• CHAPTER 93 - SCHOOL'S GONE...JUST NOT THE VAMPIRES

    My life...has officially begun.

    "You all are wonderful students and I wish you well on your journeys," Sensei congratulated. "I won't make it to your graduation, unfortunately."

    A few groans from the class triggered Sensei's laughter, "My wife's surgery is that day; behave yourselves,"

    At that, the bell rang. The last bell of this last high school day. One of my last days in this school; I'll have to come back here for graduation. I was ridding myself of this Hell; I won't see those jocks or preps ever again, I'll go off and live my own life and I'm going to live it with Kai.

    "Miss Kurabashi?" Sensei tapped my desk with his fingertips.

    I glanced up at him, "Yes?"

    "The classroom is empty," he smiled. "You should have been the first one out."

    "Crap!" I picked up my stuff, cursing my daydreaming internally. "Have a good summer!"

    "Go to college," he called out to me as I sprinted out of the room.

    As soon as I reached the outside world after running through the crowds of people, I pulled out my cell phone, took a deep breath of fresh air, and called Kai.

    "Yeah?" he answered. "Is school over?"

    "Yeah, it is," I smiled. "Hey, don't pick me up until later; I'm going to the café."

    "Oh. Alone?"

    I nodded, "I'll be fine. If I'm mauled by a Vampire, I'll call you." I giggled.

    "Don't joke about that," Kai complained. "Be safe. I'll start heading over now to meet you."

    "Okay. Love you." and I hung up after he repeated the last two words.

    I made my way off of school property and off to the café. I almost skipped all the way there; I was so psyched for school to finally be over. The underclassmen still have a couple of weeks left, but I really didn't care. Oh...I still need to plan a gradation and birthday party with Orihime. I don't want much for my parties; just some simple gifts. I'm not a party hater, as long as nobody is crawling all over me or obsessing with me...not like they would. I was worried about what Kai would get me, though; he might go a little overboard.

    I was just about a block from the café when something grappled around my wrist; another frozen hand. The immediate assumption of a Vampire came to mind right before the hand pulled me right into an alley. It's nothing less than a coincidence that I happen to run into a Vampire; it usually happens when I'm alone.

    "s**t," I cursed under my breath, struggling to be set free. I grabbed a board at the side of a dumpster and while hyperventilating, broke it against the Vampire's head.

    The Vampire turned to me with hungry red eyes, "A feisty one, eh?" the board didn't seem to faze him.

    "Stop! Let me go!" I shouted right before he ran my back against the alley wall. There was something familiar about this alley; it's where I told Chi that Kai was a Vampire the other day.

    "I haven't had a meal in days," he smirked, one of his cuspidate fangs gleaming in the afternoon sun.

    Before I could cuss him out, he set only half of the Vampire charm on me; I couldn't speak. I continued to punch his arm and torso while his fangs caressed my cheek and my jawline. I felt so retarded; telling Kai I'd be fine although I knew I wouldn't be! I should have known better!

    I continued to hyperventilate and punch the nomad until a sharpened pain went into my abdomen. I glanced down and it was the last thing I wanted to do; my shirt was soaked in blood already and it turned out that his extended talons had burrowed into my abdomen. I moaned but I couldn't scream or cry out. It was when his fangs sunk into my neck after his whiff of my blood that I started to cry.

    I felt so stupid; I knew Kai was going to lecture me for this. The least amount of damage he'll do is plaster himself on me for the rest of my life. He wouldn't live this down, never. I continued to groan and hyperventilate and I started clawing at the Vampire's arm, knowing I still wasn't fazing him and that I'd only end up hurting myself.

    My fighting only seemed to entice the Vampire, seeing as he bit a little harder and tangled his hand in my hair, still not removing his right hand from my abdomen. I bit my lip at the feeling of my blood tricking down my abdomen and down my neck. Yeah, this is exactly how I wanted to end my last day of school; being eaten by a Vampire.

    I drug my nails against his cheek and pulled at his hair, trying anything to pry him off. His talons were hurting severely and I was questioning whether he punctured an organ or not. Tears brimmed my eyes but didn't pour out. I was clawing has hard as I could against his cheek, head, and neck but nothing was getting him off.

    I bit my lip again as I felt blood creep out of the corner of my mouth. I rested my head on the nomad's shoulder, worn out and defeated. My grip on his hair loosened and he gripped my bicep with his free hand, also digging his talons into the underside of my bicep. I was starting to black out right before I noticed the ground speeding up to my face dramatically. I didn't feel my face hit the ground, but I did hear a gunshot from the end of the alley. My head was facing the other way so I couldn't see my savior. The nomad took off and no other than Akatsuki lowered himself onto his knees in front of me, panicked. I smiled halfheartedly and rolled onto my back painfully and put my hand up to my forehead.

    "Not how I wanted to end school," I mumbled, barely understandable. "Kai's gonna kill me."

    "You should know better than to wander alone," Akatsuki scooped me up off the ground. "I'm taking you to my place."

    I didn't know if it was a good thing or not that I was heading back to Akatsuki's; I hadn't seen him since Kai and I ran into him and he tried to kill Kai. I blacked out before we reached the alley opening, waiting for Kai's arrival.

    ~*~*~*~*~*~

    I flinched after feeling a cool washcloth flop onto my head. I sighed deeply and relaxed until a warm hand pressed against my abdomen. That's when I flinched and groaned from pain.

    "Still sore?" Akatsuki's voice came to play.

    "Yeah," I mumbled and cracked my eyes open.

    Akatsuki's face showed relief that I opened my eyes. I glanced around at the familiar guest bedroom I had stayed in many times before. Nothing has changed still. I put my hand on my abdomen after Akatsuki removed his hand and I flinched from the tenderness.

    "None of your organs have been damaged. He didn't puncture deep enough."

    "Yeah," I mumbled again and sighed deeply, exhausted.

    "Uketomeru is here," he announced, addressing Kai as he usually does.

    I burrowed my eyebrows together, "Kai? You allowed him in?"

    "Yeah," he burrowed his eyebrows together as well. "You didn't know he came over after he took you home last time?"

    My heart skipped a beat, "No. He did?"

    He nodded, "We set things straight. And I'll say this; he's an understanding guy."

    I bit my lip, "Yeah,"

    At that, Kai entered the bedroom and Akatsuki stood up. He left the room and Kai sat on the edge of the bed next to me. He cupped my face with one hand and sighed while smiling halfheartedly.

    "You'll never learn," he shook his head.

    "I knew you'd be mad," I smiled halfheartedly as well.

    "I'm not mad; I'm frustrated,"

    "Sorry," I sighed. "It's just that it's been happening less and less so I figured I'd be okay."

    "At least you're confident," he kissed my forehead. "Are you feeling okay?"

    I nodded, "Yeah, but my arm and stomach are sore,"

    "At least school is done," he smiled. "You won't be wandering around town as much."

    "I still need to help with party plans," I rolled my eyes. "And gifts."

    "So you just want your license?"

    I nodded again, "Yep. Nothing else for my birthday. And if you do get anything else, make it small and cheap. Nothing big and expensive."

    Kai cocked his eyebrow and I continued, "I do like cake, though. Do you think Kira and Matsuda could make me a white cake with strawberries in between the layers? For both parties?"

    "Both parties?"

    "Yeah," I smiled. "That's some good s**t right there."

    "Okay, I'll ask them," he chuckled lightly.

    "So...you came back to Akatsuki's without telling me?"

    Kai's face fell, "Yeah. I didn't want to tell you; you were ill."

    "I don't care," I held his hand against my cheek and looked down. "I still wanted to know."

    Kai fell silent, "You could have gotten killed, Kai,"

    "He was willing to participate," he smiled reassuringly. "It's all fine now."

    He leaned over and pecked my lips in a feather-like manner, "Sorry for wanting to go alone,"

    "It's okay," he brushed my bangs around. "I have a question to interrogate...a birthday present question. I need to know if you want it beforehand."

    "Sure. Ask away."

    He looked away for a second and pink lightly burned into his pale cheeks, "Would you, um, consider moving in with me when you're eighteen?"

    ...Oh geez.