15 Chapter Fourteen

♦September's POV♦

"♪I only wanna do bad things to you♪" I sing, moving towards out table. Everyone else was seated.

"That's not such a bad idea you know." Cameron says.

"You think." I tell him drily. "Hello people of Earth." I greet everyone, wondering if I should trust the carefree faces of everyone, except maybe Travon and Lucy who have no idea about my being a Blank Vampire.

Choruses of greetings are directed back at me as I catch Selena's gaze and hope that we still have our childhood connection. She smiles encouragingly back at me and I want to jump on the wide circular table and wriggle my hips. Then it hit me 'oh' I sigh under my breath, face palming sadly in my head - she had just read my emotions.

"Are you okay?" Lucy asks me quietly and I realize that I've got to smile.

"Yeah, someone probably stepped on my grave." I tell her, shrugging lightly.

"You wish." She rolls her eyes.

"So what's it gonna be?" Dane asks nobody in particular.

"What's what gonna be?" Cameron asks back.

"The play." He whines, like he's been saying it forever.

Cameron just fixes him a look.

"I was thinking King Lear, I'll be Lear and Selena will be my favorite daughter." He leers, comically drooling over Selena.

"Yuck! I don't think that's how it happened." Arianna tells Dane, yanking a fist full of his hair. "Besides, said fav daughter dies in the end."

"I'm thinking Elizabeth of Bathory." Travon suggests quietly, sipping a smoothie.

"Nice." Everyone agrees.

"Where are your elder brothers?' Travon asks Ari and Elena.

"They should be here any..."

"'Sup, did you miss us?" Ciaran's annoying voice rings out and I struggle not to roll my eyes. I notice Zach looking a little strained and pale and my heart shivers. Stressed out guys shouldn't look so irresistible.

Oh! I know the old best friend's rule number nine and ten.

-Nine• Never fall in love with my elder brother. And...

-Ten• Never, ever break rule number nine.

"Oh well." I sigh audibly, Arianna made me swear to be besties forever and ever, maybe she knew.

"Are you okay?" She nudges me, staring at me suspiciously.

She had almost caught me staring lovestruck at her big brother and I catch my heart before it reaches the floor.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." I murmur absent mindedly, dragging my gaze away from Zach -AGAIN - This can't be happening.

"Excuse me one moment." I say politely, rushing off as calmly as I can manage to the restroom. I have to get myself together before I lose it.

"Crap!" I curse, splashing water furiously on my heated face. "This really had to happen to me." I wail. "I'm sure he doesn't even remember my name." I mutter on remembering how stiffly he greeted me while he all but fawned over Selena.

I sigh, 'Oh! Poor, sad, little ole me' I sigh over and over again.

I apply some gloss - discreetly - Gloss drives Selena crazy, and try to smoothen down stray wisps of my wild hair that formed a halo around my face. Considering the amount of time and energy I expended on it this morning, it's a rip off but I just manage to worsen things.

"Damn. Now I look tardy, a typical DUFF." I lament heart-brokenly, opening the door to step out.

As I do, I nearly - hold up! - Did I just say nearly? No! I rammed headfirst into Zach.

'Okay, that does it! Where the hell did my guardian angel go all my life?' I wail mentally, steadying myself reflexively with Zach's arms which are nicely formed by the way a...

"I'm so sorry, are you hurt? Did I break something? Zach apologizes profusely, gripping me by the waist to steady me. His eyes roved over me, searching for something bloody or broken.

"September? Are you okay?" He asked with worry when I don't answer him and I'm grateful that's all I've done, it wouldn't help anyone if I were to swoon into a dead faint. I just freeze up, staring unblinkingly into his beautiful eyes.

'Oh!' I mentally fawn. 'He remembers my name and his eyes are so beautiful, I just want to drown in the chocolate pools he had for eyes.'

"September, can you hear me?" He asks, panic bleeding into his voice as he shakes me lightly. I'm still lost in my trance so I don't answer him.

I suppose I should answer him but I can't seem to say a word. If I don't say anything, he's going to think I'm dumb or worse - weird but I also don't want to ruin this moment.

Still I better say something before he runs screaming in the opposite direction and never talks to me again.

But what do I say?

"Uh... Umm... I'm fine?" I mumble out like a question, awkwardly disentangling myself from him.

"September." He calls me softly as I plan my escape.

"Huh?" I ask, eyes wide. I really don't want to hear what he has to say, it can't be good news anyway.

"I..." He starts to say with a strange look on his face.

"I really gotta go." I cut him short. "I umm... I've got umm...stuff, yeah, stuff to do so umm...later?" I stammer, making a run for it.

♦Zachary's POV♦

Watching her stammer fills me with the irresistible urge to laugh, not at her of course but simply because... She's with me.

She removes herself from my grip and I feel empty.

She's about to go but I don't want her to, I have to do something. "September?" I whisper, wondering if she can even hear me.

"Huh?" She replies - whoa! - She actually heard me and I get lost in her huge... Wow! They're huge - eyes.

Her 'deer in the headlights' look is now imprinted on my brain, thinking about it, she really looks like she's about to bolt.

"I..."

"I really gotta go." I cut him short. "I umm... I've got umm...stuff, yeah, stuff to do so umm...later?" She stammers vanishing.

Damn! - that was dumb - I face palm, dragging a hand through my hair then I remember that it hadn't ended. "Definitely." I whisper moments later.