"Rana." A hushed voice whispers. "Rana, wake up."
Rana's eyes flutter open, squinting to adjust to the dark of her bedroom. "Mum?"
"Yes, now get up, it's time for school." Ambrose whispers, pushing Rana's hair out of her eyes.
"Ugh." Rana says, pushing herself up onto her elbows, wiping her eyes. "What time is it?"
"7." Ambrose answers. "Get ready, I'll drive you." 
*** 
Rana sat in history class staring aimlessly forward, her freshly painted nails already halfway chipped off. 
"You pick at your nail polish when you're bored." Lilian leans over to her ear whispering. 
"Nervous." Rana corrects softly.
"Nervous? Why are you nervous?" Lilian asks, looking surprised. 
Rana involuntarily looks at Oliver, her eyes lingering on the profile of his face. 
"You like him?" Lilian asks. "You can't like him, he's crazy." 
"Maybe I'm crazy." Rana says, softly smiling.
Lilian sighs. "You're retarded." 
"Cool." Rana retaliates. 
"You're hopeless." Lilian says. 
Mr. Yauger snaps his head toward Lilian and Rana. "Be quiet!" 
"Yes sir." Rana says, pretending to pay attention to her homework, twiddling a pencil between her fingers. 
Oliver pushes his hand through his raven curls, softly chuckling.
"Something funny?" Toby asks, leaning from behind him.
"The new girl." Oliver says, turning his head.
"Yeah, she's cute." Toby says. "Anyway, I'm having a party tonight, will you show?"
"Yeah, definitely." I say. "Are your parent's going to be home?"
"They're out of town, I'm inviting everybody."
"I'll show." Oliver nods.
Toby leans forward, whispering into Oliver's ear. "I get that you can't control it, but there better not be a dead hooker in my bed again."
Oliver bites his lip and nods.
"That Rana girl better not show up in a river drained of blood either." Toby warns in a low voice.
Oliver nods.
***
"Stake?" Ambrose asks Rana, who was dressed in a floral romper.
"Mom, I don't need a stake." She says, curling her hair.
"Agrimony?" She asks.
Rana glares at her mom in the mirror. "I'm not wearing that agrimony perfume, its practically boy repellent."
"Condom?" Ambrose asks weakly.
"MUM!" Rana yells.
"I'm sorry, it's just that, you're growing up." Ambrose says, wiping a tear from her face.
"Yes, I understand, but I just need some space." Rana says, slipping on her flats, which she dubbed the dancing shoes.
"Call me if you stay somewhere." Ambrose says.
"I might, but I swear I'll call you." Rana promises, stepping away from her vanity.
"I'll drive you."
***
You could hear the party before you got there, Rana got dropped off at Toby's irrationally long driveway.
It took her about ten minutes to walk up to the front, where she was greeted by a tipsy Lilian, whose arm was slung around Duke, who just kinda nods.
Rana walks to the buffet table of snacks and drinks.
"Hey." A familar voice greets her.
She spins and sees Oliver.
"Hello love-- I mean, Oliver." Rana laughs awkwardly.
"Do you want something to drink?" He motions to the snack table.
"Uh, water." I say.
He nods and walks off, going to find water.
Toby walks up from behind, tapping Rana's shoulder.
"Oh hi Toby." Rana greets. "You have a lovely home."
"Glad you could make it." He smiles drunkenly. "You look great."
"Oh thank you." Rana blushes.
Oliver walks back into the room, handing Rana a glass of water.
"Thanks Oli." She murmurs.
Toby gives a harsh glare to Oliver, which read loud and clear 'did you drug that glass of water?'
"Agrimony." Oliver mouths back, before bringing up his hand to brandish the healing burns on his fingers.
Toby nods, making small talk with Rana, who smiles and drinks her water.
Toby's friend, Victoria, is all of a sudden thrown off the balcony overlooking the foyer.
Her bones snap audibly and her head smashes open, blood puddling around her head like a halo.
Rana gasps, looking away.
Victoria's eyes were open, and rolled to the back of her skull.
Oliver wraps a protective arm around Rana, pressing her face into his chest.
'Thank god she's a vampire.' Toby thinks to himself, just before realizing that whoever had thrown her had broken the banister.
A familar laughing face leans over the broken part, looking at Victoria.
"What are you doing here Adrian?" Oliver calls out.
Rana peaks her head up. "You know his name?"
"Oh, just here to rip everything you love apart." Adrian leaps from the balcony to the floor, his converse being ruined by the blood, which stained the white toes.
"Why?" Rana speaks up, tearing herself from Oliver's arms.
"Who's this?" Adrian smirks, walking over to Rana. "Shall I start with killing her?"
"What?" Rana asks, her fingers trembling.
Adrian's dark eyes connect with her's, his pupils dilating. "Kiss me."
Rana scoffs and backhands him across his stubbly cheek. "No!"
"You look oddly like a hunter." He laughs.
"Screw off Adrian, she hasn't done anything." Toby says, defensively moving in front of her.
"Come on you're a human, what's the worst you can do to me?" Adrian smirks.
As if it were scripted, Dixie walks in the house, her loud combat boots ringing over the silence. She picks up a piece of the the banister and tosses it to Toby.
"I'll kill you." Toby answers.
Adrian bites his wrist, pressing it to Toby's mouth, right before snapping it.
Rana screams, backing up into Oliver.
Everyone at the party was shocked.
"You killed Toby!" Rana shrieks.
"He's not dead, he's just in transition." Adrian says, in a tone like it would be obvious.
"You're a monster!" Rana shouts.
"Do you wanna be next, Gorgeous?" He threatens.
"Hey!" Oliver steps between them, scowling. "We just wanna know why you're here."
"My worst enemy's in town, and I've heard she's here to stay." Adrian laughs.
"If we help you kill this enemy, will you leave?" Oliver asks.
"Of course." Adrian says.
"Who is it?" Rana asks, raising an eyebrow.
Adrian laughs heartily, flipping back his hair. "I doubt you'd know her."
"I bet I do." Dixie yells from across the foyer.
"Okay wolfie, let's see..." He turns toward Rana. "Do you know of Ambrose?"