Oh, am I rushing? I don't know why update fast, too. D: Guess I'm just excited like you all do. :3

Thanks for reviewing and for the 'fantastic' comment. I like it. I'm also glad that I'm almost as good as the ever-so-great Ms. Alyson Noel! xD

It's also okay you're getting into reading this. Makes me think my story finally captivated someone! ;3

Dead people… are what make the topic for me and what to start my day today. How entertaining she thinks of that at this time for class. Oh, I almost forgot that Mr. Robins is out, lingering in the teacher's bathroom, thinking in depression. This is just so nice for the timing, Mr. Robins. Thank you very much.

This is a perfect time to chat once again.

"Hey." I smile, slipping into my favourite seat in the world seconds after the bell rings. But since this is Mr. Robins' class, it's too much early to come and listen to the typical lectures about this and that. Which is I already know and which is I know how to use to my advantage in certain times I need to.

Ever nods, hoping to appear casual, neutral, not the least bit interested. That she makes it to shake herself from daydreaming about me. And that's so tactful, I might say.

I look at her, tapping my pen on the table, making this click sound for attention that really drives her to her edge. I still can't forget about how she looks so beautiful in her dress last weekend and I say that I'm dreaming most about her forever, too.

"Your aunt seems to be nice." I tell her, complimenting Sabine, too, the most caring and responsible aunt in the whole world. If I were given a chance to be her nephew, I'd be proud to brag about her love and understanding. But, I will be sooner or later.

Ever mumbles, her mind focused on cursing Mr. Robins, wishing he will just stop his dilly-dallying in the bathroom, lingering about nothing and just stow the flask, get the job done already. Poor Mr. Robins, I think. "Yeah, she's great."

I shut my eyes, trying to dig a little about my buried past, using this time to silence the noisy atmosphere around us into something blissful; quiet and tranquil. I spin the end of my pen, whilst I do the muting of everything in our environment, as she looks at the pen I twirl without faltering on the tips of my finger.

"I don't live with my family either." And I say the truth about me. "I'm emancipated." I continue to tell her, breaking my own set of rules and saying my thing about being in solitude and freedom without anybody – well, except Drina – but I still want to count that as in without anybody.

Ever fumbles her iPod in her secret compartment, thinking it's rude not listening to me.

The Drina and everyone I know of is already and probably dead.

"Seriously?" She asks me all of the sudden, trying to talk about this for a minimum although looking at the way I dress, my glamorous visit on Fridays at the St. Regis hotel, and my BMW makes it pretty good that I'm not usually doing that badly.

I nod, thinking she has no idea of how I meet and lose her 600-times-in-a-row combo. Of how I miss her every single day of my miserable life and how I love her every bit of her different lives. "Seriously."

She tries to stop the other thoughts that swivel in the room after I stopped talking. About Stacia's comments about her clothes, on how Craig, her boyfriend agrees even though he is not really in it and about Honor's calling her a freak.

Teens today must be taught a lesson, huh?

I take back the calm atmosphere, asking her in solemn, thinking 'Do you still remember those past things?' kind of question. "So where's your family?" Ever looks frustrated though, that the noise in on-and-off, like she's distracted by this game of trip-to-Jerusalem, that she is left standing and she was left as 'it'.

I throw my pen in the air, doing it slowly series of eight as it falls down right to my fingers as she thinks that she'll needs her iPod to shut the world up and drain everything. Including me; especially me.

Which make it hard for me for a bit to continue this chit chat with Ever.

"What?" She squints, not knowing what to answer or do. I'm sorry, I didn't mean it; I smile to assure her that it's okay, as I change the question of this pop quiz. "Where does your family live?"

She closes her eyes, with me and her knowing Mr. Robins will be walking in just a few seconds in the class. Enjoying the silence for a little time, she opens her blue eyes and gaze at me, mesmerizing me with those captivating eyes. "They're dead."

And the class begins.

"I'm sorry."

Knowing I will be giving her my sorry-please-accept-this-gift present, I say as I gaze at Ever, who is eager for Miles and Haven to show. I knew I shouldn't be saying subjects like that. How very funny thinking about dead people made me say a thing about them too, to a person not willing to talk about it.

She just opens her lunch pack, surprised at my apologize gift – a single red tulip lying smack between her sandwich and chips.

A tulip! Just like the one from Friday night.

She thought, like confirming her thoughts that I'm the suspect responsible for every lovable tulip meant for her. And tulip is the best flower I can give to her; my symbol for my undying love for her. I take off my thoughts at my side a bit, focusing my pardon for my trespassing from Ever. I don't want this moment to shatter; just let it be forever.

"About your family… I didn't realize ... "

"I just don't want to talk about it," She shrugs, wishing I'll just stop and let it go already, as she twists her straw from her juice back and forth. But I don't want to; that I want her to heal herself for her guilt out of love.

I try to help her, lessen her burden on her shoulders. Hoping that I can give advice to her or something… Or something that can make her feel better.

"I know what it's like to lose the people you love," I whisper, reaching across the table and placing my hand over hers, infusing her with a feeling so good, so warm, so calm, and so safe, that she closes her eyes and allow it. Allow Ever to enjoy the peace of it.

"Um, excuse me."

Why didn't I even notice? Haven leans on the table, her yellow eyes showing some sarcastic jealousy. "So sorry to interrupt."

Ever gradually pulls away from me, as I keep my hand to myself, wishing that I am and she, herself, is forgiven. How I want to explain everything to Haven to just stop her fantasies about me and her because I've found the only woman for me… even before she was born.

"Where's Miles?" She just finally say, wishing she can explain, too to the vampire princess about… well, everything that she doesn't want to be involved or anything; but she is from the start, she just doesn't know about it.

Haven rolls her eyes and sits beside me, her hostile thoughts transforming her aura from bright yellow – happiness; that I'll be eating with only her in lunch time – to a very dark red – angst at Ever and (Miles?) that I don't want to know, as I just sip my red drink again, supplying myself.

"Miles is texting his latest Internet crush, hornyyoungdingdong307," she says, avoiding Ever's blue eyes as she busies herself with her cupcake. Gazing at me, she adds, "How's everyone's weekend?"

Or how is your weekend, Damen? Is the real question she has in mind, just trying to say it out loud.

Ever just shrugs, knowing her friend doesn't really care about her but me. We watch Haven as she taps the frosting with the tip of her tongue, performing her usual test lick, even though we've yet to see her reject one.

Glancing at me, Ever does. I just shrug, rolling my eyes from Haven. I don't really want to talk about it and just keep it to myself because that is one of the best evenings of my life. Believe me, even if Drina is in the story.

"Well, as you can probably guess, my Friday night sucked. Big-time. I spent most of it cleaning up Austin's vomit, since the housekeeper was in Vegas and my parents couldn't be bothered to come home from wherever the hell they were. But Saturday totally made up for it. I mean, it rocked! Like, seriously, it was probably the best night of my entire life. And I totally would've invited you guys if it hadn't been so last minute."

Haven breathes – good thing, because from what you said, you can die – and nods, deigning to look at Ever.

"Where'd you go?" Ever asks casually, like nothing's wrong even if she's already picturing a scary place... makes me picture that creepy place – me and her, together – with Haven (unfortunately) in where I will protect her from the creeps like her knight in shining armour.

"This is totally an awesome club that some girl from my group took me to." And that made me jump for a bit, looking interested in their eyes.

"Which group?" Ever sips her water from her bottle.

"Saturday is for co-dependents." Haven smiles, arousing suspicions for me. "Anyway, this girl, Evangeline? She's like a hardcore case. She's what they call a donor."

"What who calls a donor?" Miles asks, placing his Sidekick on the table and sitting down beside Ever.

"The co-dependents," Ever say, bringing him up to speed of Haven's fictional story. I just nod.

"No, not them, the vampires." Haven rolls her eyes. "A donor is a person who allows other vamps to feed off them. You know, like suck their blood and stuff, whereas I'm what they call a puppy, because I just like to follow them around. I don't let anyone feed. Well, not yet." She laughs.

"Follow who around?" Miles asks, lifting his Sidekick and flipping through his messages. Miles sure is busy with that hornyyoungdingdong307. Well, whatever. The important thing is he's got a lover. And I'm happy for him.

"Vampires! Jeez, try to keep up. Anyway, what I was saying is this co-dependent donor chick, Evangeline, which, by the way, is her vampire name, not her real name."

"People have vampire names?" Miles asks, setting his phone on the table where he can still peek at it while waiting for the horny dude to answer. He is seriously into Haven's story, assuring himself to listen anyway before Haven smacks him.

"Totally." Haven nods, poking her finger deep into the frosting, then licking the tip.

"Is that like a stripper name? You know, like your first childhood pet plus your mom's maiden name? Because that makes me Princess Slavin, thank you very much." Miles smiles.

Haven sighs, striving for patience. "Uh, no. It's nothing like that. You see, a vampire name is serious. And unlike most people, I don't even have to change mine, because Haven is like an organic vamp name, one hundred percent natural, no additives or preservatives." She laughs. "I told you I'm a dark princess! Anyway, we went to this really cool club somewhere up in L.A. called Nocturnal; or something like that."

"Nocturne," I say all of the sudden, sipping my red drink seriously as my eyes grip on her yellow eyes. One word possible 99.9 percent: Drina.

Haven sets down her cupcake and claps. "Yay! Finally, someone cool at this table," she says unbelievably can't believe that I know that organization. Of course, I knew. How couldn't I?

"And did you run into any immortals?" I ask, gazing at Haven.

"Tons! The place was packed. There was even a VIP coven room, which I totally snuck into and hung out at the blood bar."

That's not what I meant. I drop my dark eyes to the elixir, my face reflecting red. What I'm talking about is immortals, people like Drina. With long life and supernatural un-human powers obtained. Someone … like me.

Voices of Miles and Haven fills the air, as Ever just listens while I'm in my own thoughts, drowning at the possibilities.

"Did they card you?"

"Laugh all you want, but I'm telling you it was way cool. Even after Evangeline sort of ditched me for some guy she met, I ended up meeting this other girl, who was even cooler, and who also, by the way, just moved here. So we'll probably start hanging out and stuff."

… Cooler girl? Hmm, it couldn't be her, right? … That redhead woman who promised me to leave my house in this morning and just go to Los Angeles, where she is taking residence now…

"Are you breaking up with us?"

Haven rolls her eyes. "Whatever. All I know is that it was better than your guys' Saturday night-well, maybe not yours, Damen, since you seem to be up on these things, but definitely those two," she says, pointing at Miles and Ever, while taking me away from my train of thought.

"So how was the game?" Ever elbows Miles, trying to get his attention back on us and away from his electronic boyfriend.

''All I know is there was way too much team spirit, somebody won, somebody lost, and I spent most of it in the bathroom text messaging this guy who's apparently a big fat liar!"

He shakes his head and shows us the screen. "Look, right there!" He stabs it with his finger. "I've been asking for a picture all weekend because no way am I meeting up without getting a solid visual. And this is what he sends. Stupid phony poseur!"

I look with all of them, as I laugh within my head. Ever looks like she's the only one who doesn't know it all, because Haven gapes the moment she saw the thumbnail. "How do you know it's not him?" She asks, not taking the picture hardly unlike Haven and with disappointment from Miles.

I simply said.

"Because it's me."

Even I already finished Evermore a couple of months ago, I'm still hooked by it and I don't want to read Shadowland yet! (And I know I'm so slow for still not reading it)

Even though I'm super busy to death, I want to update fast to escape this killing spree and be happy with typing and posting a chapter.

Wow, this is the longest comment I typed in here. Sorry! :3

We're at least 29 chapters left from the book! :D I hope I can fill it up and end this nicely like the original book. xD

Review, guys and gals! ;D