The following morning I was not surprised to find the ground covered in a fresh blanket of snow. It glimmered against the faint sunlight that peeked through a canopy of clouds. Salem was downstairs when I awoke, curled up comfortably on the sectional indulging in a book. He immediately jumped up from the couch and wrapped his arms around me.

“Good morning.” I laughed happily as I returned the hug. “How long has the snow been coming down?”

“At least three hours,” he answered. “Breakfast is waiting for you in the kitchen. I hope you don't mind.”

“Of course not,” I said as I unwound myself from his arms and waltzed into the kitchen. “What is this?” I asked as I stared at the misshapen, slightly-burnt pancakes on my plate.

He shrugged and sat down. “I attempted to make you something from scratch, since you were so eager to not have your food magically prepared...”

I shook my head and laughed. “I said I wanted to cook because I missed doing it. I don't have anything against you summoning my meals. I especially prefer it over burnt pancakes.”

“It was at least interesting for me,” he said with a chuckle. “I don't mind if you don't want to eat it. I wouldn't if I were you,” he said with a look of disgust. “I can't even remember the last time I cooked anything, if I ever have for that matter.”

“Well, it’s been far too long.” I laughed again and dumped the food into the garbage. “Now, summon me something delicious!” I grinned.

A plate of fresh, steaming waffles covered in strawberries appeared on the table. It definitely looked more appetizing than what he had cooked. “Thank you,” I said and began eating. “What's the plan for today?”

“You have some voice mails from Paul,” he said without glancing up. “I listened to them. I hope that is okay.”

“Of course,” I said as I swallowed a mouthful of strawberry. “So, what does he want?”

“He's received a lot of phone calls relating to your absence from school...I guess he was your next contact listed after Janet.”

“Oh.” I grimaced then shrugged. “I'm old enough that I can just drop out. In fact, I’ll do it later today.”

He frowned at my response. “I don't want you to do that.”

“Too bad,” I replied stubbornly. “It’s way too late for me to catch up on everything this year anyway. If I didn’t drop I would have to go again. The only thing I had been looking forward to was graduating with Jason and Karen, but it is too late for that. What else did he have to say?”

“There were several furious messages filled with profanities, about how disappointed he is, how hurt he is, and repulsed.” He frowned. “I am truly messing up your life.”

“No, you’re making it better, trust me. It isn't your fault that Paul can’t accept you for what you are.”

“He also said that Jason was in an accident.” His voice was low and careful as he spoke, watching for my reaction.

“What?!” I leapt up from my seat, nearly knocking my plate onto the floor. “What happened? Is he okay?”

“Calm down. He's fine; he just suffered a broken arm and a few gashes. Paul didn't say much relating to the incident, so you might want to call Jason.”

“Why didn't you tell me as soon as you found out?!”

I didn't hesitate for a moment; I didn't care to even hear his answer. I ran up to the bedroom, grabbed my cell phone and input Jason's number. Waiting for him to answer felt like forever, but finally, I heard his voice.

“Hello?” He sounded hoarse and tired.

“Jason! Are you okay? Paul left me a message saying you were hurt.” I wondered if he could understand me through my rushed words.

He laughed. “I'm all right; it's nothing too serious. My arm is in a cast, and I had to get a few stitches on my shoulder.”

I sighed with relief. “What happened?”

“I was driving home from Howard's last night and hit a slick spot on the road. My car slid and another car slammed into the side of me.” His voice changed abruptly—a hint of remorse.

“Was the other driver okay?” I asked hesitantly.

“He was fine...” He sighed. “But his wife didn't make it.”

“Oh, no!” I gasped. “That's awful!”

“Yeah,” he mumbled. “I can't help but feel like it’s my fault somehow, even though it was nothing either of us could control.”

“Don't let it get to you, Jace,” I said reassuringly. “Would you be able to meet me somewhere? I kind of need to talk to you about something important.”

“Of course!” The enthusiasm in his voice was evident; it was nice to know that I had a friend still eager to see me. “Where’d you have in mind? It has to be somewhere within walking distance...my car’s in the shop.”

“My house,” I replied. “Are you sure you are okay to walk? I can just pick you up if you want.”

“No, it's fine; I think I can manage. The pain medicine has done the trick.” He laughed. “When do you want me to come by?

“An hour or so?”

“Okay, I'll start getting ready as soon as we hang up.” He laughed again.

“Sounds like a plan. I'll see you there.”

I quickly told Salem what had happened and where I was going. He offered to join me, obviously uncomfortable with me being alone with Jason again, but I insisted it wouldn't be safe—Jason could tell Paul. First, I made a quick stop at the high school and did exactly as I told Salem I would—I went to pull myself out of school completely, hoping I wouldn't regret it at some later date. For now, there was no point in me being enrolled in school. There were far greater things that I could devote my time to—like saving my hometown from the undead.

It felt like a long time had passed as I sat in the school parking lot contemplating what I was about to do. Was I making the right decision? Would I later regret it? I almost backed out before finally mustering up the courage and headed for the school doors.

It was odd being among the familiar surroundings of my school. I could plainly see my locker as I walked down the hall toward the principal's office. Memories ran through my mind of Jason, Karen and me laughing together while we walked down the halls, something that I hoped I would never forget or miss too much. My pace slowed as I neared the office, my heart beginning to pound as I pushed the door open.

The office aid eyed me curiously, and then smiled warmly at my presence. I wasn't very familiar with the woman, but she appeared gentle and friendly. She wore her dirty blonde hair up in a messy bun, and a thin layer of makeup concealed her true self. I approached the desk and requested to speak to the principal.

“May I ask your name, please?” she said in a sweet, polite tone.

“Alexis Hobbs,” I replied, tempted to say Waldron as I was growing used to the name.

“Are you over your flu, Ms. Hobbs?”

“What? Oh, yeah.” I felt my cheeks grow warm. “Thanks for asking.”

The office aide smiled and dialed the number to the principal to check to see if he was preoccupied. “You are welcome to go in, Ms. Hobbs,” she said after hanging up the phone.

I nodded and slowly crossed over to the beige door in the corner of the small lobby. My nerves were overwhelming and I nearly backed out again, but I knew this was something I wanted to do. I pushed open the door and found myself face-to-face with Principal Norbert.

“Excuse me, Ms. Hobbs,” he said bashfully and stepped back. “Caroline hadn't warned me that she told you to come in; I was about to come get you.”

“That's okay.” I laughed uncomfortably and followed him into the room. He sat behind the desk, and I sat on the opposite side in an uncomfortable blue chair.

“What might I help you with?”

“I came to drop out of school,” I said a little too quietly, but he appeared to hear me clearly.

He leaned forward on his desk, clasping his fingers together and staring at me quizzically. “Are you positive that is something you want to do, Ms. Hobbs? You are already through 90 percent of public school, why stop so close to the end? You need your diploma. How will you afford a home without a diploma?”

“I already have a house.”

“You cannot expect to be given everything in life. This is more important than you might realize, Ms. Hobbs. Isn't there something you desire to do with your life after high school?”

I couldn't very well tell him the true reason why I was dropping out of school, but my mind was at a loss for excuses. “I can get an ordinary job at minimum wage if I have to.”

The principal scowled and shook his head. “You show so much promise in music class, from what Mr. Collins has mentioned in the teacher's lounge. You don't want to continue on to a music career? There are college courses on the science of music, you know?”

I shrugged. “It's not that important to me,” I lied. “It’s just a hobby.”

“Have you thought about how this will impact others? What of your future family. Children are expensive, Ms. Hobbs. A minimum-wage job will not cover that. And what about much later in life? Have you thought about retirement? Working a minimum-wage job until you are sixty or seventy and then having to scrape by off of a few hundred dollars a month from social security is not a pleasant life. My mother did just that, and I would not wish it on anyone.”

I had never even thought about the notion of ever having children, and for the briefest moment, I wondered if vampires could have children. “She seemed to raise a successful enough kid,” I replied firmly.

He attempted to persuade me even more for the next fifteen minutes, but I didn't have time to listen anymore. By now, Jason was probably at my house waiting for me, and was no doubt freezing, stuck outside in the cold. I gave Principal Norbert my final decision and despite his ill attempts to convince me otherwise, my drop out was finalized after a few quick signatures.