House of Night

Gwen Ackerman

"Oh... Uh..." I stammered, not quite sure what to say. No one had ever really asked me that question before.

"Its alright if you don't want to talk about it" Rashid said, putting his hand on my shoulder to comfort me. I smiled.

"No, its fine. It really isn't that big of a deal to me anymore, I mean, I don't blame them for leaving me here."

"Blame who?"

"Oh" I laughed, "my parents brought me here shortly after I was born, they believed this was a 'medical' physility for creatures like me. My mom is a lawyer and my dad does something with the government, I don't talk to them much except the money they send me for my birthday and the Chrismas cards they send me. They've had two other children, Addison and Marcus, I don't really think they know I exist. I mean, if they did I would guess my parents would have told them I was mentally ill." I smiled at him.

Rashid didn't say anything, he just stared at me. Was there something in my teeth? His expression was unreadable and kind of weird.

***Since I don't know where to take this, can someone bring there character into this whole shibang? I have cheesy brains again XD***

((I'll make it Cassi, then. That should be interesting. ^.^))

Cassi-- Werewolf

I was paying attention to August scribbling his answer on the paper, and I hadn't even heard anyone else enter the room. When I heard the whisper beside me, I jumped furiously, spinning around to face the source.

"Brystine," I gasped, immediately recognizing her as the demon who'd almost picked a fight with Adria. My heart fought to regain its normal pace, but it wasn't very easy. The amused look on Brystine's face made me extremely nervous. I'd seen the way she interacted with the others.

"You scared me half to death," I managed to whisper, my breathing somewhat under control.

She smirked at me, her amused look seeming to expand. "That's evident." She glanced over at August momentarily, and I followed her gaze. His expression seemed to match that of Brystine, and he was watching us, amused. His pencil and paper lay forgotten at the corner of his desk.

He chuckled slightly, meeting my eyes. "Well done, werewolf. Now that's entertainment." They both began to laugh quietly, and I felt the blush creeping up on my face.

Demons, I thought furiously, letting out an angry breath. I folded my arms across my chest to conceal my anger. It wasn't their fault I was so easily startled . . . or that I was so nervous around demons.

"What are you doing here?" I whispered to Brystine, trying to sound conversational rather than rude. "Aren't you supposed to be in class?"

She shrugged casually. "Oh, I got . . . bored. Decided to come and find some fun."

I raised an eyebrow. "And I'm fun?"

August snickered. "Well, you're certainly entertaining, if that counts." I turned to mock-glare at him, and the amusement in his eyes just renewed the anger. How could they feed that much off of one little reflex? Demons, I thought again, as if it were a curse.

I turned back toward Brystine. Now that my heart had slowed to a relatively normal rate, I could take in her appearance a bit more easily. I couldn't help but notice that behind the amusement, she looked flustered about something. My eyes barely caught the sight of a gruesome-looking gash on her arm, before she turned it away so that I couldn't see.

Brystine

Brystine cocked an eyebrow. "Wondering about this I suppose?" She asked holding up her arm for her to see. "Guess it's too late to hide it."

"Well, it's not like I-" Cassi started. Brystine waved her comment away.

"It's nothing really. Hurts like hell, but I'm fine. Apparently I pissed off a zombie. She bit me but at least I can say she was rewarded for that," Brystine grinned.

August gave her a quizzical look. "How so?"

Brystine allowed a bit of fire to rest on her palm going up her arm. "Well, my element was just waiting to be released for a bit. She might have gotten in my way."

"You burned her?" Cassi exclaimed. Brystine couldn't tell if she was shocked or horrified.

"Well that's one way of putting it," she laughed. "I was only amusing myself, really. Teasing her. She took it personally."

Cassi

I swallowed visibly, my eyes frozen wide in shock as I listened to Brystine. My mouth had clammed up again out of nervousness, and I was speechless.

Brystine turned her eyes on me, but they were different now. Not amused, not critical, but somewhere in between. "Aw, do I scare you, wolf girl?" she asked softly.

"No," I managed to force out, amazed that I had kept my voice from shaking. "No, it's just . . I guess . . . burning someone just seems like an awful harsh way of teasing them."

"Are you criticizing the way I do things, werewolf?" Brystine snapped, giving me a harsh glare. I stiffened automatically, my eyes frozen wide again, but this time in fear.

"No," I managed to whisper after a few seconds. Anything to get her to calm down. The last thing I needed was more confrontation . . . especially with a fire demon. "No, I'm just saying that I probably would've done things differently."

She raised an eyebrow. "But you weren't there. That isn't your decision to make."

"No," I agreed. "Of course not."

I turned back to my homework, looking for anywhere else to avert my eyes. After a few seconds, I chanced the briefest of glances at her to see if she was still watching me. Her eyes held an interesting emotion when I saw them, almost like frustration. Did she want me to argue with her?

Brystine

She couldn't crack this cookie. Did nothing make her tick? Brystine sighed. Well, eventually something would have to get to her.

"So, demon, I still don't know your name," she replied, hand on her hip.

"August," he mock bowed.

"Hm, Cassi, seems you found yourelf a boyfreind," Brystine grinned as Cassi's head snapped up.

"What?" She asked, with what seemed to be a horrified expression. The whole situation was so comical that Brystine couldn't help but let out a musical little laugh.

"Oh has it not happened?" She asked, shocked. Brystine could feel her excitment rising. Maybe this was the way to get to her. This was going to be fun.

Cassi

"No!" I spluttered, thoroughly shocked again, my mouth open and my eyes wide. If she kept this up, my face was going to freeze like that. "No, it's not like that at all! I-- I don't even really know him." I let my face fall into a sort of embarrassed smile, chuckling slightly, trying to laugh it off. What did she want from me?

Brystine just continued to grin, amusement lighting all of her features. "Oh, really? You seem kind of nervous for someone who says it isn't like that."

"I get nervous around people I don't know very well," I blurted out automatically. As if that weren't obvious.

"Aw, come on, you know me," August said, and I turned to face him. Despite the jabbing, he seemed to be somewhat amused by the proceedings as well. "I know you've seen me around before."

"Yes, but--"

Brystine's gleeful laugh interrupted me. "Oh! Well, if that isn't the real reason, then why isn't he your boyfriend?" She leaned in closer and stage-whispered to me, "Is it because he's a demon?"

"No!" I cried quickly. "No! I have nothing against demons! Really!" I looked them each in the eyes as I spoke, hoping I sounded somewhat believable. After all, it was the closest thing to a bold-faced lie that I'd told in quite a while. I turned to look at August, whose expression had gone from amused to speculative. He was watching us carefully now, truly interested. The idea made me uncomfortable.

"So what is it, then?" Brystine asked, the humor more evident than ever in her expression. "Certainly he's attractive enough. Or did you have your standards set a bit higher, wolf girl?"

Without considering an answer, I folded my arms across the top of my desk and put my head down in them. Maybe refusing to answer her questions was the best choice. I heard her laugh lightly, and when I heard the quiet growl that followed, it took me a few seconds to figure out that it was my own. I could hardly remember the last time I'd growled at someone in my human form.

Lexi

"Yeah, a drink sounds good to me. I haven't hunted in almost a week."

Vasha sighed. "I guess I need one too."

"Cool!" Simon said, smiling.

"I just have one question," I said timidly. "Where are we gonna get the blood? Like, is there some cafeteria that has it or do we actually have to go hunt it up?"

Simon and Vasha chuckled at my overly obvious newbie-ness.

Rashid- alan

"I..." Rashid's look of shock turned into indignation. "How could they do that to you?"

Gwen looked surprised and a bit embarassed. "Do what, exactly?"

"Just... just dump you for no reason other than your wings?" He shook his head angrily. "It's not right. And to hide your existance from your siblings!"

"Well, it wasn't like... I mean, given what they do, they can't really be associated with someone different like me. They've got reputations-"

"That's no excuse." Rashid looked down at his hands. "Family... families are supposed to stick together. Social standing and jobs should never be more important than family."

Simon

"Well of course the school has to provide...nourishment for us," he laughed.

"Oh, well, it's just that," LExi started, embaressed.

"It's fine. It will be different though. I mean it's not like how you normally get your food," he started. He felt a little guilty about calling it food. But was there really another word for people like him?

**Sorry, totally brain dead **

Vasha- zombie

The zombie frowned. She'd never been allowed to hunt humans, and for that she was grateful. Her parents had made sure to get her into a secure location if she ever seemed on the verge of a feeding frenzy. Still, she couldn't help but wonder if human flesh tasted better than the flesh of cows and pigs, which she'd taken to eating.

She shook her head. No, that was nuts. She didn't eat humans, especially as she almost saw herself as one still. Just tougher, and with open wounds.

Simon and Lexi's conversation brought her back to earth. "I'm curious, when a vampire feeds off a human, do they always become one?"

Gwen Ackerman

"Rashid..." I put my hand on his and smiled, "its okay. If it was my choice I wouldn't have it any other way then to be here, at the House of Night, with you and Sam".

***Um, I'm not sure what he would say XD***

Rashid- alan

**that's fine**

Rashid's expression softened a little. "Oh, I didn't mean to sound like... I'm very happy that you're here with us too, Gwen." He shrugged. "But that doesn't mean that what they did was okay."

Gwen shrugged. "It's really not a big deal. Don't worry about it."

He gave her a puzzled look. "How can you be so... okay with the fact that your family wants nothing to do with you? I'd almost rather go on not knowing where I came from than to find out they dumped me because I wasn't the right species."

Gwen looked a little hurt. "They're still my family though."

Rashid's face reddened a little. "Right, sorry. I didn't mean to... oh."

Gwen Ackerman

"Its fine, really!" I laughed and his expression softened, I was a little hurt, but nothing I couldn't handle. "I know they may not sound like the greatest parents in the world, but I love them, and I'll never blame them for leaving me here. Condition of love, right?" I giggled.

"Condition of love..." Rashid mumbled and turned a different kind of red.

"You're such a nerd, Rashid!" I joked.

Gwen Ackerman

"Its fine, really!" I laughed and his expression softened, I was a little hurt, but nothing I couldn't handle. "I know they may not sound like the greatest parents in the world, but I love them, and I'll never blame them for leaving me here. Condition of love, right?" I giggled.

"Condition of love..." Rashid mumbled and turned a different kind of red.

"You're such a nerd, Rashid!" I joked.

Rashid Knight

The little alan couldn't help smiling a little. "The nerdiest." He was still very red in the face.

Gwen's face became rather serious. "I'm really glad that I met you, Rashid."

"Same here." Rashid looked up as the teacher finally entered the classroom. He seemed to be trying to make up his mind about something.

"Hey, if you're not busy tonight," he told Gwen quietly, "maybe we could hang out or something." He waited anxiously for her reply.

"Quiet class," the zombie teacher said in a lazy voice.