Rough Draft
"Hand in your first rough draft of chapters 3 through 4. Remember this story has to have at least ten chapters." Mrs. Hillman spoke as she glanced over the rims of her glasses. "Don't worry about this part. I will make notations of what needs fixed grammatically or other wise."
Lacey placed the rough draft of the essay on Mrs. Hillman's desk. Mrs. Hillman glanced up to stare at Lacey.
The teacher sighed with a slight smile."I've read over your first couple of chapters that you handed in last week. Very intriguing. May I make a suggestion?"
"Please." Lacey fidgeted uneasily. Was she going to tone the essay down a little?
"Stop concentrating so much on the details of the historic time period. I love the conversation with this Daniel character. Yet, there are too many details going on with what is happening. Set the scene by using details of the atmosphere rather than the historic aspect. That will let your reader know what time period it is just by the dress of the characters and the furniture and so on." Mrs. Hillman's smile increased. "It is a breath of fresh air to read a fiction based on well…FICTION."
"It is fun to write too." Lacey admitted as she twisted her mechanical pencil around the wire in her notebook. "You're not upset it is very ...ummm..." Lacey lowered her voice. "Sexual in nature."
"Not at all. Well, as long as you don't cross the line into inappropriate details." Mrs. Hillman winked. "We should be fine with it. You've toned down the sexual scenes to mostly conversation. Is Danny doing half the work too? Because I know how important grades are to you. I don't want Mr. Desai to use his handsome looks and your determination for good grades." Mrs. Hillman placed Lacey's half written essay into a file folder marked with both Danny's and Lacey's names.
"He's actually the creative one behind this." Lacey admitted. "I'm the grammar person and detail person. He has the skeleton of the story as well as gets most of the historical setting. He's some kind of history buff." Lacey chuckled lightly. "And vampire fan."
"Good. I'm glad to hear that this assignment is working as it should." Mrs. Hillman chuckled before nodding towards Archie and Phoebe. Phoebe's arms were flailing as Archie shook his head angrily. "At least for some of you."
Lacey looked back over her shoulder and grinned. Then a look of pure joy shined on her face as Danny walked into the room. He sauntered their way. Mrs. Hillman wanted to laugh at Lacey's obvious infatuation. Of course, Danny Desai couldn't seem to keep his eyes of Lacey Porter either.
"I'm sorry I'm late, Mrs. Hillman." Danny stated charmingly as he handed her the little pink note stating he was permitted in class. "I was a little sick this morning. I needed to go get some special medication."
Danny hadn't realized he went without blood too long. He had to feed in the darkness of the early morning before he became ill. Good thing that Tyler was around. He helped Danny get to Manhattan to feed off of some rapist. Tyler actually enjoyed the hunt for the worst of the worst as Danny called them.
It was strange how close he and Tyler had become. Cole started out as his master but soon found that Danny was more knowledgeable and powerful than he. Then Tyler was asked despite his hate for Daniel. Tyler accepted the challenge as he would to honor his brother. The hate had dissipated some over the years. Regina loved Tyler and was his companion. Although she craved Daniel, she didn't love him. Tyler could live with that.
Danny took his usual seat beside Lacey at the back of the class. His sunglasses remained on his face and his large jacket was being worn as well. At least the weather called for heavier clothing. Therefore, Danny didn't look as strange as he did during the hot days in which he wore the large black trench coat.
Rico nudged Jo with his elbow. "I think we did amazing by the way."
"Thanks. Me too." Jo smiled leaning towards her writing partner. "Lacey said that her and Danny's paper may not be accepted by Mrs. Hillman. It is risque. She said it is based on vampires and the lust there of."
"Really?" Rico ran his hands up and down his arms. "Vampires freak me out. My aunt, the one that makes me appley cinnamon snacks, believes in them. She said that her great aunt was killed by one. She swears to it. Because of that we have a whole arsenal of vampire determent."
"Are you serious?" Jo giggled as she glanced at Danny with a wink then back to Rico. "Like what?"
"Oh crosses also known as crucifixes, garlic, Holy water, a wooden stake...I can't remember it all." Rico shrugged nonchalantly. "I believe her. Because Aunt Rita's story sounds true. How else would my great Aunt Mary have her blood drained from her body?"
Danny smirked as he turned to address Rico. "I did hear a rumor that vampires love Italian cuisine."
Rico swallowed nervously as Danny addressed him. "Ummmm. You're making me very uncomfortable right now." Rico admitted before back to address Jo. " I plan on keeping up the family tradition of vampire slayer."
Danny raised his eyebrows. "Can I start calling you Buffy?"
"Danny stop." Lacey slid her finger over his hand. "You're making Jo's friend nervous. He's only joking with you, Rico."
"I am." Danny held up his fist. "Fist bump for a new friend."
Danny really didn't get the whole fist bump thing the teen boys did. It seemed to symbolize some type of male bonding.
Rico smiled goofy as he bumped his fist against Danny's. "Cool. My first fist bump."
Soon, Danny's head was lying on his desk as he tried to fight the tiredness he felt. As always, after feeding, the sun made him weaker. Lacey sat beside him and took a deep breath.
"I turned in more of the story." Lacey whispered as she leaned over to Danny's ear.
"Thanks." He mumbled. Sometimes like today, Danny wondered why he bothered trying to pretend to be a student in high school. Other times, he'd spend with Lacey and he knew why. "I don't feel so good."
"I can tell." Lacey inhaled sharply before reaching up to twist her finger in Danny's dark locks of hair. "Is there anything I can do?"
Danny turned his head sideways to stare at Lacey. He pulled his sunglasses slightly down the bridge of his nose. Lacey had to catch her breath at the shining caramel colored orbs staring back at her. It was times like these when Danny was sick that he looked the most beautiful to her.
Phoebe sighed out dreamily as she poked Jo in the ribs to make her look at Danny. Jo shook her head adding a cute bob before looking at Archie. He had taken to sitting with his friends again. It didn't seem like Lacey was going to be his girlfriend anytime soon. Danny still made him uncomfortable but he'd not bother him. Archie got the look that his friends gave him including Scott and Sarita. Danny and Lacey were the new 'IT' couple at Green Grove High. Even if they didn't realize it yet.
Archie hadn't felt much of anything for Danny but fear. The nightmare or hallucination still haunted him and the boys. They chose not to get near Danny Desai again.
Danny's eyebrows suddenly furrowed then he swallowed. He looked up slowly from his desk.
"Sh#t!" He said under his breath.
Lacey, Jo, Phoebe, and Archie followed his gaze to the front the room. Archie glanced over at Scott. Both the boys rubbed the back of their neck filling tiny shivers lining their spine. The woman talking to Mrs. Hillman looked vaguely familiar. However, neither boy could place her.
Lacey noticed Danny taking in a deep breath. She noticed he was acting nervous.
"Danny Desai." Mrs. Hillman called out his name. "This woman wants to speak to you."
Danny groaned irritated as he stood up. The class listened intensely as Mrs. Hillman questioned the female.
"Are you Danny's relative? Because this is a closed campus. I'm surprised you got in the school no less my room." Mrs. Hillman smiled broadly. Although, the smile was obviously forced. It was a known fact that Mrs. Hillman hated for any class interruptions. Besides the fact, Mrs. Hillman doubted very much that the female was related to Danny. She was obviously not Indian and at least five years older than Danny. She also was scantily clad. Of course, she could be related to Karen's side of the family.
"No." Regina smirked. "I'm his former lover."
Lacey gasped at the forwardness of this girl. Danny stopped dead in his tracks trying to comprehend what Regina had just said out loud to the class. The students in the class murmured, whispered, or giggled.
After gaining his bearings, Danny made his way towards Regina.
Danny grabbed Regina by the arm. "Come on."
Regina waved her hand at the class as Danny pulled her from the room. Mrs. Hillman started to protest. Students were not allowed to leave with anyone but a family member. However, she felt an urge not to interfere.
Lacey pressed her lips tightly together as she watched Danny pull the woman from the room. Something about the girl seemed vaguely familiar to her. Then she remembered the answers were in her rough draft that lay on the teacher's desk.