It had been three days since I last saw Sabrina, since I had accepted her offer to go out. I had done surprisingly well. Between the lies told about what happened, learning that vampires were real, and not seeing or hearing from my new girlfriend for three days, and keeping the fact that I was dating Sabrina from my best friend and roommate who would heckle me for months when I finally did tell him. I was still sane.
The sad part was the lying wasn't the hard part, at least, it wasn't the hardest part. I wanted to know what was happening to Sabrina. Was she ok? It seemed silly to worry about her since she could probably handle herself just fine but I still did worry. I made sure not to think too hard about what I might have been if worrying about your vampire girlfriend was more stressful then lying about said vampire girlfriend murdering a classroom full of students.
It was after school, about half an hour into our practice. We had just got done with our warm-up excercises, and I was about to go over introductions to the new member of our team.
Our team was small, me as Team Captain, Jack Belloway, my best friend and roommate, Tera Long, and the Twins Thomas and Rodger Thymes. The new guy joining us was Ben Hall. I noticed something strange. I saw a woman sitting in the bleachers that overlooked the track we were practicing on. Officially we only got together twice a week but i practiced on the track nearly every day. She was a new student, transferred from the East Coast somewhere the day after the Incident, which is what everyone was calling it.
I had noticed her because nearly no one ever hung out on the bleachers after school with no game going on. Let alone every day for the last three days, alone." Hey Jack? Can you go over introductions for me for a moment?" I ask3d turning to my best friend.
He was a lanky bastard, limbs longer than they should have been but not too much longer. He had tan colored skin befitting his islander heritage, he was a couple inches taller than me making him around 6ft and an inch or two. He had short blonde hair and big blue eyes, he was roughly 200 lbs but solidly built and muscular. He was an ass sometimes and a lady's man and the attraction was mutual. That must have been why he never had a relationship that lasted longer than a couple months.
"Gonna go ditch us for the lonely loner lady freshman with pink hair Hawke?" He asked with a smirk and i gave him a withering stare. Which he Responded with a chuckle.
"Sure thing John," he said. I think Jack was the only person to call me by my first name even occasionally.
I headed off to the bleachers. I wasn't the only one who noticed apparently. Jack didn't practice every day after school like me, but he would keep me company on occasion, especially if no one else was there practicing with me. I had an open invitation to all my teammates to come by after school for help and practice. I would practice for an hour or two every day.
After a few minutes i started to climb about half-way up the bleachers before stopping and clearing my mind. Believe it or not, i was a little awkward around most women. It seemed strange to me looking back that i never really felt like that when i talked with Sabrina though.
The woman in the bleachers was more of a tomboy type. Her hair cut short but Jack was right, bright pink hair, recently dyed if Hawke had to guess. She was kind of short, maybe 5ft and some change, her facial features were small and reminded me of someone of Asian descent but watered down from a couple generations of American. She was wearing a long sleeved fleece black shirt and black slacks.
She had a notebook in hand and a messenger bag within reach.
"Hello, my name is Hawke," i said in a somewhat awkward greeting. For a few seconds she did and said nothing before turning towards me.
"Hello Hawke. You can call me Lexi," she said and set her notebook aside.
"Hello Lexi. I noticed that you've been sitting up here every day for the past few days. Have you been waiting for a ride?" I asked and i saw a small almost imperceptible smil3 start to form on her lips.
"Yes, i am actually. Your rather sharp..." she trailed like she was about to say something else, but she did not.
"Thank you... well... would you like to come down to the track and learn how to shoot a bow?" I asked. I was trying to be friendly, she seemed like a loner and maybe that's how she liked it but this school usually wasn't especially inviting to new students.
"I don't know... not that I'm not interested but... would you and everyone else mind a new person?" She asked shyly and i gave her a reassuring smile.
"I'm positive no one would mind. We were starting to teach someone new already, and we are a small team regardless," i explained. She paused for a moment before giving me a small smile.
"Sure," she said before packing up her notebook, and she followed me down to the track with her messenger bag in hand.
I took over from where Jack left off and introduced Lexi to everyone. After introductions were done. I went over the proper way to wear the protective equipment to wear while you shoot. After that, how to hold a bow, load an arrow and hold it while you draw the bow how to sight your aim and ended the example with a shot from 20 yards away and the arrow hit the inner most ring on the target.
Then i came to the part where no one volunteers to take the first shot when i asked.
"So... who wants to take a shot first?" I asked.
"Can I?" Lexi asked, raising her hand. I was a bit surprised, no hesitation at all.
"Of course Lexi," I said be conning her over to where i had been standing and handed her the bow i was using. It was one of the school's bows they provided for the team. They were starting to show their age, but they were still good, and they were the same kind of bow the other schools used in competition.
She nocked her arrow, drew the bow back and fired quickly, not rushed but supremely confident which seemed to evaporate when her arrow didn't hit the target, the arrow sailed another 10 yards and hit the hay bail that was set up as the backdrop with a thud. Her body language said that her missing was unexpected, as well as the expression on her face. She repeated the actions and fired again but missed again.
"Do you mind?" I asked, offering my advice. She turned to me as if to snap 'no' but instead.
"Please?" She asked.
"Sure thing," i said before walking up to her.
"Something to remember. No matter how fast, strong or well coordinated you are. If it's your first time, you probably won't hit the target," I said, addressing everyone.
"Also, it's not a race, slow down and take your time," I told Lexi.
"Try nocking and drawing the bow again Lexi," I told her, and she nodded and did so slower this time. I watched her carefully as she drew the bow back.
"Don't fire," I told her.
"May I?" I asked showing my hands asking if i could touch her, and she paused for a second before nodding. I touched the underside of her outstretched arm and lifted it slightly. And i walked close enough to touch her back with my chest as i touched her elbow with my hand raising it a bit as well.
"Sorry. Too close?" I asked.
"No... im good," she said relaxing after taking a deep breath. I kept my hands where they were keeping the corrections.
"Now, inhale and release the arrow while your exhaling," i instructed, and she did and i heard and saw the arrow sticking out of the outermost ring of the target.
"Good job," i said with a smile at her and was about to step back when i felt Lexi lean lightly against my chest a bit.
"Thanks..." i heard her whisper so low only her and i could hear, and she sounded different, the shy loner suddenly gone, like she was never there, it was a little unsettling. I saw a smirk on Jack's face out of the corner of my eye and suddenly felt the eyes of everyone on my team and i cleared my throat.
"Um..." i said starting to feel embarrassed and i felt Lexi stop leaning on me.
"Good shooting. I'm here every day after school for an hour or two every day if you would like more instruction," I offered and just like that. The shy freshman was back in her demeanor and posture.
"Maybe I'll take you up on that offer..." she trailed looking away like she was also embarrassed like me. She glanced over to the bleachers and my gaze followed hers and i saw a car with someone standing next to it.
"That would be Father. Thank you Hawke and it was nice to meet you all," Lexi said before grabbing her messenger bag, handing the bow back to me and heading towards her ride.
Lexi's Point of View
I had a smirk on my face the whole way back to the car. I was positive Hawke liked me leaning up against me and really fell for the lonely freshman. I took a chance breaking the illusion but it was fun.
"Hi father," I greeted my dad.
"Hello 'Lexi'," he said with a deep voice emphasizing the last part.
"Who was that?" He asked, indicating Hawke.
"My next meal, Johnathan Hawke, he is captain of the Archery team and offered to show me how to shoot. I think he likes me," I responded. He raised a single eyebrow but said nothing as i got into the car in the backseat with Jess.
"Hello Olivia," Jessica greeted me.
"Hey sis," i said greeting her back. Father got in the car and turned it 9n before saying.
"Just don't kill him. This is Night Society territory, and they take the Veil rather seriously around here.," he warned me.
"No promises... he smelled good..." i trailed and remembered leaning against him and taking his scent in at that moment. Imagining how hid blood would taste running down my throat until i drank him dry...
"Did you find anything but a meal?" Mother asked from the passenger seat. Snapping me out of my revelry immediately "Sabrina definitely goes to this school, but she hasn't been seen the last few days," I reported.
"You still positive she hasn't ran Jessica?" Our mother, Qwen, asked my sister. Who was silent for a moment.
"If she has it wouldn't line up with her reactions." she trailed thoughtfully.
"Maybe she can travel with Whatever she is here?" Qwen offered.
"Why would she stop moving then?" Jessica asked.
"True..." Mother admitted.
"Can we give it another week?" Jessica asked. Both Mother and Father looked at each other and spoke in unison.
"Yes,"/pre