Aurora Sky Vampire Hunter - By Nikki Jefford Page 0,5

more organs we may've had our very first Frankenstein on the team."

I resisted the urge to itch the stitches under my shirt.

Crist still had me in her glare. "Most girls in your shoes would have ended up as organ donors rather than receivers," she said.

"That's right," Melcher said. "Still had a healthy spleen and liver up for grabs." Again that smile. "Do you have any questions so far?"

I stood up. "Just one. When is my mom picking me up?"

Melcher and Crist shared a look.

"She's in shock," Crist said.

"She'll come around." Melcher turned to me. "Your mother will be here in an hour."

My face relaxed. Fine, I'd get in a car one last time. Just to get out of there.

"We'll see you again soon," Melcher said, before he and Crist left the room.

Not if I could help it.
Chapter 3 Team Fane
The face in the mirror had no eyes or lips. She was blurry, distorted. Every time I tried to look at her I had to look away. It was better not to tell Mom I was hallucinating. She was worried enough.

Maybe I was sick. Viruses. Melcher had used the plural.

Why would the agents save my life then make me sick?

Why would the agents save me at all?

I didn't feel sick. I didn't feel anything.

"Aurora!" Mom called from downstairs. "You're going to miss the bus if you don't leave soon."

I took each stair carefully. Didn't want to risk re-breaking any bones. It hardly seemed possible that they had healed so quickly to begin with. Rather than tell me to relax and take it easy, my doctor had told me to get plenty of exercise.

My foot hit the tiled entryway.

"Are you sure I can't give you a ride to school?" Mom asked. "I'd like to."

"I'd rather take the bus."

"Can I pick you up?"

"No."

I zipped my backpack closed. She grabbed a white quilted parka from the closet and held it up, waiting for me to slip it on.

I stared at it. "Whose coat is that?"

"I got it for you. Don't you like it?"

I liked my bomber jacket better, but it hadn't made it through the wreck.

I slipped my arms into the coat sleeves without comment and pulled on my winter boots. Mom lifted the hood over my head as I moved to the front door.

"Have a good day. Call me if you decide you want a ride home."

I nodded and walked into the fresh air, for once welcoming the cold prickle across my face. I'd been indoors for weeks. A dusting of snow covered the neighbors' roofs and lawns. The driveways were clear. I averted my eyes when passing the empty spot next to the garage where my car should have been parked.

The lowerclassman waiting at the bottom of the hill glanced at me when I came to a stop several paces away from the cluster they'd formed.

I felt like I'd stumbled backwards in time to a bygone era - one in which I waited at the end of the street for the school bus.

Early morning commuters chugged past in their cars. The yellow bus came along eventually, its chains rattling around the rotating tires, and ground to a halt. I let everyone else board before I climbed the stairs.

I took one step down the aisle and stopped. The smell overwhelmed me: hairspray and perfume, BO and foul breath, all intertwined - thirty-eight bodies crammed inside a tin can. My head spun. I grabbed hold of a seatback to steady myself.

I resisted the urge to back up and climb back down the stairs. But I'd had enough of wasting away in square rooms. I slid into the first available spot and stared out the window. At least the movement didn't bother me. I felt like I was in a submarine gliding smoothly through a current.

Denise waited until I walked all the way up to our lockers to give me a hug. "Welcome back! I wanted to visit you in the hospital, but your mom said they were only allowing family members. How are you feeling?"

"Fine."

The halls were filled with chatter - the volume much too loud. I winced as a locker slammed shut beside me.

"Well, you look great," Denise told me, head in her locker as she spoke.

"Thanks."

Students stared at me and whispered quickly as they passed our lockers.

AJ, Denali High's ultimate player, strode over. His sneakers squeaked when he stopped in front of us. He looked me up and down. "Hey, Aurora, I heard you were in a coma."

"Leave her alone!" Denise snapped.

"Just