Haylee had always envied women like this blonde. Envied them, feared them. Constantly intimidated by them. Growing up, Haylee Rae’s best friends had been boys at the lowest rank of the popularity pole. Boys who were glad to speak to any girls at all. Other girls scared Haylee; they were cruel, especially in high school. This blonde? She looked like someone from the cheer team. One of those cruel girls always judging others, cutting them down, revelling in their pain. One was not to judge a book by its cover, though. Isn’t that what they said? And this girl seemed to be helping Haylee. Even if she was helping herself at the same time.
”Naturalists don’t care about being seen naked. Your friend there seems awfully self-conscious…” one of the men said, sneering. Haylee had taken the clothing tossed to her by the blonde and was hastily getting dressed, keeping her distance from the men and from her new ‘friend’. When she was dressed, she tried to stand up straight, shoulders squared. The shadows were still on guard, ready to strike. But they were calmer.
”She already said – we don’t like doing it around other p-people,” she said, trying for strength though her voice came out wobbly. Her hair was a wild halo of dark curls around her head, as if it, too, were made of shadows. There were four of them now, each with their guns and flashlights pointing at the women. The screams from the other vampire had ceased. Rather than calm Haylee, it only made her heart clench. She stepped a little closer to the blonde, careful of the shadows.
”Naturalists don’t care about being seen naked. Your friend there seems awfully self-conscious…” one of the men said, sneering. Haylee had taken the clothing tossed to her by the blonde and was hastily getting dressed, keeping her distance from the men and from her new ‘friend’. When she was dressed, she tried to stand up straight, shoulders squared. The shadows were still on guard, ready to strike. But they were calmer.
”She already said – we don’t like doing it around other p-people,” she said, trying for strength though her voice came out wobbly. Her hair was a wild halo of dark curls around her head, as if it, too, were made of shadows. There were four of them now, each with their guns and flashlights pointing at the women. The screams from the other vampire had ceased. Rather than calm Haylee, it only made her heart clench. She stepped a little closer to the blonde, careful of the shadows.
