Aurora Sky Vampire Hunter - By Nikki Jefford Page 0,30

"That's all I need."

"Aurora."

"Gotta go."

I was in no hurry to reach my locker, especially when I saw Denise and Erin together. They stuffed textbooks from their backpacks to their lockers. As I neared, they looked my way then leaned together before setting off rapidly down the hall.

An arm looped around mine. The touch was light. I had a good idea whose it was.

I smiled. "Hey, Noel. I was just on my way to see if you guys were in the library."

"Never mind the library," Noel said. "Want to tell me what you were doing this weekend that involved me covering for you?"

"Did my mom call?"

"No. Let's go in here." Noel pulled me inside the nearest ladies' room. She had a bun high on each side of her head. Her long bangs were split down the middle, hanging down her face. Every article of Noel's clothing was black, right down to her top, skirt, nylons, and knee-high combat boots. She wore a stomach cincher over her clothes, tied tight in order to stay in place around her skinny torso.

Noel was studying my apparel as closely as I reviewed hers. "We should really talk about your wardrobe. Are you planning on joining the pep squad?"

I laughed. "Only if I get to cheer for Team Wicked."

A freshman glanced at us and hurried out.

"I think you scared her away," Noel said.

"Sure, I scared her."

"So out with the dirty details already. Did you go vamping without us?"

"Whatever." I set my backpack on the floor. I made a quick scan under the stalls and seeing them foot-free, turned to Noel. "I hooked up is all."

Noel's eyes bugged out. "With a vampire?"

My lip curled back. "No!"

"Let me see your neck."

I rolled my eyes and pulled down my scarf. "See?"

"Wrists."

I turned my arms over and held them in front of Noel. "Satisfied?"

She hoisted herself onto the bathroom counter, crossed her legs, and began swinging them. "So who'd you hook up with?"

"Scott Stevens."

Noel stopped swinging her legs and wrinkled her nose.

"What?"

"Nothing. Interesting choice."

"Why?"

"It's just you're so coffee and he's so...herbal tea. So, you had sex?" Noel began swinging her legs again.

"Um-hmm."

"How was he?"

"Horrible," I said without thinking.

The leg swinging stopped again. Noel stared at me wide-eyed right before bursting into peals of laughter.

I started to smile. "I guess it is kind of funny. What a dope he turned out to be."

Noel laughed harder.

"And that's not the worst of it..." I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and looked away. "He was my first."

Noel instantly stopped laughing. She jumped off the counter. "Oh, fuck," she said right before throwing her arms around me.

I patted her back even though she was the one trying to comfort me.

"It's all right, really. I mean, the first time's supposed to suck, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Noel said, pulling back. "It hurts like hell."

"I guess I didn't get drunk enough."

"You won't need to next time."

"Right, like I'd do that again."

Noel raised her brows. "Famous last words." She walked to the bathroom door. "Think we can make it to the library without being caught?"

"It beats spending second period in the water closet."

"Let's go."

Noel and I walked down the middle of the hallway toward the library.

Noel nudged my shoulder. "You should come out with Whitney, Hope, and me next time. We'll show you who to avoid and who knows how to nibble on a girl just right."

"Eh," I answered without enthusiasm.

That's the problem with vampires. They didn't nibble, they chomped.

A fight broke out inside the cafeteria as I passed at the end of the day.

A month earlier, I would have walked in the opposite direction instead of pushing my way through the double doors to get a closer look.

One quick peek and then I'd catch my school bus.

The expressions on surrounding students morphed from resigned boredom to anticipated glee. We surged forward - the sound like a riptide pulling us in.

Students were already cheering. "Get him, Jason! Harder. Knock that pansy to the ground."

The taller guy, Jason, got the shorter guy into a headlock and pounded his face.

I didn't recognize either student. They were just two more nameless hooligans going about the motions, which at the moment involved swinging fists.

A month earlier, I would have walked in the opposite direction instead of pushing my way closer until I was at the front of the horde encircling the boys.

"Stop!" the shorter boy yelled.

"Don't stop! Hit him, Jason! Harder!" the crowd screamed back. This was followed by an obliging smack against the smaller boy's face.

"Enough!" shorty yelled.

"You sure? You