When my father returned later that night, he didn't suspect a thing and had tried to speak to me about our fight. I shut him out and emailed Gory. There was no way that everything I needed to say to her would fit nicely in a text message. I explained everything to her and requested something big from one of my oldest and best friends. She responded just before school.

Draculaura,

This is…troubling for you. Ever since I met you, you have spoken about the day when you and Valentine would get married. What has changed? Also, are you really sure about not wanting to marry him? It's been, what a week since you left for America? What is a week compared to four hundred years of courting, of love? Bram and I have been together for 279 years and I am sure I wish to spend the rest of my undying life with him. We are slowly but surely planning for our wedding next year.

However. As much as I would kill to be your Maid of Honour at your wedding, I know in your heart you do not wish for it. So, I'll do it.

I will talk to Bram (and honestly he'll do anything I ask) about moving to…Salem? What a dreadful place, full of normies! We will be heading down there anyways for your fathers wedding; hopefully we can convince him that this place is a fangtastic area to live.

With Regards, Yours Truly, ect,

Gory Fangtell.

I was over the moon with joy. Maybe this could really work out. I just needed to prove to my father that the friends I have made here were worth staying for. So at lunch, the five of us sat down at one of the tables further away from the crowd. Before they could start eating, I told them what was happening. Abbey made a noise.

"Back at mountain top, men are direct; they will not play silly game and will not force girls into marriage. They offer presents like yaks and furs, then ask for hand in marriage," she said shaking her head, "This boy is not true lover."

"Abbey is right!" Frankie said shaking her head, "Er, at least I think..."

"Mate, if you ain't comfortable with this relationship, why not just tell the bloke to bugger off?" Blue asked, placing her gloved hand on my arm. I sighed and shook my head.

"It's not that easy, it's too late. Even if I tell him to leave me alone, he won't stop trying until I'm married to him," I made a face and Clawdeen let out a growl. I comforted her and she shook her head. Before anymore could be said on the subject, Clawd and Heath sat down at our table. Deuce was nowhere to be seen.

Lunch went about business and as people left in groups, it got quieter. Soon all that was left was me, Clawdeen and Clawd. Clawdeen looked at her watch, "Shit, I forgot I had to go and help the gym teacher prepare for track. Sorry Lala, you know how to get to Home Ec by yourself right?" I nodded and she quickly got up and fled from the table.

I smiled at Clawd slightly before starting to get up, the conversation with Clawdeen still fresh in my mind. "I don't bite, often" he teased with a smile; I giggled and returned to sitting.

"I just thought you'd be more comfortable not in the presence of a vampire," I said softly with a shrug. He laughed and shook his head.

"Vampires scare me just as much as werewolves scare you," he took a swig of his coke and leaned back in his chair.

"So then you are terrified of me," I replied, the corners of my mouth twitching upwards. His grin faded and I giggled, "I'm kidding, you don't terrify me. If you did, do you really think I would be sitting here, or hanging out with your sister on a regular basis?"

"Who knows, you could just be doing what you thought is best to survive," his grin came back and he leaned forwards slightly. "There is a football game coming up this week, you should go," he smiled and nodded his head towards a poster on the wall.

"I'm grounded, forever," I turned down his offer sipping my water. He raised his eyebrow.

"Forever? Haven't you ever rebelled even a little? You could always sneak out," he offered again, and pointed at the poster, "It starts at 7, and shouldn't be longer than an hour."

Again, I brushed off his offer, "I know nothing about American football."

"Then there is no better time to go. Clawdeen's going I'm sure she'd be howling if you wanted to sneak out," he shrugged his shoulder, "It's your choice, but I am the quarterback."

I laughed, "All the more reason to go? I'll…I'll think about it."

"Good! I mean, cool," he cleared his throat, lowering his enthusiasm by quite a bit. We said our goodbyes then, knowing the bell was about to ring to warn us to go back to class.

I walked down the hall and over to my locker. After I grabbed my Home Ec and English binder and shoved my Social textbook back into my locker beside my gym strip, I closed the door. Two females leaned against the lockers beside me. They were opposites, and yet they were the same. The colour schemes of their outfits were the same, just reversed, and their hair was dyed opposite colours. I turned around, suspecting they were just at their lockers when a girl smirked at me.

"Well, well, well, look at what the cat dragged in," she laughed into the back of her hand. She had short red hair with yellow blended in and black stripes across her bangs. Her blue eyes gave me a cool look, though her grin was the opposite of the look. "The new girl getting all friendly with Cleo's ex-beau," the girl teased, and the twins laughed at the same time.

"We're just friends. He's my best friend's brother," I replied, not letting them think I was intimidated. This was a common occurrence at an all vampire school. You always had to act like you were better than everyone else, or you were shoved down to the bottom where everyone just stepped on you.

"You know, you should really try out for the squad," the female said, her tone becoming very friendly, even though she was just accusing me of flirting with Clawd, who wasn't even dating Cleo anymore. "That would cause such sweet chaos, imagine Clawd's new sweetheart auditioning for a spot on the Cheerleading squad," she said placing her hand on her cheek and smiling.

"I have no interest in becoming part of the American cheerleading squad, now if you'll excuse me," I replied and attempted to walk away. One of the twins stepped into my way and nudged me back into the lockers. "Ow! Hey!"

"Why don't you try? Besides, all Queens must be dethroned after a while. Quite frankly, we think Cleo has lived out her reign," the female pressured, still grinning like the cat that swallowed a canary, "You can give Cleo the slap in the face she needs! Me and my girls will take ruling the school very seriously, unlike her."

"No thanks, because even if Cleo and I haven't gotten off on the right foot. Nobody deserves to be bullied, and if you want to try to kick her off her high horse, you go right ahead. I am not about to stoop down to your level," I said firmly and pushed past one of the twins.

"The names Toralei, remember it," she called after me. I continued walking until Cleo stepped in front of me. I held in a squeak of surprise and she looked at me like she was about to call down judgement on me. I should've been use to it by now; she stared at everyone like that. I still thought that if she was a mummy, she would make a great vampire.

"Anyone who doesn't like Toralei and her crew can't be that bad," she finally broke the silence, my eyebrow raised and she rolled her eyes. "I still don't like you, like at all, but you should consider joining the squad. Just to show those has been's up; they've just worn out their welcome in the squad."

"But, I mean what I said I don't want to join the Cheerleading squad," I replied, clutching my books to my chest a bit tighter.

"If you want Clawd to take a second glance at you, you should consider it. I'm already over him, you can go ahead and do whatever you want, but if you do like him...I will help...I suppose," Cleo looked me up and down before snapping and holding her hand out. Julia appeared out of virtually nowhere and handed her a pamphlet. "Here, take it, it shows you our cheer and when tryouts start, for next year at least."

I took it, knowing that she wouldn't take no for an answer. "Why are you being nice to me?"

Cleo looked a tad surprised at the fact that I had spoken; she placed a hand on her hip. "I heard what you said to Toralei…and you're right. Nobody deserves to be bullied…and one might…construe that how I've been acting towards you and your friends might be…bullying."

I gave her a hesitant smile, "If it means anything. I forgive you."

To my surprise, she returned the smile hesitantly but it vanished and she straightened. "Of course you do!" With that she turned on her heel and stalked away. I stared at the pamphlet before tucking it into my textbooks and walked to Home Ec.

^v^ ^v^

Clawdeen waited for me at my locker after English. Frankie and Abbey waved as I walked away from them and over to her. I pushed my Home Ec binder into my locker and grabbed my bag. She waited patiently and quietly as I grabbed my things and shut my locker. My father couldn't pick me up after school that day due to conflicting schedule with meetings and work. He told my uncle to pick me up, but after some convincing, he was going to go for a drive around town before picking me up before I got into the cul-de-sac. Samantha was still home and I knew she wouldn't hesitate to tell my father.

We left the school and before we could start our trek back to our cul-de-sac there was a honk.

Clawd waved at us and Clawdeen rushed to the car, looking relieved. We both jumped into the back, since Deuce was in the front. "Thanks, Clawd," I smiled at him and he nodded back with a smile. The ride was mostly silent and Clawdeen was looking at my homework. The cheerleading pamphlet slid out and landed on her lap. She lifted it up and read it.

"Where did you get this? Cleo only gives these out to people she likes or are good at cheerleading," she said looking at me in confusion. I tucked a loose piece of hair behind my hair.

"I was a cheerleader at Belfry Prep…and she gave it to me," as soon as I said it Clawdeen growled. I flinched away and Clawd growled back at her. Clawdeen calmed down, she held the pamphlet like it was contaminated.

"What the hell, Draculaura! I thought you and her were worst enemies?" she snapped tossing the pamphlet at me.

"I'm not going to join!" I snapped back, crossing my arms over my chest, "If you haven't forgotten, I'm not going to be here next year!"

"It'd be pretty hot if she joined cheerleading," Deuce commented and everyone in the car turned to glare at him, he laughed and held his hands up. "Whoa, calm down guys. I'm not interested in Draculaura like that!"

"Don't worry, Deuce," I reached over and touched his shoulder; "You can let me down the hard way. I won't take it personally."

He laughed, but the other two weren't done with the conversation. I told Clawd to let me out before we reached the cul-de-sac, which took some convincing, but he finally pulled over. He turned around before I got out and gave his sister a look.

"Clawdeen, you can't really stop her from wanting to join Cheerleading, if she wants to let her," he shrugged and dodged a punch thrown at him from Clawdeen.

"You are an annoying older brother! How could you just support her becoming buddy-buddy with your bitchy ex-girlfriend?" Clawdeen asked unbuckling her seat belt.

"The day Cleo and I become best friends is the day Valentine just stops wanting me as a mate," I placed my hand on Clawdeen's arm. I don't know if she knew exactly how impossible that was but she calmed down quite a bit.

I thanked Clawd for the ride before climbing out and waving as the car drove into the cul-de-sac. I waited for a handful of minutes before my uncle pulled up and I climbed in. Our plan was more or less successful as we pulled up and saw my father's car there. Had he lied that he wasn't able to pick me up, or did he just get home? I wondered if that was the case, did he see me get out of Clawd's car?

I prayed to every god I knew the name of that he didn't as I headed up the steps and into the house. My father walked up to me and smiled. "Samantha said that since you will be leaving back to Romania after this school year ends, we will be holding our wedding before then," he pulled me close and kissed my forehead. He pulled away, but held me at arm length, "Then you'll be getting married. I'm so happy for you, love," he reached up and stroked my cheek, his thumb brushing against the birthmark on my cheek. I looked into his eyes, seeing that there was pure happiness in them. I closed my eyes.

"I'm happy for you, Dad," I pulled him into a hug so he wouldn't be able to tell how I really felt.