Under the Giant Oak

"All students proceed to enter into the auditorium. The ceremony will begin shortly." Was heard over the announcements by the nasally voice of the sectary.

I groaned. I really, really, really didn't want to go.

"Come on. It won't be that bad." Craig said.

"Not for you." I mumbled and followed everyone to the auditorium. The vampires sat on the left and the humans, that showed up, on the right. Most humans skipped today because it would just be a free load day anyways.

"Alright, everyone settle down. You know how this goes. Once you hear your name please go out the left doors here, and proceed to the traditional routine. Doms you must meet the parents, and fertiles you must move in with your dom and let your mate mark you. On with the pairs." The principal said, and then he stepped away to let an official council member to match the doms with the fertiles.

It wasn't very interesting after that. A bunch of names were called of people I didn't know or care about. Interesting enough though Monte was paired with Oritz, which would explain why they constantly are together, and I learned that really short kid I saw is named Frank with that crazy looking guy who's name is Gerard.

"Ronnie Radke," The council man started. My breath caught in my throat, and heart started pointing a thousands time faster than usual. My reaction alone freaked me out even more than I needed to be. " . . .and Max Green."

That's it my life is over. I should just die now because it will end soon anyways. I hesitatingly standed and walked over to the left exit door. I hadn't talk to Ronnie in two weeks, and the last time I did, I called him a liar because the exact situation we were in right now. I walked out of the doors, and Ronnie was standing there leaning on the lockers waiting for me.

"I told you so." He said with a giant smirk on his face.

"Oh, bite me." I muttered not thinking through my words.

"Where and how hard?" He said snaking an arm around my waist and pulling me flush against him. He started breathing down my neck when I pushed him away.

"Get off of me." I sneared before walking down the hall. Ronnie quickly followed suit.

"You know I get to mark you." He said.

"Yeah, but they never said how soon. I could make you wait centuries." I mocked.

"I'm pretty sure there is a rule against that somewhere."

"There's rules everywhere, but they all have loopholes."

"Not this one." He mumbled.

We kept walking to my apartment, not talking at all. There wasn't much to say, but me about to crush all of his hopes and dreams. I climbed up the fire escape with an antagonizing pace, and entered the apartment, throwing my bag in the corner and sitting on the counter.

"Shouldn't you, I don't know, be packing?" Ronnie suggested standing outside the fresh hold of my place.

"Why would I pack?" I asked, acting dumbfounded.

"You're supposed to be moving in with me today."

"Oh, that. Yeah, that's not happening."

"What do you mean that's not happening?" He half growled climbing in the window.

"I'm not moving in with you, and I'm not letting you mark me."

"Yes, you are. You have to!"

"If that's your only reason why you should, it's not going to convince me. Like I said there is always a loop hole."

"I can not believe you!" He screamed. "Don't you realize you aren't just messing with your life! You're messing with mine, too!" I flinched. I'm not good with the screaming, if I haven't mentioned that before.

"If you just left me alone this wouldn't have been a problem." I spat.

"It doesn't work that way, Max. I can't just leave my own mate alone."

"Yeah, well it's either that or I could just ignore you like I've been doing the best two weeks. It isn't that difficult, and my school work could easily be done at home."

"You're infuriating!" He screamed again.

"And you don't fucking listen! I don't want anything to do with you! You're just going to ruin my life! So, leave me the fuck alone!" I screamed back in return jumping down from the counter.

"What do you don't understand? I'm never going to leave you alone! You're my mate for fuck's sack! You are the only person I have ever known to be so selfish and bitter! I swear you don't have a soul at all!" He screamed.

My hand reacted faster than my mind, and I slapped him hard across the face. Angry tears ran down my face that I didn't even realize were there until just now. After his head was back in his normal place, and not to the side, he looked over at me in shock and absently touched were I just hit.

"Don't you dare say that. Don't you dare. You don't know any of the . . of the shit that I've been through. . . You don't know me, at all. . . All you know is the stupid rumors from school. I'd rather. . .rather-" I said with all the hatred I felt right now before I cut myself off. I didn't feel the hatred for him though. I felt it at myself. He was making me hate myself right now.

"You rather what?" He asked softly trying not to anger me again. I quickly wiped the tears from my face and turned away from him.

"You'd rather what, Max?" He asked again. "Max, tell me." He pressed again.

"I'd rather live alone for the rest of my life than have to go through that pain again! You think I enjoy being this way, living in this dump, hating every person that would come into my life, and knowing that the nightmares I have will never go away. I hate it! And. . . and I don't want another person to leave me, so just go before it will actually hurt me." I said getting quieter and quieter with every word making my last sentence a whisper.

"Who ever said I was going to leave you?" He asked walking up behind me.

"Everything I've ever known." I whispered. He seemed at a lose for words, but he made up with it with actions. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close to him. He then buried his face into the crock of my neck.

"Don't." I warned trying to pry myself away from him. He just wrapped his arms tighter around me.

"I'm not going anywhere." He said with his lips brushing the skin of my neck. He was implying more than one thing. I knew that, and there was a prat of, a big part, that wanted needed to believe him. But, the other part was just as strong, and it was telling me not to trust him. That he was just going to get me hurt again. I honestly didn't know which side to agree with.

"Please, will you move in with me, please?" He begged. "I don't want to live alone anymore, and I don't think you do either." He added seconds after. I thought about it for a second. Did I want to live alone? But, if I didn't, would it be with Ronnie?

"No." I muttered.

"Why not?"

"I don't want to get attached." I explained. He chuckled.

"You already are attached, Max." He said into my neck.

"What makes you think that?"

"You considered."

"That doesn't prove anything."

"If, you didn't like me enough, you wouldn't even need to think about it for a second. You thought about it. You already are attached to me. You just haven't figured it out yet. So, why don't we make a deal?" He said letting me go.

"What kind of deal?" I asked turning around to look him in the eye.

"You live with me for three months, and if you don't fall in love with me by then, I will leave you be. But, we have to act like mates at school." I thought about it for a second. It didn't seem that hard, and at the end of three months I could just lie my ass off, and I would never see him again.

"Fine, but I'm not quiting my job, and I'm not kissing you in public or in private."

"We'll see." He smirked. I, then, packed my bag. Yes, bag. Singular. And, was off to live with Ronnie.