Letting it Out

Grace had no idea how she ended up deciding to go to the woods. She knew of course that going back home wasn't an option, even though it was tempting. She didn't want Jen to see her broken like this.
Her second thought had been to go look for Loren. The memory of kissing him was too fresh in her mind, and seemed just what she needed right now. Sadly her guilt was still to much to go to her other love. It would probably have just ended up as a repeat of Brad's house.
For a good hour all she did was drive around, constantly going in circles. The sound of the rain pattering on the window shield sounded like a song always on repeat, a very annoying song.
A mid the circling, she obviously took a turn because there she was, in the direct middle of the forest. Getting out of the car, she decided to stay because, after checking to make sure this place wasn't near the house, it was the only place she knew no one would find her. The rain had let down a little bit, small trickles finding there way to the forest floor. Her car had stopped at the end of the road, but Grace found she wanted to go deeper into the dark forest. Her footsteps made no noise as they pulled her past a huge tree and into a small clearing.
The tall trees that surrounded the small patch of grass, leered down at the small red head. Staring up at the stars, Grace found that the scream she had been holding since she had left the apartment, couldn't be contained any longer. When she screamed, it didn't even sound like her. Filled with sorrow, anger, guilt, and heart break, it scared a small group of bats out of one of the tall trees.
The scream had taken so much energy; Grace felt the soft ground that she had been standing on just a moment ago come to her hands. Crouched on the damp earth, she sobbed her heart out.
“No, no, no, no," Grace cried, pounding her hands into the dirt, making fist sized holes in it. Why did it have to turn out this way? She had always been such a leader, a composed leader who never broke down like this. The last time she remembered crying was when she was still human. It had been the day that the group of vampires had sucked her poor little sister dry.
Suddenly there came a noise from behind her. It sounded like a laugh, so Grace whirled around, her face filled with rage for the person who dared laugh at her. The site that met her almost made her fall back.
“Gregor," Grace said the name of her old lover, the one who had dropped her for the cuter Russian vampire. He had left her all alone, and for that reason she hated him. But looking into his olive colored face Grace couldn't summon up that hatred, only the old feeling of being lower than him.
“Ah, Grace. I always knew you'd end like this, sniffling and cowering. That’s why it didn't work out between us, darling. You were too weak to follow me. You were weak then and I see you haven’t changed," He snarled, a crack of lightening lighted his features, which was followed by a short boom.
Grace looked up at him, the quickening rain dripping down her face.
“I am not weak," She mumbled, shaking her head back in forth.
“From up her, darling, it sure looks like it," Gregor laughed, his sneering face still looking down at her, like it always had.
His words hurt Grace more than they should. She had been weak when she had traveled with him. Newborn, everything had been new to her. But now she knew more, and with the arrival of Loren had brought out something different in her. Fierce, feral you might call it. That cowering little girl had been replaced with a strong, smart, fiery, full grown vampire. Gregor didn’t know that, but she was sure as hell going to show him.
“Not anymore, Gregor,” She snarled, while preparing her jump. A malicious, cruel looking smile spread across her face. She was going to enjoy this.
With a shout, she launched herself towards her hated creator, longing to dig her teeth into anywhere she could, and pull, hard.
Instead of the hard skin she was expecting to hit full on, Grace felt the soft, scratchy texture of bark. There was no way that Gregor could have moved in that short of time. The impact of her head hitting the tree hurt a lot more than Grace thought it should. Hitting the ground hard, she just laid there, wondering what had happened. She picked her head up slowly and found that there was no one there. Stranger still, the scent she was expecting was also absent.
‘Oh, God, Grace your going crazy,’ Grace thought to herself. She realized that she had imagined the whole encounter. Her many emotions had formed a hallucination of her old creator. Dropping her head back down, Grace wished she could just pass out. Unconsciousness seemed so beautiful at this moment, but so sadly impossible. Being a vampire, at that moment, seemed like a cruel punishment.
Rain continued to pour around the still figure, while booms of thunder crashed around the solitary forest. The life of the forest went on, even though it now housed a truly torn up creature.

Jenna's eyes flew open at the sound of something faintly talking or screaming. "What was that?" she whispered to Matt as she almost tripped over her own feet, trying to get to the remote. Her hands scrambled to turn off the stereo to try to hear it better. She could tell it definatly was a scream but it didn't sound like anything she had ever heard before. The scream sounded like something crazed and mad, but it was so high-pitched that only a vampire would be able to hear it. Jenna stood frozen for a second in her tracks, trying to place where it had come from and who had done it. The only thing that could possibley have made a sound like that was a vampire who was unhinged. Jenna looked apologetically at Matt before she darted out of the room and onto the front porch. Her ears told her there was shouting amid all of the rain and thunder.
Jenna dashed through the yard, running straight through the nearest woods. As she went on, she felt like giving up. What if it was just a werewolf or some kind of animal? Only because she had enough stamina did Jenna continue trampling through the forest, making her own trail. Anything to come to the rescue of whoever needed her help. It seemed like the feeling that she had tucked away a few minutes ago was there again and it pounded in her head loudly. She was surprized that the whole forest wasn't shaking from the impact it was having on her head. Jenna came to a stop in front of a tree, suddenly at a loss of where to go. The screaming and shouting had stopped momentarily, the pounding in her head getting worse. Jenna shook her head from side to side, noticing that her clothes were almost shredded and her hair a mess. Thorns were wound around her legs and arms but Jenna couldn't feel them. A thought suddenly pounded in her head. Grace. Everything came to her in a moment's rest as sobs found their way to her heart. She felt like stopping right then but didn't for her sister's sake. The trees and bushes around her made everything more confusing, much less the rain.
Moments later, the wind blew into her face. Rain and debris caught in her hair but a scent was on them. Grace was nearby. Jenna egged herself on, her thoughts soleingly on Grace. A shout was heard in front of her, making Jenna halt. Her adopted sister lay on the grass, her red hair flayed out behind her. Jenna trudged forward, wanting to approach slowly in case her sister wouldn't recogonize her. "Grace," Jenna said finally, her golden eyes wide. A single sob was her last at the moment as she was steps away from where Grace's body lay. Jenna could tell that her sister was still alive, she wasn't dead for sure. The moon shone through the clouds onto the meadow where the two were onto Grace's body and Jenna's crouched figure.

The quiet, completely peacefull moment was shattered when a distant scream was heard, coming from deeper into the woods. Matt didn't recognise the sound, but he knew it was a scream. One that seemed completely full of emotion; both of guilt, sadness, and anger. It seemed to last for a long time, then finally died down. He heard Jenna's question but didn't answer, his head turned toward the window as if that'd help him hear better. The music stopped and almost instantly Jenna disappeared out the door. Matt caught her look and hesitated for only a moment before speeding out of the house to catch up, his footsteps barely audible as he flew down the stairs and landed on the soft wet dirt underfoot. She was running so fast he had trouble keeping up. She stopped, and he came to a halt beside her. They stood in silence, listening for another sound. It was eerily quiet in the damp forest; the canopy above was so thick that the rain only dripped lazily from the leaves, though there was definately moonlight up above. It must have cleared up. Matt's shirt was soaked from running straight through the dew-soaked brush to keep up with Jenna, making it stick to his muscles underneath. His hair was wild and partially damp, though that could have just come from what he'd done before. Another shout. This sounded more feral, completely filled with anger. Jenna immediately reacted and took off in the direction that the sound was heard. Suddenly she stopped, and he nearly barreled into her. What was this thing that could have made such a cray as that? So emotional and raw. He didn't think any one person, human, werewolf, or vampire, was capable of it. But here this creature was; a frail-looking girl lying on the damp grass, her soaked red hair splayed about her. Matt straightened and didn't take another step as familiarity registered in his head. It was Grace. What happened? Where was Brad? She'd been at his apartment; what had he done to her? She seemed so broken. So distant, that he dared not approach. Jenna, the closest one to Grace, took more careful steps toward her sister. Matt remained where he was, his golden eyes looking down at Grace's figure, questions planting themselves one by one in his mind.

Through the cloud of sorrow that now inclosed Grace, there came a slight rustling noise. The sound reminded her of the noise a animal makes when it breaks through a shrub or plant. Right now she was no match for a large predator, not in this vulnerable state. She wouldn't be killed if it turned to a fight, but she might sustain a couple injuries.
Trying to bring herself up into a sitting position, Grace looked to where she thought the sound had come from. At first, she saw nothing, her eyes a little clouded from the rain that was seeping down her angelic face. Using her sense of smell, she registered that the scent wasn't animal, and it was coming closer.
" Who's there," She called out softly. Her energy was almost completely gone, and she didn't know if she'd be able to get up, if needed. Suddenly a slim figure entered into her clearing, followed closely by a taller figure. In the dark it was hard to tell who they were. Grace tensed, as the smaller of the two inched a little further towards her, like she was scared Grace would attack her. The figures steps had brought it almost to a spot where the moon shone down, clean and pure. One more step and the figure was bathed in the late night moon light.
" Jenna," Grace gasped gratefully. Thank God she had found her. She had no idea how she would have found her way home in this state.
As the minutes ticked by, Grace became aware of how she must look to Jenna, the girl who had looked up to her strong sister for many years. What would Jenna think?
" Jenna, I'm sorry. I don't know whats happening to me," Grace said looking down. Why did she have to look like this in front of her sister, who must now think that her sister is going crazy? ' I need to show her I'm alright,' Grace thought to herself. Turning to the tree that she had been leaning up against, she tried desperately to pull herself up with her hands. The bark was wet and soft, so, under Grace's still somewhat strong grip, it gave way under the slight pressure. Embarasment soared through her entire body, as she relized she couldn't even stand by herself.
" I need you help, sister," Grace said softly, reaching her hand out to Jenna.

Jenna saw Matt out of the corner of her eye, silently thanking him for being here. She stepped tenitively forward, hoping that she was making the right choice and her sister wasn't hallucinating, thinking she was someone else. She let her hand meet Grace's, a shiver going up and down her hand. Grace's skin seemed all of a sudden fragile and shaky but Jenna ignored it to heave her sister up on her feet. The moonlight shone down ever more on them, making the forest eerie and dark. It didn't have the same effect on their skin as the sun did but it made them look more like ghosts. Jenna helped Grace topple into the woods, and out of the creepy meadow. The rain was almost gone now and was replaced with a little wind that made leaves and grass dance around her feet.
Jenna's eyebrows pulled together, wondering what was going through her sister's mind right now and why she was acting like this. All Jenna wanted to do was sit down and talk but she knew that Grace would probley want to have some silence and get clean first. She also wondered if it would be easier for them to carry her on their back or pull the car up as far as if could go but her mouth remained closed as she led Grace down her trail she had made minutes before. The three arrived at the house in a few minutes time, all of them practically silent.

(sorry kinda power played! -edited-)

((I'll post when I get back; have a dentist oppointment today... Dx))

(I'll post after lunch )

( I dont know if vampires take shower, but this one is lol )
The comfort of having her sister next to Grace was small next to everything that had occured. She had to lean heavily on Jenna just to stay upright, each step feeling like a million and more. Fortunately, the rain had all but stopped, so they didn't have the added hendrence of the dripping rain.
Grace had had no idea how far she had been from the house, but she soon found out as the minutes ticked by with no sign at all of the little house. She began to wish for the comfort of the soft earth as the time gre on. All the trees looked the same to her, no since of familiarity signaling to her that they were almost there. Looking behind her, she saw Matt followinig quickly behind, and wondered what he must be thinking. He was Brad's friend so he would probably want to know what had happened. Instead of giving him the answers he must want, Grace turned to face the front again. She wasn't ready to explain to anyone what had happened.
With a gasp of releif, Grace, along with Jenna and Matt, entered into the clearing where the house stood, lonely and empty looking. But to Grace it looked beautiful, promising the comfort and peacefulness that she so desperately needed now.
Enlivened with the promise of a warm shower, Grace was able to climb the few steps that it took to get into the safe haven that she called home.
Taking in a deep breath, she made her slow way to the staircase. Lily picked her soft, sleepy eyed head up to look at the bedraggled looking Grace. She gave a tired meow, but then decided she didn't care and tucked her head in to continue her nap.
Grace stopped, one hand on the banister, to turn to her sister. Her sister was probably the most eager to hear what she had to say.
" I'll come get you when I'm ready," Grace said firmly, trying to regain a little composure, even though she was still messed up inside. Thankfully, she had gotton the really bad emotions out in that scream; she wouldn't break down like that again.
Thinking she could manage a quick stair climb, Grace misjudged herself and stumbled a little at the top. Composing herself, she followed the hall to her room where she closedthe door behind her. Leaning on the solid wood, she closed her eyes and let out a long sigh. The smell of her room was comforting and strange at the same time. She had changed since the last time she had been in here.
Deciding it was best to start with a hot shower, Grace turned to her small bathroom. She almost flinched upon entering when she got a glimpse of her reflection. She looked like something someone had stepped on, scrubbed to death and then thrown in the mud. ‘Not a very good look for you,’ she thought to herself. She couldn’t believe that two vampires could have made this kind of impact on her. Maybe she was more fragile than she had previously thought.
Leaving the thought, Grace quickly stripped off her muddy and wet clothes, and jumped in the sparkling, clean shower. The warm water felt great on her cold and battered skin. Her thoughts once again drifted to Brad, wondering what he was doing now. Her words must have hurt him, and she hated herself even more for that. But it was the only way from hurting him further because all her hiding would have eventually come to nothing when she would accidently let something slip. And not only would that hurt Brad immensely, he would probably be enraged enough to seek out Loren. Nothing good would come from that, she knew.
Jumping out of the shower when the water turned cold, Grace wrapped a fluffy, white towel around her self. Her hair was dripping wet as she entered her room, but she didn’t care enough to blow dry it, or even put another towel around it. Entering her closet, Grace decided to just pull on some grey, juicy sweatpants, and a black t-shirt that said ‘I bite’ across it, in red swooping lettering.
Grace stood solid as a statue in her closet, nothing else to keep her busy with. Her slow steps to her door now weren’t caused by exhaustion, but from her reluctance to get her Jenna. But she knew deep down that she couldn’t keep this within herself. So Grace crossed her room and opened up the door that led out into the hallway. She leaned out on the railing that looked out over the living room.
“Jenna,” She called, with a stronger voice this time. From this moment forward she would face everything bravely and without fear.

Matt simply stood where he was as Jenna picked the bedraggles Grace from the ground, not completely sure of what to do. It seemed he wasn't needed at the moment, and Jenna would more than likely want to be alone with her sister for a while. Nevertheless, he followed quickly behind the two as they advanced for the small, comforting house nestled in the woods, securely placed away from everyone else. He remained silent as they entered the house, throwing a quick glance at the sleepy kitten still on the couch, then watched as Grace made her way unsteadily up the stairs. As soon as she disappeared an awkward silence filled the air around him. What could he say right now? Nothing, really, besides questions that remained unanswered. So he simply kept his mouth closed. He heard the water above stop, and footsteps scuffling on the floor. Finally, Grace's voice sounded from the top of the stairs. His name wasn't called so he presumed his time was over, though he was glad that Grace sounded better; different, shaky, but better. He caught Jenna's arm momentarily so that he could get her attention. "I'll see you tomorrow," he murmured quickly and planted a swift kiss on her forehead before turning and making his way out the door. What did Brad do? That question seemed the most present in his mind, and it stayed at the very front the entire way home.

(Continued in the Apartments)

Jenna looked up to see her sister back and calling for her. Her voice still seemed as fragile as it had been but by her posture, Jenna could tell that she was stronger than before. She was about to go up the stairs when she felt Matt's hand on her arm. The kiss on her forehead made her feel better--relaxed as she stumbled up the stairs to where her sister was waiting for her. Out of the corner of her eye, Jenna could see her blood-stained, ripped clothes almost begging her to throw them away. Jenna motioned with one finger that she'd be back in a minute. She slipped into some comfy clothes and then wrapped her hair into a towel, not wanting to have to worry about getting dirt on Grace's bed. Jenna returned to the walkway beside the stairs and went into Grace's room. The white carpet seemed so much different from Jenna's wooden flooring but it fitted Grace. The white walls were too bright even though the night sky shone through the windows. She scooted over the carpet and sat down on a light blue soft-looking couch covered with pillows. Jenna sat a furry one in her lap, ready for Grace to begin. She hoped it was nothing too serious or something that would have to make them move from their wonderful house.

Stepping back so that her sister could get into the room, Grace watched Matt walk out the door. He seemed mad for some reason, and she wondered where he was heading. It hadn't occurred to her that he was going to demand an answer from Brad. What had really caught her attention was the kiss that Jenna and Matt had shared. It made her happy that her sister was involved with someone who really loved her truly and would be there for her. Jenna deserved a guy just like Matt.
Walking back into her room, she made her way to the couch where her sister sat, patiently waiting for an explanation. Grace curled up, arms around her legs, on the open spot next to Jenna. This was probably the hardest thing she had ever had to do, telling someone who had looked up to you that you had violated every rule in the book.
“First of all, Jenna, I'm extremely sorry that you had to see me like that," Grace started out. “I’ve never broken down like that before, you know that. I think I even scared myself out there," she said fidgeting with her fingers. Now she had to tell how she had ended up like that. 'The best thing to do is just tell her, no excuses, no more waiting,' Grace thought to herself.
“I’m going to start from the beginning, and I beg you to see this from my point of view, Jen. Hard to think it, it all happened today, at school really. You know how we were sitting there, waiting for the boys to get there? Well someone walked by me, and I could tell it wasn't the normal gawking human boy, no this look felt more intense. So I looked up, and it was Loren," The name sent a jolt up Grace's spine as she said it, but she had to continue.
“At first, I wasn’t really wondering about why he had looked at me like he had, more of why there was a blood drinker attending school. Then the boys had come and Loren had left, so I guess I was really just hoping that I had imagined the smile. It was then driven from mind by having to get the boys schedules and worrying if Brad was going to be okay with all the thoughts. But then we went to English class and he was there, with his stupid little smile. I could tell that Brad knew him, and hated him. I didn’t know why, but I also knew that Brad had seen the look that Loren had given me. And this is worst part because I liked it. He was cute and different; dangerous. He wasn’t like Brad and I have no idea how that intrigued me. You saw what happened at lunch which just confirmed my guess that they were rivals. You have no idea how much I hated myself; I was falling for my loves enemy,” Grace groaned, putting her head in her hands. She already felt terrible and they she wasn’t even done yet.
“Then it was after school and I wanted to just get away from Loren. I thought that if I just got away from him than the ridiculous fantasies I was having would just disappear. But then Mrs. Daniels found me; I wasn’t lying about that. She dragged me back to her classroom, filling me up with all this information about a stupid play she wanted me to be in. She left the room for one minute and, as my luck would have it, Loren entered. It angered me how much I enjoyed him being there, how much I enjoyed being in the same room as him. We started out talking casually enough; the teacher had had to leave so we were pushed outside. I asked him why he had chosen to be a blood drinker and he asked why I had chosen the opposite. Then his nearness was too much for me, and I had the perfect spot to leave. But I couldn’t, Jenna, I couldn’t. And he knew I couldn’t, so he kissed me. Part of me wanted to slap him all the way to hell where he belonged, but then another part, the part of me I think he’s created in coming here, loved it and wanted to kiss him back. You can guess which part won,” Grace said in embarrassment. By now she was almost close to sobbing again, and it took all her energy to contain it.
“I told Loren that he needed to back off Brad, and that he couldn’t know about…us. Then I left and the quilt was crushing in on me. The only place I knew that I might feel better at was Brad’s place. Don’t ask me how I knew he was home, I just did. I was happy to see him and so was he, but part of my mind wasn’t there, it was busy concealing this from him. I think Brad could tell that there was something different about me, he didn’t seem normal. For some idiotic reason, I asked him about Loren. I made it sound like I was curious about the scene during lunch. Well, he explained that he had met Loren on several occasions and none of them had ended well. He told me that it might come to another one and he didn’t want me in between that. Just the idea of him still carrying about me, even if he didn’t yet know what I had done, was enough to send me over the edge with guilt and self hatred. I didn’t deserve someone as sweet as him. Of course, he tried to comfort me when I ran off. This was going to hurt him, but, as I kept reminding myself, it was going to hurt a lot more if I let something slip,” Grace said dragging in ragged breaths to try and calm herself. Every word that she had said so far had played out in her head, full screen.
“I told him not to follow me,” Grace said breathlessly, finally breaking into her sobs. Jenna could figure out the rest. The fact that she had shared this with someone else hadn’t helped at all; to Grace, it seemed like she had just confirmed her sister’s worst fears.

Jenna listened to her sister's story, nodding at the right parts and patting her sister's hand to let her know it was okay to continue. When Grace had revealed everything to her, she was speechless. Not a thought came into her mind until a few moments of silence other than her sister's sobs. They were supposed to know not to do that. It was like the teacher getting onto a student for running with scissors but later on the teacher did it. It went against all that she knew was and wasn't okay in the old Grace’s mind. Her feelings mellowed out enough for her to think straight and not overreact like she knew she was probley going to do anyway. "You--" she stuttered, "kissed him? Ew. Wasn't his scent disgusting enough?" She sat and gazed at Grace, her face frowning and puzzled at the same time. She almost wanted to slap some sense into her sister but held back. She was fragile enough. Jenna stood up from the couch and paced the room, her golden eyes still wide in shock and her feet taking her in ovals around the room. She did this until a thought came into her mind. A plan to keep him away and Brad here often. "Grace," Jenna said with seriousness in her tone, coming up to her sister and sitting back down, "Forget about Loren. Forget about all that happened today as if never was. You never kissed Loren; you never screamed your heart out in the woods, none of it happened. YOU will not be seeing Loren again because we will not be going to school tomorrow.” She finished her statement with a little hysterics in her voice.

A big sigh was all it took to make all of it straight in her mind. If they pretended like it never happened then everyone would too and it wouldn't come up again. Loren would think that that was the end of it and if he didn't then Jenna would slap some sense into him instead. Her mind was buzzing with a sense of craziness. Grace.. Loren... Brad.. Kiss.... blood... vampire... She just shook all thoughts away and rubbed Grace's back softly. All of this would blow over like a storm. She felt like it would. Hopefully she was right and they could just pretend like the little slip didn't happen. They would just pick themselves back up and stay respectful to the vegetarian lifestyle like they always had. Somehow, this would work out, even if she, Matt, and Brad had to shove Loren off the face of the earth. She would do whatever she could to help Grace regain her old self.

( thanks jen. idk but wen I get the refresh button like a bijillion time on here it worked yayayay)

Grace watched with a deep sorrow as her sister paced up and down her room. She had expected something like this because it wasn't like Jenna was going to completely accept what happened; grace herself could barely accept it. She noticeably flinched when her sister seemed disgusted by the fact she had kissed a human drinker. It wasn't like she had tasted human blood or anything. No, she could tell by the color of his eyes that he hadn't drained a human for a while.
She could tell that her sister was near hysterics, and knew that she also wasn't made to bet he comforter, rather the one being comforted. Grace was about to go to her sister and tell her that she was fine now, when Jenna came to sit back down. And then out of her little sister’s mouth came the most ludicrous statement. Eyes now flamed with anger, instead of sadness; her mind whirled in a furious rush. Wasn't Grace supposed to be the dominant one? Wasn't it Grace who had changed Jenna, not the other way around? Jenna hadn't yet seen her sister’s change in emotion, and reached out a hand to rub her back in a form of affection.
Suddenly, the fury enraged Grace, brought her hand up and slapped it clear across her sister's face. She knew later that she would regret it, but the sheer annoyance of seeing her sister ordering her to do something was too great. Jumping up, the fiery red head, turned to glare at Jenna.
“How dare you tell me I can't do something? You have no idea what I'm feeling, and what your solution would have done to me. I love Brad, and I would do anything to keep him unhurt, but, unfortunately, I love Loren too. I know that disgusts’ you, but just think if your precious Matt was the human drinker. Would you so easily be able to forget him," Grace shot back. With anger pulsing through her, she was a completely different vampire, stronger and more confident.
“Thank you for your help, dear sister, but I think I'm strong enough now to make my own decisions," And with that, she turned and walked out of the room.
Her feet took her to there outside porch, where she plopped down on the swing and tried to clam down. She wouldn’t be going to school tomorrow, but it wouldn’t be because she was avoiding Loren.

(lol here's mine)

Jenna watched as her "sister's" emotion changed from dismal to agitated in a few seconds time. She removed her hand as her sister's hand whipped across her face. She couldn't feel the pain of a slap but it broke her heart to see Grace's face. A snarl soon came from her mouth, her lips moving soundlessly in shock for a few moments, as she stood up and stomped to the railing of the stairs. Her golden eyes watched Grace's red-headed figure walk outside. "Some rolemodel you are," Jenna murmured to herself, hoping that Grace could hear, "Not that I need you anymore." She quickly jogged to her room and pulled her brown hair up into a ponytail, taking deep breaths. She gathered up some of her precious things like her laptop, cell phone, make-up, money, and a few pairs of clothes with their corresponding shoes into a carry-on. This was the last she could take. The last nerve had been shattered when she saw the bloodsucker's impact on their day to day lives. What if Grace came home like this everyday? Besides, Jenna liked Brad better and trusted him. He would always make sure that Grace came home safe, but Jenna couldn't picture that with Loren. Her so called sister couldn't think that she could run her down like she just did and then still depend on her for help when she needed it. Grace would be getting herself into her own messes, and it would no longer be up to Jenna to help her sister clean them up. Through these mixed emotions, Jenna felt a little regret, think about her sister but she shook it off as she opened up her window and set her stuff on the roof, making sure that it wouldn't slide down. She took a pen and paper from her desk and wrote a note to her precious sister.

Grace,

I'm sorry that you feel the way you do but your new boyfriend's eating habits would of effected me sooner or later. I would rather not be known as the kind of vampire to allow that type of thing to happen in my home. Loren must have friends you know. Nevertheless, your secret's safe with me....

bon voyage,

Jenna

She set the note on her bed and exited through the window, slinging her things over her shoulder as she jumped down. She landed in front of the door, looking through the glass at their house once more. Jenna quickly got to the garage and slid into her mustang, revving the engine. She pulled out of their driveway and onto the main highway, not looking back. No tears came, no sobs escaped her mouth. She was free from the reign of Amazing Grace. Her freedom felt good as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She almost felt lonely as if the gap from Grace's slap in her heart wouldn't seal itself. It almost needed someone to sew it up but she didn't think Grace would and she would have to tell Matt what was going on if she saw him. Jenna ran a hand through her ponytail over and over, not knowing where she was going. Her thoughts were the woods or some place secretive, allowing her to just become invisible while she thought things through but her hands on the stearing wheel led her towards Portsburg. Maybe Starbucks could be a quite place to mull over her boiling feelings.

(continued at Starbucks.. lol)

(edited)

Grace watched with a smirk on her face as her sister jumped out her window and into her car. She noted the fact that Jenna was carrying a bag with her. It kind of surprised her to see her sister reacting in such a way.
The sisters hadn't really ever had a big fight, at least not as big as that day. Usually when they disagreed on things they usually just left each other alone to cool down. Grace knew she had crossed a line when she had slapped Jenna, but to leave out right like that, just didn't seem like her.
As the darkness lightened into a grey, Grace was still staring at the exact place where Jenna had left. ‘She’ll come back. She has no where else to go. And when she comes back, I'll say I'm sorry and we'll go back to how we were,' she thought to herself. Minutes ticked by and there was no sign or sound of anything, just the steady hum of the cicadas in the nearby forest. It was six o’clock when Grace finally decided to go in. The house seemed empty without her sister’s bubbly personality. The emptiness seemed to yawn larger and larger until it she felt as small as a ant in a giants house. Why the hell had she had to react like that? She had hurt her sister just because she hated not being in charge, and look what it had cost her.
In a quick flash of range, completely towards herself, she knocked one of the many priceless vases that were in the house straight off its perch. Exploding in a shower of clay shards, the remains of the antique lay in a corner. With an aggravated meow, Lily jumped off the couch and headed off in the direction of the kitchen.
Making angry noises all the way, Grace went up the stairs and headed to her room. On the way she had to pass Jenna’s room, and she felt a pain deep inside her. She sped up and shut the door behind her with a bang. Her bag lay in the corner where she had thrown in. Digging into its pocket, Grace retrieved her phone and went to sit down on her plush couch.
It took a long time before she even touched the keys. She knew she had to talk to Jenna, but all she could bring herself to do was send her a text.

Jen, I know I was a complete and udder bitch to you. I shouldn’t have hit you, for any reason. I can tell you this to your face if you’ll just come home. I miss my little sister, who did a great job helping me.

Pressing the send button, Grace turned solid as stone as she waited.

Upon his driving by, Loren caught sight of a silver mustang ripping out of the woods onto the main highway, speeding it's way down the road while many angry drivers honked their horns at the retreating silver figure. Curiosity made him pull to the right and turn in the way the silver mustang had exited from. He caught the scent almost immediately and couldn't believe what he'd found. That must have been Jenna. Her and Grace's scents were everywhere here. He slowed his Dodge Charger as he neared a small house settled nicely into the woods. The garage door was open, but the only car inside was a red Porche. Grace's car. He recognised it from the day before. There was a lot of space in the garage, obviously meant for many other cars.

Loren stopped his car outside, pulled over on the shoulder of the driveway, and stepped out into the bleary morning. Gray clouds hovered above, so there was no need to hide from the dim sunlight that had risen not too long ago. It was still very early in the morning, but he wasn't going to help Mrs. Daniels today; he'd taken Grace's advice to back off of Brad so he simply wasn't going to show up today; not that he was scared of a little challenge. He slid his hands inside his pockets and inclined his head ever so slightly to scent the air outside his car. The scent of Jenna and her sister dominated the air, but there were two other scents; one he vaguely recognised as Matt's, and another a humans, one he didn't know. Though most humans smell the same to him; appetizing. His dark red eyes scanned the area briefly before striding across the small distance to the front steps. Once standing at the front door, he raised his hand in the form of a fist and rapped lightly on the wooden surface.

The room was filled with silence, as Grace waited for her sisters reply. No movement came from her still form; she could stay like for a long time if it called for that. Suddenly a steady buzzing came from the statues marble hand, a blue light escaping from in between her clenched fingers. And then it was an entirely different scene. The phone only had time to buzz once before the message was opened by frantic but precise fingers.

Don't worry. I just needed some time to cool down. I'll probably get home by sevenish.

Head whipping up, Grace located her blue clock mounted on the pale wall. The hands indicated that the time was exactly 6:15. The thought that her sister would be back home so soon almost brought a smile to her bright, red lips. Could things just go back to normal, then?
A slight knock came from below. Grace had almost not noticed it, but at that very moment Lily came running into her room. The cat look upset like Grace had never seen her look before.
Getting up from her perch, she headed down the stairs. ‘It can’t be Jen, she’s not that fast,’ Grace thought to herself.
Taking in a lung full of air, she was able to taste just the slightest bit of the scent from behind the thick, door. But that little bit was enough to send her into a mini panic attack. Why was he hear? Her emotions were racing, but she couldn’t deny the urge to fling the door open. She wanted to be in his arms again.
“What are you doing here,” Grace said evenly when she opened the door. She almost lost her composure at the sight of him. Deep inside, her logic mind was warning her about the time that Jen would be coming home.

Loren shifted his weight onto one foot as he heard the fain footsteps from within. The door moved only just barely, seeming to hesitate, then opened and he was rewarded with the sight of Grace. She didn't look all that happy to see him, but he did just kind of show up at her house. He hadn't known it was her house at the time, though it was worth a look. A very faint breeze carried dampness and the destinct scent of rain blew against his skin and hair, making it ruffle his sandy locks on top ever so slghtly as his dark red gaze looked down upon her. The ever apparant scent of Jenna had him slightly on edge, but he remembered her car blasting out of here not too long ago; it would give them enough time to at least talk.

Finally, his face lightened into a grin as she spoke evenly. "It wasn't planned, I can tell you that. Curiosity simply got the better of me. I was passing by and a silver mustang seemed to explode out of no where onto the main road. I'd never been down that way, so I turned in and almost immediately caught scent of you. So, like the lost puppy that I am, I'm here." He held his arms open slightly as if he'd just done a magic trick. "But of course if I'm not welcome here I'll leave immediately, love."

A smile creeped across Grace's face, at Loren's reply. He was like a lost puppy, her lost puppy. Her arms itched to circled around him. But she was trying to control herself becuase she knew, when he would have to leave, it would be even worse. That didn't mean she couldn't flirt.
" Didn't your mother ever tell you, 'Curiosity killed the cat'," Grace said smiling. Hand on the frame, she contempalated letting Loren in. On one side, she didn't want Jenna to walk in and see them together. She had just fixed things with her sister, she didn't want to push the limits. On the other, the need she felt to be in his prescence, to have him near, was too great. The memory of his mouth feircely on hers, made a slight buzz go through her lips.
" As a matter of fact, I wouldn't mind some company," Grace said, taking his hand and leading him inside. The door closed with a loud click. The redhead made her way to the long couch and sat down, a hand patting the spot next to her. She was pushing her will, but maybe she was hoping she's slip up.

Loren smirked at her reply, though the images floating through his mind of his mother were ones he'd like to forget. Her clutching a picture of his father to her chest as tears streamed down her face and whispering his name quietly over and over in a ragged, shaky voice. That had been around a day or so before she had killed herself and he was sent to the orphanage. He loathed the thought, but try as he might he couldn't push it out of his mind. His mental blabbering was set aside when he felt a hand on his, leading him inside the house that sat cozily in the woods. "That's what I'm here for, then," he replied. He didn't refuse, and stepped in as he heard the door behind him click shut. He scanned the room; it was clean and Grace and her sister's scent dominated the place almost overpoweringly. But he didn't mind; he was beginning to enjoy it. His dark red eyes found a small shape at the peak of the stairs. It was a small kitten. The creature was staring narrowed-eyed at the vampire with it's tail wrapped around it's paws. He raised an eyebrow at it, but let it go and returned his gaze to Grace, who had made her way to the couch and was signaling for him to join her. Loren took the last few steps to sit on the couch next to her. There, he cought another scent; it was that human from before. He didn't recognise it, but it made him curious ever more. "Are you keeping a human hostage here?" he asked, humor coloring his tone. "Or have you changed your ways and becoming like me?"

The emotion that passed behind Loren's eyes almost made her feel scared. She could tell something she had said had brought memories back. Grace had an idea what they were about, knowing that she had used the word 'mother' in her comment. It was very rare to find a vampire who'd had a perfect life as a human. Usually the transformation from human to vampire had everything to do with wanting to escape the pain of the home life. Look at Grace’s life. If the vampire’s hadn’t even interfered with her and her sister’s life, they probably would have just kept up their pathetic and miserable life; ending it by dying in a dank corner someday, no one missing them one bit.
Grace saw Loren’s eye’s sweep over her home, and she suddenly felt very self-conscious. What if he said something rude about her abode? She saw him lock eyes with the cat; Lily was glaring him down. The cat obviously disliked the human drinker with a passion. The redhead silently wondered why; the cat was of course a little skittish around her and Jenna, but never completely hostile.
Loren’s frozen formed thawed out and came to sit down by her. The electricity she felt between their bodies was almost too much. She had underestimated how hard it would be to keep herself off him. For not the last time, she thanked her lucky stars that Loren wasn’t gifted with the power of mind reading. That one little thought got her thinking. What was his power, if he even had any? His lips were moving so apparently he was saying something.
“Oh no, that was just Hilda. My sister, for some reason, found the need to hire a maid. I mean it’s not like we make that much of a mess,” Grace replied, surprised by his question. It was good that the maid never asked questions about why the owners of the house had acquired such old antiques, or even where there parents were.
“Forgive my intrusion, but I’m curious. I’ve met many vampires with special gifts, and I myself am endowed with one,” Grace said. To demonstrate, she focused her energy on a vase of flowers. Out of the fashionable arrangement popped a small rose. Sliding her eyes to the side, she was able to bring the flower over to them, and rested it near Loren hand.
“My sister also has the gift of invisibility, so I was just wondering if you might have a power,” Grace said curiously.

"Ah," Loren replied to her answer about the human. He wasn't quite sure what he thought they were doing with one in their home, but a maid made sense. He had had a maid before a few years back. But, well, she didn't end up so well. The woman knew something was different about him, and finally one day she was actually close to figuring it out. So, to end that mess, he drained her and moved on. His thoughts were interrupted again when he heard Grace speak, asking him a question. He watched as the rose from across the room floated to his side. He plucked it from the air, listening to the rest of her question. "Ah, invisibility and telekenesis. How useful they would be. But sadly I don't have a power. A few unlucky vampires aren't gifted with one, and unfortunately the same goes with me." What gould he say, he was a good actor. Being over three hundred years old and origionally born in Britan, he's been in countless plays and studied the art of acting very seriously over the years. He was a flawless actor. Yes he was lying about his power of immobility, but no one knew what it was, and he's rather keep it that way to use it for his advantage if need be later on. No one knew what his power was unless they tried to run from him. That's when it came out into the daylight. Though the only ones who usually run from him are smart humans who figure out too early what his intentions are. His dark red eyes were focused on her golden ones. He'd noticed earlier that he was starting to get dark circles under his eyes as if he'd been bruised there. His eyes were naturally dark for some reason, instead of the vibrant red of a normal human drinker, so the color of his eyes was impossible to tell if he'd hunted soon or not. He hadn't had a human in a few days, and it was starting to weigh down on him now. His skin, too, looked even paler than a normal vampire's if that's even possible. He sighed, "I'm sorry to say that I must be going again, love. I know the diet between us is a touchy subject, but if I don't hunt soon I'm afraid I might collapse." Humor was present in his tone, keeping the dark subject a lighter one.

Grace couldn't help but be susprised by the fact that Loren didn't have a power. He always seemed to have some hold on her, something more than his obvious beauty. There was also something lurking in his face that made her a little suspicious. Was it so bad that he had to hide it?
Pushing it from her mind, for the moment, Grace tuned back into the conversation. But, after hearing what Loren had to say, she wished she hadn't. Not only was he leaving her, he was leaving to go take a human life. Of course, now that he had brought it up, she was able to notice the darkness of the eyes, and the bruises under them. It would't be right to keep him in this uncomfortable state.
But, God, she didn't want him to leave. Grace could already see the emtional wreck she would be in when he left. No way in hell was she going to let that happen again. And that is why she was going to go against all she beleived, in what she said next.
" Loren," Grace said, grabbing his muscular arm to hender him from getting up.
" In no way am I saying that you have changed me," Lie " But I've never hunted a human before, and I must confess, I'm curious," Grace said softly, her eyes looking up through her long lashes, like they tended to do when she was trying to appear sexy. Her hold on his arm had turned into a stroke, going from inside his elbow to his strong wrist.
" Mind if I tag on," She would do anything to keep him from leaving her alone. Even the unthinkable.

Loren clearly saw the hesitation and anxiety that pulsed through Grace when he mentioned hunting. He knew well how tense of a subject hunting was between a vegitarian and a human drinker; but it was the truth. He wasn't able o live if he didn't hunt, and right now the feeling of hunger was pulsing through his body like a wild animal locked in a small cage. He had to hunt. He was just about to lift himself off the couch when he felt Grace's hand on his arm, making him stay. He turned to her and once again saw the hesitation on he features. Then it was gone. He wasn't sure if she hid it or if she got over whatever was bothering her, but it disappeared from her face as she told him clearly that she wanted to join him on a hunt. At first he wasn't sure he'd heard her right. It sounded strange to him; he'd never have thought that anyone, let alone a vegitarian, would want to be with him on a hunt. though he couldn't hold back the small grin that placed itself on his lips as he gazed down at her and felt her hand slide down his arm to his wrist. "And only moments ago you were scolding me on my curiosity," he teased lightly. "I'd be more than happy to oblige, love. You're always welcome to accompany me on a hunt."

Grace knew she shouldn't have felt joy at Loren's words of accention. She also knew that the tingling she felt all over when he called her 'love' was wrong on so many levels; he went agaisnt everything that she was. But she had seen what a life without love looked like, and since she highly doubted that her relationship with Brad was still possible, Loren was her only choice. Grace didn't look at it like it was a bad thing, no to her it was probably the best choice she had ever made.
Leaning in, she had ben planning on thanking him, but his scent was suddenly the only thing that mattered. Closing the distance, she decided what better way to thank him by than a kiss; words were so over rated.
Slipping all of her passion into the one kiss, it was a while before Grace finally ended it, coming up a little breathless.
" Just remember, I'm only watching," Grace said, with a mischevious smile.
Now that she was actutally going, the red head had no idea what she was planning on telling Jenna. '" Oh, don't worry sis. I'm just heading out with my human-drinking boyfriend. What are we going to do, you ask? I'm just going to watch him kill a couple of humans, that's all." Yesh that would go over great with Jen,' Grace thought to herself.
First things first, she knew that a change of clothes wad in order. The 'I bite' shirt might possibly blow their cover. So, with a raised pointer finger telling Loren to wait, she was in her closet in seconds. She ended up choosing a cute, white, short skirt paired with a plain, black, quarter sleeve shirt. Looking in the mirror, she fluffed her hair a little, checked her still flawless face, and gave her flattering outfit a once over. She had acheived a perfect look without seeming like she was trying too hard in no less than 3 min.
Grace's descent down the stairs was quick, only earning her a hiss from the disgruntled cat. Scribbling down a note that stayed that she was trying to fix things with Loren for Jenna, she layed the paper on the counter. Then she walked gracefully to the front door, and turned to Loren.
" Ready when you are," Grace said. " Lets take your car," she giggled.