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My feet hit the floor hard, but ainst the tiles As I made my way back to my dorher poas a vampire She wouldn’t have believedit that much sweeter

I skipped breakfast and lunch; I didn’t have the sto way too fast I was running out of tioodbyes

The door opened and a vanilla scent wafted in Mila had come to see me off

"I have soht I’d co tears for a moment before they fell upon her cheek

Mila had become my best friend here at SS I pulled her into an eainst my arms

"I’ll be back" I sniffled, unaware that my nose had become runny and my eyes watery

It was a lie, of course

"I’ll miss you!" she cried "You’re my best friend"

"And you’re o of each other How could we? Neither of us was sure e’d see each other again Her goodbye was different thanI can’t wait to see you again I’ was ood life’ kind of hug Both were emotional but on two completely different levels

Mila went to class and the dorivena roo She claiive the from her, but over ti things for others

I pulled the drawer out from my bedside table and dumped its contents into a box A picture floated down and landed on the top of the junk Two faces smiled up at me They seenize asand was actually happy People used to tell me my mother and I looked alike I didn’t believe theo I’ve been through so e felt precious in my hand and I handled it carefully-- afraid to bend or crease it It was taken o back in time and warn them about Hank and what he would become What about Eli and Mila? my subconscious asked If Hank never became a vampire, my mum would still be alive, but Eli and I would have never been bonded Would we have even spoken? And Mila, would we have become friends or would I have made friends with the likes of Raina? Maybe, just o Maybe my purpose was to protect the people who have helped me

I placed the photo of my mother and me into a book, Dracula, by Bra on a book about va safe I placed the book neatly on top of my clothes and taped the lid shut

I had floated so far away intoon the door made me jump I stacked my three boxes on top of each other so Mila could still reeted "I haven’t seen you since Tuesday I thought you were mad at me"

"I’ you, hoping that maybe I would care less about you and not care that you’re leaving tonight, but it onlyto be hard I had to let hiuy but I --"

"Let me come with you"

"What? Are you insane?"

"No I’m in love"

For the third time today my mouth was left open, but this tiht flies with it Oh no

"Hunter -- I … can’t -- I --" I struggled to get the words out Why couldn’t I just say I didn’t have feelings for hiroaned I couldn’t say I didn’t care for him, because I did I liked him more than a friend

"Cos for Eli I couldn’t lie to his for him, because I did, but not like I did for Eli I love Eli Hunter’s blue eyes glanced nervously up and down the corridor

"Don’t worry about that I’ Hunter intoscent filled space I paced across the roohtly before I swooned Hunter sat on lanced sadly around the roo about what I said," Hunter pro I need to tell you"

"I don’t care if you don’t love rasped his hand and it shocked evenas if I wasn’t in control His eyes looked hopeful and I cringed in sympathy

"I like you, I do I like you more than a friend, but I’m in love with someone else, and --"

"Eli," he said matter-of-factly

I let his hand drop back to his knee and I collapsed onto Mila’s bed

"I’m sorry, I can’t help it"

"It’s okay I kinda kneay"

The long silence was deafening and I bit uardian angel

"Does he know you’re leaving?"

"You don’t --" I cut etting more aard by the irl In fact, I kept ure out what they want, but I felt bad for Hunter I droppedwith me"

I didn’t want to look at his face when I said it He shifted uncoht, impassive line and his mood shifted His once colorful blue eyes turned bleak as he stood up and sluo," he whispered under his breath

"Hunter, wait!"