Rin

"The vampire community," came Mr. Flora's monotone voice, "have recently entered into a protective agreement with the government. The Vampire Security Agreement will come into effect next year to ensure that . . ."

Groaning inwardly, I rubbed my eyes. How long had this been going? I glanced at the clock and this time I did groan out loud. It had been thirty minutes since class started and I already wanted to leave. History was supposed to be about how our country came to be and the government and NOT about vampires and their agreements. They should have named this class Vampire History instead. Everyone knew about vampires. They were on every media platform, newspaper, and billboards. Honestly, this was just a waste of time.

From a wider perspective, humans weren't known for our tolerance and acceptance of other species. Look at slavery; that took so long just for humans to get along. We even fought a civil war. I didn't hold much hope for vampires and humans to accept each other entirely so quickly. We wouldn't see it in our lifetime.

I looked at the blank wall. At this point in the year, I had stopped writing notes. Something about learning laws and agreements put me to sleep. This was for any laws and not just those that concerned vampires. I wasn't going to be a lawyer that's for sure.

There was one the one thing Mr. Flora had never been able to answer was why vampires had decided to join humanity underneath the sunlight.

Once upon a time, I'd been told that vampires had just felt like it and there was no other reason besides that. Suddenly remembering that, I sat up straighter. Focus, I told myself. Focus. There was no use in bringing up unpleasant memories. Not those.

At least the vampires were serious about staying topside. The Vampire King and most of the vampire community campaigned for everyone to get along and co-exist. Major kudos to him. There was a petition floating around trying to get younger vampires to attend school or make the schools co-species, something like that. Whether or not that would get any attention was up to fate. There weren't any laws saying that vampires couldn't attend school but there were also no rules saying they could. Honestly, it was more like parents were unsure if having their children go to school with vampires was a good thing. No one could make up their mind.

Honestly, I was just content to graduate high school and go to college and get a degree in something. As my counselor kept reminding me, I should know what I wanted to do or at least have some idea but, at this point, I was just focusing on not becoming anyone's victim. There might be zone laws and neutral zones out there, but I wasn't going to take any chances.

As the lecture progressed, Mr. Flora showed some slides on the board. He always liked showing us current events. 'We're living history' he would say at least five times during a lecture. However, it was hard to relate to laws that didn't affect you directly.

Mr. Flora had a pear-shaped body, thinning white hair pulled back in a ponytail and always wore the same brown suit. I squinted. Well, it always looked like the same brown suit. I couldn't really judge his fashion sense because honestly, who was I to talk.

All I could say was that I didn't stand out for dressing so nicely. My hair wasn't a big help. I always had it up in a high bun with loose strands of hair all over my face. It wasn't really my fault. I hated having hair in my face. It got in the way.

"The Vampire Prince," Mr. Flora was saying.

This time I wasn't the only one who groaned. Of the twenty or so students in the classroom, the male population and I (that was like what? thirteen?) groaned. All the girls seemed to sit up straighter and leaned in closer. I rolled my eyes. They were obsessed I tell you. They were obsessed with a hundred-year-old (or more) vampire who only seemed to feed on people. No, my bad. Not on people. He only fed on girls. Young girls, in fact.

I was surprised that there wasn't a newspaper heading saying "The Vampire Prince is a Pedophile". Sure, he looked close to my seventeen years but even so, he still hadn't been thrown in prison. The bastard would probably just break-out or something. I mean, I didn't hate vampires. I just didn't like the Vampire Prince. He was like, public enemy number one. All he had to do was to hide behind his father and everything would be swept under the rug. It didn't help that all the girls encourage his behavior with their cheering at public speeches or protesting when the Prince got into trouble. They were disgusting.

"Is he like married?"

The question came from the front of the classroom. I should know because all the girls sat in the front rows except for me. Ever since the vampire topic came into the class, I had taken the liberty to sit in the way back with all the guys. At least they held some interesting topics about video games. I wasn't a big fan games, but anything was way better than learning about a self-absorbed vampire prince. I really hoped nothing like that was on the test.

Mr. Flora blinked surprised anybody had even asked a question. Usually, we were just a bunch of mutes; Brianna Harris had changed the status quo. The world was coming to an end.

"No," Mr. Flora said. "Although, he does enjoy spending all his time in female presence."

"He's a player," came Georgia's comment. She flipped her mane of silky blonde hair over her shoulder. "That isn't so bad."

I rolled my eyes.

"That doesn't make any sense?" someone muttered from beside me.

I turned my head. Robert shook his head in disbelief. It was a well-known fact that he was a player.

"I guess they prefer the dead over something alive," said a guy named Lucas (I think).

"Sort of like roadkill."

We snickered. Robert's and Lucas's fists bumped. Seven pairs of eyes turned back and glared daggers at us. I lowered my head into my arms unable to keep the smile off my face. What did I tell you? Priceless. I mean, it wasn't the funniest thing ever, but when you're bored out of your freaking mind, everything was funny; even roadkill. Technically, the term was necrophilia but why ruin the moment?

None of us could be happier when the bell finally dismissed us. I grabbed my bag off the floor and dashed out of the classroom.

"Read chapter ten," was all I heard before I was gone like the wind. The cafeteria was giving out ice-cream with our lunch. I was plowing through anybody in my way. The lunch ladies only served a limited amount of chocolate ice-cream and damn it, I wasn't going to lose my chocolate ice-cream.

"Hold on speedy," said my friend, Sonia, popping up beside me.

The thing you should know about Sonia was that she was super kind and put up with all my selfish acts, bluntness and still wanted to be seen with me after I'd thrown up in the hallway that one time. She had more fashion than moi and was better dressed. She tried to look nice, unlike a certain somebody. She was also the only person keeping me from coming to school in pajamas.

"Ice-cream," I told her and disappeared into the crowd of people.

"Rin!" she called after me, but I couldn't stop even if I wanted to.

The entire crowd pushed me to the front. I wasn't really looking forward to the actual main dish which was usually veggie lasagna. I wasn't against lasagna, but I don't do veggie. How could they ruin a perfect dish like that? Sure, I was starving but not enough to eat a veggie lasagna.

The lunch line was like a machine.

Lasagna was plopped on the dish and we moved on. I grabbed a chocolate ice-cream cup and was out of there in seconds. The reject table - that's what I called it because no one sat there - was where I had decided to sit every day since freshman year. I pulled the top off the ice-cream cup and licked the ice-cream on the underside. Man, this was life. Ice-cream for lunch.

I took my sweet time eating ice-cream. There were a few moments that I could enjoy, and this was one of them.

As I ate, I glanced around the cafeteria. There weren't any vampires in the school; only the wannabes and vampire fanatics. Spotting them was easy. They wore vampire merchandise with red letters saying vote for vampires to go to school.

Had anyone stopped and asked themselves what would the vampires learn in school? Weren't they all like a hundred years old? Hadn't they watched America become a country or what not? Really, what were they looking for?

"Rin," Sonia said walking up to our table. "I can't believe you ran off like that."

I raised my eyebrow at her. "I can't believe you actually thought I would wait," I replied.

She gave me a look. I pretended not to see and said, "So, what's up?"

Sonia took a seat slowly and carefully placing her backpack on the table. I gave her a look of my own. She knew I hated when people were asked something, and they took forever to speak.

"Well?" I prompted.

Sonia sighed. "It's about Carlos-" she began.

"OOOOOOH," I cried out.

I placed my ice-cream cup down and clutched at my head. "OOOOOOOH," I said again. "I have a brain freeze. OOOOOOOOOOOO-UGH."

"Liar," Sonia said. "Listen Rin. This is important."

I quit pretending. "Sonia, I'm not interested in your cousin," I told her. "He just got it in his head that I like him or something. Tell him to stop texting me. Oh, and why did you give him my number?"

"Rin Elizabeth Borek, you will listen to me before I end up shoving that lasagna down your throat."

I froze. Sonia rarely raised her voice and when she did and call you by your full name, you knew you better shut up and listen.

"Carlos," she began.

"Yo, what up ladies?" came an all too familiar voice.

I didn't need to turn around to know it was Carlos. It wasn't too hard to pick him out. I smiled as he came and sat down beside me. He tried putting his arm around my shoulders, but I slipped away.

"Hey," Sonia said.

Though related, Carlos and Sonia were nothing alike. Carlos thought he was in a gang and Sonia had all the brains. They did share the same deep chocolate eyes.

"Are you free this weekend?" Carlos asked me.

"No," I quickly said. "I have plans . . . to be . . . somewhere."

On the rare occasion where we did hang out, he always tried to hold my hand and introduce me as his girlfriend. It was awkward. Sure, he was nice, but I didn't like him that way.

"No matter," he said. "I want to introduce you to my parents."

My jaw dropped. Sonia gave me a look that said I tried to warn you, but you wouldn't shut up.

"Why?" I asked. "We're just friends. Your parents know me already because of Sonia."

Carlos slapped my back. Hard. I winced, shooting him a glare which he ignored.

"Are you going to eat that?" he asked.

I frowned. Where -? Carlos grabbed my ice-cream cup and scooped the rest of my ice-cream into his mouth. My eye twitched. Did he just - -- EAT MY ICE-CREAM?

"Got to go," Carlos said.

He slammed his lips into my face before I knew it and was gone before I could prevent him from ever having children. I wiped my face with the back of my hand.

"Sorry," Sonia said sympathetically.

I couldn't look at her. Why? Because right now, I really hated her cousin and I knew she was protective of him.

"It's our grandmother's birthday this weekend," Sonia continued. "Everyone would be there. You could come too as my guest."

"No," I said a bit too forcefully. "I said I had plans already."

"Okay," Sonia said quietly.

I hated the silence that followed. Why did it always feel like I was the bad guy or something?

~.~

I walked through the front door of my house to find my mother vacuuming the living room. Her mass of curly hair was in a large bun. She saw me and turned the machine off.

"How was school?" she asked. "I made you brownies. They're in your room."

I smiled. "Thanks, Mom," I said. Then I gave her a long look. "What's going on?"

Mom smiled. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said. "I can't bake my daughter any brownies?"

"I'm your only daughter," I reminded her. "And no, you can't because you only bake anything when you're up to something."

Mom pouted. "Fine," she said, giving in. "You got me."

I closed the door and walked to the couch where I sat on the arm.

"Well?" I asked.

Mom took a deep breath. "Your father and I are going out," she said quickly.

"O-kay," I asked not really understanding.

"We're meeting up with some of our co-workers," she added.

I frowned. "Is that it?" I asked. "You baked me brownies because you're going to meet up with your co-workers?"

"Some of them are vampires," Mom said.

"Oh," I said, shrugging and standing up. "That's fine. Have fun."

"You're not mad?" she asked.

"Why would I be?" I asked. "It's a dinner party, not a slaughter feast."

Mom leaped over the vacuum and hugged me. I think I felt my spine break.

"Great," she said pulling back.

"Right." I massaged my neck. "I'm going to go upstairs."

My parents thought I was a vampire hater. Sure, I tended to rant about the Vampire Prince, but that didn't mean I hated all of them. He was the exception; the one that didn't want to fit in; who believed that he could get away with anything; who could do whatever he wanted because no one could stop him.

I got to my room and closed the door behind me. Throwing my bag on the floor, I dropped face down on my bed. I was tired. People mentally exhausted me. I could go to sleep, I thought, and write my paper later.

At that part, I pushed myself up. I had to finish the outline of the paper and the introduction tonight. It was supposed to be about an interview with a vampire about their daily lives and compare it to how differently we lived from them. It was due by Tuesday of next week. That would give me plenty of time for revision.

It was half past seven when my parents walked out of the house. I had turned the light in my room on just as the sun had set. I sat at my desk typing away on my laptop. All the brownies were gone, and I wished I hadn't eaten them so fast. My parents knew plenty of vampires so picking one for my paper wouldn't be hard.

Finishing with my document, I saved my work and closed my laptop. I fell on my bed again. After a while, I turned on my back and looked up at the ceiling. A poster of the Vampire King's tenth wife was taped on there. Violet was my hero though I wouldn't really admit it to anyone. She was a good speech giver and I really believed that she really wanted vampire and humans to get along. Allure or not, when she talked in front of people, everyone listened to her. She wasn't afraid to be the leader of an entire social movement.

I smiled and closed my eyes. It would be so awesome if I could meet her. A cool breeze blew through the opened window. Opened? I thought. I didn't open the window. I opened my eyes and came face to face with a pair of red eyes. I froze. My mind was in shock. Who -? How -? Huh-?

The Vampire Prince smiled seductively. His fangs came out and I felt my blood run cold. My body felt so heavy. I couldn't move.

"Don't mind me," he said. "I'm just collecting taxes."

I could only stare as he inched closer and closer to my neck.