I do not own Blood and Chocolate, nor do I own Twilight. Characters from these books probably won't be appearing in here, so really the books were only inspiration. I DO own my characters however.

Nirvana isn't exactly Classic Rock, but I couldn't think of a better name for this chapter.

"Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana

"I feel stupid and contagious..."

Paulette:

Morning came so normally that I was beginning to wonder whether any of the recent happenings were just a dream. I went through the process of getting dressed, since it was freezing outside choosing a wardrobe should be easier than usual. It certainly wasn't a skirt day. I got a pair butt enhancing jeans, layered with stylish shirts and an awesome knit sweater

I went to the bathroom Layla and I shared. She had normal jeans on and shoes she's had since sophomore year. Her shirt was a hand-me-down from my mom's clothes. Layla liked the bohemian look.

She was just finishing up in the bathroom with her standard ponytail. She placed her black framed Clark Kent glasses back on and was instantly finished. She left without a word.

I always felt like punching her in the morning. I have to try and look pretty. She should too. With a sigh I droned through my routine, first contacts, then teeth brushing, then the straightening and careful product placing in my hair, then of course make up. With a final glance I deemed myself presentable and stepped out.

Layla was in the living room finishing up some homework. At least I didn't have her impossible classes like she did. I snatched my purse, checking for MP3 player, cell phone (with battery in place), wallet, and brush. I grabbed my binder and sighed. Now for breakfast.

A honk blared from outside.

"Jonas is here!" Layla sang more perky than she said any other sentence in the day.

"That's a negative on the breakfast," I told myself eyeing the box of fruit loops on top of the refrigerator like a stray dog looking in the window of nice home on a rainy day. I settled for pouting the whole way to school and walked out the door with Layla.

Clouds were on the horizon. Halfway down the sidewalk I saw the place Ben and I talked last night. I looked over my shoulder back at the house. I wondered if he was still in the basement. Layla came bursting from the house. She ran over to Jonas's god awful truck and hopped in greeting him with a kiss. I climbed in after her and stared out the windshield while they finished their kiss.

I couldn't believe that a year ago it was Layla who'd had to be dragged to and from school by our boyfriends. I thought on that grimly while Jonas and Layla chatted for a second. Then the car jolted into gear. We stopped at the end of Strawberry Lane at the stop sign.

Jonas sniffed. The truck rolled on down the street. He sniffed again, this time loudly and thoroughly like he was trying to gather all of it. His face scrunched in distaste. Layla and I exchanged glances. She was in the middle so she turned toward Jonas.

"You okay?" she asked him.

"You guys smell that?" he asked. Layla and I looked at one another.

"Our sense of smell isn't quite as sensitive as yours," she said straining to get some hidden message I didn't get. She patted his leg.

"It's pretty strong. You don't smell it?" Jonas asked. He sniffed again and met my gaze. I stared back at him.

"What?"

"It's you," he said.

"I smell?" I said cocking a brow in warning.

"Yeah," Jonas said without thinking. "I mean, not bad... Actually, it is. Its really, really bad... Lay, are you sure you don't smell it?" Layla leaned over to me and sniffed me. I smacked her lightly.

"Don't smell me!" I said moodily.

"I don't know. Paulie, did you brush your teeth?" she asked innocently. Unable to restrain it anymore she smiled at me. Jonas didn't though.

"I'm serious," he said. What? He doesn't say a word out of shyness for six months and then all of the sudden he's telling me I stink? I frowned at him with narrowed eyes. He looked away. Yeah, that's right big, hulking sister's boyfriend. You better be nice.

"I'm going to hit you," I warned Layla who was starting to snicker. There was another quiet moment. Then Jonas exhaled loudly. He started to roll down the windows. I rolled my eyes and Layla burst out laughing.

"Jonas! It's too cold, roll up the windows," she laughed.

"I'm dead serious, Lay. It smells like something died," he said in a half whine. He shrugged at me apologetically.

"You ever thought that maybe its just you? Layla doesn't smell anything," I said back to him with a venomous glare.

"Okay. I'm sorry," he said and rolled the windows back up. Another quiet moment went by. And another. Finally another sigh from him. He reached over and opened the glove compartment. He took out something and tossed it on my lap. I looked at it.

It was a stick of mint gum.

Layla started laughing all over again. I sighed. This was going to be a long day. I took the gum and chewed it angrily. Jonas parked the truck in the school parking lot. I let myself out while they hung back to say something they didn't want to say in front of me. That was fine with me, I knew Jonas had a shady past, whatever it was. But Layla got all cute and girly whenever she was around him and he protected her to no end.

Even though sometimes he was a little overprotective. Like the time Layla and were playing Mortal Combat and I was beating her with a cheat I got from the internet. After the third round he reached over and broke my controller in half.

Layla gave him a talking to, but not without admitting it was kind of funny first.

The guy's a freak. "Prone to psychotic breaks" according to his police record I'd snatched six months ago. However, Layla was about as far head over heels for him as he was. I've been informed by my sister that if I call his hang out place the "freak seats" ever again that my MP3 player was going to be nothing but a bunch of shards of cheap plastic by the time Layla was through with it.

Shards? Does anyone even says that outside of a book? Why can't you just say "pieces" like everyone else? Anyway, that's going on a whole different subject. One I'm not getting a very good grade in.

We got to school early everyday because Layla had an early class and Jonas was the only ride I had. I sat alone at the lunch table formerly known as the popular table. It hasn't really been that ever since Phoebe died. It was really just a table where miscellaneous kids sat rarely talking to one another doing last minute homework. I saved all my homework for this time of day to occupy the time.

But as soon as I sat down exhaustion overwhelmed me. I really hadn't gotten a good night's sleep last night. Not with a certain "vampire" running amok in my house. So I took my gold foil hobo purse and balled it up into a pillow. I thought about what I had to work on. It was nothing important, I decided.

A few minutes went by and I was dozing off. The tables were most with morning due. It was chilly, but nothing a born and bred Montana girl couldn't handle. I sat there doubled over the table eyes half closed with my head resting on my arms and purse. I was going to go to sleep, I decided and took out the blue wad of gum regrettably sticking it under the table. My eyes closed all the way.

The morning was quiet. A few kids walk past me, feet scuffled on the asphalt. Then I felt a presence behind me. I ignored it.

"Do you smell it?" came Jonas's voice. I opened my eyes. They were behind me unable to see I was awake.

"God it's awful. What is it?" asked a familiar girl's voice.

"I don't know."

"Smells like road kill that's been sitting out in the sun," said a male voice.

"You would know," the girl sang in accusation.

"Hey, that was one time," said the boy. This conversation was getting a little weird for my taste. I sat up straight to look at the talkers. It was the Jonas's group, hereby known as "the group formerly known as the freak seats." I knew them all from the Chicago Incident. Jonas, of course, then there was his pushy friend Timmy... no wait. It was Tommy and the girl Katrina. Like Hurricane Katrina. That was the only way I remembered her name, she was just as scary with all her goth make up.

She had gone a darker route than last year. Her hair was electric blue contrast to last year's hot pink. Pretty as she was, she caked on thick eye make up that matched her hair. Not that it was really that terrible of a job, it was just a bit much. She wore a dress today that looked like something made from PVC (that's plumbing material for those who aren't aware of the horrors of goth fashion) and leather.

Tommy had his hair spiked all around and earrings that jangled every time he moved his head. He had tight jeans ripped with patches and army jumper boots up to his shins. I looked at them all, my morning mood hadn't quite passed yet.

Jonas was the only one who toned down the look. He stopped dying his hair black (thank God somebody did) and wore a bigger bulkier jacket with a black sweater underneath. His dad was loaded and he could afford the latest non-prep fashions.

I shot a look at Jonas.

"I'd really appreciate it if you didn't tell the whole school I smelled," I told him grabbing my binder and tucking it under my arm. As I walked I heard Tommy give a low whistle.

"She showed you," Katrina said almost laughing in amusement.

"Yeah, but its not just me right? You smell it too?" Jonas asked.

"Yeah. It's rank," Tommy said. With that went around the Art building. I looked one way and then the other to make sure no one was watching me. Then I raised my arms and smelled my armpits. Nothing. Just my lavender deodorant. I shook my head. I didn't care what Layla said. Those guys were freaks.

And like Mr. Hendrix always said, "Wave your freak flag high."