“Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!”
“I’m awake!” I said, shooting up in bed in a fright and looking
around the room, trying to find the person who woke me up and com-
prehend my surroundings at the same time.
Amylia was standing there with a smirk on her face and walked over
to the futon with something in a gift bag.
“What do you have there?” I asked.
“A present,” she replied.
“Amylia, you better not have brought me anything.”
“It is your birthday Brianna so you will have to expect presents, and
you will have to expect them to be expensive ones too. This one is from
all of us, besides Nathaniel. He has some to give you later on at school
and in private.”
“He does know about my hatred of being spoilt doesn’t he?”
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“Nathaniel does, but since when does he listen to anything anyone
says? I have known him for a long time and he hardly listens. The only
person he does listen to is Beth.”
“Then why can’t Beth talk him into not buying things for me?”
“Because Beth is on Nathaniel’s side of spoiling you and she actually
encouraged him to buy you some of the presents that he didn’t want to
buy you because of the low price. You and I both know that Nathaniel
likes buying you expensive things.”
“You mean he actually brought me something at a price that I might
like?” I asked, kicking the blanket off me.
“I can officially say yes,” Amylia replied and handed me the small gift
bag.
I glared at her before taking the bag off her and tipping out the
wrapped present on the futon.
“What the hell?” I asked
“Open it,” she said with a huge smile on her face.
“This better be good,” I muttered and opened it.
Whatever the present happened to be was in a small white box. I
opened the box to see a small white photo frame in it. I looked up at
Amylia and put it down next to me.
“Take the photo frame out,” she pressed.
“Alright,” I said, getting huffy.
I took the photo frame out of the box and turned it around, seeing a
photo of Nathaniel and I in there from the Valentine’s Day dance. My
mouth dropped opened and I looked up at Amylia who was smiling.
“It took us all night to find the perfect photo to go in that frame, but
we finally found it,” Amylia said.
“It’s perfect,” I said.
“Nathaniel’s present will be much better than ours. He has spent
most of the week shopping for you in Colac, Melbourne and online.”
Grandma walked into the living room, but stopping when she saw
Amylia standing there in her intimidating beauty and clothing that
would be making her blood boil.
“Hello again,” Amylia said, smiling at her with a strange look in her
eye.
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“Who let you in?” grandma asked.
“I let myself in. Marie told us we can do so on a school day to make
sure Brianna gets up on time and can come to school with us,” Amylia
replied.
“So that explains why I had a Mexican jumping bean on my bed the
other morning,” I said quietly.
“Brianna, I will give you your birthday present when everyone else
wakes up, like it was meant to be like,” grandma said, eying the mess on
the floor.
“We don’t do that here. I open things when I want to, not when
people expect me to and in front of people,” I replied, earning a smirk of
Amylia.
“Who taught you to act like that? Once I find out who it is, I will give
them a piece of my mind,” grandma said.
“You will be too gutless to do that Liz,” grandpa said, walking into
the room with a soft present in hand. “For you my darling,” he said, giv-
ing it to me.
“I didn’t want anything,” I replied, taking it off him.
“Oh my dear; wait until you see what I have planned for your eight-
eenth,” he replied.
Grandma just looked at grandpa with a hard stare in her eyes. It was
like she didn’t like what he had planned for me. I looked down at the
present and opened it, ignoring my grandmother’s protests on waiting
until tonight for everyone to arrive went unheard.
I pulled out a long sleeved top and looked at my grandpa with a
smile.
“I couldn’t remember if you were a size six or a size eight so I
grabbed the eight.”
“I’m a size eight now. I have put on some weight since we left Mel-
bourne,” I said. “Where is Nathaniel meeting us?” I asked Amylia.
“In the school car park,” Amylia replied.
“Why couldn’t he meet her here?” grandma asked. “That is what a
gentleman would do with his girlfriend.”
“Because he has some things he has to do before school,” Amylia
replied, narrowing her eyes. “This is 2011 Elizabeth, not 1951. Things
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have changed a lot over the years. In my family, we meet the men at a
place and then they take us everywhere we need to go with a blink of
an eye.”
“What is going on?” mum asked, walking into the room.
“Nothing is going on Marie,” grandma said, walking out of the room.
“Nothing besides getting put in your place by a twenty year old,”
Amylia said, crossing her arms.
“What do you mean?” mum asked, looking at her.
“Your mother was trying to be her usual controlling self and didn’t
like it when Amylia put her in her place about Nathaniel,” grandpa re-
plied.
“What is it going to be like tonight?” I asked, getting up and stretch-
ing my sore body.
“The same as all the other times that we have had family get togeth-
er and she can’t get her way on something,” grandpa replied. “Anyway,
you should go get ready for school as you have a bit of a drive to get to
Colac.”
I nodded and walked out of the living room and headed up to my
bedroom. Grandma was in the kitchen when I walked past, but she
didn’t say anything and I was sure wasn’t going to say anything to her. I
didn’t want her to bring her drama here but she did and I didn’t like that
one bit.
I quickly got changed out of my sleepwear and dressed in what I
wanted to wear to school before running my hairbrush through my hair
and applied a light coating of lip-gloss before slipping on my shoes and
walking out of the room, grabbing my school bag at the same time.
“That was quick,” grandpa said as I walked back into the living room.
“I have to be pretty fast when it comes to Amylia. She is usually in a
hurry to get to place to place,” I said, smiling at her.
“At least I am not like Nathaniel. That kid is impatient when it comes
to people waiting. I will tell you a few stories one day in the near future
about the times he has been a nervous wreck when it comes to getting
to places on time,” Amylia said, leaning against the wall. “But anyway,
we should get going as we don’t want to be late and have Nathaniel
pacing around like a mad man.”
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“He will be doing that anyway until he sees your car pull up in the car
park,” I said, quickly pulling my hair back so it wouldn’t annoy me
throughout the day.
Amylia nodded and grabbed her car keys before walking outside.
Mum and grandpa were looking at each other when I turned around to
face them.
“Okay, what is going on?” I asked, making both of them look at me.
“What makes you think that something is going on?” mum asked.
“The looks you are giving each other for one,” I replied and crossed
my arms.
“Do not worry about it Brianna. Now you better get going before
Amylia gets impatient and drives to school like a mad woman,” mum
said, ushering me out the front door.
Amylia was standing next to her car, trying not to laugh at my facial
expression that I pulled when I got shoved out the front door by my
own mother who had never done that before. I shook my head and
walked down the steps to Amylia.
“What the hell is going on? I have never been shoved out my own
front door like that before,” I said, stopping in front of the passenger
door.
“Don’t look at me Brianna. I know nothing about why your mother
and grandfather are acting like that,” she said, but I could tell she was
hiding something.
I narrowed my eyes, but didn’t say anything. I knew she wouldn’t
talk, no matter how much or how hard I pressed for information. I
opened the passenger side door and slid into the car, taking in the cold-
ness and sweet smell it had. I had figured out that it was some sort of
vampire smell that they let off in small areas. It was like they used it to
lure in their victims before going in for the kill.
The car ride to Colac was extremely quiet for some reason and I
didn’t know why. I glanced over at Amylia and saw she had a concerned
look on her face and her hands were gripping the steering wheel tightly.
I swore her knuckles were turning even whiter than they originally were.
“Is everything alright?” I asked, making her glance over at me.
“I’m just thinking about your grandmother,” she replied and loos-
345
ened her grip on the wheel.
“What about her?” I asked.
“I just can’t get over how childish she can be sometimes. I hope you
don’t mind me saying that about her Brianna.”
“Amylia, I couldn’t care less of how you speak about her. She is child-
ish and she is the first to complain when something doesn’t go her way
and goes off to sulk when grandpa puts her in her place like he did be-
fore. She is stuck in her generation and is trying to force how she grew
up on me, but you already know that. I am only hoping she doesn’t do
anything tonight to cause some sort of fight between her and mum.
There is enough tension in my household with her being there,” I said,
looking out the window.
“Well you know that if things get too tense with your grandmother
there, you are always welcome at our place. I can tell you this now that
Beth or Jack wouldn’t care how long you stayed as it would be making
Nathaniel the happiest vampire I have seen in a very long time. Nice bite
scar too you have on your neck by the way,” Amylia said, making me
gasp.
“Oh my god!” I cried and placed my hand over my neck.
“Don’t worry about it. It will fade over time,” Amylia said, glancing
down at her speed.
“But how do I explain it to everyone that asks?”
“Just say it’s a hickey. We can only tell it is a bite is because we have
supervision while others don’t so it will look like a hickey to them.”
“Augusta is going to have a field day over this,” I said and shook my
head.
“Don’t worry about that bitch. We can put her in her place if we
have to.”
I sighed and looked down at my hands, not saying anything. Five
minutes later, we were in Colac and sitting in peak hour traffic. I looked
out my window to see Augusta walking with a girl I have never seen be-
fore, but they had the same fashion sense of hardly any clothing.
“I see Augusta has a new side kick,” Amylia said, making me look
over at her.
“Do you know who it is?” I asked.
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“That is a new girl starting at our school today and they paired her
up with Augusta, thinking they would become friends or something. I
feel so sorry for the new girl and I haven’t even met her yet,” Amylia
said and took off.
Nathaniel was pacing in the car park when we pulled into a park and
stopped when I opened my door. He made his way over using human
speed and stopped in front of me.
“No present Nathaniel?” Amylia asked, getting out of the car and
locking it.
“It’s still in my car. I thought I would give it to Brianna at lunch time
so a certain couple of people wouldn’t know it is her birthday,” he re-
plied.
“How sweet,” Amylia said and walked off to find James.
“Why did you get me something?” I asked once we were alone.
“Because you are my girlfriend and what kind of boyfriend would I
be if I didn’t get you something for your birthday?” he asked and kissed
me on the lips.
“One that wouldn’t be getting the silent treatment today,” I replied
and crossed my arms.
“Brianna, you won’t do that to me. You love me.”
“Love is a strong work and so is hate Nathaniel Monroe. Now, tell
me what is going on with this new girl.”
“All we know is that it was a spur of the moment move, but she has
been paired up with Augusta, but they are walking in the school gates
now so we can get a good look at her,” Nathaniel said, making me turn
around to freeze in my spot.
“Oh my god,” I whispered.
“What?” Nathaniel asked.
“That’s Lucinda,” I replied.
“You’re kidding me right?”
“I’m not kidding anybody Nathaniel. That is Lucinda Smith and they
have paired her up with the bitch of the school.”
“Go over to her.”
“I’m not going over there. Not with Augusta being there. She’ll skin
me alive.”
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“I’ll go over and introduce myself.”
“Wait no!” but it was too late. Nathaniel was walking over towards
them. I watched them from where I was standing and clenched my
teeth together when I saw Augusta touch my boyfriend. I noticed that
Nathaniel turned his attention onto Lucinda and pointed over to me. He
stepped aside so she could see what he was pointing at.
I was standing there awkwardly with a racing heart. Lucinda’s mouth
dropped open once she saw me standing there and sprinted towards
where I was standing. I smiled widely as I saw her running over to me
and the look on Augusta’s face.
“Oh my god!” she cried and hugged me.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, hugging her back.
“I wanted a change.”
“You mean you wanted to meet Chase?” I asked, and pulled away
from her to see her blushing.
Nathaniel walked over to us with a smirk on his face. I looked at him
and raised my eyebrows, wanting to know what he was so happy about.
“What are you so happy about?” I asked.
“Well, I just stole Lucinda from Augusta for one and my girlfriend is
happy because she has her friend back,” Nathaniel replied, grabbing my
hand.
I looked over to Lucinda, seeing that she was looking around the
school, no doubt for Chase. I suddenly got an idea and pulled my hand
out of Nathaniel’s grasp.
“Do you want to go meet Chase?” I asked, catching Lucinda’s atten-
tion.
“I’ve only spoken to him on the phone so of course I want to meet
him,” she replied, sounding excited.
“Nathaniel, lead the way,” I said, gesturing for him to start moving.
Nathaniel nodded and started walking with Lucinda and me follow-
ing him. Nathaniel opened the door that led us to the main corridor and
we followed him, spotting Chase at his locker.
“Stand behind me,” I whispered to Lucinda who nodded.
“Yo Chase,” Nathaniel said, making him look over towards his adop-
tive brother. “You want to meet someone?”
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“Who?” Chase said, glaring at Nathaniel.
“The new girl. Brianna and I have befriended her and Brianna
thought it would be a good idea for you meet her,” Nathaniel said, look-
ing over his shoulder at me.
“You mean Brianna actually thought of something?” Chase asked.
“Hey!” I exclaimed and came into view, standing shoulder to shoul-
der with Nathaniel so we could hide Lucinda from Chase.
“Hello Brianna; happy birthday,” Chase said, smirking at me.
“Chase, I expect you to be in a better mood when I introduce you to
this girl,” I said, crossing my arms.
“Why?” he asked.
I stepped aside, revealing Lucinda. “Chase, I believe you know Lucin-
da Smith, my friend you have been talking to on the phone,” I said,
watching his mood change.
“Hello Chase,” Lucinda said, smiling at him.
“Lucy,” he whispered.
“I better go to the basketball courts as I have the game on Saturday,”
Nathaniel said, looking at me.
“And I’m gonna find Hudson to see how she is going. Brandon said
she wasn’t feeling well the other night,” I said, and took a couple of
steps back.
“Good idea,” Chase said, looking at the both of us and narrowing his
eyes at us.
“Don’t worry, we are leaving,” Nathaniel said, grabbed my hand and
led me away from them.
“We weren’t like that, were we?” I asked as we walked away from
Lucinda and Chase.
“No we weren’t and we won’t be. We didn’t really get along and we
sometimes still don’t get along. Chase and Lucinda seem like they will
be one of those couples that will show everyone that they are in love all
the time.”
“Do you think they are?”
“By judging the phone calls I have heard when I’ve walked past
Chase’s bedroom, I would say that they are. I just hope Lucinda doesn’t
freak out when Chase tells her about us being vampires. I don’t want
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that happening for his sake.”
“You better go to the basketball courts before the coach has your
head,” I said once we got outside.
“Are you gonna come down and watch me practice?” he asked.
“Once I see how Hudson is feeling, I will come down and watch you,”
I said and walked off in the direction of the toilets, feeling that would be
the place Hudson would be.
I pushed open the girls’ toilets door and walked in, seeing that Hud-
son was splashing her face with cold water. She looked in the mirror and
moved my eyes over to me.
“How are you feeling?” I asked, walking over to her.
“Well besides the fact I can’t keep anything down, I am feeling better
than to be expected,” she replied and stood upright.
“Should you be here then if you can’t keep anything down?”
“I have a doctor’s appointment at twelve to see how I am going, so I
will see if he can give me anything to help stop me throwing up every
ten minutes.”
“How are you going to manage in class? I’m sure that this will give it
away to everyone that you are pregnant.”
“It will give it away, but I’m just going to tell everyone that asks me
that I have an upset stomach. I’ve talked to Mrs. Franklin and she is get-
ting some crackers organized for me to eat in class to help settle my
stomach.”
“I better go watch Nathaniel practice before he starts to worry about
me,” I said.
“Tell him I wish-here we go again!” she said and ran into the toilet
and locked the door.
I walked out of the toilets and made my way down to the basketball
courts. I opened the gate and walked over to the seats and made myself
comfortable while they were having a meeting. I turned my attention
onto Jason who was shooting daggers at my boyfriend. He looked up
and over to me before winking. I narrowed my eyes and looked at Na-
thaniel.
“Pryor! Brianna is here!” the coach yelled.
Nathaniel looked up and smiled at me. I smiled back and placed my
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school bag on my lap and brung his closer to me so Jason couldn’t get
his grubby hands on it. Twenty minutes later, they had finished practice
and Nathaniel walked over to where I was sitting.
“Well done,” I said, handing him his school bag.
“Thanks. How is Hudson?”
“Being sick every ten minutes and can’t keep anything down,” I re-
plied.
“Should she be at school then?” Nathaniel asked, sitting next to me.
“No she shouldn’t be but she has a doctor’s appointment so she is
going to see if he can give her something to help. What is with the dag-
gers that Jason was shooting you?” I asked.
“I was playing better than him and he didn’t like it so he cracked it,”
he replied.
“Pryor, you think you can play so well, but you and I both know that
you only do that to impress Brianna,” Jason said as he walked over to
us.
“Oh really? I have been playing sports my whole life and I was going
to join up the basketball team even if Brianna didn’t move here,” Na-
thaniel replied.
“You didn’t even break out in a sweat you freak. You are nothing but
a freak and Brianna doesn’t even deserve you so let her go and pick
someone better. Someone like me,” Jason said, smirking but not realis-
ing what he had just done.
Nathaniel slowly started to rise up from where he was sitting after
Jason said that. I tried to stop Nathaniel but it didn’t work. My vampire
was angry and I didn’t know what he was going to do. He got to full
height, making Jason take a step back.
“Nate, don’t,” I said, my voice going completely unheard.
“You have thirty seconds to leave before I make your life a complete
and utter nightmare Jason Hargreaves,” Nathaniel said in a cold, deadly
voice.
“By doing what Nathaniel? You don’t have the guts to do anything to
me,” Jason fired back.
Nathaniel clenched his right fist and slowly started to raise it. I had
to stop this before Nathaniel punched him. One punch by a vampire
351
would kill Jason. As much as I didn’t like him, I didn’t want Nathaniel do
anything.
“Hey!” I said, getting between the two of them. “Stop acting like a
pair of spoilt brats! Jason, deal with the fact Nathaniel is better than you
at basketball and stop acting like this! And you Nathaniel, you need to
learn how to control your freaking temper!” I yelled, looking between
the two of them. “This day hasn’t started off well and between the two
of you trying to kill each other with every second you can get; it sure as
hell isn’t getting better!”
“We aren’t trying to kill each other with every second we get,” Jason
said and tried to touch me.
“Keep your hands off me,” I said in a low voice and walked away
from the two of them.
As I was walking to my first class, I spotted Lucinda and Chase walk-
ing hand in hand towards the doors. At least something was going his
way for a change. I just didn’t know what would happen once Dakota
got wind of Lucinda being here and hanging around Chase.
I walked into class to see Hudson sitting at her table, eating the
crackers that Mrs. Franklin had gotten for her. She looked up and over
at me when I walked in and smiled.
“Are you feeling better?” I asked.
“Yes I am now. These things are doing the trick until I have to bring
them up. This baby is not liking the food I am eating.”
“Maybe it wants blood as well dear,” Mrs. Franklin said, walking into
the room with a stack of papers. “It is half vampire as well.”
“I don’t think I will be able to stomach blood right now. The thought
of drinking it has my stomach twisting into knots,” Hudson replied.
The rest of the class started to file in so I moved to my spot. Na-
thaniel came into the classroom ten minutes later, but Mrs. Franklin
didn’t say anything. She was slowly getting use to Nathaniel being late
for class. He caught my stare before sitting down next to me.
“Brianna, I’m sorry about before,” Nathaniel whispered.
“We will talk about this at lunch,” I muttered,