CHAPTER 11

We ended up in San Francisco . I sat in the chair next to the window, looking down at the Polly-pocket sized figures below the 15th floor of the Marriott hotel. I had been sitting here for the past three hours. I couldn't do anything else. Triston had gone back to Damien to see if anything else was happening. I was left in this dreaded hotel room with Jill.

I had stopped truly listening an hour ago. All of the noise was confusing and didn't make sense. The traffic form below and the radio, I had merely turned my ears off to the outside commotion. I had turned it into background noise, a gentle hum.

I listened to the rhythmic beating of my heart. I could feel the blood pulsing through my veins. And I was glad that I could.

How would my death be played off, if I did indeed die? What would they tell my mother? What would my mother think when she got home from work and I wasn't there? School had surely ended by now. But I couldn't bring my mind away from the question of what people would think of my death. I was playing different scenarios in my head.

"Cassie?" Jill's voice said in a concerned tone, breaking my reverie.

"Yes?" I asked with a mild amount of care for what she had to say. I knew that I should care more, but I just couldn't. My mind was still entangled in thoughts of Rory and Kirsten.

She was about to talk but her face troubled, "never mind" she had said. I knew what had stopped her from talking. The look of my face, I could see it reflected in her eyes. My face was hurt, it looked tired, but what had probably made her stop the most was the shocking morbidity of my expression.

I turned my head back to look out the window, but instead of looking down I looked straight ahead. I focused my eyes so that they would look at the reflection in the glass. I did not look at myself in the reflection, for fear that it would prove to be worse looking, but I looked at the room. I looked at my surrounding.

In the middle of the room was a large bed; on either side were bed rests with lamps, and no doubt inside the drawer a bible. I had always wondered why they only had bibles and not copies of the Koran or the Torah.

Directly opposite the bed was a plasma television that was mounted to the wall. A bit to the left was a desk which Jill sat at.

I looked down at the busy streets once more, and then closed the curtain, casting darkness into the room. I got up from the chair and walked to the door that led to the pathetically small bathroom.

I forced my self to crack a smile. Even with a smile I looked morose. But I couldn't help it. I couldn't help that I was in love with the person who wanted to murder me. Of course the real person who wanted me dead was my back-from-the-dead-ex-bestfriend-vampire-who-used-to-date-my-boyfriend.

There was a knock at the bathroom door. I opened it slowly. Jill stood in front of me.

"Why don't you come sit with me?" she asked in a slightly maternal/best friend way.

"Fine." I said though I was secretly happy. I knew that I couldn't be left alone for much longer without going insane.

I pulled myself onto the bed and curled my legs up to my chest so I could rest my chin on them.

"Do you want to play a board game?" she asked. I admired her kindness to me. I gave her my kindest most sincere smile.

"Definitely." I said. Why not, a board game would keep me occupied. Jill hopped off the bed and glided to the desk, where she opened the bottom drawer and pulled out three board games; monopoly, life, and battleship.

"Which one?" she inquired.

"Err...life." I chose.

She put the other games back in the drawer and began to set up the board. I scooted back so there would be room.

"Do you want to go to college?" she asked

"Of course I do!" I said defensively, and then I realized that she was talking about the game. "Oh, sorry." We both laughed and I literally felt the stress ease. "But yes I do want to go to college."

We started the game. About halfway through I had my own comment, it was mostly to me but I said it out loud anyway.

"Where's the fall in love with a vampire square?" I asked jokingly.

"Silly Cassie, you have to have the idiot addition of life for that square." We both laughed again. Jill looked down, and I could sense a change in the atmosphere in the room. Not that I knew what it was.

Jill looked back up to me. I suddenly had the intense urge to look away, but I remembered my manors that had been drilled into my head, and merely focused on something in her general direction so it wouldn't seem rude.

"Cassie, I think I'm going to buy you the idiot's version, you truly deserve it." I was hurt by her dissonant word and didn't quite understand her reason for using them. I dropped my head not caring for my manners. I was fighting with myself not to cry. I took a deep breath and held it, testing myself to not cry. I then lifted my head and stared at her with the utmost intensity.

"Why would you say something like that?" I asked.

"Think about it Cassie, you do deserve it. You constantly put yourself in danger. And really, you're such an idiot that you can't even walk across stable ground. Not to mention your choices. I mean, how could you just betray your best friend like that?" This wasn't Jill speaking. It couldn't be. Only Kirsten would use that last sentence.

I moved myself so I was standing next to the bed instead of sitting on it.

"I think I should be leaving now." I said. I didn't know why but it seemed like the smartest thing to do.

"Oh please do," Jill said, or rather Kirsten had her say. "I will thoroughly enjoy watching your stupidity with no one to help you." I turned and walked with much careful ness out of the door. I calmly walked down the hall and pressed the button for the elevator. I had no idea where I was going. But I knew that it was much less safe to stay here.

There was a pinging noise and the golden elevator doors slid open. I stepped in and pressed the lobby button. As I was moving down I started thinking, that if Kirsten suddenly had control of Jill if she had let go of her control over Rory. Or could she control more than one person at once?

The metal doors slid open and I walked out, out of the elevator, out of the lobby, out the doors with the doormen. The sidewalk was abuzz with the sounds of people talking. I walked a little but couldn't help myself from looking up to where I guessed the window of my room had been. I didn't see anyone there, but of course it could easily be the wrong window.

I continued with my walking, the sun was starting to dip behind the tall buildings; I tugged my sweatshirt closer around my body. I wondered if Triston had gotten back by now.

I had been walking for about half of an hour with no idea of where I was. I was worried that it was getting dark. Not only because I had no where to sleep, but with no sun it would allow Kirsten to come out. I guess that was where the myth of vampires sleeping at day comes from, how the 'traditional' vampire can't go in sunlight.

The temperature had dropped to a frigid mid to low forties. My teeth were starting to chatter.

What was my mother thinking now? Had she called the police? Had the school called her when I didn't show up after the fire-drill? I guess this is what happens when you go insane. You think of meaningless pointless things.

I was starting to get the feeling that I was being followed or watched. Perhaps paranoia was taking over, but maybe it was something else. I started listening to the pattern of footsteps from the people around me. I had never noticed how different everyone's were.

Though I couldn't pick out the sound of anyone following me, the feeling of apprehension still consumed me. I an act that I could only justify by my curiosity I sprinted ahead of the small crowd moving toward the cross walk. Without pausing to press the walk button I ran through the moving cars, though I got many honks and outraged yells from the drivers I was appreciative of my actions that I had done; for when I turned to look at the opposite corner, stuck on the other side of the crosswalk stood Rory. He had a cruel smile on his face that made my stomach churn.

I turned myself around and sprinted away. I knew that it was somewhat foolish because if he really wanted to catch me he could. But I doubted that he wanted to expose his identity, and I trusted Kirsten didn't want that either.

I had no clue where I was going, but every time I looked behind me he was there. I hadn't an idea about how he was keeping up unnoticed.

I burst into a Macy's and ran trough the men's department and onto an escalator, where instead of waiting for it to move I ran up the steps shoving people out of the way. I could hear their angry remarks, but I didn't have the time to listen and be reprimanded.

My heart pounded loud in my ears.

My adrenaline pumped.

I ran, not caring. It was like I was in a labyrinth; running up and down escalators and through the different sections, just trying to lose him on my trail. But every time I glanced behind me he was there. Casual as could be but still with that sickly twisted smile. He didn't even look tired, just amused.

It seemed that my attempts to rid of him were useless. I would have never though that I should want get rid of him. But even now, I didn't really. Maybe that was the problem. I couldn't get myself to truly want him to leave; this was keeping me from getting away from him. No, it's Kirsten I want away from. Too bad she is the one in control.

I knew that I should stay inside, somewhere with cameras, they wouldn't do anything in front of cameras and onlookers…would they?

But I didn't have anywhere else to run, anywhere else to hide, and so I ran outside. Out of the safe building and into the cool night air.

The air gave me the sensation of when you're boiling in your body but your skin feels like an ice cube.

My heart beat a steady drum-like noise in my ears.

I was getting a headache.

But I needed to keep running.

I needed to find a way to my love.

I ran down into the underground garage of union square. I ignored the signs that said not to enter when not in a vehicle. I knew that this would be a good place to hide, a lot of spaces. But would that work to my advantage or Kirsten/Rory's?

Running around the bend and up to the next floor, became even more tiresome after the first two times. I got in an elevator and jammed the up button with my thumb a couple of times.

To my dismay it started moving down. Was that Rory's doing? Are these my final moments? Did I just end my life in an act of laziness?

But to my relief it was a family returning from a long day of shopping who boarded. The elevator started to move up to the families desired floor, I too got out there.

There was a pinging sound from the second elevator, out of fear I started to dart away, but not before my glance to the golden haired boy confirmed my fear. I ran up to the next floor on the slanted ground. Once at the top I ran as fast as I could, I ran the entire length of the garage floor, then I started my descent running down the bend.

I four floors away from the ground level.

I was three floors away.

I was two and a half floors away from the ground when I stumbled and fell. My face pressed hard against the cold cement.

I held my breath.

Get up Cassie! Get up! I told myself.

"CASSIE!" called Rory in his honey smooth voice, it was only then that I got up and continued my retreat to the bottom. I dashed out into the open night air. I was so confused with myself.

The moments that I had lain on the ground I had almost stayed there. I had wanted to stay there, but fear had gotten the better of me.

I jumped up the stairs above me, racing down the pavement.

I wished I had stayed where I was when I fell.

I should have listened to Elyse when she told me to stay away. I should have listened to everyone's warnings.

Every day since I had found out I should have listened. I didn't like listening that much, but those were the times when I should have. My life had changed completely since September. It was all because of him.

Without him my life wouldn't have a point at all, none whatsoever. If I didn't have him in this world with me I didn't want to be in it. If I were to leave this world, I would want it to be like this. This way at least he would be happy.

I stopped where I was, the crowded San Francisco union square. It was loud, people were everywhere; moving, talking. I didn't want to run anymore. I suddenly wished he were here with me. I didn't care what that entailed.

I hoped it would make him happy. I hoped that it would be worth it to him. Now he would finally get what he wanted. I thought as he approached my unmoving figure.

He would finally get my blood.

---

My eyes were closed. I felt like I had just woken up, though I knew that I wasn't in my bed from how whatever was under me felt. But where was I then? What was the last thing that I remember?

The last thing was that I was standing in Union Square with Rory. He had lifted his fist and knocked me on the head. Was I still in Union Square …or was I dead?

My eyes shot open at that.

Around me I took in what seemed like a living room. I couldn't be dead; I wouldn't have had the brain to think about it if I was. That was good.

But why was I here? It wasn't anywhere that looked familiar.

"Don't you know where you are Cassie?" Kirsten asked from my left bitterly.

"n-no." I stammered. I turned my head to look at her and brought my body into a raised position so I wasn't lying on the ground.

"Well that's a shame, I thought you would. I thought that are friendship really meant something. I remember." she said. Behind Kirsten stood Rory, resolutely, his face held no expression.

"Where are we?" I said. It was intended to come out sounding like a dignified command for her to tell me but it ended up sounding feeble and scared.

"Let's see," Kirsten mock pondered. "once upon a time about two years ago, a girl named Cassie and a girl named Kirsten were in a car being driven to Cassie's cousin's house. Little did Kirsten know that Cassie was a complete bitch and would one day betray her. But at this time they were best friends. So, as Cassie and Kirsten looked out the windows while driving through San Mateo . She was looking at the gorgeous houses. She saw one that she liked but before she could point it out to Cassie the car had turned the corner. But before Kirsten knew it they were pulling up to the cousin's house. Later that night Kirsten convinced Cassie to sneak out with her. They walked back to the house that they had seen earlier. As they stood in front of it Kirsten sighed and said 'This is the house that I want Rory and me to live in when we're married.'"

"So that's where we are?" I said calmly. She gave me a curt not. "You're sick!" I spat at her.

"Watch it Cassie! I believe I have the upper hand here, you wouldn't want me to get angry, now would you?"

I took a deep breath, she did have a better advantage.

"I was looking for a place to bring you and I saw that this house was for sale. And I knew that this would be the place." That would make sense to why it was empty.

"I don't get why you are doing this." I stated not meeting her eyes.

"Why I'm doing this? I'm doing this because the love of my life broke my heart for my best friend, who then lied to me about it, and other than that…because I can." Had she always been this viciously cruel?

"You see," Kirsten continued, she was walking into the room rather than just standing at the door way. "What I really wanted to do was make you break up with Rory. You understand don't you?" she said while pacing in front of me. " I wanted you to break his heart like he did mine. Then I would have you commit suicide." She said cheerfully.

"I don't understand how you would make me do that." I lied, but I needed to bide time.

"Hmm, I thought that you did. I was pretty sure that Rory's family told you." I held my breath hoping she would tell me anyway.

"Oh well." She said, I felt myself mentally relax a smidgen. "As I know you know, some vampires have gifts. Well, my gift is to control people, I can make them do pretty much whatever I want." She gave me a dazzling smile, I was pretty sure that if I returned it I would throw up from repulsion of her twisted mind.

"I still don't get why you didn't just do that to me."

"Because…because I couldn't." she said. I knew that that irked her, she hated not being able to do things. "I don't know why. I guess it's because since I still sometimes think of you as my innocent best friend. I guess it's because were so connected." She sighed. "But don't think that I still like you."

"Fine, I won't" I said pooling my last bits of smart Alec remarks. "What do you plan on doing to me?"

"I'm not sure if I want your blood or if I should give it to Rory. Or maybe," she said getting a new idea. "Maybe we shouldn't bite you at all, maybe we should just torture you…

"Whatever we do, do though, I just want you to understand that it will not end up with you being changed." She said staring at me intensely, contemplating her decision.

"H-how were you changed?" I stuttered out of fear. It isn't exactly fun knowing that you are going to die with no chance of escape.

"Funny you asked." She smirked at me evilly.

"What's so funny about it?" I shot back.

"It's funny because it's your fault."

"How the hell is it my fault" I retorted.

"Because I did it to help you."

"What?!?" I didn't understand her reasoning at all.

"Your father!" she yelled at me. The room echoed with her voice.

"Have you gone mental?"

"No Cassie, I actually remember it quite well." She said bitterly. "It was at the Halloween fair, and I saw your dad. He looked frantic so I came up to him, splitting away from my friends. He said that you were in the forest hurt. I told him to lead me to him. We were winding deeper into the forest and I was getting antsy, so I questioned him. Then he turned on me. Lunged really, but I screamed. So instead of finishing me off him spat all of the blood from me onto the ground and carried me somewhere. I was in three days of agony after that. You don't eve understand. It's like lava or acid is coursing through your body. But then I woke up. I didn't know where I was or what had happened. But because I wasn't stupid I figured it out." She glared. "And to think all of that for you."

"I'm sorry." I said. It felt like my stomach had dropped out of my body as my guilt soared.

"Too bad sorry doesn't cut it." she said flatly. I could tell that she was growing tired of talking.

"Kirsten I really didn't mean to betray you. Please, don't do this." I was begging now.

"That's all right, I think I will do this. I'm not going to get caught."

She stepped into the sunlight that was spilling into the empty living room through the window.

It was like her skin had exploded into tiny diamonds that sparkled with such brilliance. I studied her face. The cast off shine made it appear that Kirsten had a halo of some sort, even though I knew that she was more likely the devil. Her skin was pale as ever, her features defined. Her looks rivaled any supermodels. Her eyes though brought me to attention and out of my mind. They were blue.

Bright glowing blue.

"Just so you can surely be miserable before you die." She said. Though I had no idea what she was talking about. I saw Rory walk past me. He pulled her into an embrace and they kissed. I felt a scowl appear on my face. Kirsten broke the embrace. "You have a ten second head start, oh but don't think of leaving the house because we will come get you, and it won't be fun…for you."

I didn't sit stupidly and ask what she meant like the idiots do, but I got up and dashed away.

I didn't go outside, because I knew that Kirsten wasn't kidding and that she would probably just kill me on the spot. I ran into a back room, that was most likely a bed room. I shut myself in the closet and stood pressed against the cool wall.

There was utter silence…

Except for my heart beat.

Shut up! I told it. It would surly give me away. Oh how poetic, that my heart gave me away. I was holding my breath hoping to soften its sound. But it only got louder.

I couldn't hear any footsteps, but I also knew that that didn't mean that they weren't walking around. They were just being quiet.

I quietly exhaled and inhaled a deep breath.

Thump thump, went my heart.

I felt a chill go down my spine.

Thump thump.

A floorboard creaked outside the closet. I made particular interest in being quiet.

Thump thump.

The door creaked open and I was met with Rory's glorious face.

I let out the loudest earsplitting scream that I could muster up. There might be a chance that some neighbor would hear and come.

"SHUT UP!" Rory yelled at me. I quickly clamped my mouth shut. I came down on the inside of my lower lip. I ignored the pain but cried. It wasn't like in the romantic or sad parts of movies where someone just has two tears silently slide down their face. I was full out sobbing. There was an irony taste in my mouth. I tilted my head down and cupped my hand under my mouth.

A small stream of blood trickled over my lip and into my cupped palm from when I bit my lip.

I looked up into Rory's eyes. I could feel the wet line of blood on my lower lip.

I knew that my death was imminent.