I don't understand. Why does he keep following me?

I kept running, the sound of my feet padding on the floor as I felt my lungs try to ejaculate themselves out of my body. I weaved in and out of the trees, trying to lose him.

Finally when my unfit body finally gave out, I collapsed on the ground behind a tree and tried to steady my breathing.

"Hey."

I screamed.

He hung upside down on the lowest branch, grinning as if we hadn't just ran 1 mile.

His grin showed off his prominent features of his face.

His fangs.

~

Backing up..... beep beep beep.

I blame my school entirely.

Our school had organized a short stay at a retreat to have us, "get used to the environment," for three weeks. (This school sounds bomb someone sign me up pft)

I, personally, didn't want to go, but my sister wanted to go and then my parents were like, "Oh, Nico, you should go too! Maybe you'll get to know some more people."

My sister is amazing by the way. She also encouraged it, and eventually convinced me to go.

I don't have friends. I'm that one kid that everyone usually avoids in social situations, but, I'm the first they go to for a project.

I'm not nerdy... well I guess I'm considered "smart," but my belief is the better you do, the less teachers bother you. Wearing black, wearing earbuds, yeah I'm that kid.

I heard the bell ring and I stood up and left the room, the door clicking behind me.

I liked to leave first and get to class to avoid interaction. I kept my head down, my dark black hair draping over my eyes. Keeping to the sides, I rushed to my last class.

Tomorrow is the day we leave. I was regretting agreeing to this.

I spent last period absorbed in my thoughts.

"Nico."

My head snapped up from the position it was in before. I looked frantically around the room for help and saw the equation on the board. Quickly, I solved it in my head and tried my luck.

"X is less than or equal to 765." (I don't know just go with it)

The teacher nodded, giving me the "you got lucky this time" look.

I rolled my eyes and once again absorbed myself in thoughts.

~

The next time I was interrupted was by the bell. The loud ding filled the ears of every student as they rushed to leave the prison we call school. But unfortunately for me, todays the day we leave for retreat.

I sighed as I followed the large swarm of students heading towards the blacktop where the yellow buses sat.

Luggage, students, teachers, were loaded into the bus and we took off.

I shut my ears by plugging in earbuds and blasting music so loud, people across from me could hear it, despite the usual loud bus conversations.

Bianca was in another bus with her grade, so I generally just sat there, listening to music and sleeping. No one sat in the same seat as me. I never had to bother with another.

~

The buses arrived 3 hours later to a forest area. Bright, leafy trees surrounded us and the barely noticeable road we drove to get here.

The crisp, non-polluted air was calming  and refreshing. They unloaded the luggage and everyone set off to their rightful cabins.

Mine was the one in the very back with the rest of the unwanteds. (Great series btw)

I kept to myself, only talking to Bianca when she noticed me for the rest of the day. We settled and we left to the cafeteria for food. Nasty but whatever.

Then, we headed back to cabins.

As we were heading back, I felt like something was there. But there wasn't. I was alone because I left early. I wasn't hungry.

I ignored it and walking back to the cabin where I got ready for bed and lied there for three hours, enjoying the free WiFi provided near our cabin.

I heard the door swing open, and my cabin mates chattering. 

Slowly, as they fell asleep, silence drifted over us. When I knew I was the only left awake, I heard the door swing open again.

I didn't really think much of it in my 3 AM daze because people were coming back from the cafeteria in bundles and it seemed normal. But, apparently, I forgot no one eats for 6 hours.

I heard footsteps towards my bunk and starting freaking out.  I hate being scared.

I felt someone's breath on my neck and I stiffened, trying not to scream.

"You're a horrible actor."

A gruff voice spoke out.

I whimpered.

"Who are you?"

I was kinda hoping it was some random camp director, but...

"Well, is that important?"

"..."

I didn't know what to say.

"You smell nice... Sweet."

"What are you doing?"

"I'm only checking around the new people. And one of them interested me, so I followed them."

I slowly turned my head to face the person.

I was met by darkness. My eyes saw nothing but a slight outline of a boy my age with longish hair.

I felt his hand under the blanket on mine. They were freezing cold.

"Come with me."

"Dude. Put yourself in my shoes. Some random kid that doesn't go to your school, stalks you, then sneaks into your cabin and holds your hand, telling you to come with them when you don't even know their name." I rolled my eyes. "What you you do?"

"I would go with them."

My eyes had adjusted enough to see his face contort into a smile. I found myself thinking about his attractiveness and mentally hit myself a million times.

Nico. Nows not the time to let your gay show.

"I would go with him. Because I know it'll be fun." His smile widened after he said it, and I felt my face heat up.

"Fine. Only if you leave me alone so I can actually sleep tonight."

I reluctantly retreated from my warm and comfortable bed to face the frigid cold.

I scooped up the jacket on the side of my bed and put on my shoes.

"Ok, let's go."

~

He led me to a pond.

A beautiful, sparkling pond that glimmered in the moonlight.

The moon was bright enough for me to see his face clearly.

Blond hair, blue eyes. Beautiful face.

Why?

I mentally hit myself. It hasn't even been a month since I got over him.

I miss him.

I tried to avoid looking at his face, but his entire being was perfect.

I felt myself falling deeper and deeper in love. But the problem was, I didn't even know him.

"It's my favorite place to go when I want to think or be alone."

"Sounds like you're here often."

"Yeah. I guess you can say that." He smiled softly.

"So why am I here exactly?"

He lifted his head up from the original position, facing the ground, to look at me.

"You're different."

I stayed silent. What am I supposed to say to that?

"You told me to put myself in your shoes, but put yourself in mine. You're walking along the forest, realizing another class has come to the camp, when you see a boy. An extremely cute boy completely dressed in black. Intriguing right? So you follow him. Just your luck, he comes out of the feast hall early and you get to see him up close for the first time. You follow him and wait for everyone to sleep before thinking of an idea to bring him somewhere personal to you. And do you know why you did that? Because you don't know how to deal with feelings."

I felt my face heating up. I tried to ignore the parts of him calling me cute.

"Why is this place special to you?"

"It's the place I used to come to as a child."

"You came to this camp when you were younger?"

"No... it's more complicated than that..." he looked distracted. "Anyways..."

He looked desperate to change the subject, so I helped.

"It's really beautiful."

"It is."

I finally turned to look at his face, and was surprised to see him already looking at me. His eyes were bright and clear in the moonlight.

"Wait." I said. "I don't even know your name."

"Will. And you?"

"Nico."

"Nice to meet you Nico." He held out his hand, and I took it.

His hands were soft.

It didn't help our hands fit perfectly, like what you would expect in a cliche movie.

And I was loving every second of it.

~

The next morning, I was extremely tired of course, but also extremely happy. I was in a really good mood. And I knew who caused that.

It was then that I realized what he was doing to me. This is the Nico Di Angelo I've set up in society. No, Nico Di Angelo is the short emo kid in the corner, not the giggly gay kid.

Now I was annoyed. Why did he have this effect on me?

~

He visited again that night. And I didn't tell him to leave. I liked the way he made me feel. A hot aching feeling that hurt, but I couldn't get enough of it.

It's like he was my own personal drug.

He visited for two more days before I knew I had to do something.

So I avoided him. I pretended to be asleep, not wanting to see his face fall as he realized.

It wasn't until 4 nights that he did something.

~

I could feel his eyes on my face. Then, I felt a poke at my ribs and I shrieked and lept up. I hate people tasering me.

Will was grinning. "I knew you weren't asleep."

I groaned.

"Why have you been avoiding me?" His lips formed a perfect pout. Everything about him was perfect.

"I'm not avoiding you. I just want to sleep." I've gotten used to putting off emotions.

"Well, now that you're awake, come on, there's something I want to tell you." His face had turned serious.

Dang it curiosity.

~

He brought me to the pond.

He looked extremely nervous.

"So why did you bring me here?" I asked, my voice prominent in the silence of the night.

His voice was soft and quiet. "There's something i want to tell you..."

He laughed without humor. "I don't even know how to say it."

"Nico... I'm not human..."

Normally I would've just played it off as a joke, but Will's face has no hidden humor in it. He was dead serious.

I gulped. "Then what are you?"

He didn't say anything. He just opened his mouth, and I understood.

There were two prominent teeth, sharp and long compared to the rest. I don't understand why I haven't noticed it before.

"I grind them. But they grow back in a day," He explained, as if already knowing my question.

I didn't say anything. I didn't say anything for the entire rest of the walk back.

He didn't come the next night. Or the one after. And I didn't really care.

Ha ha... um I hate doing parts but I also love them at the same time. I'm sorry it's in parts again. But I really needed to get something out there.

Published: October 30, 2017

Word count: 1909