Our Story - The Beginning

Author's Note- I would just ask you to bare with me here. This story is my masterpiece, but it's also a work in progress. I'm posting so maybe I can get some feedback and know what's working and what I need to work on. I've changed the pov to third and changed the names of many of the characters for reasons unnamed. Thanks.

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Cat, the leader of the clan, and Rowan were sitting in class for advanced calculus. Cat was the “punk” of the small clan. Her clothes were always clashing, but she managed to pull it off. Her hair was slightly streaked, and no matter how she wears it always manages to fall into her hazel eyes. Rowan was staring at her book so she didn’t see the guys until Cat kicked her chair. She turned around to glare at her friend and Cat nodded to the front, look. She turned again and her eyes widened. Three men stood at the front of the room speaking quietly with the professor.

The two faded into the background however as she caught the gaze of the third. He stood slightly aloof from the others. He had shaggy black hair; it fell into his eyes. And what eyes they were! He had the most incredible blue eyes that she had ever seen. They were a deep piercing blue.

His posture was relaxed but she could see the coiled energy in him. He was a born predator. His body looked solid; there was not an inch of fat on this boy. He stirred slightly and she was reminded of a tiger, perfectly calm, and even after being tamed, still a predator at heart. He licked his lips and she couldn’t help but notice that they were very kissable lips.

/This was a mistake,/ Garret thought as Brayden and Tristan influenced the teacher. He surveyed the class uninterested until he saw another vampire. He smiled a little. She was gorgeous. A wealth of wavy blonde hair cascaded down her shoulders. Her green eyes were wide as they met his.

He leaned against the doorframe and licked his lips finding that they were suddenly dry. He wished she’d stand up. He was dying to see her body. His smile turned slightly wicked as she looked away. He’d see it soon enough if he had his way. He turned to the teacher and added his own influence.

“Dante, please change seats,” the teacher said motioning the three men away.

/Jesse,/ Rowan repeated over and over again in her mind. Somehow that just didn’t help at all.

/Rowan, you okay?/ Cat inquired.

/Just peachy,/ she responded.

“Why do I have to move?” The annoyed voice of the boy next to her brought her back to herself. Rowan turned away from the man and looked at her book, hard, as though it carried all the secrets to life, which was silly since it was a math book. The guy next to her moved to the next row without another word. She glanced up at the mystery man wondering if he had anything to do with Calvin’s departure. He grinned wickedly and winked. She looked away again. He walked over to her and sat down.

“I’m Garret.” He smiled showing off boyish dimples. This distracted her from speaking for a few seconds.

“R-Rowan,” she murmured hating the hitch in her voice. His smile grew; apparently he heard it as well as she had.

“Pleased to meet you.” He took her hand in his and shook it formally, holding it longer than necessary. She turned and actually looked at the other two. The first was average height with blond hair which was cut pretty short and sky blue eyes. The other had brown hair, tied back in a simple ponytail. His eyes were very different though, they were a brown color, but at second glance they were blue.

/Tristan,/ the now hazel-eyed man said.

/I’m Brayden,/ the other announced with an easy smile. It was the smile of a guy who was completely confident and pretty happy.

/I’m Rowan,/ she replied. Rowan turned around as Tristan struck up a conversation with Cat. As she looked back at Garret, he was speaking quietly with the girl to his left, Sherrie as the professor went about his usual ten-minute preparations. She felt an inexplicable jealousy rise up inside her. She shook her head, trying to rid herself of those thoughts. /What he does was none of my business,/ she reasoned. /I’m perfectly happy with Jesse. Perfectly happy./

“So, you’re new,” Sherrie purred, purposefully positioning herself so her ample breasts were thrust towards him. Rowan rolled her eyes. Sherrie was the kind of girl that everyone knows. She always got her man, through any means necessary.

/Ick,/ Cat sent to Rowan, catching the move.

/Tell me about it,/ Rowan sent back. /Is she really this stupid? Of course he’s new; he just walked in!/

“Yeah,” Garret was saying when Rowan tuned into their conversation.

“Where’d you live before?”

“I moved around a lot.”

She frowned touching his hand sympathetically. “That’s so sad. Didn’t you ever have any friends?”

Garret glanced behind him at the two other guys and shook his head ruefully. “Nope.”
“I’d like to be your friend.” Rowan snorted. She couldn’t help it, Sherrie sounded like a porn movie reject.

/And for twenty bucks I’ll do a lot more than that,/ Cat mocked.

Rowan sent Cat her amusement. /Come on, Cat, you know she doesn’t have to be paid./ Immediately Rowan felt bad. /I shouldn’t have said that./

/Maybe not,/ Cat agreed. /But you’re right./

“I’ve never wanted a friend,” Garret sounded bored.

“Well, then, maybe we could be more than friends.” Garret’s brow arched, unable to believe that she had just come right out and said that.

/Is she for real?/ Garret’s mental voice was soft and gentle as it filled Rowan’s head.

Rowan grinned, hiding it by looking at her book. /If you mean her personality, then yes, yes she is./

He gave the mental impression of a puzzled frown. /What’s that supposed to mean?/

She looked up at him. /What I mean if that most of her is fake./ He glanced at Sherrie and looked her over slowly. She smiled at him preening.

/Huh. What about you, Rowan?/ Rowan gave him a dark look as his eyes swept over her green sweater. /Something wrong?/

/Keep doing that and you’ll find out./

He merely smirked, all male arrogance. /I’m rather curious. What exactly would you do?/

Rowan had always considered herself a nonviolent person. She always looked for a peaceful resolution. She didn’t know what came over her but she kicked him. He yelped grabbing his knee. She got a sort of sadistic joy seeing that. Luckily, she had the presence of mind to block Sherrie from seeing them. /That./

/I see./ His mental voice was perfectly calm but he looked furious.

/Row,/ Cat said surprised. /What was that?/

/He annoyed me,/ she responded calmly.

/I’ve annoyed you before; you’ve never kicked me./

/You aren’t an arrogant, too sexy for your own good, jerk... can you forget I said that middle part?/

/Not likely./ When class finally ended Rowan gathered her things and fled not knowing what had her acting so strangely.

“Rae!” She stopped walking and turned as Jesse rushed over to her. He was about six feet two and had just enough muscle. His blond hair was long, but styled and he had nice friendly blue eyes. He drove a Honda Civic. Everything about Jesse was safe and normal.

“Hi,” Rowan greeted with a smile.

He was the type of guy that most girls would dream of marrying. Oh, and lets not forget this: her wonderful high school boyfriend who never pressured her into sex was a human. He had no clue as to what she actually was. She didn’t like keeping secrets from her boyfriend but how does that come up in conversation: ‘how was your day, honey... by the way, have I mentioned that I’m a vampire? Just thought that you might want to know.’ She let Jesse kiss her. “Hey, I missed you.”

Rowan had to laugh. “You saw me two hours ago.”

“I still missed you,” he insisted smiling down at her. “Will you meet me for lunch?”

“I don’t have time,” she sighed, only half meaning the regret in her voice. In the past year Jesse and she had been growing apart and she had been hearing things about him and a girl who worked at the campus restaurant. She respected Jesse too much to read his mind and find out the truth, and she was half afraid of what that truth might be. Not many guys would put up with a girl who wouldn’t put out, especially after they had been together for so long. “Besides, I’m meeting the others in the quad to go over a new song, I already promised them I’d be there.”

He was visibly disappointed. “Tonight?”

“Band practice.”

Now he seemed slightly annoyed. “Rowan.”

“What?”

“You need to make time for me too.”

“I know,” she told him, “and I will. Later. Maybe this weekend.” She paused looking at her watch. “I have to get going. I have three minutes to get all the way across campus.”

“What about tonight?”

“I told you-”

“After that.”

“Huh?”

“After your practice. Come to my dorm. My roommate’s going to a party. He’ll be gone all night.”

Did we say: “never pressured her”? “I have an early class tomorrow. Rain check. Okay?”

“Do I have a choice?”

She smiled a little. “No. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Bye,” he said as she gave him a peck on the lips. She looked over and saw Garret watching them.

/Eavesdropping?/ she asked coolly.

He didn’t answer her question; he merely changed the subject. /A bloodbag?/ He asked derisively. /Oh, sweetheart, I thought that you’d be above that./ She bristled, both at the insult to her boyfriend and the term of endearment.

/Bite me./

She could feel Garret’s fully male amusement at that remark. /Mmm… I’d love to, where?/

She blushed at that looking away. /I suppose that the good new is that I don’t give a damn about what you think./ She got the impression of a mental chuckle as she strode away.

A couple hours later

Rowan met the others in the quad for lunch. To her intense annoyance Garret and his friends were there. Those kissable lips curved up in a smirk as she approached. “I didn’t know you’d be here,” he said smoothly.

“Ditto,” she said fixing him with a glare.

“Hey,” Cherish, the third of the small clan smiled dropping down in front of the others. Cherish’s light brown hair was almost down to her butt at this moment, but the coldest member of the vampire’s group, the one who fights first, asks questions later and rarely gives second chances was getting it cut next week, and donating the remains to Locks for Love. She yawned and stretched languidly before looking at the three men interested. “What’s up?” Brayden smiled back at her as Tristan settled back against the tree and closed his eyes.

Garret sighed not paying attention to Cherish. “If I’ve offended you, please allow me to apologize, that wasn’t what I wanted. I simply have a hard time believing that a beautiful woman like you could be stuck with a bloodbag.”

Rowan’s eyes narrowed, even as part of her melted, she had never been called beautiful before. “The “bloodbag’s” name is Jesse, and I’m not stuck with him, I stay with him by choice.”

Garret raised one eyebrow. “Really? I was watching you, Rowan, you didn’t exactly seem happy with him.”

“That is really none of your business.”

“My apologies,” he paused. “I seem to apologize to you a lot.”

“If you weren’t such a bastard you wouldn’t have to.” Another raised eyebrow. This time a smile tugged at the edge of his lips.

“She has you pegged, Gar,” Brayden smirked.

“I’ve told you before to never call me that,” Garret growled.

“And I’ve told you to keep dreaming,” Brayden retorted jovially completely unaffected by the annoyance the other man showed.

“I really don’t like you.”

“I really don’t care.”

“I’m sorry,” Cherish said. “But who are you people?”