if you are reading this hopefully you liked the Prologue lol! review please :)

Baileyzzz


Chapter 1

I knew him from school. He was the weird, weird to everyone else, artistic guy who sat all alone at the last table. He wore his blonde hair long and he had that 'troubled artist' look. His name was Heath.

I don't believe I had said more than a few sentences to Heath before that cool, late summer night, before I feel out of that tree. I had no reason to converse with him. I had my friends and, from my observations, he had his ipod and his paper. We were perfectly fine just like that.

Erin White was simply walking home when she first spoke to Heath. But it was more of an awkward collision than a conversation. She was walking head up, smile broad, but her eyes were lost and sad. She was daydreaming and didn't even see him coming. He was caring a stack of sketches, but they were far more beautiful. When she hit him she fell back on her butt, he didn't even budge. But one drawing did escape his grip.

Erin, blushing crimson, stood up, and then bent down to retrieve the art work. She looked at it. It was a landscape. Amazing hills, high mountains, low rivers. And then, there in the foreground, was a man. He was staring at the sky above him with longing eyes. He wore a cloak and the hood was up. Erin said something that ever surprised her.

"He's a vampire," she whispered wistfully.

Heath obviously heard her because he went from a cool expression to gawking at her. She stood looking at the picture wishing two things: to know the vampire personally and to be able to draw like that. She looked up, meeting his gaze. Never had she noticed how compelling, and how stunning, his jade eyes really were. She blushed again, coughed, and smiled as casually as possible.

"Er….. It's very lovely…… Heath?" she said, handing it back to him.

He just nodded. After one very awkward moment, he cleared his throat and practically breathed, "Thank you. And yes… yes he's of the night," he paused, and met her gaze again, "Erin?" He barely opened his mouth, but she could easily understand every word.

Not until this moment had she realized how beautiful he was, and his voice was rather attractive as well, sly and smug, yet calm and laid back. She had thought he was cute, with the shag and all, but she'd never seen him up close, only snuck glances at lunch. It was her turn to nod.

He looked down at his art and she at her watch, and at the same instant they both began, "Well I gotta-" She smiled sheepishly again and he looked away

"Haha, well, see ya around, I guess," she said around shuffling her feet.

"Yeah, see ya at school."

And the moment was gone.

Crazy and silly as it sounds, there was something very intriguing and romantic about vampires. I mean, I tried not to think of them too much because I didn't want to look like a total loser. But when I saw that drawing, something just hit me. And when Heath clarified what I had guessed… I didn't understand that either. I kind of liked it actually, that maybe someone else enjoyed such things.

There was really only one thing I wanted in life, and that was- like I said- something more.

And I wasn't talking vampires and elves and kings and dark lords. No. I'm not that insane. I just wanted… a little more. Something in life that was untouched or new.

I was at lunch, and I don't know why, but I didn't really feel like sitting with my friends. So I sat by myself and read at a smaller table, closer to the door than I usually sit.

"Erin?"

I jumped a mile out of my seat. I didn't expect to talk to him again. Yes, he was gorgeous and his art was amazing, but I didn't see anything happening. Maybe I thought he was weird, or maybe I thought I was far too out of his league. Or maybe I did like him, but wouldn't accept it. Either way seeing his face level with mine was odd.

"Oh…. Hello," I smiled.

"I just….. saw you sitting here…… by yourself……" he struggled.

"Yeah," he was just standing there so, "you can sit down if you want." He sat so quickly I missed the whole thing.

"So… why are you sitting alone?" He asked.

"I just felt like being by myself today, catching up on my reading," I smiled again, hoping, after all this smiling, I didn't look too obvious.

He looked away. He seemed uncomfortable. "Yeah…" he said still not looking at me. I looked away from him. I tapped my fingers on the table. I looked back at my book, but didn't read a single word.

I think he knew I wasn't reading because I felt his eyes on me and when I looked up he had a smirk on his perfect lips.

"What?" I asked suddenly very, very uncomfortable.

"Good book?" he ignored my question, still grinning.

"Yep," I held it up so he could see the front.

If I thought his grin was mocking before, it was ridiculous now. "The Hobbit?" he threw his head back. He coughed, "Uh sorry… well that's…… interesting." He struggled to keep his laughter down.

I laughed at myself because I agreed with him. How many other 16 year old girls spend their time reading J. R.R. Tolkien?

"Yeah….. I've always liked stuff like that….." He threw his head back again. I went sour, "If you'll excuse me," it wasn't a question. I got up and stalked out.

I really didn't appreciate that. So what if I did like vampires? So what! Wasn't it just yesterday that I saw his art? And wasn't that a vampire? Don't tell me you don't fantasize, too, buddy! I thought. (Man was I off about that fantasizing part)

I stood outside the door to the cafeteria. Praying he would leave me alone, but wishing he would come after me. He didn't. Not then at least.

"Ok so what the heck was up with lunch today?" Shelby asked me over the phone.

Shelby, Shelby, Shelby. Where to begin? She was petit and cutesy, her hair, in beautiful blonde ringlets, formed her sweet face. (Very different from my long, thick, dark brown hair.) She was perky and skipped everywhere she went. I admired that about her, her free, upbeat spirit. She was a good friend. But, you see, she gets to me sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I love Shelby, I love all my friends, but the constant gossiping and gawking at the boys of town got old. I like boys, love them actually, but I didn't have any interest with any from this place. Didn't being the key word. And I was not about to tell Shelby that.

"What?" I tried to sound innocent.

"You know what, Erin! You and Heath….?…. sitting together….?" she said with that "nudge, nudge" sound in her voice. "We were all looking at you, we all saw. Why was he there? Why did you run away like that?" She was so hyper, almost laughing.

I sighed internally, but tried to sound bright, "Oh…. that… Th-that was…." I tried to lighten the importance of that little greeting. "Well, Shelby, you know me. The boys just can't seem to get enough!" She knew I was joking and we laughed. I wanted her to drop it, but we can't always get what we want can we.

She laughed some more and then, said, playfully yet still dying to know, "But for real… what happened?" She was so eager.

"Oh Shelby, nothing happened. He saw me sitting alone and I don't know, felt sorry for me or something."

"Ok….. why did you leave like that?" Oh yeah. That part of the question.

"Like what?" I tried innocence again.

"All in a huff!" She was so excited now I could almost see her bouncing up and down.

"I…. I forgot about some math homework and I had to finish it…" I was a terrible liar and she knew it. But thankfully she laughed and changed the subject. She talked and talked and I let her. My mind, as usual, was off elsewhere. But now fragments of Heath were mixed into my thoughts. That really bothered me. Where did that come from? Where did he come from? I bumped into him, big deal. But it turned out to be the beginning of a very big deal.