Just the Boyfriend

By PJ Smith

Staying hidden from Darkness is no easy task. To remain safe until she's old enough to rule, Jewell and her Stones send themselves to a protected school where admittance comes at a price. For the second time in her life, Jewell's identity and memories are hidden from her and she must find a way to reconnect with old friends, get her memories back and learn to live with predators of the night.

• Language: English
• Publisher: PJ Smith
• Release date: Nov 23, 2020
• ISBN: 9781005722074

Book preview

Map of Solva

Map of the School

CHAPTER 1

White

White.

All I could see was white.

I had no idea where I was or how I got here, but wherever I was, it was most certainly white.

I was lying on my back and had a perfect view of the bright white ceiling and with just the slightest turn of the head, I established the walls were painted to match.

I gradually sat up and heard a crinkling underneath me. A glance down confirmed the paper underneath me was also white.

Upon further inspection of the room, I could see it was indeed white. The countertops? White. The cupboards hanging above said countertops? White. The tiled floor? White.

And across the room sitting on top of the white countertops? Clear jars with bandages, flat wooden sticks and white cotton balls. If I were thinking sensibly right now, I would say, of course the cotton balls are white; what other color would they be? but I was feeling a bit anxious and rational thinking was not my top priority; it was figuring out where I was and how I got here.

After taking a few calming deep breaths, I realized the cotton balls and bandages were here for a reason, and I must be in a medical office. I wondered again how I got here. Had I been in some kind of accident? I couldn’t seem to remember a thing before opening my eyes a moment ago, including my own name.

Maybe I was in an accident and hit my head and now had amnesia?

A light knock at the door had me jerking my head sharply to the right and away from the cotton balls and bandages. I watched as the door opened slowly and a petite lady entered. She was friendly-looking (if the smile on her face was any indication) and extremely pretty, with short brown hair.

How are you feeling, dear? she asked.

Stranger-danger came to mind for some reason, which had me holding my tongue. I had no clue where I was and I had to admit I was feeling a bit more than anxious now (despite the fact the lady had a warm smile and was friendly-looking).

I know it’s hard at first and can seem confusing, but you’ll get used to it shortly. Don’t worry. I’ve checked you over, and everything seems to be in fine working condition. You aren’t hurt in any way.

I disagreed with her assessment. I most certainly was not in fine working condition because I couldn’t recall one thing about myself and was now confident that I was suffering from amnesia. I didn’t tell her this, though, and continued to remain silent.

The lady stepped closer to me. She continued to smile warmly and gently tucked my hair behind my ear as she asked, Are you okay, dear?

The gesture was kind, and her concern seemed so genuine, I decided to throw caution to the wind and trust her with how I felt.

I’m scared, I said. I don’t know where I am. And I think I have amnesia.

My voice sounded unfamiliar. I knew it was my voice but I couldn’t remember ever hearing it before.

And everything is so white, I added for some odd reason.

I know, dear, she responded, easing my concerns almost immediately with her compassionate tone. "This room is white! I’ve ordered some blue paint to give it a splash of color."

Her response startled me and I let out a slight laugh-snort. I couldn’t help it. It was funny. I was scared out of my mind because I didn’t know where I was or even who I was, and instead of trying to comfort me, the lady chose to address my comment about the room being white.

She smiled.

I’m sorry, I couldn’t help it. In all seriousness, the director will be in shortly and he’ll explain everything to you. Try and relax, okay? You can lie back down if you want, although I’m afraid these tables aren’t that comfortable. I’ve ordered some new beds as well. How they managed to function with clinic rooms like this, I’ll never know. Thank goodness I’m here now and can fix things up around here, she said, looking around with hands on her hips. When her gaze came back to me, she said, Okay. I’m going to leave you for just a bit, but I’ll be back. If you need anything, come on out and find me, my office is just down the hall. My name is Cordellia Brown but you can call me Corey. I’m the school’s Healer.

Corey left the room and closed the door gently behind her. I chose not to lie down on the uncomfortable table and continued sitting while looking around the white room. I still had no idea where… Well, wait. According to Corey, I was at a school, but I had no idea what school or where it was located. Not one thing about this place seemed familiar to me – not the sounds, the smells, the feel, the lady, nothing. Even my own voice sounded strange.

I should know my own voice, shouldn’t I? Shouldn’t I know myself? My age? What I looked like?

Thoughts of long, straight brown hair came to mind, yet when I reached up and pulled my hair forward, I saw that I had blond hair. And now I was beginning to think the brown eyes I’d envisioned weren’t going to be my eyes either.

Who am I? I whispered out loud, pulling my feet up and wrapping my arms around my legs, resting my chin on my knees.

Who am I?

Another knock came from the door, and Corey re-entered, this time with a man. He was a good-looking gentleman with blue eyes and blond wavy hair pulled back in a leather tie. He had a short, neat beard, a pierced ear and just about the kindest smile I’d ever seen.

I think.

Hello, he said. How are you feeling?

Oh. I liked the sound of his voice. It was soothing and…familiar? Nope. Not familiar at all.

I don’t know who I am, I said.

He smiled a warm smile and said, Let’s fix that, then. Let’s see…

I watched as he opened the yellow folder he was carrying and shuffled through some papers.

Here we go; your name is Jewell Johnson. You arrived this morning with the normal memory-masking spell. Corey here says you’re perfectly healthy, so we know you weren’t harmed when you were sent to us. It looks like you’re sixteen, your birthday is August seventeenth. Oh, and I see you’re an excellent student. That’s nice to know.

He closed the folder and slapped his opposite hand with it before saying, Welcome to our school. I think you’ll like it here. My name is Tiberius Tinsley. I know it’s a mouthful – Corey here tells me that all the time. Everyone just calls me Mr. T.

I sat quietly, nodding at him while he continued speaking, So, before we get you set up, do you have any questions for me?

I did. I had about a million questions. Like, what’s a memory-masking spell? Why was I sent here? Where did I come from? What shade of blue was Corey going to use on these walls? I didn’t ask any of them, though. I simply shook my head silently.

All right then, let’s get you set up. I believe your escort has arrived, hasn’t she, Corey?

Oh, yes, she’s waiting in the lounge.

Come on, let’s get you two introduced. And with that, he offered a hand to help me off the table.

As we walked down the hallway, I noticed more white. Corey was right; she really needed to spruce things up around here.

The lounge was at the end of the hall and, hallelujah, no more white! The furniture was stylish and dark blue. No doubt, Corey had a hand in picking it. A girl sat alone in the corner, reading a magazine.

Ah, here we go, Lindsey, I’d like you to meet one of our new students, Jewell Johnson. Jewell, this is Lindsey Dowling. She’ll be your guide today and will show you around the school, Mr. T said.

The girl, Lindsey, seemed to jump at the sound of her name and pulled her feet off the coffee table.

I watched as Lindsey bent to put the magazine down and turned to face me. She had hazel eyes and brown hair cut short and gelled in a messy but extremely cute style. She was short with delicate features and had on ripped jeans, a Hello Kitty T-shirt, orange canvas high-top sneakers and a black leather jacket.

Hi. Nice to meet you.

Well, she seemed friendly…ish. Feelings of not being liked soared through me. Memories of someone not liking me? Possibly, but considering I was affected by some masking spell, I guess I wouldn’t know for sure anytime soon.

Hello, I said, and gave an awkward wave.

Mr. T turned and handed me a packet saying, All right, off you go. Lindsey, you’re excused from classes this morning. Please help Jewell get settled. After lunch, I’ll expect you both to be in class.

And that was that.

Mr. T turned, extended an arm over Corey’s shoulders and walked away, saying, The new couches look great. Much better than the old brown ones.

Brown? I would have figured white. I was right, though; Corey had a hand in selecting these couches.

Ready? Lindsey asked, obviously not as fascinated with the new couches as Mr. T and I.

I nodded, and just as we turned to leave, Mr. T called after us.

Oh, Jewell, I almost forgot, you had this with you. Here you go, he said, taking a few steps back toward me and handing me an adorable backpack.

Oh, cute! Lindsey said, taking it from my hands to look at it further. I like this Vera Bradley stuff. This one is cute with all the pinks and purple. I’ve seen it in the store, but I can’t afford any of it. Well, come on. Looks like I need to show you around the school.

After handing me the backpack, she turned and walked across the room toward the stairs. I followed her silently, down the stairs and out the double doors.

We exited the building to a bright and sunny day. It was cold, though, and there was snow on the ground. As I looked around, I realized the snow was lying only on the grassy areas, but the cobblestone path we were walking along was completely clear. It didn’t look like it had been shoveled, either, because no piles were lining the edge of the trail.

You’re all the talk, you know. Well, you and the three guys you arrived with, Lindsey said.

That caught my attention and pulled my thoughts away from the pathway.

What? I was with three boys?

Yeah, you don’t remember? Sorry, dumb question. Of course, you don’t. I hear the guys are gorgeous. My friend Tamra was working in the office when you were brought in. I haven’t seen them yet, but my guess is they’re hot if they were with you. She glanced back at me and said, You sure you don’t remember them?

No, I didn’t even know my name until a few minutes ago. Where are we?

We just call it school – it doesn’t have a name, and we have no idea where it is. There are four seasons around here, so we know we’re not in Miami – no palm trees either, and it snows, unfortunately. Lindsey stopped for a moment and looked around thoughtfully. I guess we actually could be in Miami, and the school could be spelled to have four seasons. Oh well, she said, shrugging as she started walking again. I guess we’ll never know for sure.

As we continued down the path, she described the school.

So wherever we are, this place is enormous. It goes on for miles and miles up into the mountains way over there and beyond. They have this place set up like a city. So in the center, over there down that street – she stopped and pointed to the left, quite a way in front of us and down a brick street – that’s what we call Town. There are stores there, a few restaurants, movie theater, a spa and, of course, the nightclubs.

Lindsey smiled when she mentioned the nightclubs and turned to me to say, You’re at least sixteen, right? Because you get to go to them when you’re sixteen.

I nodded, and Lindsey continued.

Our families set up accounts for us, or we can volunteer for jobs to earn credits. Credits are what we use to buy things in Town. Behind us, where we came from, those are the administrative buildings. Behind that, the primary buildings. They’re for the elementary and middle school kids. The kids there aren’t allowed past the admin buildings, though – and you can’t go to Town until you’re in high school. They have a few stores and a movie theater over there for them, so they don’t have to leave for those things. Right now we’re walking toward the halls. There are four of them, and you’ll see our classroom buildings if you look between the buildings.

They’re pretty buildings, I remarked, noticing the old-style buildings seemed to have a Renaissance flair to them.

Yeah, I guess they were built ages ago, and the Guardians like to keep the old look and feel to the outside of the buildings. Everything inside is new and shiny, though; you’ll see this afternoon.

So in our halls, not the primary halls, though, just ours, everything is coed, which is so great – boys’ rooms and girls’ rooms are mixed throughout all the floors.

Really?

Yeah, but don’t get your hopes up. There are charms everywhere! They don’t need Guardians to watch us because they have charms and spells that keep us from doing things we shouldn’t be…except in the planetarium, she said, raising her eyebrows up and down with a mischievous smile.

I smiled back and was beginning to get the idea Lindsey was a little boy crazy. We turned back toward the path and jumped because we were startled by a very cute guy who seemed to appear out of nowhere. He walked past us, glancing our way.

Time slowed, and the world seemed to stand still the second we caught each other’s eye. I couldn’t help but examine him carefully. He had brown messy hair and kind, big brown eyes. He was wearing jeans and a white shirt underneath a canvas jacket. His hands were tucked deep into his pockets, and as we slowly walked past each other, I turned my head and continued to stare at him. We never lost eye contact, and I couldn’t help but notice he seemed as mesmerized with me as I was with him, and the thought of turning away from him was almost heartbreaking.

Do I know him? Gosh, he’s cute. Really cute. My goodness, I could stare at him all day, he’s so stinkin’ cute! Those eyes, I wonder who he is…

Figures, I heard Lindsey grumble, snapping me out of my trance.

Pardon? I asked, picking up my pace to keep up with her.

Nothing, she grumbled again before continuing with her tour.

When she spoke again, she seemed to have a slight edge to her voice. Okay, so that building, just past that bridge, that’s our food hall. You can eat any time of the day, but the actual meals are only served during specific times – breakfast, from five to eight o’clock, lunch from ten thirty to one and dinner from five to eight o’clock. Otherwise, they have snacks and things if you get hungry. And finally, over there off to the right, that other set of halls, those are the vampire high school halls.

Ho-lee crap!

Vampires! Learning that struck fear deep inside me.

Vampires?

Yep, we share the school because of some truce called a couple hundred years ago. Anyway, once that truce was drawn up, they joined the school. Have you ever seen vampire guys? she asked with her eyes wide. I noticed with that question, she lost the edge to her voice.

All I could do was look at her with a blank face. I had no clue if I’d ever seen a vampire before, but considering the amount of unfounded fear I felt, I had no desire to meet one anytime soon!

Oh, right, she said before remembering the masking spell or whatever had been placed on me before coming here. "Well, let me tell you they are hot!"

See what I mean?

Boy crazy.

The way they move, the way they look at you, Fae girls would kill for a chance to date one of them. But we’re kept pretty separate – they live their lives on an opposite schedule. We’re in school while they sleep; their classes are at night while ours are during the day. On the weekends though, you’ll see them around Town, but they usually keep to themselves. And they never dance with us. I’d kill for one of them to even glance…

Lindsey stopped talking and walking so suddenly, I turned quickly to see the cause.

Two guys were walking toward us. A guy with light brown hair was talking to another who was listening just as I had been when Lindsey was speaking. The other guy was tall and lean, muscular-looking. He had warm brown skin with a head full of loose curls that fell around his face. He looked up and stared at me as they approached. He had beautiful, emerald eyes with thick eyelashes. The boys stopped, and the one with light brown hair spoke to Lindsey.

Hey, Linds, this is Leo. He’s one of the newbies that arrived last night.

Hi, Mike. This is Jewell. She just arrived, too.

Mike looked at me, and his eyes grew wide. I had no idea what I looked like outside of having blond hair, and I couldn’t help but feel self-conscious with the way he was looking at me. I was certain I looked like a wreck! I smiled slightly, feeling embarrassed about my appearance, and glanced back at the other newbie, Leo. I couldn’t help but examine him intently, looking for some sign of recognition.

He seemed to be doing the same with me.

Well, I’ve got to finish my tour. Maybe we’ll see you at lunch, Mike said before he and Leo left, heading toward the halls.

When they were out of sight, Lindsey slowly turned to me with wide eyes and completely startled me when she shouted.

"Holy shit! YOU WERE WITH HIM? Please, oh puhleeeeze, tell me you are not dating him. He is GORGEOUS! I’m going to die, she said in some strange state of delirium, turning around slowly in a circle. She then looked up and asked the sky, Did you see those eyelashes?"

She suddenly snapped to attention, looked at me and asked sharply, Which building did they go in?

At her forceful words, I quickly turned toward Mike and Leo and watched them head toward one of the halls.

Oh, oh, oh! That’s my building, she said, not hiding her glee one bit and doing a little dance in place. She then turned and grabbed me by the arms and said, Please tell me you’re not dating him. Please!

See what I mean? Boy crazy to the extreme!

I don’t know him. I mean, if I do, I don’t remember him.

He’s just so…perfect. Those curls! Don’t you just want to run your fingers through those curls?

Oddly enough, I did.

Given Lindsey’s evident excitement, I wisely chose not to answer that.

Let’s see where we’re going. Check your sheet. Which hall are you in? Lindsey asked eagerly.

I opened the folder Mr. T had given me and proceeded to fumble through the papers until I found the one with my room assignment. Looks like King’s Hall, room four fifteen.

"FOURTH FLOOR? Lindsey shouted at me once again. Why she shouted, I have no idea. Are you kidding me?"

I glanced back at the paper, then at Lindsey and said, Um, no.

Your family must be loaded! You’re on the fourth floor – those are the private rooms. Only kids from the wealthiest families with the highest banknotes from the banker get those rooms. And you have the corner room – wow! You have a perfect view of the Town. Come on, let’s go see what your family sent you!

Before I knew it, Lindsey took off at a sprint. I had to run to keep up with her. I reached the building just as Lindsey yanked open the door Leo and Mike had passed through moments ago. She rushed inside and across what appeared to be a lobby, but she was moving so fast, it didn’t give me time to look around. Lindsey started up the stairs quickly, taking them two at a time. Given her short stature, I was impressed she was able to do that so skillfully.

I hurried to keep up.

She sure was speedy. Boy crazy and speedy.

We raced up the stairs, through another set of doors and finally, Lindsey slowed down as we headed down the hall. She seemed to know where she was going, so I let her lead the way. My room was the last door on the left, across from what Lindsey explained was a back entrance to the hall.

Only you can open the door to your room. It’s already spelled to your touch, Lindsey said, pointing to the doorknob.

All right then, here goes nothing.

I took a deep breath and reached out slowly. I put my hand on the doorknob and turned, gradually opening the door. I held my breath as I gently pushed the door completely open and…

Nothing.

Not sure what I was expecting to happen, but it was just a door that opened up to my room.

Oh, wow! This is cool, Lindsey said as she entered the room before me and started looking around.

The room was beautifully decorated in green and black. The bed by the window looked like it was topped with a feather bed and a bright green comforter with black geometric designs on top. A pile of black, green and pink pillows lay on top. There were two beds, and the other bed was similarly covered but with opposite black and green colors. Two oversize fuzzy beanbag chairs sat on the floor and a big round wicker chair with a green cushion was placed in the corner near a door to what appeared to be the bathroom. A small dresser was sitting next to the wicker chair and a desk beside the door we just entered completed the room. The room appeared to be stocked with everything I would need for school, including a brand-new Vera Bradley book bag lying on the desk.

You are so lucky. This room is incredible. I sure hope we’re friends forever because I would love to know who your family is someday, Lindsey said in awe.

Friends, I wondered out loud. I kind of liked the sound of that. I was alone in a new place, and it would be nice to have at least one friend here.

Oh yeah, sorry. I didn’t mean to jump ahead. I guess, yeah, you don’t know who you are or anything, and by looking at you, you won’t be friends with me for long.

Why would you say something like that? I asked, puzzled.

It’s the way of the world around here, you’ll see. With your looks…

Oh, I must look a fright right now! I said, remembering my unkempt appearance.

What? Are you kidding me?

No, I’m not kidding, I said, looking around and spotting a mirror I kind of wanted to avoid. Did you see how that Mike guy looked at me?

I saw the way he was looking at you all right.

I know, right? I must look horrid! He was absolutely repulsed.

Are you kidding me? she asked, scrunching her nose at me. Come here.

Lindsey grabbed my arm and led me to the mirror in my private bathroom. I immediately looked down, avoiding my reflection at all costs.

Lindsey…

Just look, Jewell.

Knowing I couldn’t avoid mirrors the rest of my life, I lifted my head and gasped when I saw my reflection. I had a heart-shaped face with perfect features. I wasn’t trying to brag or anything; they were just that…perfect – a small nose perfectly proportioned to my face, cheekbones that stood out but weren’t too sharp and red lips that were neither too thin nor too full. I was rather pale but had a natural glow and just a touch of natural blush on the cheeks. My hair that I already knew was golden blond flowed well past my shoulders with the perfect amount of wave in it – not too curly, not too straight. But it was my eyes I couldn’t stop staring at – sparkling light blue, no, ice blue, ringed with a touch of dark blue at the edges.

I had to admit, this certainly wasn’t the reflection I expected to see.

You see what I mean? Lindsey asked.

No. I mean, I had no idea what I looked like. But I don’t understand why we can’t be friends.

You’re kidding, right? she asked again. I wasn’t sure why she kept asking me that. I wasn’t kidding, and I hadn’t been kidding throughout this entire conversation. Surely she could see that.

Girls like you…Glams… don’t usually hang around me, Lindsey said flatly.

What are you talking about?

Do I have to spell it out for you? Look at yourself, Jewell. Really look at yourself, then look at me, she said, giving me a slight shove closer to the mirror. You’re beautiful. More beautiful than the average Fae. And me? I’m not. First of all, I’m short, which in itself is some sort of genetic Fae defect. Second, I’m not pretty at all. I’m not completely ugly, and I have that glow thing we all seem to have, but I’m just your average run-of-the-mill Fae. There’s nothing glamorous about me.

It seemed it was my turn to ask, Are you kidding me?

No, I’m not kidding. And girls like you don’t stay friends with girls like me for long.

Well, that’s just plain dumb, I said. "I certainly don’t know you very well, but you’ve been nice to me. You’re very upbeat, seem to be extremely friendly and very pretty yourself. And yes, you’re short. But Corey is short too and look how pretty she is. A lot of Fae are short."

Really? Aside from Corey, how many short Fae have you ever met? she asked, crossing her arms and looking at me skeptically.

Well, there’s….

Hmm. It seemed like I knew someone else who was short but couldn’t recall exactly who.

Exactly.

Not fair, Lindsey. I’ve just appeared here and can’t remember a thing about myself, I said.

Okay, fine, I’ll give you that. But just wait and see. We won’t be friends for very long.

Ridiculous, I said as I turned and darted around her and out of the bathroom.

Suit yourself, she said, following me.

Let’s not argue about this, okay?

Yeah, okay, she said, but I somehow got the feeling she wasn’t really agreeing.

I kind of feel like I need a shower and some fresh clothes. I’m not sure when I put these clothes on, but I think I’ve had them on for a while, I finally said.

Yeah, all right. Why don’t you do that, then come get me? I’m in this building, room two-oh-seven. Grab your notebooks when you come. We’ll go to lunch, then find your classes.

Great. Sounds like a plan, I said, trying to sound upbeat. But Lindsey only mumbled an mmm-hmm before turning and leaving my room.

I didn’t know Lindsey all that well and still had a lot to learn about this school, but I was beginning to get the idea there was a separation among the students. A separation that caused Lindsey a great deal of hurt and caused her to have pretty low self-esteem. I told myself right then and there I would do everything I could to remain Lindsey’s friend and prove her wrong.

At least I hoped I would.

CHAPTER 2

Another One of Leo’s Million-Dollar-Smile Trances

It felt good to take a shower. I wasn’t sure how long it had been since I’d showered, so I took my time and made sure I was squeaky-clean.

My bathroom was fully stocked with a selection of shower gels and sprays, and I decided on a raspberry vanilla scent for today. Once I was cleaned, lotioned and spritzed, I brushed my teeth for at least five full minutes. My mouth tasted stale, and I was embarrassed I’d been breathing bad breath on everyone. Once done, I wrapped a towel around myself, headed back into my room, and wandered over to the dresser.

Okay, I know how this works, I mumbled out loud to give myself a quick refresher course. First, think of something I want to wear, open the drawer and pull out the clothes. And most importantly, don’t forget to call Spirit to hide my magic trail. At the end of the day, fold my dirty clothes neatly and put them back in the dresser so they’ll be washed, ironed and ready to wear the next time I need them. All right then. It seems simple enough.

Simple. Ha. Simple if I could remember what my clothes looked like.

In what would undoubtedly be a desperate effort to peek at my clothes, I opened a drawer, but it was empty as expected.

Okay, I said out loud again. Let’s try this. Jeans.

I opened the drawer once again, and this time several pairs of jeans appeared. I perused the pile of jeans and pulled out a worn light blue pair with rips and tears in the knees. I repeated the process with underthings, a white tank top and a thick pink shirt styled like a hoodie.

I then moved over to the closet and once again found myself in a dilemma. I had no clue what kind of shoes I owned. For some unknown reason, as I had done with the dresser, I pulled open the closet door, even though I knew it would be empty. Until I familiarized myself with all of my things, it would remain empty. But it seemed I was on autopilot as I reached out and pulled open the door.

I nearly fell over with fright when out walked, no, more like strutted, an overly fluffy blue-eyed, cream-colored cat with the cutest, scrunchiest, frowniest face I’d ever seen.

"Mew."

"Thomas!" I shrieked before bending down and quickly scooping him up in my arms, revving up the crazy, cute purring machine. We gave each other snuggles and cuddles as I sat down on my bed’s edge with him fully content to remain in my embrace.

What are you doing here? I asked much more quietly. What was he doing here? And how could I possibly remember him?

"Mew."

I seemed to recall that I was pretty good with kitty-speak, and instead of answering me, Thomas was asking to be put down so he could explore his new room.

You shouldn’t be here, I said as he hopped down to the floor and disappeared under the bed. I can’t have a pet. Can I?

Thomas emerged at the foot of the bed and continued across the room to the dresser, then jumped from the floor to the top of the chest, where he sat down, stretched a leg up and over his head and proceeded to clean himself.

Thomas, you can’t be here, I said again and watched as he paused to look at me and give a slow blink, indicating he was happy to see me, missed me and loved me tons. Content with his cleanliness, Thomas stood and leapt to the wicker chair, paused only briefly for a few sniffs before resuming his exploration and disappearing into the bathroom.

Right then and there, I didn’t care whether or not I was allowed to have a pet in my room; he was staying. With Thomas here, I didn’t feel quite so lonely. He was my cat, and having him here with me gave me back a tiny piece of me.

I loved this cat so much, and I was keeping him.

I stood and went back to my closet with three things on my mind: cat litter, food, toys (water I already knew I could provide). As I’d hoped, when I opened the door, a litter box, blue kitty food and water dishes (already filled) and a box of cat toys appeared neatly in the corner. I decided to take that as the only permission I needed to keep Thomas with me.

I noticed a pile of shoes in the opposite corner (I must have had four things on my mind) and reached over to pull out a pair of warm-looking pink boots. I felt Thomas rubbing up against my leg and bent down to give his fluffy cheek a scratch.

We have to remember to always keep the closet open just a little, I said, which Thomas promptly replied to with, "Mew."

He understood.

I have to get going, Thomas, I said, moving toward my desk. You have to stay here. I’d let you out if I could, but I don’t want you to get caught and sent away. I’ll be back later. In the meantime, you get comfy and make yourself at home. This is your home now, too, okay?

"Mew."

Thomas agreed and decided he would take a nice nap in one of the fuzzy beanbag chairs.

I collected my things and shoved some notebooks, paper and pens into my new book bag and sifted through the yellow folder Mr. T had given me until I found my class schedule.

Remembering the backpack Mr. T handed to me earlier, I opened it and pulled out the things inside. Hand sanitizer, hand lotion, lip gloss (oh, pretty), iPod and a cute little toy truck.

Odd. What would I be doing with a toy truck?

I shrugged as I transferred the hand sanitizer, lotion, iPod and lip gloss to my book bag and placed the truck up on a shelf above the desk. After one last mirror check and a kiss to the top of Thomas’s head (who was curled up in a fuzzy beanbag chair that was getting a nice beam of sunshine through the window), I was out the door.

Coincidentally, Leo was coming out of the room directly across from me. With my hand on the doorknob and book bag falling off my shoulder, I froze and could do nothing but stare into Leo’s bright green eyes, wondering if I knew him.

Hello, Leo said, smiling wide.

Oh, nice. Great teeth.

I noticed his hair was damp and said rather stupidly because it was pretty obvious, You felt like cleaning up, too, huh?

Yeah. I don’t remember a thing about myself before this morning and have no idea when I showered last. You?

I nodded.

Lindsey said we arrived together, with two other guys. Have you seen them?

No, not yet.

We’re uh, going to lunch. Do you want to join us? I asked before finally pulling my door closed tight. I quickly made sure it was locked so Thomas couldn’t escape, although he seemed pretty content settling in for a nap.

Sure – we’re going too. Mike’s room’s downstairs. Mind if we stop by and pick him up? He’s sort of my companion or something like that today, said Leo.

Yeah, Lindsey’s my companion. She’s in room two-oh-seven; we’ll get them both.

Leo nodded once and pulled his door tight, then together, we walked down the hall toward the stairs. The floor was completely silent, and I couldn’t help but wonder if students lived in all the rooms.

I wonder if all these rooms are occupied, Leo said out loud as if reading my mind.

I was wondering that, too. Lindsey said these were the private rooms.

Mike mentioned that, Leo said as he pulled open the door to the stairs, and we headed down to the second floor. Leo was just one step ahead of me when I noticed his damp hair again.

Can I tell you something without you thinking I’ve completely lost my mind? I asked. Leo stopped and turned to look at me. I have the strangest urge to play with your hair.

Leo looked at me with raised eyebrows and responded, And I have the strangest urge to want you to.

Really?

Really? I asked, somewhat dumbfounded. I found myself staring into Leo’s eyes once again and searching for any memories or some small sign that I knew him. Unfortunately, I was still coming up blank. Sighing deeply at the same time (it seems Leo was also looking for some indication he knew me), we turned and continued on our way.

Before reaching Lindsey’s room, a thought hit me.

What do you think of Lindsey? I asked, deciding just to put the question out there and not beat around the bush.

What do I think of Lindsey?

Yeah. What do you think of her? ‘Cause she likes you. I just thought if you kind of liked her, too, maybe you could ask her out or something.

What?

This conversation wasn’t going in the right direction. I placed my hand on Leo’s arm and halted him just before reaching Lindsey’s room.

She likes you. You’re new and mysterious and all that. Do you think you might like her? She’s cute, and she’s really nice.

She’s pretty cute, but how do you know she’s nice? You’ve known her for what, like an hour? Leo said, laughing.

I shrugged and said, Two. But she seems nice.

That much was true; she did seem nice. She just lacked self-confidence, but I didn’t mention that.

Just like I have a feeling about you, and somehow I know you won’t tease her about this or say anything about me telling you any of this. I think you’re a nice guy, I said seriously, hoping I was right about him.

How do you know? I could be some creepy stalker guy for all you know.

My expression must have said it all because Leo burst out laughing at my reaction. I don’t know how I knew, but he wasn’t a creepy stalker guy.

In fact, I could tell we were going to be great friends (if we weren’t already).

We moved the few steps forward to Lindsey’s door, and I knocked. Lindsey opened it quickly and smiled at me, but the moment she caught sight of Leo standing beside me, she paled and looked like she would throw up, pass out, or possibly both.

Hey, Lindsey, Leo said. I hope you don’t mind. Jewell invited Mike and me to lunch with you two. He then proceeded to flash Lindsey one of his million-dollar-smiles, and Lindsey shyly smiled back.

Ha. I knew Leo was a nice guy!

Ready? I asked, pulling Lindsey out of Leo’s million-dollar-smile trance. Her eyes snapped to me, and she said, What?

Lunch. Are you ready?

Oh, she said, stepping back into her room (a rather messy room, I might add) and grabbing her backpack. Yes, I’m ready.

Lindsey pulled her door closed and started to move just as Leo said, We need to get Mike.

This statement was almost as powerful as his smile. It caused Lindsey to stumble and fall into another one of Leo’s million-dollar-smile trances, minus the million-dollar smile.

Lindsey, I said, pulling Lindsey out of her trance and (oh no!) causing Leo to smile his million-dollar smile again. Before Lindsey could fall prey to that smile again, I said quickly, Mike. We need to get him.

Oh, right, Lindsey said. Two doors down.

Lindsey then proceeded to turn and head down the hallway in the direction Leo and I had just come from. The direction we knew, from having just walked that way and looking at room numbers, Mike’s room was not located. Leo and I watched as Lindsey took a few more steps before stopping. She took a deep breath before hefting her backpack more securely on her shoulders. She turned, walked toward and past us swiftly, stopping two doors down and knocking rather severely.

I turned and gave Leo a look that said Look what you did? You and that million-dollar smile! You have her all flustered! You can smile at her, but how about not pouring on the megawatt smile until she gets used to you? She has self-esteem issues, and you have to build her up before pouring on the charm like that!

With an innocent look, Leo mouthed back at me, What?

Boys!

I turned and marched down the hall and stopped as Mike opened the door.

Hey, Linds, Mike said. I’m kind of busy right now. I’m showing one of the new guys the ropes today.

I glanced at Leo as he stepped up beside me, wondering if he really needed to be shown the ropes and hoping he would keep his million-dollar smile in check.

He had his smile under control, thankfully.

The girls invited us to lunch, Leo said.

Mike turned his attention to Leo, but when he caught sight of me, he pulled his shoulders back and puffed out his chest (which, unfortunately for him, didn’t accomplish much because he didn’t have much of a chest to begin with).

Of course, Leonard, Mike said. Give me a moment to grab my books.

Like I told you before, Leo said, it’s Leo.

Gotcha, big guy, Mike said before disappearing into his room to grab his things.

I caught sight of Leo’s eyes and mouthed, Big guy? He rolled his eyes and shrugged in response. I glanced at Lindsey, but she continued to stare straight ahead, into Mike’s room.

Ready-ho, chaps! Mike said, stepping out of his room.

Ready-ho chaps?

Ready-ho, chaps? Lindsey repeated rather sarcastically, mocking Mike.

Mike gave her a look, which she mirrored back at him. He then grabbed her arm and pulled her past us, whispering something into her ear.

I looked up at Leo and asked quietly, Do you think he’s from England? which only caused him to bust out laughing, elevating that million-dollar smile by at least a billion. This gave me cause to worry about Lindsey’s ability to survive lunch.

We caught up with Mike and Lindsey downstairs and followed them across the bridge and to the dining hall.

Mike explained (without further indication he might be from England) only lunch was served during the lunch hour, but during breakfast and dinner hours, we could select either breakfast or dinner because the vampires, who lived on opposite schedules, shared the dining hall during those times.

Vampires eat food? I couldn’t help but ask aloud as we entered the dining hall and headed up the stairs.

They can if they want, Lindsey replied. But they always head toward their section first. That’s where their volunteers are.

Volunteers? I asked.

Yeah. You know, the humans who volunteer to be fed from, Lindsey replied.

I stopped so suddenly, Leo ran into me.

People volunteer for that? Why would they do that? I asked, utterly blown away by this revelation. The thought of sharing a school with vampires was a bit chilling, but the idea of them feeding on me scared the bejeezus out of me!

Lindsey shrugged.

I guess it feels good or something like that. They say volunteers become addicted to it. So addicted, they lose the ability to work or do anything but sit around and wait for the next feeding time. But the vampires have assumed responsibility for them and they’re well taken care of. You’ll never see them, though. They’re not allowed to roam on school grounds.

Lindsey and Mike moved forward to get their lunch. It didn’t seem to bother them one bit that downstairs, vampires could be feeding on humans. I pushed the thought out of my mind because, quite frankly, the idea was making me lose my appetite.

Not sure I’m hungry after hearing that, Leo said.

I know, I said as I looked around the dining hall. But it doesn’t seem to bother anyone.

It sure doesn’t. Okay, what do you want to eat?

I took another glance around the dining hall. This school seemed to spare no expense when it came to food. There were two separate lines across the room, one serving what appeared to be