Chapter 6

Zach and I were in my room listening to music. His eyes were closed and he looked like he was asleep on my bed. I was almost right there with him. My eyes were starting to close. The feeling of my head on Zach's chest made me feel right at home and safe. I think I was asleep for an hour. Then I felt my phone vibrate. It woke me up. I wasn't expecting anyone to text me. I looked at the bright screen that almost blinded me. It was the same number that texted me yesterday. IF U WANT 2 KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT ZACH MEET ME BEHIND THE SCHOOL 2NIGHT AT 10. COME ALONE.

 

I looked over at Zach. He was still asleep. I put my hand on him to wake him up. I felt almost bad about waking him up but I felt that this was majorly important. I shook him a little bit. "Zach?"

 

He woke up. I could tell that he was nowhere near done with his nap. I felt really bad about waking him up now. I think there's some kind of rule that you shouldn't wake up a sleeping vampire. Or is that sleep walkers? "Yea?" He said in his groggy voice.

 

"Can you read this text message?" I wanted to know what he thought we should do about it. I know he knows these people, but I don't. I don't trust these people at all. I don’t think that he trusts them either. I just have got to know what they're planning so I know that no one I care about will get hurt.

 

Zach rubbed his eyes and took the phone. I could tell that the initial brightness of my phone shocked him. After he was done getting used to it he looked at it again. He shook his head. "Well, you're not going alone. That's for sure." He was starting to get up and throw his shoes and shirt on. I actually just noticed that his shirt was off. I stopped a second to admire it.

 

Then I realized what he was saying. "Wait, you want me to go?" I was kind of nervous about what was going to happen.

 

"What would happen if you don't go?" What was he a mind reader like Edward Cullen too?

 

I just shrugged. "I don't know." He was right. Something worse could happen if I don't go to see what these people want. I was still really worried about going. I didn't want to get hurt.

 

Zach looked at me when he got his coat on. He sighed, came over to me, and gave me a hug. "Listen, I've told you before. I'm not going to let them hurt you. I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe. Okay?"

 

All I could do was hug him. That's the only place I felt safe. I felt safe in his arms.

 

That night Zach and I had a plan for this. Zach and his siblings hid while I walked to meet this mysterious person behind the school. Zach could see and hear everything that was going on so I technically wasn't alone. "Hello? It's Katie! You texted me about meeting you here!"

 

"Hello Katie!" A girl walked out from behind the school wall. She was beautiful. Seriously she looked like a girl from out of VOGE Magazine. That's how perfect she looked. She had golden, blond hair that looked like corn. Her dress was as black as the night sky. It flattered her figure extremely well. And her blood red heals made me wonder if it was real blood or just the color. I seriously don't know anyone who wouldn't be jealous of her. Was it just me or did all vampires look absolutely perfect?

 

I had to remember why I was here. "Who are you and how do you know me?"

 

She just smiled and waved away my question. "It doesn't matter who I am. But I know you because I know your boyfriend." Her smile kind of freaked me out. I didn't know if it was a kind smile or an evil smile. All I knew is that smile made me feel uncomfortable. I really wish Zach was right beside me to grab onto. He told you he wouldn't let her hurt you. I kept thinking to myself.

 

"What do you know about Zach?"

 

She cocked her head to one side. "He told you about my family and I." I was shocked. I finally figured out who this girl was and what her obsession over Zach was.

 

"You're the girl the girl that Zach broke up with." Now that I'm thinking about it, I didn't know why anyone would break up with her. She truly is beautiful.

 

"Thank you for reminding me." She said. I could tell that she was kind of irritated on the fact that I was reminding her about her break up with Zach. Apparently, she still hasn’t gotten fully over it.

 

I had to keep my guard up. If I let it down she could know what I'm hiding. "My pleasure!" I said with a smile. "Now, what do you want?" She was driving my patience.

 

"I'm here to tell you that Zach isn't who you think he is."

 

I rolled my eyes. "Oh really?"

 

"Yes! He did the same thing with me. He told me he would protect me from anything. Look what happened."

 

"Have you ever thought that maybe he just didn't love you?" I was probably pushing my boundaries.

 

"Oh. He loved me alright."

 

I just rolled my eyes. "Whatever. Warning taken. Can I go now?"

 

"Somebody wants to get out of here pretty quickly."

 

Truth is I did want to get out of there quickly. I didn’t want to hear any more on how Zach was just using me because I knew the truth. Plus, I didn’t have any experience confronting vampires so I was afraid that she would figure out that Zach and his family were hiding behind the wall that is directly behind me. "Well, I'm tired, I have homework to do, and-"

 

"Wait!" She yelled. I was nervous about what she wanted. "You didn't come alone!"

 

"What do you mean?" Be cool, Katie. I kept thinking to myself. "I'm the only one here."

 

"Have you forgotten? I'm a vampire. I can sense when there are more than just us here." She ran up to me like the speed of light. l I've never seen someone run that fast in my life. She put me in a choke hold. I knew that one little snap would break my neck and kill me. Plus, the longer she stayed in that position, the more difficult it got to breathe.

 

That's when Zach came out. I could tell he was just about as scared as I was. Something tells me that this wasn't something that he was planning her to do. "Let her go, Matilta!" So that was her name.

 

She sucked in a very large breath. "You do care about her!"

 

"I cared about you too, until you became all power crazy."

 

"Yea right." She threw me into someone else's arms. Who could possibly want to help her? I looked up and I saw Mark! Terrific!

 

"Mark! What are you doing here?" Something tells me he knows more than I thought he did. Why else would he be here helping Matilta?

 

"I'm here for the same reason Zach is, to protect my girlfriend."

 

I was in utter shock. I didn't know what to say. Mark turned me around so I could see what was going on with Zach and Matilta. When he turned me around, I saw that Matilta was on top of Zach, choking him. "No!" Then Mark covered my mouth to keep me quiet. I was scared. Now I knew that Zach didn't even know that she would do this.

 

Then Zach's siblings came out. Zach was motionless in the grass. Trent went to check on him. Everything was happening so fast. All I wanted to know is if Zach was alright. "He's still alive! He's just unconscious!"

 

I couldn't shake off Mark. His grip was way too strong for me to get. Finally, Trent came over and punched him in the face. I was actually scared that he would accidently punch me in the face instead. When I finally broke free of my, all I could do was run toward Zach. I didn't even care if Matilta would catch me and get me. I needed to see for myself that Zach was alright.

 

"Zach, it's okay. I'm here don't worry." Zach wouldn't respond. I knew he wouldn't. I don't know why I would even think that he would. All I did was hold his hand.

 

Trent and the others had hold of Matilta. She was struggling. "This isn't over! I will get all of you!" She yelled. She got loose on the grip and ran off. I didn't even care that she got away. I figured that we would have to deal with her later. All I cared about was Zach.

 

Trent came over to me and put his hand on my shoulder. "We have to get him to the hospital." Trent said. So we got up and left.

 

I have had moments in my live when I hated how useless I felt. I have had moments in my life when I have been scared to death to lose something or someone that I care about. Nothing in my life could have prepared me for the feeling that I have right now. I was scared not only for my life but also for Zach's life. Trent has explained to me that one of the doctors at the hospital know about them and know how to fix anything that happens to them. All I was thinking about was the fact that I could have done something to fix it. I could have stopped it somehow.

 

The doctor came out. He looked like one of those kids who just spent their lives playing video games or studying. He had his glasses and his doctor's coat. He looked like he was very serious about his job which made me feel a little better about everything. "He's lost a lot of blood and oxygen. He needs to rest here for a few days before I feel comfortable letting him out. Which one of you is Katie?"

 

I raised my hand. "He's asking to see you." I nodded. I was scared to go in because I was scared that I would cry in front of Zach. I've never cried in front of him since I've met him. I didn't want it to be a habit.

 

I walked back into the room. It was a bland white color. There were really no colors to show that there was life here. Zach laid on the hospital bed in the room. He seemed like he was in a lot of pain. I couldn't figure out where the loss of blood was coming from but either way he seemed vulnerable and I've never seen Zach vulnerable.

 

"Hey Katie!" Zach struggled to sit up so he could see me properly. I hesitated to walk toward the bed. I couldn't tell if he knew how I was feeling. I hope he wasn't a mind reader because I didn't need him to worry about me.

 

"Hey! How are you?" I asked in a voice that sounded like I was losing it. It was horse and it physically hurt to talk. I think that just gave my feelings away to him.

 

He smiled. How could he be smiling right now? "I've been better." I nodded. I think he saw that I was upset and called me over to him. "Hey come here." I walked hesitantly toward the bed. I didn't want to hurt him more than he already was. Part of me felt like this was all my fault. Like if I was able to get to him sooner I could have stopped it. I finally got up to the side of his bed and hugged him. Just then, I started to cry. "Hey! It's going to be alright. I'm not dead and I'm not dying."

 

He pulled me up to look at me. I wiped away my tears. "I know."

 

"Then why are you crying?" He looked like he thought it was cute that I was crying.

 

"I could have stopped it."

 

He sighed. I avoided making eye contact. "Katie, look at me. I'm in this bed because I love you. I'm here because I let my guard down. I didn't expect her to attack like that. Don't think that you were ever the cause of it or that you could have stopped it. It's better right now that I'm here because if I wasn't you would probably be dead."

 

I nodded. He was right. "Okay."

 

"You should go home and get some rest." He said, "You have school tomorrow and then your mom picks you up." He was smiling about it. I was glad to see that he found the fact that my mom is picking me up tomorrow so funny.

 

"And you know that that's the highlight of my week!" I said super sarcastically.

 

He gave me a warning look. "Katie..."

 

I sighed. "Alright. I'll behave. But you better text me every day."

 

He smiled. "Alright." I leaned in to kiss him. He brought his hand up to my hair and stroked it behind my ear. I had to use all my strength just to pull away and leave. Right now things couldn't get any worse. Or am I just jinxing it again?