Written in blood: Chapter 1

It was a casual day in Malibu; to prove this Lexi wore the grey and rose pink top she had worn the first time she and her family had moved from England to the warm coast of Malibu. Lexi missed the cloudy days and cold rainfall, most of all she missed her closest friends, Hayleigh Barnes and Eleanor Crow. The first thought she had when she faced the massive building they called high-school was ‘CRAP, how was she ever going to survive’. No matter how many queries Lexi had Orlando always made it look like a walk in the park.

Today was warm like every other day she had faced, which made it the most irritating thing in her life, was there ever rain in this god forsaken place.

“Not even a breeze” she confirmed. Taking a deep breath she put her best foot forward into the tightly compacted room that made her feel claustrophobic. Ever since she was born it was like the world was against her, God against her, people repelled, what was with her? Lexi wished she knew what was so different about her to everyone else as she sat down on one of the oak desks only to be laughed at by some petty teenage girls. Maybe it was her pale golden hair or catlike eyes that sparkled like emeralds in naked light. People back home called her special or unique, but what she wanted to know was what made her special and unique.

If her point wasn’t already proven the teacher made her stand up front and tell the class a ‘little’ about herself, meaning her entire life story.

“What’s to tell, how much I love being her or how it’s my life’s dream to become Americanised, no... that’s not what I want it’s what my parents want, I- emphasis on the I- want to be back home having lake parties and going to the boathouse, I want to feel the translucent droplets on my hair and most of all I want to be back home with Grams.” After the rant was over bewildered eyes looked her over like some unidentified specimen that they didn’t know what to make of. Returning back to her seat there were no more snickers or snide remarks, there was only silence.

Lunch came pretty quickly after that, setting things straight made life a little more easier. Now all she had to do was find Orlando. Probably the hardest task she had ever set her sights on. Finding him was easier said than done.

Despite finding him it was still hard to get to him, crowds of people were around him like a protective shell. ‘Another point proven’ she thought coldly. Somehow after thinking this perfectly simple sentence everybody had moved to make an aisle. Simples. Maybe they didn’t move for her was the first thought that popped into her head when she felt cold eyes on the back of her neck. Turning her torso she came face to face with dark eyes, they were like an abyss, they went on and on, never ending. To match he had hair darker than onyx and skin paler than chalk. Beautiful as he might be he had an awful attitude to match.

“If you think I’m going to move, I’m not” Lexi pointed out with a sweet/cold smile on her lips. Not once did he take a liking to this. “Try me if you like, but I’m not going to move.” Something in him warmed up, she could feel it radiating, growing inside him. “Lexi” she smiled turning to face the direction she was originally heading. Orlando was staring, eyes narrowed, lips pursed like any other concerned older brother out there.

“Damon” he retorted his voice like ice, yet so sexy. When Lexi had turned her head he was already halfway down the hallway. The way he had looked at her sent adrenaline coursing through her body like new profound energy.

She was beautiful Damon thought as he glided down the hallway, she made him feel something he hadn’t felt in centuries, yet she was so far out his reach, he could never risk it with a human. Thinking about her made his throat burn in hunger for the one thing vampires desired... blood. When Damon fed he never meant to kill, he only meant to take a little, but the desire for the rich substance known as blood was so overwhelming he almost forgot to be careful. Damon was a killer, a hunter of the night, not some mere human. Even if he was able to control his thirst around Lexi what would the others think of him.

Damon was all she could think about, how she got lost in his eyes or the many times she wished she could run her fingers through that dark onyx hair. Lexi knew there was something special about him, all you had to do was look. Maybe it was bad or maybe it was really good, but either way she knew she would take it and still love him. When she said she loved him she knew she meant it even if she sounded like every other infatuated teenager.

Lexi, after a long minute decided she should get some homework done otherwise it wouldn’t get done at all. Orlando like the perfect, handsome, smart and popular boy he was already had his homework done and refused and pleas to help her. Altogether she gave up, what was the point of trying to be perfect like her brother when she knew it was never going to happen, she may have looks like him, but she definitely didn’t have brains like him. Lexi always thought her parents preferred Orlando more being first born and all.

Before she knew it her thoughts were back on Damon. Don’t be silly she scolded, he will never love you. Thoughts spiralled out of control as she imagined ‘what if’, that was the problem, all she could do was imagine ‘what if.’

“He will never be mine” she sighed putting down her books to answer the ringing that came from the already answered door, she might as well see who it is as she was already halfway there anyway. Who she saw before her froze her with his dark eyes. The eyes that made her melt. She could hardly believe he was here, it was like a magical dream come true.

Damon wasn't here for here for her though, he was here for Orlando of course, how could she be stupid. Like she wasn’t even there they walked past her laughing over some crude joke, they wouldn’t have noticed her if she standing there stark naked. Damon turned around as if she had said it aloud with a small smile on his lips, even though she knew he couldn’t have possibly read her mind she still blushed. Returning his smile she turned on her heels and started walking away. Slowly.

“Wait” Damon called in his cold as ice voice, cautiously Lexi turned her head. Damon had creeped up behind her, somehow unnoticed and was now standing directly in front of her so all she could make out were the flat planes of his chest. Like a scared colt she staggered back 3 paces into the back of the door. Jutting out her chin she showed him an exposed neck, she didn’t realize what she was putting Damon through. “Whoa” he laughed holding out his hand. Ever so warily Lexi took it. Just as there skin came into contact she felt her legs weaken, butterflies in her stomach and the need to be wanted. Wanted by Damon.

“I need to go.” Pulling her hand out of his she turned towards the stairwell. What was she doing. Go back to him, let him hold you the voice in the back of her mind insisted. “It was really nice to meet you Damon” she smiled looking him up and down once more before making the final step. Confusion was the last thing she saw in those beautiful dark eyes of his. Damon please understand.

She was right to do that he told himself positively, but he couldn’t help but ache for her. What he wanted to do was call her back, tell her all she meant to him. He would have to leave town he thought, but could he was the question he would have to answer. No, was the simple answer to that painful question that echoed in his brain like a catchy, annoying song.

When her door was shut behind her she let herself sink to the floor with tears streaming down her milky skin which had a slight tan to it now. This place was messing with her, she didn’t want to change, all she wanted was to be back home where she could tell her friends about the boy she almost had. Why didn’t she get a choice where she went or how she lived.

Dinner later came like an unwanted present, especially when Damon was offered to stay. Of course he took the offer obligingly. Now he was just torturing her.

Taking a deep breath she went to take the only spare seat, which of course was next to Damon. She was shivering now and she still couldn’t persuade herself into sitting down. Looking around she saw everyone else in deep conversation, they didn’t care about her.

“I’ll just go and slit my wrists, tell me when you need me” she said nonchalantly. Turning on her heels she started walking at a slow pace before she hit the front door. She swung open the spiceberry wooden door and ran from there like her life depended on it. No shouts so far she confirmed turning her head 90 degrees to the right. Then, as she passed the seventh lamppost she realized a black silhouette chasing her. Damon.

Stopping she swivelled to meet her pursuer, it was of course Damon.

“What do you want?” she snapped steeping a foot closer to where Damon stood. Looking up she met his dark eyes that she wished she could look into forever. It was like he mirrored what she felt like inside, but never dared to show, of course she was female and he was male, but that wasn’t what she meant when she said it.

“Why did you run” he challenged with a sexy grin on his face. Lexi really couldn’t help it when she returned his grin, it was like she needed to for some unrecognised reason. “I always choose the girls that hate me” Damon laughed before turning around. Instinctively Lexi reached out her hand to grab his. Like a cobra Damon’s head jerked downwards where her hand grasped his.

“That’s not true and you know that very well.” Lexi saying that set everything in motion like a broken machine finally fixed. Lexi stood still waiting for Damon’s move and when it finally came it was cautious like he hadn’t done this in a while. Knowing Damon was struggling she helped him out a little. She took his right hand and placed it on her hip letting his other hand support her neck. “Better” she smiled letting him take over from there knowing he liked the dominance.

Damon advanced like a careful yet dangerous predator until their lips touched, when their lips finally touched it was like she was seeing the light for the first time in her life. Lexi felt like someone finally understood her and that she wasn’t alone in this world. Power coursed through her like energy that had only just surfaced, energy that had always been there just unnoticed.

“We should get back” she breathed.