I groan when the alarm goes off. Picking up my alarm clock on her nightstand, I look at the time with a smile. I jump out of bed and wear ripped skinny jeans with a black lance cami top. I pick up a blow drier and work on my hair, then use a brush and curling iron to make my hair curly and look natural.

Once I was happy with my look, I headed down to breakfast. Angela has a cocktail of pills, and her breakfast is heavy. She's donating blood after breakfast, which makes me want to ask her about Leopold, but I fight it off.  I Have a feeling Angela would hate me asking her about her about giving him blood to Leopold.

"Hey, why don't you go to English class without me? I'll see you there-" Angela says.

"Are you sure? I can go with you wherever you need to."

"NO! I am good; go ahead."

"Sure," I stand up, giving Angela a look, then head towards English class.

I go to English class by myself and wait for Angela there. She made it just in time; her eyes were glassed over, and she had a guffy grin, so I was right. She donated Blood, and the punctured holes in her neck are clear. I want to talk to her and ask her if Leo plans to come to class, but I know better. One of the rules is no talking in class. The last thing I need is to get in more trouble.

The day goes in a blur because all I can think of is waiting for Leopold to ask him about the vampires in the school. We had a moment yesterday, and I decided he could give me information since he wanted to help and keep me here. So it has to be at feeding. 

I run towards the building. "Your cubicle is number three," the girl says without looking at me. Is her job that boring?

 Leo is in the cubicle with a somber expression. I wait for him to sit like yesterday, but he doesn't. He stays clear of me and manages not to touch me in the tiny cubicle. I frown at him and open my mouth to ask him-

"Yelp, moan." He mouths. I do, and he runs out of the building after a few seconds. I stumble out of there, looking dazed without being fake.

What is his problem?

I have been working on looking for whoever killed my parents by myself. I don't need help now. Instead of going to the gym, I go to the library. I open a search engine and stare at it stupidly. How am I supposed to start the search?

I put my parents' names in the search engine, and they appear. My mom shows up as a teacher, and my dad as a custodian. I giggle out loud. Did they have fake jobs for the humans? While hunting vampires? I was about to close the search engine when something caught my eye.

Eleanor Hathaway and James Hathaway I trace my finger on the computer where my parents' names are; after all these years, they have just been my parents. I was so tiny that I never learned their names... Something is telling me not to read, but I am curious how their death was reported in the human world. 

Eleanor Hathaway and James Hathaway were found with a broken neck in their house. I wince. The house has been ransacked, giving investigating police reason to believe it was a robbery gone wrong. Police lost their five-year-old daughter while waiting for social services to pick her up.

"Need help with something?" I exit out of everything and pretend I am going to Google for a new search.

I look up and try to give Eon a warm smile. "Nope, just trying to learn last-minute things about vampires since Angela is busy."

"You know you could learn everything faster about a vampire if you ask one," I smile and turn towards him.

"You do have a point."

"So, what would you like to know?" I can't think of anything. The little news about my parents is still fresh in my head.

"I am coming up blank. Could you tell me why? I don't know. Do you enjoy human food, or is that for show?"

"It tastes the same as for you," Eon smiles and stares at me intently. "Even in your tone, I can hear your hate for us... Why?"

Oh oh.

"I don't hate vampires-" I try to lie.

"Isabella, please tell me the truth." Eon stares into my eyes so intently that I tell him the truth.

"They killed my parents-" I blink and look around nervously, wondering why I said that. "I-"

Eon talks fast with a mischievous smile. "Isabella, that's not a valid reason to hate vampires; you should stop and at least get to know me." I frown at him. Something needs to be fixed. "Please?"

I smile at him. Yes, I shouldn't be so judgemental. "Okay, I will give you a chance to prove not all vampires are evil."

"Well, I know you want to have dinner with me," I smile and nod. Eon extends his hands toward me, and I place my hands on top of him.

We go to the cafeteria. I grab a steak with mashed potatoes and a soda. "I didn't know they have this kind of fancy food at school-"

"Is not available during school hours; the headmistress added food like this for dates; you know our vampires don't need the education-" I stare at the glass of blood with disgust.

"Don't think of it as blood, like a bloody mary."

I smile. "Cool."

"You know there's no secret here at school, right?" I roll my eyes 

"Yes, I know."

"Well, you know everyone is talking about how you got into a fight with Lexi, and when you were about to get expelled, you asked to be Leopold's blood donor." 

I smile at Eon. "Yes, I want to stay here a little longer-"

"But there are no holes on your neck..." Oh no! What is wrong with me?  I stand up fast and look at Eon, realizing I have been too pleasant and answering all his questions and suggestions.

"Are you using compulsion on me?"

"No!" Eon stands up. "I wouldn't do that to you." I frown. I put a hand on my neck. Realizing his question and how stupid we have been, I should have put a scarf on or talked it over with Leo. 

I open my mouth to ask Eon about compulsion again. But the headmistress interrupted us. "Eon mentions something exciting, my office now, Miss Hathaway." She turns and starts to walk away. 

I glare at Eon, and the happy feeling suddenly disappears. The more I flash at Eon, the more I am convinced he did use compulsion on me. I was on a freaking date with him! I walk to the office, already deciding to tell the truth. I shouldn't taken Leopold's offer anyway... I got too comfortable, and now I can get freaking compared to a vampire. I'll BE DEAD once I leave this school and return to the woods. It took me a lot of years and a lot of training to be able to fight it off and just like that. I am weak for a vampire's compulsion now.

I walk into the office and stare at the headmistress. "Care to explain why Leopold has been feeding off you twice now, and there's no proof he has?"

I open my mouth to come clean. "Come on, Elena, thanks for ruining my fun," I turn to glare at Leo.

"Excuse me?"

"Saliva, Elena." I turned around and stared at Leopold. He looks like he's been punched in the stomach until I turn, and slowly, a smirk appears on his face. "And just like you saw with Eon, she's open for compulsion... I have been telling her to forget the little kiss."

"Leave my office," Elena says only.

Leopold turns on his heels and walks out. I run after him, knowing damn well he's not waiting for me. "We need to talk-"

"I have better things to do-" He keeps walking. I feel he's avoiding me for some reason, but he doesn't want me to get expelled. But leaving so fast makes me believe I am bothering him just by being here.

"Fine," I turn and am about to open the door to the office again. In an instant, I am over Leopold's shoulders, and he runs vampire speed towards my dorm. He throws me on the bed but, in a blink, is leaning by the door, glaring at me.

"Make it fast."

"What's your problem?"

"You been telling me to stay away from you, and now what? You want me?" 

I scoff. "That's a bit moot now that we must see each other after school for five days. Thanks to you, not only am I a blood donor, but I let you put your saliva on me-"

"I asked, you said yes. Is that it?"

"Actually. Can I ask you a few questions?"

"Sure," Leo says with a clenched jaw.

"I have a "feeling" vampires know my background, if you know what I mean."

Leo chuckles, relaxing against the door. "Yeah, there's a newsletter about it-"

"Wait. There is?"

"You don't think they let humans here without doing a background check, do you? You came in and gave your full name-"

"She already knew it. It wouldn't matter. There are ways to ensure you are not a hunter trying to infiltrate the school and kill us all while we... play."

Interesting. I bit the left side of my lips. "So every vampire here... Knows my parents were slayers?"

"Yes. We also know you are not here for an education but for revenge."

"Why am I not dead?" 

"You have a guardian angel-"

"Yeah, the fuck right. Since everyone knows about me because of a background check... do you know who killed my parents?" 

Leo stands up straight and stiffens. "Are you suicidal?" 

"Excuse me?"

"You can't be going around school asking vampires about your parents. It-" He shuts his mouth and turns about to leave-

I ran towards him and put a hand on his shoulder. "You, not any vampire. You won't hurt me or tell the headmistress. You are everywhere and nowhere... Please. Have you heard anything?"

"No-" Leopold looks like he wants to leave.

"Hey... do you think Eon was using compulsion on me? You told the headmistress that I was open to it because you have done it...  but you haven't."

"No... But you might be open to it now. I suggest staying clear from him. You'll be in danger if you keep being honest to him where everyone can hear-"

"Eon has a way of getting me to listen." 

Leo's eyes flare with anger. "I'll-"

"No... is there a way to fight compulsion?"

Leo stares into my chest, and I look down, noticing my necklace is exposed. It is a pure silver stake made of some animal bones. My mom and dad had one. I took this one from my mom's dead body before they took her body away, and I have been carrying it ever since. I don't take it off, not even to take a shower-

"I can do some magic on it to protect you. I'll give it to you in an hour. I'll swear-"

"Can I just go with you?"

Leo smirks. "No, too dangerous. You'll either have to trust me or risk being compelled again."

I slowly take the pendant off me and put it in the palm of my hand, staring at it for a moment. "This is one of the few things I have from my mother. If you lose it-"

"I won't." Leo has gloves on and extends a hand towards me. I frown at him. "The silver will burn me."

I put the pendant on his arm. I can still hear a sizzling sound through the gloves.  "Please be careful-"

Leo smiles and walks out.

I pace around the room the whole hour, looking at the clock like a crazy woman. I am about to leave when there's a knock on the door. I open the door fast and look around. 

"Hello?" But there's no one except an envelope on the floor. I picked it up and opened it fast. There's my pendant with a note. I put the necklace quickly as I read the note:

Be safe out there, 

Leo.