1. College Girls Want (To Kill) Me

It all began on the bus, the absolute worst day of my life.

Listen, public transit isn't all that fun to begin with, especially not in California. You're smushed in a big, moving metal box with a bunch of strangers that smells like cigarettes and feet. In the wintertime, the number of people doubles, and it gets even hotter and smells even worse.

"I'm sorry we couldn't take the car, Nic."

"It's okay," I grumbled quietly, turning away from my aunt. "I really am sorry."

I turned my head back to look at her, and she was looking at me with an apologetic gaze, and I immediately felt bad. My Aunt Anastasia was the sweetest, most energetic woman I knew, and she had the kind of personality that made you unable to stay mad at her for long, and the type of face that reminded me of a Disney princess. "So, are you nervous? First college visit!" She whispered to me excitedly. "I know I was when I was your age." "A little, I guess," I said, not fully knowing or caring about what to expect. "Its just a visit. It's not like I'm enrolling or anything."

My aunt frowned at me, clearly a little annoyed.

"You should at least give Berkeley a chance. It's a good school. You've only got two years left before graduation, and you need to start looking at colleges." "Fine," I mutter as I pulled my winter coat sleeves down over my hands and lifted my hood up, trying to ignore her. "I swear, it's like I'm talking to a brick wall," my aunt sighed, putting in her headphones. "You're so much like Alessia," she said quietly, but audible enough for me to hear.

I felt my stomach sink as she said that. I knew she didn't mean it in a bad way, but it still hurt to talk about my mother, ever since the accident.

As I looked out the bus window at passing cars, I remembered what it was like to get the news. A week after my seventh birthday, two men in black suits showed up at the door to my aunt's apartment. My aunt was taking care of me because my mother, being the genius that she was, was an astronaut. She was on the first manned mission to Mars, and these two men had come to the house to tell my aunt that her sister's shuttle had combusted. I didn't fully understand at the time, but now that I was older, I knew how terrible that must have been for my aunt Ana, and how it changed her life, and mine.

"Nic, we're here."

I broke out of my haze, shaking my head and jumping out of my seat. I pulled my bag over my shoulders and fixed my coat, and stepped down and out onto the sidewalk, the cold, crisp air a welcome change to the smelly, stale air of the bus. "Alright," I heard my aunt say, and I saw her check her watch and adjust her coat. "They should be about ready for us now. We have to be a little quick, okay? Greg's making dinner, and it should be done in the next hour or two." I sighed, following my aunt onto a large, green lawn. "Are you sure it's a good idea for Greg to cook? Last time he tried grilling a turkey, the whole building got evacuated." She laughed and said "He's gotten better, I promise. I made sure of it."

I smiled a little bit, and we walked along the green until my aunt stopped me. Checking her watch, she let out a sharp breath. "I have to talk to some of the faculty. They want to make a memorial somewhere on campus for Alessia. Why don't you go on over to the engineering building? I think that's where the tour will start." She pointed across the green, to a large building made of white marble, with the word 'Engineering' carved above the door.

I nodded, tucking my phone in my pocket, and left her side, walking to where she pointed. As I crossed the street, I noticed something weird. I looked back over my shoulder at the bus stop, and there was a girl, about my age, just staring at me. Not really staring, more like glaring. Like I did something wrong. I waved at her, thinking that maybe I knew her from somewhere, but she didn't wave back. She just kept glaring at me. I turned back around and walked up the steps to the engineering building. "Weird," I mumbled under my breath as I opened the doors. I stepped inside, looking around in awe. It was bigger on the inside than it looked on the outside, and was almost completely white stone tile and glass, with staircases reaching up to a large, bright skylight.

"Lost?"

I whipped my head to the side, where a group of 3 girls was standing, smiling at me. I don't remember too clearly, but I think I said something cool, like "Uh...Huh?"

They were all older than me, maybe freshmen at the university, but way out of my league. One was tall and slim, with long blond hair. Another was a little shorter than me, with brown hair and green eyes, and the last girl was taller than me, with short, red hair and angular features that reminded me of a raven.

"Are you lost?" The blonde one asked me again.

"Uhm...yes? No? I was told there was a tour..." I trailed off quietly.

"Oh. You're a prospect. That's why you look like you don't belong here." The red-haired girl spoke, her tone sounding a little strange, not matching the smile on her face. "Why don't we show him around campus, Ellie?" The short one said to the blonde. The blonde spoke next, her eyes never leaving me. "I think that sounds like a great idea, Tanya. What do you think, Jess?" "I think that's exactly what we're going to do." The red-haired one purred dangerously.

I looked back and forth at them, a little weirded out, but going along with it. 'Hey, if three hot girls wanted to show me around, who was I to complain?' I thought. "Um...sure." I said to the group, and they smiled at me again.

"What's your name, prospect?" The red-haired one asked me, her smile never wavering. "Uh...Nic. Nic Valenti."

The shorter one smirked, glancing at the other two girls. "Well, Mr. Valenti, follow us." She giggled a little bit, but it sounded weird. Almost like a growl, something you'd hear from a lion or a tiger. 'Probably just imagining things,' I thought. I followed behind the three girls, and they pointed out different classrooms as we walked, saying things like "You don't want to take that one", and "That's Mrs. Trevaine's class, she's so boring". I tuned them out until we came to a stop outside a classroom, and they opened the door and walked inside. I followed them in, and I realized they had stopped talking. They were just...staring.

"Uh...so...whose classroom is this?" I asked, feeling a little awkward.

"Don't know." The blonde said, still smiling at me, her face looking strained. "So, prospect," The red-haired girl said venomously, locking the door behind us. "What brings you to Cali, half-blood? I was confused, but I felt the atmosphere of the room change. They stared at me, and just now I noticed how they were staring at me. Like...they were hungry. Like animals.

"What did you say?" I asked, uncertain about what was going on.

"Oh, cut the crap," The short one hissed at me. "We could smell you the moment you got off the bus."

Now even more weirded out, I started backpedaling slowly, trying to put some distance between myself and these three possibly insane girls.

"Who's your daddy, little half-blood? Poseidon? Hades? Zeus? It has to be one of them because let me tell you, you reek. Like a gourmet dinner..." The blonde purred, her smile seeming to stretch across her face.

I stepped backward quicker now until I hit the wall. "Listen, I don't know what the hell you're all talking about. You're crazy." The red-haired one giggled, no, growled. "Don't worry, prospect. We won't bite...well, we will, but you'll be too dead to care." I looked at all three girls, and saw something even more strange; their mouths weren't stretching, their teeth were. It's like they were growing down and out, like fangs. They all kept walking slowly towards me until the red one lunged. And I did something incredibly stupid.

I punched her in the face.

Listen, I didn't mean to. It probably hurt me a lot more than it hurt her. As I ran out of the classroom, I heard her screech "That little pri-", but I didn't hear her finish her sentence. I sprinted down the sets of stairs and glanced behind me. The three girls, things, whatever they were, were hightailing after me. They were mantling over the railings, chasing after me like a cheetah would after a gazelle. I ran as fast as I could, pushing past random students and probably professors as well, but I didn't care. All that mattered was that I had to get away from those things. I ran through the engineering hall, trying to find a hiding spot or an exit, but was out of luck. I sprinted past a classroom until I saw it. My salvation.

"Yes! A janitor's closet!" I said out loud, and ran to it, throwing open the door and hiding inside. It was cramped and a little damp, for reasons I probably didn't want to know, but it was a place where I could hide, so I didn't care. I crouched down, trying to make myself as small as possible. I heard the pounding of wild footsteps go past the door, and saw shadows underneath the crack. I tried to steady my breathing, as I was panting pretty loudly, and my heart was racing. I thought I was home free, safe, until my phone rang. I didn't have it on silent, so the ringtone blared. I silenced it and saw on the screen it was my aunt. I declined the call. "Maybe they didn't hear," I thought. "Maybe I was quick enough".

Then I heard more pounding, frantic footsteps, and saw a shadow stop right in front of the door. I braced myself for what was about to happen, raising my fists, ready to fight. I saw the door handle jiggle, then turn, opening the door. I was about to throw a punch when I stopped.

It was the girl from the bus stop.

She was about the same height as me, a little taller, with raven-black hair and dark eyes, and pale skin. She was wearing a black denim jacket and jeans, along with a beanie on her head. It wasn't just her looks that got my attention thought, it was the spear she was carrying. And it was covered in blood.

She looked at me for a second, and after a long silence, she reached out her hand, and said with a pretty good impression of Arnold Schwarzenegger, "Come with me if you want to live."