Thanks to everyone that reviewed and to those who even read the story, it means a lot.

Chapter One: Sand and Snow

*****Mixie*****

Mixie woke when her curtains were pulled back and the sun's rays touched her face.

"Your grandmother wishes to see you." The maid said and Mixie turned in her bed putting a pillow over her ear.

"Get up." The maid said pulling duvet from her. Mixie groaned and avoid looking into the mirror on top of her bed. Why anyone would want to see themselves first thing she didn't know.

"I'm up now please leave." Mixie said hating the fact that she couldn't have an alarm clock. Apparently people, sorry shape shifter, had very sensitive hearing and didn't like being woken to loud bleeping sounds. Everyone was a critic.

"You're grandmother said you have fifteen minutes before she starts to get impatient." The maid said closing the door behind her.

"Yes of course because we'd hate grandmother to be angry." Mixie mumbled to herself and she went through her morning routine. "There's no prior warming, maybe last minute when we had dinner. 'Oh Mixie I wish to speak with you tomorrow, please wake earlier than usual. And please change your name, I hate calling you Mixie. When will you pick you shift, you are seventeen now.' That's what she'd say." Mixie continued pulling her hair into a ponytail.

"What should I wear?" She asked herself like she did everyday but it made no difference it was always the same. She pulled on her blue t-shirt and white demin dungaree shorts, then her blue flats.

Smirking to herself in the mirror she walked downstairs to breakfast and prepared herself.

"Mixie dear you are late, now sit down." Her grandmother said in her usual condescending voice. "Now dear we have news for you."

"We when did this happen. I think you mean you have news for her." Her grandfather cut in and then smiled her way. Mixie smiled back of course.

"Well then, I have news for you, we are having a party to introduce you next week. I know that people know you but you need to be introduced to the rest of the night worlders."

"But Grandmother, what's the use in introducing me when I know everyone that I'd ever need to know. I mean what's the point of a lame party it's just gonna be some old night world big wigs wanting to make themselves feel better."

"Dear show some respect. We'll talk tonight on about the specifics. But remember no vermin will be coming to my party, unless you want them bitten." Her grandmother said and the two females of the room started a glaring contest, until Mixie finally gave.

"I can't plan with you today I have other plans."

"Cancel them."

"I can't grandmother they have been arranged days ago."

"Well what are you doing and when will you be back."

"I have school until late today and then I'm going to Ray's house after that."

"Great then you'll be back at six."

"Sorry Grandma but I'm getting dinner with Galen after that."

"Fine just be home before eleven." Her Grandmother relented and Mixie did a dance of victory inside.

"Don't you have school?" her grandfather asked and Mixie nodded putting her shoulder bag over head. "Bye I'll see you guy later."

Walking out she suddenly had a brain wave and stuck her head into the dining room. "Grandmother I thought it was my party." She said and then ran to her car before her grandmother could reach her.

Reversing her white mini cooper she made her way over to Ray's house and knocked on the front door to see the face of Mr Jones.

"Hello Mixie, come in." He said warmly.

Mixie sat in the kitchen waiting for Ray to get ready, she didn't mind really. Mrs Jones always made excellent breakfast and after the third week of eating there she didn't mind making extra either. Well not much, there was a mutual dislike between the two.

Finally Ray came and the two sat in her car with their school bags thrown in the back seats.

"Never did the geo HW did you?" Ray said.

"Since when do I ever do Ms Clarke work? Correction when does anyone do Ms Clarke's work?"

"All you had to say was a no." He smiled. "Radio time." He turned it up and the two of them talked happily the rest of the way until Ray started talking about the popular clique.

They consisted of Nax, Demi and Freya. Nax was the only boy in the group, which suited him fine by the looks of it. He had green eyes and blonde hair which was cut short. He wasn't jock exactly but they seemed to chat to him, he was in fact a vampire. Mixie had yet to find out whether he was lamia or made.

The girls were both witches belonging to either circle Midnight or the other possibly the remains of Circle Twilight. Even though the latter was disbanded and joined with circle daybreak. Demi was the shorter of the two and the slightly less pretty one. She had turquoise coloured hair and contacts to match. She was always seen in a dress just like Mixie was seen in her white dungaree shorts. Freya had jet black hair and amethyst coloured eyes. She was the one that always had a boy on her arm.

Together the three of them, and Mixie, made up the night world population of the student population. Luckily there had been no werewolves since she had an instinctual predisposition to hating them.

"Hey it's green." Ray's voice brought her out of her thought and into reality. She sped down the empty road parking into the school car park and the two of them walked into the academy.

"What were you thinking about?" he asked again.

"Nothing" she said, again.

"Have you got a crush on someone? Anyone I know? I'll tell you now they aren't good enough."

"I don't have a crush on anyone, believe it or not. If I did I wouldn't tell you."

"Scared I'll beat them up?"

"Yeah that what it is." She said sarcastically and walked into homeroom. Unfortunately Nax was standing by her desk.

"What do you want?" she demanded and he lazily looked up from talking to some human girl.

"Get rid of the lap dog so we can talk." He said, waving was seemed like a envelope.

"Whatever, you can say it in front of him."

"It's Nightfall business." He said and her eyes grew wide. 'Nightfall' was the schools codeword for night world. Too everyone else it seemed like the extra-curricular activities the trio got up to. She told Ray she'd met him after class so he went to his seat. Homeroom was in register order, Drache was nowhere near Jones.

"And that includes me how?" she took her seat while Nax took the seat of the desk in front. This made Jonathon move next to Demi so he wasn't complaining. He handed her the envelope and turned in his chair to face her.

"When are you going to change? I bet it'll be a rat or better yet a spider. That way you'd be able to run."

Scanning the letter she talked. "Why would I be that?"

"so I can stamp on you."

"I'd poison you first."

"Touché. I'd get a knife and poke you to the wall."

"I'd blind you with my blood."

"I'd drink it."

"I always knew you never had people. What rats have a better aftertaste? And no." She said handing the letter back.

"You know you want to."

"I said no." She finished sternly.

"This is a once in a life offer. "

"I'll leave it. If you need a shapeshifter so much get another. There is no way I'd help you steal the school exam papers."

"Why are you saying it out loud? I wrote a letter for a reason."

"So what. We have the best hearing in the school, we could whisper."

"Correction I have the best hearing in the school. You could be a turtle and not hear anything. When are you going to change anyway?"

"That's not your business."

"You're what sixteen." He continued like she'd never talked.

"Seventeen, you know that I'm in the same homeroom as you. You're brain too small to remember."

"Quiet vermin. Respect you superior and elders. Hey maybe you just can't change." She was about to retort when Ms Glaser announced a new student. From the smile on Nax's face she wasn't looking forward to meeting him.

"Everyone met Dune Redfern. He's new." She said as if they didn't already know that. This guy was a vampire if the name didn't give it away it was the fact she just knew he was a vampire. She saw him looking around the classroom, and sitting at the back she could she everyone too. The girls all had dreamy face while most of the boys just wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

"Dune why don't you sit next to Mixie until we sort out the seating arrangements." Ms Glaser said. "Mixie raise your hand."

"Yeah mix and match raise your hand." Nax taunted.

As Dune looked her way there was definite sparks and a pink mist.

What the hell? She thought to herself.

Finished.

Soz about the delay to get this up.

I normally right long chapter, like 10 pages, but I thought to change it with this story.

Tell me what you thought, likes or dislikes. Were the characters alright?

=)