A/N: Okay so you all kinda know what's coming up... Hope you like chapter 6!!!

Song: Never Alone by Barlowgirl

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I threw the book down onto my desk and plopped down on my bed. I tried throwing my body back so that my head would land on the pillow neatly, but instead hurt myself against the low ceiling above my bed. I rubbed the back of my head and grunted.

I had been reading the book on vampires for three hours straight. The candle I had sitting by my bedside was running low, and it was about to go out. I had read about Egyptian vampires, vampires of the Amazon, and so much more.

There was something vaguely familiar about what they say about each of them, but what really sounded like dejavu to me was the Italian vampire. Their skin was pale, almost glistening, and cold to the bone. They didn't eat or drink. All the vampires had one thing in common; they were alluring.

I found this quite pathetic. It was a simple excuse for someone who had been in a relationship secretly and they got caught by their spouses. 'Oh, no, my darling, I was not cheating on you. That was a cruel, vicious vampire! She allured me with her evil charms! Thank god you came to my rescue. Now that that is over, why don't we go and have a delicious meal, just you and I?'

I rolled my eyes at the thought. Ann was snoring peacefully beside me, sleeping like a rock; nothing could possibly wake her up.

I changed into my nightgown and quickly got in bed. I blew out the candle and tried to fall asleep, but peaceful thoughts would not enter my mind. I tried the strategy my mother had taught me; imagining a rose and capturing every small detail in its perfection until you begin to feel tired. It helped, and I was finally able to fall into a peaceful slumber.

I had a strange dream of running and attacking. A mysterious man with a scar on his left cheek. Ms. Moore, holding up her skirts as she ran through the thick forest that bordered Sporks. Amar holding Kartik back. Kartik growling with his teeth bared, like an animal. His eyes shown red through the thick curtain of hair that hung atop his head. He looked like a frightening creature of the dark.

I opened my eyes, shaking and trembling. Sweat pricked my skin and made me feel sticky. It was still dark out. I looked at the wall I faced. There was the shadow of the bed, the dresser, and something rounding off of the dresser, like someone's head.

My heart's fast pace increased a notch, and just like that, it was gone. There was no head bobbing above the shadow of my dresser. I turned around to check. Nothing.

I took some slow breaths to try and calm myself, but I knew that it would not help the incredible chill that ran up my spine. I had fantastic vision; I knew what I saw. Someone was there for a second, and then gone the next. Like a candle being blown out. Certainly no one could have run away that fast, nor could they have noticed me stirring awake.

Unless they could. Unless that person, or creature, I should say, was unlike any other. Unless they had a power far stronger than humanity itself. Unless...

Unless that creature was a vampire.

I shook the thought out of my head. How very silly of me to think in such a way. It was a simple folktale; nothing more. Ms. Moore frightened me a bit too much with her storytelling. Nothing was wrong. Everything was just fine. I was just... daydreaming; letting my mind wander off. I tried to reassure myself and failed miserably. I knew what I saw; something out of the ordinary to a fairly far extent.

I took deep breaths, but my heart was like a horses hooves; always keeping to a fast rhythm and never letting go. I put my head back down on the pillow slowly to stop myself from getting dizzy. I was famous in the household back in India for fainting numerous times. When the fire between my eyes died down a bit, I tried falling asleep.

But it seemed impossible. There was so much on my mind. I tossed and turned, and finally fainted from exhaustion.

This time, there were no dreams to haunt me. I woke up groggily. Ann was pinching color into her cheeks by her mirror. Ann saw me and smiled. I grinned back.

I suddenly remembered what had happened the night before, and I could feel my cheeks paling. Ann, noticing, asked, "What's wrong?"

I just shook my head, making it hurt more. I grabbed my forehead with my hand. I was pretty warm, which meant that I was blushing. Again. Would it ever stop? I thought to myself.

Ann's face changed in the mirror, and she spun around excitedly and plopped down on my bed. "We're going to see the men today!" she screeched excitedly. I smiled weakly, still tired. Ann sighed exasperatedly and walked to my dresser, throwing pieces of clothing at me. She turned around to see all the clothing she had thrown strewn all over my head, shoulders, and lap. She giggled and said, "Come on, get dressed, we are going down to have breakfast. We leave at noon."

I grunted and walked behind the dressing screen. I pulled all the appropriate pieces of clothing on, asking Ann to tie my corset. We almost ran down the stairs to breakfast.

"Thank you," Ann said once we had reached the dining hall. I looked at her, confused. She was blushing profoundly.

"Whatever for?" I asked. Ann shrugged.

"I wasn't very good friends with Pippa and Felicity before you came," she explained. "You being here has allowed them to see the best in me, and we have built a friendship beyond compare, us four, have we not?"

"Simply marvelous," I agreed. We sat down. Pippa and Fee joined us soon after. "What is up, my people?" asked Felicity, her eyes shining.

We all looked at her, confused and astounded that she would speak with such terrible grammar. "Um... the ceiling is up, I suppose, is it not?" asked Ann.

Fee laughed heartily. "Of course it is. I am very sorry. I had just gotten a telegram from my dear mother, who is on vacation in the United States. She told me that the people there who are no longer slaves speak a different course of English they call 'slang'. It is simply hilarious! 'What is up' is supposed to mean 'How are you' and 'Hang out' means 'Spend time together'. I find it extraordinary!"

We all laughed together. What a silly concept.

"So I was talking to Michael last night," Felicity began, but I interrupted her.

"How did you do that?" I asked.

Fee rolled her eyes exasperatedly. "I met him when the teachers were gone. We don't go only on the scheduled days. We like to go alone so we could have a bit of privacy." I nodded to let her know that I understood, and she continued her story from before. "So he told me that Kartik had been gone on a trip down south to meet relatives. Good luck with that, Gemma."

I raised my eyebrows questioningly. "Why would I need good luck? And if they were relatives, why did Amar not join him? Are they not brothers?"

Felicity waggled her eyebrows suggestively. "I saw the way you were eyeing him, and I saw the way he was eyeing you. A bit of a let-down, really. And I have no idea why Amar didn't join him." I nodded, comprehending.

When we finished, we decided that at a quarter to twelve, we would meet at the border between the forest and the Sporks grounds.

I went back up to my room and cleaned up a bit. I pulled the sheets up and back so that they had no wrinkles and they folded back when they reached the pillow. It was when I was rearranging the drawers of my dresser that I thought it was time to stop stalling and to get outside.

I took brisk steps down the stairs and out the door. I reached the designated border. None of the girls were there yet. I stood waiting there when I heard a rustle in the bushes behind me. I spun around, but there was nothing there. Another rustle, this time to my left. I turned again. Nothing.

I turned my back on the forest and took a deep breath. There is nothing there, I thought to myself soothingly. I felt something small crawl up my back and onto my neck. I started screeching in fright, jumping up and down. Then I heard hysterical laughter.

Felicity, standing behind me, was cackling like a hyena. Ann and Pippa crawled out of the bushes. I took a deep breath and growled, "That was not... f-funny." This only made them laugh harder.

"You should have seen your face, pouncing all around," Felicity said heartily. I sniffed loudly and walked down the path, head held high.

Ann caught my arm. I never turned to her. "It was just a joke," she said softly. I nodded and grinned quickly. I wiped it off my face when I heard the other two coming. Ann immediately understood and took on her roll of the clueless one.

"She won't talk to me," Ann said miserably. She was a very good actress, I thought, impressed. "You guys try."

"Gemma, darling," Felicity purred, rubbing my arm. I didn't fall or her enchanting spell, though. I kept on walking, head held high.

"I told you. She's upset with us," Ann said, frustrated. I knew her acting skills were fantastic, but this was above and beyond. I decided to watch where this would take them in their conversation.

"No," Felicity said, infuriated that things would not go in the direction that she had planned. "I will get her to speak. Gemma, if you do not speak this instant, I will tell them that little secret we have, just you and I."

I had an urge to smile triumphantly, but I suppressed it. I had no secrets between Fee and I. She was just trying to tempt me, to see if I would talk. She had nothing to convince me with, and so I would not speak.

After a few seconds, Felicity screeched frustratedly. The others looked at her, alarmed, but I kept my eyes on the path. Suddenly, Fee's head whipped up happily.

"What is it, Fee?" Pippa asked.

Felicity ignored her and turned to me, putting on a mask of nonchalance. "Well, I just thought you would like to know that I know from a very decent source that Kartik had returned last night."

I couldn't help a groan escape my lips. Fee smiled triumphantly. "Yes! I got you!" I smiled softly and put my hands up in defeat.

I put my head in my hands. "I won't be able to handle it if he is glaring at me again," I moaned. "I am going to suffer. Does he do it only to me?"

Ann smiled sadly and nodded. "It'll be alright," she whispered. "Just stick with us, and you won't even have to look at him."

I nodded, sniffing slightly. I walked on to my fate, knowing that my friends would be there for me, no matter what happened.

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A/N: okeydokey so you all know whats coming up, and you all know what I want you to do: R+R!!! I hope you liked chapter 6. make sure to check out some of my other stories, too!!! Well, my free period is ending, so... BYE!