"So, are you breaking up?"

Eva always seems to simplify things. Well she does that and also jumps to wild conclusions. Of course, she is usually pretty intuitive about most things. Her intuition bugs the shit out of Charlotte and me a good percent of the time. This time it happens to me that she's annoying and for good reason. A slow realization creeps over me that I was possibly in love with Lucas...but we aren't anywhere near right for each other. He is danger. He'll always be danger. As strong as I feel for him, he will never be right for me.

After agreeing to stop Tituba, I am now fully aware of things that seemed to escape me before. Being at the Domus brought even more clarity to my muddled life. It has become my haven from the outside world. Unfortunately, my friends now realized it and are worried that I use it as a means of distancing myself. 

Lucas surely has a hand in their insistence.

"No, we're not." I try to hide how annoyed I am with the direction of this conversation.

Eva stares at me, "Why are you angry?" 

"I'm not. Just tired of you asking me semi-relevant questions." I look to Charlotte, who is sitting in the corner texting someone intently, for help, "Help me here."

"She can't. She's been texting her mystery man." Eva taunted.

Charlotte looks up from her phone and flips Eva off, "He's not a mystery. He's not my man. He's-He's just a guy I might be interested in and who might be interested in me." She rationalizes.

"You?" I ask.

"Yes, me!" Charlotte frowns, "What am I, a nun? I lost my virginity before you."

"That's really not a solid argument." Eva says with a chuckle.

"Okay, this is exactly why I don't tell you two things anymore." Charlotte says with a sneer.

"I thought it was because you were possessed." I wait for a response. When I don't get one, I sigh, "See, if you don't have to deal with that, I definitely don't have to deal with this."

"There is a this?" Eva persists.

"No! Eva, please stop." I warn.

"Can you at least tell us where you were? Or even what happ-" Eva stops as I promptly shut the book and slam it on the worn wood table, "You're not the same. Whatever he did to you made you different."

"I think we're all getting extremely good a repressing things. Can we go back to repressing things?" Charlotte asks.

"I just feel like our lives are moving in different directions." Eva says with obvious exasperation, "I don't like the direction we're going. We really can't let this stuff go."

"Okay, sharing and caring is a thing but can we just put it off?" Charlotte ask, "At least until after Prom? I've been looking for a really cute dress and I'm working on a date. We have the rest of our lives to be neurotic, as showcased by Perry."

"Hey!"

"We're young. We need to be out there living and doing stuff, not talking about it." Charlotte says as she stands, "I have to go. Dresses need to be bought and cars need to be rented."

Without another word, Charlotte darts out of the door.

"She's going to explode." I sigh.

"See, that's all I'm saying!" Eva growls with exhaustion, "How did I become the normal one again?"

                                                                          *************************************

After an intense math class, I find myself at my locker once again. I've finally managed to quell Eva's fears of our 'disconnecting destinies'. She apparently caught Prom fever like everyone else after leaving the Domus. As the giddy girls bounce around, happy that they've found the perfect dresses and extravagant limos, I feel even more out of place than usual.

I find myself wondering what makes their fascination with Prom so normal. We get a tuxedo, a limo and a night of slutty memories that follow us through high school and on to college, where we make more slutty decisions unless you're like me and don't do anything of the sort.

It's exhausting to think about.

I am pleasantly surprised as Kai appears at my locker. We haven't spent a good deal of time together, though we occasionally have lunch together. I try to include him in lunch with my friends, but he seems out of place, awkward even. Lucas seemed to instantly dislike him. I don't suppose Kai's flirtatious jokes or the way he stares at me is very conducive to a friendship with Lucas, or David, it seems.

Kai appears before me, beaming down at me, "Are we the only people not thrilled for Prom?" 

"Lucas isn't particularly giddy." I joke.

"Yeah, can't see him being the giddy type." Kai says with a chuckle, "He's hot, no offense, but he's sort of-"

"Dark?" 

"I don't think he likes me very much." Kai says as he leans on the locker beside mine, "Maybe he's psychic and he's picking up the vibe between us."

I laugh, "What did I say about openly flirting with me?"

"Somehow, I don't think you mind it." Kai's voice is very jovial, "But, hey, I know boundaries."

"I highly doubt that."

"I can do boundaries." Kai stares at me, "Look, I'm boundary guy! So...I guess asking you to the prom wouldn't be a good idea."

I stare at him.

"Kidding, kidding...mostly." Kai looks around, "I guess I could ask another guy. Who's gay here?"

I stop what I am doing, "I don't rightly know." I haven't thought about it in a while. As a gay man, I try to make a note of other gay guys, even the curious ones. I truly believe my gaydar is on the fritz most days.

It's not like I had hundreds of guys breaking down my door before David.

"You grew up with these people." Kai chortles at me as he inches closer, "So, the first thing I did when I moved here was to look up art shows. When my Mom was sure we were moving here, I entered a few of them and one of my paintings got picked by a local exhibit."

"That's lucky." I say without thinking. He stares at me, amused. I clear my throat and shut my locker, "I didn't mean that. Or I did, but I'm sure your art is crazy good."

"Hey, don't sweat it. I wasn't sure if you'd want to see them." Kai replies, "Hey, I've got to go...but this place called Byars, do you want to meet me there? I think they sell coffee."

"I know Byars."

"Hey, you also know these people...but you don't know these people." His voice is light and fun, a far cry from what I am used to.

He quickly leaves me at my locker. Without knowing, I am watching him leave. I begin to wonder exactly why I didn't accost him for his flirtatiousness. I wonder why I couldn't seem to find his come-ons repulsive or...unwanted. I am very aware I am not alone. Somehow, I just know.

"I can see his appeal. He's not complicated." Finn says causing me to look over to him, "Nice guy."

I don't speak, preferring silence.

"My Brother is complicated and dark, that's how you put it." Finn's eyes find me now, "But my Brother loves you. As odd as it is, he loves you. You make him better."

"Do I?" I ask.

"Relatively." Finn's voice begins to descend into a dark tone, "I won't ask you if you're okay. Eva's done that, Lucas has and I have no doubt that your parents have. Thing is...I already know you're not."

Again, I am silent.

"I consider us friends, which is why I warn you about a vampire scorned." Finn is only able to flash a weak smile, "My Sister is psychotic...but so is my brother."

"And what about you?" I ask to which he is silent. I laugh before stating, "I'm not afraid of him."

"Because you love him."

"Because I'm stronger than him." I watch as a bewildered expression passes over his face, "Are we supposed to tiptoe around him? Are-"

"Stop."

"If you knew that Eva could be happy with someone else, would you let her go?"

"Yes." He says without hesitation, "I'm not naïve, I know that a vampire and human can't live happily ever after. Our love is on a timer and has been since the moment we laid eyes on each other. My Brother is more romantic than I am."

"No kidding." I say with amusement, "Look, Finn, thank you but I'm not breaking up with him. I don't think I want to."

Finn chuckles and looked to his feet.

"What?"

Finn frowned, "As a friend, a bit of an advice... if you love someone, you would know without a doubt if you wanted to break up with them." He says, leaving me at my locker.

I curse Finn for being more rational as a vampire than I am as a human being. While he is correct in that statement, he doesn't quite understand what it's like to possibly be in love with his Brother. The confusion is mind-bending.

I don't think this is a high school problem anymore.

                                                                            *************************************  

Parker & David...

"Are you cool with all of this?" Parker asks as he and David ran laps around the track.

The two guys have been discussing the supernatural events that have begun occurring in their lives as of late. Parker is still reeling from the knowledge of all the supernatural events that have occurred. David has grown accustomed to these events, though he rarely wants to rehash them.

David has been going through a quite the change himself. His transformations are starting to become less painful but more exhausting. He has becoming aware that he is exhibiting signs of sentience in his wolf form. He is beginning to remember flashes of certain events. One of which happens to be another giant wolf. David has been trying, without much success, to find out who bit him months ago. He has been unlucky thus far as every lead he had led him to a dead end.

Parker's incessant questions seem to further exacerbate David's annoyance. Of course, David can't blame Parker for his curiosity. David was just amazed at the supernatural aspects of this town as much as Parker was but the shine wore off during his first transformation. 

And has quickly declined with every moment afterward.

David worked so hard to keep his emotions in check. He seems to be failing miserably. The night Perry was abducted, he fought hard to keep the transformation from happening. The moment he left Perry's house, he sprouted fur and ran into the woods.

David was relieved to find Perry back, though Eva seemed worried about him. This information is second hand from Charlotte and is to be taken with a grain of salt. David hadn't actually spoken with Perry in a while.

"This magic stuff, I mean." Parker pants as they come around the corner of the track. Both boys stop jogging and stare at each other, "Everyone else is acting like it's no big deal. This is huge! Perry is a witch...or wizard...right? And the Pascall Brothers...vampires?"

"Probably should shut up about it." David barks.

"Why aren't you more freaked out about this?" Parker asks with confusion.

David bends over and breathes into the ground. He's been dreading this moment since the moment in the gym, when he stood against the vampires. Parker has been his Best Friend since Pre-K. In all the madness of his life, Parker has always been a constant. He couldn't tell Parker that he was a monster. He was okay with being an asshole. That made him human. This transformation business makes him a monster.

"Are you a vampire?" Parker asks.

"No, not a vampire." David scoffs at the thought, "I'm-I'm a werewolf."

The two guys gaze at each other, neither one sure of quite what to say. David is completely unsure if Parker is about to have a melt-down or ask a really stupid question that will cause him to have a melt-down. He isn't in the mood for either.

David is pleasantly surprised when Parker bursts into a fit of laughter. David watches him, cracking a smile himself. When Parker is finished, the guys stare at me with amused expressions.

"So...this isn't the secret I expected to hear first. Sorry." Parker says trying to put on a his serious expression, "You're a werewolf. Like Michael J Fox or like that sappy teen movie?"

"Neither. Like the sort that rips people apart in a parking lot." 

"Annalise?" Parker's face goes darker than David has ever seen it. David is aware that Parker is aware of the scale of what he's just heard as Parker finishes his though, "When she died...it was like she was attacked by an animal, like she was ripped apart."

"No. Whoever bit me killed her." David explains, "And exactly what secret did you think I was going to tell you?"

"Hey wolf-boy, we need to talk." Lucas calls as he walks up to them.

"Not now." David hisses indifferently.

Lucas rolls his eyes, "It's about Perry. Something's wrong with Wonderboy." He said quickly.

"I'm going to go on that note. Later bro." Parker pats David on the shoulder before he jogs away.

"Perry isn't my problem." David says as he fold his arms over his chest, "That's your domain. Don't tell me the big, bad vampire can't handle the little witch."

Lucas smirks in response, "It eats you up that he chose me, doesn't it?" His voice has a certain air of superiority that David truly despises.

"How's that going for him?" David shoots back. He sighs at the vampire knowing that he needs to listen. If for no other reason, he has to know what Lucas knows. With resignation, he asks, "What did you do?"

"Not me. The Lost Boy." Lucas' displeasure at the name sparks a certain thrill in David, "Ever since our little magician's wand got back from New Orleans, he's been different. He's-"

"Not drinking your Koolaid?"

"As much as I truly hate you, I'm trying to make this be about Perry."

"But it's not. Irony."

"What do you know about irony? Can you spell it?" 

"I know that you're a self-centered person. I know that the absolute first time I've ever seen you not be a selfish bastard, you should be." David chuckles, "Did you really think he'd be happy with you? You're a monster."

"True. But at least I know I'm a monster. I'm not hiding in sheep's clothing...wolf." Lucas is clearly reaching his breaking point, "I'll find another way to save my boyfriend."

Lucas turns from the wolf and leaves him on the track. David watches as the vampire walked away. The vampire is right. If Perry is in trouble in the slightest, David owes it to him to help. Even if David didn't feel responsible in a way for Lucas preying on Perry's weakness, the fact that David is in love with Perry is enough to compel him to help.

To help Perry.

"Wait! What do you want me to do?" David asks.

                                                                            *************************************  

Perry...

The day drug on after a while. I began to beg God for the day to be over. When I was near sticking a pencil in my eye, I was given a reprieve. The bell rings in just the nick of time. I quickly exit the classroom and drag myself to my locker.

After tossing my remaining books in the locker, I make a hasty exit. When I come to the Witch House, I am relieved. The shabby, work-in-progress seems like a haven. It is quiet, mostly, and feels safe. The occasional whispers from the ghosts of the witches seem like a lullaby in a weird way. I don't feel so alone here.

I begin flipping through my family's Grimoire until I come to an entry on Astral Projection. It seems that Astral Projection is a feat that can be done by anyone, even non-magical beings. Astral Projection is simple enough, though people with no magical abilities are in more danger of getting lost in the Astral Plane, which co-existed in a space next to ours. This plane was in direct contact with the ghostly plane and witches reported being able to commune with ghosts, among other beings.

I bookmarked the page and moved on. Impatient, I flipped through the page and stopped when a familiar image hit my eyes. The Christiansen Vampires. Elnora, Lucah and Finnergan. Their pictures were spectacularly drawn to exact detail. Besides the obvious, something else stood out to me. There were other silhouettes, though they are entirely blackened out.

I pushed my finger against the page, hoping to spark the book to reveal the silhouette. No such luck.

"They're dangerous."

I looked up to see Phoenix standing in front of me. A part of me is relieved that he is standing in front of me. The better part of me knows that he is just as dangerous as anyone else in this town, but there is a growing part of me that knows he isn't as malignant as he seems.

"You're in love with one but I haven't failed yet." Phoenix coos as he walks over and takes a seat next to me. He looks around, "Tarnished dreams."

"What do you mean you haven't failed yet? What, exactly, did you do to me?" I ask curiously.

"You want to know the truth? What I really did to you there?" He asks. I nodded and he leans in, "I-"