Awakening (Covenant College #1) (10 page)

“I saw a vampire when I was 16. He was hanging outside of a movie theater.”

“Doing what?”

“Trolling for victims.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because I saw him sniff the air and follow a girl.”

“Did you call the police?”

“And tell them I think I saw a vampire? No, they’d think I was crazy.” I knew she was crazy.

“No, did you call the police and tell them there was some strange guy sniffing teenage girls outside the movie theater and following them?”

“Of course not.”

I shook my head in disbelief. Matilda decided to change the subject.

“I’ve also seen ghosts.”

“Oh yeah?
Did they wear sheets?”

“No, my grandma came to me in my dreams the night she died and told me that she’d always love me but she had to go.”

“How do you know she was a ghost and not an angel?”

“I . . . I just know alright.”

The room was quiet for a minute as Professor Blake looked around expectantly.

“You’ve seen a werewolf!” Matilda had jumped to her feet to exclaim this little gem.

“I have not.”

“Yes you have,” she pointed at me. “That’s what that whole Dog Man thing is supposed to be.”

“First of all, the Dog Man is supposed to be Bigfoot, not a werewolf, and I never said I saw him. I said that was a local legend. I think that’s as much crap as this other stuff.”

All the while Matilda and I had been arguing
,
Professor Blake had been watching me silently. I could feel the confusion – and a certain degree of disappointment – rolling off of him.

I couldn’t believe this conversation was actually going on. I also couldn’t believe he was letting it go on.

Professor Blake cleared his throat loudly and stepped between Matilda and
I
. I think he was worried there might be bloodshed – or at least some vigorous hair-pulling.

“Let’s call it a day everyone,” he said. “For your homework, I want you to try and prove that vampires exist in a news article.” He turned to me as he gave the assignment. He was challenging me to protest. I figured I might as well not leave him disappointed.

“We’re supposed to prove that vampires exist?”

Professor Blake nodded at me silently. The rest of the class, I noticed, had started talking excitedly to one another as they packed their belongings.

I grabbed my book bag sullenly. I should have left the classroom without saying another word. I didn’t, though.

“So, we can use ‘Twilight’ as source material I guess?” With that parting shot, I flounced out of the room.

Eleven

Despite the unnerving Journalism 101 debacle, I found myself settling into my class schedule pretty easily.

On Thursday, I hadn’t had one moment of discomfort. I also hadn’t heard from Will – and I’d be damned if I called him first.

After classes, I went down to dinner with Paris. We sat with
Brittany
and Tara – but there was clearly a delineating line being formed in the room. No one was openly hostile to one another – but there was a general sense of unease permeating the atmosphere roiling around the four of us.

Brittany
and Tara spent hours each night doing homework. The only homework assignment I had so far was proving vampires existed.

After dinner, Paris and I decided to go to the library to do some research. I had decided to turn my assignment into the joke I knew it was and get quotes from a variety of different vampire books. I could have done it on the Internet, but I was eager to get away from Tara and
Brittany
.

Unfortunately, Tara and
Brittany
decided that they wanted to check out the library, too. I figured I couldn’t get out of it now without looking like a total bitch so I decided to just go with the flow. I could tell Paris was equally agitated by the situation, though.

The sun was close to setting as we left. The days would get shorter and shorter now and soon the sun wouldn’t rise until almost 8 a.m. and it would set around 5 p.m. I hated those days – but I couldn’t do anything about it until I could afford to move out of Michigan.

The chatter on the way to the library was uninspired – to say the least.
Brittany
couldn’t stop gushing about the fountain of knowledge she was dipping her toe into each day. Tara was equally expressive about her thirst for knowledge – although something rang false in her declarations. I was
convinced she was just trying to impress
Brittany
– although I couldn’t figure out why.

Paris and I discussed the state of the ‘Friday the 13th’ franchise. What? It was as good a topic as anything else.

“I liked the remake,” she said.

“Good grief. That was awful.”

“Those ones from the 80s are so cheesy, though.”

“At least they were scary. The new one was an insult. Why would Jason have a pot field?”

“Maybe he likes to mellow out after a kill. Wouldn’t you?”

I couldn’t argue with that logic.

When we got to the library,
Brittany
turned to us expectantly.

“What?”

“We have to go to the fourth floor.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s where the serious studying goes on.”

“Who told you that?”

“It’s common knowledge.”

“From who?”

Brittany
shook her head tersely. “Everyone knows that.”

Paris stepped between us quickly. “Why don’t you and Tara go up to the fourth
floor.
 
Zoe and I will meet you up there when we find the reference books we need.”

Brittany
nodded happily. She clearly had no idea that Paris and I would never make it to the fourth floor – which was apparently full of law books and students that were in desperate need of some sunshine.

Tara and
Brittany
toted their heavy book bags onto the elevator and waved as the door closed.

“I’m not going to the fourth floor.”

“We’ll say we couldn’t find them,” Paris answered smoothly.

“Maybe they’ll get lost up there forever?” There was a hopeful note in my voice.

“I wouldn’t count on it.”

Bummer.

Paris and loitered around the bottom floor of the library for
awhile
. I selected four vampire books and copied enough quotes to bluff my way through the assignment. Paris leafed through the magazine selection.

When I was done I turned to her expectantly. “You have anything else you need to do here?”

“No. Why don’t we go to the UC for coffee?”

I didn’t drink coffee but I agreed to go and wait for Paris outside. No one should be walking alone after dark anyway.

Paris promised she wouldn’t take too long and dashed inside the building. I didn’t get her coffee excitement – but I was glad she was happy.

I amused myself by walking up and down the sidewalk for a few minutes – all the while trying to avoid the multitude of cracks that marred the cement surface. I wasn’t going to take any chances with my mom’s back.

After the turn on one trek, I slammed into a dark figure that had been following behind me.

The figure grabbed me to keep me from toppling backwards.

“Sorry,” I sputtered. “I didn’t hear you behind me.”

I looked up to find myself staring into the chocolate eyes of Rafael – the dark and mysterious stranger from Mike’s party almost a full week before.

“What are you doing here?” I’d asked the question before I thought about the intelligence associated with asking it.

Rafael raised his eyebrows briefly as he took in my flustered state. I saw a smile quirk at the corner of his mouth, but he didn’t let it take up residence. He lifted up his own cup of coffee, tilting it slightly in case I was blind.

“Getting coffee.”

I didn’t know how to proceed, so I just stood there lamely and looked at him. He looked as good as I remembered. His hair was ridiculously glossy and the moonlight bounced off it like he was a Bond girl or something.

“Why are you out here alone?” I’d watched him scan the area quickly.

“I’m waiting for my roommate.”

“Where is she?”

“Inside getting coffee.”

“Why didn’t you go with her?”

“I didn’t want any coffee.”

“Still . . .” Rafael pursed his lips undecidedly. Whatever war his mind was waging, he must have picked a side. “It’s not safe for you to be out here alone.”

I didn’t want to tell him I wasn’t exactly worried about being jumped. I didn’t think he’d get it.

“I’m fine.”

“Bad things happen on college campuses,” he reprimanded me.
“Especially this campus.
You’re not infallible.”

“What do you mean bad things? What bad things?”

My question seemed to take him by surprise.
“Nothing.
I just mean bad things could happen.”

“That’s not what you said, though.”

“It’s what I meant,” he practically hissed at me.

“Well, I guess that it is good I’m not your concern then.”

Rafael still looked skeptical.

“You can go now.” I actually made little shooing motions with my hand. God, I probably was coming across as deranged to him.

“I think I’ll wait.”

“For what?”

“For your roommate to get back.”

“I’m fine.”

“Then we’ll be fine together.”

I gave him my harshest PMS look, but he still didn’t back down. I chewed on my lower lip as I regarded him. God, he was so good looking. Too bad he was such a freak.

“So. . . .” I was looking for something to talk about.
Anything.

“So?” Rafael seemed amused by my discomfort.

“What’s your major?” I figured the dumbest conversation ever deserved the dumbest question ever.

Rafael actually let the smile reach his entire face this time. It made him even better looking. He had a dimple in his tan cheeks that was simply spectacular.

“Business.”

Hmm.

“What’s yours?”

“Probably journalism.”

Rafael seemed surprised by my answer.
“With Professor Blake?”

“God, no, not with him.
He’s the one making me doubt my choice.”

“Why?” Rafael’s question seemed pointed.

“He’s just a freak.”

Rafael seemed like he wanted to press the issue, but Paris picked that moment to reappear with a coffee in hand. She regarded Rafael with her wide eyes and then smiled warmly at him.

“Hello.”

Rafael greeted her back pleasantly. I was surprised he had it in him. Then he launched into an irritating diatribe about women being alone on campus after dark. What a sexist.

“That’s definitely something to think about,” Paris admitted.

I glared at her.
Traitor.

“Well, it is,” she said. “You and I are both from small towns. We don’t know the dangers out there.”

I wanted to smack her – especially when I saw Rafael smiling triumphantly at me. Now I wanted to smack him. I wanted to wipe those dimples right off his face – and then kiss him until they reappeared.

“We’ll be going now,” I grabbed Paris’ arm and started to steer her towards the sidewalk that would lead us back to the dorm. She stopped, though, and looked at it worriedly.

“What?” Could this night get any more exasperating?

“The path is so dark,” she murmured.

I shot a death glare in Rafael’s direction. He seemed amused.

“I’ll walk you home,” he offered.

“That’s really not necessary,” I argued.

“I insist.”

Paris turned and grabbed my arm harshly. “If he wants to do it, we should let him.”

Crap.

She smiled as Rafael sidled in between us and turned his attention towards her.

“After all, you can never be too careful.”

I fell into step behind the two of them. I guess I was wrong. The night actually got worse.

Twelve

When I set up my classes, I was hoping to avoid Fridays. Unfortunately, what they don’t tell you when you’re registering is that freshman get last choice in the class department. Unfortunately, I ended up with three Friday classes.