VIOLET

-WINTER-

My week had gone by quickly once more. Time seemed to either slow down or speed up when I was with Caleb. Fortunately the good times were the ones that slowed down and the dull ones zipped by. Monday and Tuesday had been about the only highlights of the week and still had me wondering what exactly had happened. At some point during lunch I had taken Caleb’s hand and wandered into his thoughts. Boys were amusing, in general. But he had nearly given me a heart attack when he had thought he wanted to…I am not sure exactly. It was something about a Blood Oath and by the way he had thought of it, well, it made me think it was something like marriage. Julia and I had glishened about it for the duration of lunch. Thankfully with Glishen and my ability to read minds we had managed to keep it a secret. Hurray! I could totally be spy. I am just that amazing. Ok, maybe not. The point being that Glishen makes our lives easier. Kind of like the microwave. Or the steam rice cooker thing that I have at home. Or fast food restaurants. I’m hungry.

After our escape we had decided that we needed more information about both vampires and Blood Oaths. It had taken quite a bit of thinking before we figured out where we could get reliable information. After much painful staring at the blackboard that said something about some famous author who wrote some famous book that ended up in many a library, it had hit me. The library! Not any library, the McClellan personal library. They were likely to have something about their own history and customs. Hopefully it would be in English. The problem was now getting them. Since we did not have the skills to sneak into a house with vampires that probably didn’t sleep I was going to have to swipe the books, if I found them, during today’s dinner. I sort of feel bad about stealing from such a nice family but if a Blood Oath is what I think it is then I have the right to know. And I could just give them back later…very sneakily, the same way I’d retrieve them.

It was now Friday morning and I was quickly adding my latest picture to my scrap book. Julia had been on the list and I had had my revenge. My mother had been a hairstylist when she was younger to pay her way through college and her forte had always been hair dying. She had started teaching me around the age of twelve but my flare for color had been a bit too much for the conservative residents of Ash Mountain. The principal had called both my parents and recommended professional help the day I walked into class with purple hair and bright green highlights. What? I had been protesting Barney. No self respecting dinosaur was purple and green. It was just wrong, you know?

My new picture was very nice. Good thing I had left a note for Grandma Johnson explaining the sudden change, she would have murdered Julia otherwise. Grandma Johnson was a sweet woman but wasn’t one for taking crap from anyone, she had kept her own list when she was younger. I looked at the picture once more. There lay Julia in her favorite footie pajamas and her new hairdo. Yes, I said footie pajamas. Julia loved them, they had been a gift from her mother before she died. A reminder that Julia would always be her little baby girl. As I added a quick note and pasted a few flowers around the picture I heard a knock on the door. Knowing who it was I rushed down, kissed Caleb on the lips and off to school we sped.

By the time we walked into the classroom I was giggling uncontrollably. Caleb was holding my hand but from his thoughts I could tell he was worried for my mental health. He had not helped with last night’s prank. Julia might forgive me for the coloring and trimming her hair but I doubt she would have forgiven me for sneaking a boy into her bedroom. It had been hard slipping Julia the sleeping pill when I left her house after doing homework with her. But after that it was easy sailing, though I had been extra careful not to stain her pajamas.

And there stood the woman of the hour. Half the classroom was staring at her but trying hard to look like they weren’t. Michael was carefully avoiding looking at her but he was rubbing the back of his head. Julia had shut him up the hard way. Caleb had stopped in his tracks and I turned to see his mouth hanging open. I looked back at Julia who had spotted me and was glaring at me like only she could. She was not easily riled but when she was she had a glare that could make grown men step back. A prime example of that was the fact that Caleb had eased himself behind me while trying to keep his dignity intact. Well, he failed. His dignity was now inexistent. I now knew that the big bad vampire was afraid of sweet little Julia Johnson.

-I am going to murder you! – She screeched from across the room as she flicked her now dirty blond hair out of her face.

She actually looked pretty good. The color seemed to blend with her soft chocolate skin and I had shortened it by a few inches before blow dried it so her new layers were wavy. I had been inspired by a photo of a model in an old magazine I had lying around the house and Julia pulled it off beautifully. I was surprised she had actually let it down instead of hiding it under a bun or something.

-You know you won’t Julia.- I replied sweetly.- Killing me is not worth going to hell. I am pretty sure Mormons go to hell too if they kill.-

-Right now I am pretty sure it is worth it, Winter.- She said as she stretched her hands and closed them around my neck. Before I could answer my throat was closed by the pressure of her fingers and I was being shaken violently.

-Good morning, Julia.- I heard Caleb say.

My hand was still in his but he just watched calmly as Julia shook the air and life out of my helpless little body. I was trying to pull her off with my free hand but I didn’t stand a chance.

-Good morning, Caleb.- She said between clenched teeth as she continued to shake. –You will forgive me if I murder your little girlfriend here, right?-

-Yes, I believe in time I would, seeing as how you have a good reason to but I would prefer if you refrained from doing so- He replied calmly.

What? The woman he loved was being murdered in cold blood and he was talking like he had all the time in the world. I had half the mind to start choking him. Huh…I wonder if he needed to breath or if it was just a façade. I tried concentrating through the dizziness as he started to speak again.

-Besides, Julia, you look quite stunning that way. You were beautiful before, this just adds to your natural beauty. I am sure Reese would agree.-

-Oh…th…thank you.- Replied Julia as she blushed deeply. She slowly removed her hands from my neck and straightened out my wheezing form as if trying to smooth the abuse away.

-So…am I…forgiven? - I managed between chokes. –You know…you are pretty….violent for someone…who is supposed…to be…a god…fearing woman.

-For now…- Julia huffed as she stood straight and self consciously smoothed her hair into place behind her ear. -At least it wasn’t a repeat of your Barney hair fiasco. I saw pictures of that and some things should remain once in a life time experiences.-

Julia was grinning at her own comment and Michael was chuckling softly in the back ground while still avoiding eye contact with the still volatile newly found blond.

-Hey! That was a protest!- I cried defensively as we sat down for class.

-Is that a picture I will be getting to see anytime soon?- Caleb asked as Mr. Hynes walked through the door.

-No!- I snapped playfully. –First of all, you took your sweet time stopping Julia’s attack and second, I will never get to see pictures of when you were that age.-

He opened his mouth to speak but Mr. Hynes silenced us and started class. I sighed thankfully, I just realized I have no way of explaining how I knew there would be no cute, funny pictures like that of him. The boy was probably born before cameras were invented. Damn! I was totally missing out on cute baby pictures. That is not fair. That is what I get for dating a vampire, I guess. Resigned to my fate I started taking notes.