[TW: BLOOD, AND A LITTLE VIOLENCE]

"The ancient Greeks didn't live for very long," Professor Aurum paced back and forth in front of the large hellish projector. The edges of a large illustration distorting over her features as she stepped into the thin image. "Alexander the Great passed away at the young age of 32, on June 323 BC."

Beca had edged herself away from the dull light that was flickering in the back of the auditorium. It was annoying- the lightbulb making an odd and unwarranted buzzing sound that distracted me from whatever the young teacher was droning on about.

Chloe tapped her pen slowly against the lined paper that was half filled. Her handwriting was lacking. It wasn't as pristine as it always was. She was cold, not being able to feel her hold on the writing instrument or anything else. She leaned back heavily against the plush chair, not knowing what an ancient warrior had to do with Greek Mythology.

"Some say that the great Alexander died from a drinking problem that soon trickled into a fever," Aurum spoke, projecting her voice. "It's easy enough to say his vices were something that took him down- but for that time period he passed the life expectancy of many."

The redhead tilted her gaze towards the large theatre doors. They spilled bright sunlight into the dark area, making her cringe away. The kid who stumbled into his seat fifteen minutes late wreaked of weed. It was a sweet and salt-filled scent. He held a bike helmet in one hand- his notebook scorned and coated in a thick coat of mud as he mumbled an apology and sunk into the seat in front of the girls- trying not to attract any more attention than necessary.

"Nice of you to join us, Mr. Hallan." The woman who instructed the class gruffly took notice of the man who stumbled in late.

Beca shook her head softly as she pressed her pencil to the paper in front of her. She was sketching something, the movement of the lead against parchment was enough to drive a girl mad, but Chloe had other things to focus on. Other people to focus on. She stared curiously at the boy in front of her. He looked torn up- dirt wicked into his clothes as he set the bike helmet to his side. He must've fallen.

He smelled earthy. Almost like a strange combination of sediment and vanilla. It reminded Chloe of the time she used to help her grandmother in the kitchen. They would work in the garden all day to gather the ingredients. It raised spirits and appetite's as they came inside and took leftover flour and baking powder to create some form of dessert.

Chloe had once been so enticed by the scent of the vanilla extract that she rose it to her lips, cringing away when the bitter liquid danced across her tongue. Her grandmother gave her a sharp look. Stating that not everything that looks innocent is.

She shrugged it off, knowing that it was a little mistake, and she would move on. But the words always stuck with her. In a way, it reminded her of why roses had thorns, and why the best types of fruit were the hardest to get.

"Of course, another theory suggests the use of poison. Alexander was careful, he never sipped a drink that wasn't tested beforehand, but if someone very close to the leader handed him a cup full of wine, he wouldn't' hesitate. It was his downfall."

"Chlo," Beca mumbled, barely above a whisper, making stark blue eyes flash over to hers. "You okay?"

"Yeah," The taller girl cleared her throat, shifting her position in the seat. "I'm fine."

She clenched the front of the desk, though. Digging her nails into the grained wood as the smaller girl took a short notice of the change in demeanor that Chloe took on. She was tense, lips parted as she started to breathe a bit heavier.

That's when Beca noticed it, the scent of blood. That kid who was late carried it in with him like an aura of the stench. Usually, she wasn't so impervious to it, but she was more focused on the way Chloe was acting. The girl had so much control, it was different than the other vampires that were new to this. She thought through her actions, but now, with blood involved, that could be a different story.

The girl to her side was on edge, her jaw clenched to the point of needing a mouth guard. The red-head was struggling, clearing her throat as a nagging edge ate away at the back of her mind.

There was no reason and logic. It was like the very vice that Professor Aurum was droning on about in the front of the room. Everything else was blurred out, her mouth watering as a deep need filled her lungs. She was in a haze- the only thing on her mind was taking a sip of that vanilla liquid.

She could feel an undeniable ache emanate from her jaw, elongated canine teeth digging into her bottom lip as her own blood drawn from the freshly nipped skin. Beca let out a thick sigh beside her, shaking her head as she stopped her incessant doodling. She had been sketching flowers, the vines stretching in muddy graphite.

The tiny Burnette didn't' take more than a second to consider her options. She could very well pull Chloe out by her arm, creating a scene. Instead, she grasped the very pencil she was drawing with and pressed it roughly into Chloe's thigh.

A sharp inhale filled the room, one that other people assumed was a sigh, but Chloe's deep blue gaze flashed with shock and confusion. The tip of the graphite had reached all the way to the seat, Chloe doing nothing short of panicking now. Blood was slowly seeping through her jeans, staining them with a blotchy mess of iron.

"Beca," Chloe hissed, eyes dark as the very canine's that were so ready to dig into an open vein pulled back. She felt sick to her stomach, this hurt like a bitch. A splinter that she couldn't quite remove. A deep wasp that kept stinging against an open wound.

The girl was quick to wrap her hand around the base of the writing utensil, right where it meant her skin. The side of her hand soaked in rustic syrup as she did so- but Beca kept pushing down, making sure to keep the instrument in place.

"The first thing you have to realize, Beale, is that there are addictions in this world." The girl whispered roughly into the redhead's ear. "This isn't as simple as sneaking a spare cigarette from your mother's purse."

"Beca, please take the pencil out of my leg." She mumbled through clenched teeth, Aurum's gaze flashing over to them curiously. She left it alone, the two of them spoke only enough for each other to hear. "I swear to god I'll-"

"You'll what?" The brunette taunted "Rip that pencil away and murder that innocent boy in cold blood just because of a deep craving? I don't' think so, Red."

"I wasn't going to do that."

"How do you know?" Beca sounded out easily. Instead of an answer, she got a blank stare, the shock wearing off. "That's right you don't. Your need for blood is overwhelming your logical thought process. It's called lust. Libido."

"Can't you teach me on a bit of learning curve?" She hissed, glancing down at the blood that now pooled on the seat underneath her.

"No," She mumbled as Aurum started to shut off her power point. She was giving her final thoughts, leaving the class wanting more like any good presenter would. "If you associate that need with nothing but pain, then we won't have a problem, now will we?"

"What are you going to do next time, huh? Drive a bullet through my skull."

"Oh, I would never." Beca gave an innocent smile as the sound of people gathering their stuff filled the air. She pulled back quickly, Chloe let out a muffled grunt as a form of relief washed over her. The two girls watched carefully as the boy who had rushed in late stalked away.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Chloe stood up, trying not to put too much pressure on her leg. It burned like a nasty cut, the bloodied instrument still resting in the tiny vampire's grasp. Aurum slowly walking up the carpeted steps, the three of them lingering in the large auditorium.

"Relax, you'll heal." Beca slung her bag over her shoulder. "You've been through worse, you just don't remember it."

"Oh?" Chloe cocked her head to the side, "You mean like your evil fucking mother?"

"Yes, like my evil fucking mother." Beca snipped back, shaking her head as she made slight eye contact with the woman who was now at the top of the steps.

"Oh, by all means, don't stop your little lovers quarrel on my behalf." The thick accented edge of Aurums voice filled the girl's ears. Beca lifted her chin slightly parting her lips as she stared easily at the woman. She was familiar in an odd way that she couldn't place.

"We're not," Chloe stumbled through her words "She'd never be-"

"Never?" Beca gave her a taunting smirk. "That's a long time, Chloe."

A certain heat moved towards the girl's cheeks. It didn't in any way dismiss the rage she felt towards the girl next to her. Never was a long time, especially now. Everything had been so overwhelming, but Beca was there through it all- even with her odd methods.

Professor Aurum took in a bunch of air, breaking the heavy gaze that Beca held with the younger girl. She was small but carried a lot of mystery and anger. Those deep cloudy eyes were like falling into a foggy lake. You had no idea where you were going, but it didn't really seem to matter.

Chloe's nails were still pressing into her palm, a slight sting moving through her arm as she adjusted her position. The blood was drying against the edge of her thigh, adhering the fabric to her skin. She shifted.

"Professor," Beca's stare flicked back to the woman, shaking a bit of the roughness. "Chloe mentioned something about you giving her a bit of a history lesson on Greek Vampire's?"

"Mm," the older woman hummed, not changing her hardness. "Strigoi, the evil demonic poltergeist… You're not going to turn into a bat on me, are you Miss Mitchell?"

Beca let out a small noise as she lifted her chin slightly, crossing her arms over her chest. Chloe had never seen the two interact, she wasn't even sure how Beca got in this class so far into the semester. She assumed it was that same "Power of Persuasion" that the girl had used on her earlier. Now it seemed like the two had an odd dynamic about them.

"That's a nasty stereotype." She smirked, "But no. I was wondering if you knew anything about Hecate?"

"She's the goddess of all witchcraft." The woman pursed her lips, Chloe leaning heavily against the edge of the desk. Her notebook rested in her hand, the rustic blood smearing against the cover as she listened to the two talk like colleges instead of teacher and student. The girl wouldn't be surprised if Beca got the young woman to talk to her out of a favor. "A trickster really. She wrote enough spell books for people like me to make sure things were easier to access."

"People like you?" Chloe's voice was high pitched, her eyebrows raised as the poised woman glanced her way.

"I'm not a professional or anything," She held her hands up in defense "I can handle myself well, though."

"She knows her stuff, Beale," Beca confirmed with a nod. "My evil fucking mother is a force to be reckoned with, and I made a mistake. One that I think I need help fixing."

"And your brother?" The teacher lifted her chin in question.

"He's not of my concern." Beca drew in a breath "At least not right now."