My mind was as vacant as the bare walls that surrounded me, completely mesmerized by the intensity of those ice-blue eyes. As his mischievous smirk formed when his gaze wandered to my legs, my immediate impulse was to slam the door in his face. The loud sound resonated throughout the dilapidated dump, shaking the unsteady foundation as I ran to the couch and grabbed the damp clothes to cover my hot skin. 

Though the flesh was usually hot, this time it was burning with hatred and something else. I was used to hating vampires, but I was not used to wanting to cover this human encasement when he stared at my legs. What was this weird human feeling? 

I had read about this in many books, the ones that kept me from feeling too isolated. His eyes on my bare skin made my blood rush to my cheeks. I felt them burn from the heat. I didn't even need a mirror to know they had turned red. Was this what humans referred to as embarrassment?

My body cringed, and a hiss escaped through gritted teeth as the cold cloth burned, but I painfully made my way to the door, wondering if the icy vamp was still outside. Of course, he was.

"What do you want?" I asked as I opened the door and laid my eyes on him. He was inspecting the tiny shack.

"Looks cozy," he said. "Can I come in?"

Most myths about vampires were just that, myths. But a few were true. One, they cannot have direct contact with sunlight, or they would burst into flames and be reduced to ash. Unlike me, they would not come back. 

Two, they do feed on blood. Human and animal blood. Most prefer humans as the sport of hunting is more fun for them. 

And three, they must be invited into any dwelling.

Usually, there was no way I would let the undead icicle into the shack. Unfortunately, we were lab partners, meaning we would have to meet outside of class, so I had no choice. A low grumble escaped my lips as I trudged back to the door to invite death into the abode.

"Sure," I said, opening the door wider, and with my gestures, I motioned for him to come in. A chilly wind blew past me as he stepped over the doorway's threshold and lowered his black umbrella. Though for once, I ignored it as the scent that accompanied the cold wind was much more potent and slammed into me.

I backed away from him and pressed myself against the door as the atmosphere smelt of lilacs and rain. Instead of welcoming winter inside the house, it was as if I welcomed spring.

He ignored my actions and walked straight to my couch, bouncing twice as if testing its sturdiness.

"Figures your home would be about as inviting on the inside as it was on the out," he said as he looked around at the empty walls. 

I cringed at the word, ready to spill the contents I had for lunch onto the floor. Instead, I inhaled a deep whiff of air and swallowed back the nausea letting the fire take control. At least now I was knocked from the stupor in which his scent had put me in. 

"Are you here to make fun of this place, or do you have something you need to tell me?" I asked as I moved over to my small kitchen table, taking a seat. I would dare not sit beside the icicle. Even if I craved a little interaction, why was it always with him? 

He leaned over, opened the backpack he had sat between his legs, and pulled out a decent-sized packet of papers.

"Here," he said, holding the papers out to me. I stared at him and made no attempt to move. Zane rolled his eyes, visibly frustrated that he had to explain himself.

"You left before Mr. Schwartz said to grab the packet off his desk about our senior lab project, so I grabbed it for you."

Obviously, he was not moving, so I had to. I cautiously stood up from my tiny table and walked over to him. With one hand, I reached out and took the packet from him, barely grazing his fingertips when I did. Again, with the tingles. I yanked away as if I had received a paper cut. I honestly did not mean it. Zane cocked his head to the side, raising an eyebrow.

"You alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, fine," I replied as nonchalantly as possible. I could not let him know his touch electrified me. 

I fingered through the packet and took my seat at the table, barely making eye contact with him. 

"If that's all you needed, you can leave now." 

The faster I could get him out of here, the better.

Zane zipped up his backpack, stood from my couch, and slung it over one shoulder. He grabbed his umbrella and waited, staring at me with those cold eyes. My words weren't subtle, and I stared back. But since I came from the sun, the polite thing to do was to see my guests out. No matter the guest.

"Bye, Zane," I said with my back against the open door hoping he would get the hint.

"Looks like we will be seeing a lot more of each other, Ember," he said as he slowly walked toward the exit. I tilted my head toward him. I never realized how tall he was till he stood there towering over me. He leaned down and whispered in my ear before stepping out the door.

"You better get used to it."

I breathed a sigh of relief when I watched his red car finally disappear down the street and I was able to lock the door behind me as I returned to the small kitchen table. It was nice of him to grab the packet for me though I still couldn't help but wonder how he got my address when it was hidden from even the school.

As I thumbed through the packet, I noticed a written note.

We go together like fire and ice, and ice permanently extinguishes fire.

Zane. I groaned as I read the message, but he was forgetting one thing. If he stood too close, fire would always destroy ice. 

I threw the packet to the side, not wanting to think about schoolwork or my bloodthirsty lab partner and busied myself with fixing the closet door that had fallen off its hinges earlier that morning.

I always thought the lives of the phoenix were pointless, always burning and returning with no real purpose. Then you learn of the greats. All of your amazing helpers were phoenixes. Once in the limelight, only to die and return without recollecting who they once were.

They could be someone written in history books or your best friend who helped you through tough times. A mortal would never know. I never understood how one minute you had a best friend, and the next minute they were gone. After fulfilling their purpose, they just disappeared from their world. To me, that would hurt more. Do mortals accept this?

Of course, a phoenix would receive a new body each life. Who knew what our personality was like? It's not like I would remember. For all I knew I could have been Aubrey Hepburn in one of my many lives. While Remember would always remain my firebird name. 

I rubbed the soreness out of my hands as I gazed at the fixed door. There I go again, having daydreamed through the work. I climbed down from the stepstool and started a steamy shower-anything to cleanse the encounters from the day.

When the ball of fire makes its exit below the horizon in the west, that is when my nightmares start. The majestic moon and his shining companions make their appearance and illuminate the night sky; for this life, my eyes will not shut to get a decent amount of sleep.

Every night it's the same thing. I was endlessly staring into oblivion, hoping to get a few hours of sleep. One would assume I was a vampire instead of a firebird. My head hit the pillow, and I stared at the patch on my ceiling. When you stared long enough without blinking, it would make shapes. But why did mine turn into an ice-blue eye staring back at me?

The morning sun could not have risen fast enough, shining its rays through the cracks in my blinds. Though I dreaded school days, anything was better than being an insomniac lying in bed waiting for a sweet dream that would never come.

When I locked the door and started my morning commute, I felt the sun's warmth kiss the skin of my face. I basked in the heat for a few minutes before raising my umbrella, concealing me from the rest of the world. This was a day I could enjoy. Zane and the other vamps would not be at school on a day like this.

Sure enough, the hallways were a little less freezing with the undead absent. I opened my locker to shove my books in as my routine suggested when I heard a disturbing chime. I shuffled through the loose papers only to find a black cell phone hidden at the bottom.

"Really?" I said, inspecting the piece of technology in my hand. The phone chimed again and lit up, alerting me there was a new text message. Did someone leave their phone in my locker?

I shoved the books into my locker and tapped the phone's screen to open up the new messages. 

I noticed you don't have a phone. You can have this one. Think of it as a gift. Besides, this will help with the project when I can't make it out.

Hey, have you figured out how to read messages yet, or did you already set the phone on fire?

I scoffed as I read the second message. The monster that he was would always rise to the surface. Vampires don't give gifts without a reason anyway. My fingers flew across the screen with fury.

I don't need your "Gift".

As I entered the classroom, I tossed the phone into the nearest trashcan, never resting my eyes on it again.

"It's too bad the boys aren't here today," Lucy said. Her usual swooning took the lead over any common sense she had.

"Yeah, that's too bad," I agreed sarcastically, laying my books on the table across from her and settling into the chair. "But Lucy, you should focus on your grades."

"What do you know? You have nothing."

She wasn't wrong, and at least I tried. Obviously, my life purpose was not for Lucy. We stayed to ourselves most of the class, only talking when we had to. With the vamps absent, today I was completely invisible.

School could not have ended soon enough, and I was excited to leave the boring brick building and head back outside. The sun gave me energy. When the rays emitted the heat, it warmed my soul, putting a little more bounce in my step. I could forget what the day had exerted on me and bask in the rays. As I got home, it was a day that I would not stay indoors. I needed to be free.

This body never felt like it belonged to me. From its fleshy covering to its appendages that made me constantly stumble. Any chance I got, I needed to be rid of it. To be in my true form.

I walked to the field across the street. It was empty, and the grass was always overgrown. My steps were high as I marched my way through the thickets of the green grass. It easily reached my waist. The squirrels quickly scattered with each step of my foot. I watched a few snakes slither away toward the woods. In the distance, the deer frolicked in the forest, while the birds were fluttering within the tops of the tall trees, and I felt the urge to join them.

My eyes glanced around in every direction making sure no one was near while I stripped down. The wind whipped around me as I started running, and like a sudden burst of flame, a red and purple bird flew in my place. My favorite part of being a phoenix.

While most of my body was a bright red, the tips of my wings were purple and illuminated with the orange glow of fire-the same as my long tail feathers. The feathers on my head were the color of the sun, changing to orange and red as they cascaded down my body. Though I had changed, I still saw the world through the same emerald eyes. The air gave my fire life, setting my whole body aflame, and I flew with the freedom I craved. No responsibility. No socializing. And definitely no Zane.

Now a soaring ball of fire, I flew through the treetops, careful not to set any trees ablaze. It was always best to fly after rain when the trees were still wet. A firebird could quickly start a forest fire. The animals watched me from afar. Too scared to get too close to the strange bird in their territory. I had no true home. A firebird belonged nowhere.

As the sky grew darker, I knew my fire would be seen easier in the night sky, so it was time for me to go back to the wooden dwelling. I drew closer to land, changing back into my human form. I grabbed my clothes and pulled them on. This rush would last for days.

I walked back into the dilapidated shack to lay on the bed and wait for sleep to come. I knew it would only be a fantastical wish-a hopeful desire.

A sudden scooch of a wooden chair across the floor downstairs awoke me from my self-pity. I knew every creak in this house, and that was not it. I grabbed my bat and made my way down the rickety stairs. I knew these stairs well, that I knew precisely what stairs to skip, so the creak sounds were nonexistent, and I could ninja my way to the culprit.

I reached my bottom step, and there sitting at my kitchen table, was Zane, illuminated by the enchanting moonlight.