Free BitterSweet (Book Two) (The Blood Moon Chronicles) by June Spears

Chapter 1
    - Zelenia -
     
    Mamá calls up the stairs. “Zelenia, hurry up, mija. You're going to be late!"
    Today is my graduation day.  School is finally over, and I will be leaving for college in a few months.
    Ever since my freshman year, I have been eagerly awaiting this day.  I should be thrilled, but now that it's here, I’m a complete nervous wreck.
    Mamá planned a party for my friends and me after the graduation ceremonies.  Unfortunately, I had only a few friends.
    I went into high school promising myself I would try my best to fit in.  I'm not quite like other teens, so I try to hide behind dorky glasses and dull clothes.  Sometimes I wish I could just be normal like everyone else.  It is much easier to hide away from the world than to have them know my true abnormalities.   Even if it means being called a geek or dork.
    As I give myself disgusted looks in the mirror Mamá’s voice floats up to me again.  “Let’s go Mija!”
    Mamá is probably the most impatient person I know.  She has fair brown skin and short black hair that she never lets grow past her shoulders.  She still has her Latino accent, and she has a way about her that my friends just adore .  She is an average woman, not beautiful but pretty in her own way.
    I, on the other hand, have long silky black hair that I keep pulled back in a ponytail.  There are a lot of things about me that are pretty weird, like the color of my skin.   My skin is pale white, nothing like my mother's darker tone.   I heal swiftly.  I've been in so many freak accidents I should have broken over half the bones in my body, but somehow always managed to walk away with nothing more than a scratch or two. I have big brown eyes that I swear glow red in the moonlight. 
    I have a tattoo on the back of my left shoulder that Mamá said was there at my birth.  Who the hell is born with a tattoo?  It's of a Red Moon with a heart-O-gram in the center. I've always wondered what it meant.
    After staring a few more minutes in the mirror, I finished putting on my eye liner.  Quickly, I slipped on some overalls and tennis shoes and ran downstairs. 
    "You could have worn that nice dress I bought for you, mija, " Mamá said, a hurt look in her eyes.
    "Mamá, you know how much I hate wearing dresses,"
    "I do know, but I don’t see why. Most girls would kill to have your beauty. I wish you could see that. I just thought today would be different." she said wistfully.
    I hated hurting her. She worked hard to take care of us.  She had two jobs and babysat in her spare time.  I didn't even want to wonder which bill got skipped for her to buy me that dress.
    "If it will make you happy, I'll go put it on for you, Mamá."
    "No, it’s your day and you should be comfortable.  Besides, aren’t you going to the carnival afterward?"  Mamá grabbed her camera.
    "That's the plan," I mumbled.  I wasn't looking forward to going to the graduation.   I hated to be around large crowds. 
    Before I could say another word, my mom pushed me out the door.
    ***
    “Zelenia Mendez," the principal called out. 
    I slowly strode across the stage. 
    “You are a special soul, my dear Zelenia.  I see great things for you in the future.” The principal smiled as she handed me a diploma and shook my hand.
    "Thank you, Mrs. Cercy,” I replied.  She had been my teacher back when I was in kindergarten.  She became the principal at Shadow Valley High when I started my junior year.
    School had been easy for me.  I never studied; I didn't have too.  I could read novels by the time I was five, and by the time I entered school, I excelled way past everyone else.  Even though I was doing high school level work in second grade, Mamá refused to let the administration place me in a higher grade.  I was already different enough from everybody else.  I didn't need or want the extra attention.
    After the ceremony, pushing through the crowd and camera flashes was like dodging bullets.  Mamá