Time seemed to be going too fast for Nastia, which is laughable given what a late bloomer she was. She was almost eighteen years old and just now feeling bloodlust for her Affinity? She let down her guard and got comfortable in her human routine. She thought she had more time... she thought she'd walk the line and graduate with her friends.

And she was wrong.

Stop feeling sorry for yourself, she internally lectured, this is how it must be.

After she and Pam had damaged their brains with milkshakes after rehearsals Tuesday, Nastia didn't want to say goodbye. Not yet. She managed to convince her mother to allow her to stay at Pam's house for the next two nights. Tammy didn't mind Anastasia staying over on a school night, but Lady Turgenev usually did.

"I thought you said you can't lie to your mom?" Pam asked as she painted her friend's nails after the teens had both showered and changed into their pajamas. They had taken a quiz online to choose what nail polish color best suits them. Pam got yellow... because her nails are stubby, and she answered that she looks best in gold. Irony deemed the blossoming vampire worthy of the classic red.

"I can't... but I have discovered how to bend a simple truth. We do have a book report to write and tests to study for. It's just not as urgent as what I implied." And strangely enough, it wasn't as hard to look her mother in the eyes as it had been just days ago.

Was the power behind her stare not working as effectively now that I was on the brink of my awakening?

The thought of awakening cooled her mood and sobered her thoughts. She needed to spend every moment with her friends. She shouldn't have agreed to that list since she was now unable to fulfill her promises... but what does it really matter? Pam won't remember her at all. Would Pam experience deja vu more often or have a general feeling of "did I forget something?" She should be more concerned about AJ and how she was going to get close to him. The clean up should be easy enough though. She planned on calling her brother for assistance with desposing of the body.

"Nastia! Hold still!" Pam complained as the little tremors shooting down Nastia's arm caused the polish to veer off course. Pam wiped away the excess with her own fingernail, ketchup on mustard. With a quick apology, the vampire willed herself to stop shaking.

I am not nervous about killing AJ. She wasn't thrilled about it, but she assured herself that it was just because she just happened to know him personally. It would've been easier to kill him if he could be a nameless nobody on the street.

I don't have human sympathies, she repeated to herself for not the first time since she felt the bloodlust.

She recalled how intoxicating his scent was today. It took a lot of will power to not let that magnetic tug pull her closer to him. During rehearsal, they just did blocking. Instead of dialogue, they focused more on movements across the stage: which wing you are entering and exiting from, where you're standing or sitting in the scene, etc... When he moved close to her, she moved away hanging on to a thread of control. Once again, her coldness made his jaw tighten.

How is she going to get him alone especially if she can't get him under her compulsion? She decided she would try it again on Thursday. Perhaps she was too emotional when she tried that first time.

"You look really scary, Nastia," Pam commented as she blew on her distracted friend's nails.

"Huh?"

"Your face. You look like you're plotting someone's murder," she joked.

Nastia's breath came out in a half-crazed giggle. "Pam..."

"Yeah?"

The blonde pulled her best friend into a tight hug and was instantly engulfed in the scent of the strawberry shampoo she had used earlier.

"Hey! Don't mess up your nails! And, uh, should I be scared? You don't initiate hugs."

"My nails are fine. And I just wanted you to know ... you are the most awesome friend anyone could ever ask for and I will never forget you."

"You're acting weird... is something wrong?"

Nastia sniffed and pulled back out of the embrace. "No. I just don't tell you that enough, I'm realizing."

"You didn't have to, Nash. And," she held Anastasia's face between her hands, "you are a better friend than you've ever given yourself credit for. And of course, you're not forgetting me because you're stuck with me, bitch. For life. We're going to have a double wedding. And we will plan our pregnancies together. If I have a daughter, I will name her after you. And if you have a son, they will get married. Or you know, vice versa. We'll share grandchildren and take joint family vacations--"

Anastasia pulled back laughing. "Okay. You ruined the moment."

Pam gasped and hit her with a pillow.

"Hey! Watch the nails!"

Thursday came and Nastia prepared for the day with a stoic expression. She had packed a dark pair of jeans and a black tee. She tied a plaid long sleeve shirt around her waist. Hopefully if any blood got on her, the dark clothes would hide it well. If that failed, she'll throw the plaid shirt over her torso. She pulled her wavy blonde hair back away from her face in a relaxed French braid.

"No rehearsals today! What do you wanna do after school?" Pam asked as they made their way to Pam's little Saturn in her driveway.

"Oh, actually I am hanging out with somebody after school."

"Who?"

Sucking in her breath, she lied on impulse. "Savannah."

"Oh. Okay." Pam accepted the answer and Nastia sighed with relief. It may have been the first time she has ever lied, and it was to her best friend. But she suddenly felt like she couldn't tell Pam she was hanging with AJ. Whether that was because you shouldn't tell someone you're going to be with the person who will turn up missing soon or because it was her best friend's crush... she didn't know.

The lie soured her stomach all through the school day. She couldn't concentrate during her classes, and she barely spoke at lunch. When her friends asked what was bothering her, she just said she was feeling tired. She looked at each friend, they ate completely unaware of her thoughts. How sad they won't even miss her. But their class would miss AJ. She glanced over where he sat at one of the designated popular tables.

He was leaning his elbow on the table with his head cradled in his open palm. He gave a lazy smile every now and then when the attention of his friends centered on him. She thought she could pick up the tone of his murmurs, like a radio dial focusing on a set frequency.

Afraid he would feel her stare and turn her way in just a matter of seconds, she tore her gaze away. Savannah was looking at her curiously. She ignored the question in her eyes and excused herself from the table. Reina made fun of her polite, 'posh' manners, but Nastia wasn't in the mood to respond to the semi-friendly taunt.

Finally, the last bell of the day rang. All students moved to the door in perfect synchrony. Anastasia moved slowly out of the room per usual. She didn't like bumping elbows with her non-preferred company of humans. She began to wonder if she should have grabbed AJ's attention in the hallway sometime today to make sure he knew she wanted to meet up after school. Those thoughts arrested when she stepped out of her classroom to find AJ leaning against the set of lockers, one leg hitched up like he was posing for a model shoot.

AJ Freakin' Reed could get it, Reina's words came to Nastia's mind unwillingly.

Though it was obvious he was waiting for her, his attention wasn't on her. He was talking to Shelby who stood beside him with one hand on her hip and a smile on her lips. Nastia's ears picked up the conversation long before she got to them.

"I am just saying think about it, AJ."

"And like I just said, it's not my decision. Ask Jason. And what about Ashley? She doesn't want to be on the council anymore?"

"She was only running doing it cause I asked her to."

"What about Ivy or Brianna? Since they're not running anymore, they might be interested in being your second."

"That's beside the point! I just think we should team up instead of splitting the votes. You can be president and I'll be your vice. You know Jason wouldn't take being VP serious."

"He can handle it. Pero lo que sea. I'll ask him," AJ said clearly wanting to end the conversation.

Shelby didn't take the hint. "I know we would make a great team. I don't know why we didn't just run together--" She had touched his arm and the vampire catapulted forward and cleared her throat. Shelby's hand dropped and Nastia smirked.

"Oh... Anastasia. I didn't see you there. What's up?" Shelby smiled but her tone made it sound like Nastia was a freshman interrupting the 'grown ups' talking. AJ's closeness made Anastasia feel hot, but it was Shelby that made her blood boil. She gave Shelby a disapproving glare then turned her body to AJ.

"Thanks for waiting for me. Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah. Whenever you are, chica."

"Wait! Hold up! Are you two a thing?" Shelby laughed and pointed at the two of them with a contorted look on her face as if that would be a weird thing.

I mean, it would be for me... but why would she think that?

After a few seconds of silence, she jumped to a conclusion and gasped with feigned joy. "Why didn't you tell me, Ana?"

Sticking her tongue in her own cheek, Nastia retorted, "And if that were the case, why would I do that?"

"Duh! Because we're friends."

"Ah! Okay. That reasoning would make sense. Well, let me clear up this confusion, Shelby. We are not friends. Nor do I have any desire to be your friend." Nastia laughed and smiled as she said this, mocking Shelby's tone. Shelby stood utterly speechless. "Good talk. Let's go, AJ."

She heard AJ mumble an awkward goodbye to Shelby before catching up to her.

"I see you are hard at work on those people skills," he said.

She grunted and quickened her pace so that a few students heading the opposite way got between them. Their scent helped balance out AJ's. When she realized she was heading in the direction where they may run into Pam, she changed the course.

AJ followed and asked, "Why are we going this way?"

"Too many people that way. Less foot traffic this way," she threw over her shoulder. Though she kept her distance, she kept looking back to make sure her prey didn't lose his way.

An idea came to her. She could lead him outside on this end of the school. No one would be back there... the student parking and buses were on the other end of the unforgiving red bricked building. Only thing on this side was the beginning of the parent pick-up line but if they stuck to the side of the school, they should be out of view.

They passed a window and she groaned under her breath. The sun! The azure sky stretched on without a cloud in sight. Of course, it is a beautiful day!

There were less students now to drown out his scent. His and her heartbeats drummed together in her head. She stopped as the feeling made it hard to breathe, much less walk. She can't get in a car with him now... but she has to. It's the only way she can think of. And she needed him--his blood-- right now.

"Hey. I think we should loop around, Anastasia. We're not getting to my car this way... unless you're planning on going around the world," he said.

She swallowed her burning hunger and ran her tongue over her teeth to make sure her fangs were not extended before turning to face him.

Her eyes connected with his and she reached out for his mind gently. "AJ," her voice came out a little husky and she blushed, "where are we going?"

"We're supposed to be going to my car. Are you feeling okay?" He leaned closer, completely ignoring her compulsion, to place a hand on her forehead. She flinched away and his expression went from concern to aloof. Leaning back, he tucked his hands in his pockets refusing to meet her eyes now.

"Sorry--" she started, desperate to get a hold of his mind.

"No, don't. If you have a problem with me, just say it. I have too much going on to play this game with you."

"What game?" She asked confused. He scoffed and turned, starting down the hallway back the way they came.

"¡Mujer bipolar y confusa! Me hizo todo jodidamente retorcido..." he mumbled to himself. And though she could hear the words, she couldn't understand them, but they did not sound complimentary.

"Hey, don't walk away! Look at me!"

She got out in front of him, only to collide with an underclassman who was running down the stairs. The young boy threw a "I'm sorry" over his shoulder not bothering to slow his pace, afraid to miss the buses' departure. Nastia would have fallen straight to the ground if AJ hadn't steadied her, pulling her towards him. Her face hit his chest hard and his arms went instinctively around her.

She thinks he was asking if she was okay. She couldn't be sure. His heartbeat drowned her ears like thunder. Her muscles tensed up and her veins burned with want, need, thirst, as his scent filled her head.

If she rose on her toes, she would be able to touch his neck with her lips. She didn't realize she had acted on that thought until she felt his hands tighten firmly on her upper arms in response. She was near ready to give into her desire, waist deep in bloodlust, her left hand rising to cover his mouth.

A faint gasp penetrated the thunder. The sound of retreating footsteps told her they were alone in the stairwell again though. But the familiar smell of strawberry shampoo lingered and yanked her out of her bloodlust.

Pam!

Without any explanation, she tore herself out of AJ's arms and ran down the hall after the redhead.

"Pam! Wait!" She called but the human did not slow down.

"How could you, Nash? You knew how I felt about him. You could've just told me that you and he were ... But you lied!"

Nastia caught up to her by running, grabbing her shoulder and swinging her around to face her. "I know! I am sorry but I swear it was not what it looked like!"

"How do---oh my god, Nash, what's wrong with your t-teeth?" Pam's eyes went big and she covered her mouth in shock.

No.... this isn't happening.

Uh oh. What will happen next... I dont know. I'm just the author (: lol

If you are enjoying the story, please vote :)

I have inserted some of AJ's spanish. Here the translation:

Esta mujer confusa, bipolar y diabólica ... me puso todo retorcido... this confusing, bipolar devil of a woman... got me all fucking twisted

Therefore I am - Billie Eilish