Free 4 Vamp Versus Vamp by Christin Lovell

school. It took him a couple years before he had time to get his GED, but he said he didn’t regret it. He said this world is different.”
    “Well, I definitely agree with that last part. The thing that kills me is that it would be easier to drop out and get my GED, but what would I be sacrificing memory-wise to do it? We wouldn’t have any goofy prom pictures to look back on, no graduation caps to frame as an homage to the Cullen house.” I chuckled.
    She laughed, her face lighting up. “From what you, Craig, and my dad have told me, memories become merely a pinpoint on your timeline. After so many years, like photos, they fade. Just because you live forever doesn’t mean you can remember forever. If we were humans, it’d be different. I’d have a hissy fit if you tried to drop out and get your GED, because when we’re on our deathbeds, high school will have been sixty years ago, long enough to miss it, but short enough to recall it all.”
    “This is why you’re my best friend.”
    Mel was goofy at times, but brilliant at others. She had a good grasp on an open perspective. I was overly analytical with a narrow viewpoint at times, and while she considered the details of things, she didn’t let it muck up the realistic picture. She didn’t nitpick; she didn’t peel away every layer in hopes of finding something great at the bottom. She looked at situations for what they were. She was rational about everything, despite being dramatic at times, which was along the lines of being irrational.
    “I’ve never asked. What does your dad eat or drink?”
    “Blood.” She cringed. “No offense,” she quickly added.
    “None taken. Drinking blood is nothing like drinking a Frappuccino, but you do what you have to.”
    “Craig eats food, though most of it is nearly raw and absolutely disgusting. He knows how I feel about it, though, and doesn’t eat around me.”
    “We should probably go grocery shopping, then. I’m guessing Kyle isn’t eating massive medium-rare steaks with runny eggs on a regular basis.”
    “Heck, no. I can’t even force a pink hamburger from the grill down his throat. Everything has to be brown and burnt for it to touch his lips ever since his science teacher made his class watch a video on E-coli.”
    “We so need to document this in case he eats food when he turns.”
    “I know, right?” She stood up, nearly bouncing in place. “Okay. So let’s go pick out my outfit for the day. I have to look fabulous on my last human day. Then we can go grab some Mexican food.”
    “You do realize it’s only eight in the morning, right?”
    “Okay, so we grab breakfast at Perkins, then do a little mall shopping, grab Mexican for lunch, and finish off the afternoon by going grocery shopping. Afterward we can come back here, put the stuff away, and watch vampire movies the rest of the evening with whoever wants to join us because I’m amused by the idea of becoming something like what’s on the big screen.”
    “Breathe much?” I chuckled. She made a show of taking a big, deep breath and letting it out. “Oh, stop. Let’s go get you dressed.”
     

Chapter 9
    Who knew dressing a person for their last human day could be so grueling? Mel changed at least a hundred times before deciding on gray-washed skinny jeans and a violet oversized sweater that fell off one shoulder; it looked great against her lightly tanned skin and beautiful blonde hair. She paired the ensemble with bright blue ballet flats, threw on a long thin necklace with a decent-sized bird charm on it and chose a pair of pearl earrings, then grabbed a massive purse with a geometric pattern of gray, teal, and pale purple triangles. She looked nineties hip.
    “Alright, I’m ready,” she announced.
    We were just about to walk out the door when someone knocked. I couldn’t hear anything beyond the door, so I motioned for Mel to stay put. I stood on my tiptoes and peered through the peephole, but saw no one. I gripped the door