The Strangers

I wildly looked for the source of the sound that pierced the still night. Most of the people (although calling them merely people may not be appropriate) I knew would not be harmed in any way by a gun shot, it still sent chills that had nothing to do with temperature through my body. Only humans could be bothered by something as trivial as the cold.

But it was the dead of the night. Humans in general are asleep during this time.

I was torn between sticking to my original path and objective and checking out where that gun fire came from - and for what. I knew that it would be a mistake to change my course, but I somehow felt I needed to investigate the source of the gunfire. After a moment's deliberation, curiosity got the better of me, so I followed the direction of the shot. Just a couple of miles east of where I was heading. I turned to my right then dashed forward at full tilt.

Somehow I felt a twinge of panic as I darted through the dark alleys. In my peripheral vision, I thought I saw three men watching me through a window of one of the run down buildings. Odd.

I was only a quarter of a mile away when I heard it - a very weak, low moan. Now that I was closer, I was able to catch the person's familiar scent in the air... and his blood! I rushed toward the person who I knew for sure was bleeding to death now. He's just six more leaps away. One, two, three, four...

"Alex," a melodic but urgent voice I was relieved to hear called me from the dream that was quickly turning into a nightmare. "Are you okay?"

I didn't open my eyes at once as I tried to remember the important things in my dream: a quarry, three watching men, dark alleys, a bleeding man. I tried to remember who the bleeding man was but I was coming up short. I was sure I knew the man but now, I am not as convinced - he may be someone I still haven't met. But I stopped recalling the bleeding man. I could still remember the taste of his blood in my throat.

When I opened my eyes, I was so prepared to see Max and be relaxed but then I saw the time on the grandfather's clock at the foot of my bed.

"Oh, shoot!" I cried, rather shrilly. I think that was how I would have screamed if my dream had not been cut short.

"What?" Max crouched, looking for the cause of the alarm.

It's half past eight! "We're going to be late, Max!"

Max turned his head to the grandfather's clock, too, then chuckled. Oh, he looked at me with worried eyes, though he was still smiling. "We'll just have to run, then."

Max shook his head, I thought something was wrong. You should stop doing that, you know - surprising me. I could still have a heart attack. He sighed then said, "Were you having a bad dream?"

"I... I dunno, it was cut." Which was a good thing, thanks. I have to lie.

Max smiled, warmer this time. He was coming closer to sit next to me but I couldn't risk skin contact - he would be able to see the images in my dream, the unvoiced worries in my head, and he would just worry, too.

I was out of the bed in less than a second. I shot through the closet and grabbed a red blouse and a pair of jeans.

"How's the weather?" I asked as I slipped into my jeans. I snatched my favorite leather jacket (with a hood with furry edges) propped on a chair just outside my closet. I then gathered my school stuff on my overly organized table. "Will we need more props?"

Max snorted when I said the word props. He knows I never liked wearing layers of clothes - it just feels uncomfortable and unnecessary. We can withstand temperatures way below and above the normal. But he can't help but be exasperated at how I feel about it.

Max was by my window in less than a heartbeat. He slid my curtains aside to show me the crystals still shimmering on the sill. It rained overnight.

He nodded. I sighed.

"Take a thick scarf or a pair of gloves with you. Your leather boots and a cap won't hurt, too." He eyed me for a while then said, "You'll look even better, your clothes will match."

I laughed.

"Max." I rushed to hug him, and kiss him on both cheeks.

"Stop it, Alex. I thought you're worried we'll be late?" He said dismissively but his smile was smug.

"I love you, too." I smiled the sweetest one I could muster.

Breakfast was ready when we went down to the dining room.

"Hmm, interesting," I said, throwing a furtive glance at Max.

"Just eat, Alex." He said, shaking his head.

On my side of the table across Max's clean side was a plate of rare steak and a glass of the sticky, red liquid that we needed above all.

Max caught me staring at the glassful of blood.

"Deer," he answered my mind's question. I was sniffing the air to find out which animal lost this blood.

But this was just a replacement of the blood we really need. Most of our friends (who are the normal ones; we're just half of what they are and more) hunt and feed the usual way. They fail to see the difference or the similarity between hunted humans and donated blood. They are even perplexed at how we could stomach animal blood.

"Would you like more or something else?"

Something else meant human blood. But a lot of things have changed in the last couple of millennia, including the way we acquire the essential part of our diet.

"More, I think." I replied, "We'll have a class at the dark room later, I might not be able to control myself and -" I joked, roaring and snapping at an invisible creature. We laughed then I continued in a more serious tone, "When did you hunt, anyway? I thought we're out of fresh food?"

"This morning. I got up very early so I just hunted." Max answered as he prepared his bag for school. He was wearing identical leather boots and jacket as mine, although minus the fur on the hood's edges.

We became quiet for a while. He happened to glance at me after a minute while I was playing with my steak and shooting daggers at my drink.

"Eat." Max ordered.

Oh, I can't believe you just did that!

Sorry, haha.

Ugh.

I quickly sat down and started cutting the steak following Max's direct order. After I swallowed my first bite, I was able to speak again.

I asked, "Where are we going after graduation?"

Max and I are both seniors at Parker High School. We had all classes together. We're practically inseparable - except restroom breaks. I will never be separated from Max again. The first time had been nothing but a nightmare. Though the one - only - thing I liked about the temporary division was the reunion. The sweetest thing.

"You could go to college again if you want, but I won't - I'm taking a break. Maybe I'd just look for another job - again." Job, Max rolled his eyes at his own thoughts. "Or I think I have a good place in mind we could stay for another couple years. And without going to school." He grinned.

Where? I asked Max, my mouth full with the deer meat.

"Somewhere in Europe. That's the last place they would think of looking for us because it's near one of their havens." Max sighed, then continued with a snarl, "I hope they would just grow tired!"

Uh-oh. Max is getting angry again, which is never good. I have to divert his attention or.. I mentally winced at the thought of what would happen to our beautiful house if he'd have a rage

"You know, sometimes, I think we blend in too much that humans seem to not realize that they are in danger from us. They even want to be with us." I said. Taking in Max's too normal apparel, which was the first thing that popped in my head, I added, "Look at you. You're wearing that Green Day shirt. No one will suspect what we are because well, we look like them. Stunningly beautiful, but normal."

He was shocked at my statement. His rage ebbed away immediately. That bad, huh? Max snorted. "Sorry, I'll behave now, Alex."

I gave him a tight smile. I understand how Max feels. I also wish they would stop looking for us and let us be. It's been an endless running. Not that we won't be able to protect ourselves, but we don't want to start something that would end only when we are dead. If they never find us, we wound not have a reason to kill them all, even for revenge.

Max and I like to think that we've been successful in changing ourselves. We used to be the ones hunting them down, but letting their few weaker warriors to live. We have diminished their number to less than twenty in our last encounter. But over the past five millennia, we got tired of the lifestyle. It finally got to us - fighting, fighting, fighting. We wanted to live peacefully, just like Anastasia would have wanted.

I sighed. "I hope we could just stay in a place where no one would mind if we never age." I think this human thing is really rubbing off.

"You know we can't do that." He frowned. Everyone near us will get hurt once they have a go at us again... By them, worse, by us.

We stared at each other for a long second, and then burst out laughing.

"I can't believe that we're starting to really care about stupid humans. Ugh."

"We have been doomed to it, Max. We've been living with their race for..." How long?

Since the dawn of time, Max answered my musings.

I sighed again. "Let's go?" I said, putting down the now empty glass. I gathered my dining stuff and shoved them into the dishwasher.

"Let's."

We arrived at school five minutes before the bell was due to ring. We ran, as Max had suggested. We passed through the forest that surrounded the city, racing each other. We could have driven, of course, but we were ever so careful to attract attention so much as a ticket for speeding. At least when we run, even if we're faster than our car, no one sees us in the woods.

"No sweat." Hahaha, Max laughed mentally, his black hair wind-swept. "Didn't beat our record, though."

"Come on," I urged. It seemed Max would like another round of racing.

Then it happened. It was as sudden as seeing a lightning strike. The scent knocked the air out of me.

They were driving fast. A couple of miles. Suddenly, my muscles tensed and I instinctively looked at Max. He mirrored the horrified expression I had.

No. Not here, not now.

Max inhaled deeply then cursed under his breath. "Four?"

"Easy," I told Max. I put a restraining hand on his shoulder.

He must have thought that I meant that we could easily take the four enemies out because he grinned then started flexing his hands, ready for a fight.

The silver Volvo stopped at the nearest vacant space, just a few feet from the campus gates. The strangers' car was at almost equal distance as where Max and I froze from the school entrance.

I shot Max a cautious look. We need to communicate through telepathy because the four will be able to hear us if we spoke, even in a whisper.

No, Max. They're not aware of us. Not yet, at least. They will if you don't -

Relax?

I let out a nervous mental laugh. Yes. Act natural - er, I mean, human.

Max let out a booming laugh that made me jump.

When they got out of the car, only one of them was looking at us. But when the others saw the thoughtful look on the male's face, they also looked in our direction. They were all very young - at least in appearance. No older than twenty. Two males, two females.

Perfect... Just what we needed, they're checking us out, Max!

Max ignored my growls. Mates?

Probably.

Damn, they're looking at us like crazy. Careful, Max growled in his head.

I wanted to point out to him that he should be telling that to himself but then one of the strangers spoke.

"What is it, Edward?" Asked the female in a blue blouse under a thick jacket. Props.

"Nothing," the one called Edward replied, his brows pulled to a frown.

I felt sting in my head that ended as suddenly as it started. It was the same pain I felt whenever I am targeted by special abilities.

Without a warning, I was able to hear a hundred voices at once - all in my head. I felt like I was being swarmed by thousands of bees. My vision swirled.

I felt Max's hand grab my elbow.

Are you okay? Max asked.

I nodded, then averted my eyes at the one called Edward. I also cast a sweeping look at the school grounds. Everything happened within just a few seconds. Not one human seemed to notice.

Max, let's go. I gripped his forearm then started dragging him towards the school entrance.

Why the hell are they here? Do you think -

I don't know. They may or may not be here for us.

Max snorted. Why else would vampires be where we are? Coincidence?

He had a point, of course. We make make it a point to research that a place has not been infested by vampires before we decide to settle there.

Coincidence is likely, but may be equally improbable. But haven't we just talked about wanting not to be found? They may have someone who could detect others by being alerted when the object thought of the trackers. Would they employ vampires to look for us? Aren't they as furious at their existence as ours?

Max, let's go. I told him again, more urgent and forceful this time but not quite like the unbreakable commanding tone of Max. My head felt like it was going to split in half at any moment and it was all I could do to stay focused, and ignore the buzzing thoughts that weren't mine.

We were past the school grounds now and nearer the entrance to the main building. I was hard put to drag Max because he was still staring at the frozen vampires. They were still by their car, as I can see through Max's vision - bloody vision. Max was thinking how best to obliterate the vampires, sifting through his memory of every vampire we have destroyed.

I stopped and shoved Max to a corner.

Max, I waited for him to look at me before I continued. Max stared at me, mutinous. I will not fight while we are in school. Get familiar with their scent and then we will come after them later. Maybe we won't even need to track them. If they are here for us, they will come looking for us.

And if they attack? He clenched his jaws.

I looked around. Over a dozen students were still in the school grounds, scrambling to get to their first periods in time - thinking of the excuses they would tell their teachers should they be - oblivious to the imminent massacre. Will they make it inside the building, into safety, before the vampires attacked? Will we be able to save those who will be left?

I looked back to the vampires. We were at least two hundred yards away from where they were. The last handful of students ran past us, shooting us puzzled looks, and headed to their respective classes.

I was resolved. To hell with secrecy. They tracked us here, they will die here. If humans saw us destroying these hell-bound vampires, so be it. We'll just become another couple of fugitive murderers to them, anyway. Humans have no hope of ever catching us.

Then, and only then, will we fight back.

Edward cleared his throat.

I paid no attention to him or to the other vampires, a growl bubbling in my throat. But almost instantly, I released my grip on Max's arm, realizing something. I chanced a glance at the vampires, and I focused on Edward's skill. The small, pixie-like vampire was questioning Edward about his strange behavior, but only in her mind. She noticed that Edward wouldn't answer their spoken questions. She knows her brother so much, and she was convinced that something was wrong.

Hang on. If I could read her thoughts from across this distance, Edward can surely read my mind now.

Alarmed, I tugged Max inside and to the exit toward the building where we will have our first period again; but this time with my full force. Max was so shocked that I had resorted to use my maximum strength that I was able to pull him without any opposition at all.

"Wait - " Edward started to say, but we were already half-way to our first period's building and I had no interest in knowing if it was us he was talking to.

I dragged Max all the way to our home room. We were the last to arrive, all of our classmates were already seated and settled. And as usual, even when we're not supposed to be the center of attention, all eyes were turned to us.

Mrs. Lautner, our English teacher looked up to smile, and acknowledge our arrival. She was arranging her lesson plans on top of her table.

"Sorry, Mrs. Lautner. Car problem." Max said, grinning sheepishly. He said this in a confident and convincing way that Mrs. Lautner believed that he was telling the truth. Or it may be because it was Max who spoke them.

She has always been fond of Max but when she saw Max smile, and after I saw Mrs. Lautner's sweet memories of a laughing teenager, I realize that she has a nephew who talks and laughs just like Max does.

"It's all right, Mr. Hunter, I've just arrived myself," replied our middle-aged teacher.

A couple of low snorts meant that she has been in the room for at least ten minutes, even without me reading our classmates' minds.

"Are you feeling well, Ms. Chase?"

"Oh, yes, I am. Just a little tired, I think." I smiled, almost apologetically. I have never been addressed by Mrs. Lautner like this and I could see how I looked like through her eyes. I looked horrible - like I've seen someone get murdered. Well, I almost did, not just one but a number of kids.

"All right, please take your seats - we'll be starting in a few moments."

It was Max who dragged me (although he was trying to maneuver me as lightly as he can) to our usual seats this time. I could clearly hear our classmates' thoughts while we were walking towards the back of the room. Some were more distinct than others, and some where just garbled musings they were not hard to ignore.

Aww... It's really here. School is starting again - officially. Where have all the summer days gone? I barely got a tan.. Grunt. Earl Knight raved.

Earl has always been in good terms with Max and I, but he was so distracted, he did not even give us a second glance.

Late? What is it this time, can't tell which shirt is whom? Luke Martin's thought.

Sigh. I thought she was sick. I saw her fall, good thing Max caught her in time. Josh Fleinhardt mused.

Josh has been in our English and History classes since junior high, the only other student who knows enough about these subjects aside from me and Kylie Masen. He has always been kind to Max and I but I was surprised that he was more concerned than he seemed.

Huh, look at that freak. I did not need to look around to know who thought about that.

She's like in shock. Oh, maybe they're fighting. Smirk. Don't worry, Maxie, I'll be here when that - ugh (she rolled her eyes) - disappears. Janice Storm, who has had a crush on Max since we had ninth grade PE with her, thought darkly, and loudly. Her thoughts are not new to me. I've caught her and her "in" cheerleader friends a couple of times talking about me in the girls' washroom. One day, she'll get in trouble. I grinned at her.

She started. Her mind became blank for a fraction of a second. Fear. When she recovered, she smiled and thought, Freak!

Dammit, first period is Math? And they expect us to pay attention? Groan.

Hold on, was that Jiro Wang?

My eyes grew large - larger than what it already is, according to Janice Storm. I can hear every single thought of the kids in our room... and outside?

Way outside. I realized that when I focused and tuned the ability well, I could hear hundreds of non-curricular daydreaming and a handful of attentive thoughts of students taking notes of their teachers' first day lecture in our building and the others nearest ours.

This is crazy.

And amazing! This is probably the best skill I have ever copied. And would have been the next best to absorbing Max's ability, but for some weird reason, however countless times Max applies his gift on me, I can't reuse it.

We even experimented once, a very long time ago. Max wanted me to do something (I can't recall what exactly) but I refused. He had to use his ability on me to have that task done, and it was the first time he had ever given me an unbreakable command. Being hard-headed as I am, I tried to copy his ability to give him the same order. But I couldn't control him. After that, I thought of Max applying the order on me deliberately so that I could try to copy his skill. He was reluctant at first, but he agreed in the end when he realized that nothing's happening, Max ordering me at least a hundred times. But I failed a hundred times as well.

When we reached our seats, we shook our jackets off and rolled up the sleeves of our shirts in perfect synchronization. I can't help but grin at the awed looks of those who watched us, though Max noticed nothing.

Mrs. Lautner started the roll call. It was cute how she thinks of her students. When she called a name, she would also attach a small description like "one with a deep dimple", "the girl that handed me my fallen things last year" or "that noisy but brilliant kid". When he called Max, she added "the older Mickey" and when it was me, she said "sweet, shy smiles".

I have always liked Mrs. Lautner. She may be the kindest teacher in this school. But now, I have warmed to her more.

It was a good thing that the vampires appear to have rethought their strategy to get to us. I would not want people like Mrs. Lautner, Josh Fleinhardt or Earl Knight get hurt because of our mere presence here. I will not let them near this school again. They will not see the sun rise at dawn - or set at dusk.

Max touched my arm exactly when I finally decided on tracking that Edward and his accomplices after third period. I planned on skipping the after lunch classes.

They will not harm anyone here. We will not let them. Don't worry too much, we'll get through this, too - together.

Yes, I know. Come what may.

It's just that it's been more than half a century that we fought our last battle with vampires. And the five vampires we destroyed were not gifted like Edward. This may be, not difficult, but tricky. And I do not like the way the other male vampire looked like. He had scars on his face and neck, not visible to human eyes. Not at all ordinary when you are a vampire. And I know for a fact that only vampire's venom could leave scars on vampire skin. He may be an experienced fighter.

"Here," I lazily said, as Mrs. Lautner read my name.

I continued to think of the best tactics we've done in slaying vampires. We've faced vampires countless times and we're always walked away barely needing to catch our breath. I have gone about replaying a couple of vampire episodes in our life for two seconds when I realized that the whole room went quiet after I spoke.

I looked at Max. What did I miss?

He hesitated for a quarter of a second then answered, Well, Mrs. Lautner hasn't called you yet. Not out loud, at least.

My mouth shaped a small "O". Then I smiled sheepishly at Mrs. Lautner. I knew she hated interruptions during class and hoped she won't get annoyed at me.

"Sorry, Mrs. Lautner. I'm just used to being called next to Lisa."

"It's all right, Ms. Chase. At least I know you are here." She looked at Casey Walker who was doodling on his binder. He did not seem to have noticed the embarrassing exchange.

I laughed nervously.

Freak, Janice Storm again with a smirk.

Mrs. Lautner shook her head infinitesimally, then continued calling out students' names.

Dammit. I need to identify the quality and volume of the thought statement and differentiate it from spoken words. And fast. I can't go on answering people's thoughts. I'd become a freak to the ultimate freak for sure.

I tried to focus on Mrs. Lautner's first day lecture. Most of the period went to discussing the coverage of the subject and the tasks we should expect to have.

It was fun and annoying to listen to my classmates' thoughts. Most of their minds are on their crushes, lunch, final subject and quite surprisingly Max and I. Fun is when they would read and interpret Max and I's every movement while shooting us glances that they thought were supposed to be missed. Some even wonder what it meant when one of us would touch the other's hand or arm, a brief glance exchanged, just to turn our heads away. They knew that it had to be something, but of course, who would have thought that we were talking in our heads, reading the other's thoughts and feeling the other's emotions, right? But annoying is when people like Janice Storm would twist my body language and statements, like when I answered Mrs. Lautner's question about the best things about the previous summer.

Well, nothing that happened this summer may be considered good. One may even well be one of the worst and saddest moment of our existence. We actually went to Burbank, California to visit a human friend we haven't seen in fifteen years. She was pregnant with her son, Charlie, when we last saw her. We met Sonia in England when Max and I went to high school with her in nineteen-ninety. She married an American straight off from high school, and they moved to Burbank. Sonia was one of the very few (just three, to be exact) who were human and knew what we were - and accepted us. But when Max and I got there, we arrived just in time for her funeral. It felt ironic that what linked Sonia's life to us is death. We got closer to her when her mother died in eighth grade. Our last visit was when her husband died fifteen years earlier. Now, it was her funeral that we attended.

She had a kept a diary of her life, and a number of pages were dedicated to Max and I. Charlie seemed to have been expecting a visit from Max and I. When we arrived at their doorstep, he handed me a picture of his mother, Max and I by the fountain of the school grounds that Sonia has treasured all these years to show that he knows. Charlie may not have been convinced of his mother's tales - bedtime stories about us when he was younger - which he thought to be just fabricated, but when he saw how Max and I had not changed at all since the picture was taken, he'd had no choice but to believe. I was relived that Charlie had accepted the truth about us and still promised to keep the secret the way his mother did. He cried a lot when he told us that he felt stupid that he thought his mother had gone crazy during the last hours of her life by telling him that the bedtime stories were real.

But where was the good in that? So, I lied for the sake of a good answer but I played with what really happened. I reported that we went to Burbank to visit a friend - who was Charlie now, instead of Sonia. It was true that we brought Charlie to our dormitory in England the day after Sonia was cremated, so I mentioned the trip. I was aware that I smiled when I mentioned that Charlie had been so happy when we arrived in England to see where his mother had gone to high school, but I was sure that my facial reactions were not supposed to suggest that I was in love with him. And what was ludicrous was that most of those who thought that there was something between Charlie and I, also thought that it was weird that Max had allowed my infidelity and not killed Charlie or me (at least figuratively).

Some of my classmates' thoughts were not just annoying but also distracting. I have never retaliated when it came to word wars, snide comments or dumb opinions, but it was entirely different when I don't even have the right to react because the words were not spoken aloud.

If she has this Charlie, she should have just stayed there and left Max alone here. Well, he won't be alone - he'll have me. Janice Storm couldn't help but grimace that I chose to stay with Max.

Like I have another choice. Even if I had been presented another choice, I doubt that I will want to be away from Max. Humans would never understand the depth of the ties strengthened by time - a lot of time. Ten thousand years to be exact in approximation.

I began to wonder about the vampires we saw earlier. How old are they? It would show on the shade of their skin, and the intensity of their scent. This is not something that vampires can identify, but we aren't like them. We are more than vampires.

And I should have paid more attention to them earlier. I should have checked how they reacted to us - what their thoughts were. That Edward is able to hear thoughts - what did he think about us? How would he tell them to proceed now that I have his skill?

Were Max and I the only ones who saw them?

Mrs. Lautner was writing something on the board. I can feel a homework on the way. All the other students, grudgingly or resignedly, copied the lecture, feeling the same way. No one would notice our silent communication.

I touched Max's arm to tell him what I was going to do. I needed contact with him so that I'd somehow still be aware of what's happening in our class. But it would attract unwanted attention if we held hands while in class so he kicked his right boot off while I was pulling off my left sock. It was good because he will also know what I'm thinking in real time – no need to retell my thoughts later. It was good, too, that we always sit at the back of the room.

I started sifting through the minds of the people in the rooms around ours. Not one of them saw the pale skinned strangers in the school grounds. Neither did any of those in any of the classes in our building, students or teachers alike.

I was sure that I clearly heard Jiro Wang in his junior Math class. The Math building was East of our English building, and it was the closest to the main building. Maybe someone saw them and are thinking about how weird they were.

Hey, try to appear to be more attentive. Your eyes look like you're half-way asleep. Mrs. Lautner won't appreciate that another student's mind is traveling somewhere else.

Max grinned at me.

Sure, I'll try, I told him sarcastically.

I pushed my mind to travel farther than our building. East. Max, call me when I look like I'm in outer space, all right?

Alex? he joked.

Hilarious, Max.

It was difficult to let my mind just drift and look for another mind to read so I rode on one person's mind to skip to another. I got lucky that Taylor, the school keeper, was walking along the pathway to the Math building. He had his cleaning tools and he was worried that the graffiti in the gym wouldn't come off. He would have to paint the whole wall for the third time.

Max stifled a growl. I swear I'm going to look for the kids that did that. And since they seem to be very attached to that wall, I'll use their blood to color it.

I snorted. Better yet, order them to help Taylor with his job every day after school. That'll surely earn them a different reputation than what they're aiming. Imagine them, doing what they hate to do. Just make sure they are aware that they don't want to do the chore yet they don't seem to know how to stop themselves from doing it anyway.

Very well. But then, I can just kill them and use their blood to color the wall. Easier.

I sighed. Enough, Max. All right? Let me focus again.

Taylor stopped abruptly after he walked into the Math building. I am luckier than what I expected. But Taylor wasn't.

Taylor took a deep breath. He was frozen just a few steps into the Math building. Ghosts?

No, that's not a ghost, Taylor. Max swore, Run!

Max shot up not a second before the bell rang to signal the end of the first period. I pulled my foot and yanked my sock and boot on. We had to keep skin contact so we both decided to keep our jackets off. When Max tightly gripped my hand, there was a sudden mental uproar of teenage girls' mutiny.

We were out of the classroom now, but Max suddenly stopped, seeing Taylor's reaction in my vision. Max was torn between running as fast as he can to aid Taylor and not being discovered. But Taylor did not seem to need saving.

"Hello, we're new here. Our first period ended early and our next class is in the Science building. Do you mind pointing us in the right direction?" The small vampire spoke in a tinkling soprano.

Oh. Sigh. Right, ghosts can't look that good. They're more like angels than ghosts. "The Science building's across the library. Just go through the exit there," Taylor pointed to the West exit of the Math building, "Then go straight ahead until you see the large sundial. The library is the building where the twelve of the sundial points, and the Science building's the four."

"Thank you."

"Anytime. By the way, I'm Taylor, the school custodian. Welcome to Parker High."

"Thanks, Taylor! I'm Alice. This is my brother, Edward." Through Taylor's eyes, I saw Alice smile sweetly up at him.

Edward nodded to Taylor.

"Let's go," Max urgently said. That's where our next class is, too. If those two are still here, the other two can't be far.

I nodded, venom boiling in my whole body. They dare. They dare come inside our school and walk the halls where my schoolmates - my fragile human schoolmates - are.

Hello? "What are their names, Edward?" Alice said when Taylor was a few feet past them. They stayed where they were but they backed into a corner to avoid the students rushing to their second periods - students who were eying them stealthily.

"Max and Alex," Edward answered, but he seemed that he was calling us, too.

If I can hear them, Edward can hear us, too.

I grabbed Max's hand and tugged him. We were going between a fast walk and a slow run toward the Math building.

"Get as far away as you can, while you can, vampire. If I still see you anywhere in this school after ten minutes - and I don't care whether it's face to face or just seeing through my schoolmates' eyes - I will end you all. I swear, I will go looking for you, and I'll make you wish that you had died before turning into the filthy parasites that you are."

"Don't think that I'll let you have all the fun, Alex. Leave at least two for me, okay?" Max joked, but he was serious with his version of a threat.

"Please, hear us out," Edward pleaded. "We did not come here to do anything that would provoke you to do to us the things you have been thinking about."

"I have no time to listen to your lies and excuses, vampire. You will die if I catch you. You'd better take your little coven, and leave before I get my hands on you and I -"

"We come in peace. We weren't even aware that we would need to declare this. But I swear, we have nothing against you. Although, I think I can safely say that you, on the other hand, have something against us."

That stomped my rage instantly. "We do have a vampire complex, don't we?" I asked Max, and he laughed.

"Why is that?"

"We don't need to explain ourselves to you." I snapped at Alice, my fury coming back as fast at it had gone. We're just a few feet from the Math building. "If you're still standing there when we arrive, I'll bury your ashes there."

"What - and let the humans see you finish off vampires?"

"Alice," Edward cautioned.

My thoughts ran wild. I stopped in my tracks just after entering the Math building, letting go of Max's hand - I balled my hands into fists, keeping my anger in check. We can see them now. And it seemed that Edward was not just wary of an attack, but actually afraid.

"I am, not for myself but for my family," he answered my thoughts. Alice looked at him, puzzled.

He was telling the truth, I was sure about his fear for the other vampires' safety. He was thinking about his wife who is not around, probably to protect her.

Alice had a point, as hard as it may be for me to admit. I couldn't risk fighting when humans are around, however far they may be from ground zero. (I couldn't have them within at least a mile in radius.)

Mrs. Lautner wasn't here, she was still in the same room, preparing her lesson for her next class. But Josh Fleinhardt was heading to the Math building to pass through the shorter way to the gym, and he was just fifty feet behind us, along with a number of our classmates. Most of them may not be in our next class in the Science building but most of them will pass through here to get to their respective classes.

What will they think when they see us fight the vampires?

Do not listen to our thoughts, Edward, Max ordered with a grin. And Edward immediately had to follow, he was able to read the thoughts of everyone around but ours. It seemed that he was inconvenienced with not being able to listen to our minds and there seemed to be something he was hiding about this. He suddenly brought up the other female vampire's face, his wife, in his minds then quickly shoved it at the back of his head and filled his mind instead of his and Alice's views of the situation, and their interpretation of our little actions, wary of the brewing battle.

I was about to try to explore his thoughts more to discover what he was trying to hide when Max called my attention.

"Alex, there's something we haven't considered doing yet." And that will prevent the need to demonstrate to the humans how to destroy vampires - not that they will be able to use what they'll observe...

He took my hand to show me his thoughts, forgetting that I could read his mind now, even without our special means of communication.

"Of course." Just order them to leave. Simple. "But would you like to miss the chance to obliterate another coven?"

Hmm... Max thought in mock meditation. Then he shrugged, I could also tell them to leave and then when they're far enough, kill each other. Is that all right?

I laughed. "I don't know. It might be a bit brutal - even for us."

I looked at Edward and Alice to see if the threat had sunk in well. It might have but we all became distracted by a swarm of warm bodies, coming in the building to go to their next classes. Edward and Alice pretended to be examining the glass-cased trophies of the Parker Math students from years back. It was a bit interesting that a few of them, one was Josh, seemed to sense a bit of tension in the thirty feet of space between the vampires and Max and I.

When the last of the horde of students passed, Edward continued to examine Max and I from head to toe, still marveling on how humans like we seem to be, could have memories of the vampire slaying (he believed everything he's seen in our heads and he's been playing our recollections to check for any pattern in strategy), and lived when the vampires were annihilated. It seemed reverse, he thought, and he was a bit amused at this. He may have believed every vision of vampire battles we've had, but he can't help but think how mere humans could manage that.

Silly vampire, didn't seem to notice that our scent suggested that we weren't merely humans.

Maybe they're hybrids, too? Hmm... That's interesting.

What? He had guessed? But how could that be?

"Quite brutal, I have to agree," Alice murmured. There were just a little over thirty feet between us and I can see that her brows were furrowed.

I became completely distracted by her statement, forgetting the glimpse I had of a little girl in Edward's memory. What is she talking about?

Her eyes were oddly blank although she was attentive enough to voice out her opinion - and it was at the exact time that an opinion about Max and I's plans would have been uttered. I centered my attention to use Edward's special skill and applied it on Alice. Is she also reading our thoughts? But no two vampire abilities are the same. She has to have a different gift.

Alice's thoughts were wilder than mine, even putting together my own and others' thoughts, not because she was thinking of a number of things at the same time. Instead, her head was full scenarios and not thoughts. Most blurred and some distinct - like TV signal reception. She was running through her visions like slides in a presentation, analyzing each scene.

She doesn't seem to be reading our thoughts, but seeing the possible scenarios or outcomes because none of the images I was viewing have actually happened or are happening. I saw a very distinct scene through her eyes of Max giving out the order for them to leave (and they have, or will, because the place where they were wasn't within the borders of Juneau) - which can't be right because we were all standing in the Math building hallway in the present - but after a flash, almost in time when I saw Max shift his thoughts and decided finally to have them attack each other, her vision turned to a very clear scene where they would be somewhere remote (most likely near Auke lake), attacking each other.

It would really be a shame if I don't get to have a go at these bold vampires who dared to cross us at the wrong place. We have to make a decision. They're getting on my nerves. Shall we attack them now? Not one human was that near, except the rowdy students in the opposite room, waiting for their teacher who was still gossiping with the school cafeteria cook in a corner of the Math faculty office. Would they hear it when we rip the vampires' limbs apart and burn them?

"No, Alice. I told you not to -" Edward warned her, of what, I can't be sure because Edward was quick to change the course of his thoughts. Which he was efficient - he had to be, this was his skill after all. He should know the ways around the gift.

Since I couldn't get anything from Edward, I checked if Alice was still thinking about what caused Edward alarm. I suddenly saw one of the blurriest of Alice's visions - Max and I are poised to attack them here in the Math building's hallway, but the other two vampires were also in the picture - the other male was on Edward and Alice's side faced by Max, and I was facing the entrance, where the other female was standing.

For the second time this day, I felt my surroundings spinning around me.

I saw for a brief moment that I was being held by the shaking Max but when I locked eyes with Alice, it seemed I saw through a different set of eyes. I heard Alice gasp.

But since I was seeing through my own eyes (though it doesn't feel like it) the vision seemed clearer. With every tactic or strategy that went through Max's mind, the vision would shift, as if I was watching a huge TV being divided into smaller screens. I tuned out the other visions that were growing smaller, less distinct but more gruesome - as Max contemplated on how he could keep me safe while he kills the vampires - to examine the center screen which was the largest and clearest and what seemed to be the result of my decision.

My screen was where her previous vision ended. So that vision might have been the outcome of my decision - my decision to ask Max to attack the vampires then, and do so when he agreed. In this vision, Max was still poised to attack the three he faced. But I was not in an offensive position anymore. I shifted the point of view of the screen (how I did it, I can't be sure - it just happened when I thought about it) to see my face. I saw myself looking at the female vampire curiously. My vision self looked back at Edward with a shrewd expression then looked back at the lone, young vampire.

I somehow felt that Max was also watching the images I was seeing. He abruptly stopped his train of thought and also focused on my screen which was getting bigger, as if his smaller screens were being absorbed into it.

"What are you doing to her?" Max snarled. "Stop it!"

"Alice can't stop it, Max. However hard you order her to. And it's not her doing - not actually. It's Alex's visions now, and Alice is just stuck in the vision she started."

"How dare you blame Alex!" Max was about to lean me against a wall, but a breeze blew at my left elbow. I was sure he felt it, too, because he growled.

"Jazz -"

"Edward, Alice - she's... terrified."

"Edward, what's wrong with Alice?" The other female was standing in the threshold. All the characters in the vision are now present.

"Bella, stay there."

In my head, I saw myself sitting on the floor with eyes closed just like what I felt I might be like while having this vision. I heard a tearing sound and looked up to see Max fighting four vampires. The sound may have also been heard by the humans because their heads were popping out of the classroom doors. They might have thought that there was just some fight but when they saw marble-like pieces of moving limbs, they all fled in terror.

"Max, no," I was able to utter. "Stop."

He turned back to me, but he was still shaking with fury. I dodged the arm that he was about to wrap around me.

Breathing hard, I managed to sit straight and open my eyes but I was still not able to see the present. I felt Alice's mental shiver when she saw my memory of Max ripping them apart.

"Alice, it's Jasper. Tell us the matter," Jasper, the other male vampire, called her. Although Alice has registered Jasper's voice, she can't react like I can. She was trapped in the vision - and she was scared, as if she was really there within the vision and not just watching. And the voice of Jasper she heard was the vision's version of his growls and snarls.

"Don't, Max. The humans will see." I tried to sound calm but I was becoming as terrified as Alice with every second that I was blinded of the present. I turned my head towards the now three vampires' scents.

"Edward, do you see the vision through Alice's mind?" I asked.

"No." And it's so frustrating... He smiled but quickly frowned. "It might be because this is your vision and Max ordered me not to read your thoughts."

"Max, recall the order. Give Edward his full skill back."

"But Alex -"

"Please, trust me, Max."

Max's breathing which has been going double-time for the last ten minutes suddenly picked up more. This was the first time since our reunion that I asked for his trust and it may have affronted him.

"You know I trust you, Alex - with anything. Everything."

"I know, Max."

"Fine. Edward, you may read everyone's thoughts that you can read - including..." Max's nose must've flared because I heard him breath out heavily. "Ours."

I reached up a hand and Max assisted me to stand. He was puzzled but he did not question me. I quickly let go, and leaned on the wall. He does trust me and I was about to betray him in a way.

I needed Edward's help and I needed it badly. Alice and I were still locked in my visions, and I can't do anything to bring my eyes to the present. It is kind of disorienting to be in the present while I'm seeing the vision over and over at every possible angle. I tried hard to focus in the present and I succeeded.

And Max is already worked up enough for me to add another worry.

Tell me if I'm facing the wrong way.

I took a small step forward. A little to the left, a degree or two? Edward said.

How about this?

There.

I smirked, Okay. It felt weird that I was cooperating with Edward but it also felt nice.

"Edward, Alice is trapped inside my head." I started. "Or rather, we are both trapped within the vision, but Alice -"

Behind me, I can hear Max and Bella's frequent shallow breaths.

"Can't you talk to her? She's in your head after all." Jasper said brusquely.

"No, she doesn't seem to see me." I answered Jasper without facing where his voice was coming from. It might be the reason that I'm blind now. She's actually believing that she is there within the vision, watching you all get... attacked. "Edward, you can't still read her mind?"

"No," Alice... I can't hear her thoughts but I can read Jasper's and even without the images, I know that Alice is very afraid. And it takes so much to scare her.

"And you are diverting your thoughts. I have to see the where she is - to have an idea how to get her out of there."

As much as I suppressed the memory, the vision was replayed. I saw in his mind that he grew more anxious with every second, that I stopped the vision when Max turned to the other female, Edward's mate. He looked like he was about to get sick or start throwing punches.

"Bella," Edward breathed. I saw through Max that Edward's eyes were large and wild.

"Edward?" Jasper was reading Edward's reactions and he seemed to be very affected by Edward's emotions that he was also feeling the same way.

That wasn't true and it won't happen. I assured Edward.

As soon as I told him that, a new vision emerged - something entirely different and not immediate. A possibility, I heard Edward think, and somehow, his emotions became lighter.

"Alex?" Max said, worry coloring his tone.

"She's having another vision." Edward told Max. "And a good one, might I add."

I gasped the same time I heard Alice did when the vision ended. I can see now. So that means -

"Alice!" Jasper and Bella cried.

Alice slopped to the floor, not at all normal to a vampire. Then again, haven't I fainted twice within the last couple of hours? It wasn't supposed to ever happen to us either.

Jasper has already caught Alice before Bella swooped past us, not minding that she could have been seen by humans moving at lightning speed - not that any human would have seen her movement; they'll just see her standing by the entrance and the next moment crouched by Alice's side.

Bella would have liked to hear that you thought she was fast. But you have to know that she has never let her guard down like this amidst humans. She just loves Alice so much, and to see Alice this way...

"Consider us even then, vampire." All heads turned to me. I'm sure you know how much pain this caused Max. The vision would have taken place if I hadn't stopped him.

"I know. And I am truly in your debt."

I snorted, "You have a twisted kind of mentality, you know that? Even for young ones, you are too optimistic and trusting."

"Young?" Edward rolled his eyes. I'm positive that I heard you approximate your age at ten thousand earlier. "How old are you, seventeen? Eighteen?"

"Eighteen, and you're supposed to be -" Oops... Shoot.

"Excuse her, she's having another one" There was laughter in his voice as he saw my new vision.

"This would be more frequent at first." Alice said, a little breathless. "Just try to have a living-in-the-present disposition and the visions will lessen. Also, try not to think about the outcomes of every little thing. That would definitely drive you crazy."

Even with my still ongoing vision, I saw Alice stick her tongue out at Edward, and a memory of Edward asking Alice to keep an eye on the still human Bella.

I sighed as the vision ended. "Will that really happen?"

"As I have said about your earlier vision, it's a possibility." Edward chuckled. "Alice's visions - now yours, too - are subject to individual decisions. Thus, with a little doubt or a change of mind, the future would change as well."

I smirked and rolled my eyes. "Whatever, vamp. We're out of here. If you're still in the campus before the day ends, you're dead. And if you're as wise as you appear to be, you'll listen."

However I looked at it, Edward was right. The vision was possible because I was starting to like him and he knew, because he was able to read our thoughts again, that the threat was now empty.

I grabbed the hand of the still silent Max and we passed the four vampires to head to our Science class.