I shifted uneasily in my chair, feeling the sleepiness crawl over me like an evening shadow. Slowly it creeped, and before I knew it, I was blanketed in the dark repose.

The rain pattered on the window of the classroom. Our professor was quite a talker. He rambled on about the importance of history in our society, and sleep encircled me, just as it had the previous day.

I felt my chair jerk beneath me. "Just making sure you were awake." Devyn said sarcastically. For being a college student, he was extremely immature.

Devyn had been my friend since I was born. We grew up living next door to each other. Our mothers were even in the hospital at the same time, delivering us. He had a little, upturned nose, a smattering of freckles, and a humorous attitude. He was voted most likely to be arrested for lewd and lascivious acts in public by our high school class.

The professor scowled at us, and spoke quite irritated. "Miss Lane, Mister Lance, do you have anything to add to the class?"

"No, Mister Vrolang." I said looking down.

Devyn smiled. "Mister Vrolang, did sleeping soldiers really cause the turning point in the war?"

"Do you doubt me, Mister Lance?"

"No sir."

And Vrolang continued on droning about sleeping soldiers being slaughtered mercilessly. I couldn't expect more than a 'D' in this class. 'D' for done!

As class let out Mister Vrolang called to me.

"Andie, what seems to be the problem here?"

"I'm sorry Professor, what problem?"

"Why can't you stay awake in my class?"

"History makes me sleepy." I said sheepishly.

His smile warmed and he laughed. "I've been teaching for over twenty years, and I've never heard such an honest response."

"You've been here for twenty years?" I asked.

"No. I started at a college in Romania. I worked my way to Vermont, and just this year moved to New York with my family."

"Wow. I'm impressed."

"Try and stay awake, Andie. It hurts me that such a bright student can so easily fail a class. If Mister Lance bothers you again, I can have him sent from class."

"Oh, Devyn and I go a long way back. Thanks for offering, but I can take care of him."

I was lying in my bed that night, tossing and turning. After a long struggle, my eyelids closed, and sleep drifted over me?

I woke violently and practically jumped out of my bed. I remembered my dream, and reached instinctively towards my neck. There were two little scabs there, just where the fangs pierced in my dream.

"This is just a dream." I said to myself. "Any minute now I'll wake up, and everything will return to normal." But I had a feeling that it wasn't a dream. I could feel a growing sense of a great change heading my way.

I got up and walked over to my dresser. I picked up a large safety-pin, and jabbed it into my hand. The pin sank into my flesh and I howled in pain. Blood was already seeping from my self-inflicted wound, when I heard a knock at my door.

"Andie are you okay?" Asked Abby the resident's assistant for our dorm.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I called. I opened the door.

Abby looked at me, half amused, half concerned. "What did you do now, Andie?"

"I accidentally impaled myself on a pin."

She laughed, and smiled broadly. I loved Abby's smile. "Do you need some one to sit up with? I'm not on duty tonight and I can't sleep."

"Come on in."

I turned on my lamp, and Abby plopped down on my bed.

She was a slightly chubby girl, with big chipmunk like cheeks ("storing nuts for winter" she always joked). She had shoulder length, curly, red hair. Her eyes were hazel, but mostly green when she was really happy.

"How are you holding up? Do you get lonely without your roommate?" Abby asked.

"I'm alright. I miss not having someone to talk to all the time. I don't like living alone. I miss her, Abby."

"I do too."

It was the second semester of college for me. My roommate of the first semester died quite unexpectedly. Her death was an enigma to the authorities, and any one else who heard about it got the chills. Her body was found behind our dormitory, and all of her blood was gone.

It had been tough to deal with at first. There was always the media swarming around, and her poor family had to collect her things. There was no trace of evidence, no suspect. Worst of all, there was no more Caroline.

"I think it's not fair that justice can't be served. We'll never know who did that to her. It's not fair at all."

"I'm sorry I mentioned it. You just seem restless. I wondered if it had anything to do with the way you've been acting."

"I think it does." I told her all about the dreams I'd been having.

She held me for awhile and said "Things will get better. I know." She winked at me as she headed towards the door. "I'll see you tomorrow."

I had gotten barely any sleep last night. There were dark circles beneath my eyes, and I was pale. The Band-Aids I had placed on my scabs were falling off. Devyn would notice, no doubt.

"Hey, Andie!" He called.

"Hi Dev." We walked to history together every day.

"You don't look so hot. Miss any sleep?"

"A little, Dev."

"I bet you'll catch up on it in history."

"Shut up."

"Andromache Anne Lane, can't I show any compassion for you?"

"Didn't I tell you to never call me that again?" I hated my full name. My mom was way into Greek mythology, and named me Andromache. For the longest time, everyone just called me Andie. So it was assumed that Andie was my real name, and I did all I could to keep it that way.

"Sorry. What's up with the Band-Aids, chicky?"

"Just a little bruise."

"I'll bet you're covering up hickeys."

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?"

My friend Tara caught up with us. "I just switched to your history class!" she said.

"Why?" I asked, surprised by how excited she was.

"I needed the credits, and I hated my eight o'clock, so I switched to ten o'clock history. Besides I knew you were in the class, bonus!" She threw her long, thick, blond braid over her shoulder and shrugged. She had a tendency to talk a mile a minute.

I always thought Tara was the most beautiful of all my friends. She had a mysterious look about her. Her big hazel eyes were always laughing, her hair swinging jovially about her head. She had a small waist, and hourglass curves. Her nose was very elegant, and her smile was tiny, with flattering dimples. She looked like she belonged in the Victorian era.

"Hey," Tara said. "Have you seen those Romanian twins yet?"

"What twins?"

"The one's over there?"

"I'm not looking. It's degrading to men and women to gawk at the opposite sex."

"They've been here since September, and you haven't seen them yet?"

"I'm too busy with school work."

"I'm surprised." Said Devyn, dripping with sarcasm.

"I am too." Said Tara. "One of them was dating Caroline for a while."

"Let's not talk about Caroline, okay. The wounds are still fresh."

I awoke with the thought still fresh in my head. How could a little girl kill a college student, like Caroline? And what was the deal with the glass ball. I looked on my bed stand and there it was. A glass sphere large enough to fit in the palm of my hand. As I looked closer at the ball I realized it wasn't really red. There was a liquid inside that made it look red.

I bolted out my door and knocked on Abby's. "Abby!?"

"Andie? What's wrong?"

"I need to see a psychiatrist. I'm going crazy."

"Andie, I doubt that. What's up?"

"I'm having those dreams again. Except now, there's a little girl." I told her of this latest nightmare, but left out the part about the ball.

"Don't think about it so much. You had a terrible loss, of course you're going to have bad dreams." She thought for a moment and then perked up. "Hey, there's a party on Friday. We should go. We've been pent up in this old dorm far too long."

"Okay. But you've got to promise that when I want to leave, no matter how early, you'll let me go."

"I promise."

And so the week flew by, and it was Friday.

I was glad that I hadn't had too many more horrifying dreams during the week. I took Abby's advice, and thought about school, the party and nothing else.

"Hey Abby, what are you wearing to the party?"

"It's a casual thing, jeans, a tank top?"

"In the middle of winter?" I interrupted.

"You don't understand how hot those frat houses get."

I smiled. Abby laughed. "Do you have any tank tops?"

"Only devastatingly sexy ones."

"Sounds about right. Oh, and layer. Wear a flannel over it, and a sweater. Then strip! Most importantly, wear well worn in jeans, and heavy duty shoes."

"Why?"

"Well, stuff gets spilled on you. Also if the party moves to outside, the back yard will definitely be muddy and slushy."

We prepared for the party in haste, and bundled up as best we could. I wasn't used to weather this cold. There's a big difference between northern and southern New York.

We arrived at a three story frat house. It appeared that we were early, no one else was around, but the fraternity brothers running up and down, here and there, putting up last minute touches. Touches like big beer cups, and Jell-O shooters.

"I don't know if this is such a good idea."

"Andie, trust me. There are plenty of good little girls like you and me, that don't drink. We just come to hang out."

Soon the house began to fill up, and as Abby predicted a large group moved outside to the backyard. That group was mostly guys who wanted to mosh to the loud music being pumped through the house. Abby and I settled in the dining room with about twenty other girls, who sat and gossiped.

"Go ahead and mingle, kiddo." Abby said. "I usually just hang out with the girls, I know all the guys here. I don't want any."

I laughed. Abby had been right about everything else, so I got up and walked around. Upstairs were couples, not the place for me. The kitchen had frantic brothers running around, filling beer glasses and passing them through all openings in the room. The living room was filled with a group watching one of the many horror films they had rented for the evening.

Finally, I wandered to the porch. There was no one there. I sat down on the steps and looked out on the street. Ice glistened in the moonlight on the nearby trees. I saw a lone figure walking across the lawn.

He stumbled into a patch of light, and I recognized him.

"You!" I said while standing up to back away.

"You, what?" He asked.

"You were in my dreams." I stammered.

"I'm flattered."

"You were a vampire."

"I get that a lot." He joked.

"And there was a little girl. And Caroline."

"Caroline, you knew her?" He asked. Suddenly he became serious.

"She was my roommate."

"It was a shame she died." He said sadly.

"You're telling me?" I asked sarcastically.

He smiled a little. "What's your name?"

"Andie, and yours?"

"Evan. May I sit? You look lonely"

"Sure. It seems to be my place in the world."

"What's that?"

"Being alone." I said. "How long did you know Caroline?"

"We were seeing each other for about two weeks. Then she died. I met her about a month before we started to see each other."

"How come you never came over?"

"Caroline never asked."

"She's funny like that."

"I miss her." He said.

"Me too."

"So what was that whole dream thing you were talking about?"

"Oh. I've just been having some bad nightmares lately. The strange part is, I've never seen you before, how would I be able to dream you in such vivid detail?"

"Dreams are? Dreams aren't supposed to be understood. They are miracles that show us the things we can't see in the daytime."

I sighed. "You're right."

He looked at my neck, and noticed the Band-Aids. "What happened there?"

"I don't really know. I woke up with a bruise. I must have banged something in the night." I answered him nervously.

He looked at me, quietly observing. He seemed to make a little note to himself.

"Hey, do you have a twin brother?" I asked to change the subject.

"Yes, Ivan. We also have a friend of the family who lives with us. Her name is Chloe."

"So are you guys the Romanian twins?"

"Yeah."

"That's funny, I have a professor from Romania."

Evan just smiled. "So you're a freshman?" he asked, changing the subject once again.

"Yes, are you?"

He shook his head yes. "Chloe is a junior in high school."

"Thank god."

"Why?" He asked laughing.

"Oh, the little girl in my dream was very young. So it couldn't be Chloe."

I talked with Evan for a long time. Before we knew it the party was over, and people were stepping out onto the porch.

"I'll see you later, Evan. It was nice meeting you."

"I hope to see you again."

We waved good-bye as Abby caught up to me.

"Is that Ivan or Evan?" She asked.

"Evan. Do you know him?"

"Yes. I knew him for awhile when he first got here. I think he dated Caroline for awhile. He's super nice."

"Romanians are cute."

Abby smiled.

The dream was fresh in my head. "Ivan."

Why would he want me to stay away from his brother? This newest dream mystified me. It seemed almost like the real Ivan could come into my dreams as he pleased. I would have to discuss this latest dream with Abby.

As I headed to the dining hall for breakfast, I saw him.

He smiled and winked at me. I walked over to him.

"Hi." I said.

"Hi, I'm Ivan."

"That's what I thought."

"Are you Andie?"

"Yeah."

He smiled. "You met my brother last night. He wouldn't stop talking about you. He described you very well."

I blushed uncontrollably. "Are you going to breakfast?"

"No. I live off-campus, so I don't eat here. I'd like to talk to you later though. What are you doing after you eat?"

"Meeting you. Is my dorm okay with you?"

"Sure."

"Meet me on the fourth floor of Lincoln Hall at about ten."

"See you then." He smiled. "My brother didn't say how beautiful you are."

I smiled and laughed. No matter how scary and mystifying my dreams might get, I think I'm going to like these twins.

At ten Ivan met me. We sat in my room and talked for hours. I spent my whole Saturday with him.

"So how does your mom tell you from one another?"

"I have a birthmark on the back of my neck." He lifted his long hair and showed me a purplish heart the size of a quarter on his neck.

"That's amazing. It looks like a heart."

"Yeah, my mom always that it was cute. There are also really small details that are different between us."

"Like what?"

"Well, my eyes are a little darker. His hair is a little darker. Our personalities are definitely different."

"I've noticed. He's much more quiet. He and Caroline would've been perfect together. You're more outspoken. You also seem to be more confident to me."

He nodded.

He told me all about Romania, and high school. He told me funny stories from his youth, twin mix-ups and all. He spoke of his family life, his new house. My favorite part was the story about how he decided his major. He would be studying biology (which was my major too).

"I was always fascinated with life, and how it worked. My brother and I would capture frogs, and other small animals. Then we would dissect them."

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah. One of my teachers in high school encouraged my urge to dissect. She gave me all these extra credit dissection projects. I loved it. So, I'd like to become a biologist. It's a great excuse to keep up with my hobbies."

"That's a great story."

"I learned a lot about you today. I feel like I've known you forever." He winked.

"Me too."

"Unfortunately, it's getting late Andie."

"I know, we spent the whole day just talking."

"I'll see you tomorrow, sweet dreams." He said.

I smiled. He hugged me, and kissed my cheek.

Both twins appeared to me. Evan looked more pale than usual, which was amazing for him. Ivan looked sad.

Every dream since the Saturday I had spent with Ivan was the same. The twins would come to me, say their warnings and leave. It was driving me crazy.

Worse though were the day dreams I had about Chloe. She was the little girl again. I would see exactly how she killed Caroline. I kept having images of her hunting me down and killing me too.

I told Abby everything. She looked at me placidly. "I don't know what to say kid. The twins seem to have no idea that you keep having dreams about them. I think you think too much."

I laughed uneasily. "Am I going crazy?"

"No. Dreams are dreams. I think you're still not over Caroline. Who is around here?"

"I don't know. I just have to move on. But, I want to solve this whole mystery. In my dreams they know what happened to Caroline. They won't tell me."

"Tell them about your dreams. Maybe they can help you figure out what's going on in that head of yours."

"Maybe."

So, I found Ivan and told him everything. When I was done he just stared at me. There was a smile tugging at his lips.

"So what do you think?"

"That's a lot to swallow Andie."

"I know. I thought maybe you could help me figure out this whole thing."

"I can."

"What?"

"I know what your dreams are all about. I was in them right?"

"Yeah. What are you getting at?"

"Andie, I was in your dreams."

I thought for a moment about what Ivan was saying. My mouth dropped open.

He laughed. "Don't act so surprised. I thought you knew all along."

He had such a nice smile, but two sharp, pointy teeth among all the normal ones. I could see his fangs clearly now.

"So which one of you bite me?"

"That would be me."

"But in the first dream you spoke to me, you made it seem like Evan bit me."

"Your point is?"

"You've lied to me already?" I changed the subject. "So are you a vampire?"

"Yeah. Long story, but I'll get to it."

"What do we do now?"

"Well, I tell you everything. So does Evan."

Evan appeared in the corner.

"Will you tell me how he did that?"

"In due time." Ivan smiled.

"You told her?" Evan asked irritated.

"No, she asked." He turned and addressed me. Andie, it is important that you don't meet or talk to Chloe. She could be very dangerous to you."

"What happened to Caroline?"

"Evan started to date her, and Chloe found out. She's very evil. She learned that Caroline was what we call a natural vampire, and she killed her."

"Slow down, big guy. What's a natural vampire?"

"Natural vampires are born with vampire blood in their veins. None of us know why. Usually he or she doesn't know that they're a vampire. The vampire within is what we call it. There are very few natural vampires, people born with the dark gift." Evan said.

"So, Caroline was one of these natural vampires?"

"Well there are many of you around. Caroline was, you are." Ivan said.

"What's this 'you are' crap? You're telling me that I'm a vampire too?"

"Essentially, yes."

"That's too ironic. Both of us?"

"Well, you sleeping vampires often have the ability to attract yourselves to each other. That's why you and Caroline met."

"How do you know that we are vampires?"

"I could get into your dreams, we can't do that to normal people. Besides, when I drank your blood, I knew. You have the blood of a vampire."

"Is that why you bit me?"

"I had to know."

"So where does Chloe come in to the picture?"

"Well obviously she's a vampire too, a dangerous one."

"If she's younger than you guys are, how come you can't control her?"

"Chloe isn't actually any younger than Evan and I. She's much older."

"How do you mean?"

Evan smiled. "Living vampires age very slowly. For every one hundred years we live, we age only one year. Dead vampires stay the age they were when they died."

"You lost me again. Dead, alive? I thought all vampires were dead."

"No," Ivan said. "Live vampires are bitten, then they bite the person who bite them. They turn into a vampire. Dead vampires are bitten during their lifetime, but don't bite back. When they die, they come back, and are vampires."

"So what happens when live vampires die?"

"So far as we know, we can only die when all the blood is drained from our body. Like Caroline. When that happens we are no longer vampires. Other than that we live forever."

"Chloe is a dead vampire. She died when she was in high school. Evan and I are live vampires. Dead vampires can't pass on the dark gift; only live vampires can. Chloe gets intensely jealous of live vampires, so she kills them."

"Why won't she kill you?"

"Our father protects her, she is indebted to my family."

"And what about me?"

"Well, you can live a normal human life, and die. Nothing will happen to you, unless you wake the vampire within. Then you become one of us."

"One of you." I thought aloud. I felt so strange. I understood everything, as if what they were saying were true.

Evan looked at me thoughtfully. "Caroline was a vampire. We had just woken her, and Chloe came. She saw her and became enraged. She bit her and took all the blood from her body. I'd never seen anything like it."

Ivan looked down and added, "It would be dangerous for you to become one of us. Chloe's on the prowl, and she doesn't like new vampires."

"You don't have to do this." Evan said.

"I know. What are the benefits?"

Ivan answered me. "There are many dark gifts. For each vampire it is different. All vampires can enter the dreams of other vampires, and all vampires become very strong. Evan has night vision. I can fly."

"But there are bad things too." Evan added. "That glass ball I gave you could kill me. If it gets broken, all the blood drains from my body."

"Is that the liquid inside of it?"

"Kind of."

"Why the hell did you give it to me?"

"I trusted you. Chloe's been looking for it. She could drop it and say it was an accident. I needed to keep it well hidden."

"Do you have any vices Ivan?"

"Besides my inability to commit? No."

"Will I be cursed?" I asked.

"I don't know, the curse Evan was given came from the lips of Chloe. She knows some nasty black magic."

"And your family still protects her?"

Evan answered me. "Her father made my father a vampire. Chloe's dad wanted her to be a vampire to, but she wouldn't drink blood. She died of a fever in high school, and came back. She came back as the one thing she refused to be all through out her life. She had to be hidden after her return.

"Chloe's dad protected our dad for many years, he helped him escape from persecution in Romania. The townsfolk were getting on to us, they had seen Chloe around the house. They knew that she should have been six feet under. Any how, her dad made our dad promise that he would bring her with us and protect her. We could fake it that she was alive, she could almost live again.

"And so we are stuck with the wicked witch of the east!" Ivan joked.

I took in a deep breath. "So what do I do now?"

"Well, you can forget we ever had this conversation. Or, you can become one of us."

"Do I have to decide now?"

"Take your time, this is a life changing decision."

I still had yet to decide about the twins offer. Would I wake the vampire within, or forget all about the twins? I didn't want to forget them, but what about Chloe? She still posed a major threat to my life.

The twins had made no attempt to talk to me, which was making me start think that our entire conversation was a figment of my imagination. I couldn't help thinking that I was going crazy.

It seemed like they didn't even remember meeting me. Every time I waved to them they looked surprised, like I was a stranger.

Abby came over to my room one night, so I spoke to Abby about it. She laughed.

"You're kidding right?"

"No, Abby. I have the bite marks to prove it."

She looked down, laughing. When she looked up she was as sober as I'd ever seen her. "Caroline told me the same thing before she died. I didn't believe her. And now she's dead."

"Don't blame yourself Abby. I'm sure Chloe would've killed her no matter what."

"Chloe?"

"Yeah. Ivan's dad brought Chloe to the states with him, as a favor to a friend. She's a very evil vampire. She's the one who killed Caroline."

"Vampire. Where are the marks?"

I showed her the marks on my neck, and she made a disgusted face.

"I don't want you to get hurt. You know I'm going to tell you not to do it. Especially if this Chloe character is still around. I feel like?" She sighed heavily. "If I had believed Caroline, maybe she wouldn't be dead."

"That's silly, don't think about it. Abby, I trust you. Please don't tell any one."

"I promise, my lips are sealed. Can you promise me that you'll stay away from Ivan?"

I looked down. "I can't. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Just be careful."

I smiled as Abby left my room. Finally I decided to approach Ivan on the subject. I ran into him before one of my classes.

"Hi, Ivan." I said with my head down.

He looked down to see my face. "Pick your chin up kiddo. Your Andie right?"

"Yeah. Do you remember me?"

He smiled, showing his fangs. "The real question here is do you want me to remember you."

I smiled. "I do."

He brightened instantly. "So what's your decision?"

"I? why did you ignore me?"

"Firstly, we didn't want Chloe to get onto us. Secondly, we didn't want to pressure you to make a decision, or influence you at all. Thirdly, if you didn't come to us, we would know you wanted to forget. I'm glad you don't want to forget."

"Listen, Ivan. Can we get together later and talk about this?"

"Sure. We'll meet at your room. It's still too dangerous at my house with Chloe around."

"Okay. Is three o'clock good for you?"

"Sounds great. It's so good to see you again, Andie."

Promptly at three, Ivan knocked on my door.

"Do you have a decision?" He asked.

"Not yet. I keep weighing the pros and cons. I was born this way, so it would only seem natural. But blood? I just don't know."

"Do you remember the biology teacher I told you about?"

"The one that gave you dissecting projects?"

"Yeah. She was a natural vampire. She could spot other vampires from a mile away. Fang radar, if you will." He laughed. "She taught me how to dissect animals and drink their blood. It's so much safer than human blood. So much less disease."

"What's the point of this story?"

"She carried on a normal life, nothing changed. She still ate with her family and friends. At night though, she would have a little sip of blood before going to bed. You know, we really don't have to drink that much blood to get by."

"So, it wouldn't be that big of a change?'

"Exactly. It would bring more good than bad with it."

I nodded. Evan appeared in the corner of my room, the same as the week before.

"Are you ever going to tell me how he does that?"

"You have to have the ability in order for him to teach you." Evan said.

Ivan smiled at me, his sharp fangs gleaming. "So, do you want to wake the vampire within?"

"Ivan, I don't think she's ready yet. Chloe?!" He said impatiently. "She's not a stupid girl, you know? She'll figure it out soon enough."

"I know about Chloe. I'm not scared of her." I said.

"You should be."

"Evan, you don't need to scare the bejeezus out of her." Ivan scoffed.

"You have been planting little seeds in her mind haven't you. You only want her to become one of us so you can hook up!"

"What?" I asked.

Ivan looked down. "I do like you Andie. But that's not why I want you to become one of us. I want to share all that is ours. I want to give you the beautiful gift of darkness."

I took a deep breath. It was a tall ledge that I was about to jump off; I wasn't sure where I would land. Nevertheless, I was ready to make my decision.

Ivan had bitten me. I looked at him, shocked. The spot on my neck throbbed in pain. The blood dripping down onto my shoulders was warm. He smiled at me and bared his neck, offering it to me.

He moaned softly as my teeth sank into his flesh. It felt natural, it felt good. The vampire within would be woken soon. His blood began to seep into my mouth, I suckled it from him as gently as I could.

It wouldn't be long now. He would see me transform from a young woman, to a creature of darkness. He bestowed his gift upon me, and I willingly accepted. The vampire within was being woken.

I felt as if I, myself, had just woken from a dream. Ivan's blood was coursing through my veins, finishing the change. I could feel it spreading over me. The pain was short, but excruciating. My body was accepting the dark gift. The vampire was awake.

I had decided to accept the change, to wake the vampire within. Ivan would be the one to bite me. And there I was on the floor of my room, lying in a pool of my own blood. Ivan didn't take much, but my neck kept bleeding.

When the change had finally spread over my whole body, the bites on my neck disappeared; but the blood was still there. The darkness seemed to move around me. It danced about and tantalized me to dance along. I could smell Ivan's blood in the air, even more than that I could smell Evan's blood.

The rich scent of hemoglobin aroused me to stand. Everything I touched as I stood tingled. My senses had become incredibly sharp.

I looked at Ivan and smiled. His eyes widened for a moment and then he smiled too.

"You should look at your teeth." He said.

I walked over to the small mirror on my wall and smiled. Amid my teeth were two, perfectly cruel fangs. Ivan joined me before the mirror and wrapped his arms around my waist.

Time had passed, and it seemed as if nothing had changed. I drank a little blood every night, but in the daylight my life was normal. Ivan and I had been seeing each other a lot lately.

He was cute, and quirky, and wonderful. I was really starting to like him. Once long ago I would've thought that vampires couldn't fall in love, I was wrong. I had never been happier in my life.

Although the happiness was beyond anything I had ever known; I lived in fear.

Chloe was on my mind all the time. Would she find out? Would she kill me? I was actually enjoying my new life. I didn't want it to end because of a greedy, jealous vampire.

She isn?t really one of us, I thought to myself. She hunts down others, and she should be dealt with according justice. Yet no vampire would stand up to her. I wasn't sure that I was up to the challenge either.

Abby had seen me since the change, and she knew. She smiled at me with down trodden eyes.

"Abby?"

"I know." She said. "I can see it in your eyes. You're in love, and nothing can stop you. So you took the leap."

"Abby, I didn't mean to betray you."

"You didn't betray me. You disobeyed me. There's a big difference. I forgive you. I actually understand."

"I can promise you one thing, I won't ever bite you."

We both laughed. She put her arm around me.

"Just don't go robbing blood banks, okay?"

"I won't."

Abby accepted it beautifully, and never let on that she knew. I wasn't sure if I could tell Tara or Devyn, so I just kept my lips shut.

All the while I was growing more concerned about Chloe. I knew every detail of Caroline's death now, and feared the same would happen to me. I wanted to kill Chloe for her evil.

Ivan had asked me on a date earlier in the week. He knew it was dangerous, but neither of us could help it. Nothing could keep us a part. I felt deeply enriched by my relationship with him, no one understood me better.

As Ivan and I became closer, Chloe became more curious. Ivan had avoided her, so that she couldn't meet me, but she kept on prying. Eventually, Chloe she got what she wanted.

I tried to act as normal as I could in front of her. Chloe looked me up and down. She had this little frown on her dimpled face.

She was pale, with two long, brown braids swinging about her head. Her lips were blood red. She smiled a little, and revealed her fangs.

I smiled with a closed mouth, and looked down shyly. Chloe nodded her approval to Ivan.

"It's nice to meet you, Andie." She said.

"It's nice to meet you too." I said.

She extended her hand, which I took in my own. She immediately recoiled.

"Ow." She said as she shook her hand out. She shrugged, "Electrical shock, I guess."

"I guess" I repeated.

I couldn't tell if she knew or not. I was scared. She smiled again, those hideous fangs glaring at me.

"Well, Ivan. You've made a better opponent for me this time."

We both gasped.

Chloe shook her head. "Do you really think you can fool me?"

"No." Ivan said. "What are you going to do?"

"Well, I was pretty ruthless with Caroline. I didn't even give her a chance to defend herself. We learn from our mistakes you know."

"I hate you." Said Ivan.

Chloe laughed cruelly. "Do you think I care? Evan picked a weak girl. At least you have enough sense to pick someone stronger. We will battle each other."

"I don't want to fight you!" I screamed.

"I don't care. You will defend yourself or die."

"You want her to kill you, don?t you Chloe?" Evan asked from the corner.

"Maybe, so?"

"What if she refuses? Better yet, what If you can't die?"

"What do you mean?"

"We don't even know if dead vampires can die, Chloe. The only vampire that we know of that died was Caroline. And she was a live vampire." Ivan said.

Chloe looked around nervously. So that was why she fought other vampires. She hoped that one of them would be strong enough to kill her.

"Why must we fight? Why can't I just try draining the blood from your body? No struggle, no protests. I'll do what you want." I said.

She thought for a moment. "You don?t want to fight me?"

"No."

She took in a deep breath. "Would you be willing to try?"

"Sure."

Chloe was dressed in a dark red dress that went down to her ankles. She stood there, waiting for me. We would reconstruct Caroline's death. Except this time, Chloe would be Caroline, and I would be Chloe.

We were deep in the back woods behind the college. Chloe was waiting for me. I took in a deep breath and walked out to her.

"Chloe, are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes, kill me." She said.

I strode up to her, and she bared her neck. I stared at the soft, white flesh. For Caroline. I must do this for Caroline.

I placed my mouth over her neck, and slowly began to bite down. Chloe gasped, and I bit harder.

Her blood started to gush into my mouth, there was so much of it. It was warm, and thick. It tasted sweet, yet bitter too. I had a vague sense of Caroline.

Chloe cried a little, but I never let up. I sucked until she was on her knees. I kept sucking when she stopped breathing. I didn't even stop when she was on the ground. I drank every drop of her blood.

She lay on the ground, so pale. Poor Chloe. Then her body slowly degraded into a small pile of ashes. She was gone.

Ivan approached from behind.

"Is she gone?"

"She's gone. What about the curse she laid on Evan?"

"I think it's gone too. The glass ball went from red to clear."

"So what do we do now?" I asked exhausted.

"Celebrate!" He exclaimed.

At that point, I collapsed. Ivan grabbed me before I fell.

"Whoa, kiddo. No more blood for you tonight."

"Right." I said in a daze.

I could feel his smile on me. It was warm like the blood, but soft like the memory of Caroline. All these things were coming to a culmination. I could feel the change in the air once again.

I could feel her presence, and there she appeared. Caroline stood before me as if nothing had happened to her. It became colder instantly, it was early winter. No time had passed. Caroline never died; Chloe never lived. It was as if time could sense there was something wrong all these months, and it turned back on itself to fix it.

"Caroline?" I asked in a swoon.

"I'm not dead?" She asked with tears in her eyes.

"No." I said, about to cry myself.

She ran to us, and threw herself down to hug me (because by now, Ivan had sat me down on the ground). Ivan smiled at her.

It was the three of us then. Caroline was home, Chloe was gone. Ivan and I were together, and everything that was wrong was put right?