Vicky

My eyes opened wide at the sight in front of me and my cheeks hurt from the huge smile that had found its way on to my face. It was definitely not what was I expecting. There were candles placed around the edge of the river bank and around in a circle like a shape but they weren't lit because it was too light. In the middle, there was a red and white blanket made from some kind of material. On the top the blanket there was the basket he brought.

"When did you have time to do all this, when you were at school?" I asked him.

"I did it last night," he told me.

"It's so cool but why did you do all this?"

"To surprise you. Just wait till the sun sets, you'll love it even more because we can light the candles," he said as he sat down on the blanket. I went to go sit next to him, as he opened the basket.

"How's your nose?" I wondered.

"My nose is fine now, it's already nearly healed." That's right. I almost forgot he was a vampire.

"You hungry?" He asked me and I finally realised that my stomach was making noises.

"Yeah," I said and he reached inside the woven basket, to pull something out. It was a neatly wrapped sandwich. I held out my hands and he tossed it to me. I caught it and began to open it. He got out a sandwich for himself.

We sat awhile in silence and ate our sandwiches until Nick spoke.

"Thank you for being here with me," he said.

"You're welcome but why would I say no to coming here with you?"

"I'm not just thank you for being here now. I'm trying to thank you for excepting me, and for not judging me. Thank you for liking me," he said.

"I would never judge you, and of course I like you, your amazing."

"Not many think that," he told me and started eating again.

"Could you pass me something to drink please?"

"It looks like I forgot to get cups."

"It's fine," I said and he handed me the bottle. I took it and opened it. He held his hand out for it, once I finished so I passed it back.

After we had finished eating, it was beginning to become dark. The sun was setting soon it would pass to far for us to see. I couldn't help but glance across the country meadows at the array of splendid orange tones of the setting sun.

"I come here many times to watch the sunset and write songs," Nick said.

"Well it is beautiful so I see why you do. I bet just sitting her sparks a lot of thoughts which let creativity flow," I said.

"It does," he agreed.

"Do you know I wish that this moment could last forever?" I said.

"Yeah, me too," Nick said and I turned from looking at the sky to look at Nick. He must have noticed because he turned his head also and his eyes met mine.

"I'm scared," I mumbled. His bright eyes glanced intently, at me.

"Of what?" He wondered.

"Of when the evil ones come back," I replied.

"Me too. What if we aren't ready?" He said.

"I don't really want to think like that," I told him.

"But we've gotta because there is the extremely high possibility that we might... " He said but I cut him off because I didn't want to hear that word.

"No please shush. Don't say it. It won't come to that. We'll be ready okay," I said.

"But you can't just dismiss it. Not when the percentage is so high," he told me.

"Stop. I know the chance but if I think the worse is going to happen I'll start panicking and I don't want to. I want to think that we have a fighting chance."

"I never said that we didn't have a chance. Just that it was a small chance," he said. He was right but I didn't want to think about dying. I was only sixteen years old, I shouldn't have to worry about if I would still be alive tomorrow at the end of every day. I should be worried about what career I'll have and what the rest of my life would be like and if I'll still have the same set of friends years from now.

Nick started searching through the picnic basket and retrieved a lighter. He then stood up to light the candles. After that, he returned to sit beside me.

"I wonder why they turned evil in the first place. I wonder why they want to destroy the world," I wondered.

"Maybe, something tragic happened to them that's why they are the way they are or maybe they are just psychotic," Nick said.

"You may be right," I said.

I hadn't even realised that it now was dark because I had been too immersed in our conversation. I looked back up to the sky and noticed that the moon was visible and I started to panic because it was too dark for me since the woods were just behind us. My heart raced. My breathing quickened. I didn't want to be here.

"Vicky, are you an alright angel?" Nick asked me in concern.

"No...Too dark. Woods," I said in reply struggling to speak.

"Okay, just take deep breaths," he said and I did. One deep breath in and one out. I kept doing it until I was calmer.

"Why didn't you say that it was now dark?" I asked him.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think to say," he replied.

"You know I'm scared of the woods," I told him. I wasn't mad I was just annoyed that he didn't tell me if he noticed.

"I know but you're safe and plus I hadn't really noticed that it turned dark."

"Do you want to go?" he added a while later.

"No, not yet." I don't understand why but for some reason I didn't want to leave. Normally I would have but now that my panic had passed I actually was enjoying sitting here under the moon. For some reason, I didn't feel as scared as before. Maybe it was because I knew Nick wouldn't let anything happen to me. I just felt safer around him. Plus the candles around us lit the blanket area just enough to be able to see if anyone came out of the trees. It would be impossible for anyone to sneak up on us.

I looked up once again and noticed that the half moon up above us was admitting a soft glow and it looked so content in it's home. A few months ago, I was upset with mum for lying about who I really was and a part of me wanted my life to go back to the way it was, before I moved here because it was more simpler back then and I didn't question anything, but now I didn't want to go back. Now I had wonderful new friends, an amazing boyfriend and even though my destiny could kill me, I was content with my life. I couldn't change it so I might as well just live it.

I lay down to get a better look at the moon in the black sky.

"I never realised how beautiful the moon was until I moved here. You can't really see it clearly in the city," I pointed out.

"It is very beautiful, almost as beautiful when the stars are out lighting up the sky. It looks almost magical when they do," he told me as he lay down next to me.

"You're right."

"Tomorrow we must start practising our powers, for when they come back," he said, changing the subject. He was right. We had to start practising, very soon because we didn't know when they would come back, to the village and we had to be prepared.

"Yes, we do. Should we go to the mansion tomorrow? The garden is big enough to practice in," I pointed out.

"Yeah, Okay."

"I'm getting tired now," I said as I yawned.

"Me too. It's best if we go home to bed," he said.

"Yeah. Thank you for today, Nick. It was a lot of fun and no one has ever done anything like that for me before."

"It was my pleasure, but it should be me thanking you, Vick. I'm so lucky to have you," Nick said, moving to hug me and then he kissed the top of my head. I smiled at him when he sat back, and my eyes met his. For a while, we lost ourselves in each other's eyes until Nick spoke again.

"Come on we must go to bed, now."

"Okay," I said.

We got up out from the floor. When I was getting up, I fell back down, being my normal clumsy self. Nick offered to help me up. I took a hold of his hand. Then we made our way back into the village still holding each other's hands.


We walked in the direction of Nick's house. "Erm... My house isn't this way," I said.

"Yeah, I know but it is getting a little late so maybe my parents will let you stay over. You can share with Bella. Unless you want me to walk you home," he told me.

"No. No, it's fine. Besides, that would mean you would have to walk home yourself and something might happen," I said.

"Right," he agreed.

We reached his house and when we entered his parents were sat on the sofa watching something on the TV.

"Can Vicky sleep?" Nick asked his parents and they turned from the TV to look at us.

"No," his father replied.

"I was just thinking that maybe she could stay since it's already quite late," Nick said.

"Well, you shouldn't have stayed out so late. Also, no means no," he said.

"Come on Julien you can't expect her to walk home at this time."

"Where is she going to sleep?" He asked.

"She can share with Bella," Nick replied.

"Ok then but as long as she stays in Bella's room," he said.

"Of course dad. Thank you."

"Bella," Jane shouted.

"What?" Bella's voice asked from somewhere in the house. It sounded as if it was coming from upstairs.

"Please come down here love," she replied back and a few moments later Bella entered the living room.

"What?" She asked again.

"Can Vicky sleep in your room tonight?"

"No, there's no room," Bella answered.

"You have a double bed," she pointed out.

"The answer is still no. I like having the whole room to myself besides I move around a lot," her daughter said.

"Okay," she said in agreement and then turned to face me. "I'm sorry you'll have to sleep on the sofa. Is that alright?" She wondered.

"Sure," I replied.

"She can have my bed. I'll sleep on the sofa," Nick offered.

"No, it's fine really I don't mind," I said.

"You're our guests you shouldn't have to sleep on the sofa," he told me.

"Are you sure because I'm not really bothered if I have to sleep on the sofa?"

"Yes, positive," he replied.

"It better stay that way," Nick's father said.

"It will dad. Don't worry I promise that I'll be sleeping down here."

"Okay," he agreed.

"Come on then Vick," Nick said as started to leave the living room so I followed him. Once upstairs I realised I was going to be sleeping in a boy's room. I wasn't scared but it just seemed a little strange. "What's the matter?" He wondered.

"Nothing," I replied and followed him inside one of the top floor rooms. On the way in he turned on the light.

The walls of his room were painted dark blue and he had to match patterned bed sheets. Beside a chest of drawers, there were two full shelving units, full of books, DVDs and music CDs. There was also a desk that housed lots of writing pads and pens, and just off to the side of it near the wall propped up on a stand was a blue and white fender guitar. I couldn't help but take a good look at it. It looked like it had been used a lot but it was stunning, and so much better than my own. I could almost imagine plucking the strings and hearing them produce crisp and beautiful tunes.

I turned my attention away to look at a guitar case and then back to Nick.

"Erm... I don't think I have anything for you to wear for bed," Nick said.

"I guess we didn't think of that when we decided that I should sleep over," I pointed out. I couldn't sleep in the clothes I had on because they were my school clothes and I would need them for tomorrow.

"I'll go see if I can find you anything," he told me and left his room. I sat down on the edge of the bed to wait till he returned.

Minutes later he returned with something in his hands. "All I could find was Bella's nighty. She never wears it. I hope it's okay and you're not too cold tonight," he said.

"I'll be fine," I told him.

"Are you sure?" He wondered.

"Yes," I answered.

"Okay, but if you get too cold there is another blanket at the bottom of my wardrobe," he said.

"Okay."

He walked towards me and then handed over the white night dress. I took it and said, "thanks."

"Goodnight angel," he said.

"Goodnight," I said back and then he left the room. Once the door was shut I got ready for bed. Then I went to turn the light out and carefully made my way over to his bed. I climbed on and laid down under the covers.