Chapter Nine

"Class, we have a new student. This is Hurst Rasmussen formerly of Winfield College in England. He'll be joining us this semester and I hope you make him feel welcome."

All eyes were glued to the newcomer, who nodded once at the teacher and calmly took his seat. Shiromy found herself unable to stop staring at him. How could someone look so… impeccably flawless? For that was exactly what he appeared to be. He had neat dark hair that was nearly black and dark blue eyes. An aura of mystery seemed to surround him.

Shiromy started on one of her daydreaming expeditions when she felt the nudge of an elbow against her arm.

"Psst! Look over at your 'friend'!" whispered Philomena excitedly.

She slowly glanced at Jesse and saw the oddest expression on his face. It was a mixture of abject hate and mortification. What could be the meaning of it?

"I think maybe he knows he might be in for some competition…" she was about to whisper back, when she caught the teacher's watchful eye and sat back on her seat. Philomena nodded, understanding what her friend was trying to convey to her. Threatening herself of what might happen if she neglected the article before her, Shiromy returned her attention back to her work…

Brrring!

She looked up at the clock in surprise. It was lunchtime already! Well that was one advantage of concentrating on your work. Time flew like concords when you did!

Shiromy escaped the crowded classroom hall when a hand clutched hers.

"Woah, what 'dyu think of that him huh?" exclaimed Philomena, swinging her foster sister's arm. They sat in their usual spot under the mango tree.

"Equal to you-know-who in looks, and probably everything else!" twittered Jade.

"I think I'm in love," announced Shiromy, staring mystically at her squashed lunch of pastry.

"Oh no Shiromy, you don't! We really have to talk about goal- setting. You see, it's a good idea, in fact a great idea, to start at an intermediate level…" began Philomena.

"He embodies everything you could possibly dream of. The gorgeous god looks, the million dollar life, a top dog of the Nightworld…"

"The Nightworld?" echoed both her friends sharply.

"Well, you know what I mean! The- the whole tall dark stranger thing!" stammered Shiromy.

Philomena and Jade pretended they perfectly comprehended her explanation.

"Sanjo told me that Hurst Rasmussen turned up at his place a while ago," piped Jade. Though I haven't seen him there myself. Apparently, he travels around a bit."

"Oh, so we hear a lot from Sanjo these days do we?" said Shiromy, her voice a little too sarcastic than she expected.

Jade threw down her chopsticks.

"Well yeah, since someone else has totally avoided him," she retorted. "I wonder when, if ever, he's going to be over you. Oh there he is, sitting all by himself again. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to sit with him."

Her friends watched as she moved to where Sanjo was. Philomena threw a brief glance at her downcast friend.

"You would think I gave him the death penalty or something," muttered Shiromy. "How many times have I told her that I don't want to end up wrecking his life by pretending to be…" she broke off when the new boy joined Jade and Sanjo.

Shiromy groaned, looking miserably at Philomena.

"If I hadn't pissed her off, maybe I could've even had a 'hey' from him!"

Philomena rolled her eyes and frowned irritatedly at her.

"Please don't let's start being an airhead!" she murmured quietly and glanced across the courtyard at Jesse Ingram.

 "I take it that you intend to forget the misdemeanours of your 'friend' by the way?"

*****

Jesse tried to stop himself looking in her direction of her table. His eyes involuntarily fixed on her again, and she caught him this time. She glared at him as a tiger or jaguar might, eyes slightly lowered and mouth malevolently curved. He stared back for a moment and turned away, letting her cold gaze drip off him like rain on a winter day.

"Now Blaydie, tell us truthfully, who you think the hottest girl in the school is," he heard a flirtatious voice saying next to him.

"Ah, can't say baby. There's just too many of you…" laughed Blayde, rubbing his chin.

"Decide, decide! You picked 'Truth' hon. Anyone can see you're telling us anything but!" crooned the girl.

"Phil H."

The group was silent for a while and Roxy Silverthorn suddenly gasped in shock, getting up from Blayde's lap. She put a hand to her chest in mock surprise.

"Oh! Is this an insult or what Blayde Dashward? After all, I'm blonde, beautiful and smart too! What do you think people?"
Jesse's friends whistled and laughed, distracting him from his melancholy thoughts. He watched coldly as Roxy put an arm around Blayde's shoulder, seductively whispering in his ear, but loud enough for the rest of them to hear. "Now Blaydie- Boy, Roxy Woxy will soon show you who actually is the hottest. And she would wuv to see you at her parrrty...you too Jes-se," she winked. The vampire girl blew a kiss at them and swayed back to her table, her too short school skirt dancing on her thighs. Jesse shook his head in disgust as Blayde stole a meekly exasperated look at him. Surely his friends won't fall into that trap! But they will inevitably, because they liked parties, they liked the girls and…duh, they had no clue about the Nightworld.

To make things worse, his mortal enemy had unexpectedly installed himself at Stanford High, much to Jesse's chagrin. Hell knows what he'll be up to. Jesse knew that Rasmussen couldn't wreck his personal plans though- those were safe from him.

Not to say that he had seen her looking at the newcomer with some if not plenty of, interest. However that was nothing; all the girls seemed to be quite captivated by Rasmussen's looks and smooth talk. He had everything to make any girl fall for him in a second. Jesse did not at all care about that. It was her that mattered…

As he looked over to where Sanjo was seated, Jesse's thoughts were at once confirmed. Rasmussen was in deep conversation with Jade Nightingale, who was leaning against Sanjo. Meanwhile, Sanjo was gaping at Shiromy like she was some distant star…

And Shiromy was smiling weakly back at him. Sensing another pair of eyes on her, she made a feint cut- throat sign that as its recipient, Jesse could only see. He sighed gloomily and smiled at his friends, completely deaf to the words of their idle talk.

The real question was, how and where is Rasmussen going to change this circle?

*****