Part 4
"I don't get it, what does that have to do with me?" Beth scowled, watching the sexy new guy all over that weird nobody girl Sarah.
"Who cares? He'll forget her by lunch," Libby said reassuringly. "Why were you talking to her this morning."
Beth glanced briefly away from Arcturus to look at Libby. "Why would I be talking to her?"
"That was my question," Libby said, examining her reflection in a compact mirror, smiling at the perfect image reflecting back at her.
"I wasn't talking to her," Beth said hotly.
"But I saw - "
"I don't care what you saw, I *wasn't*!" Beth snapped and stalked off, head held high. She was pleased no one followed her. Usually she was surrounded by people wherever she went. She didn't know what Libby thought she was talking about. *Why* would she waste her time with a loser like Sarah?
It's not like it's the first time an unpleasant thought inside her pointed out. Okay, so maybe it wasn't. Beth stepped quickly into a rest room. More than once she'd been heading somewhere, blanked out and found herself in a place she had no idea how she'd gotten there.
It was spooky, she never knew what happened and never remembered. She never dared tell anyone, dreading to think what it would do to her popularity status.
She took a deep breath and splashed her face with water. She felt better now.
She ran a brush through her blonde hair, and redid her lipstick. There. She was about to step out into the hall when she heard voices coming around the corner.
"He's here. Can you believe he had the *nerve* to pull this powerful monster in our world crap?"
Beth blinked. The voice was that of Andreas Blackthorn, the football captain. Monsters?
"Just stay cool. His brother's supposed to be here as well. Sharon helped him sign in this morning." That was Amber Halloway, the freaky school Goth; she was even weirder than Sarah.
Amber and Andreas just did *not* mix.
"Stay *cool?* It's *Arcturus* *Redfern*. This bastard's supposed to be - "
"Your worst nightmare with fangs, I know, I've done the research."
"What about Sarah? He's already hooked on her. They think she's Helenia."
"Well according to Giselle, Sarah isn't impressed with either of them." Amber sounded pleased at that.
"Just make - make sure she's okay, Arcturus is supposed to love the girl next door type." Andreas's voice was full of bitter hatred and anger.
Beth wondered what was going on. She didn't quite know what to make of any of it. It was kind of funny in one way.
"I'll make sure Sarah's safe, don't worry. I gotta make a quick stop."
Beth ducked into a stall as the bathroom door opened. She waited a few minutes and backed out, heading for the library instead of her next class. So. Arcturus Redfern was some kind of monster with fangs who loved innocent nobodies. He was a ...vampire? She sighed at the thought, it was almost...romantic. To be young and beautiful forever...what a thought, she could be his eternal companion.
Emily Hopper and Jasmine Stillman, part of her crowd, were in the library, waving her over to their table. "Have you seen the two new guys?"
"One of them," Beth said, sitting down. She just couldn't keep to herself what she had just heard. Maybe they could tell her something constructive about it. "Can you guys keep a secret?"
* * *
"I don't get it, what does that have to do with me?" Beth scowled, watching the sexy new guy all over that weird nobody girl Sarah.
"Who cares? He'll forget her by lunch," Libby said reassuringly. "Why were you talking to her this morning."
Beth glanced briefly away from Arcturus to look at Libby. "Why would I be talking to her?"
"That was my question," Libby said, examining her reflection in a compact mirror, smiling at the perfect image reflecting back at her.
"I wasn't talking to her," Beth said hotly.
"But I saw - "
"I don't care what you saw, I *wasn't*!" Beth snapped and stalked off, head held high. She was pleased no one followed her. Usually she was surrounded by people wherever she went. She didn't know what Libby thought she was talking about. *Why* would she waste her time with a loser like Sarah?
It's not like it's the first time an unpleasant thought inside her pointed out. Okay, so maybe it wasn't. Beth stepped quickly into a rest room. More than once she'd been heading somewhere, blanked out and found herself in a place she had no idea how she'd gotten there.
It was spooky, she never knew what happened and never remembered. She never dared tell anyone, dreading to think what it would do to her popularity status.
She took a deep breath and splashed her face with water. She felt better now.
She ran a brush through her blonde hair, and redid her lipstick. There. She was about to step out into the hall when she heard voices coming around the corner.
"He's here. Can you believe he had the *nerve* to pull this powerful monster in our world crap?"
Beth blinked. The voice was that of Andreas Blackthorn, the football captain. Monsters?
"Just stay cool. His brother's supposed to be here as well. Sharon helped him sign in this morning." That was Amber Halloway, the freaky school Goth; she was even weirder than Sarah.
Amber and Andreas just did *not* mix.
"Stay *cool?* It's *Arcturus* *Redfern*. This bastard's supposed to be - "
"Your worst nightmare with fangs, I know, I've done the research."
"What about Sarah? He's already hooked on her. They think she's Helenia."
"Well according to Giselle, Sarah isn't impressed with either of them." Amber sounded pleased at that.
"Just make - make sure she's okay, Arcturus is supposed to love the girl next door type." Andreas's voice was full of bitter hatred and anger.
Beth wondered what was going on. She didn't quite know what to make of any of it. It was kind of funny in one way.
"I'll make sure Sarah's safe, don't worry. I gotta make a quick stop."
Beth ducked into a stall as the bathroom door opened. She waited a few minutes and backed out, heading for the library instead of her next class. So. Arcturus Redfern was some kind of monster with fangs who loved innocent nobodies. He was a ...vampire? She sighed at the thought, it was almost...romantic. To be young and beautiful forever...what a thought, she could be his eternal companion.
Emily Hopper and Jasmine Stillman, part of her crowd, were in the library, waving her over to their table. "Have you seen the two new guys?"
"One of them," Beth said, sitting down. She just couldn't keep to herself what she had just heard. Maybe they could tell her something constructive about it. "Can you guys keep a secret?"
* * *