The Black Limousine

Today was the day. The day I started high school. I was passing for their adoptive sister, as I had no way to pass for being related to them.

“Robin, you ready yet?”, Keith says, knocking on the bathroom door. I glanced at myself, studying my blood-stained eyes. Luke said that they should go back to a closer shade of my eyes, but that didn’t help me. I missed my old eyes, my favorite part of my appearance. But, I hated these contacts the most. Because my eyes were such a vivid red, I had to wear these contacts to keep from drawing attention to myself.

“Yeah,” I say, stepping out. I smile at him, pecking him on the lips before sliding down the steps. Their new house was no different from their old, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they literally picked it up and carried it all the way here. Luke’s parents, honestly hated me. They disapproved of Luke changing me, and always seem to glare at me. Anna and Phil are always trying to get them to loosen up, but all they say is, “She’ll have the entire council coming after us.”

I had learned that vampires had “rulers,” as did demons. And, because of Trevor, their family has always been watched a little more closely. So, luckily, just my eyes changed the most. At least, to me.

I hop into their limousine, that they could surprisingly still own. Keith sits down next to me, wrapping an arm around my waist as Luke and Trevor come in. Trevor was really nice to have around, and was helping me the most with dealing with the change. I had so much to learn, and I learned that Kentucky was full of coyotes and wolves. Which tasted delicious. Although, I wished we were somewhere more tropical. I wanted so badly to taste a tiger. But, every time I brought it up, Keith and Luke would give me a glance, a glance that made you feel like you really should shut up.

“So, lets go over the rules shall we?”, Luke says, frowning gravely.

“No need. I’m eager to go back to that quiet girl in the back of the room nobody notices.”, I say, smiling. Keith and Trevor snort, rolling their eyes with Luke in unison. “Freaky.”

“Look, no offense intended, but vampires tend to have a pull to humans. And human boys are the most ignorant with beauty.”, Trevor says, rolling his eyes.

“Then Keith will just get ‘em to back off.”

Luke snorts, rolling his eyes. “None of us could hold off the mob you’ll bring, no matter if we worked together or separate.”

“Then why am I going to school?”

“Because mom and dad are planning your second funeral in the fireplace.”, Luke says gravely.

“Yeah, that’s comforting,” I say sarcastically, rolling my eyes. “Just drop me off at the corner, I can blend in the shadows like I used to.”

They snort again, doing that freaky rolling eyes. “A limousine draws more attention,” I say, rolling my eyes. “I have practice with the shadows.”

“She has a point,” Trevor says, frowning. “Limousines have a tendency to add to the effect we have.”

“Then it’s settled,” and I hopped straight out, not bothering to wait for it to stop. I could tell I was going to never hear the end of that when they saw me again. I run with the new vampire speed, that I was thankful for not just being another legend, blending straight into the shadows. I go into the office, quickly grabbing my schedule before anyone noticed me. I stop by my locker, which luckily the hallways were bare. I smirk, looking around as people start filling the halls.

“Well, hello. I’m Jake,” a boy says, smirking at me. His blonde hair wasn’t long, but a few strands were on the tip of his forehead. His dark brown eyes, they spoke to me, and it made me grimace.

“I have a boyfriend.”

“You’re that new family, right?”

“Yeah, I’m their adopted child.”, I say, rolling my eyes as I dump everything into my locker. I pull out my English book, walking toward my classroom.

“Maybe I could show you around.”

“Like I said, I have a boyfriend. And there he is now.”, I say, smiling as Keith walks toward me.

“Hey,” he says, kissing me. “Luke sensed that you were in trouble,” Keith whispers in my ear.

I smirk at Jake, grabbing Keith’s hand and pulling him with me. “English?”

“Yep. I used the ol’ demon-charm to get every class as you.”

“Aw, you’re so sweet,” I say, kissing him as I sit down. And, of course, we’re soon having a full-blown make-out.

“Ahem,” someone coughs loudly. Me and Keith pull apart, and I surprisingly felt heat in my cheeks. I look up at Trevor and Luke, Trevor was merely rolling his eyes.

“You’ve already attracted a mob.”, Luke says, sitting down in front of me.

“How? I only saw one guy.”

“Yeah, I know,” Luke says, rolling his eyes. “But that doesn’t mean only one saw you.”

I run a hand through my auburn hair nervously, deep in thought. “La ma ca, papa and mama.”, I sigh.

“Huh?”, Keith says, raising an eyebrow at me.

“It was a prayer I read in my grandfather’s journal. They were supposed to say it during any problem, to send the guardians over to protect our family. Just because my last name’s now Vane, doesn’t mean I’m no longer a McPhee.”, I say, rolling my eyes. “La ma ca, papa and mama. Angels of the McPhee’s come lend a hand.”, I hum quietly.

“Yeah, that hurts to hear.”

“Then cover your ears, you lying demon.”

“Huh?”

“I hear you pray in your sleep.”, I say absentmindedly, leaning back in my chair. “High school, nightmares more vivid than even a demon can handle.”, I grumble.

“Are you questioning my ability to survive high school?”, Keith says teasingly.

“Noooo,” I say sarcastically.

“Hey, I’ve been surviving high school, since before you were born.”

“Yet you know nothing.”

Luke chuckles at that, as does Trevor. I start humming “Come Back To Me” by Vanessa Hudgens, smiling all the while.

“Keep the humming to a low, Rob.”, Trevor says, smirking. “I saw your little Hell’s Angel performances.”

“’Course you did. You’re only fifteen.”

“And you’re fourteen. We can play this game for eternity, Rob.”

“I have to get used to calling me that.”

“We can go back to calling you Kristina.”, Keith says, smiling.

“Yeah, I don’t think I can live an eternity with the name Robin. Or with Trevor calling me Rob.”, I say, rolling my eyes.

“Okay, cover for me,” Luke grumbles, disappearing. The teacher soon walks in, just as Luke reappears. “Now the records say, ‘Kristina Helen McPhee.’”

Yeah, I changed my middle name. The saying, “Plain Jane,” just didn’t seem to fit me anymore. What, with dating a demon, dying and becoming a vampire, “Pain Jane” just wouldn’t do. So, I went with Helen. It was a great fit, that just rolled off my tongue when I said it.

I give Luke a grateful smile, soon looking at the teacher as she began speaking.

• • •

“I miss home,” I sigh, sitting down at the lunch table with Luke, Keith, and Trevor.

“Why?”, Keith asks, playing with an apple.

“I miss Benjamin and Francis. Those two always knew how to make my life feel better.”, I sigh, eating my slice of pizza. I still hadn’t gained a taste for blood, and Luke explained that transformation could take awhile. “Why does this taste better than what we usually eat?”, I ask, choosing my wordings carefully. I felt somebody jerk my chair just then, and next thing I know, I’m being dragged with a slice of pizza in hand. We exchange worried glances, and I wished so badly I could just flip out of this chair. But I still had to work with my strength. And right now, I hid under my hair as my anger grew. I knew not even my contacts could hide the vivid red behind them.

“You’re that new chick?”, a girl asks, flipping her bleached hair.

“Maybe,” I say, continuing to choke down my pizza, trying to hide the menacing anger in my voice.

“Well, welcome. I’m Tiffany Thorn.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

“What’s your name?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know.”

“Actually we all do. To give y’all that ol’ Kentuckian welcome.”, a boy says, smiling at me. He reminded me so much of Benjamin, that I couldn’t help but smile back at him. His dark brown hair was curly and messy on top of his head, his dark brown eyes were warm and friendly.

“Kristina Helen Vane. Kristina with a ‘k,’ not ‘ch,’”, I say, smiling. I knew my eyes went back to their calmer red, so I was able to look up at him.

“Well welcome to our good ol’ southern, house-racin’ state called Kentucky.”, he says, smiling. “I’m Chase.”

“Pleasure to meet yah.”, I say, smiling. “Now, excuse me as I go back to my boyfriend.”, and I picked up my chair, carrying it all the way back to Keith, Luke, and Trevor.

“They’re coming back,” Luke mutters quietly, trying to look like he didn’t notice the boy — more like muscle — coming back for me.

“Not so fast, little missy.”, and I was picked up. I got angry then, feeling my body temperature rising.

“Put me down, you big hunk of idiot!!!”, I yell, glowering. The entire cafeteria went silent, as I spoke so menacingly. “Set me down, before I knock off that big hunk of meat you call your frickin’ head!!”, I growl. He sets me down, walking away slowly. I could smell everyone, feeling my eyes glowing probably the most vivid red imaginable. I duck my head, hiding behind my hair as I stood up, trying to keep a normal human pace, I walked quickly away. I smelled something too irresistible to refuse in my state of hunger out in the hallways, and I went for it.

• • •

Moments later, I had realized I had drank the blood of the staff, of my English teacher, with her dull voice. I gasp, dropping the body as I had drained her dry. I felt tears fill my eyes, as I see the blood stains all over me. I kneel beside her dead body, crossing her arms over her chest. I felt tears streak my face, as my hands shake. “La ma ca, papa and mama. Help bring this poor soul to peace.”, I say quietly, standing up. I walk away, or more, ran.