Chapter 30

Here It Goes Again

"W-who the hell gave you the right to boss me around?" I hissed in a shocked response. Alec dropped my bag and walked towards me. I refused to step back, and instead kept my eyes glued to his as he grabbed my arm and held it up to my view so that I could see his bite marks on my wrist clearly.

"It isn't a who. I left this mark on you. It'll be left there forever."

I yanked my arm back and glared at him. "That doesn't mean anything! Besides, I've never seen any marks on you from when your mother changed you!" I retorted.

Alec suddenly unbuttoned the top of his shirt and pulled it down his shoulder a bit. I almost blushed at seeing his bare skin, but what I saw barely hidden by his shirt was the bite mark. It was faint, but there. When he pulled his shirt back up and buttoned it, he gave me a smug look.

"Satisfied?" he grunted, turning away from me and picking up my bag. Without a backward glance, he tossed my bag back at me and I caught it. "Carry it on your own."

I huffed and followed after him to class, in which we were really late to.

'''''

Up until lunch I had no other classes except first period with any of the Darquecaster's. I found it disappointing that I had first period with only Alec and not Brent or even Rylan. I could deal with Rylan. Before I went to the cafeteria, I stopped by the bathroom and looked in the mirror at myself for a long moment.

Max had been right. I didn't look like Avanni Maddox. I looked astounding. My hair was tame and curled softly at the ends. That was the style I'd never managed to keep it as. My eyes glittered in the dim lights of the bathroom, and weren't so dull anymore.

I had learned though that not all vampires were pretty like this. It was really unfortunate.

With a sigh, I made my way out of the bathroom and to the cafeteria. I paused as soon as I walked in. I watched as Tiffany sent Elly a weird look for sitting at our table, but as Brent made his way over, Tiffany's eyes widened ever so slowly. The other Darquecaster's sat down in boredom, but Brent remained standing and sent Tiffany a huge smile.

"Oh my God!" Tiffany cried out and practically attacked Brent with a huge embrace. I watched and listened from a distance. I wasn't their only audience either. Our table and some of the other tables surrounding ours were watching the scene intently.

I heard Brent say, "I need to tell you something important before our relationship continues."

My heart sped up almost painfully. Tiffany glanced at him and then around the room. She smiled at me and I gave her a thumbs-up. Then she nodded to Brent and they left the cafeteria past me. Brent was going to tell her about vampires. I could only hope that would turn out well.

As I walked toward my table, Max stood and smiled at me. "I saved you a spot." he motioned to the seat between him and Elly. I sat down and looked across the table at Lukas, Alec and Rylan. Only Lukas was looking back at me. He smiled at me.

"So you two are going out?" he asked, leaning forward on his elbows.

My eyes went to Alec, and at the same time he looked up at me with an irritated face once more.

"Yeah." Max replied, grabbing my hand and placing our entwined hands on the table. Lukas whistled.

"You two don't seem like a likely couple."

"You didn't seem like an ignorant asshole when we first met, but when you opened your mouth, my opinion of you changed." Max said dryly. I was surprised at his quick comeback.

Lukas merely grinned. "How do you feel about Alec biting into her and changing her into one of us?"

Before Max could reply, I hissed at Lukas. It sounded very inhumane. It shut him up completely though, because he looked to me in surprise. "Knock it off already!" I bit out.

Great, now we were all back to square one.

"No, actually he has a point." Max said suddenly. I looked at him, no, we all looked at him in astonishment, even Rylan. "I know about her making out with Rylan and him biting her as well." Oh my God, I started blushing. How did he know? "I also know that Lukas and her have kissed a few times."

Then Max turned to me with an unreadable expression on his face. I wanted to hide somewhere far away and never crawl out into the daylight again. There was only one person who could have told him and it had to be Elly. Word must have spread fast.

"I also know that you want to break up with me."

But that fast?

Max's words made my entire body freeze and turn cold. I looked at him with wide eyes. His expression went from emotionless to pained. He let go of my hand when I didn't deny it and gave a fake smile.

"I really do like you, Ava." he muttered, and stood up, leaving the table. I could only stare after him in shock. I felt like a cruel, heartless being all of a sudden.

"Wow, is this high school drama or what?" Alec suddenly sighed in boredom. Elly rolled her eyes and stood up.

"I guess it's my job to go after him." And with that, she did so. I was stuck with Rylan, Alec and Lukas now.

In which, none of them spoke. I figured this was my chance to speak to Rylan. I stood up and tapped him on the shoulder. He peered at me. "Can I speak with you for a little bit? Alone?"

Without responding, he stood up elegantly and we moved out of the cafeteria. "I see how it is! Leave us all alone!" Lukas called after us.

I ignored them as we walked into a vacant hallway right outside the cafeteria. I turned on the vampire following me and took a deep breath.

"No." Was his bitter response.

The breath in my lungs was let out in a whoosh. "I didn't even ask yet!"

"There is nothing going on between Elly and I. I will not spend the rest of my life with such a bipolar female. I would prefer to be alone."

Damn him and his stupid mind climbing abilities!

"They are not stupid."

I huffed angrily and threw my hands in the air. "At least I can say I tried!" I exclaimed, turning and making my way back to the lunchroom. Rylan grabbed my wrist though, preventing me from leaving. I looked back at him. "What?" I demanded.

For a moment, he raised an eyebrow. "Maybe you are bipolar one." With a shake of his head, he said, "I wish to finish that painting of you."

My mind reeled back to the time I had been in his room, before he'd made out with me and then bit me. My eyes widened. "You still have that picture?"

"Yes."

"Fine. But on one condition."

"That is?"

"There has to be a chaperone to keep you from mind-molesting me and biting me again."

A tiny, almost invisible smirk appeared on his lips. "I agree."

I smiled in relief. It was good to have the Darquecaster's back, even if it meant more of their jackass attitudes.