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People don't like me. I've moved three times for my dads job transfers, and with each new place came the feeling that, I just don't really belong here. My mom says it's ADHD that makes people want to stay away from me. I think things are funnier than they are, so people back away slowly when my sick sense of humor gets the better of me. What does this get me? Two of the weirdest people in school are my friends and I've never had a real girlfriend.
So when school starts Junior year, you can see why I'm not as psyched about it as others are. I don't have much to look forward to. I don't know what I want to do with my future, so I go through the motions, not really caring about my grades, extra classes, or GPA. I know what tomorrow is going to bring and that's all I need to know. And, by the way, tomorrow brings going through the motions again and more homework.
Brandon has been my best friend for three years. He disagrees with almost everything I say, goes for the same girls I like without even knowing I like them; and if he doesn't get his way the first time, he usually beats himself up while hinting at me being the root of his problems. He's not a great wingman, but he's all I've got to work with.
MJ came into school my sophomore year and pretty much integrated himself into my duo with Brandon without our say so. Brandon was more okay with MJ's contribution than I was, but then my opinion never really mattered much anyway. MJ is taller than me by about two inches and taller than Brandon by a solid four inches. And since Brandon is chunky and MJ is skinny, I guess the "opposites attract" rule applied to them a little easier.
When you go through the motions without really caring about what goes on around you, you lose sight on the details of what matters. My dad calls that "condition white" since you're not really taking anything in. But every now and then, life would land something or someone right in front of me and break me from my routine just long enough to change everything else around me. Normally, I hate it when things change. But this time, I had nothing to lose.
"Tiffany," MJ said pointing at me.
"Never liked her. Boobs weren't big enough for the bitchy attitude," I replied.
MJ turned to Brandon. "Same answer," Brandon replied.
The idea was to name off girls in school and give our own brutal critiques on their personality. We all knew it was immature, and nobody would hear what we had to say about them, and if they did they wouldn't care. But then, Brandon figured they do it to us every time they look at us. We may as well do it back for fun since there's nothing better to do. I didn't care enough to disagree.
"Jamie," I named at MJ.
"She's cute, but a mooch. I can't go a day without giving her a handful of loose-leave."
"That means she has a thing for you," Brandon replied. "It's like a tick of hers. It gives her a reason to talk to you. She does that even if she's dating you."
"You dated Jamie?" I had to ask.
Brandon shook his head. "It's a con. Like you said, she's a mooch. Once she figures out my dad is rich, she'd be after me to buy everything she wants."
Once again, I didn't care enough to disagree, so I played it like I was on his side.
"Katy," Brandon named to both of us.
"Bitch," MJ and I answered in sync.
MJ pointed at me. "Tori."
I had to look away from Brandon and answer. "I would date her."
Brandon gave a grin that I could hear as he spoke. "I did date her. F-I-N-E."
Man law was clear on this subject. It was Brandon's ex. I had to stay away from her. And since Tori had already admitted to me in secret that she only dated Brandon to get to me, I had to put it in my head that she would only use me to get to some other guy. Still, she would have been fun to fool around with.
It was my turn and the idea finally popped in my head. I use the game to figure out which of my crushes they would compete for. Automatically, I had one girl in mind.
I pointed at Brandon. "Kouya."
Brandon lifted his cheek muscle to think about her. "She's a cutie, but a psycho. Every boyfriend of hers has moved out of town, conveniently right after their first date."
MJ tilted his head. "According to Jasmine, she's only had four relationships. All of them moved?"
Brandon nodded confidently.
MJ shook his head. "Psycho's aren't my cup of tea."
I knew it wasn't true. She wasn't psychotic in any way. She was distant. Kouya was that girl that wanted to go unnoticed through school. She wanted to be invisible. While guys drooled over cheer leaders that wore skimpy clothes and showed as much cleavage as possible, Kouya was quietly moving through the crowd, going through the motions, just like me. I had to be the first to speak if I wanted to talk to her. Being the first to speak usually wasn't my problem. The breaking point was always my weird sense of humor. But Kouya was different. Kouya had a dangerous aura that made me want her more than I should have. That was the reason everyone thought things about her. That was why most guys stayed away. That was why she hung out with the Goths, even when she didn't look like one of them. I didn't want to mess this up from the start. I didn't want to get shot down by her. As long as I kept my distance, there was always that possibility that my balls would drop tomorrow and I could charm her then. But for today, you can't mess up if you never try.
The next morning, the three of us hung out at Brandon's locker. I was dead. Going through the motions, talking and moving by second nature, nothing to look forward to but getting through one more day. Brandon changed out some books from his locker, MJ told a joke, I chuckled along, and nothing had changed. Everyone that we had named off the day before passed us by and every violent thought was exchanged. They thought we were creeps, and we thought they were pure evil.
But finally, She entered the school with her girl clan. This was the moment I noticed a change... in me. I didn't just want her. I lusted after her in more ways than the sexual. I desired her. I let my imagination run wild with thoughts of her. I knew it was just my teenage hormones altering my perception. I knew it was just infatuation. But I couldn't break away from her. She came closer, and my heart raced faster.
MJ leaned close to me to figure out where I was looking. "Psst, Matt, you're drooling."
I shoved him away and looked down.
"She's looking at you," MJ whispered.
I darted my eyes at her to see if she actually noticed me. She hadn't. She had already passed by, not even knowing I existed.
MJ laughed. "Kouya?" He shouted, "you have a thing for Kouya?"
I dropped my bag on the ground and rammed my fist into his crotch. He collapsed on my shoulder and I held him as he recovered from my hit. He wrapped both hands around his, now, throbbing groin and attached many profanities to my name.
"I really don't want Brandon knowing anything about this. So please, MJ, calm yourself. Knowing my crush isn't worth you losing a testicle." I talked differently when I threaten people.
It had been five days into junior year and I hadn't noticed I was in the same class as Kouya for first period, until now, and now I couldn't stop staring. She was one row in front of me and three columns left. She hooked her hair around her ear as she worked. It was a natural shade of burning red, and her eyes were luminous azure shades. But the pale skin was what pulled my attention: clean, crisp, fresh. She wasn't one of the tan skanks that had to sun kiss her body every day. The other guys would drool over the over rated skin tans. And girls that only burned would fake it for them with a spray on complexion. It was as if Kouya wanted me to be attracted to her.
"So, I want you to partner up," Ms Taylor said, "and complete the diagrams."
Obviously, I didn't know what to do. If I offered to work with Kouya, I'd look like an idiot mooching off her work. But then, partner projects didn't come along very often. Sadly, my dilemma was solved for me. Christina, one of Kouya's friends, quickly took the seat next to Kouya. Oddly, Kouya gave Christina a look. For a second, Kouya looked deadly: like Christina had fallen right into a trap and Kouya was about to pounce. That glare, I'll never forget it.
"Hey," Kouya said with a smile, revealing her fangs. If Christina had been looking for it, she would have noticed how much larger they were compared to the rest of her teeth. But when she started talking again, the fangs were gone. Her teeth were perfectly normal. Her appearance was innocent and quiet.
This was that dangerous aura I had sensed about her. She wasn't human. She had a very dominant animal side. Primitive. Basic. And judging from the look she gave Christina, she had a very particular diet.
She darted around and stared right at me. Her eyes almost glowed bright blue. I dodged the glance as quickly as I could and looked at my paper. My heart jumped. I could feel her eyes on me, and I would have bet money that she could feel my eyes on her as well.
"Kouya," Christina snapped her fingers, "focus."
I slowly looked up at her to see if she was still staring at me. She was. Her expression wasn't hungry. She forced a smile, and let me know that she was onto me. She caught me stalking her, so she stalked me back. But this time, I didn't look down. I tilted my head down, but kept my eyes on her. This was only our first stare-down. And for some reason, I wanted her again. As if the hunger that she had felt had some how been implanted inside of me. I was hungry for Kouya.
Ms Taylor asked if I was working alone. I broke the stare and changed my expression in an instant. I nodded innocently and got back on task. Kouya did the same.
I finished on my own before the others did. Food chain projects had always come naturally to me. Now, I felt like the mouse in the diagram, ready to be eaten by a snake. I took one last glance at Kouya before leaving the room and changing my books out in my locker. She gave me a curious look. Like she was happily surprised to see me. I didn't give her any hints through my expression. I stayed my course the whole way to my locker.
I took a breath and hid my face near my locker door. I had always had a crush on Kouya. She lived a block away from me, and has for the past year. I had labeled her as "out of my league" from the moment I saw her. Just a girl that would not, should not, could not take notice of me no matter how charming I was, so I left her alone. Now she noticed me. Now she saw me. And now, I wanted nothing from her. Or did I? All at once, I wanted her and wanted to avoid her at all cost. I had so much to sort out in myself, and then no time to figure anything out.
"I'm a masochist," I reasoned. "That's it. I'm suicidal. Any other person would pack up and run. But I won't. Like an idiot, I have to stand my ground and make her want me back."
I closed my door and found Brandon waiting for me. "Who are we running from?" he asked with a smile.
I shook my head. "Nobody."
The bell rang and he followed me. "Is this about the girl you were talking to MJ about?"
"If he's already told you, then why ask? You already know everything."
Brandon gave a slight chuckle. "MJ didn't say anything. Is she hot?"
"No, Brandon. She's the ugliest girl we've ever seen. The lice are sliding down strands of her greasy oily hair. She has yeast infections and herpes on her ass."
Brandon lightly punched on my arm. "She's busted, isn't she?"
I rolled my eyes and sighed, "what part of ugly don't you get?"
"I know that's just a front. Where is she?"
That was when I felt her eyes on me again. The tingle up my spine and the chills in my arms were the vibe she sent me. I darted around, looking at the classroom she would have come from. She wasn't anywhere near there. I scanned the area for her. She was stalking me. If it were not for the people, I would be dead already. She would be unnoticed right up until she struck.
Brandon got in front of me and looked me in the eyes. "Dude, you're white. Like really white. Are you afraid of me?"
I re-situated the weight of my books under my arm. "Brandon, there are two things on this world that scare me. You are neither one."
"I mean, me steeling your girl interest. You're not afraid of me getting her first?"
He was trying to piss me off. I didn't give in. He was the chubby asshole on the buss that would scream "look at dem titties bounce" when the wheel hit a pothole. And for whatever reason, his sex life was twice as interesting as mine. Sluts loved him.
I walked on. "If I was afraid of that, I wouldn't spend as much time hanging with you and MJ as I do."
"But without us, what would you do all day?"
I looked around for Kouya again. If she was hunting me, I wanted to find her in the act, just to show her the stealth wouldn't be worth anything as long as she kept sending me that vibe. Brandon broke off to go to his class. I turned a corner as the bell rang again. I had time to walk leazurly to my next class.
I was grabbed by the back of my shirt and pulled into the girls bathroom. Christina held me against the wall and stared at me. Her brown eyes matched her brown hair. But she dressed to make guys drool. Low cut shirt, showing as much cleavage as she could. I had to comment on that when the opening came.
"What do you know about Kouya?" Christina asked strongly.
I pulled her hands off me and straightened my shirt. "I don't know anything about her. Why?"
"You two are a thing. You couldn't keep your eyes off of each other."
I tilted my head, but kept my composure. "Jealous? Are we?"
"No." She crossed her arms. "I want to know why she's changing. A new boyfriend always changes a girl."
"Maybe she wants better quality in her selection of friends," I hinted.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Quality? Like standards?" I directed my whole expression to her cleavage. "Rearrange the letters in lust. See what you get."
She shoved me back into the wall with full force. "I'm a virgin you ass."
"That's likely." I tried to leave and get on to my next class, but she pulled me back and held me to the wall. She was strong for a girl my height.
"I want to know what you know. Tell me what's wrong with Kouya!"
I wanted to push back, but this was already a slippery slope for me. In the girls bathroom having a one on one chat with a female under eighteen. If I even looked at Christina funny, she could get me into the kind of trouble that involves statements, fingerprints and orange jump-suits.
"I don't know anything, Christina! I already told you that. Will you please let me go? I'm late."
She placed her hand over my mouth and stared at me. I rolled my eyes and let her do her thing. "Were you with her over the summer?"
I shook my head cooperatively.
"Why was she looking at you like that, then?"
"I don't know," I mumbled under her hand.
She let me go and backed down. She breathed heavy in frustration and stared me down. "You're going to figure out what's going on."
"Why?" I shot her a look like she was slowly losing her hold on reality.
"Because she likes you."
My look of shock must have been more than she expected because she started to laugh.
"How do you know she likes me?"
"Because she doesn't stare at guys for no reason."
"That's all your evidence?"
Christina shrugged and straightened my shirt and left. I leaned back and watched her walk away, showing off her tramp stamp.
"Classy," I muttered.
I let a few seconds pass before leaving, just to make sure the coast was clear. When I went for the door, I halfway expected Kouya to burst in and attack me. But that didn't happen. I watched my back for the rest of the day, and there wasn't a single encounter with her for the rest of the day. That is, until I took the bus home.
I usually sat towards the front, and she usually sat a few seats behind me. But this time, she didn't come on the bus. All of her friends sat in their usual spot, but she wasn't with them. I took a sigh of relief that she wouldn't be going home until after I was secure in my home. I looked out the window at the other buses leaving. But our doors never closed.
Kouya slowly stepped up into the bus. Her gorgeous red hair moved with the wind that passed through the windows. Her eyes had that soft glow from earlier. She zeroed in on me and approached my seat. I held my breath as she leaned in to whisper to me.
"Do you mind if I sit here? Everywhere else is taken."
I turned around and looked back. There were available seats all over. But I didn't turn her away. I faked a smile and motioned her in.
"By all means," I replied.
She swung her bag around to her lap as she sat.
"I had an encounter with Christina," I told her immediately.
"I heard about that. She may have said some things about me that weren't true."
I didn't look at her. I wanted our conversation to be as civil as possible. That meant I couldn't let loose any looks of surprise. 'Play the part I need to play,' I thought. "So what was that this morning?"
"I'm not a morning person," she replied quickly. "I was grumpy and you were staring at me. I don't like direct attention."
"That's not what I mean," I said trying to be brave. "You seem to have a darker side."
She placed her hand on my chest. I gasped slightly at her touch. It was odd but I knew better than to fight her. "Your heart is racing, Matt. Are you afraid of me?"
I looked down at her hand, then to her eyes. The bright blue shades were brighter. "For someone who doesn't like direct attention, you're giving a lot of it right now."
She curled her cheek up and let me go. Chills shot through me when she looked at me. I turned away and took a deeper breath.
"You really are afraid," she whispered.
"There's no point in denying it. You already know. And if you don't, you'll find out anyway."
She gave me a discerning look. "And you're wise? I knew you were smart, but this is profound, even for a young adult."
I turned back to her with a grimace. "How old are you again?"
She gave a clumsy smile and answered, "wanna guess?"
I slowly shook my head. "I don't like to guess." In my head, I wanted to say 16.
"I'm older than you," she replied softly.
I looked out the window as we left school grounds. "How old is your boyfriend?"
"Also older than you," she replied plainly.
"Not that it's any of my business, but how much older?"
She paused and replied very precisely, "early twenties."
I turned and gave her a look. "You like 'em young, huh?"
"Cute. I like playing twenty questions, but when am I going to get a turn?"
The bus jumped over a bump in the road and I heard Brandon shout "look at dem titties bouncin".
I stared out the window and rolled my eyes.
"Are you homosexual?" she asked.
I gave her another look. "No."
"You just don't like looking at breasts?"
My look shifted to confused. "I do on occasion."
"So you just don't find me attractive?"
"I think you've hit your question cap. May I have a turn?"
"Answer my last question and you can."
"Why do you want to know?"
"Curiosity."
"You have a boyfriend."
"I have a few."
I paused at that. I didn't know how to reply.
"That makes you uncomfortable?"
"It's not my business."
"But you're curious."
"Force of habit."
"I have an appetite. Call me a sinner."
"Again, not my business."
She kept staring at me. She didn't reply. She didn't move. She just looked me over. I turned to her with a slightly annoyed look and said, "please stop doing that."
"Doing what?"
"Staring at me."
"I like you."
Once again, I couldn't respond to that.
"And I think you like me, too," Kouya whispered.
"What makes you think that?"
She gave a sarcastic smile. "Call it a hunch. I can't quite put my finger on it. You're the only one I feel like I know without having known you on a personal level."
"This is our first conversation. Ever."
"Like I said, call it a hunch. The point is, I would like to get to know you. But only if you want to know me, too."
I didn't know how to reply or even what to think. I had never heard of this approach on a friendship. It was new and different, and I was tired of walking through the motions day by day. I had already decided, before she even sat next to me, that I wanted to get to know her. The question was, would I tell Christina what I found out?
"Christina is trying to find something that isn't there," Kouya said out of nowhere. "If you want to act as her agent, that's your choice. But you won't find anything unusual."
I leaned in close to her and whispered, "staring at me the way you did was unusual. Teeth like an animal and glowing blue eyes is unusual. Telling me you're older than me and then saying you like me and a few others and expecting me to go for it is unusual. But what I find extraordinary is that you trust me even when you seem to know everything about this is out to get you."
"Who said I trust you?" she replied getting closer to my ear. "You saw something today. Something you shouldn't have. I only have two options. Let you in on the secret, or keep you from spilling what you think you know."
I smelled her hair. I had never known intoxicating until that moment. Damn, I wanted her. "Then you already know, I'm not saying a word to anyone."
"So you're more than curious," she replied.
"You bet I am. And I can take anything you can dish out."
"Don't be so sure. I have a horrible eating habit. You don't want to be around me for that."
"Is that the worst you've got?"
"An out of control diet is very unattractive."
"By appetite, I thought you meant dating. I didn't realize the girl can eat." I backed up and looked into her eyes. "I don't think I can back down now."
"Feeling confident?"
"Competition, more like."
"I guess you'll just have to beat the odds."
"Freaks don't normally beat the odds." I motioned my head to the back of the bus. "Jocks and beautiful people get everything they want. And, from what I see, you're pure desire."
Her eyes flared again. I stopped questioning that. "I am a freak," she replied. "Skip the foreplay, tell me you want me."
I answered without hesitation, "I want you. Now what?"
"Be a man and make a move."
It was an invitation and I wasn't ever going to let it pass. I closed my eyes and leaned in to kiss her. It was completely euphoric. Everything about that kiss was natural and unique. I didn't want it to stop. When I sucked in her bottom lip, it was like sucking a sweet and beautiful venom. I knew this girl wanted to hurt me, and for whatever reason, I wanted her to hurt me.
She pulled away with a happy grin. "You give me urges, Matt."
"Likewise, ma'am. Very seriously weird urges."
"Seriously weird is right," Brandon said from the seat behind us.
Kouya saw my expression and knew I was pissed. Not just for the buzz kill, but in general. Brandon chuckled and drummed on the back of the seat at his prank.
Kouya turned completely around to him and gave a very sarcastic smile. "It's Brandon, right? Do you think you could show me a better time?"
"Why? is this guy boring you?" Brandon chuckled.
Kouya laughed and bounced. My heart dropped. She was going for it. "You're plucky. I love it."
Brandon chuckled and touched her cheek. "The ladies always do."
Kouya grinned bigger and swept his hand away from her face. "And what makes you think I'm a lady? I've had more sex than you could ever dream of. I've conquered men and broken hearts just for the hell of it. I eat boys like you for breakfast. Do you honestly think you could handle me?"
Brandon's chuckle trailed off to an embarassed smile. "I can handle you all night long."
"Can you? Something tells me you wouldn't last ten minutes inside me."
It bothered me some that I was once again the third wheel. But for once, I watched Brandon get shot down. It felt good. But then, Kouya gave me a casual smile.
"But then, Matt."
Brandon chuckled mockingly. "Matt?"
"Matt has watched you steal girls right out from under him. They start flirting with him and you have to cock-block. Does it make you feel good to know you get more action than your friend? Or are you so insecure with yourself that you can't find a girl on your own."
Brandon stammered, "I don't-"
"Good girls. Nice girls. Girls that could have a healthy relationship with a good, faithful guy like Matt. You ruin everything you touch, and you haven't stopped and wodnered what the hell is wrong with you."
Brandon sat back and looked all around the bus. When he looked up, she laughed.
"I'm not up there. I'm right in front of you. It's rude to ignore someone when they speak." It was a cheap shot, but I wasn't taking points away. "If you can't respect your best friend, you certainly won't respect women. Boys like you corrupt good and pure girls. So what business do you think you have taking every chance Matt gets away from him? Do you hate him that much?"
Brandon gave me a scowl. A hint of shame welled up in his face, but he was pissed.
"Don't make faces. It's not Matt's fault I won't go for you. It was your winning personality that turned me."
I did my best to hide the fact that I was loving this moment. I didn't want him to hate me for the rest of school. But this was the one time I would win. Victory was sweet.
"He's loving this, by the way," Kouya motioned her head toward me. "He's too good of a friend to let you see the truth. But he loves seeing you learn a lesson in humility."
I looked down so he wouldn't see my expression. I wanted so badly to let my smile out.
"It may burn you up to be shot down in front of him," Kouya finished. "But now he knows, there is at least one girl that prefers quality in romance over substance."
The bus stopped at my street. We both got up and looked at Brandon. It wasn't my fault our bus stop was the same, but it felt so good to leave him in this misery. There was one thought that was furthest away from my mind in the moment: how many times would I lose to him? How many girls would want a loud, obnoxious, fat freak over me? This was my day. This was my time. This was the change that I had been needing.
We got off the bus and started laughing like children. The others passed us by in a hurry to get home. All I could think was how beautiful she was. Her smile was angelic, but I knew she was anything but. Whatever she was, she gave me that moment and it felt amazing. The bus pulled away and we just looked at each other.
"Do you want to come over?" she asked.
"Do you even have to ask?" I replied and bit my lip.
"This is going to be fun," she said with a grin and led the way. "You have no idea what's going to happen, do you?"
My cheek rose when I thought of the possibilities. "No idea," I said truthfully, "and I'm enjoying it."
She looked at me with that smile from before. "There's something I need you to promise me, before things go any further. Whatever happens, you keep it between us. You talk to anyone about us or what's going on, it all ends. Understand?"
"So the first rule is you do not talk about-"
"You got it," she said with a wink.
When we stepped inside her house, I could tell right away her family was wealthy. The conservative, three bedroom, two bathroom house made a nice cover for the rich interior. Sculptures of Greek gods and horses were precisely placed around the house. Tapestries of wars and royal courts hung over the walls. Where others would have run from this dark interior as if they were about to be slashed into tiny pieces and thrown into a dumpster, I was taking it all in. The art was captivating. The ambiance was empowering.
"My mom likes darker traditional art," Kouya explained. "It's all a bit dry for my taste."
I couldn't stop intaking the scene. Whips and torture weapons hung in a display case. A skeleton of a baby cat was the center piece of the dining room table. The Adams family had nothing on this lot. I was in love.
"When are your parents gonna be home?" I asked as she led me to her room.
"Later on in the evening. I have a few people to call before the fun starts, so make yourself at home. I won't be long."
She tossed her bookbag to her dresser and plopped on her bed with her tablet. The sound of Skype signing in rang out and she instantly began a "can't make it today" conversation with a contact. The conversation started over five times with five different men. Every so often, she would wink at me or smile in my direction.
I was sitting at her desk and finishing up what little homework I had. I heard her tapping out a chat conversation with another guy, more than likely to say she couldn't make it tonight. The girl got around, but I didn't care. She was clearing her schedule for me, and for today, that was all that mattered.
I packed my books away and sat next to her on the bed with my legs folded and my body leaned in.
"Almost done," she said, grinning at my forward motion.
Her gorgeous red hair spilled over her shoulders and her feet swung up over her perfect curves. Just yesterday, I was thinking about how she must have looked in her idle moments. Now I knew, and I basked in this moment of finally getting what I had thought about so often. Finally, I lost control. If she were any other girl, I would have contained myself. I pushed forward and planted my hand on the other side of her and looked over her shoulder at who she was writing.
"Easy, big boy," she said, turnimg over under my arm with her tablet between us. "You don't want to read this particular conversation."
I moved my head to see her eyes, but she kept moving the tablet in the way. "I've already heard you and your other boyfriends. I can't see what's happening with this one?"
She dropped the tablet on her chest and looked up at me with those big, blue eyes aglow. Her expression of curiosity matched mine when she spoke. "What makes you so sure I'm writing to a boyfriend?"
I paused and thought about it. I backed off, pulling my arm away and laying on my side.
"Ask me," she whispered.
"Ask what?"
"Whatever it is you want to ask me."
"Are you controlling my thoughts?"
"Sometimes."
I gave a perplexed look. I didn't expect her to answer so directly, if at all.
"You're allowing me to read your mind. I'm just helping you along. So ask me what you really want to ask me."
"What are you?" I blurted out. I didn't even mean to ask that, but it was forced from my lips.
"What do you think I am?" she replied, with that seductive look on her face.
"Vam-" before I could finish, she placed her hand on my mouth and silently chuckled at my response.
"You're not a... that?" I was shocked for a second. She had all of the qualities I had read about and heard about.
"No," she said, resisting the urge to laugh at me. "I'm on the other end of the spectrum."
"An angel?"
She climbed on top of me, looked down at me with puffs of hair bulging on her chest, and softly laughed at my ignorance. "Well, I guess my expectations were too high. If it hasn't been addressed in a trendy book or movie, you haven't heard of it, have you?"
I rolled my eyes at that assumption. "I can list a whole bunch of fantasy or mythical creatures. I just made my best guesses."
She extended her fangs again and lifted her head so I could see the inside of her mouth. "Do you know what these are for?" she asked, making me think for the answer I wanted.
"Infecting others?" I figured.
She retracted them again and shook her head. "My kind don't do that. And neither can vampires, just so you're aware."
I nodded to show I understood.
"We use our fangs to draw blood, plain and simple. We can transfer thoughts, emotions, and experiences by drinking blood and letting others drink ours."
"So what does that make you?"
"An angel-spawn."
"Nephilum?"
Her grin returned. "Very good."
"So, why was it so easy for me to mistake you for a vampire?"
She propped herself up on her side and thought. "I guess we have some of the same characteristics."
"And I wasn't far off with the angel idea, either."
"From your point of view, that's a valid point. From where I am, there is a huge difference between an angel-spawn and an angel."
I looked down her body and took in all the sights for a second before thinking about what she meant. She sat straight up on my stomach and placed her hands on the end of my shirt.
"You're a weaker specimen than your parents?" I asked.
"You're assuming that at least one of my parents is an angel."
"I was assuming that, yes," I replied giving myself that back door.
"The angel is an ancestor."
"The angel is still alive?"
Kouya nodded and ran her hand down my chest to where my heart raced. "Angels don't live and die like we do. They don't age or get wounded or sick. They just are."
"We would have heard about them if they really are walking the earth like this."
She lifted my shirt and touched my bottom ribs. "Can you see the sun when you look at it?"
I thought for a second and plainly shook my head.
"All you see is a glare. You don't see the aura of heat or the halo in the sky or even how big it is in the sky. All you see is it's light. Noticing an angel is a lot like that. They make themselves something hard to look at, even if they're all you notice."
"Disguise?"
"As a homeless person, or a drifter, or a working class citizen that requires little or no responsibility. Security guards, highway clean up, night shift janitorial staff. People you don't care to see. People that work with them hardly notice their presence."
She had lifted my shirt completely off and traced my veins to my heart. At first, it tickled, but it was as if she was putting me to sleep by extreme relaxation.
"You're heart is pumping adrenaline into your blood," she said. "I'm slowing the flow to your heart by touching your veins. That's why you're so light headed."
"Why are you doing that?"
"I want to tell you about your heritage. The easiest way for me to do that is by tasting your blood. But the adrenaline ruins the effects."
I was so dizzy and sleepy, I couldn't disagree. If I had been more alert, I probably would have questioned her motives. But the time her teeth sank into my flesh under my right collar bone, I was fast asleep. But the dream I had was so vivid and breath-taking, I was caught in the middle of amazement and disbelief. I saw my father, doing the things he had told me about. His father, hard and strong-armed in everything he did. And back through the generations and events that my family had taken place in. Time rewound in my mind, to a time and place I had only heard about in Sunday-school as a child. Each ancestor had similar features as I did and my father did. Each romance was the same story with changes in only minor details.
And then, I saw her! Kouya! She was a family friend visiting my ancestor's house with her caravan. She pressed her hand on my grandfather's chest as he slept. The mark she left above his breast was only a silver thumb print. It faded after an hour and disappeared that morning.
The dream ended and I awoke gasping for air. Kouya wiped my skin of the blood and applied pressure. I tried to move away from her, not knowing exactly how to react. But she held me down and kept the rag on my chest.
"I saw you," I said, realizing my voice was gone. I coughed to get some sound back, but my throat was too dry.
"Easy, Matt. I saw it, too. It was my grandmother."
"What does it mean?" I asked. "What did this dream mean?"
"It was a long term memory, and it means that you're my mate. Calm down, and I can explain it all."
"How do you know all..."
She placed her finger on my lips and that shut me up. It was as if she had that power over me at all times.
"Matt, my parents are here. Put your shirt back on and let me introduce you."

Description
People don't like me. I've moved three times for my dads job transfers, and with each new place came the feeling that, I just don't really belong here. My mom says it's ADHD that makes people want to stay away from me. I think things are funnier than they are, so people back away slowly when my sick sense of humor gets the better of me. What does this get me? Two of the weirdest people in school are my friends and I've never had a real girlfriend.
So when school starts Junior year, you can see why I'm not as psyched about it as others are. I don't have much to look forward to. I don't know what I want to do with my future, so I go through the motions, not really caring about my grades, extra classes, or GPA. I know what tomorrow is going to bring and that's all I need to know. And, by the way, tomorrow brings going through the motions again and more homework.
Brandon has been my best friend for three years. He disagrees with almost everything I say, goes for the same girls I like without even knowing I like them; and if he doesn't get his way the first time, he usually beats himself up while hinting at me being the root of his problems. He's not a great wingman, but he's all I've got to work with.
MJ came into school my sophomore year and pretty much integrated himself into my duo with Brandon without our say so. Brandon was more okay with MJ's contribution than I was, but then my opinion never really mattered much anyway. MJ is taller than me by about two inches and taller than Brandon by a solid four inches. And since Brandon is chunky and MJ is skinny, I guess the "opposites attract" rule applied to them a little easier.
When you go through the motions without really caring about what goes on around you, you lose sight on the details of what matters. My dad calls that "condition white" since you're not really taking anything in. But every now and then, life would land something or someone right in front of me and break me from my routine just long enough to change everything else around me. Normally, I hate it when things change. But this time, I had nothing to lose.
"Tiffany," MJ said pointing at me.
"Never liked her. Boobs weren't big enough for the bitchy attitude," I replied.
MJ turned to Brandon. "Same answer," Brandon replied.
The idea was to name off girls in school and give our own brutal critiques on their personality. We all knew it was immature, and nobody would hear what we had to say about them, and if they did they wouldn't care. But then, Brandon figured they do it to us every time they look at us. We may as well do it back for fun since there's nothing better to do. I didn't care enough to disagree.
"Jamie," I named at MJ.
"She's cute, but a mooch. I can't go a day without giving her a handful of loose-leave."
"That means she has a thing for you," Brandon replied. "It's like a tick of hers. It gives her a reason to talk to you. She does that even if she's dating you."
"You dated Jamie?" I had to ask.
Brandon shook his head. "It's a con. Like you said, she's a mooch. Once she figures out my dad is rich, she'd be after me to buy everything she wants."
Once again, I didn't care enough to disagree, so I played it like I was on his side.
"Katy," Brandon named to both of us.
"Bitch," MJ and I answered in sync.
MJ pointed at me. "Tori."
I had to look away from Brandon and answer. "I would date her."
Brandon gave a grin that I could hear as he spoke. "I did date her. F-I-N-E."
Man law was clear on this subject. It was Brandon's ex. I had to stay away from her. And since Tori had already admitted to me in secret that she only dated Brandon to get to me, I had to put it in my head that she would only use me to get to some other guy. Still, she would have been fun to fool around with.
It was my turn and the idea finally popped in my head. I use the game to figure out which of my crushes they would compete for. Automatically, I had one girl in mind.
I pointed at Brandon. "Kouya."
Brandon lifted his cheek muscle to think about her. "She's a cutie, but a psycho. Every boyfriend of hers has moved out of town, conveniently right after their first date."
MJ tilted his head. "According to Jasmine, she's only had four relationships. All of them moved?"
Brandon nodded confidently.
MJ shook his head. "Psycho's aren't my cup of tea."
I knew it wasn't true. She wasn't psychotic in any way. She was distant. Kouya was that girl that wanted to go unnoticed through school. She wanted to be invisible. While guys drooled over cheer leaders that wore skimpy clothes and showed as much cleavage as possible, Kouya was quietly moving through the crowd, going through the motions, just like me. I had to be the first to speak if I wanted to talk to her. Being the first to speak usually wasn't my problem. The breaking point was always my weird sense of humor. But Kouya was different. Kouya had a dangerous aura that made me want her more than I should have. That was the reason everyone thought things about her. That was why most guys stayed away. That was why she hung out with the Goths, even when she didn't look like one of them. I didn't want to mess this up from the start. I didn't want to get shot down by her. As long as I kept my distance, there was always that possibility that my balls would drop tomorrow and I could charm her then. But for today, you can't mess up if you never try.
The next morning, the three of us hung out at Brandon's locker. I was dead. Going through the motions, talking and moving by second nature, nothing to look forward to but getting through one more day. Brandon changed out some books from his locker, MJ told a joke, I chuckled along, and nothing had changed. Everyone that we had named off the day before passed us by and every violent thought was exchanged. They thought we were creeps, and we thought they were pure evil.
But finally, She entered the school with her girl clan. This was the moment I noticed a change... in me. I didn't just want her. I lusted after her in more ways than the sexual. I desired her. I let my imagination run wild with thoughts of her. I knew it was just my teenage hormones altering my perception. I knew it was just infatuation. But I couldn't break away from her. She came closer, and my heart raced faster.
MJ leaned close to me to figure out where I was looking. "Psst, Matt, you're drooling."
I shoved him away and looked down.
"She's looking at you," MJ whispered.
I darted my eyes at her to see if she actually noticed me. She hadn't. She had already passed by, not even knowing I existed.
MJ laughed. "Kouya?" He shouted, "you have a thing for Kouya?"
I dropped my bag on the ground and rammed my fist into his crotch. He collapsed on my shoulder and I held him as he recovered from my hit. He wrapped both hands around his, now, throbbing groin and attached many profanities to my name.
"I really don't want Brandon knowing anything about this. So please, MJ, calm yourself. Knowing my crush isn't worth you losing a testicle." I talked differently when I threaten people.
It had been five days into junior year and I hadn't noticed I was in the same class as Kouya for first period, until now, and now I couldn't stop staring. She was one row in front of me and three columns left. She hooked her hair around her ear as she worked. It was a natural shade of burning red, and her eyes were luminous azure shades. But the pale skin was what pulled my attention: clean, crisp, fresh. She wasn't one of the tan skanks that had to sun kiss her body every day. The other guys would drool over the over rated skin tans. And girls that only burned would fake it for them with a spray on complexion. It was as if Kouya wanted me to be attracted to her.
"So, I want you to partner up," Ms Taylor said, "and complete the diagrams."
Obviously, I didn't know what to do. If I offered to work with Kouya, I'd look like an idiot mooching off her work. But then, partner projects didn't come along very often. Sadly, my dilemma was solved for me. Christina, one of Kouya's friends, quickly took the seat next to Kouya. Oddly, Kouya gave Christina a look. For a second, Kouya looked deadly: like Christina had fallen right into a trap and Kouya was about to pounce. That glare, I'll never forget it.
"Hey," Kouya said with a smile, revealing her fangs. If Christina had been looking for it, she would have noticed how much larger they were compared to the rest of her teeth. But when she started talking again, the fangs were gone. Her teeth were perfectly normal. Her appearance was innocent and quiet.
This was that dangerous aura I had sensed about her. She wasn't human. She had a very dominant animal side. Primitive. Basic. And judging from the look she gave Christina, she had a very particular diet.
She darted around and stared right at me. Her eyes almost glowed bright blue. I dodged the glance as quickly as I could and looked at my paper. My heart jumped. I could feel her eyes on me, and I would have bet money that she could feel my eyes on her as well.
"Kouya," Christina snapped her fingers, "focus."
I slowly looked up at her to see if she was still staring at me. She was. Her expression wasn't hungry. She forced a smile, and let me know that she was onto me. She caught me stalking her, so she stalked me back. But this time, I didn't look down. I tilted my head down, but kept my eyes on her. This was only our first stare-down. And for some reason, I wanted her again. As if the hunger that she had felt had some how been implanted inside of me. I was hungry for Kouya.
Ms Taylor asked if I was working alone. I broke the stare and changed my expression in an instant. I nodded innocently and got back on task. Kouya did the same.
I finished on my own before the others did. Food chain projects had always come naturally to me. Now, I felt like the mouse in the diagram, ready to be eaten by a snake. I took one last glance at Kouya before leaving the room and changing my books out in my locker. She gave me a curious look. Like she was happily surprised to see me. I didn't give her any hints through my expression. I stayed my course the whole way to my locker.
I took a breath and hid my face near my locker door. I had always had a crush on Kouya. She lived a block away from me, and has for the past year. I had labeled her as "out of my league" from the moment I saw her. Just a girl that would not, should not, could not take notice of me no matter how charming I was, so I left her alone. Now she noticed me. Now she saw me. And now, I wanted nothing from her. Or did I? All at once, I wanted her and wanted to avoid her at all cost. I had so much to sort out in myself, and then no time to figure anything out.
"I'm a masochist," I reasoned. "That's it. I'm suicidal. Any other person would pack up and run. But I won't. Like an idiot, I have to stand my ground and make her want me back."
I closed my door and found Brandon waiting for me. "Who are we running from?" he asked with a smile.
I shook my head. "Nobody."
The bell rang and he followed me. "Is this about the girl you were talking to MJ about?"
"If he's already told you, then why ask? You already know everything."
Brandon gave a slight chuckle. "MJ didn't say anything. Is she hot?"
"No, Brandon. She's the ugliest girl we've ever seen. The lice are sliding down strands of her greasy oily hair. She has yeast infections and herpes on her ass."
Brandon lightly punched on my arm. "She's busted, isn't she?"
I rolled my eyes and sighed, "what part of ugly don't you get?"
"I know that's just a front. Where is she?"
That was when I felt her eyes on me again. The tingle up my spine and the chills in my arms were the vibe she sent me. I darted around, looking at the classroom she would have come from. She wasn't anywhere near there. I scanned the area for her. She was stalking me. If it were not for the people, I would be dead already. She would be unnoticed right up until she struck.
Brandon got in front of me and looked me in the eyes. "Dude, you're white. Like really white. Are you afraid of me?"
I re-situated the weight of my books under my arm. "Brandon, there are two things on this world that scare me. You are neither one."
"I mean, me steeling your girl interest. You're not afraid of me getting her first?"
He was trying to piss me off. I didn't give in. He was the chubby asshole on the buss that would scream "look at dem titties bounce" when the wheel hit a pothole. And for whatever reason, his sex life was twice as interesting as mine. Sluts loved him.
I walked on. "If I was afraid of that, I wouldn't spend as much time hanging with you and MJ as I do."
"But without us, what would you do all day?"
I looked around for Kouya again. If she was hunting me, I wanted to find her in the act, just to show her the stealth wouldn't be worth anything as long as she kept sending me that vibe. Brandon broke off to go to his class. I turned a corner as the bell rang again. I had time to walk leazurly to my next class.
I was grabbed by the back of my shirt and pulled into the girls bathroom. Christina held me against the wall and stared at me. Her brown eyes matched her brown hair. But she dressed to make guys drool. Low cut shirt, showing as much cleavage as she could. I had to comment on that when the opening came.
"What do you know about Kouya?" Christina asked strongly.
I pulled her hands off me and straightened my shirt. "I don't know anything about her. Why?"
"You two are a thing. You couldn't keep your eyes off of each other."
I tilted my head, but kept my composure. "Jealous? Are we?"
"No." She crossed her arms. "I want to know why she's changing. A new boyfriend always changes a girl."
"Maybe she wants better quality in her selection of friends," I hinted.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Quality? Like standards?" I directed my whole expression to her cleavage. "Rearrange the letters in lust. See what you get."
She shoved me back into the wall with full force. "I'm a virgin you ass."
"That's likely." I tried to leave and get on to my next class, but she pulled me back and held me to the wall. She was strong for a girl my height.
"I want to know what you know. Tell me what's wrong with Kouya!"
I wanted to push back, but this was already a slippery slope for me. In the girls bathroom having a one on one chat with a female under eighteen. If I even looked at Christina funny, she could get me into the kind of trouble that involves statements, fingerprints and orange jump-suits.
"I don't know anything, Christina! I already told you that. Will you please let me go? I'm late."
She placed her hand over my mouth and stared at me. I rolled my eyes and let her do her thing. "Were you with her over the summer?"
I shook my head cooperatively.
"Why was she looking at you like that, then?"
"I don't know," I mumbled under her hand.
She let me go and backed down. She breathed heavy in frustration and stared me down. "You're going to figure out what's going on."
"Why?" I shot her a look like she was slowly losing her hold on reality.
"Because she likes you."
My look of shock must have been more than she expected because she started to laugh.
"How do you know she likes me?"
"Because she doesn't stare at guys for no reason."
"That's all your evidence?"
Christina shrugged and straightened my shirt and left. I leaned back and watched her walk away, showing off her tramp stamp.
"Classy," I muttered.
I let a few seconds pass before leaving, just to make sure the coast was clear. When I went for the door, I halfway expected Kouya to burst in and attack me. But that didn't happen. I watched my back for the rest of the day, and there wasn't a single encounter with her for the rest of the day. That is, until I took the bus home.
I usually sat towards the front, and she usually sat a few seats behind me. But this time, she didn't come on the bus. All of her friends sat in their usual spot, but she wasn't with them. I took a sigh of relief that she wouldn't be going home until after I was secure in my home. I looked out the window at the other buses leaving. But our doors never closed.
Kouya slowly stepped up into the bus. Her gorgeous red hair moved with the wind that passed through the windows. Her eyes had that soft glow from earlier. She zeroed in on me and approached my seat. I held my breath as she leaned in to whisper to me.
"Do you mind if I sit here? Everywhere else is taken."
I turned around and looked back. There were available seats all over. But I didn't turn her away. I faked a smile and motioned her in.
"By all means," I replied.
She swung her bag around to her lap as she sat.
"I had an encounter with Christina," I told her immediately.
"I heard about that. She may have said some things about me that weren't true."
I didn't look at her. I wanted our conversation to be as civil as possible. That meant I couldn't let loose any looks of surprise. 'Play the part I need to play,' I thought. "So what was that this morning?"
"I'm not a morning person," she replied quickly. "I was grumpy and you were staring at me. I don't like direct attention."
"That's not what I mean," I said trying to be brave. "You seem to have a darker side."
She placed her hand on my chest. I gasped slightly at her touch. It was odd but I knew better than to fight her. "Your heart is racing, Matt. Are you afraid of me?"
I looked down at her hand, then to her eyes. The bright blue shades were brighter. "For someone who doesn't like direct attention, you're giving a lot of it right now."
She curled her cheek up and let me go. Chills shot through me when she looked at me. I turned away and took a deeper breath.
"You really are afraid," she whispered.
"There's no point in denying it. You already know. And if you don't, you'll find out anyway."
She gave me a discerning look. "And you're wise? I knew you were smart, but this is profound, even for a young adult."
I turned back to her with a grimace. "How old are you again?"
She gave a clumsy smile and answered, "wanna guess?"
I slowly shook my head. "I don't like to guess." In my head, I wanted to say 16.
"I'm older than you," she replied softly.
I looked out the window as we left school grounds. "How old is your boyfriend?"
"Also older than you," she replied plainly.
"Not that it's any of my business, but how much older?"
She paused and replied very precisely, "early twenties."
I turned and gave her a look. "You like 'em young, huh?"
"Cute. I like playing twenty questions, but when am I going to get a turn?"
The bus jumped over a bump in the road and I heard Brandon shout "look at dem titties bouncin".
I stared out the window and rolled my eyes.
"Are you homosexual?" she asked.
I gave her another look. "No."
"You just don't like looking at breasts?"
My look shifted to confused. "I do on occasion."
"So you just don't find me attractive?"
"I think you've hit your question cap. May I have a turn?"
"Answer my last question and you can."
"Why do you want to know?"
"Curiosity."
"You have a boyfriend."
"I have a few."
I paused at that. I didn't know how to reply.
"That makes you uncomfortable?"
"It's not my business."
"But you're curious."
"Force of habit."
"I have an appetite. Call me a sinner."
"Again, not my business."
She kept staring at me. She didn't reply. She didn't move. She just looked me over. I turned to her with a slightly annoyed look and said, "please stop doing that."
"Doing what?"
"Staring at me."
"I like you."
Once again, I couldn't respond to that.
"And I think you like me, too," Kouya whispered.
"What makes you think that?"
She gave a sarcastic smile. "Call it a hunch. I can't quite put my finger on it. You're the only one I feel like I know without having known you on a personal level."
"This is our first conversation. Ever."
"Like I said, call it a hunch. The point is, I would like to get to know you. But only if you want to know me, too."
I didn't know how to reply or even what to think. I had never heard of this approach on a friendship. It was new and different, and I was tired of walking through the motions day by day. I had already decided, before she even sat next to me, that I wanted to get to know her. The question was, would I tell Christina what I found out?
"Christina is trying to find something that isn't there," Kouya said out of nowhere. "If you want to act as her agent, that's your choice. But you won't find anything unusual."
I leaned in close to her and whispered, "staring at me the way you did was unusual. Teeth like an animal and glowing blue eyes is unusual. Telling me you're older than me and then saying you like me and a few others and expecting me to go for it is unusual. But what I find extraordinary is that you trust me even when you seem to know everything about this is out to get you."
"Who said I trust you?" she replied getting closer to my ear. "You saw something today. Something you shouldn't have. I only have two options. Let you in on the secret, or keep you from spilling what you think you know."
I smelled her hair. I had never known intoxicating until that moment. Damn, I wanted her. "Then you already know, I'm not saying a word to anyone."
"So you're more than curious," she replied.
"You bet I am. And I can take anything you can dish out."
"Don't be so sure. I have a horrible eating habit. You don't want to be around me for that."
"Is that the worst you've got?"
"An out of control diet is very unattractive."
"By appetite, I thought you meant dating. I didn't realize the girl can eat." I backed up and looked into her eyes. "I don't think I can back down now."
"Feeling confident?"
"Competition, more like."
"I guess you'll just have to beat the odds."
"Freaks don't normally beat the odds." I motioned my head to the back of the bus. "Jocks and beautiful people get everything they want. And, from what I see, you're pure desire."
Her eyes flared again. I stopped questioning that. "I am a freak," she replied. "Skip the foreplay, tell me you want me."
I answered without hesitation, "I want you. Now what?"
"Be a man and make a move."
It was an invitation and I wasn't ever going to let it pass. I closed my eyes and leaned in to kiss her. It was completely euphoric. Everything about that kiss was natural and unique. I didn't want it to stop. When I sucked in her bottom lip, it was like sucking a sweet and beautiful venom. I knew this girl wanted to hurt me, and for whatever reason, I wanted her to hurt me.
She pulled away with a happy grin. "You give me urges, Matt."
"Likewise, ma'am. Very seriously weird urges."
"Seriously weird is right," Brandon said from the seat behind us.
Kouya saw my expression and knew I was pissed. Not just for the buzz kill, but in general. Brandon chuckled and drummed on the back of the seat at his prank.
Kouya turned completely around to him and gave a very sarcastic smile. "It's Brandon, right? Do you think you could show me a better time?"
"Why? is this guy boring you?" Brandon chuckled.
Kouya laughed and bounced. My heart dropped. She was going for it. "You're plucky. I love it."
Brandon chuckled and touched her cheek. "The ladies always do."
Kouya grinned bigger and swept his hand away from her face. "And what makes you think I'm a lady? I've had more sex than you could ever dream of. I've conquered men and broken hearts just for the hell of it. I eat boys like you for breakfast. Do you honestly think you could handle me?"
Brandon's chuckle trailed off to an embarassed smile. "I can handle you all night long."
"Can you? Something tells me you wouldn't last ten minutes inside me."
It bothered me some that I was once again the third wheel. But for once, I watched Brandon get shot down. It felt good. But then, Kouya gave me a casual smile.
"But then, Matt."
Brandon chuckled mockingly. "Matt?"
"Matt has watched you steal girls right out from under him. They start flirting with him and you have to cock-block. Does it make you feel good to know you get more action than your friend? Or are you so insecure with yourself that you can't find a girl on your own."
Brandon stammered, "I don't-"
"Good girls. Nice girls. Girls that could have a healthy relationship with a good, faithful guy like Matt. You ruin everything you touch, and you haven't stopped and wodnered what the hell is wrong with you."
Brandon sat back and looked all around the bus. When he looked up, she laughed.
"I'm not up there. I'm right in front of you. It's rude to ignore someone when they speak." It was a cheap shot, but I wasn't taking points away. "If you can't respect your best friend, you certainly won't respect women. Boys like you corrupt good and pure girls. So what business do you think you have taking every chance Matt gets away from him? Do you hate him that much?"
Brandon gave me a scowl. A hint of shame welled up in his face, but he was pissed.
"Don't make faces. It's not Matt's fault I won't go for you. It was your winning personality that turned me."
I did my best to hide the fact that I was loving this moment. I didn't want him to hate me for the rest of school. But this was the one time I would win. Victory was sweet.
"He's loving this, by the way," Kouya motioned her head toward me. "He's too good of a friend to let you see the truth. But he loves seeing you learn a lesson in humility."
I looked down so he wouldn't see my expression. I wanted so badly to let my smile out.
"It may burn you up to be shot down in front of him," Kouya finished. "But now he knows, there is at least one girl that prefers quality in romance over substance."
The bus stopped at my street. We both got up and looked at Brandon. It wasn't my fault our bus stop was the same, but it felt so good to leave him in this misery. There was one thought that was furthest away from my mind in the moment: how many times would I lose to him? How many girls would want a loud, obnoxious, fat freak over me? This was my day. This was my time. This was the change that I had been needing.
We got off the bus and started laughing like children. The others passed us by in a hurry to get home. All I could think was how beautiful she was. Her smile was angelic, but I knew she was anything but. Whatever she was, she gave me that moment and it felt amazing. The bus pulled away and we just looked at each other.
"Do you want to come over?" she asked.
"Do you even have to ask?" I replied and bit my lip.
"This is going to be fun," she said with a grin and led the way. "You have no idea what's going to happen, do you?"
My cheek rose when I thought of the possibilities. "No idea," I said truthfully, "and I'm enjoying it."
She looked at me with that smile from before. "There's something I need you to promise me, before things go any further. Whatever happens, you keep it between us. You talk to anyone about us or what's going on, it all ends. Understand?"
"So the first rule is you do not talk about-"
"You got it," she said with a wink.
When we stepped inside her house, I could tell right away her family was wealthy. The conservative, three bedroom, two bathroom house made a nice cover for the rich interior. Sculptures of Greek gods and horses were precisely placed around the house. Tapestries of wars and royal courts hung over the walls. Where others would have run from this dark interior as if they were about to be slashed into tiny pieces and thrown into a dumpster, I was taking it all in. The art was captivating. The ambiance was empowering.
"My mom likes darker traditional art," Kouya explained. "It's all a bit dry for my taste."
I couldn't stop intaking the scene. Whips and torture weapons hung in a display case. A skeleton of a baby cat was the center piece of the dining room table. The Adams family had nothing on this lot. I was in love.
"When are your parents gonna be home?" I asked as she led me to her room.
"Later on in the evening. I have a few people to call before the fun starts, so make yourself at home. I won't be long."
She tossed her bookbag to her dresser and plopped on her bed with her tablet. The sound of Skype signing in rang out and she instantly began a "can't make it today" conversation with a contact. The conversation started over five times with five different men. Every so often, she would wink at me or smile in my direction.
I was sitting at her desk and finishing up what little homework I had. I heard her tapping out a chat conversation with another guy, more than likely to say she couldn't make it tonight. The girl got around, but I didn't care. She was clearing her schedule for me, and for today, that was all that mattered.
I packed my books away and sat next to her on the bed with my legs folded and my body leaned in.
"Almost done," she said, grinning at my forward motion.
Her gorgeous red hair spilled over her shoulders and her feet swung up over her perfect curves. Just yesterday, I was thinking about how she must have looked in her idle moments. Now I knew, and I basked in this moment of finally getting what I had thought about so often. Finally, I lost control. If she were any other girl, I would have contained myself. I pushed forward and planted my hand on the other side of her and looked over her shoulder at who she was writing.
"Easy, big boy," she said, turnimg over under my arm with her tablet between us. "You don't want to read this particular conversation."
I moved my head to see her eyes, but she kept moving the tablet in the way. "I've already heard you and your other boyfriends. I can't see what's happening with this one?"
She dropped the tablet on her chest and looked up at me with those big, blue eyes aglow. Her expression of curiosity matched mine when she spoke. "What makes you so sure I'm writing to a boyfriend?"
I paused and thought about it. I backed off, pulling my arm away and laying on my side.
"Ask me," she whispered.
"Ask what?"
"Whatever it is you want to ask me."
"Are you controlling my thoughts?"
"Sometimes."
I gave a perplexed look. I didn't expect her to answer so directly, if at all.
"You're allowing me to read your mind. I'm just helping you along. So ask me what you really want to ask me."
"What are you?" I blurted out. I didn't even mean to ask that, but it was forced from my lips.
"What do you think I am?" she replied, with that seductive look on her face.
"Vam-" before I could finish, she placed her hand on my mouth and silently chuckled at my response.
"You're not a... that?" I was shocked for a second. She had all of the qualities I had read about and heard about.
"No," she said, resisting the urge to laugh at me. "I'm on the other end of the spectrum."
"An angel?"
She climbed on top of me, looked down at me with puffs of hair bulging on her chest, and softly laughed at my ignorance. "Well, I guess my expectations were too high. If it hasn't been addressed in a trendy book or movie, you haven't heard of it, have you?"
I rolled my eyes at that assumption. "I can list a whole bunch of fantasy or mythical creatures. I just made my best guesses."
She extended her fangs again and lifted her head so I could see the inside of her mouth. "Do you know what these are for?" she asked, making me think for the answer I wanted.
"Infecting others?" I figured.
She retracted them again and shook her head. "My kind don't do that. And neither can vampires, just so you're aware."
I nodded to show I understood.
"We use our fangs to draw blood, plain and simple. We can transfer thoughts, emotions, and experiences by drinking blood and letting others drink ours."
"So what does that make you?"
"An angel-spawn."
"Nephilum?"
Her grin returned. "Very good."
"So, why was it so easy for me to mistake you for a vampire?"
She propped herself up on her side and thought. "I guess we have some of the same characteristics."
"And I wasn't far off with the angel idea, either."
"From your point of view, that's a valid point. From where I am, there is a huge difference between an angel-spawn and an angel."
I looked down her body and took in all the sights for a second before thinking about what she meant. She sat straight up on my stomach and placed her hands on the end of my shirt.
"You're a weaker specimen than your parents?" I asked.
"You're assuming that at least one of my parents is an angel."
"I was assuming that, yes," I replied giving myself that back door.
"The angel is an ancestor."
"The angel is still alive?"
Kouya nodded and ran her hand down my chest to where my heart raced. "Angels don't live and die like we do. They don't age or get wounded or sick. They just are."
"We would have heard about them if they really are walking the earth like this."
She lifted my shirt and touched my bottom ribs. "Can you see the sun when you look at it?"
I thought for a second and plainly shook my head.
"All you see is a glare. You don't see the aura of heat or the halo in the sky or even how big it is in the sky. All you see is it's light. Noticing an angel is a lot like that. They make themselves something hard to look at, even if they're all you notice."
"Disguise?"
"As a homeless person, or a drifter, or a working class citizen that requires little or no responsibility. Security guards, highway clean up, night shift janitorial staff. People you don't care to see. People that work with them hardly notice their presence."
She had lifted my shirt completely off and traced my veins to my heart. At first, it tickled, but it was as if she was putting me to sleep by extreme relaxation.
"You're heart is pumping adrenaline into your blood," she said. "I'm slowing the flow to your heart by touching your veins. That's why you're so light headed."
"Why are you doing that?"
"I want to tell you about your heritage. The easiest way for me to do that is by tasting your blood. But the adrenaline ruins the effects."
I was so dizzy and sleepy, I couldn't disagree. If I had been more alert, I probably would have questioned her motives. But the time her teeth sank into my flesh under my right collar bone, I was fast asleep. But the dream I had was so vivid and breath-taking, I was caught in the middle of amazement and disbelief. I saw my father, doing the things he had told me about. His father, hard and strong-armed in everything he did. And back through the generations and events that my family had taken place in. Time rewound in my mind, to a time and place I had only heard about in Sunday-school as a child. Each ancestor had similar features as I did and my father did. Each romance was the same story with changes in only minor details.
And then, I saw her! Kouya! She was a family friend visiting my ancestor's house with her caravan. She pressed her hand on my grandfather's chest as he slept. The mark she left above his breast was only a silver thumb print. It faded after an hour and disappeared that morning.
The dream ended and I awoke gasping for air. Kouya wiped my skin of the blood and applied pressure. I tried to move away from her, not knowing exactly how to react. But she held me down and kept the rag on my chest.
"I saw you," I said, realizing my voice was gone. I coughed to get some sound back, but my throat was too dry.
"Easy, Matt. I saw it, too. It was my grandmother."
"What does it mean?" I asked. "What did this dream mean?"
"It was a long term memory, and it means that you're my mate. Calm down, and I can explain it all."
"How do you know all..."
She placed her finger on my lips and that shut me up. It was as if she had that power over me at all times.
"Matt, my parents are here. Put your shirt back on and let me introduce you."