With Blood Ch. 01

I took a breath and nodded in reassurance. "I'm alright. I was gonna apologize to her today, but it looks like she isn't in school."

Max raised his eyebrow. "What?"

"She wasn't in class today." Tim stated.

Max laughed. "Ever hear of new student

orientation?"

Tim and I both looked at each other. "You saw her today?" I demanded.

Max nodded. "Sure, actually if you two boneheads would turn around. I think she's coming to us."

My head whipped around so quickly I think I gave myself whiplash. Tim joined me and I heard Stacy giggle and mumble something to Todd. My heart jumped when I saw her, the living beauty walking toward our table with uncanny grace and pose. I suddenly pictured her in the dress from my dream. The style fit her like she belonged to it. I shook the image out of my head. Elizabeth actually wore a short skirt and matching red blouse today. Her stockings came up past her knees and prevented anyone from staring too hard at her nimble legs.

She looked at me as if I were her target, completely ignoring everything and everyone else around her. Tim must have seen her gaze, intent and almost cold, but completely meant for me and he slid himself out of her way.

She stopped in front of us, all stunned and maybe honored by her very nearness. "Jason right?" Again her voice filled me with a warmth that made me feel better than I've ever felt before.

I nodded. "Yeah." I breathed, my voice lost in my throat.

She heard me though. "Can I please speak with you?" She eyed the rest of my friends, her eyes passing over each of them only once before her focus was once again on me. "Alone."

I was only to eager to climb out of my seat. I turned back to the table quickly. "I'll be right back guys."

Stacy mouthed, "Good luck." And gave me a hopeful smile.

I turned back around to face Elizabeth but she was gone. How did she disappear every time I glanced away? I needed to put a bell on her or something. I found her heading out into the front courtyard and darted after her. Outside the fog bank was yet again just barely starting to burn off and the cool mist filled my lungs with every breath. I took several full gulps of the fresh moist air. I needed to slow my pulse and calm myself.

Elizabeth sat on the edge of the fountain her legs politely crossed while she waited for me to gather my nerves. I took a final breath of the cool misty air and went to meet my fate with Elizabeth.

"Hey Elizabeth. It's good to see you." I said.

She looked up at me, her golden eyes looking into my soul yet again. "I, uh." She paused and looked back down at her hands. She twisted her fingers nervously in her lap. "I'm sorry about, being so rude yesterday." She said.

I blinked, why would she apologize to me? I was the jerk that bothered her. "No, it's my fault. Really, I shouldn't have bothered you like that." I told her.

She laughed, a glorious musical sound to me ears. "Why do you have anything to be sorry about? I was a bitch."

"No." I said. "Never. I just figured you probably had a lot of harassment already that day. My buddy said he saw you staring at me in math and thought you'd be interested. That's really all it was."

She looked away from me, glancing over at the other students wandering around the campus. "He caught that huh?" She asked.

"Yeah, but hey it's ok. From someone as beautiful as you, I welcome the attention." I winced, what a cheesy thing to say.

Again she laughed. "You are something else." She told me. "I've never met someone who could make me laugh so easily."

"You show see my Woody Allen routine."

She raised her eyebrow. "I'll pass." She said with a chuckle. "Listen, I'm going to need help in math. Obviously I'm behind. So I thought maybe we could get together at your place or something tomorrow and catch up."

Inside my head I was dancing with joy. My imaginary self was screaming and laughing hysterically as he threw himself around in a pathetic attempt to dance. Outside I kept as calm as I could, no reason to freak her out.

"Elizabeth." I started.

She raised her hand and stopped me right there. "Eliza, please. Elizabeth makes me sound so seventeenth century."

I agreed. "Eliza. I'd love to help you in anyway I can. Want to meet up at my place around noon?"

She nodded and stood up. "Deal." She said with a smile and put her hand on my cheek. Her hand was cool against my cheek and again I felt my pulse begin to race. Then she was walking away, I stood there savoring her touch like a happily petted dog.

I snapped out of it in time to turn and see Eliza about to turn a corner. "Wait! You need directions right?" I called out to her.

"I know where it is." She called back to me.

I couldn't believe it, I had a study date with Eliza Worthington. I felt unbearable pride and my chest was swollen with it when I walked back to my lunch table.

Stacy beamed up to smile. She must have seen the huge grin on my face from across the room. I sat slowly down purposefully not saying anything just to mess with her.

"Well?" She finally demanded.

I looked around the table, all my friends awaiting my response. "I have a study date with her tomorrow. She's coming to my house at noon." I said happily.

They all cheered Tim elbowing me and cheering at me. "You lucky bastard." He cheered.

"That's so cool Jason, I'm happy for you." Stacy said, gripping my hand affectionately.

I blushed and accepted their praise willingly. It wasn't everyday I went out on a date, in fact my last one was in eighth grade and it was with Patty Jones. What a spoiled little monster she was. Now ironically Patty was on the cheerleading squad and still spoiled, maybe even more so now that she was the center of attention all the time.

The rest of the day seemed to crawl. Nothing could have been better than the conversation I had with Eliza at lunchtime. Not even watching a movie in history about the Civil War staring Mel Gibson. Oh, wait history was a nightmare!

As usual Tim met me in front of the parking lot and we walked to our cars together. "Man I can't believe you have a date with Elizabeth tomorrow. I'm so jealous." He told me.

"She likes to be called Eliza actually, and I can't believe it myself." I said. "I don't know man, I think I'm already crazy about her." I admitted. I had to tell someone, and Tim would at least let me get it off my chest without too much razzing.

We got to his Mom's Mazda first and he said. "Well, I wouldn't get too far ahead of yourself there champ. See what she's like outside of school then tell me what you think." He held up his hand to his face as if talking into a phone. "Call me Saturday night. Or Sunday morning, if you've really got a horseshoe up your butt." He laughed and climbed into his car.

I waved goodbye and walked to my truck.

I stopped short though as I saw what was parked next to my ratty out truck. Sitting in the space next to mine, with loud rock music that took me a second to recognize as Flyleaf, was a bright red Porsche Cayman S. As I walked behind the car to get to my truck the music went silent and Eliza poked her head out of the car.

I should have expected it was her car. A gorgeous car for a gorgeous girl, it seemed perfectly fitting for her. I wondered where she, or her parents mostly likely, got the money to blow on a car like that. Maybe her dad was a lawyer or something.

I smiled and tossed my back pack in the truck and looked back at her. "Nice car." I said.

She grinned. "A little homecoming gift I got." She said patting the door gently, as if she didn't want to risk denting the fiberglass. "Nice uh, truck." She said politely.

I shook my head. "No it's really not, but thank you."

She laughed. "So, I figured I'd just follow you home. That way I'll know how to get there, your up on Casitas Road right?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"Your friend Max is in my last class." She explained. "I got a little info out of him."

I rolled my eyes. "Nothing good I hope."

"Nothing at all." She agreed with a sweet smile. "Now get going."

I shut the door and fired up the truck. I rolled the window down to lean out and tease her. "I hope that little red thing can keep up." I called.

She just winked at me and darted out of the spot. Her car didn't even slow down as she hit the street and took off. I figured she would meet me near Casitas Road to find which house was actually mine, so I pulled out of the lot and went home as fast as I could get the truck to go.

As I thought I passed her car waiting for me just before Casitas to follow me. She let my poor truck pass before she pulled back onto the road and followed me the rest of the way home. I pulled into my driveway and killed the engine, I heard Eliza's car behind me purr to the side of the road and the engine shut off.

She met me on the driveway next to my truck as I dug my backpack from under the seat where it had fallen during the trip home. I saw her eyeing the home with a simple nod. The house wasn't much, built like a rectangle and painted a flat green color in a futile attempt to blend in with the trees and forest behind it. We had two bedrooms and one bathroom, which was more than enough for me and my dad to share comfortably. The kitchen had been redesigned by my dad shortly after we moved in and was outfitted with the best stainless steel appliances on the market. My dad didn't mess around with interior design or cooking for that matter. I was never much of a big eater despite the amazing things my dad could whip up on a given night.

"Nice little place." Eliza said. "I like how it sits right back against the forest like that."

I nodded and hefted my backpack on my shoulder before slamming my truck door shut. If you didn't slam it, it wouldn't stay shut. It was kind of a bad thing because my dad always knew when I saw home.

Thinking of the devil, my dad's big heavy duty truck pulled into the driveway right next to mine. "Oh my dad is home." I said with a little disappointment. I had been hoping for a little more time with Eliza today.

Eliza jumped back and waved at me. "I gotta get some errands done. I'll see you later, I know how to get here now." She said and darted back to her car.

My dad came around just as Eliza fired her car up and zipped down the street with a roar of her engine. "Who was that?" My dad asked, his tool belt squeaking as he walked.

"Uh, it's the new girl Eliza." I told him. "She is coming over tomorrow to study, and I'm gonna help her catch up."

My dad smiled. "Oh, so a new girlfriend." He laughed. "Man that's good to hear kiddo. Why did she take off so fast?"

I shook my head. "Said she had some errands to do." I looked at him. "And please don't call her my girlfriend dad. I don't want her to hear you say that."

He frowned at me. "You don't like her?"

"No I do, it's just I rather not scare her with the girlfriend word until it's a bit more true." I told him.

He laughed. "Teenagers. Alright well let me go get washed up and let's go grab some dinner out tonight to celebrate." He patted me on the shoulder and walked into the house.

My father loved to celebrate for everything. I think it was just his excuse to not cook once in a while. He always cooked, no matter how tired he was, but when he could find something to celebrate he took us to dinner at one of the many restaurants by the mall.

Tonight we went to the California Pizza Kitchen, a popular little sit down place that served what they called "gourmet" pizzas. I like the place though they had a pretty good tomato and basil pizza that I always got along with a small Caesar salad. Fortunately my dad didn't talk more about Eliza and we had a comfortable and mostly silent meal.

When we got home my dad went into the living room to watch TV, asking if I wanted to join him.

"I can't dad, I gotta study so I can help Eliza tomorrow." I told him. "Math isn't exactly my best subject."

He nodded. "Alright, but don't work to hard."

I assured him I wouldn't and headed to my room. More than likely my mind would wander and I would get caught up in a silly day dream or something foolish like that. I walked into my room and shut the door behind me, when I turned back around I nearly jumped out of my skin.

Eliza was sitting in my leather desk chair, reclining all the way back reading one of the vampire novels I kept on the bottom shelf of my bookcase. In her lap sat nearly every other vampire novel I owned. Most of them where all part of the same long running book series but there were some classics there as well. Eliza had her nose in 'Interview with the Vampire' by Anne Rice currently, chuckling softly as she glossed over the pages.

"How did you get in here?" I asked keeping my voice low. My heart trying to slow down from the fright she gave me. Yet just having her in my room was enough to keep my pulse racing

"Window was unlocked." She told me simply, not looking up from the book. "I wanted to surprise you when you got home."

I took a deep breath and shook my head. "Consider me surprised."

She looked up from the book and smiled. "I wonder if it would have killed you had I just been in a bathing suit, or less."

I tried to picture that, and found my mind instantly going somewhere unsafe fast.

I forced the picture from my mind and nodded. "Yeah, that would have probably killed me."

She turned her attention back to the book. "These vampire novels are very interesting. Lots of different ideas about the same thing. None of them are very accurate though."

I felt warmer just having her near. Almost like the other half of my soul had come together. What a fool I was for falling for someone so quickly and completely. Feelings like this were only described in romance novels to the damsel in distress, not to common high school guys. Somehow I didn't care about the way I felt. I liked the feeling and I would hold onto it as long as I could.

"Well, vampires have always been one of those fictional beings that people have so many different takes on. If everyone wrote them the same, the books wouldn't be as interesting would they?" I said sitting on my bed and pulling off my shoes.

"Fictional." She said the word as if it were an insult. "I guess your right." She closed the book and set it along with the pile in her lap neatly on my desk. "I'm sorry I snuck in and surprised you like that. It was wrong of me."

I laughed. "It's alright. Honestly I like having you around." I looked at her and gave her my best smile. "I feel so strange when you are near, warmer and happier."

She was silently still for just a second, and I thought I saw worry cross her face but she quickly smiled. "Well I was thinking about changing tomorrow's plans." She said.

A wave of panic washed over me. I didn't want her to cancel; I would study as long as I needed to so long as she still spent the day with me.

"Really?" I asked carefully.

"Well I figure its Saturday and hell you've been in school all week. Why don't we go see a movie instead?" She offered. She patted the books on the desk and eyed me. "There's that new vampire movie we could go see."

I was in shock. Her exact change of plans was exactly what Tim had been telling me to do the first day I spoke with her. It had to be a coincidence but at the same time I had a hard time believing that her plans could turn so suddenly.

She gave me a challenging look. "Unless you're scared."

I grinned. "You are so on. You're gonna be clinging to me by the end of that movie." Now that I said it I really wanted this movie to scare the pants out of her.

She leaned forward in the chair and narrowed her eyes at me. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you want me to be scared."

I glared back. "I think you want to want to be scared."

She stuck her tongue out at me and flopped back in the chair. "You are something else." She told me.

I raised an eyebrow. "Is that a good thing?"

She shrugged. "I'm very fascinated by you, it's odd. I've never been fascinated by a hu-," She paused. "Anyone, like I am with you."

I smiled and beamed with pride. "I'm honored."

She gave me a look. "I'm not so sure it's a good thing."

I frowned. "Well, I will promise to do my best at the movies. I'll be your rock, so if you get scared you'll have nothing to worry about." God I almost rolled my own eyes at the mushy crap I was spewing. I didn't understand what it was about her that made me act this way. Her eyes, her small but perfect frame she looked like I really could protect her. Why did I have such a drive to be with her, and to protect her? I didn't have an answer, maybe in time I would.

"I believe you." She said giving me a welcoming smile. She watched me intently, her hands resting perfectly still on her lap. I don't know how long she looked at me but she never once so much as fidgeted.

I was getting nervous just sitting there in the silence. Not that it was a bad silence, just the way she watched me made me feel like I had to say something or do something to entertain her in some way. Maybe just looking at me made her pleased enough though; she never once seemed to demand anything from me. After a moment I realized why I was so uneasy under her gaze. I didn't deserve such attention from her, I felt unworthy of her very presence but at the same time I didn't know if I could so without it.

I felt like I needed to say something, to break the silence in some way. "So how long have you been sitting here?" I asked.

She shrugged. "Since about the time you and your father went to, what was it? California Pizza Kitchen I believe."

I laughed, she'd been here at least two hours before I came back. "So you wanted to sneak through my room and learn more about me?"

"You can learn a lot of things about a person from the stuff they own." She touched the vampire novels on the desk. "These for instance, I found very pleasing."

I raised my eyebrow. "So you like Vampire novels too?"

She shook her head. "Too fictional, but I like your imagination."

Fictional struck me as such an odd choice of words for the books on my desk. Of course they were fiction, they were novels about vampires. I'd have to ask her about what she meant later. For now I was just happy to be having a conversation with her. Her voice was the most amazing sound I have ever heard and I wanted to listen to her for as long as I could.

"Are you nervous? That I'm here I mean." She asked, again she did not move an inch.

I thought about that. Was I nervous? I guess I was, a little bit, having Eliza alone in my room. She was still very much a mystery to me. I would figure her out, but for now I was settled to simply talk with her. "I think just a little bit." I told her.

She smirked. "Never had a girl alone in your room huh?" She smiled wider when I blushed.

I stood up and walked over to the desk, taking up the pile of books she had left there and started to put them back in order on the book case.

"Is that why you snuck in here? To see if I would get all embarrassed with a girl in my room or something." I said, trying not to sound too harsh. I didn't really care what she thought of my virginity or any of that. The man in me would not let me wave it off though, I had to get defensive the man code demanded it.

She didn't move an inch while I put the books away, she just watched with the same amused curiosity as ever. "I'm trying to figure out why you intrigue me so. There is a pull between us that I've never encountered before."

I nodded. I couldn't deny that something was pulling us together like the Moon to the Earth. I wondered which one of us was the Moon. "Maybe you're like me, crazy as a bat." I had a feeling I that I was the Moon.

She smiled. "Possible. I wouldn't use the term bat though."

I leaned against the desk looking down at her, my arms crossed over my chest. "I could always turn the tables on you." I suggested.