Vampire Kisses fanfiction
PLASTIC PROMISES
Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent

Chapter 26.

Maddie sighed as she closed her locker, leaning against it with her books held tightly to her chest. Ever since Saturday night, she couldn't stop thinking about Claude. His kiss was so exhilarating; her entire body felt hot being so close. She loved the feel of his hands on her body, delicately smoothing the sides of her waist and the low of her back. She still couldn't believe she felt so excited about his affection, about their new relationship, as he was the one whom she feared for a long time. He was the one who almost drank from her, whom she thought was going to rape and then murder her.

The bell rang for class and the traffic worsened as students rushed through the hall to get to their designated classroom. She waited for the flow to decrease.

"Now why is Monster so smiley today?" chimed an annoying voice that pulled Maddie from her happy thoughts about her new vampire boyfriend. She turned and saw Erik, flanked by his usual jock clones. His brunette hair was shaggy and uncombed, his athletic build draped in dark jeans, pearly white Nikes, and a baseball jersey. Maddie rolled her eyes and glared. Though Erik was Travis's best friend, he had a knack of trying to take his high-ranked place in the school food chain when he wasn't around. Maddie could tell it got on Travis's nerves too.

"Well if it isn't Erik and his clan of cheerleaders," Maddie sneered with a smirk. It was Erik's turn to glare.

"Fuck you," he snapped. "Bet you're all smiley because Travis finally agreed to let you give him a blowjob last night, huh? We all know you're just dying to jump in bed with him, poor guy." His buddies howled in laughter, along with himself, as Maddie rolled her eyes again. She knew the routine. Erik's snide remarks were nothing different from Travis's. It was what she got for not fitting in to a specific clique.

"Hmm … somebody looks like they're on their period. Would you like a tampon, Erik?" She narrowed her eyes at him and pursed her lips before merging in with the student traffic. Erik and his gang followed hot on her heels.

"So, who's next on your to-be-screwed list? I hope I am. I'd like to get laid tonight."

"Oh gosh. How desperate poor Erik must be," Maddie said sarcastically.

"Me? Desperate? Nah. I'm just doing you a favor, school slut," Erik sneered.

Maddie stopped in her tracks. What had he just called her?

She spun on her heel and faced him, her eyes narrowed into slits, a fist curled tightly at her side.

"Excuse me?" she hissed. Erik folded his arms over his chest and smirked, his buddies mimicking his action.

"You heard me, babe. School. Slut."

Suddenly, her fist was colliding with Erik's face. She felt a bone crack under her knuckles and when she withdrew her fist, she saw blood pouring from his nose. His friends were shocked and backing away from Maddie, actually afraid they'd get a broken nose as well.

"You fucking bitch!" Erik spat as he plugged his nose with the back of his hand. Thick blood dripped to his lips and spilled over his knuckles. She wiped the blood she'd gotten on her fist on his jersey and smirked, actually proud of what she'd just done.

"Guess I've got a whole new meaning to my monster label, huh?" she snickered. "Now, now; you can't say you didn't deserve that." She pointed to his bloody nose with a tilt of her chin.

Erik continued to sputter profanities at her, and she glared, ready to hit him in an area where it'd really hurt if he called her a slut again. But before she could do anything, she saw a shadow loom over her, coming from behind. Erik glanced over her head before grinning smugly at her.

"Miss Torrent," boomed Mr. Bruner, the principal. Maddie silently groaned and turned her head, looking up to see his shiny bald head. His dark beady eyes glared down at her while his arms crossed over his chest. "My office. Now. Mr. Zeffer, please take your bloody nose to the nurse, and try not to drip any more blood on my floors."

Maddie glared at Erik one last time before she left with Mr. Bruner to his office. She sat across from him in a red office chair as he leaned over his desk, his hands folded together and set out in front of him. She stubbornly looked away, eyes still narrowed.

"Madeline, you know violence isn't tolerated here. You're a good kid, so I know that you know," Mr. Bruner began.

"Erik's just a jerk," Maddie muttered, crossing her arms over her chest. Mr. Bruner narrowed his eyes.

"That doesn't give you the right to hit anybody. Erik's nose could very well be broken because of your lack of restrain. I don't care if you get 'urges' or whatever you want to call them; it still does not make it okay to hit another student," he scolded. Maddie sighed.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry," she said.

"I'll let you off easy by giving you detention for the rest of the week, but if you get into another fight, I'm going to have to suspend you. Do you hear?" he warned. Maddie sighed again and nodded. Her mother was not going to be pleased when she heard about this.

"Right. Now, go on and get to class. Remember; I'm watching you." Maddie eyed him warily before standing from the chair and exiting his office. When she stepped into the hall, she immediately ran into Travis Mitchell, who was already flustered and anxious.

"What the hell is your problem? In case you didn't know, Erik is a vital part of the team! How could you just punch his face like that?" he shouted in her face, pinning her against the wall. Maddie was taken aback by his sudden uproar.

"Excuse me, but can you get out of my face?" she snapped, pushing him back. "And for the record, Erik deserved what he got. I'm not apologizing for what I did, and I could really care less for the baseball team."

Travis's face contorted with anger. "You're so selfish! Can't you think about anyone but yourself? Now we're out a second baseman!"

Maddie barked with humorless laughter. "I'm so selfish? Hate to break it to you, bro, but the entire world does not revolve around you and the baseball team. Trust me, we're not going to die if Erik Zeffer can't play second base, although, maybe you might, but you'd be doing the world a favor so—"

"Shut up, bitch," he snarled. Maddie's eyes widened.

"What?"

"Shut up! God, you are such a bitch."

"What the hell is your deal? So I broke Erik's nose. Big whoop! I'm sure I'm not the first one to have broken it. It'll heal. Why are you in my face? Get away from me!"

Travis scoffed and shook his head, glaring as he stepped away from her. Maddie narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. What the heck was his problem? She understood him being angry about Erik's nose, but he acted as if Erik would never be able to play baseball ever again. She wasn't even sure how a broken nose affected his ability to play. He could breathe through his mouth, no problem.

Taking one last look at her, Travis stuffed his hands into the pockets of his letterman jacket and stormed off, heading to one of the classes they shared together. Maddie watched him, baffled.

"What the hell is his problem?"