Chapter 12

Emmett and I stood across from each other, grins lighting both our pale faces. His gold eyes met my red ones and we jumped at each other in an instant.

Our fists met in midair. There was a loud crack that threatened to shatter the sound barrier. My grin grew broader; it was the first time I had ever been able to fight this… competently. For the first time, I could fight back; for the first time… I was able to fight a fair even fight with someone bigger than me.

"Pretty good little man!" I didn't like the way Emmett emphasized the word little. I had just realized how little strength I seemed to possess because of my size. I just realized how… mad that made me. I was no longer fighting just to have some fun; I was fighting to show that the smallest male vampire had more power than everyone thought; I was fighting to beat Emmett and earn his respect.

The look in my eyes changed from a fun-loving grin to fierce concentration. I ran to Emmett in one large stride and launched a powerful punch at his marble face. My fist connected and propelled him halfway to the forest. The look of shock on his face made me smile for some inexplicable reason.

It was then, while Emmett ran for his comeback, that I noticed we had amassed an audience. It was small, just my classmates, but an audience is an audience.

My grin turned arrogant and I flashed my teeth at the shocked and angry Emmett. Normally, this would've scared me, but to see him begin to take me seriously sent a shiver of pleasure down my spine. He sped up when I grinned. I jumped up and kicked him in the face. He was sent away again. I looked around at the crowd. Tarleen was cheering; Rosalie was getting more pissed by the second; Adrian, Jobe and Elliott were watching with broad grins on their faces and Mya's face was impassive; she was barely paying attention.

Emmett ran again. He looked pretty agitated. He prepared for a punch, but somehow, reading his thoughts as I could, he seemed slow; I could read his every movement. I slid right beneath his head and made a straight kick at his chin. He flew up in the air. "Almost ready to give in?!" I taunted. He merely growled and charged at me; fighting, now, more with instinct than technique.

"I think it's about time to end it don't you think?" He just growled again. "You're going too straight, you're no better than the mountain lion I had yesterday." He moved right up to me and moved to strike at my heart. "Know your place Emmett Cullen!" I kicked him straight into the air and when he fell in front of me I placed a well-aimed kick at his gut and sent him flying.

The crowd started to leave and Rosalie went to Emmett. Naturally, he wasn't hurt, but even he was smart enough to know when he was beaten. I was surprised by my power. Most of what I'd done was learned from the manga I'd read.

Tarleen ran up to me and put her arms around me. She was obviously okay with public display of affection because she kissed me on the lips a second after she got to me. "Good job." she stated simply.

"Thanks." I said the arrogant grin from the match still on my face. "I thought you might've been afraid of me."

"Now why on earth would I be scared of something gentle like you?" She touched her fingertip to the tip of my nose.

"Because of this?" I threw her up in the air. She screamed as she came down, but I caught her. "Did that scare you?"

"N-no."

"Please, I'm clearly not blind. You're white as I am."

"Fine, I was scared." she admitted grumpily. "So please don't do that again."

I grinned. "Fine."

I carried her into the house. "You can put me down you know."

"Do you really want me to?"

"Maybe…."

It was nighttime now. It had started to rain. Tarleen and I had spent the afternoon talking about nothing in particular.

"Do you wanna look at the stars?"

"How Austin? It's raining."

"I have a way."

I swept her up in my now-powerful arms and ran too fast for the rain to hit her into me and Adrian's house. I could hear him muttering about nothing in particular. "I have to fix it!" he said in a quiet voice. I chuckled.

"What is it?" Tarleen enquired.

"For some reason, Adrian said, 'I have to fix it!'"

"That's… weird."

"Agreed."

I put her down on the blanket that dominated what little floor space my room had.

"How is your room the stars?"

"Look up."

She looked up and saw the bright plastic stars. "It's not the real stars," she began. "But I love it."

She smiled at me. I looked into her chocolate brown eyes and moved a little closer to her. I brushed my hand against her cheek and her face immediately flushed with color.

She moved as close to me as was possible and it was then I realized just how aware I was of her. It was kind of making me uncomfortable that I had become so aware of her, especially—as she blushed—her blood.

She put her hand against my face. "You really want my blood right now don't you?" she asked.

I gulped audibly. "Sort of. I'm sorry, but your blood is very tempting."

"I understand, but, I'm not afraid of you." She moved her face closer to mine. "It's just the opposite." She kissed me and I kissed her back.

To be continued…