Ch. Two

A/N: I decided I want to dedicate my chapters. So, this one is dedicated to Shiloh Heartless. Hope you like.

VampLoverNight92

I didn't hear from Vanyx for two weeks after he let me push past him in the cafeteria. He wouldn't even acknowledge me in class. I wondered what I did wrong, but he never listened to my thoughts again. Finally, I thought as I caught up to him walking alone in the hallway.

"Vanyx?" I called from beside him. He wouldn't even look at me. "Vanyx?" I bit my lip in contemplation. How could I get his attention?

I took a piece of paper that I had folded in my back pocket from passing notes in class, and slowly jabbed my hand with it. Tiny droplets of blood escaped my skin, and Vanyx's eyes were glued to my hand curiously.

"What do you want?" he asked impatiently.

"Why are you avoiding me?"

"I'm not." All I could think was-Denial. He had been avoiding me in class, in the hallways, and even at lunch. I retracted a Band-Aid from my pocket also. "Why do you keep Band-Aids in your pocket? What else do you keep in there?"

I laughed. "The administrators make us keep Band-Aids with us at all times. Just in case."

"You mean just in case you bleed, and we accidentally bite you?" he asked incredulously.

"Don't know," I shrugged, "I don't see the usefulness. If you bite me, what's a Band-Aid going to do? By then, you could have killed me. You either intend to kill or not. Band-Aids don't help. However, the PTA demands they be mandatory anyways."

"It won't matter. I can still smell the blood."

"I told you they aren't useful. But I'd better have one on before they see me flaunting my blood in front of you. That could be bad."

"Too late." An achingly familiar voice sounded. I turned around and I cringed. Cole.

"Hi, um…"I started as he roughly pulled me by the arm. I flinched at his forcefulness, and struggled. "Cole. Let go! You're hurting my arm!" He dragged me along the hall and outside into the sidewalk between our classrooms and the library.

"Ren!" he yelled as I flinched again. "What were you doing? I saw the whole thing! Why would you cut yourself? Don't you know what those creatures are? They're blood thirsty! He could have killed you!"

I saw it again. That possessive controlling look. This time it was one time too many. I waited for a break in his rant.

"Cole, I want to break up." I muttered softly. His shouting hadn't intimidated me, but I feared his reaction now. He seethed. He breathed loudly as he attempted to regain his control, and I thought it more likely that he'd kill me before Vanyx.

'Ren, Careful.'

I heard Vanyx's voice in my head. I glance around in all directions, but I couldn't see him.

"You," Cole whispered then built up into a shout, "want to break up!" His hands fisted, and I knew what was coming soon. "Let me guess," he continued as his fists grew tighter and tighter, "You want the vampire?" I stepped back away from him again as he recoiled to punch me head on.

"Cole," I said, "You wouldn't." I glared hatefully at him.

He threw the punch and hit my upraised arm with a solid thud. Ouch, I mentally whined. Bruises were a definite.

"Bastard." I mumbled as I frowned at my arm. He recoiled again as I surveyed my arm, but we were interrupted. Michael peered around the corner of a building.

"Not a good idea." he advised Cole as he shook his head. Cole didn't turn away from me, but addressed Michael coldly.

"Why not, leech?"

"She, I'm afraid, is under Vanyx's protection at the moment. Hit her again, and you'll be the one wounded. I felt it necessary for me to warn you first since it would be unfair."

"Well," snarled Cole. He rambled on, but none of it sunk in. I stood there in awe at myself. What had I seen in him? How could I have dated such an ass? I slapped a hand to my forehead, and it caught Cole's attention.

"Oh," I squeaked as I noticed he was looking at me now, "you're done already?"

He punched my stomach hard, and I doubled over. Michael grimaced, and yelled, "Vanyx, not yet. See if they can work this out. It's none of your business." I looked around again. Where was Vanyx hiding? School was during sunlight hours. Another vampire myth shattered. How could he hide during the day?

I leaned back onto the ground and kicked out my foot as I held my stomach. My combat boots caught Cole in the crotch and I smiled to myself. Yep, I still got it. Cole had no idea who he's messing with.

Michael stifled a laugh as Cole doubled over too. A cold hand pulled me up, and I saw Vanyx's amused face.

"You know," he said conversationally, "that doesn't work on vampires. We can't feel a thing. No pain and no emotions."

"I'm sure you can." I argued. "If you drink blood, don't you lust after it? You feel lust." He nodded reluctantly. Apparently, his natural instincts weren't his favorite topic to discuss. Michael strolled away, and I recalled him being absent in all his classes today. Cheater, I thought. Vanyx kicked Cole in the side before walking me to class.

"I don't want to." I complained. "I'm sore. You can't make me if Michael doesn't have to."

He sighed and we sat outside in the grass hidden behind a building that provided plenty of shade.

"So," he commented as he smirked, "You left your boyfriend for me?" He knew the answer was no, but he liked to tease me anyway.

"No." I answered flatly. "I left him because he's a psycho."

"How long did it take you to figure that out?"

"Shut up."

"That's alright. Now you have me."

"I don't want you." I teased.

"Yes, you do." He said seductively as he toyed with a strand of my hair.

"No, actually," I protested, "I'm angry with you."

"Why?" he asked as he pretended to pout. I laughed. He looked pretty bad pouting. He dark eyes sparkled, but his lips curved downward with two pinpricks of white poking out.

"You avoided me."

"That's only because I haven't fed in weeks. The hunger pains are starting to come, and I have to live off blood capsules."

"Blood capsules?" I questioned. He dug a hand inside his jeans pocket and fished out two small, red gel capsules. I picked one up and held it in the sunlight. "And this is blood inside here?"

He nodded, and I replaced the capsule on his palm.

"What does it taste like?"

He seemed startled by the question, and looked at me confused.

"You mean, what does blood taste like?"

"Yes, compared to these capsules."

He struggled to detail and explain, but in the end, he settled on real blood was sweeter and more satisfying in favor than capsules. Like candy versus a whole grain bar.

"But, I can only take willing blood. Around here no one would donate, so I take these."

"How much of a donation?" I queried. He glanced at me, smirking again. I was falling in love with that look. His long jet black hair casting a dark shadow over his garret eyes that swirled, reflecting his amusement.

"As much as offered." he answered.

"Okay, then." I suggested. "Just don't kill me." I pulled my hair away from my neck and sat up in the grass. I was starting to tan from lying in the sun to my dismay. He put up a hand.

"No, no. Not here. The school would expel me before I could say, 'vampire bat'."

"Can you turn into a bat?" I questioned, and his irresistible grin grew widen. He nodded and mischievously vanished instantly.

"Vanyx?" I called as I looked around uncertainly. In the grass, almost too small to spot except from my angle of view was a baby bat. The tiniest one ever, I'd bet. It licked my hand, and I was struck with an idea. "Vanyx, how bad do you need blood?" The little bat danced around excitedly and I laughed. "That bad?" It nodded dutifully. I held him up to me eye level and decided to conspire. "Okay, then, I have an idea. You will have to stay hidden for this to work." He attempted to climb up the sleeve of my jacket, but all it did was exhibit what I would have to play of as a gigantic cyst. Not going to work. I pulled him out carefully by his tiny bat wing sticking out of the end. He looked at me again. "How about in my purse?" He jumped into my purse as I held it out opened. "I will be pretending to be sick, and demand I drive home.

'You could tell them that I'll drive you home because you're sick.' Vanyx mentally explained.

"No, you really think they'd trust you? We're talking about the people who supported the 'Carry Band-Aids' idea. They wouldn't allow it. Just stay hidden." I pulled my purse up my arm.

'What's the point of this plan?' Vanyx asked curiously with his head poking slightly out the opening of my black purse.

'To get to my house.'

'Why?'

'Because no one will be home, and you need blood.'

'Oh.'

'Now hide.' I commanded. I entered the main office with a push of the door and stared at the clerk for some time. God, I thought, I hope this goes alright. How long can Vanyx hold that form?