. Jason said it was like that for him too. How he was forced into Claire's life by Sam, when she phased right in front of him. Of course there was something bigger going on at that point, but it was their first date. Sort of.

First date? I thought back to Friday, how she told me to stop by the next day. It wasn't really a date, she didn't even like me then, much less ask me out on a date. But in my mind I construed into one, because I was a lot more selfish then. Its astounding and mind boggling how much your life can change in one short day.

Right on cue, Christopher the vampire slayer, walked in, eyeing me as he sat down in his normal seat. If this was a normal day, I wouldn't really have noticed him walk in, much less notice him when my mind was pounding like a drum. But it was only when another boy walked in, that I took notice. He was tall, almost as tall as me, with shaggy red hair flipped in such a way it reminded me of Justin Bieber before he was killed when his tour bus crashed. Good riddance I thought. His face was covered in freckles around his nose, cheeks and down his arms. His eyes were a brilliant green, like some light was on them all the time, making them glow. He was skinny, but yet built in a way that told me he was a runner, and a good one at that. His legs were well toned, but his arms were a little lanky looking. He was wearing a dark green shirt, and tan cargo pants. In his hands were books for this class and the next, which told me he was now a student.

This was Aaron, Christopher's brother. I could see the same features and round face that Chris had. He didn't talk about his family much, other than they weren't as welcoming as him, or as skilled. But from Aaron's cold eyes, and dark look, I could tell he was a ruthless hunter. Someone who had a calculating mind, but reacted first and asked questions later. I was assuming that was his one flaw, but if he was still alive and hunting vampires, he was still able to defeat them either way. Whatever his method, it worked.

He didn't mind me. Or even acknowledge I was here. He just sat down next to his brother. But that didn't mean he didn't know I was here. He had to, or else his senses weren't good enough to keep him alive. I had to stay alert with this guy around, either that it would cost me my life.

I wondered why his brother was here. What purpose would him being with his brother serve? Then I got it. When I dropped Christopher off at his house, his brother had seen him. He must have told him that he's going to school here. Then Aaron must have seen this big coven of vampires here, and two werewolves. Christopher may be a good hunter, but to be able to defeat two covens? That would take a miracle. And Aaron must know about the Emerson's and our gifts. Chris hunted Claire after all. He must know their story. And the Cullens are just as famous for their stand against the Volturi. But still, why come? He couldn't protect him. Something else had to be going on, but what?

The bell rang and I glanced wildly at the clock. There was no way class could be over, we had only been here a few minutes hadn't we? No, the clock told me that much. Time had flown in this class while my mind had wandered. I copied down the homework in my planner and exited the classroom.

Jason bumped into me in the hallway, smiling before he entered his next class. I passed Skylar and Taylor, Nick and Syd, then other faces that I knew from this school, but I felt as if I weren't even here. Because I saw Amber walking down the hall a few feet from me, talking to Liam, oblivious that we were only a mere meter apart.

This is how the whole day went. I was barely alert through the whole school thing. My mind was off, thinking of Amber, what she said in the car, trying to break down everything she said, her expression and what it all could mean. Did she like me? She had to give me a chance. Were there any double meanings? Was she playing hard to get? My mind doubted it all. Amber was a straightforward person, I knew that much. She said what she felt. She spoke her mind. She was a truthful person. Her life had to be perfect, other her mom's death.

I envied her. She had everything she could want. The only similarity between us is that both our moms are dead. She had money, a farm, beauty, kindness, gentleness, hell why don't I just name the fruits of the freaking Holy Spirit! Amber was a perfect small town girl, living in her perfect small town world where she had her own little innocent perfect life.

The last bell rang and I was the first one out of the classroom. I snagged my stuff from the locker, shoved my books in their to do homework later, and then met up with Amber. Surprisingly she beat me to the car. She was smiling, which made me feel a little better, but really I had no reason to worry in the first place.

I put my hand right by her neck and leaned over her, grinning like a fool. "How was your day?"

She shrugged and looked around. "People are watching us."

I didn't bother to look. I knew people were staring. And I especially felt daggers in my back from Liam's gaze. "Let them. I don't care."

Amber gazed thoughtfully at me. She chuckled to herself.

"What?"

She laughed more openly this time. "I can tell by their faces their wondering what good miss Amber Bay is doing with bad boy Jonathan Greenfield." she threw her head back. "By tomorrow rumors are going to be flying. I can't wait to hear what they come up with." she was amused, not angry or upset. She kept surprising me. Most girls would be upset that lies were floating, but Amber didn't…she didn't care. This girl was amazing.

I opened her door and helped her in.

"Why thank you, sir." she giggled.

I bowed, winking. I shut her door softly and then went to my own side. I revved the engine and pulled out of the school parking lot.

"I don't want to go home yet. Its boring there."

I eyed her. "Where do you want to go then?"

She flipped through some radio stations, and ended up with country. I didn't really like country. It was either about making up, breaking up, or getting drunk because your girlfriend left you.

Amber noticed my disgust and turned it up. It was an oldies station from 2010, and obviously she listened to it a lot because she knew every line.

"Rain is a good thing!" she laughed when her voice squeaked. I rolled my eyes, asking her where she wanted to go.

"I think there's a Hershey's Ice Cream store down by the BP gas station." I knew what she was talking about. I turned right and down onto Middle Urbana road. I took a left at the stop light until I passed the park with the fountain then I pulled into the Ice Cream shop right across from the gas station.

She got out of the car and opened the door, a ding from the bell hooked to the door. We were greeted by a gray hair man in a big t-shirt. He seemed nice enough when he took our orders. We both waited for our chocolate ice cream, leaning on the wall.

"I'll be right back." Amber said, leaving the place. When she came back in five minutes later she was carrying a bad full of chocolate covered strawberries from Smith's Market, right next to Hershey's. I laughed as she handed my one. It was good.

The man handed us our bowls and we took our seat outside under an umbrella. The first couple bites were filled with silence.

Food was a weird thing for me. I mean it sort of tasted good because of my werewolf side, but then it also had a more bitter taste from the vampire mouth. It was like two things fighting itself at once. Like one time when I had some birthday cake, I took the first bite and spat it out, begging for blood. I was a blood junky, but I haven't hunted in a long time. I've just been living on human food really.

I was the first to speak.

"So tell me more about you."

Amber about choked on her ice cream. "What?"

I give her a napkin for she got ice cream on her jacket. "Well you know all about me, and I don't know anything about you. Tell me." I thought this to be an easy conversation filled with her wonderful life.

I was wrong.

For the first time, Amber really got angry at me. Her eyes steeled over, she set her jaw, her nostrils flared. "It's none of your business." she turned away. It struck me that Amber was one of those people who cried when they got really angry. I gave her another napkin to wipe her eyes and blow her nose.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to tell you." this time her voice wasn't defiant, it was almost like a plea. Like I wouldn't like her when she told me.

"I could help, you know. I've been through rotten stuff too." I put my hand on her shoulder, leaning across the plastic table.

She closed her eyes. "Please just drop it."

"No."

She glared at me again, but this time not so strongly. She sighed in feat when I didn't let up, look away, or flinch. "Two years ago when I was fifteen, I was just starting my freshman year. It was a new school, new friends, a whole new experience and I liked it. I was top of my grade, prettiest girl in school according to some people, and I had everything really. My parents had good money, they loved each other, they never fought, it was just a good life." her life was what I pictures it to be. "There was this guy named Stephen. He was like you, Jonathan-a bad boy, a guy who used girls, that kind of thing." she checked to make sure I wasn't hurt by her words then went on when she was that I wasn't.

"So Stephen followed me a lot, trying to get me to date him, but I didn't like him and I knew he didn't like me, just my body. So for the longest time, I ignored him. One day he was sitting on the curb at school, still waiting for his ride and it was five o'clock. I sat down next to him and we just talked. No awkwardness, no flirting, just talking about his life really. I waited with him until his mom finally arrived. He asked me out on a date again, and this time I said yes, surprisingly."

Amber went out on a date with this guy?

"We hung out at school and countless people warned me to break it off before I got hurt, but I had the feeling that maybe I could change him. I mean that person on the curb wasn't pretend. Maybe somehow I would be able to bring it out of him again. But he didn't. He flirted with me, other girls, and even had sex with one of my friends. But I didn't end it. I just kept going, hoping he would see the light." she laughed at herself with no trace of humor. "He pressured me a lot too, but I never gave in. We "dated" for one year, until I…I-I did give in."

I thought my eyes were about to fall out of their sockets.

"I thought maybe that if I did have sex with him, he would love me, but he never did. He dumped me on the same night, laughing his head off with his friends when they came to pick him up. When I went back to school, I was the butt of the joke for a while. I became depressed, I drank a lot, did drugs, a lot of stupid things I should have never done. After the first couple of weeks when everything died down, I became hidden. I wore a mask all the time. No one ever saw the real happy Amber anymore. She hasn't been around for a long time.

"I just sort of shut down. Like I said I did drugs, alcohol, all of which with my dad never finding out. I became a rebel, I fought with my parents all the time. My mom came to get me from a party because I was too wasted to drive. Some guy ran a red light and crashed into her side of the car. I walked away without a scratch, but she was killed. It snapped me out of my stupor, and I became more alert. I hid my self again, making me seem like the perfect daughter again. I couldn't even go to my own moms funeral with the guilt I felt." she was crying harder now.

She looked at me. "Anything else you want to know?" and there I saw it, when I didn't know why I couldn't see it before. In her eyes was the shell I hid myself in too, the wall that blocked out everything from everyone. She was more like me than I guessed. I saw the rock hard Amber as she glared at me again.

I shook my head, lost in words. Sadly, like the hormone filled male I am, the only thing I could think about was that Amber wasn't a virgin.