This is my first author's note, and it is to express my gratitude to EmeraldGreen4Life's mother, whose recent comment touched my heart. I am always so proud of my friends because they rock and will take the world by storm when their times come and are so unique and amazing in different ways, and it is just incredible to have the same thing I've told my friends told back to me by an adult as wonderful as Diana -- and I hardly know her! Diana: I thank you so much!!!!!
As for the rest of you: thank you so much for your reviews. They really have helped me in ways I didn't think they would. Please continue!
The Story of Amara Kuran | Mariah Bryant
Book One, Chapter Three
My Stalker
The bus rolled to a stop and its passengers disembarked. By this time, all of the clouds had dispersed and the sun was evaporating all of the leftover water, making it feel like a summer day to me. (It was a typical Virginian winter for the humans: November-feeling but June-looking.) For a girl whose favorite season was winter (the snowy version), that Friday was hardly a beautiful one. Weather was often unfair.
My carefree attitude was officially soured. Now, my amusement was laced with worry.
"It's awfully sunny. Are you going to be alright?" Mike asked me, turning toward the back of our herd to give me a small inquisitive smile.
I shrugged. My eyes were squinted, but I hardly noticed. Everything sparkled brighter than diamonds, and it was difficult to look at. "It's okay."
"Here. Let me buy you some sunglasses." Mike said. He motioned to a small store selling souvenir hats, umbrellas, coats, and more. The shade inside looked welcoming.
I smiled. "It's okay. I have some cash."
"Hey, guys! Hold up. We're gonna stop here first." Mike called automatically.
"I didn't think you'd be one to shop first thing." Melissa grinned at Mike, and entered the shop. She was not one for shopping, either, but the store had some cool necklaces and bracelets . . . ones that a skater girl would love to adorn herself with.
Stephen looked at us funny as he passed but he, along with everyone else, filed in. As soon as he was past us, he practically grabbed Ansley and dragged her around, telling her what would look great with her eyes. Benjamin watched awkwardly, then decided he was going to grab a pink hair bow and try to pin it on Melissa's head as she fought and cussed, saying things like "dude" and "get that out of my face". Meanwhile, Kayla, Alexa, and Jewel eyed pocketbooks distastefully and laughed at Benjamin. I smiled hugely to myself at this, my worry almost gone for the moment.
"C'mon." Mike said. Together we walked into the shade. My best friend led the way to a rotating shelf of sunglasses, and spun it around for me. "See anything you like?"
I grinned. "Well, it's not really a question of whether or not I like a pair of sunglasses, it's whether or not they look good on me." I picked up a pair of huge, round Beetles sunglasses and stuck them on my face. "See, I love these. They are awesome. But: they do not look good at all."
"I think they do." Mike said. He twisted the shelf to a side with a mirror on it so that I could see myself.
In the mirror, I saw that I really did not look bad in them. Still, I did not think they were the best I could buy. "Hmm. I still want to keep looking." Now I was frowning. Why did I have to look as great as a vampyre after I had just spoken words that would make me seem as normal as a human girl?
I found a cool pair of silver sunglasses with black lenses and that curved up and to a point at the far sides of my face, like they used to in the 1900's. I tried them on, but was not pleased to find that I looked amazing in them. I did not speak to Mike; I just bought the sunglasses and together we stood at the entrance to the shop and waited for the others.
I did not want to hurt Mike in the least, even just a little, so I decided to suck it up that I was not normal and thus not right for Mike and simply go on with life. "Thanks for looking with me."
"Welcome." he responded. Out of the corner of my eye I saw that he looked a little unhappy. It pained me; I had made him that way. Though I was not sure which thing I had done had upset him, I knew it was one of the things within the last five minutes.
The crew finished up, and we began working our way toward the first ride on the map, ignoring the hundreds of cool shops. All were fun, though I could perform all of those speeds and turns and loops on solid ground using only my body. The first rollercoaster we got to, one with many loops, was horribly close to torture. Jewel was right when she said that the sun hit me on all angles as the gripping coaster turned and flung me, as if I was a roasting pig. It was fine, though. The coasters did not last.
After five coasters and countless rides and games (which I sat out of because I had no money and refused Mike's offers to pay), Mike suggested that we take a break and sit under a tree for a while. He stood (and paced) in front of us. Stephen and Melissa whined and complained that they wanted to return to their ride riding, but although I was silent Mike would not allow us to leave yet.
"How are you doing?" Mike asked me.
Though I was feeling a little light-headed, I smiled at him. "I am fine."
"Well, I'm getting a sunburn. I don't see how you are fine." Stephen said. As always, it was impossible to tell what he wanted: to ride rides, or to take part in the drama Mike was making?
"I will be alright. I promise." I assured everyone.
A cloud passed in front of the sun. I used the opportunity to get a better look at the coasters that lay in our path.
My eyes went wide as a cold feeling caressed my cheeks. My jaw dropped, and I gasped silently. One-third of a mile down the walkway, a man in a long gray coat crossed from one store to another. He had blond hair, and stared at me as he passed through the crowd. He had no need to look where he was going.
I stared in disbelief, on the verge of screaming in horror. "It cannot be," I whispered in my native tongue, unable to contain myself.
Mike took my shoulders frantically. "What is it? Do you need an ambulance?" he followed my eyes, but saw nothing and whipped his face around to search my eyes.
He was being brave, though he had no idea what he was truly going to face. My love for him nearly escaped and I almost leapt from the bench, took him into my arms, and ran.
Instead, I swiftly devised a strategy. There was no doubt that if I was not imagining things, my nightmare would soon come true. I would save my family. They would not take another one from me!
I doubled over. To stop my trembling, I leaned forward with my arms wrapped tightly around myself and rocked back and forth. It occurred to me that I was gasping and tears were dripping from my cheeks onto my legs. Oh, god no . . . I chanted in my head.
I was no longer carefree at all.
I was scarcely aware of anything going on around me. My friends hustled and bustled around me, repeating worried questions over and over.
They needed me. Like a switch being flipped, I pushed everything to the back of my mind and put on a happy face. My friends needed me. "Ha . . . uh, let us go eat lunch now. That will make me feel better."
Mike blinked. Everyone was silent, all staring down at me. Each of my friends had stood and surrounded me. They cared for me. They were my family.
"Good god, Amara! You scared us to death, and now you just shrug it off? What in the hell was that?!" Jewel screamed furiously. Completely unaware of herself (as was usual for her) she slapped her thighs, a gesture she despised as much as hair-flipping. This meant that she was very (incredibly) serious.
My smile dropped. I had always reacted to scorn severely. Her words were like a punch to me. Stung, I looked down. "It was nothing. Really. You must trust my words."
A long silence passed before Mike extended a hand to me.
He sighed. "Let's go find a restaurant, then."
I took his hand and stood up. Without any warning, my knees shook once and landed me on the bench again. Now I gritted my teeth.
"How about we find one on the map before we head out?" Mike suggested.
"That's a good idea," Kayla said quickly.
"Let me handle that." Stephen said, yanking a map from his pack. He then started discussing with himself our choices.
"The closest one, Stephen." Mike ordered.
Stephen paused, and glared at Mike. Mike was stern. Stephen reluctantly stood and pointed in the direction. Luckily, he pointed in the opposite direction from where I had seen the blond man with the gray coat.
Mike slipped a hand under my elbow and helped me to stand carefully. With the hand that was not attached to the elbow my best friend held, I held onto his arm. Mike paused for just a second to glance at me.
"Ready?" Ansley asked.
"Yes," I said, careful not to nod my head. That would surely give me a headache.
Mike hurried me to the building's awning, and Melissa urged the waitress to seat us quickly. My friends pulled me faster than I wished to go to our table. When I was sitting down in the shade, Mike in the chair beside me, I felt my body slowly coming back under my control. Flipping switches, when you are a creature of the night, can be even more catastrophic than not.
I removed my sunglasses and put them into my coat pocket. Then, I sipped on a glass of water that the waitress brought me.
My friends and I ate, but everything seemed to be dulled and fuzzy. My brain was somewhere else: in Japan. What was going on there? How much did they know
