Forever 17

Chapter 11: Back To School
**Dakota's POV**
~~THREE WEEKS LATER~~

Life is filled with change. Little by little my body has adapted to the changes that occur when a person becomes a vampire. I'm extremely fast. And strong. I can see in the dark. The sunlight doesn't kill me, but it's irritating, any bright light is irritating. I'm starting to be able to both speak and read a language I never knew existed without any classes or being taught, it's just coming naturally, as if it was something like learning how to walk.

Destree said he wants to keep teaching me how to fight and defend myself. He also wants to teach me how to fly. But that's not the weird thing, the weird thing is that over these last few weeks he has had to teach me how to do things like a human. Doing things like turning doorknobs and holding cups that were once easy weren't so easy anymore. I have to be more delicate with everything. Or else when I tried to turn a doorknob I would turn it to hard and it would break off the door and I had to kick the door off the hinges (which actually kinda made me feel like a badass). When I would try to grip a cup it would shatter and cut my hand up.

I woke up in my cold room, my shirt was sticking to my sweaty back. I sat up in bed and looked at my blank white walls, which were once covered in posters and pictures and artwork, I looked at all the boxes that contained all of my things. Destree insisted that I moved into an apartment that was in his apartment building that way he could have some peace of mind (as he put it) knowing that if anything were to happen to me he could be there in a split second, I mean, with his speed, if I lived across state he could probably be there in a second, but this way he didn't have to waste the energy.

He finally let me come home yesterday after I had been staying with him for three weeks, and he helped me pack up all my things, this was the apartment where I lived with my mother before she was killed, and it was where I moved when I was able to move out of my grandmother's house. The reason I don't live with Destree in the first place is because I just wanted my own space. I guess he is finally getting what he wanted.

Destree first came into my life shortly after my mother died... He was sent to live with my grandmother and I because his parents had died in an accident... which was strange because for a seven year old boy, Destree was holding up pretty well. I think from then on out we were the best of friends... but wait were we?

Suddenly I have a blinding headache and I put my head in my hands, when it feels like the feeling is gone I look up and I'm not in my bedroom. I'm at my grandmother's house.

I sat in the living room playing with barbies. I put them down and realize that I had control over my hands... this was no ordinary flash back... it was almost like... a memory... but I had control of myself. Suddenly the doorbell rang.
“I'll get it Dakota,” my grandma said, but I didn't listen, I knew this day. And I knew who was at that door.
I ran to the door and reached for the handle and opened the door.
“Hello?” I said.
“Um hi,” he looked at me. Destree was the cutest little kid. “Is Sue Mason here,”
“Uh-”
“Yes, that would be me,” my grandma said from behind me, I turned around.
Uh oh.
“Dakota, I said I would get it,” she looked at me.
“Sorry grandma,” I said.
“It's okay, now go play, I have to take care of something at the moment,”
“Grandma who is he?” I asked.
“His name is Destree... he's going to be staying with us for a while,”

Suddenly the memory is ripped away and I'm in my bed again. “That was weird,” I said folding the covers off of me and getting up to go to the bathroom. I go back to my bedroom to make my bed and to get dressed. My outfit for the day is already laid out. I get dressed, not bothering to use any vampire speed tricks. I was too tired and I wasn't entirely sure I was ready for today.

I'm going back to school today. I grabbed my cell phone off the side table in my room. And grabbed my backpack. After I get out of school Destree is renting a truck and we're gonna take all of my stuff and furniture to my new apartment. I didn't wanna leave this place... it was... home. I didn't wanna miss the familiar smell, I didn't wanna have to miss the place where my beautiful mother once roamed, very much alive, I didn't wanna have to re-learn where all the light switches.

I grabbed my keys off the nail on the wall next to the front door and went out the door, shutting it and locking the door and locking both deadbolts. I live in a kinda shady neighborhood, okay? I began to make my way to Destree's. This day would probably be like any other day like when I was human. Long, and boring...

We get to school and sit in the cafeteria and eat breakfast along with a few of our friends and now I see why Destree would always eat at home, before school. Real food tasted so bland and dry. I make an unsatisfied face at my blueberry muffin.

“It's not so good?” Destree tilts his head.

“No,” I frown.

“What?!” Jessie, who is a childhood friend of Destree and I, asks. “Since when do you not like bluberry muffins?”

I shake my head, “I think I just have a stomach bug,”

“Are you still feeling sick? After three weeks?”

“Yeah, but I'm feeling a lot better than what I was,”

“Yeah, it was not pretty,”

I scoff at Destree and shove him playfully. I didn't say you weren't pretty, he pushes the thought towards me, he says me starting to be able to read minds is a good thing.

“Oh, you!” I blush and playfully shove him again, Jessie, Conner, and Owen look up at us, confused looks on their faces.

I didn't say that out loud.

Oh, I respond.

The bell rings and it's time to go to class, I have my first class with Destree, it's English III. Mrs. Watkins. We walked out of the cafeteria, and headed towards the building we had English in. I began seeing faces that were all too familiar, but I smelled smells that were all too new, all too strong. The smell of light perfume now overwhelmed my senses. The smell of all different types of blood was all around me. I took a deep breath. Which proved to be a bad idea because I breathed in all the smells at once, it overwhelmed me. And I couldn't just not breathe at all, well I could since I no longer needed to breathe, being a vampire but someone would surely notice the fact that I wasn't breathing.

We get to class and sit down, there is still a few minutes until the bell rings. Me and Destree sit in the back, farthest away from the door. Everybody sits and chats are more and more people come in. When the bell rings everone gets quiet and Mrs. Watkins comes in and closes the door.
“Good morning, class!” she says cheerfully. Only a few people acknowledge her and say good morning back.

“I said, good morning class,” she says again.

“Good morning Mrs. Watkins,” we all reply in unison.

“Now I'm going to take role and then we'll get started on what we're doing today,” Mrs. Watkins heads to her desk, and then she must have realized I was here because she looks at me and says, “Oh, welcome back Ms. Mason,” she smiles at me.

“Thank you Mrs. Watkins,” I smile back.

“I trust you are feeling better?”

“Yes, lots,”

“That's good, good you have you back Dakota,”

“Glad to be back,” I say.

Mrs. Watkins calls role and we get started. We were about to get ready to learn about the Salem witch trials and we were going to be reading The Crucible.

I look at Destree to say something and I forget what I was going to say, so I just look at him with a dumb look on my face. He returns it by making an even dumber face, we laugh. “I forgot what I was going to say,” I explain and laugh.

“I see,” he says, then turns and faces forward, wanting to pay attention. I suppose I should do the same, since I was gone for so long. When the bell finally rings for us to go to 2nd hour I get up and go to Mrs. Watkins's desk and ask her for my make-up work. She hands me a stack of papers and goes back to writing something down.

“If you need any help or have any questions feel free to ask,” she says.

“Thanks, I probably just ask Destree for help, he doesn't seem to be doing to bad in here,” I look down at the papers, “Unlike me right now,”

“Yes, well, you and Destree are two of my best students in this class, and I'm sure you'll get caught up, you're a very smart girl Dakota,”

“Really? And thank you Mrs. Watkins,” I can't help but smile.

“Yes. And you'd better be getting to class before the bell rings,” she says, students from her 2nd hour started filing in, shuffling to their seats.

“Yeah, I should probably do that, see you later Mrs. Watkins,” I say before turning and leaving.

“Goodbye,” she says.

I walk down the halls and make my way to my second hour. Which was my drawing and design class, I liked to draw, a lot of people said I was really good. This was one of the only classes that I didn't have with Destree, and none of my friends were in this class either, so I didn't really talk a lot, but at least I could focus on drawing. I got there just as the bell rang, I walked over to the table where I sat with two other people, Meredith and Joey, we talked but I wouldn't really consider them my friends, well maybe Meredith. I sat down and pulled my sketch book and colored pencils out of my backpack and set them on the table, the teacher, Mr. Sullivan came over and gave me my make-up work once the bell rang and he took roll.

“Welcome back Ms. Mason, I hope you're feeling better,”

“Thanks Mr. Sullivan, I'm glad to be back, and I'm feeling a lot better,”

“No problem,” he says and walks back to his desk.

“Hey Dakota! Where have you been?” Meredith asks, Meredith was what most people would deem 'pretty' she had long, curly red hair and nice shaped features.

“Hey! I've been really sick, but I'm feeling better now.”

“Ugh, what did you have?” Joey asks.

“Um, they weren't sure,” I lied. “But I was sick for two and a half weeks, it sucked.”

“I can imagine,” Joey says. I open my sketchbook and start working on a drawing I started on a few weeks ago, before I got 'sick'.

“Dakota, there's something... different about you,” Meredith says. Oh, no.

I look up from my sketchbook. “What do you mean?” I ask, I could feel myself sweating, on the inside of course. Play it cool Dakota, there's no way she'll ever find out you're a... I couldn't even come to think the word.

“I don't know, you just seem different,”

“Meredith I'm sure it's just you,” Joey says, saving me.

Meredith looks at him, then looks at me. “Yeah, I'm sure you're right. Anyway Dakota,” she smiles, “I'm glad you're feeling better,”

“Thanks Meredith,” I smile back, then go back to working on my drawing, the three of us make small talk and work throughout the rest of class. When the bell rings I pack up and go to my next class, it was World History, which was easily the most boring class ever but Destree was in that class so I guess it wasn't too bad. When that class is over Destree and I walk to lunch.

“Hey D?” Destree says as we are walking out of class, going to lunch.

“Yeah?” I look at him.

“Do you want to eat outside today?”

“Uh, sure,” I look at him, knowing he has alterior motives, or maybe he just wanted to sit outside.

We stand in line, “So what's here that's actually good to eat Destree?”

“Not a lot,” he knew I was asking because I had seen him try different foods at lunch only to be disgusted and throw it away after a few bites, all these years I just thought Destree was a really really picky eater, but I'd be a picky eater if I knew that human food tasted as bad as it does when you're a vampire. “But the corndogs are okay,”

“Okay,” I say, I decided to go with the corndogs.

When we get to the drinks, Destree nudges me, “Watch this,” when it's our turn to order the lunch lady looks at Destree, “The usual and...” he motions her forward and he tells her something in a low voice, even with my new found hearing, I didn't hear what he had said. She gives him a strange look, and then looks at me, she then turns around and disappears into the back, then a few minutes she comes back with two styrofoam cups, like the kind they serve the soda in. I catch a whiff of what's in the cup, it's most definitely not soda.

“Thank you,” Destree says.

“You're welcome, have a good day,” she replies.

“You too,” We finish getting our lunch and pay for it, then we go and find a picnic table in the shade and sit down, it felt really nice outside today. We sit our lunches down and I take off my backpack and sit it beside me on the ground. I take a sip of my drink, and just like I thought. Blood.

“Destree...” he looks at me, “Why do they serve blood in the cafeteria?” I drop my voice to a whisper when I say the word.

“Why do you think? For vampires,” he whispers the word.

“But how do they...”

“-Know about us?” he finishes my thought.

“Yes.” I say.

“Let's just say my family has us taken care of,”

“I see,” I take another drink. Who else knew about the existence of vampires? How many vampires existed?

“The world is filled with people who are just like us, normal everyday people, doctors, lawyers, athletes, models, musicians, are vampires.”

“Are there any other vampires that go to school with us?”

“Not that I know of, you will know if someone is a vampire, you will be able to pick up their scent if you know what you're looking for,”

“So that sweet light scent that you have, that's what a vampire smells like?”

“Not all vampires smell the exact same, but yes,”

“I see,”

“Dakota, I have to ask you something,” Destree says, there is something different in his voice.

“What's up?” I look at him, he looked almost nervous.

“Well, it's just that I-” he starts to say something and then stops, “Never mind,” he says, “This isn't the right time,”

“The right time for what Destree?” I ask, not looking away from him. He is silent, he doesn't meet my look. “Des,” I put my hand on top of his. “You know you can talk to me about anything.” He looked down at out hands.

“Yeah, I know, but it's not important,”

“You're lying to me,” he looks at me, but I look away, “It's really important... I can tell by the way you're acting, you're just putting it off,” I say to him. “Because you're nervous,”

“How do you know all of that?”

“I told you I can just tell,” I look at him. His hand turns over and he is holding my hand, now I look at our hands.

“Dakota...” he begins.

“Yeah?”

“Will you-” just then we are interrupted by Jessie and Owen, Destree and I break our hands apart. And Jessie and Owen sit down, Jessie next to me and Owen next to Destree, leaving room for at least another person between them, I'm assuming for Conner, who was proabably a no-show because he had detention. Again.

“Hey guys!! We were wondering where you went off to!” Jessie says.

“Oh, did I not tell you guys I wanted to sit outside today?” Destree plays it off.

“No,” Owen says.

“I could have sworn I did,” Destree says, he looks at me, Sorry.

It's okay. But you're not off the hook.

“Are we interrupting something?” Jessie asks, Destree and I look away from each other and look at Jessie.

“No,” we laugh.

Yes. The thought didn't come from me.

“Me and Dakota were just talking about that Geometry test in Ms. K's class,”

I look at him, “Yeah, the one over right triangles,”

“Oh,” Jessie says, “Yeah, I heard it was hard,”

“Nah, me and Owen have Ms. K 2nd hour and it wasn't that hard right Owen?” Destree says including Owen, who was eating a slice of pizza, in the conversation.

“Nah, it wasn't that hard,”

“But that's because Destree's a genius,” a girl named Sarah came and sat down between Destree and Owen.

“Were you listening to our conversation?” Jessie said to Sarah, who didn't have any food. It wasn't any secret that Jessie didn't like Sarah, and Jessie was one of those people who loved everything and everyone. So the fact that she doesn't like Sarah is really saying something. None of us like Sarah really, she was close to Samantha, who I've told you about before.

“No, I just heard as I was coming to sit over here with you guys,”

“What's up Sarah?” I asked but it sounded more like 'what the fuck do you want Sarah?'.

“I just came over to talk to you guys,” she smiles, but I wasn't buying it.

No you came over here to flirt with Destree. I thought to myself.

She turns to Destree “Hey Destree,” she says, batting her eyelashes. Good god. Why was I having such jealous thoughts over Destree today?

“Hi Sarah.”

“You know,” She brushes a stray piece of hair out of his face, and she now has his attention “We should really hang out sometime, just us,” she throws a dirty look at me and puts her hand on his leg.

He glances at me, Can you believe this bitch? The thought almost makes me laugh, but then I remember I'm the only one that heard him say it.

“Sarah,” he take her hand of his leg, “As much as I would like to, and by as much as I would like to I mean not at all, so I'm going to have to decline,” he says coldly. Damn Destree.

“Okay,” she stands up, “But-” she pulls a piece of paper out of her purse, “In case you change your mind,” she hands the piece of paper to him, “Here's my number,”

“Gee thanks,” he says and she walks away. We all exchange looks with each other and bust out laughing.

“Bro,” Owen says, “Why didn't you go after it!? She's smokin,”

“Yeah, but she's not my type, and besides-”

Owen cuts Destree off, “She doesn't have to be, I mean look at her!” Owen says.

“And this is why you're single, Owen,” Jessie laughs.

He just looks at her, “Hey! I'm single by choice okay?!”

The he goes back to Destree, “Dude, come on, she totally wants it!”

“Dude let me finish, I was gonna say besides, I like someone else.”

I look at Destree. What?! Who?

“Oh,”

“But if you're really that intersted,” Destree slides Owen the piece of paper with Sarah's number on it.

“Sweet,” Owen takes it and slips it in his pocket.

We all finish our lunches and sit and talk. Soon the lunch bell rings and we all have to go to class. I have this class, which just so happens to be Geometry, with Owen, so we walk to class together after lunch.

“Hey Owen do you think I'm the girl that Destree likes?”

“Huh? Oh, I don't know, he's never really said anything to me about liking you before,”

“Oh. I was just wondering, has he ever said anything about liking any girl to you?”

“No, not really, why? Do you like Destree?”

“Yeah, something like that,” I try not to smile, I know I am a little though.

“I know. And if there's anyone that should be with Destree, it's you,” we walk into Ms. K's class and sit down next to each other.

“Why do you say that?” I know I am blushing. Hard.

“Because I've never really seen Des look at another girl the way I see him look at you sometimes,”

“And how does he look at me sometimes?” I ask.

“Wow, you're just full of questions today D,”

“Sorry,” I look down for a second.

“It's okay, and I don't know, he just looks at you like- like,” the bell interrupts him in the middle of his sentence and the class goes silent.

“Like what?” I say in an almost whisper.

“Like you're his world, like you're all he knows,”

“Oh,” now I'm blushing harder. Class starts and we get to work I get my make-up work and before I know it class is over. I got through my last three classes (chemistry, gym, and Spanish III) and pretty soon it's time for us to go home. Thank God. Although today hasn't been necessarily slow I was just ready to go home, lay in my bed and watch anime or something, I don't know. But I couldn't even do that, I had to move in to a new apartment. But Destree said it wouldn't take long, given our speed and strength.

The final bell rings and everybody leaves. I walked to my locker, which was pretty much across the school. I walk there and put in my combination and the locker pops open. I put my chemistry and Spanish books in my locker and close it. When I turn around, Destree is behind me and he scares me, making me jump.

“Jesus Destree can you not?” I say.

But he just laughs and brushes a piece of hair out of my face, his cold hand brushing my forehead. “You ready to do this?”

“Yeah,” I say and we walk out of the school along with everyone else and make our way to my house.