“Half-breed,”

One punch.

“Ugly,”

A kick.

“Stupid,”
They pulled my hair, ripping some strands out.

“Weak,”
Another kick to the stomach.

“Coward,”

Jason spit on my face.

“Stop…please, just stop,” I cried on the ground.

“Mistake,”

I could taste blood and tears in my mouth.

“Unwanted,”

Someone kicked me harder in the stomach, causing me to gasp.

“STOP!” someone yelled, but I couldn’t see who it was, my tears waving  my vision.

“Whatchu gonna do ‘bout it?” Jason spat.

Carissa laughed, “He possibly couldn’t do any damage…he’s just a tiny sidekick. Although I doubt hedoes any kicking, look at those puny legs,”

I know who was my savior now, and it was my boyfriend, Parker. He’s always been small for his age.

“Don’t do it, Parker,” I managed to say despite my pain and new bruises.

Carissa kicked me again, but I grabbed her foot and sunk my pen into her ankle, the only sharp object I had beside me. She cried out and pulled the pen from her ankle and threw it aside.

“This girl’s got bite,” she whistled.

I blinked until the tears faded and I saw Jason’s face, shock  worry and anger all mixed into one. He looked from me, to Jason and Carissa, and back. His nostrils flared as I shook my head. The last thing I wanted was for Parker to get into a fight. Was he good at listening? No. So, he punched Jason across the face. He lunged at Carissa next, but she gripped my throat and held up a hand. 

“You come any closer, your girl gets it!” she shouted.

Parker halted, but the anger never left his face. 

“Let’s make a compromise,” Carissa said, “Either I can kill her now, or wait for later so you can have a … head start. Deal?

Parker shook his head, “How about you stop hunting Audrey, and we call all part ways.”

Carissa laughed, “When Jason and I set eyes on a target, we only stop once they’re dead.”

I managed to speak, “Fine, give us a week, Rissie, then you can continue,” I felt Carissa’s hand go cold. Go figure, I knew she hated that nickname still. 

“I’m not Rissie anymore, Audrey. You know that as well as anyone,” she spat back at me.

I laughed beneath her hand, “You’re always going to be Rissie to me, just deadlier and idiodic now,”

Her hand grew tighter on my throat and I choked.

“Okay, okay! Deal!” Parker shouted.

Carissa let go and got up towards Jason, who was massaging his jaw with his hand. Just before I thought she was out of earshot she said, “Remember Audrey, vampires never give up,” and she was gone.

“Audrey,” I could hear Parker say.

“I know, I know, it looks bad. But it hurts worse, can you take me home?”

Parker picked me up, “No, we’re going straight to my mom, she’ll help you with the wounds,”

I breathed a sigh of relief, “Am I glad you’re related to that miracle worker,”

***

Before I knew it, we were at Parker’s house, his mom leaning over me with all of her herbs in hand.

“She looks fine so far, no bites on her neck at all,”

Her hand danced around on my skin, looking for any signs of puncture, even though I knew I had no bites.

“Have you checked her shoulders or arms?” Parker said.

“Parker, I’m fine. They didn’t get me,” I said, trying to convince myself as well as him. At least not yet, I thought. 

I could feel the tension in the room grow as Dorothy, Parker’s sister, walked into the the kitchen only to find me sitting on the table and the endless herbs surrounding me.

“Audrey, are you okay?” Dorothy asked immediately and turned to my neck, “Did they get you?”

I grabbed her hand, “I’m alright, Dorothy. Just a little bruised and beat up.”

I could hear her click her tongue behind me, “That doesn’t look like a little,”

Even though Dorothy was only fourteen, she knew a lot about the vampire vs half-breed world, thanks to Parker and I. Parker and I were half-breeds as in half werewolf, half vampire. Dorothy was a pure bred werewolf, so she didn’t have to share our struggles. Did anyone believe us when we said we were hlaf-breeds? No. But we got beat up all the time. I never knew I was a half-breed until my 16th birthday when I started to develop fangs, nightvision, incredible hair, and I really really like meat (thanks to my werewolf side). My nails also were strong as heck, so that came in handy in fighting. Parker started to develop similar abilities like an appetite for meat almost 24/7 (But it has to have blood on it, that’s his vampire side), but he also has incredible hair, sharper teeth, and a keen sense of smell.

I felt warm hands on my shoulder, and as quickly as they came, they left.

“Is my checkup done?”

I looked up at Parker’s mom, her eyes worried, and she slowly nodded.

“Hey,” I looked at the family, “I’m going to be okay, alright?”

Dorothy and her mom nodded, but Parker stayed silent as he looked at my neck.

I waitied for Dorothy and her mom to leave to walk over to Parker and wrap my arms around his waist.
“I’m going to be fine,” I whispered.

I could feel his head rest on mine, as he started to stroke my hair, “How do you know?”

I laughed against his chest, “Because the next time we see them again, I’m going to beat them to a pulp,”

I felt Parker brush my hair aside and pressed his lips to my neck. I closed my eyes as he started to kiss a line towards my lips. I took a deep breath as he let go of my waist and started to back away.

“I-I’m sorry, I got carried away,” he muttered and cleared his throat.

I shook my head, “Don’t be sorry,” and took his hand.

“We can take this upstairs? Talk about it?” he said softly.

I nodded as he led me upstairs to his bedroom. It was always our safe place, where we’d tell each other secrets, how my parents would always fight, how people at school would bully Parker, but we always felt safe since we had each other. We were the same, and yet so different. 

He closed the door behind me and led me to his bed where we sat onto the soft mattress. I curled up against his chest, while he continued to stroke my hair. 

“I was so scared when I didn’t see you by the car, Audrey. When I saw you on the ground,I thought they’d finally gotten to you, and that I was too late.” 

I heard him sniffle, so I reached up and kiss his face.

“But I’m okay. They didn’t get me today, Parker. We have more time,”

There was a pause, and I saw a tear fall down from his eye.

“It doesn’t feel like it, Audrey. Everyday it’s running away from those evil people. And it kills me to think that we’re somehow related to them, to their clan. I don’t want to live like this anymore,”

I sat up, “What?”
“I don’t want to live in fear, or with eerie waking thought that we’re the runts of the world. Of the packs, of the clans, and from the mortals. We don’t fit in anywhere, and I’m sick of it!”

“So what? You’re going to kill everyone?” I said.

He didn’t reply. The silence was erie coming from him, until he said, “Possibly,”

“Parker…that was rhetorical…you’re not going to kill everyone and succeed! It’s imposssible!”

He sat up and hugged me tight, which was unexpected, “Fine. I won’t do anything about this terrible system, and we’ll live as random outcasts forever,”
I sighed, “You know what I mean. Sometimes…you can’t change things,”

Parker nodded as we drifted off to sleep, but it got me wondering, what if change was possible?

***

The next morning, I found myself sitting alone in the woods, with no light and no one around me. I was holding a note that ws left for me…when Parker left. It said:

Audrey, 

Before you get pissed to come find me, I’m not going to kill everybody. I’m simply going to go talk to the lead vampires and wolves. Don’t come looking for me, and I mean it! This is serious, and I couldn’t bear to lose you. Keep Dorothy and my mum safe. I can’t guarantee I’ll be back soon, but know this:

I love you will all my heart,

Parker

I’d been waiting in those woods for days, years, when I realized the love of my life would never return, and he was as good as dead.