Elena.

Did I believe what had just come out of Kadin's lips? Despite myself, I did, as much as I didn't want to. Ryan was talking to-more like screaming-at Kadin, his green eyes full of rage as he gripped Kadin's seat from the back. Ryan's voice was muffled, and everything was in slow motion for a couple of seconds before I came to my senses again.

"-and then-" Ryan exclaimed, gripping the seat tighter.

"-You know I didn't mean to-"Kadin replied calmly but defensively, not bothering to look back at the awe-stricken me and his furious friend. Ryan was started to speak again, but Kadin finished his sentence instead.

"I didn't mean for it to come out the way it did, she would've needed to know before you got there." I thought this would have made Ryan's grip on the chair loosen, but it stayed in the same tense state.

"Why would she say that?" I said, my voice filled with more anger than surprise to it. All that pain that I had caused my friends without even meaning to...

"She said that so no one would go an search for you. If word got out to the vampires that Mrs. Goodman and your mother didn't have you, they would-"

Kadin was interrupted with Ryan punching his seat.

"Would what?" I asked more firmly, ignoring Ryan's silent plea for me not to ask. I asked again since Kadin didn't give me a response. I tried to get his attention by looking in the mirror at him, but his face was hidden from my view. He cleared his throat and began again.

"They'd hunt you down."

Just then, a cell phone from somewhere started to ring. Ryan released one of the hands from the seat to get it out of his pocket and pushed a button for voice mail, keeping his eyes on the mirror that showed Kadin's face. Where Ryan's hand once was was now a very deep and prominent dent. Before Ryan could place his cell back in his pocket, it rang again, stopping as abruptly as it had started. Instead the sound of a text being received was heard.

"You should...get that." Kadin said awkwardly. Ryan tore his gaze from the mirror and glanced at his free hand which still held the cell. The hand that was still grasping Kadin's seat reluctantly released the seat and after a couple of random clicking of buttons, Ryan started to read the text. I heard the sound of what seemed like a pair of hands loosening their grip on the leather wheel at the front of the car as well. I looked up at Kadin for the first time since the fight, only to see curtains of blue hair concealing half of his expressionless face. I turned back to Ryan when I heard a couple more buttons being pushed and then he shut it closed. Before I could ask, Ryan answered my question.

"It was Jerry. He thought it best you don't come with me because his theory and mine might actually be right; this could be a trap to get you to go back so it's easier for your mother and the others to find you."

I felt the car slow, and in moments we had pulled over.

"A trap?" I asked.

"Yes, that's what we think it is." He replied monotonously.

"I-I have to go back, I don't care if-"

"-Well I care. Jerry cares. Kadin cares...as stupid as he may be, we all care, which is why you need to stay away." I looked away from his green eyes timidly when I realized what I'd said. I wanted to go because all those people missing were probably somehow my fault, and I wanted to go back to say goodbye forever in a way, but after he'd put it the way he had, I felt embarrassed and very foolish for have been thinking of only myself. I'd probably put these people lives at risk and it would have been all for nothing-all because I didn't care.

"I'm sorry." I said truthfully, looking up at him again, and then at Kadin, who had been glancing at us some time after the text. They both nodded as a sign of forgiveness.

"I'm-"Kadin started saying, but was caught off by Ryan.

"We're-both sorry we acted the way we did back there." I was about to reply but Kadin spoke first.

"We don't have much time left. We still have time to drop you off at the airport, but we won't have time to get back before the sun comes up." I started stroking my forearm with my thumb out of anxiousness, but it ceased. Ryan placed his fingers on his temples and closed his eyes as he started thinking deeply. After a few moments he let his hand slowly fall back to his lap.

"We have to take her to his home." He said. Kadin started the car again and drove. Ryan began to climb to the front of the passengers seat but Kadin's questions stopped him.

"Can't you think of anything better?" He asked, being able to glance at Ryan now since he was halfway to his seat.

"Yes," Ryan replied as he began to climb to the passenger seat again.

"Whose house? Jerry's?" I asked, trying not to sound too happy.

"No...a friend of ours." He said, turning enough from his seat so his profile was visible.

"A friend of yours." Kadin said sternly, gesturing towards Ryan. Ryan moved away from my view briskly.

The final plan was this; drop me off at whats his faces house, and then Kadin and Ryan going to the airport to get back to my town...probably only an hour before sunrise. It seemed like suicide to me, but they seemed very calm about the whole thing.

I heard the smooth sound of the car tires on the smooth pavement drastically change into the sound of a trail consisting of thousands of small rocks. I could barely hear it since one of the guys had turned the radio on so loud. I didn't mind and I told them this when they asked, because as much as I'd wanted to fall asleep, I didn't feel tired. After seeing endless amounts of trees and moss the whole time we've driven in the car, I decided to instead lie parallel the the two backseats and just stare up at the gray ceiling, occasionally trying to guess what the sounds that were coming from outside the car were from. I hadn't slept in almost two days, but I guessed I was going to end up like Ryan and Kadin...never sleeping...again. I felt my eyes water, but I quickly wiped them away before I got up to look out the window.

"We're here." Ryan said out of the blue, as soon as I'd felt the car stop. I was utterly confused on what I saw, more specifically, what I didn't see.There wasn't a house at all. I squinted and looked out in the distance but still, nothing. All there was was a vast field that started with small pebbles where cars could park like we were now, a few small flowers here and there, trees that surrounded the place like a giant fence, and dying grass as far as the eye could see. The place was so lonely and so excluded from the outside world that it reminded me of the places where a gang would go and execute their enemies. I had to admit, this situation scared me a little.

"Kadin, go show her to the door." Ryan said. I thought he would have protested, but he wordlessly got out of the car and opened the door for me. I wondered why Ryan didn't take me himself. I would have asked him but I didn't want to come across as rude. If Ryan trusted Kadin, I guess I should too. Before following Kadin, I walked around to Ryan's side of the car to say goodbye to him. He'd already opened the door as I approached. I didn't know exactly what to say or do, so I just did what I felt. I crouched to Ryan's eye level and gave him a quick hug. He'd turned very tense, but moments later he started to soften and put his arms around me too. I pulled away and looked into his green eyes.

"Why are you sorry?" I asked.

"What are you talking about?" he replied, looking at me confusedly.

"You said you were sorry." I explained. When he had been sorry, he had apologized.

"I didn't say anything?" He said, shaking his head but smiling. I shrugged and told him to forget about it.

I helped him close his door. I would have said a proper goodbye, but we both knew there was a lack of time. I would have told Kadin I could go to the house by myself so they could get on the road again sooner, but with the given circumstances, it would have been impossible. Kadin was footsteps away, and continued to walk further and further into the field, me following. I was too caught up in the moment to look back at Ryan's beautiful, saddened face.

"Where's his house?" I said, emphasizing the 'his' as I looked around aimlessly.

"You're standing on it." The boy with blue hair replied casually as he searched the ground for something.