"I'm so sorry, Air!" Zoe sat on Airiana's bed cuddling her best friend, rocking her back and forth.
"That's what happens when you meet a boy online." Airiana muttered and gave Zoe a weak smile.
"You're not mad at me, are you?"
Airiana stared off in the distance. "It wasn't him. Drake was there."
"…WHAAT?!" Zoe's mouth fell open in shock.
"He threw a ball of white light at Mike."
"You think it was... magic?"
"Yeah, pretty much we're all screwed."
Zoe stopped rocking Airiana back and forth, her eyes wide. "We have to stop him."
"How Zo?"
Zoe bit her bottom lip. "I won't force you to go on another date for as long as I live, I swear."
Airiana chuckled weakly. "Sounds like a deal."
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Airiana and Zoe sat next to each other during History class, writing on a notebook, passing it back and forth and occasionally whispering to each other, acting like normal high school teenage girls for once. The teacher had already warned them twice about not paying attention.
"GIRLS!" roared the teacher. "I already warned you twice about chit chatting in the middle of my class!"
"Holy fuck, have a fricking cow!" Zoe muttered, slamming the notebook shut.
"Excuse me, Ms. Stallion? Give me that notebook now. I caught you two passing notes more than twice as well."
Airiana looked at Zoe with wide eyes. The girls had written about Mr. Howard on the notebook and it would be bad if the teacher read their notes out loud to the class like she usually did when she confiscated notes from her students. Zoe ripped out the papers handing half to Airiana and ripped them up.
Airiana followed her lead, shredding the notes as quickly as she could.
"Well if that's how you girls want to act today than you can leave my classroom. Airiana go to the principal's office and Zoe you go out in the hallway!"
Airiana quickly scooped up her books and exited the classroom, Zoe right behind her.
"Air, you sure you don't want me to go to the principal's office instead? I'm sure Mrs. Lendzel won't notice we switched places."
Airiana hugged her books to her chest. "No Zo, it's better if I go. I have a better chance of surviving than you do."
Zoe gave her a tight hug. "Good luck Air."
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"You make me sick," Drake hissed with fake anger at Airiana. "Disrespecting the teacher, I expected better from you Airiana Spark."
"YOU make ME sick!" Airiana glared at Drake, "I saw what you did to my date!"
"Did you like it?" Drake smiled. "Everything he did is what I wanted to do to you."
"AH!" Airiana stood up, screaming in frustration. She grabbed a ceramic pot off his desk and threw it at him.
Drake instantly caught it in his hand and threw it back. It hit Airiana's head, breaking into a million pieces. Airiana slowly fell to the ground, her head swimming.
"What a temper." Drake muttered, scooping her up in his arms. "Why do you keep fighting me Air?"
Airiana tried to get up but fell back against Drake's chest. God… everything fell black.
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Airiana woke up. She was in a comfortable bed. It had black faux fur blankets with black silk sheets. Everything in the room was black, dark… serene. Why is it peaceful, yet evil at the same time? A single candle was lit next to her on the black ornately designed nightstand.
Drake leaned over her. "There you are my pretty." he wiped her forehead gently with a rag, trying to wipe off the dried blood. He leaned over and licked it off instead. "Mmm… delicious."
Airiana tightly grabbed his wrist as tight as she could in her weakened state. "Where am I?"
"You're in my lair, my home, my palace."
"I want life to be normal for me again Drake," Airiana's head was swimming again.
"It can if you agree to be mine."
Airiana laughed weakly. "Ha ha, very funny, now get me out of here."
Drake leaned over and smiled at Airiana's pretty face. "I'm not joking."
Airiana gulped, a pit of dread brewing in her stomach.
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Zoe stood up. Something is not right. She called it her Native instinct. She could sense when energy was off due to being in touch with her spirituality. She started walking down the hallway.
The teacher opened the door.
Zoe quickly hid behind the lockers, pressing her back against the wall.
"Zoe? Zoe? Where are you?" the teacher looked around and eventually went back into the classroom.
Zoe sighed with relief. No way I am going back in there. Not when Air's in Drake' office.
Mark gasped from down the hallway. "Zo!"
Zoe's face lit up. "Mark!" she ran to him and hugged him. "Where are you going?"
"Library."
"I'm coming with." they walked down the hallway, talking excitedly.
"So how did you get in trouble?" Mark kissed Zoe's cheek sweetly.
"Um… by passing notes, it was stupid, like usual."
Mark rolled his eyes. He put his arm over Zoe's shoulder.
Zoe looked up, smiling into his brown eyes. "You're beautiful."
"You are too, darling."
Zoe leaned her head against his shoulder. "I wish time could just stop and that we could be alone."
Mark wrapped his fingers into her hair. "Me too,"
"We never talk about our future."
Mark stopped walking, turning Zoe to face him "What do you mean?"
"Do you ever want to get married?"
Mark laughed. "Whoa! I don't know, I never really thought about it."
"That's why I'm asking." Zoe smiled shyly at him.
"I don't know, I'll do it if you want me to."
"I'll keep that in mind." She stopped walking. "You hear that?"
Mark frowned. "What is it Zo?"
Zoe pointed at a steel gray door that was in the middle of the hallway. The sign next to the door said Receiving. "I hear breathing." Just like the elementary gym storage room! Zoe opened the door and stepped inside.
Mark stood behind her, his hands now on her waist. "Shouldn't we be walking away from breathing noises?"
Zoe felt for a light switch and turned it on. She squinted at the bright light, then the scene before her came into focus.
Airiana lay in an ornately designed bed, dazed and barely conscious.
Drake sat next to her in a chair, towering over her. He turned his head. "Zoe!"
"And Mark." Mark growled, "What did you do? Drug her?!"
"No…" Airiana whispered.
"Then what did he do?!"
"Threw a ceramic bowl… at my head… oh, ouch."
"WWWHAT?!" Zoe yelled, "You're dead!" she ran up to Drake and attempted to punch him in the face.
Drake ducked and grabbed her arm.
Zoe cried out in pain.
Mark instantly wrapped his hands around Drake's neck. "If you hurt her, I'll-"
"Ow!" Zoe yelped.
Drake was squeezing her arm tighter, crushing it.
"I warned you!" Mark yelled and squeezed Drake's neck harder.
Drake dropped Zoe and laughed. He grabbed Mark around the throat weakening Mark's hold on him and threw Mark away from him.
Zoe instantly ran to Airiana's side. "Oh Air!" she cried, and she slowly picked her up. "Let's get you out of here."
"Be careful," Airiana muttered. "Drake's strong, VERY strong."
"Air! You're head!" Zoe started crying.
"Yes, I know…" Airiana grimaced. "It hurts."
"Drake's going to die! That son of a bitch! I'm going to kill him!"
"Make sure Drake doesn't see us." Airiana whispered.
"Alrighty soldier." Zoe walked along the sides of the room, Airiana's arm around her neck, helping Airiana walk towards the exit. "I'm going to kill him. I'm going to kill him!" she kept whispering. She was glad that she was strong enough to carry Airiana, even though she was a bit cumbersome. "God help me, God help me." she prayed, hyperventilating.
Mark stood in a fighting stance, facing Drake. Drake was chuckling to himself. Mark jumped for his neck but never reached it. Drake caught him by the throat and threw him, laughing. Mark groaned as he hit the wall. Every limb in his body hurt. I must protect my angels, especially my love.
"You think you can defeat me? You are just a teenager, a mere human being. Airiana is mine and there's nothing you can do about it!" Drake was laughing uncontrollably.
"You rotten son of a bitch of a man! Even though you are not a man! I bet there are better vampires than you!" Mark threw his leg out at Drake meaning to kick him, but Drake was too fast and caught his leg in his iron grip. He spun Mark around by his leg and let go.
Mark crashed into the cleaning equipment. "AH!" he started screaming with pain and agony.
Drake pressed his back against the cement wall and disappeared into the wall.
A janitor suddenly entered the room. "Oh my gosh! Are you alright?!"
"My leg! I think it is broken! Oh!" Mark could not believe his eyes. One second Drake was there, the next he was not. And now the Janitor stood before him, his mouth open in shock.
"What happened?!" the janitor exclaimed.
Mark gasped for breath due to the pain. "You wouldn't believe me."