Change or Die

Alexa's PoV

I was in the hospital for three days. Libby, Indy, and Zacky were the only ones to really visit me while I was awake. Well, Johnny was there once. He was around when the doctor came in with the results of my x-ray, and I haven't seen him since. According to the doctor, my right arm was bruised, even through the bone, my left arm was shattered, seven of my ribs were fractured, and three were outright broken. I also found out that a person has twenty-four ribs, which is way more than I always thought there were.

On the fourth day, the doctor came in in the early morning, before any of the vampires arrived, and told me that I could be released. That was when I had an idea. All I knew about traditional vampires was that they couldn't go in the sun. Surely these were the same way! So if I could only get out and away from them before sundown, I would be home free.

At 9:00AM, I signed my release papers. At 9:15AM, I was out on the streets of Huntington Beach. I hurried to the main street, hoping to catch a cab, but none seemed to be out. Just my luck. No matter. I started walking the route I would normally drive back to my apartment, wondering only how long I had been gone for. It never crossed my mind that someone might catch me.

I was only about three blocks from my apartment, turning down a side street, when a black Cadillac Escalade careened around the corner, bass pumping, to stop right next to me facing the wrong direction. The heavily tinted driver's window rolled down to reveal none other than Zacky. He looked at me with a bemused expression, eyes dancing and eyebrow cocked. We stayed in that position for a few moments before the silent vampire simply made a 'come here' gesture with his finger. I bolted.

As I ran down the street faster than I ever had before in my life, I could hear him bang on the steering wheel in frustration before slamming it all the way to the side, cutting around in a perfect half-circle to speed down the street after me. When I noticed just how fast he had recovered, I let out a shriek and jumped the nearest fence. I got through that yard and the next two before I heard brakes screeching and a car door slam. Why can nothing ever be easy for me?! I cursed inwardly, streaking past a pair of confused elderly women on their patio. Seconds later I heard them scream in terror, causing me to trip over the row of rose bushes in the next yard and fall on my face. I got back up as quickly as I dared given my injuries and whipped around. I'm so close! Why now?! I lamented, gazing at my building just across the street from the yard I was currently trespassing in.

I jerked back around to run the last stretch when I heard an ominous thud behind me, followed by labored breathing. Both annoyed and terrified, I slowly turned to face my pursuer. Earlier, Zacky had seemed nice. Now I was scared. His eyes were hidden by oversized sunglasses, his skin concealed by a dark hoodie. He stood there panting, fangs out, no more than five feet away from my spot almost in the hedges.

I glanced back over my shoulder quickly, not wanting to put him behind me. However, those few seconds were all the invitation he needed to tackle me to the ground. I screamed as I landed heavily in the thorny branches with at least 150 lbs. pinning me. His grip was on my wrists, making me briefly wonder if they would end up broken as well. Hovering over me for close to a minute, the sunglasses fell off of Zacky's face, revealing his now perfectly black eyes for less than a second before he screamed and jumped back.

Instantly, his arms flew in front of his face, shielding his eyes from the sun. I lay on the thorns for another minute or so as we both struggled, Zacky with the light and me with the trauma of being thrown down onto my battered rib cage. Once I recovered somewhat, I took advantage of his distraction to grab his sunglasses and take off towards my building. If he can't see, he can't follow me, I reasoned.

Nothing is ever good enough, though. Before I could even get up the stairs to my apartment, Zacky was back on my trail. This time I ignored him and started to take the stairs two and three at a time. I just managed to force the key into the lock when I was seized roughly from behind. Zacky hurriedly tore his sunglasses from my hand and restored them to his face before ripping the keys out of the door and picking me up. He jumped off of the landing into the yard and began to run back to his vehicle.

We reached the car in record time, and I was thrown harshly into the passenger seat from the driver's side door as he levered himself into the seat and slammed the door. The last thing I heard was the locks clicking into place before silence fell over the car. If I really listened, I could hear Zacky wheezing as if he had run a marathon instead of only the length of a block or so both ways. For fifteen or twenty minutes that lasted an eternity, he sat with his head resting on his hands placed atop the steering wheel, just trying to breathe. When he decided that he had substantially recovered, he sat up straight and wordlessly began to drive.

Needless to say, I was more than just a bit confused when Zacky parked at the local convenience store. I didn't even need to be told to stay put as he ventured into the shop. Some minutes later, he returned with a carton of ice cream and we were off again.

---

"What the hell were you thinking, Alexa?!" Matt raged. "Don't you know what could've happened?"

"I know exactly what would've happened, Matt," I began calmly. Matt angry didn't scare me as much as Charlie hungry or Zacky...however he just was. "I would've gotten away from the psychotic vampires I don't even know that are holding me prisoner against my will who broke my arm and most of my ribs." Matt fell silent. Apparently, people around here were mostly incapable of seeing my side, so having it pointed out struck them dumb.

Behind him somewhere, Indy was fretting over Zacky. I managed to see over Matt's shoulder when she took off his hoodie and glasses. Zacky looked like he had been thoroughly sunburned all over, even though I knew damn well he was covered the enter time. Maybe I was onto something with that whole 'vampires vs. sun' thing, I thought. As though she read my mind, Indy shot a hurt look in my direction before carefully pulling Zacky up off of the floor and helping him upstairs.

Matt sighed. "Well..maybe you have a point. We didn't ask you if you wanted to be here, and so far it hasn't gone well at all. I'm really sorry for that."

"Sorry really doesn't do anything for lost jobs and broken bones," I charged.

"I know that, okay?! Look, I'm trying. Usually things are pretty calm around here. Charlie's usually good with feeding, everyone's usually good with just ignoring Brian, and nobody usually has to go into the sun. This is all... really weird for us too." I scoffed at Matt's explanation.

"You're the ones in charge here, you're the crazy superpowered mythical creatures, and this is weird for YOU?"

Matt ran a hand through his hair and looked around as if the answer was painted on the walls somewhere. "Yeah it is, whether you want to believe it or not-"

"If I'm causing you so many problems, let me go!"

"WE CAN'T DO THAT!" he finally cried in frustration.

"AND WHY THE HELL NOT?!"

Matt stared at me. "Because. Brian is our friend and we all love him, even if he is an ass sometimes. He deserves to actually be happy, and he never will be if we let you go. I'm sorry that we fucked up your life, but seriously? This is a family, and we want you to be a part of it. Maybe it sucks to be picked up like that, but you're brought back to someone you were literally born to be with and a bunch of people who will accept and help you without question. Sorry for sticking you with such a bad deal," he said quietly. He then turned around and walked off in silence, ascending the stairs and navigating his way through the mystery hallways to whichever room he claims as his own.

So I was alone again. It's always great to be left with nothing but your thoughts for company in the front room of a house you don't know your way around.

Matt does have a point.. They were only trying to help me and Brian. But wait. This is Brian we're talking about here. The asshat who could care less about anyone, even the people who are going through all this trying to help him! There is no way I could be with him.. is there? "No. No way. Not him..never him," I thought aloud, shaking my head.

"Who, me?" drawled mysecond least favorite person from behind me. I turned around and met Brian's bored chocolate gaze.

"Yeah, you," I agreed.

"Well good. Because I don't believe in dating ugly bitches like you," he sneered.

"Hey, it's all the same to me, asshat. You're no prize either," I lied. He laughed out loud, a harsh bark of a laugh with little humor in it.

"Yeah, yeah. Lemme know when you really believe that and maybe we'll talk then," he chuckled. Brian then collected a jacket draped over the couch I first woke up on and headed for the door. "Have a nice night, princess."

"Choke on your beer, asshat!" I chimed happily as he walked out.