Nikki Ann PoV:

I smiled at Brendan before heading up to my front door. "I'll see ya in school!" I called to them as they drove off. I skipped up to the house and opened the door. Mom ambushed me. "What happened?" Mom questioned. "I fell asleep somewhere and some of my friends found me. It was too late to go home by then so I stayed the night." I said. "Now, let's go unpack!" I cried out and skipped up to my room. I could hear my parents briefly before I closed the door. "I swear that girl is going to end up in a bad state at some point." My dad said. I rolled my eyes as I closed my door and stared at the room before me.

=X=X=X=

"Stop being stubborn and tell me where it hurts," I muttered as I searched over the mountain lion in front of me. My leg! My leg hurts now fix it! The large cat thought and growled threateningly at me. I flicked its nose and rolled my eyes. "Which leg?" I asked. The mountain lion lifted its front paw and whimpered at the pain. I poked the leg and the mountain let out a ferocious roar of pain and anger. "Okay, okay! So it seems to be broken or something," I muttered and pulled out the Ace bandage I had. I grabbed a stick nearby and straightened the paw with it before wrapping the bandage around the stick and paw. "Stay off the paw and have your lioness bring you food so that you can stay off it." I instructed softly and smiled before sitting cross-legged. "Until you're strong enough to hobble over to your cave, I have a buddy to talk to!" I squealed enthusiastically. "How'd you break the leg, anyways?" I asked, tilting my head curiously. The movement irked my bell and I held the bell still with my middle-finger and my thumb to keep it silent. Something attacked me. A human but very strong. The lion answered.

I nodded my understanding even though I didn't really understand. I furrowed my brow in confusion. "A human shouldn't be able to snap a leg clean in half," I mumbled. She was very strong. And when the light caught her skin she glittered like river jewels. The cat said in awe. I smiled. "Well, I think that finding a girl who sparkles ought to be an easy feat." I giggled. She really did sparkle! She was pale too and had golden eyes. She has a Pack that she travels with and has mahogany hair down to her back. She is very beautiful and they would normally feed on humans. I believe your kind calls them the Cold Ones. The lion thought. "I wasn't being sarcastic! All I have to do is get the person that matches this description into the light then scold her! If she was going to break your leg, she should've killed you fully at least." I said. How is that much better? The cat shouted in his mind and growled at me. "Because it causes less shame and you won't be able to feed your family for a while. No animal should be left at a disadvantage; you could've died honorably because if they feed off of animals, it seems that they have fed on more than just you." I said.

Then she should be sentenced to death! The lion thought angrily. I rolled my eyes and sighed. Trying to reason with a feline was like trying to tell an Anorexic woman she doesn't look fat. "Think about it; if they would normally feed on humans then this would be honorable seeing as they are giving up a delectable meal for a far less delectable meal. No offense, kitty," I said and pet the cat's head. He nudged into my hand and actually purred. I suppose if their regular diet would be to feed off of humans, it would be a step down from vampirism. The cat thought. "Vampirism? I suppose if they are vampires then that means they're only trying to preserve the human race. And by preserving the human race we can help a lot." I said, still petting the cat's head absently. Yay; the skinny woman no longer believes that she's fat! "You're a nice chat buddy," I cooed and hugged the cat's head. And my name is Micah, not 'kitty'. I giggled at that and nodded. "Alright, Micah," I said. The cat purred even more and settled his head on my lap.

"Do you want me to help you to your cave?" I asked the mountain lion and glanced at the area. No; it would be considered traitorous to give out a habitat to a human. Micah answered. I sighed and nodded. I owe you my life, child. Micah said kindly as he stood up on his three legs. "It's Nikki and nope! I like helping and I got a chat buddy," I giggled. Micah bowed his head in respect and hobbled off quite quickly in the general direction of his habitat. I sighed as the buzzing began in my head. I quickly stood up and jogged to my house. By the time I got in and got to my bedroom my head was killing me. It was worse because usually I would've passed out by now. But never such a deal when it's me.

=X=X=X=

I skipped into the school in my new outfit. I was wearing a pair of brand new jeans and a new V-neck silver sweater that reached low on my chest but not too inappropriately. I had my bell and was wearing a pair of suede flat-heeled brown boots. Over the outfit I wore my usual grey trench coat unbuttoned. My hair was combed neatly and freshly washed so it was fluffy and shiny. A clap of thunder roared overhead and some girls nearby screamed at the shock. I giggled as I skipped up to Brendan and his friends. There were some other girls there too. "Hi ya, Brendan," I said excitedly. "Isn't it a great day?" I observed. To prove my point a shock of lightning struck behind the clouds, lighting them up brilliant silver on the dark grey clouds. "Depends on your definition, I guess," Brendan laughed and smiled down at me. I smiled back.

"Are Cold Ones vampires?" I asked Brendan. He looked startled at this question but nodded cautiously. "Oh, okay; I was wondering if my friend got the definition wrong." I said and smiled back at him. I liked having blue eyes; they clashed splendidly with Brendan's green eyes! "You're looking great today, Nikki," Collin said from behind Brendan. I giggled. "Why, thank you, Collin." I said and gave a bow. "Oh, Nikki, this is Kim and Trisha," Brendan said and gestured to a pair of girls. I smiled at them. "Hi, I'm Nikki," I said and offered my hand to them in general. Kim smiled and shook my hand. "It's great to finally meet you; Brendan's been bragging about you all morning." Kim giggled. I smiled. I liked being bragged about; it gave me something to be proud of. Trisha smiled and nodded. Both girls were beautiful but different. Trisha had tan skin just like Kim but her hair was only a shade darker than her skin and was beautifully rich. She had a pair of jeans and a striped sweater on with a light jacket. Kim was different. She had tan skin but her hair was pitch black and shining a brilliant grey color ever time the light caught onto it. It truly was unique and beautiful. Both girls had dark eyes unlike me. My eyes were piercing blue and I was proud of them.

Collin was actually wear jeans and a grey T-shirt today but no jacket and only a pair of flip flops. I smiled at him. Jared was by Kim's side and Danny was by Trisha's, each of them holding protective arms around their girlfriends' waists. Kim was wearing a pair of black jeans and a black T-shirt with a light jacket. I noticed that Collin was separate from the crowd. "Collin, you don't have a girlfriend?" I asked. Collin frowned and shrugged. Brendan chuckled triumphantly. I guess I got him back for something. "Nope, he doesn't," Brendan chuckled and wrapped an arm around my waist. I liked it. It was warm and toasty, much like how Micah's fur had felt yesterday. If he wanted to be protective then that was alright. I checked my watch on my wrist and frowned. "I have to go get my schedule," I said before turning to Brendan and smiled. "Do you mind if I kiss you before I leave? It's been nagging me all this time." I giggled. Brendan seemed shocked so I took the chance and kissed him. It may have been by surprise but that didn't stop him from kissing back. I have to admit; it was very, very nice.

I pulled away and smiled. "Alright, now I've got to go get my schedule. But I'll see you in some of my classes or maybe even in lunch!" I said excitedly. "See ya," I said and waved.

I left quickly and rushed to the office to be on time. I have to say that if I had things my way, I wouldn't have had to separate that kiss from Brendan. But I had school to work on! But I'm good at school. I quickly got my schedule and left to find my first class. Brendan was waiting for me outside of the office. I grinned at him. "Happy to see ya," I said and rocked on the balls of my feet with my hands clasped behind my back. Brendan chuckled and moved forward. I liked this kiss most. I liked it because I didn't have to ask him.

=X=X=X=

"Okay; so you two know each other for two days and you're already going out?" Collin scoffed in disbelief. I rolled my eyes and nodded. This was about the sixteenth time he'd asked. I'm not exaggerating. "Monkeys mate upon first glance," I said with a shrug. "You're not a monkey," Collin pointed out. "Yet there's a theory that we evolved from apes which is in the family of monkeys and therefore we have some habits that are alike to monkeys!" I pointed out proudly. The entire table laughed at that. "What'd you do yesterday?" Brendan asked curiously. "I just hung out with my friend in the woods. I was very happy!" I said and smiled up at Brendan. Did I ever plan to tell him? Well, it would become inevitable at some point so maybe.

I was still debating. "Why'd you ask about the Cold Ones this morning?" Danny asked curiously as Brendan began to play with a strand of my hair. I smiled at him. "My friend heard about an animal that got hurt by a Cold One or so they say. The front leg was snapped clean in half." I said and broke my breadstick for emphasis. But the breadstick was much more appetizing than how that leg felt yesterday. "Why would a vampire do that?" Trisha snorted and rolled her eyes. "Well, I heard that some Cold Ones have a rare diet that they only feed off of animals. I think that the Cold One may have been interrupted before she got to feed off of the animal." I said and bit off of my breadstick. The entire table stared at me. "What? I think that it's rather civilized! But it's absolutely implausible," I said. Frankly I was lying but I didn't want them worrying. Quileute natives are very believing of their tales and if the others thought I was getting too involved with such a legend then they would try and stop me from finding her.

I dipped my breadstick in the cup of marinara as others agreed vaguely with me. I rolled my eyes as I ate the breadstick. "Okay, so who do you think would win in a fight; the Hulk or Spiderman?" I asked the table. The table then began to debate against who would win. Frankly, I believe that Spiderman had a fair chance because of his animalistic senses and the spider web that he could ultimately spin to protect himself along with the defense of bounds. In fact, he might even be a fair challenge in bed. That would be interesting. "I believe that Spiderman because of his instincts and webs." I said. "He's got the advantage over the Hulk." I said. Kim agreed but Trisha disagreed, saying Hulk could easily beat him down. "It's simple as this; the more muscle, the more you win." Trisha said and shrugged stubbornly. "It's not that simple; you need wits as well as strength and frankly, the Hulk isn't the smartest person on Earth despite his career." I said.

"Now, do you guys like Kangaroos?" I asked and went on to talk about kangaroos in the way that I do. I have to say this; I wish I could tell them. I wished beyond wished that I could tell them but I couldn't. They wouldn't accept it easily. I would have to hint them into it. I stood up to throw my tray away and smiled down at Brendan before kissing him deeply. "I'm going to class, Hardy," I whispered and grabbed my backpack. "But enjoy your lunch and I hope you guys have a wonderful day!" I called to them.

In class, I looked and stared out the window at the vegetation around the school. I could see some wildlife in there and I could hear all their thoughts buzzing around in my head though it wasn't as hard as usual. Then I heard the slight roar of a mountain lion. I wasn't the only one.

People began to whisper around about the roars and I heard some guys trying to "comfort" the scared girls. I smiled and raised my hand. "Yes, Miss Sawyer?" Mrs. Thomson asked. I stood up and grabbed my stuff. "I need to go to the nurse's office and lay down," I said, smiling at her. She looked suspicious a moment but couldn't exactly shoot it down. I smiled as I skipped out of the room down to the main hall. I exited the school, flinging my bag over my shoulder and running into the vegetation, making sure not to be seen. I ran steeply into the forest before glancing around. "Micah!" I called to the forest. "Micah!" I called again, cupping my hands around my mouth. Then I heard a slight crackle of twigs behind me. I turned around and smiled at my animalistic friend. "What's the emergency?" I asked, smiling at him. Micah was stumbling and looking faint. He stumbled towards me and nudged my legs silently then led me away. I smiled and followed along, trying not to skip as usual. I didn't want to injure him any further by tripping over him.

I heard another roar of a mountain lion but this time it was too far for anyone from the school to have heard and it was much more feminine. The roar died down to a whimper as I came closer to a clearing. A female lioness was lying on the clearing floor and it didn't take much to know what was wrong (or rather what was right; depends on your point of view) with her. I smiled at Micah. "You're going to be a daddy!" I squealed and rushed to the lioness and knelt beside her. "This will be sort of messy, though," I mused. I sighed and reached into my backpack, pulling out the apron I had for home economics class. I pulled it on along with a pair of latex gloves that I keep around for emergencies such as this. I'm not exactly trained in this area of expertise but I know what people like when they have belly aches.

I rubbed the lioness's belly as she whimpered. Oh, dear Goddess! It hurts so much! She was screaming in her thoughts. "I'll bet it does, honey," I said to her, giving her a reassuring smile. "But it seems like it'll all be over pretty soon," I assured her and rubbed her belly. She whimpered again and let out another roar as the baby began to move and make its appearance. "I just hope I'll be able to determine the gender before I cut anything," I giggled and looked at Micah. He looked very worried. "Don't worry, Micah; she'll be very alright. Every human woman goes through this even and it does hurt immensely but it will pass." I said. I braced my hands awkwardly at the back of the lioness. "I'll need to press the baby out of your baby," I said. "Because 'push' just seems so cliché," I giggled. I rubbed the lioness's belly and braced one hand on the head of the baby cub. "C'mon, honey," I said. "You're almost there," I assured her.

Please let the cub be alright! Please let the cub be healthy! The lioness thought frantically and let out a dying whimper as the baby was finally down to the back legs. "It's alright, honey! It's alright! The cub will be perfectly healthy," I assured the lioness. Now, if you've ever seen a baby kitten ever be born then you know it's not a pretty sight, even though they end up pretty damn cute after you clean them up a bit. I pulled the cub out the final seconds and heard the loud energetic meows of the cub. I grinned down at the cub. "It's a female cub," I assured Micah and the lioness. I reached into my backpack and pulled out the pack of Wet Wipes. You won't believe how constantly prepared I am all the time. I began to clean the kitten to the echoing meows of the newborn. I rubbed the lioness's belly again and smiled at her.

Who are you? The lioness asked curiously. I shrugged. "My name's Nikki," I said and continued to clean the cub. By the time I was done it was a beautiful tan mountain cub. She had large ginger brown eyes and meowed at me. I giggled and hugged the cub close. "She's adorable," I said to Micah. "What's your name?" I asked the lioness. My name is Song. The lioness thought to me. I smiled. "Well, Micah, Song, say hello to your new baby girl." I said and set the cub on the forest floor. It was adorable how she scrambled to her legs and tried to stand.

But what was better were her thoughts. I got to hear the thoughts of a newborn cub. This place is so odd. What's that color? It's very odd. It's strange! But I like it! The cub thought. I giggled. "She's quite adventurous." I giggled at the pair of mountain lions. Micah relaxed his head to me in a bow yet again. "No need, no need," I assured him as I stood up and looked down at myself. Thankfully no blood had gotten on my clothes and only the apron and gloves. I pulled the gloves off and tossed them to the side. "Don't eat those," I joked as I pulled my apron overhead and sighed as I ran my now-soft hands through my hair. I rolled up the apron and tucked it away in my backpack. "If I ever wear that again, I'll look like a butcher-shop murderer." I giggled to myself. Micah gave a small kitten snicker and began to back off with Song and the cub close by. "What are you going to name her?" I asked softly before they could walk off. Micah seemed to almost smile at this question. Nicole…

I made my way back to the school and grinned as I entered the school just as the final bell rang. Damn it! I had skipped my final hours of school. Brendan glanced around for me before I skipped over to him. "Hi ya, Brendan," I giggled as I reached up to kiss him. In the whole day this was my favorite part. He wrinkled his nose at me and looked confused. "You smell like blood," He said, sounding confused. I blinked. How was I supposed to answer that? "I cut myself on something." I answered with a shrug. Brendan shrugged and kissed me again before leading me outside to his group of friends. I giggled but shook my head. "I have to start heading home." I said and wrapped my arms around his neck before kissing his lips. "Are you sure?" Brendan mumbled against my lips. I nodded and backed away. I gave a brief salute before skipping off down the road.

As soon as I got home I rushed to the washer and shoved my apron in there. I then began to strip and headed up to the shower. I scrubbed myself thoroughly before exiting and faced my mirror. How did he smell it when I hadn't had it on me? I blinked at the mirror and sighed. "Nicole, we're home!" Mom called from downstairs accompanied by a squeal. I smiled but I missed the meows of Nicole. I had only heard her a few seconds and yet she had this hold on me. I shrugged and got dressed into a pair of pajama bottoms along with a black tank top. Yay for Nicole the cub!

A/N: I know. It's crappy but still! I love it because it's sweet. And she's not random all the time.