• Chapter 1
    The New Kid

    Tears of blood, Sweet tears of blood,
    Releasing the monster locked up inside.
    No emotions exact, Blank eyes reflecting back,
    The scarred faces of those he caused to die.
    ‘My sweet dear go run, I’m in the dark can’t run’
    His echoing words from the dream last night.
    Oh tears of blood, My sweet tears of blood,
    Sleeping on the fangs protruding from the upper lip,
    Of the only one I truly long to be with,
    A heart made of stone, impossible to enter in…..

    -Me

    “Violet Thorn?” The teacher of 1st period, History, calls out my name as she takes attendance.

    “HERE!” I shout in reply as I wave my hands over my head.

    Yes, an awesome name, I know. And it suits me very well.

    My hair is made up of raven black curls and they fall down below my shoulders and flow out behind me in a beautiful sheet of darkness. The bangs fall in front of my dark brown eyes, which lay engraved into my fragile, pale white skin. Black crystal earings dangle from my ears and a spider pendant necklace is tied around my neck. I’m wearing old, black faded jeans with holes and a black shirt that says ‘PARAMORE’ in red letters, and resting on my feet are my Converse boots.

    Yes, as you can see, I like black.

    “Well, class. Today we are getting a new student. Please give your warm welcomes to Claude Monster!”

    We all start saying ‘hi’ as a boy steps to the front of the classroom, but most of us are frozen in both fear and amazment.

    “Well, ‘monster’ certainly does suit him.” My best friend, Janet, whispers from the seat in front of me.

    The boy has dark blonde hair with black and red streaks that hangs in front of his deep, jade green eyes. He’s wearing worn out jeans with chains, a zipped up Volcom jacket and Converse high-tops. His skin is also a pale white.

    “I dunno, I think I sorta like him.” I manage to reply, and Claude turns to me, as if he heard what I just said. I’m stunned by the empty look to his eyes. It’s like they are blank, like they hold no emotion. No soul behind those beautiful eyes.

    “Okay, Claude. You can take your seat.” The new kid nods to Mrs. Bell and takes the seat in the corner of the very back of the classroom. I keep my eyes locked with his for a moment before turning back to the front of the room, but I can feel his eyes on me for the rest of the period.

    “That new kid is weird.” I whisper to Janet as we walk towards our next class, P.E.

    “Yeah. He wasn’t paying any attention to the teacher the whole period. Instead he was staring at you.” She replies. “Hey, why are you whispering?”

    “I feel like we’re being watched.” I walk faster and grab her wrist to pull her with me.

    As we walk into the locker room, the group of girls instantly stop talking and break apart, then walk slowly to their lockers while staring at me as I walk by.

    “Hey, I think that new kid likes you.” Macy, a preppy blonde and one of the most popular girls in school, finally speaks up.

    “Violet Monster, I can picture it now!” Katherine, the class clown--and a very close friend of mine--laughs with the rest of the girls, and I can’t help cracking a smile.

    “Catchy.” I reply and we laugh again.

    I walk into the gym with her, not caring to wait for Janet, because she takes forever to get her light blonde, curly locks into a perfect ponytail.

    “Monster, how should I feel?” Janet sings as she walks in and I hold out my hand to stop her. She stops in mid-tie and we stare ahead at the new kid leaning against one of the walls, staring straight at me.

    ‘A heart made of stone, impossible to enter’ A voice whispers in my head. I don’t recognize it as my own, and I’m instantly freaked.

    The day rushes by and I find out I have 5/7 classes with this Monster dude, and the ones I don’t have with him are math, novels, and science engineering.

    Janet and I are rocking out to music after school in the front school yard and people stare as they walk by. It makes us laugh and Katherine jumps out of nowhere and joins us.

    “Hey guys, wanna go crash Macy’s party tonight?” She asks casually as we twirl around in circles.

    “Sure.” We laugh and schedule to meet at my house at seven. Then we all go our separate ways and I smile, trying to ignore the stare I feel pressing into my back.

    Chapter 2
    The Party

    How can you see into my eyes,
    Like open doors?
    Leading you down into my core,
    Where I’ve become so numb…
    -Bring Me To Life by Evanescence

    I walk outside the door and glance at the BMW waiting for me in my driveway. I call goodbye to my parents, younger brother and his friend as I walk out and jump into the hoodless car. I’m wearing a black hoodie with purple zebra stripes, black skinny jeans with suspenders that hang down (because I’m not wearing them on my shoulders), my boots and a Volcom hat under the hood.

    Katherine and Janet greet me and I nod to them as I buckle my seatbelt. We don’t know where Macy lives, but we just follow the sound of the pounding music coming from downtown.

    “Wow.” We all mutter as we walk through the doorway of the mansion. A chandelier hangs down from the ceiling and the light from it reflects off of the polished, marble floor. There’s a grand staircase descending from the upper floor that leads down to the base floor were a crowd of people is jammed in, thrashing their bodies to the music.

    “COME ON! LET’S DANCE!!” Katherine screams as she pushes us into the swarm of people. We dance crazily and I step aside into a tiny clearing in the crowd and start to freestyle. Soon enough the crowd forms around me as I dance to the beat of the music and I smile as I finish and I’m surrounded by applause, whistles and cheers.

    I walk over to the kitchen and open up the fridge. Grabbing a Coke, I take my hat off of my sweating forehead and rest it on the counter top.

    “Come on, babe, this is a party! Have some beer!” A voice slurs and a can of Budlight is offered in front of me. I look up into the face of the quarterback on the football team--Chase, I think his name is--and instantly shake my head.

    “No thanks.” I push his hand away and walk out of the kitchen. I expected him to leave me alone, but he shoves me into the wall in the hallway.

    “Come on, girl. I love you.” He smirks at me and the dazed look on his face and smell of liquor on his breath makes me want to puke.

    “No.” I push him away again and he shoves me back into the wall, harder this time.

    “Listen, you do what I say.”

    “I don’t have to if I don’t want to.”

    “You don’t know what I’m capable of.” The flat side of a knife is pressed against my throat and my eyes widen.

    Suddenly Chase grunts in pain as he drops the knife and flies backwards into the opposite wall.

    “She said no thank you.” A voice hisses through gritted teeth. My eyes adjust and I see Claude Monster standing in front of me.

    “Who are you to go telling people what to do?” The quarterback stands back up and, as only a drunk person would do, chucks the knife at Claude’s chest. Then he reaches behind him, grabs me, and starts to run.

    In a blur, Claude’s standing before us, holding the knife in one hand. He uses the other hand to grab Chase by the t-shirt and fling him into the main room where people were still dancing.

    Screams echo throughout the room as Chase is launched into the drink/food table lined out. I stumble to the doorway, shocked. Claude grabs Chase and throws him into the ground, then leans down to punch him in the face once, which instantly knocks him out.

    I gasp and bring my hand up to my mouth. Claude glances at me once before standing up and walking out of the door.

    ‘A heart made of stone, impossible to enter…’ The voice repeats in my head. I ignore it and stride forward, out of the door, and down the street after the Monster boy.

    “HEY! HEY YOU!” He keeps walking so I sprint, trying to catch up with him. “I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME!”

    “What?” He growls as he shoots me a glare. I’ve got to admit, I’m shocked.

    “Uh, you don’t just walk away from a girl after you save her life.”

    “Well, I’m sorry, I’m not very big in the hero business.”

    I stick my nose up and scoff, “I don’t need a hero. I can be my own hero.” I look down at him from my nose to see that no expressions have changed.

    “Yeah, when hell freezes over….” He mutters.

    My mouth is set in a grim, straight line. “Fine then…” My voice trails off as I walk by his side. My expression eventually drop and I search for something to say. “I’m Violet Thorn……I’m in your first period class…….and four of your other classes…..and, uhh, sit across the lunchroom from you…..” I bite the inside of my cheek and start over, “I’m Violet Thorn-

    “I heard you the first time!” Claude cuts off, annoyed.

    “Well, sorry. I didn’t know that. Geez, you’re so freakin’ quiet.”

    “And since when is that a bad thing?” He asks.

    “Well, um-

    “That was a rhetorical question!!” His voice rises a little and he fights to stay calm. “Damn, you weren’t this annoying when….” His voice trails off as he shoots me a glance.

    “What was that?” I ask as I stop walking, confused.

    “Nothing.” He jerks his head to the side as if to shake the topic away and keeps walking.

    Suddenly, he stops and swings open a yellowish-white gate beside him. It takes me a moment to realize that we’re at my house.

    “Oh, uh, thanks.” He leans against the fence and gestures for me to walk through. I do and then say, in my normal tone, “How do you know where I live, anyway? What, do you stalk me?”

    “Maybe I do.” I step up onto my porch and turn to see him smiling a little half smirk at me.

    “Oo, I’m so scared.” I mock fear and he actually laughs a little. It’s a gorgeous laugh, really……wait WHAT THE HELL!?!

    “Yes you are.” His tone turns serious and the smirk disappears as he eyes bore into mine. “I can see it in your eyes.”

    I freeze as I’m trapped in his gaze. I want to look away, I really do. But I can’t, I’m stuck. He steps up onto the porch and rests his hand against my cheek. My breath catches in my throat and I forget how to breathe.

    “You see?” He removes his hand and breaks the gaze. His eyes float up to a window on the upper floor and I am soon aware of little boy giggles.

    “HEY!!” I shout as I spin around, looking up to the window leading into my brother’s, Dylan’s, room. He and his friend are sitting there, spying, and they start laughing hysterically. “GET AWAY FROM THERE YOU JACKASSES!!”

    I jump down to the pavement lined with rocks and scoop up a few, then throw them at the window. They keep laughing and step away from the window.

    Growling, I step back onto the porch where Claude is leaning against the wall. “So, um, thanks…again.”

    “Yeah, no prob. Just promise me that you’ll stay outta trouble, okay?”

    “Why do you care about that?”

    He walks out to the driveway, then turns and says, his face half in darkness, “Just promise.” He runs forward, jumps over the fence and is completely swallowed by the night before I can even begin to reply.

    And long after, when I’m up in my room, in my plaid sleep pants and black tank top, I stare out the window and whisper to myself, “I promise.”

    But somehow I know that he can hear me.