Diary Of A Vampeen Part 20

"I feel so exhilarated, so free," I exclaimed as I walked down the sidewalk with Kellan. "I feel energetic, like I'm wide awake for the first time in my life."

"That's good," he said, placing his hands in his pocket and lowering his head towards the ground below.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he replied forcing a smile my way.

"I know I was kind of born yesterday, but I'm not stupid or blind. What's wrong?" I repeated stopping mid-step to face him.

"It's silly."

"I'm sure it's not; now dish," I commanded with the same authority Mel held over me at times.

Mel... my best friend, the one who believed I was on an exotic vacation. She's the one I needed most in this situation yet she's the last person I could talk to. I was right in believing that things would change drastically, yet I still underestimated the challenge. Looking at myself now, I realized the complexity I faced in returning to school after merely a couple weeks.

"It's, uh... just... well..."

"Spit it out. I know I have forever, but I don't want to waste forever," I teased.

"Wow, you're feisty now!"

"Sorry. I guess I am a little edgy."

"Follow me. Or do you want me to carry you?" he offered with a smirk and a wink.

"I can walk," I quickly claimed.

"Oh, we're not walking. We're running," the devilish part of him was glowing.

"Where to?"

"You'll see." And with that he took off towards the woods lining the backyard of my neighbors.

I sped off to catch up, but never could get close enough. I was literally following the wind and his shadow. Racing faster than any track star I'd seen, zig-zagging between trees, we finally came upon a short dirt path. I slowed to a brisk walk. I'd been trying to stay with Kellan to the point where I ignored the thrill of the wind beating my face in a pleasant way; I didn't remember to enjoy my first sprint of freedom.

The path led straight onto a golf course that seemed oddly familiar. Observing my surroundings, I realized it was the same course Kellan brought me to before. I stood at the edge of the forest for several minutes listening, but alas, nothing caught my ear no crickets chirped, no birds sang, no whispers carried from houses away and no wind rustled the leaves like most days in fall. More alarming, I'd been trying to hear nature so intently that I forgot to listen for Kellan who wasn't within view.

"Kellan," I called walking onto the mildewed gra.s.s.

I heard an awakening within the forest. Something or someone was traveling like a bullet, like a cheetah running on scent of his prey. Listening, the leaves on the forest floor were flying up quickly. It'd been three seconds since the noise erupted and already the sinking feeling within me sensed it was coming for me.

Judging the distance based off a m.u.f.fled scattering, I realized I had three... two... one.

I closed my eyes, frozen, unable to face whatever it was. Locking all joints in my body, I braced myself for an attack from behind.

c.o.c.king my head sideways I listened but heard nothing once again. The disturbance that swept the woods was gone. Reviewing my memory and calculations, I should have been hit and hit hard by that thing.

I slowly turned to face the path I'd arrived on, opening my eyes as I rotated and saw... nothing. My stomach began to churn as I heard footsteps, faint but audible from behind me. I inhaled jaggedly and returned to my previous position. But again, nothing.

"What the heck is going on?" I whispered to myself, creasing my brows attempting to rationally plot my next move.

"Boo!"

"AHH!" I took off sprinting across the field. The pace I did earlier was jogging compared to this. Half-way across the open field of green turf I heard him.

"Lexi!" Kellan called from behind me.

I paused abruptly, chucking up a bit of dirt and gra.s.s with my swift skid, and turned to see a clearly amused Kellan smirking yet shaking his head in a disapproving way.

"Kellan! That wasn't funny!" I yelled stomping across the green. Couldn't he at least wait until boot camp was over; until I was managing my new abilities cohesively?

"You're right," he said seriously, promptly standing to greet me. "We need to talk."

"About what?" I demanded feeling hot-headed.

"Lexi, why didn't you run?" he pressed.

"I froze, that's all," I replied brushing off his concern.

"Lexi," he stated sternly.

"Kellan." I mimicked his tone.

"Believe it or not, we're more often hunted than hunting. You failed survival instincts 101."

"Can I repeat the course?" I smiled wryly.

He took my face between his hands gently. "Lexi, I'm being serious. Keira came for you. We scared her off but she's still here. I don't want to lose you. I know you're enjoying the feeling of being indestructible, but trust me, you aren't," he warned looking fiercely into my eyes.

I froze, like a deer caught in head lights. She came for me. I'd never done anything to this crazy vampire yet it's her mission to destroy me because of my heritage, something I couldn't change. Now I empathized with the victims of racism or hate crimes; I just struggled to comprehend that they existed in the vamp world.

I didn't know what came over me. Fear? Anxiety? Relief? I burst into tears.

The overwhelming process of becoming a vampeen didn't end after your transformation. It's like the army, you don't stop developing as a soldier after boot camp; you have to continue learning and practice drills daily. I focused so much on my transformation as the final step that I neglected the adjustments I would need to make ongoing outside of Mel and Mike.

Kellan carefully lifted my chin with his hand, "Lexi. It's ok."

"I'm being silly, huh?" I blubbered trying to choke back the unrelenting waterfall.

"No, you're finally acting normal."

"What do you mean?"

"Lexi, the entire time your mom and me explained this to you, you were Joe Cool. I freaked out for two weeks straight. I became a mad man. You just took it in stride as if this was always your destiny. It wasn't natural."

I didn't say anything. Despite what he said, more tears filled my eyes and trickled down my cheeks. I couldn't even look at him. I looked down fidgeting with my hands, trying to discern my emotions.

"Enough of this," he commanded. "Look at me Lexi."

I lifted my eyes to stare into his though my head didn't budge. Despite my water works, my vision wasn't blurry.

"Every waking minute this week I will be with you. I am going to teach you," he advised.

"But what about school? Don't you still have to go?"

"Not really. My parents will excuse me for this."

"How do you know all this anyways? You've only been a vampeen for two months. Do you really learn that quickly or am I just that stupid?" I pressed, on edge from how out of control I felt.

"Promise not to be mad?" he asked warily.

I just stared at him. I didn't acknowledge a 'yes' or 'no.'

"Kiss me."

"What?" I shook my head, caught off guard. "Kellan, just tell me!"

"Kiss me first."

"Why do I have to kiss you? Why can't you kiss me?" I challenged.

"Fine." He grabbed my shoulders, pulled me into him, wrapping his arms around me so I couldn't move back. He didn't lean down and kiss me though; we just gazed into each other's eyes, a fiery, feisty appet.i.te flaring between us. I lifted my head but made no move to close the gap.

"Thought you were going to kiss me..." I whispered, lost in our intense no-blinking match.

"Can't I admire the apple I'm about to eat?"

I chuckled. Playing along, I asked, "And this apple. Is it red or green?"

"Red."

"Why red?"

"Because it's my favorite color."

"Oh."

"Lexi?" he called softly.

"Yea?" I copied his volume.

"Please kiss me."

I lifted myself into him and pressed my lips to his gently. I put no force behind it; it was meant to be nice. I didn't linger and he didn't pull me back in.

"Now," I stated softly yet firmly, "Tell me."

"I'm not sixteen," he said cautiously.

"How old are you?" I asked stepping back, breaking out of his embrace.

"Eighteen."

"I thought you don't lie?"

"I don't! ....usually," he corrected.

"Why are you a soph.o.m.ore with me then?" I questioned, beginning to caution myself for his response.

"Remember how I said I became a mad man when my parents told me?"

"Yea..."

"Well, I literally became a mad man. I went crazy. I was angry. I didn't want this life. I'm not proud, but I started going out a lot, dating several girls at once just because I could. I was on a power trip. I eventually dropped out of school. I was a mess. That's why my parents moved me here. And since I got here a month ago, I've been distracted by you. You keep me going to school every day."

"But I've only known you a little over a week... I mean it feels like it's been forever, but technically it's just a week," I interjected.

"You're mom told me about you when I got here. She showed me your picture and I recognized you in cla.s.s."

"Why didn't you say anything sooner?" Thinking rationally, recalling how silent and withdrawn he appeared a week ago, I accepted this concept of his shy tendencies but needed a verbal confirmation.

"You're the only girl to ever make me shy."

"I made you shy?" I wrinkled my forehead trying to process what he'd just claimed.

"You've always been pretty, Lexi. Maybe you weren't for every guy, but in my eyes, you intimidated me and I was a c.o.c.ky guy upon arrival."

"And you still are, but I really need you to stop lying."

"A very feisty vampeen. You're getting s.e.xier by the minute," he grinned.

"Out of curiosity, just how many girls did you date?" Knowing I had just kissed my first guy less than a month ago, had never been on a date, and was fat until now, my insecurities were bubbling beneath my surface.

"That's not important," he said, his voice harsh and dismissive. "Let's go."

Here we go again with the dark and mysterious thing. He wanted to know me and my past but secured his own in an untouchable vault. "Why?" I demanded.

"Because in exactly fifty-three seconds the sprinklers will turn on."

"Not that. Water never hurt anyone. Why won't you tell me how many?"

"Twelve. I've dated twelve girls. Now let's go," he answered pulling me just in time for the sprinklers to lift out the ground. Seconds after we began running through the woods, I heard the water begin to spray the fairway we stood on moments before.

Back at my house everyone had dispersed. My dad went to sleep, my mom and aunt were catching up on CSI and Kellan's parents went home.

"How was your walk?" my mother prompted the moment my hand touched the door k.n.o.b.

Once inside I replied, "Good. Kellan is going to help me learn the physical stuff."