Requiem was staring up at the night sky, the stars twinkling and the moon bright and white and shining brightly in the sky. He sighed slightly, but happily, standing in the thin blanket of snow in the small field separating the large town of Redwood from the large neck of woods a half a mile away. His hands were shoved in the pockets of his fuzzy black coat with the big black buttons buttoned together in the front, and he was wearing a pair of gray and black pants with black books. He flipped his almost white hair from his eyes that twinkled their natural icy blue, but were hinting to become a bright red as the faint burning of hungry in his veins made him aware he was getting thirsty.

He knew the dawn was coming. He didn't sleep often, so at night, he walked around the woods like he enjoyed to do. Standing under the stars, sitting on a tree branch. School would begin, he would see his darling Tatiana and then the day would be simple but wonderful like it always was. Though, he did repent the smell of werewolf and the smell of the witch wasn't something he enjoyed since the smell was so strong... oh well. Tatiana was friends with those people, and he would respect that, no matter who they were and who they were dating. Peace was what mattered and all he wanted was Tatiana to be happy.

Maybe he should get her a necklace... a rare silver chain with a ruby pendant in the shape of a heart with pure silver around the edges. He knew of a good place in Italy he could order it from, and their initials would be made in the back. They weren't just dating, he and her were in a serious relationship. She deserved the very best, and he could provide it. Though he noticed she didn't always like to be spoiled, which was hard for him to control even though he wanted to spoil her like crazy. He fiddled with his black droid cell phone in his pocket and then he would turn back towards the town, his boots crunching softly in the snow. It was Friday now, 5 am to be exact. He knew Tatiana and her friends would wake up in a few hours, he would be at her door step ready to walk with her to his black convertible and drive her to school like he always did.

He sighed and then he blew the air out from his mouth, even if he never really had a heart beat pretending to breath helped him feel more normal, more human, even though he wasn't. He turned back towards the woods and then took a step and suddenly became a blur in the air. In an instant, he was on top of a large doe deer, an old one, and he had his large white sharp fangs stuck in it's throat and his eyes were glowing such a bright crimson red color, it could be used as a night lamp. He would then sit up, wiping the blood from his statue like fact and he stroked the deer's throat when his eyes faded back to an icy blue color. "Thank you.." he whispered in the dead deer's ear and he got up, dragging the deer away from the small path that had been made in the woods and he stroked it's side one more time.

The burning in his veins stopped and he smiled softly, his hands now in his pocket again as he made his way back towards Redwood, his boots crunching in the snow of the small field.

It was quite clear Tatiana wasn't going to be able to get any sleep tonight.She let out a deep sigh as she began to count the lines on the palm of her hand out of pure boredom.Her mom has sent her to her room for being late for her curfew...and from the rather large hickey on her neck..from a certain special someone.Her mother hated Requiem....simply hated him and seeing her daughter with him made her even more angry then usual.

She chuckled as she thought of her handsome and wonderful boyfriend.Was boyfriend even the right word for him?No...there relationship went much further and deeper then that.This wasn't simply a teenage infatuation that would wear off in a couple days.When she wasn't around him her heart felt less complete....less alive.

Her mother said this was obsession, that the both of the should separate before it got any worse.How could it get worse?Worse wasn't event the word for this....it was how could this get any better? He was smart,dashing,talented.Everything a girl could ask for.

As she rolled to her side and closed her eyes once more she smiled as she thought of him...and being able to see him once again.

Ana cringed at the loud clanking of another shot glass hitting the wall of her living room. Her mother was at it again but of course Ana was used to this routine. It was late and her mother was running out of alcohol. Of course, it's Ana's fault. Rolling her eyes, she leaned down to begin picking up the shattered pieces of glass, as her mother ranted on and on about how much of a brat she was.

"-and this fuckin' house! You just don't appreciate any got-damn thing around here, do you Ana! I do all the cleanin' around here and all the damn house work and what do you do? Toy around with that no good of a boyfriend of yours!" her mother shouted, as she began to pace back and forth, her cigarette dangling silently from the corner of her mouth.

At this point, any young teenage girl would lash out with anger, but Ana knew better. She kept silent, holding the thick pieces of glass in her hand as she made her way to the kitchen, her mothers voice fading. Silence; finally. Dropping the pieces of glass in the trash, she spent a few minutes straightening the mess her mother had made in the kitchen. Once she was finished, she walked back into the living room, her eyes falling onto her mothers limp body resting in the love seat, cigarette at its filter and no longer lit, but still hanging out of her mouth. Walking over, Ana removed the butt from between her mothers lips, setting it in the ashtray. As she stood over her, she could only begin to ponder. Did she love daddy this much? To go all nut-zo once he left? Tilting her head she leaned down, placing a kiss on her mothers forehead, watching her slightly grunt from the touch of her lips against her clammy skin. She loved her mother. Regardless.

Ana took her leave, making her way up the staircase to her bedroom. Passing through the hall, she opened her door and leaped for her bed, landing softly on her stomach, her arms folding and her chin resting on the top of her hands. Her eyes focused on the window, which showed nothing more than the dark night sky and a few twinkling stars. Rolling over on her back, she pulled her phone out of her jean pocket, lifting it in the air to get a view of the screen. No text.

Ella sneaked to her room holding her prize in her hand, a nice glass of ice tea. Avoiding the steps that squeaked, she made it to her room and grabbed a blanket to curl up in on the window seat. Looking out the window, she couldn’t help but feel anxious for morning to come. Another day, seeing friends, another chance to see Nogond. Ella leaned her head against the cool glass of the window. It better end up being a good day for her to get out in that cold snow and go to school. She loved living in Redwood, but she didn’t ever think she would get use to the cold.

Remembering her tea, she slowly finished it and sat it on her nightstand away from her latest book. Ella then pulled a couple of more blankets from her closet and piled a nice mound on her bed before curling up beneath them. “Much better already.” Smiling at the coziness, she started to drift off thinking of earlier that previous day. Her father came in late griping about his new job, just blowing off steam. Saying for us not to become attached to this cold place, start gaining too many friends, and going on how I shouldn’t as much as have a boyfriend and become too attached to the idea of staying. If only he knew that was all too late. Not wanting to cause problems, she left that tid bit out of sharing her life to her parents. Though she had a feeling her mother knew a little, she could never hide her true feelings from her mother; even if she never spoke a word about it.

Ella curled deeper under the covers and sighed. Yes, daylight would bring a much nicer day; but first she had to catch as much sleep as she could before that awful alarm clock went off.

Nogond was walking down in the city at night. The sky was filled with stars, but Nogond didn't care about it all he wanted was a good fight before dawn arrived. He couldn't wait for the new day to arrive since he would meet his love, Ella.
Ella was the first mortal that he had ever liked. He didn't what in her made his demonic heart soften but he couldn't get enough of her, it could be her drawings and her skill playing the piano that had softened him. Still it didn't matter as long as he had her.
He took out his Iphone and looked at the screen. "Damn" He thought, it would be a few hours before the sun would rise and could meet his love and bring her his latest gifts. He had bought a necklace with a large emerald and some book about manga. He hoped she would like it otherwise he would have to replace them with something else.
As he continued walk down the street he saw that some people were fighting and people were betting on the outcome. Having finally found what he was looking for he went closer and asked if he could join in.
After effortlessly winning a few fights he decided to return home and rest for a few hour before dawn.

Requiem kept walking, the wind blowing through his hair as his icy blue eyes seemed to glow when he saw the sun's light barely breaking the surface of the horizon. He glanced down towards the road, and then he walked past his own large black mansion like house that he and his butler James resided in. His parents and family were back in Romania, and one of his sister's lived in New York City but he kept in contact with all of them when he could. They were going to come visit Tatiana soon, and he hoped it would go well. He knew they would probably love her.

He would keep walking as he went up the steps of the large house and the door opened before he made it there. James stood, 6"4 with long white hair and a serious but calm face, wearing proper attire and he smiled softly. "Mr. Blacke, I have your bag from school and it has your lunch in it." he said, handing a large black messenger back to Requiem.

"Thank you, James. I appreciate it." he smiled and James laughed lightly.

"Have a good day at school, Mr. Blacke. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me." James twirled his own cell phone in his fingers and Requiem smiled at him. "Also... your brother Ray called earlier. He was wondering when he should come down and visit, I told him you would call him back when you had the time." James said, his voice calm. Requiem sighed. Ray wasn't the best brother to have around when his parents weren't though. He hated werewolves and he hated demons, any other creature that wasn't a family-born pure-blood vampire. It made it difficult for Requiem to stay in one place very long because Ray would start these battles and it was so irritating.

"Ah... thank you, James. I shall call him back later." Requiem smiled and then he walked over to the driveway where snow was a light sheet over a small bit of ice. He pulled out his car keys and unlocked the doors, putting his messenger bag in the back seat and then he climbed into the driver's seat, all the doors shut and locked. He stepped on the gas and pulled out of the driveway and drove smoothly down the road, passing some other elegant houses but his was the biggest, a perfect place for parties. Tatiana had wanted a party... he knew that, and he was determined to throw one for her soon. He kept driving calmly until he turned on the gas and went faster now before he pulled onto the side of the street right up near Tatiana's house. He only had a while to wait before she came out, they could get coffee or something and head off to school.

He stared up at her house and then rested his head on the back of the seat and closed his eyes.

Maria could feel the snow crunching under her feet as she chased him, he was running from her, though he didn't stand a chance. She was faster than him, she was stronger than him, and if he hid, she could smell him. It was useless for him to resist, really. She stopped suddenly, she though that she'd lost him. She sniffed the air for a moment, found him. She ran off towards his smell. That's when it happened, she had him cornered. As she began to walk towards him, he started begging, pleading with her that if she understood a word of what was said, that she would spare him. He had a wife, and kids. Maria had no time to listen to his whining, the sun was coming up....

Maria woke up with a start, breathing very heavily. After looking around her room, she let out a sigh of relief, it was just a dream, nothing more. That's what she told herself, but she had a hard time believing it. That was far to vivid to be a dream, it felt more like a...Memory. She shook her head and looked at the clock, it was early, but she could already tell she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. Actually, after that dream, she wanted to go vomit. She closed her eyes and brought her knees to her chest, waiting for the feeling to pass. She knew it would, it had too.

To help calm herself down, she started to think about Christopher, that normally helped. She couldn't help but smile at the thought of her boyfriend, he was too nice sometimes, but her parents liked him. She was glad she wasn't dating someone her parents couldn't stand, she wouldn't be able to do that. She flopped back so she was laying down, bored already. She kicked her feet in the air, she hated when she woke up hours before school, it drove her crazy. She decided that she may as well go ahead and get ready. It wouldn't hurt anything, after all.

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Ali sighed as he got out from behind his desk, having finally finished the homework assignments he had let pile up. He shook his head, he was tired. He had worked that afternoon and spent hours finishing up homework, he realized he hadn't even talked to Ana all day, not really. He frowned and crossed his arms, if it was anyone else, he would worry that they may think he was ignoring them. But this was Ana, she was the most understanding person on the planet. He looked at his clock, if he went to bed, he would be able to at least get some sleep.

So there he lay, sprawled out across his bed. Finding himself unable to sleep without contacting Ana. He got up and grabbed his phone, deciding to send her a quick text-message, thinking that even if she didn't get it tonight, she'd see it in the morning. He sat down on his bed and sent a quick message: Hey, babe. Just wanted to say goodnight before I go to sleep. Sorry I've been so busy lately, my job sucks. Well, guess I'll see you at school. Love ya!

And with that the message was sent, his phone was silenced and tossed on the floor, and Ali was out like a lamp.

Nogond stared out the window, the sun was up and it was about time to go to school. As he stared into the fire of the sun he was reminded of Hell. "Can't wait to get back." he thought to himself as he laid in the bed thinking. He got up from the bed and got ready to go to school. He took out his phone and sent a text to Ella if he should pick her up and drive her to school. After he had sent the message a smell of brimstone appeared in the room. He looked around in panic to see where the smell was coming from since when a demon is summoned the portal smells of brimstone. As quickly as the smell had arrived it disappeared again and he heard a sound coming from behind him. He quickly changed into his demon form and drew his blades and turned around seeing two demon assassins standing behind him. The demons drew their blades and attacked him. Nogond looked at the demons and chuckled a bit. Those two assassins were rookies and he was a great demon lord so the fight was rather one sided.
After dealing with the nuisance he walked out the door into the garage where one of his most prized possessions was parked. It was a grey Ferrari 612 Scaglietti that he had recently bought.
He sat in the car and waited for a reply from Ella if he was going to pick her up.

Tatiana woke up from the sound of her mother turning on the blender.She rolled her eyes and then got up from her bed stretching a bit before getting up and walking to her closet.Her mother at the moment was on a health food kick.All the food they had in the house was organic,and there wasn't any meat either.She let out a long sad sigh as she began thinking of when the last time her mother had bought a burger was.She shook her head and then began to examine her closet searching for the perfect outfit.She finally decided on a long sleeve green sweater and a pair on skinny jeans.After putting on a pair of Uggs she ran downstairs to find her Mom making up some type of...green concoction in the blender."Morning hun, I made something delicious today so just grab a glass and then we can have breakfast!"Her mom said excitedly as she pointed to the cabinet.Tatiana smiled like she always did to her mother, never wanting to hurt her feelings about anything."Actually Mom I did have seconds last night of your..vegetable casserole so I think I'm good for right now.Thanks though!"She said as she quickly grabbed her black backpack then turned to give her mother a small kiss on the cheek."Alright alright, you coming straight home after school right?"Her mom asked her with a stern face, a look that said."Argue at your own peril." Tatiana stopped in her tracks as she went to the door."Well...actually I might go do something with...uhm..."She didn't want to say his name, she knew it would only make her Mom angry."Fine fine go with the freaky boy...but 7pm Tatty or I swear!" Her mother yelled the last words as Tatiana ran to the door and towards the familiar vehicle.

Ana was sure enough knocked out faster than she had expected and was off into a deep slumber. How delightful it felt to rest the bones. In her mind, all was clear and not a single worry as she drifted into a dream. Hopefully tonight, it would have him in it. No more turtles, please. Rolling over back and forth, time passed and eventually she was awakened by such an annoying beeping noise. And then of course, there was that still small voice. Leave him. You're only going to hurt him. Her eyes fluttered open quickly, the soft light peering through her curtains. It was never too bright in Alaska and well, that's how she liked it. Sitting up with a loud grunt, she rubbed her eyes and stretched out her arms upwards. These stupid voices errked her, but she simply brushed it off by justifying it was all in her imagination. Standing to her feet, she noticed she was still dressed in yesterdays clothes. Fantastic.

Walking to her bathroom, she did what any girl who was late for class would do; take forever in the shower, even if it cost her grade. Showering and grooming, she was back in her room putting on a pair of thick brown tights, and a loose fitting yellow dress which she secured around her frame with a belt right in the middle. She was well.. simple. She wasn't extravagant at all. No make-up today, she wasn't in the mood. And as for her hair? Well, the shower water gave it a natural wave. No need for brushing. A glance in the mirror caused her to gaze much longer.

"M-my eyes.." she whispered under her breath as she leaned in closer.

She was so used to seeing a friendly brown gaze stare back at her, but she noticed her eyes were gaining the oddest orange rim. She knew she was changing, but that she kept to herself. Sure, she has experience the often levitating pencil or the slamming of doors or even the voices which she has tried to deny. Shaking it off, she only prayed no one would notice. She didn't need to be seen as a freak. She had enough labels already. Grabbing her books, she stuffed them into her large purse, slinging it over her shoulder. Before walking out, she grabbed her phone, opening it to see a text from Ali right after she must have fallen asleep. With a smile, she replied.

gaahh sorri, i fell asleep early lastnight! mom was at it again >_< but! i will see you in just a bit k?

She paused in her text.. he always said the 'i love ya' part which put her in a stuck mode. She did love him. But lately, she's been scared to follow through with that feeling. This would probably be the first time she hasn't said it. She finished the text.

gaahh sorri, i fell asleep early lastnight! mom was at it again >_< but! i will see you in just a bit k? .. ttyl

She left her room, and left her house not bothering to look at her mother who was most likely, still sleep. Kicking the snow with her boots, she headed down the snow covered sidewalk, her head down as she began to approach Ali's house.

Ella woke with a start as her phone gave off a sound. “What in the world…” Seeing a text from Nogond, she bolted upright from her mound of blankets and read it quickly.

Of course I want a ride, there’s no way I’d want to walk in this cold snow! If the heater’s on, I’ll be forever grateful :P See you in a bit.

This morning was definitely getting off to a good start today. Untangling her way from the covers, Ella hurried over to her closet and started digging through layers of clothes. Finally finding a green tank and a button up top to go over it, she started tugging out layers of jackets and her jeans. “They really need to make a jacket with a heater inside it one of these days.” Trying to get her makeup and jewelry fixed just right to see Nogond, Ella was finally happy with it and looked at the clock. “What…How…It can’t be that late!” realizing she must have forgot to set her alarm, and the text is the only thing that woke her up; Ella bounded down the stairs with her bag. “Hi Mom. Forgot the alarm again, so just tea and a granola this morning.” Grabbing her prizes, her mother told Ella her father already left for the morning so she can wait inside. With her mother giving a knowing smile, Ella knew she was referring to how she waits outside so her father won’t see her get in the car with a guy. “Ok, thanks Mom.” Finishing up her quick breakfast, she spotted her dog Twilight waltzing in yawning. “Morning Twi, glad to see I’m not the only one sleeping. C’mere!“ Grabbing the husky, Ella planted a kiss on Twilight’s forehead. “Now you be a good girl and let me know when you know who gets here.” Ella whispered into the dog’s ear, knowing Twi would sense him drive up. She couldn’t wait for her love to show up.

[[ooc: I won't be back until late tonight probably. Halloween and all.]]

Requiem had been sifting through his bag, taking out his lunch and seeing some raw bloody steak in a container and a large bottle of blood. He smiled. James always took good care of him. He saw his special journals and books and pencils in their case, and he was satisfied to touch his black journal for personal writing and feel the cool leather material beneath his pale fingertips. He heard a door open and then shut firmly.

Requiem glanced to see Tatiana running towards his car and he smiled, getting out of his side and walking over to her side and he opened the door for her. "Good morning, love. How did you sleep? Is your mother well?" he asked, smiling softly at her.

The sound of crunching snow under the tires of his cycle, the cold wind wiping in his face as he rode. It wasn't the most morally ethical job or the safest job at times, today he would go to school with a broken lip and bruised torso over a package being slightly delayed. A courier service with complete discretion on anything delivered some of the jobs were ok just delivering science samples between laboratories, but sometime he praised that his job did not involve knowing what the package was. His boss wasn't the best woman to work for either. Despite this he had to continue for his mothers sake.

He pulled up to his home as quietly as he could turning the engine off and cruising up the driveway. What time was it anyway? he took out his cell to check the time, it wasn't anything fancy just a standard flip phone. 'Hmm I'll be able to get a couple of hours of sleep, more like a nap really. He snuck around his own house like a thief trying his best to not wake his mom. he succeeded this time, but anymore late nights like this and he would get scolded. In his bathroom he cleaned his cut lip and took a quick shower to get into the warmness of his bed as soon as possible.

Sleep soon came to him and with dreams of Maria, but this wasn't the normal good dreams he usually had, this was a nightmare. She seemed so distant an no matter how he tried to get closer she seemed to continue to drift away. Eventually he just fell away which caused him to wake. Again he looked to the phone for the time. 30 minutes from the time he wanted to wake up, might as well get ready. Before beginning however he texted Maria with the dream still in the back of his mind.
"Hey Love. Quieres que te lleve a la escuela?"

Maria was frustrated, her stupid hair wouldn't stop sticking up, no matter what she did to it, besides a ponytail, and she really didn't want to put her hair in a ponytail. But she ended up doing so, anyway. She sighed, she had gotten completely ready and still had about an hour an a half before school, so she decided to check her homework and such, which she only ever did when she absolutely nothing to do.

And so she sat a while later, having lost all interest in checking her homework and differed her attention to the computer sitting in the living room downstairs. She searched through facebook, hoping to find something to occupy her without wasting a huge chunk of her time. Then her phone started to vibrate on the desk, she checked it and smiled at the message from Christopher, sending back a quick, Buenos días, cariño! ¡Por supuesto! And deciding to get some breakfast, realizing only then that she was hungry.

As she got up from the computer she heard her dad come down the stairs, he looked shocked to see his daughter up so soon, looking cheery and waving. He shook his head, no doubt thinking of how he still didn't understand teenage girls. Maria ran she gave him a quick hug before running to the kitchen to make herself some food, she opted for cereal. Quick and easy. After that she went up to her room, passing her last brother that still lived there as he groggily awoke, and got her things together.

After haphazardly throwing her things into her backpack, Maria went back downstairs sat in front of a window, ready to get up and go as soon as Christopher got there. Her mother placed a coat on her lap as she sat, winking at her when she looked up. Maria shook her head, she hated coats.

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Ali woke up to the sound of his alarm's harsh beeping. His hand went to his bedside table and searched for a bit before he remembered, He had moved it to his desk so he would have to get up to turn it off. He hated himself sometimes. He yawned and lazily strode over to it, smacking it violently once he reached it. There, he thought, That solves that problem! He shook his head, he was awake now. He walked over to Stanley's cage, bent down to look at him and smiled. He loved his pet turtle, all turtles really. He thought of them as fascinating creatures rather than...Whatever Ana thought they where.

He shook his head and grabbed some clothes, putting them on quickly. He then grabbed his backpack and put all his stuff back in it. So he could leave his room to grab a quick bite to eat. He grabbed his phone off the floor on his way out, switching it to vibrate and looking at it for a moment. It was funny, really. He figured he was the only kid at his school whose phone didn't even have a camera. He shook his head and shoved the phone into his pocket.

He went straight to the kitchen and deposited his backpack onto one of the chairs sitting there before making himself some toast. After eating his toast (With grape jelly, I might add) He grabbed some food for Stanley and went back to his room to put the food in his turtle's cage. He then went to brush his teeth, his phone vibrating as he did so. So he did what any teenager would do, held the toothbrush in his mouth so he could properly text, as he was sure that he had gotten a text message. He was right. He scanned the text and couldn't help but frown a little, he wondered if something was wrong, Ana always texted that she loved him too. He shook his head as he stuck his phone back in his pocket, she probably just thought he didn't really notice that sort of thing. He was a guy. After he finished up he ran to the door, grabbing his backpack on the way. He pulled his boots on as quickly as he could and went out the door. Standing outside to wait for Ana, snow already sticking to the toes of his boots.

Nogond saw the text and started the engine of the car and it started spinning which made a feeling of calmness. He slowly backed the car out of the driveway and started driving towards Ella's house.
He had the presents he was supposed to give her and some dog treats for the dog with him. Hopefully the dog wouldn't go as crazy as it had one time when it nearly jumped on him and mauled his face. Luckily Ell had been close that time and stopped the dog.
When he got close to her house him he jumped out the car and rang on the bell. When he rang the bell he could hear a dog barking and growling. Still he didn't need to be afraid he was a demon and it was a dog. He hoped it would be Ella that opened the door since he didn't like her parents.

"What's wrong with me." she mumbled under her breath as she kicked the snow with her boots as she walked.

Stuffing her hands into the pockets of her dress, she couldn't help but to think of all the negative things lately. It was almost as if she was being driven insane by these voices and these dreams. Driven insane by her own insanity.. well, at least she thought she was going insane. Raising her head, she looked forward to Ali's house as she watched him slowly make his way down the porch and closer to the sidewalk. So much for meeting half way. She smiled at the thought. She picked up her pace as she swallowed her hesitation, taking out her hands, one hand holding onto the strap of her purse. Her eyes lit up and her smile widened once she was in front of him. Letting her arms fly free, she swung them around his neck as she stood on her tippy toes. He was quite taller than her, which she didn't mind. She truly loved everything about him. She held on to him tight, as if she didn't want to ever let go, her head resting on his chest. Taking in a deep breath, she closed her eyes.

"Is it too soon to say I missed you?" she questioned, pulling away and grabbing his hand.

It had only been a 24 hours or maybe more since she last seen him, and she was already craving his affection. Though still, in the back of her mind she had this urge to pull away. She shook that off, the thought making her hold on to his hand tighter as she pulled him gently to the sidewalk, walking along his side.

"So.. my my mom. Should I tell you what happened last night?" she said, rolling her eyes looking ahead. "I'm starting to think she's the reason I'm loosing my mind. I mean, I come home, cook dinner, I clean and she just.. blows up." she shook her head with a puzzled look on her face, "I mean, its obvious I'm not the one to blame for the reason she is the way she is. But after years of having to go through this, I actually think I am starting to blame myself."

She leaned in closer to him, her hand leaving his and her arm now locking around his. She leaned her head slightly on his arm as they walked.

"Tell me.. tell me again." she paused, "Tell me I'm not crazy."

Chris took another shower a far more through one this time, taking it easy on the still bruised parts of his torso. Every morning for the past few months Chris has a routine going: Shower, bathroom, get dressed, cook breakfast for two, check on mom, and head for school. It served him well and he hoped it would continue. By the time he received the text from maria he was bring breakfast to his mom in bed. His mother was incredibly ill, she had cancer, and was still undergoing chemo treatments. As he set down the tray with the food next to his mothers beside she awoke. “Tenga un buen día en la escuela. Te quiero.” she said weakly before he smiled at her and laid a kiss on her fore head. “Buena salud mamá.” he said leaving her room.

He got the chance to reply to Maria with “Voy a ir a recogerte ahora mi amor. Nos vemos en unos minutos. Te quiero.” With his bag already prepared and bundled up for a cold Alaskan morning Chris headed out the door to his bike and started it up. A lot of people thought he was crazy fro driving a bike in Alaska, but it wasn't like he could afford to buy his own car and besides it used to belong to his father, and it was one of the few keepsakes he had of him.

Soon he came down the street were Maria lived and parked on the side walk. He got off to walk to Maria's front door, he thought he was on of the few boyfriends in the world that parents approved of. At the door he rang the bell a scarf hiding his face a busted lip for now. He began to think of a good excuse to tell Maria so she wouldn't worry.

Ella jumped at the sound of Twilight barking and the door bell ringing. “Dang it! Sit still for five minutes and I’m already dozing off.” Grabbing her bag and layering on a few coats; Ella stopped by the kitchen and gave her mother a quick hug and kiss before heading towards the door. “Ok Twi, I get the message. He’s outside the door. Now just cool it; I love the both of you so please don’t eat him alive.” Scooting the dog aside, Ella had to try very hard to not start bouncing and smiling like an idiot. “Now just calm down,” she told herself, “You don’t want to look like a crazy idiot…just keep it down to crazy.”

As Ella opened the door, she couldn’t stop the smile that lit her face at the sight of Nogond. She had never had a boyfriend before, but she knew Nogond was more than that when she met him. She wasn’t just in love with him; no, he was her love. Still nervous on what to do around him, or how to act; she just knew she always wanted to be with him, to be close to him. Even if she didn’t always know what to say, that’s all she needed. “You. Are. A. Lifesaver. The ground’s white so it is far too cold for my taste.” Before she could say anything else, Twilight was growling and rushed out the door; only to slide on a patch of ice and right into Ella, knocking her off her already non-existent balance and right into Nogond. Blushing, she tried to regain her balance without face-planting in the snow. “Twi! You little runt, you’ve been around me way too much.”

Maria smiled at the second text Christopher had sent her, she wondered if he really knew how happy him saying loved her really made her. She waited there at the window, swinging her legs impatiently. She would've gotten up and ran out the door as soon as Christopher pulled up, had her mother not stopped her, saying: "María, cariño. Usted no quiere parecer desesperada, por lo menos lo dejó tocar el timbre." with a wink before she went to the kitchen. Maria laughed, though her mother did have a point. Though she suspected that Chris would be used to her running out to greet him before he even had a chance to get off his bike. So when the doorbell rang she hopped up to get it, only to be beaten by her older brother, Alejandro. She crossed her arms as he grinned and patted Chris on the shoulder saying, "Buenos días, amigo. Vea si usted puede conseguir a María que ponerse abrigo de hoy, ¿de acuerdo?" Then he grinned and added, "Ahora me voy a ir antes de que mi hermana se las arregla para matarme con ella el resplandor de la muerte." He then held his hands up and backed away, revealing a glaring Maria out from behind him.

Maria shook her head and gave Christopher a hug saying, "¿No es increíble lo que puede esconderse detrás de mis hermanos? Apuesto a que ni siquiera me ve!" And giggling slightly. She then waved back at her family, sticking her tongue out at Alejandro, and said, "¡Adiós! Te veo más tarde!" A mixed response of goodbyes and reminders to wear a coat was shouted back in response. She then grabbed Christopher's hand and led him back towards his bike. She grinned at him, "Mi familia te ama, ¿lo sabías?"

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Ali was kind of off in his own little world, thinking. He didn't even notice Ana until she was practically right in front of him, but the sight of her made his entire face light up. As she wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her into a tight hug, leaning down slightly so he could rest his chin on the top of her head. He loved moments like these, how could he not? He was sad to let go, but he knew he had to, or else they would never get to school. So when Ana started to pull away, he let her free, if not a bit reluctantly, but he was sure she was used to that. He shook his head at her question, answering with a, "No, I missed you too." As he walked down to the sidewalk, well, more like he was led to the sidewalk.

He let out a barely audible at her question, one would have to be extremely used, or close, to him to even notice it. Now, it wasn't a 'I can't believe you're even bringing this up again' kind of sigh. It was more of a, 'I'm sorry you have to go through that shit.' Sort of a sigh. Ana had told him about how her mom acted a few times before, and it shocked him. He had such a perfect mother compared to Ana's, he had realized, and while he knew Ana wasn't bitter or angry, he did wish she would stand up for herself a little. But, instead of speaking any one of the thoughts that popped into his head, he let Ana finish.

He shook his head and stole a glance at her before speaking wondering why it was she insisted she was crazy, "Darling, you aren't crazy. You know that." He sighed, louder this time, "And you know you can tell me anything, don't you?" That was his way of telling her to go ahead and tell him what her mom did, if she wants.

Nogond just smiled at Ella when she fell into his arms. It was the first time in his century long exile he had ever had a girlfriend. He looked her in her blue eyes and said, "I have a small present for you." and pulled out an expensive emerald necklace out of his pocket and showed it to her. He hoped with his whole demonic heart that she would like it. Suddenly he heard a bark from Ella's dog, feeling mildly iritated he threw a dog treat to it and said," Happy now?" and looked back at Ella waiting for her reaction before the got into the car.

Chris was a little surprised when Maria's brother, Alejandro, answer the door. "Buenos días a usted también." he replied before he asked the question. Could he get Maria to wear her coat today? He could sure try, but it wasn't like she did whatever he told her. Before he could answer however he stepped aside to reveal Maria behind him giving her brother a stare that communicated annoyance, Chris smiled as his eyes came onto her. Soon after she jumped at the chance and gave Chris a loving hug and with a smile still on his face he hugged back trying hard not to show the immense amount of pain he was feeling, a barley audible wince was all that escaped him. "Es cierto yo no te vi detrás de su hermano." As she grabbed his hand, Chris let himself be lead back to his bike. "Yo sí lo sé Maria, pero tal vez debería poner su abrigo. Por lo menos hasta que lleguemos a la escuela." As he said this he got onto his bike holding out a helmet for Maria.

Ella could have sworn her heart stopped when Nogond smiled, but her train of thought switched over when he mentioned a small present. Now he had her curiosity up and her full attention. As he pulled out the emerald necklace, Ella was speechless at first. It looked beautiful…and expensive. Expensive always made her nervous, but she really did love it. “Nogond… It’s beautiful…You really shouldn’t have…” Giving up on giving up on trying to speak in a complete sentence, Ella gently took the necklace from him and smiled. “Thank you, I love it.” Putting it on, she would have thrown her arms around him. But with them being so close to the house she couldn’t risk being seen by nosy neighbors. Laughing at Twilight and Nogond’s obvious irritation to each other, she caught a glimpse of her clock. “We’re going to be late at this rate! Ok Twi, furry behind back in the house.” Pushing the dog back into the house and shutting the door to continuous barking, Ella grabbed Nogond’s hand and started towards the car. This would just have to do for now. Once she was in the car, Ella immediately got as close to the heater vent as she could. “Why does it have be so darn cold in the mornings. Isn’t mornings bad enough on their own.” Glancing over at the driver’s seat, Ella couldn’t help but think mornings weren’t exactly all that bad. “So how was your night?”

Tatiana sighed as she moved to go into the car."I slept...alright I suppose.What about you?"She said as she leaned over and gave him a small peck on the cheek.She might have kissed him on the lips if they were alone but today his driver was taking them to school.She let out a sigh as she took off her back pack and set it down on the ground.As soon as it landed something inside the backpack made a loud noise."What the hell..."She said as she unzipped her backpack and revealed a large thermos that she guessed her mother had snuck in before she had woken up this morning."Well...it shows that she cares at least..."She said smiling slightly.

Nogond smiled at Ella's complaints about the cold and when he heard her question about his night he felt confused on what to say, should he lie or tell the truth. He decided to compromise by skipping a few parts and said, "Well I was up all night thinking about you and didn't sleep, but don't worry I don't need to sleep." The part about him street fighting wasn't something she needed to know.
When he looked at her face he wondered if he should show her what he really was, but the fear of being rejected kept him from doing it.
He started to drive the car to the school, when he had driven for a while he said to her, "Can i pick you up after school? There is something I need to tell you." He had decided to tell her the truth about his demonic existence.

Ana lifted her head up from Ali's shoulder and shook it as her eyes laid flat to the snow covered concrete.

"No.. I-I'd rather not even talk about it." she said lowly, her arm loosing up from around his. "Don't worry about it, it's nothing. I wanna' have a good day today. Without worrying about her and all the drama at home."

They continued towards the school as they moved in a slow pace. She enjoyed every moment she got to spend with him. Of course, why wouldn't she. He was her escape from reality. Her escape from all things.. bad. He was perfect in her eyes. Though she has told him that plenty of times, he always trys to convince her that he has one too many flaws to be anything next to perfect. Ana saw otherwise through her eyes.. Eyes.. She bit her lip, remembering her reflection she had seen this morning.

"Ali.. d-do you believe in like.. uhm, magic?" she questioned, quickly giving her reason why she was asking, "I mean it's just a question. You know we watch all these movies about witches and demons and vampires and all that junk.." she softly gulped before continuing, "but do you think its possible that maybe there are actually people who have supernatural abilities.. I mean not like superman or nothing like that! I mean, people who can conjure spells or maybe put a hex on someone.. or like, move things or maybe like.." she paused, noticing she was rambling.

It brought a smile to her face, noticing how stupid she was probably sounding. Her eyes shot up towards the school, barley and student outside, since they were all probably in class by now.