Some things never change and school happened to be one of the things in my life that never changed. Over the past two weeks everything in my life seemed to have been turned upside down, except for school. Oh what a cruel sick joke that was. Tegan was still not really on speaking terms with me though she was definitely becoming more civil but I had a feeling it would only last until the next time I did something she disapproved of, which at this time in my life was likely to be at any moment. After the demon attack, Evan always seemed to be preoccupied and distant. I tried to blame it on the fact that he was trying to track down whoever or whatever had sent the demon into the house but a small part of me couldn’t help but think I had made it awkward because of what I had seen. Blast this stupid gift it felt more like a curse. The only person who seemed to be around all the time now was Tristen. Everywhere I turned there he was, and I hated it. I felt awkward around him. I had thought I hated him. No, I did hate him, but my near death experience said differently. I mean, it was possible that I found him attractive because he certainly was but I definitely did not like him in more then a friend type of way. If I had to choose between him and singleness for all eternity, I would rather be single, right? There was a soft giggle, Liar. I mentally glared at myself. 

I walked quietly down the hall lost in my thoughts. I felt a presence beside me. I knew who it was without looking. I frowned to myself, “Hey Tristen...” I could tell he was in a good mood by the way he was walking his feet lightly touching the ground almost in dancing movements. I looked over at him his face was beaming like he had won a million dollars. I couldn’t help but get lost in his bright mood. It seemed to reach out and grab me dragging me into its gravity. I looked away from him quickly, “What are you so happy about?” he poked me in the arm, “What are you so grouchy about?” for a moment I thought about hitting him for touching me but I knew none of this was his fault. I pushed my frustration aside relaxing a little, “I’m just tired. So tell me, why your in such a good mood this morning, Mr. Rogers? Is there someone new in the neighborhood?” I cracked a smirk at my own joke. He let out a slight chuckle, “No, I hoping you might want to meet me after school by the pond...” I felt my throat grow tight. 

I didn’t want to spend more time with him then I had too. Everything was getting confused in my mind. It must be the mark, the bond that he had created. Thats it. Thats why I felt confused around him. My blood was mixed with his thats why I felt a strange connection to him because part of me belonged to him. I didn’t like him not the way I thought I was starting to. I felt a strange almost relieved feeling flood over me. I looked over at him and smiled, “Sure, I can meet you at the pond...” His eyes lit up like the sky on the fourth of july. I felt a pang of guilt in my chest. There was a faint giggle, You’re in denial. He’s cute. I like him. I couldn’t believe I was thinking that, well, I wasn’t thinking it, the other me was. I moaned mentally, Shut up. You do not like him. Last week you had me stake one of his cousins or did you forget that. There was silence in my mind. I looked back at Tristen, he was looking at me a little amused, “What was that about?” I felt myself blushing, “What was what about?” His brow furrowed, “You looked really angry...” I shrugged, giving him a tiny smile, “I’m just tired. I get a little dazed when I don’t get enough sleep. Look, I’ll see you later don’t want to be late...” I pulled at my strap and then walked away. Faintly hearing a girlish giggle in my mind. I was going crazy, I was having conversations with my split-personality. 

When I reached the pond Tristen was already waiting for me. He sat on a blanket that was set with food to my astonishment. I smiled down at him when I reached the blanket, “What’s with the food? Are you hungry?” a smile played on my lips. He patted the blanket and I sat down. The food smelt so good. He smiled at me, “I thought I would make you something to eat. I’m not hungry but I know you are...” I laughed a little, “True, but I don’t think I can eat all of this food it looks like you cooked enough to feed an army.” His smile grew wider flashing his fangs, “Hardly...” 

I looked away from his smile and picked up some grapes popping them in my mouth, “So what’s the special occasion? My birthday isn’t for a couple of months...” I asked covering my mouth so my food wouldn’t show. He looked at me amused but didn’t say anything. I swallowed the food in my mouth looking away from his hot stare, my skin reddening. I tried to think of something to say, “So Tristen, that’s an interesting name. Does it mean anything special in the vampire world?” I asked him nonchalantly trying to keep myself from feeling like the center of attention. He never took his eyes off me, “Nope. It’s a name like any other. Though I suppose my mother must have had a thing for tragedies. You should hear the names she would have given my brother if my father had let her...” I turned to him a smile played on his lips. I wasn’t sure if he was pulling my leg. “That’s good to know I’ll have to write that into my journal later. Note to self: Tristen is a name like any other name, however Tristen isn’t a person like any other person from what I have met...” I rose an eyebrow as I pretended to write in my invisible notebook. He was looking at me with bright eyes a shy smile on his lips, “Not a person like any other, eh? I like the sound of that...” now he was the one with raised eyebrows. I looked away from him my cheeks reddening, “I never knew you had a brother...” I smiled changing the subject as quick as I possibly could. His eyes grew dark and he looked away from me into the distance, “No, not anymore...” I felt my heart ache in my chest for him. His face looked hard with torment. I moved closer to him, “What happened?” He looked at me like I had asked him to kill his grandma, “I don’t want to talk about it...” I looked away awkwardly. Oh what a fine mess I had made of this. 

“So what’s so tragic about Tristen?” I tried to wade through the thick cloud I had created and find the surface again. “What?” he asked shaking his head a little. I wanted to curl up and die from my embarrassment, “You said your mother had a thing for tragic names. What’s so tragic about Tristen?” I watched his face soften, “Have you never heard the story of Tristen and Isolde?” he asked me his voice still holding a dark tone as he turned to look at me. I shook my head, “Let me guess another pair of two star-crossed lovers?. He gave me a smirk, which eased my spirit. “Oh what’s a good tragedy without star-crossed lovers.” his voice was light. I looked deeply into his eyes, “would you please tell me the story?” I sounded like a tiny child my curiosity getting the better of me. He looked at me questioning for a moment and then nodded. I smiled at him. He looked away from me toward the water I took that time to pop more grapes into my mouth. 

“Isolde was said to be the most beautiful maiden in her land, who was to be married to a king across the water. The king was a good hearted man but flawed by his jealousy. He had many men who served under him but none whom he would trust the delivery of his bride to. Well, none except his most trusted and loved friend, Tristen. Tristen, was a young and brave man who desired nothing but to fight for things like justice and honor, like any man at his age. When the king came to Tristen and asked him if he would go and retrieve his bride and bring her to him safely and unharmed, Tristen accepted.” He picked up a rock and threw it into the water. I moved a little closer to him growing more interested in his story. He glanced over at me, a hint of a smile playing on his lips and then focused back on the horizon. 

“The King told Tristen that he wanted no one to touch her, but him and he was to make sure that all her needs were accommodated for once she was on his ship until they reached land again. Tristen took to the sea on his mission and he arrived to Isolde’s country without any problems. When he saw Isolde, he understood why the king would trust her to no one but him. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever beheld but he loved the king and knew he could keep his distance. Before they left for the journey back, Isolde was given a gift by her mother. Unbeknownst to her, the gift was a love potion that she was to present to the king on there wedding day as a celebration toast, that way they could know her daughter would have love. Isolde stowed the gift in her room on the ship not wishing to have it stolen or broken in anyway.” I couldn’t see the tragedy of the story he was telling me, “What’s so wrong with giving her love potion? I think it’s nice that her parents wanted her to have love.” I smiled up at him and he looked at me from the corner of his eye. 

A playful smirk spread across his face like I was a little child, “ Lucy, love should never be something someone can fabricate. It must be there all along for it be a real kind of love.” He pick up another rock and threw it. I watched it fly and then skip across the water. I looked back at him startled to find him staring at me with intense eyes, “Tristen and Isolde became well acquainted with each other during the trip back to the king. The night before they were to make port, Isolde decided that she wanted to share the gift meant for the king with Tristen instead. They both drank to the safe journey they had made, to Isolde’s marriage to the king, and to the hopes that they would always remain the closet of friends. They fell in love with each other that night...” I watched the light sparkle in his eyes, I leaned closer to him without much thought, “I would say they probably were in love the whole time but didn’t want to admit it or follow through with those feelings because of the consequences...” he looked at me with an odd expression, like what I had said unsettled him. I felt a strange confidence that I had made him unsettled. He continued with his story, “but the problem was Isolde was promised to the king and Tristen had given his word to not let anyone touch the girl.” Tristen’s voice was grim. I couldn’t pull my eyes away from him.

He reached out and gently touched my face, “They couldn’t  deny each other. They belonged to one another now, for better or worse.” I felt like he wasn’t talking about the story anymore but about us. He let his hand fall away from me to the blanket it landed closely next to mine. I looked down and put my hand over his hesitantly. I looked back to him, he didn’t move is hand but he wouldn’t look at me. He cleared his throat before continuing, “Isolde married the king, but she and Tristen continued to meet in secret. Their love grew stronger day by day, and the king began to notice that there was something happening between them. The king was enraged by jealousy that another man could possess his Isolde. He had Tristen banished from the land. Before he left Tristen pledged his undying love for Isolde, telling her he would never love another or have another but her. Many years later, Tristen married a women whom reminded him very much of his dearest Isolde but he never loved her the way he had loved Isolde. When Tristen grew very ill, he had his wife send for Isolde, hoping that she would have the power to cure him. His wife sent for her, but was maddened by jealousy and told her husband that Isolde had refused to come. He died, thinking she no longer loved him while the truth was she was coming to him as he had asked of her. Not long later Isolde died of a broken heart. Tristens wife, regretted the lie she told her husband after she saw the love that the two had shared.” his voice grew soft at the end. 

It was a tragedy, a terrible tragedy. I felt myself growing dark and thoughtful, analyzing the story. I was startled when I felt Tristen’s fingers brush my cheek gently. I looked to him with expectant eyes. He was smiling at me, “I told you it was a tragedy. I hope it didn’t make you lose you appetite...” he seemed concerned with my feelings. I smiled at his concern for me, “No, I’m glad you told me the story. It was a good story. I think people only see it as a tragedy because they didn’t get the picture perfect happily ever-after. I mean everything was keeping them apart, but the way I see it at least they never stopped loving each other, as long as they had their love they were connected to each other, no matter the distance or the circumstances. I think that it was better to have them die in the end, because at least in death they could finally be together, you know?” I watched his eyes light up at my wisdom. He looked away to the pond, the wind blowing his hair slightly. For a moment he looked like an angel sitting next to me a halo of light beaming off his body. 

I still couldn’t see why he wanted to spend so much time with me I wasn’t interesting. I was like everyone else but maybe a little more crazy. Sitting next him made me feel inferior in so many ways. I watched him closely, examining every part of him. He was perfect and I most certainly wasn’t. He turned slowly and looked at me raising one of his eyebrows, “What?” his question was odd to me. I felt that he should already know what I was thinking. I looked away down at the sandwiches poking them with my finger, “What are we doing?” I asked more of myself than I was asking of him. It was silent for a moment. I heard the sound of leaves rustling together and then a splash of water. I looked up when I felt Tristens movement I watched as he pulled himself up off the blanket. He stretched his hand out to me a smile on his face. I accepted his hand allowing him to support my weight as I pulled myself up. 

I adjusted my skirt once I was standing untucking my shirt. I looked up when I was done Tristen’s eyes full of warmth as he looked me over. He took a step closer to me hesitantly, part of me wanted to run but I stood very still. He was invading my space with his presence each step he took I felt my walls crumbling down the only protection I had built to keep myself safe. He stopped a few feet from me never once looking away from me, “When I found you in the field half dead, you looked weak and fragile, like a broken doll. I wanted to walk away and leave you to die. Survival of the fittest, you know? But something wouldn’t let me. I just knew you had to live, because if your weren’t in the world then it would be a darker place. I remember when you opened your eyes and looked up at me. Your beautifully deep eyes. You looked at me like you knew who I was. You weren’t afraid of what I was, it was like you somehow understood the most secret parts of me. I left you with those people in the hospital, but my heart ached in my chest like I was trying to separate myself...” I took in every word he was saying, his honesty intense. He looked down at me his bright eyes cloaked in his vulnerability. I took a step toward him, “I knew you lived. I tried to stay away from you. I really did and it was easier if there was a lot of distance between us that way I could barely feel you. I mean you were always their with me a constant hum in my head but nothing I couldn’t deal with. Then suddenly I felt you pulling at me. I tried to go farther away to dull the hum but it kept growing stronger and stronger and then I couldn’t resist any longer...” he took another step toward me, “I followed it to you. I saw you from afar one day, walking out of your uncles house. I thought I would die from the sight of you. You were more beautiful then anyone I had ever seen but your eyes looked so dark and lonely not the way I had remembered them and then I knew I couldn’t leave you again...” I felt myself blushing. His closeness was causing the lines of our friendship to blend. I needed to stop this before it got carried away but I didn’t want to finally I belonged somewhere, to someone.

He leaned in close to my face brushing my hair away and tucking it behind my ear. I stood very still I didn’t know what was going through his mind. I wasn’t about to forget that although he could act normal he was a vampire. He let his hand rest at the base of my neck his hand spanned the width of my neck. I hadn’t realized how much bigger he was then me until he was standing close his muscles rippling out everywhere. I felt my heart begin to beat a little faster. His thumb began to tap on the point of my collar bone completely in sync with my heart. I watched him close his eyes and breathe in deeply. The breeze blew through his hair the sun casting a halo around his body. I didn’t move an inch afraid of disturbing the brilliant angel before me. I couldn’t believe people feared him, how could they ever think he could hurt them? He wasn’t anything like the rest of them. He was gentle, compassionate, honest, and caring. I like to imagine he was an angel, who had chosen to leave the comfort and beauty of heaven because he had fallen in love with a human but she was mortal and he never would be.  His own little tragedy, I could imagine his pain when he lost her vowing to never love another for all eternity. He couldn’t go back to heaven so he had to wander the earth, amongst those who had fallen, clothed in his own torment. The story I imagined for him was tragically romantic but thats how I imagined him in my mind. He was my dark angel. 

I closed my eyes and let the warm breeze sweep up around us cloaking us in a warm embrace. I felt his hand move slowly across my shoulder leaving a burning trail behind it. His hand stopped when it reached my scar hovering over it for a moment and then gently running his warm fingers over it. I felt myself release a sigh opening my eyes to look at him. I opened my eyes to find him looking down at me with an odd expression. I watched him pull his hand away quickly, looking away a little ashamed. The moment we had shared was gone but I knew I would never forget it. We were getting to close to each other. We could never be together the way I was starting to imagine us, I was a human and he wasn’t. I looked away from him not ashamed but regretting that we were connected the way we were. He didn’t have a choice in that same way I did. I could chose to care about him, he didn’t have a choice. The blood ruled over everything in his life.

“You should probably get back to your dorm. You’ve been here too long and Tegan might start suspecting something is up.” His voice was emotionless. I looked toward him my expression showing that I was hurt a little by the fact that he didn’t want to stay with me but I washed it away before he looked at me. I smiled at him, “The food was great, and so was the story. I really enjoyed my time with you today. I wish I didn’t have to leave...” I spoke the words that I knew he didn’t want to hear and I didn’t really mean to say them out loud they sort of came out before I had time to think about it. I watched his eyes grow dark, “and that’s probably a good sign that you should leave...” his voice was soft as he looked away from me. I knew he didn’t mean for his words to hurt me but they did, they rocked me right down to the core of my being. I tried to keep my emotions under control because I knew that he could sense my feelings and that would make this situation harder for him. I pulled myself together grabbing my bag and slinging it over my shoulder. I looked at him one last time before I left but he didn’t look back at me.

I got to my room at the dorm and found Tegan’s side of the room all packed up. I felt confusion swelling up in my chest and I saw Tegan walk out of our bathroom carrying some of her things. I watched her put them in a small bag that was hanging on the post of her bed. she didn’t say a word to me but I could taste her anger on the air rolling off her in hot blasts. I sat down on the edge of my bed, “Why are you packing? Are you going somewhere?” my voice was stiff. She didn’t turn to look at me, she didn’t utter a word she kept packing her things. I felt myself growing annoyed by her actions toward me. I couldn’t understand what I had done to make her so mad, “You’re really acting like a child. If your mad at me, why don’t you just say so? And stop the dramatics.” I let myself lean against my bed post crossing my arms as I continued to watch her. 

Tegan’s voice was soft and without emotion, “Why should I tell you anything? You don’t tell me anything anymore.” I had no idea what she was talking about that I hadn’t told her. I mean it wasn’t like I told her everything, I told her a lot of important things but sometimes I like to keep some stuff just for me to know. “I really have no idea what you’re talking about? I have nothing to tell you that I haven’t already.” my voice was a gentle mix of annoyance and confusion. Tegan turned to me with eyes of scrutiny, anger flowing out of them, “Oh really? well, maybe you could have said, ‘hey Tegan, I’m going to sneak around behind your back, and lie to you so that I can spend time with a bloodsucker.’ How about you start there?” Her voice was tense and unrelenting. my face must have been written with the shock I was feeling, “Is that what this is all about?” I asked her. She turned away throwing some more clothes into a box, “You know, I thought you were a strange girl when I first met you. You never played sports, You never wanted to do anything that might get you hurt. I thought maybe you were afraid because of something in your past. The more I got to know you the more I found that you were like that with everything. You keep people out, you don’t let anyone get close to you. It’s like you block out everything, keep yourself behind tall walls.” She turned slowly to me now, resentment spilling down her face. 

I pulled myself off the bed, and made a move to go to her but she put her hand out. “I didn’t mind so much that you were that way. I mean we all have our own demons to fight. I don’t think I can stay here with you anymore. Your running around with a vampire, that alone is strange, but strange doesn’t bother me so much as the fact that I see the way you look at him, like he’s the only thing in the world that matters...It’s disgusting and I can’t share a room with a leech lover and a sneak.” her words cut like a knife through my heart. I didn’t know what to say because everything she had said was true. I couldn’t stop her from leaving me here alone. I wouldn’t stop because it was probably better that I be alone thats the way things should have always been. I didn’t mix well with people maybe because I wasn’t really one of them. I was too different for them to accept me, but not different enough to be accepted by anyone else. I was stuck in a self limbo of seclusion. 

She took her box of clothes and the bag of bathroom products, one in each hand. She turned back to me when she reached the door, “I’ll see you later. I’ll be staying with Leon. When you’re ready to be open with me, let me know.” I watched her turn and close the door behind her. I felt anger course through my body and I picked up the pillow from my bed and chucked it at the door. I didn’t feel like I was any different then I was before, but now all of a sudden Tegan was acting like I was completely different. She was the one who was acting different, ever since I became friends with Tristen. That was the real problem, she hated him and didn’t think she should have to share me with a bloodsucker. I plopped down onto my bed shoving my face in my pillow I let out a scream. 

I didn’t know what to do with anything in my life. I wasn’t sure about anything anymore. All I knew is that I wanted Tristen to hold me, and tell me everything would be alright. That thought took me by surprise. Why would I want him to hold me, he was annoying and arrogant, but sometimes when he let his mask fall away I saw the real Tristen, who was caring and gentle. He had taken me completely by surprise he wasn’t like anything I would have imagined him to be. Vampires were scary, night dwellers from all those horror movies. He was almost like a normal person, minus the venomous bloodsucking fangs and the fact that he had to be over a hundred years old. Even when I should be thinking about how to fix the problem between me and Tegan I was thinking about Tristen. I let out another scream into my pillow.