Eternal Thirst

"Sweet like candy to my soul. Sweet you rock and sweet you roll."

The alarm clock blared throughout the room of teenager Lyra Gold, causing her to groan loudly. She rolled over and grabbed the alarm clock with both hands, shaking it violently. "I heard you already, shut it!" When the alarm clock continued to sound she narrowed her eyes, "why must you mock me?"

"Lyra! Are you up yet?"

She rolled her eyes at the sound of her brother Michael banging on her door, "i'm up!"

"I'm leaving with Sam, don't be late or Uncle Mark is going to be pissed."

"Yeah whatever."

She could hear him groan loudly but most of it was muffled by the door, the sound of footsteps on the stairs told her that he was gone. Lyra turned off her alarm, stretching her arms above her head and yawning. Running a hand through her dark brown hair, she walked towards her bathroom, the door clicking shut behind her.

Twenty minutes later Lyra was running around her room trying to find her other shoe, her phone pressed against her ear by her shoulder.

"Please tell me you're more prepared then I am?" she spoke into the phone, jumping up and down with glee when she pulled her other brown heel out from under her bed.

"Probably not." Came the voice from the other end of the phone.

Lyra slipped on her heel, grabbing her purse off her bed and her car keys off her dresser. "I'm heading out the door right now, be there in five."

She pulled the phone from her ear and hung up, starting down the stairs two at a time. She glanced up to notice she had left her bedroom door wide open. With a groan she snapped her fingers, watching as the door slammed shut on it's own. Stifling a smile, Lyra headed out her front door without another thought.

---------

Ten minutes later Lyra was honking her car horn as she pulled up to her best friends house, switching the car into park and pulling down the mirror to fix her make up. Her best friends house was very modern, with hardly any walls, just huge glass windows and stainless steel stairs and white tiled floor. It was probably the second nicest house in town, besides the mayors. She spotted her friend coming down the stairs, still pulling a shirt over her body, a pair of sunglasses hanging from her belt-loop. When her friend disappeared around the corner Lyra groaned, honking the horn again. Her friend reappeared now with one of her many multicolored cardigans on and a bagel stuffed into her mouth, two cups of coffee in her hands. She kicked the door open with her foot, kicking it closed again and practically running to the car. Lyra leaned over and opened the door for her, "sheesh Sky and I thought I wasn't ready."

Skylinn glared at Lyra as she handed her, her cup of coffee, slinging her army green messenger bag over her shoulder and into the floorboard of Lyra's car. "mmmmm"

"I can't understand you, you have a bagel in your mouth."

Skylinn closed the passenger side door, pulling the bagel out of her mouth as she did so, "my alarm didn't go off."

Lyra laughed, switching the car into drive and circled back out of Skylinn's driveway. "So when did you wake up?"

Skylinn ran a hand through her wild, curly blonde locks, "totally not when you called me."

Lyra rolled her eyes, "that explains the dry drool on your cheek."

Skylinn's eye's widened, "what?!" She pulled down the front mirror and started rubbing the side of her face, "aw and I had just face-timed Levi! Do you have any foundation?"

"Check my purse. Levi is gay so it doesn't matter."

Skylinn fished out Lyra's foundation, rubbing it on her face as she spoke. "I have a reputation to uphold, remember?"

"And what is that?"

"Being the biggest badass in school of course."

Lyra shot Skylinn a glance as she turned into the school parking lot, "right, the daughter of the inventor of the snuggie is a total rebel."

Skylinn laughed, tossing Lyra's foundation back into her purse, "it is what it is."

Lyra pulled into a parking spot, switching her car into park and turning it off. The two of them sat there for a moment, watching the other 12th graders mingle in the courtyard. With a sigh Lyra turned to face Skylinn, "I say we make a pact."

Skylinn raised an eyebrow, "like what?"

"That this year will be better. And that we will have a totally awesome senior year and nothing will change that."

Skylinn smiled, nodding her head slowly. "Okay, and that we can't ever grow apart, never."

Lyra laughed, reaching over and pulling her friend into a tight hug. "Never."

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Sam Jones shut off his old rusty truck, pushing open the driver side door and slamming it shut behind him. He reached into the bed of his truck and pulling out a black backpack and slinging it over one shoulder right as Michael closed the passenger side door. "You think my sister is here yet?"

Sam shrugged his shoulder, glancing passed Michael and shaking his head. "Look behind you bro."

Michael glanced behind him to spot his sister and Skylinn in the courtyard. Lyra had her arms around a tall balck haired boy, his hair spiked up all over his head. Michael watch as Lyra's boyfriend Zach leaned down and planted a kiss on her forehead, returning her hug. Michael groaned, slinging his own backpack around his shoulder. "I'm out of here. I'm going to find Emma, catch you later bro." He waved at Sam and started walking off down the side walk.

Sam watched him go for a minute before he headed to his own group of friends. Zach slapped a hand on his back when he walked up beside him. "Hey, man how was your summer?"

Sam shrugged, "fine, I guess. How was Florida?"

Zach shrugged, pulling Lyra closer to his body as he did so. "Hot and sticky. I swear Americans are all weird."

Sam chuckled, "yeah well they do think they are all the best thing in the world. Where's Sky?"

Just as he spoke Sam felt a heavy weight on his back, and he stumbled forward, his hands winding around his back to grab onto someone leg. His ears filled with her laughter and he licked his lips, his face breaking out in a huge smile. "Skylinn, get off!"

Skylinn laughed again, dropping to the floor with a breathy laugh. "Oh, c'mon that was fun!"

Sam turned around to face her and his heart quite literally skipped a beat at the sight of her, her baby blue eyes shining in the morning sunlight. Sam coughed roughly, shaking his head and looking the other way to collect himself. "Whatever," he turned back to face her, his lips forming a tight smile as he opened up his arms for her. "Get over here."

Skylinn smiled as she moved forward into his arms, hugging him tightly. His arms wound around her small body and her squeezed her tightly till her heard her cough, "Sam, you're crushing me."

He chuckled, releasing her. "Sorry."

She smiled up at him, turning to face Lyra and Zach. Zach motioned with his free arm, "get over here Blondie."

After everyone had hugged and tormented each other Lyra glanced at her watch, "we're going to be late. Where's Levi?"

"Right here, love."

She turned to see a black haired boy with big brown eyes, his hands flattening down the front of his sweater vest and sliding into his jean pockets. Lyra squealed, pulling him into a tight hug. "Where have you been!"

Levi laughed, hugging her back before he pulled away, fixing his hair as he did so. "I was with Adam."

"Right, well--" She was interrupted by the bell ringing loudly, signaling the start of the school day. "Well we better get to class." She turned back to Zach, standing on her toes as she gave him one last kiss, "i'll see you after history."

Zach smiled against her lips, leaning forward and giving her one last kiss. "Until then."

Skylinn groaned loudly, "c'mon guys let's keep it PG."

Lyra shot her a glare but released Zach anyways, letting him walk off with Levi towards the main building. "C'mon guys we have zoology."

Sam rolled his eyes with a sigh, "fine. Let's go."

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

"Correct, Mrs. Walker!"

Skylinn smiled smugly at Sam, who sat next to her at their shared desk. He tilted his head to the side, his eyes narrowing while he mouthed, "Why do you still exist?" Skylinn shrugged her shoulders, turning to face her notebook again as she scribbled down the latest things her teacher had written on the board.

"Hey did you get to finish the summer project?" Sam whispered to her, gently touching her knee to get her attention.

Skylinn glanced over at him, "of course. Lemme guess, you didn't and you want my help?"

His mouth tilted up into a half smile, "you know me so well."

Skylinn rolled her eyes, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Isn't your brother back in town? What's his name again?"

Sam nodded, nudging her with his knee. "Dean. So, will you help me? Please?"

She glanced up at him for a moment before turning back to her notes, smiling smugly. Sam huffed, nudging her again with his knee, "Skylinn pleaseeeeee?"

She rolled her eyes at his attempt to beg, "fine. I'll meet you at your house later, okay?"

Sam smiled, winking at her. "It's a date."

Skylinn opened her mouth to reply when the teacher clapped his hands, demanding their attention.

"Class, your attention! Now I know this is only the first day of school, and that it's your last year of high school. But that doesn't mean this year is going to be any easier!"

"Of course," Skylinn mumbled, "because that would be asking to much." She felt Sam nudged her again, but she ignored him, focusing on her bald headed teacher.

"I want your summer projects turned in tomorrow, and We will be starting a knew project as well. I'm going to give you a topic, but you can choose your partner. Find your partner and we will begin."

Skylinn huffed, running a hand through her hair, glancing around the room as if she was searching for someone. She heard Sam clear his throat beside her and she turned, raising an eyebrow at him as he shot her a toothy grin. "What?"

Sam shrugged, "Nothin, wanna be partners?"

Skylinn rolled her eyes, "whenever we are partners I get stuck with all the work why you sit back and eat all the snacks."

Sam laughed, "I promise I wont this time. C'mon," He rolled her chair around with his foot as she was facing him. "I promise I will help this time."

Skylinn looked up at him from under her lashes and Sam felt his breath catch in his throat. "Fine, but you have to buy everything."

He smiled, "deal." He gently brushed a finger on her nose making her crinkle it up in that adorable way that he loved so much. He reached over and took the paper with their topic on it from the teacher, he glanced down at it, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion. "The lobster Migration?"

"Really?" Skylinn snatched the paper from his hand, her face breaking out into a wide smile. "Yes! This will be a piece of cake!"

Sam rolled his eyes, but smiled at her anyways. "Whatever you say, Sky."

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Lyra sat on the edge of her bed, running her hands through her hair in frustration. "What's the big deal about seaweed anyways?" She asked, glancing at her cell phone.

"It's an important part of the ecosystem." Came Skylinn's voice through the phone. "What did you get for number seven?"

"Atoms."

Just then she heard a knock on her door and Lyra glanced up, her face breaking out in a huge smile at the sight of Zach leaning against her door frame. "I gotta go, Sky, I'll call you later."

"Ight, later."

Lyra heard the line go dead and she threw her legs over the side of the bed, standing up and wrapping her arms around Zach's waist. He laced his arms around her waist, leaning forward and placing a kiss on her forehead. "Homework trouble?"

Lyra groaned, "you have no idea."

He laughed, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear. It was quit for a moment before he sighed loudly, "we have a problem."

Lyra raised an eyebrow up at him, "what's that?"

"It's Emma, I think she's feeding on humans again."

Lyra felt her throat go dry, letting go of Zach and taking a small step back. "What makes you think that? She hasn't fed on a human in two years."

"I don't know." Zach sighed, walking passed her and running a hand through his hair. "There was just two deaths on the outskirts of town, they look like her kind could have done it."

Lyra pursed her lips, "I'll ask Michael. Is there any chance it could be someone else? And isn't Sam's brother in town? We could ask him."

Zach shrugged, "Maybe, but there aren't any other's in town but her that I know of. Yeah, I'll ask him about it."

Lyra walked forward, taking his hands away from his face, lacing his fingers through hers. "It's okay, i'm sure it's not what we think it is."

He sighed, his green eyes looking over her face. "Yeah, I guess. Are you still putting vervain in your coffee?"

Lyra nodded, "Every morning. I put some in Sam and Skylinn's whenever I can."

Zach nodded, placing his hands on her waist and pulling her to him. "Okay, I just want you to be safe."

Lyra smiled sweetly up at him, "I'll be fine. I can take care of myself, you know."

"That's not going to stop me from worrying."

She laughed, "well, maybe this will." She leaned forward, closing the space between them and letting their lips connect. Zach smiled against her lips, "that does help a little bit." And he pulled her tighter to him, deepening their kiss, the deaths of the outsiders fading quickly from his mind.