Aurora Sky Vampire Hunter - By Nikki Jefford Page 0,1

cute 'you caught me in the act' kind. Eyes locked on mine, Fane ran the tip of his tongue along his upper lip.

The lewd gesture made me feel somehow involved in their foreplay.

My mouth went dry.

Fane cocked a dark brow. "See something interesting?"

I should have squared my shoulders and informed him, "No, not at all" or "Yeah, I find it interesting that there's a boy in the girls' locker room. So you had that sex operation, did you?"

Instead, I turned and fled.

I didn't have time for comebacks. That's all.

If I hurried maybe I could still catch my friend Denise at our hall lockers before she left for math.

As I speed walked toward my locker, a football whooshed across the hall, barely missing my shoulder. Again? I glared at the boy who had chucked it to his friend. He laughed and said, "Whoops."

God, I couldn't wait to graduate and get the hell out of Alaska and Denali High School.

Sure enough, when I reached my locker, Denise had long since departed. I did a quick book and binder grab, then sprinted to math. The warning bell rang as I hurried in and took my seat beside my friend. She already had her book open and pencil in motion on notepaper.

Denise used to laugh at my gym recaps. Now she didn't even inquire after my lateness and here I was dying to tell her about the sex show in the locker room. Okay, not exactly a sex show, but practically!

"Hey, Denise," I said. "You'll never believe what happed after gym."

Denise's eyes narrowed as though I had interrupted her in the middle of a pop quiz.

I hesitated for a second. Then the words tumbled out. "Remember that guy I told you about in gym..."

Denise stopped me before I could go any further. "Can this wait till lunch?"

Suddenly I felt stupid with my mouth hanging half open seeing as my closest friend pretty much told me to shut up.

All part of Denise's new attitude "un-makeover" starting the day Notre Dame accepted me while her own first choice college, Carleton, had turned her down.

She wasn't the only student at Denali High with senioritis.

Mom warned me this would happen. Friends began focusing on finishing senior year and imagining their lives in that great place beyond: College.

Guilty as charged.

If it were up to me, I wouldn't be puzzling over an algebra graph, I'd already be enrolled at Notre Dame, set up in my dorm, attending class.

That's the thing about universities - they wanted you to finish high school first.

After eighteen years in Anchorage I could hardly wait to trade in snow and cold for civilization.

Till then, six more months before graduation.

At the end of the hour, Denise said an abrupt, "See you at lunch."

Well, she could forget about juicy details 'cause I wasn't dishing. Bitchy behavior deserved no rewards. Maybe Tracey Rowen in third period French would appreciate the story.

At least I wasn't running late for French because in about three seconds, Scott Stevens would pass me in the hall.

Speaking of juicy delights.

I swore he moved in slow motion when he rounded the corner.

Scott had the thin, towering build going for him. He didn't wear a letterman jacket, which he could have as captain of the basketball team, but Scott was the kind of guy who had his own killer style. Best of all, he looked me in the eyes and smiled whenever he saw me. And that is why I, Aurora Sky, for the first time in my life, had a major crush on a jock.

Too bad he and Emily Horton were an item.

"Hi, Aurora."

"Hey, Scott."

After he passed, I ducked into the girl's bathroom at the end of the hall. A group of juniors huddled together and leaned into the mirror as they applied makeup. They'd all dyed their hair jet black with varying streaks of colors, as if to help tell each other apart. One had blond streaks, one red, and another blue.

The girls moved several inches to give me room. When I looked in the mirror, I tried to recreate the same smile I'd flashed Scott. My lips curved over a set of straight teeth. I pulled my hair over my shoulders. That would have looked better, but I always pushed it out of the way.

The group beside me finished their faces and lips. The girl with the blue streaks rubbed concealer with two fingers over a massive hickey on her neck.

As I headed out, the warning bell rang.

At the end of the day, Denise