Charming Vampire's Secret

Felicity Sparkle was the brooding new boy in town that all the girls whispered about. With his leather jacket, icy stare, and perfectly messily styled black hair, he certainly cut an imposing figure walking the halls of Philadelphia High School. But there was something different about him - an alluring air of danger and mystery.

Katy Wu couldn't help but steal glances at the alluring new student as they sat in English class. While Mr. Howard droned on about the themes in Wuthering Heights, Katy peeked over at Felicity. His piercing blue eyes were focused intently on the book in front of him, though he didn't seem to be reading it at all. Katy wondered what secrets lay behind those eyes...

The bell jarred Katy from her daydreaming. As she gathered her books, she noticed Felicitystand up swiftly and make a beeline for the door.

"Jeez, what's his hurry?" her friend Becca asked.

Katy just shrugged, her eyes following Felicity as his black leather jacket disappeared around the corner.

"You should ask him to sit with us at lunch," Becca suggested, wiggling her eyebrows.

Katy laughed it off, but secretly she wondered if she'd ever have the guts to talk to the mysterious Felicity Sparkle.

At lunch, Katy absentmindedly picked at her food, scanning the cafeteria for any sign of Felicity. But he was nowhere to be seen.

"Looking for someone special?" a cheerful voice asked.

Katy looked up to see her best friend Gregory plop down in the seat across from her. With his messy brown hair, striped scarf, and mischievous smile, Gregory always managed to lift Katy's spirits. He had been her neighbor and partner-in-crime since they were little kids.

"Just people watching," Katy said casually.

"Uh huh, sure," Gregory teased. "I saw you making eyes at the new guy in English."

"Was not!" Katy protested, but she could feel her cheeks flush.

Gregory just winked and changed the subject. He always knew when not to push her too far.

After lunch, Katy stopped by her locker. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Felicity at the other end of the hall. Her breath caught as she watched him open his locker. But then a group of tall senior boys walked by, obscuring her view. When they passed, Felicity had vanished.

Katy blinked in confusion. Where did he go? She could have sworn he was just standing there a second ago. She shook her head, laughing at herself for being so ridiculous.

The next morning, Katy looked for Felicity in English again, but his seat remained empty. In fact, he didn't show up in any of their shared classes. By the end of the day, Katy felt irrationally anxious. She kept picturing his striking face and haunted blue eyes.

"You alright?" Gregory asked as they walked home from school. "You seem a little...distracted."

Katy hesitated. She felt silly admitting how intrigued she was by Felicity's disappearing act, like she was reading too much into things.

"It's nothing, really," she said finally. "Just wondering what's up with that new guy, Felicity."

"Oooh, so that's his name!" Gregory said, his eyes lighting up impishly. "I knew you had the hots for tall, dark, and mysterious."

"Stop it!" Katy laughed, elbowing him in the ribs. "I just think there's something...odd about him."

She described how Felicity had mysteriously vanished from the hallway.

Gregory raised his eyebrows. "Weird. Maybe he's a ghost," he teased.

"Ha ha," Katy said sarcastically. Still, she couldn't tamp down her curiosity. She was determined to figure out Felicity's secret.

The next day, Felicity was back in English class. Katy tried to catch his eye, but his gaze remained fixed ahead, his expression unreadable.

As they exited the classroom, Katy gathered her courage. She walked up beside Felicity and introduced herself.

"Hi Felicity, I'm Katy. I noticed you were out the last couple days...just wanted to say hey."

Felicity turned, looking mildly surprised that someone was talking to him.

"Hey," he replied simply. His voice was smooth yet distant.

An awkward beat passed. "Uh, maybe I'll see you around," Katy mumbled, losing steam. Before he could respond, she darted away down the hall, feeling lame. So much for getting to know him.

At lunch, Katy picked at her food, replaying her cringe-worthy interaction with Felicity in her head.

"Let me guess, the boyfriend search isn't going so well?" Gregory said, sitting down next to her.

Katy rolled her eyes but smiled. "I tried talking to Felicity but...we'll call it a work in progress."

She scanned the cafeteria, but once again, Felicity was nowhere to be found.

"He sure does disappear a lot, doesn't he?" Gregory remarked.

Katy nodded. "It's weird. It's like he's hiding something."

Just then, Felicity himself walked into the cafeteria. Katy perked up in her seat as he bought a snack and exited through the side door.

"I'll be right back," Katy said impulsively, getting up to follow him. Gregory called after her, but she pretended not to hear.

Katy tailed Felicity from a distance as he went outside and crossed the lawn. Seeing a large tree ahead, she ducked behind it and watched him continue toward the far corner of the school grounds. Strange - where was he going?

Peering around the trunk, she saw Felicity come to a stop at the edge of the grounds, hidden from view by bushes. He seemed to be waiting for something.

Suddenly, a dark figure emerged from the bushes. Katy stifled a gasp. She couldn't see clearly, but it looked like...a person?

Felicity greeted the shadowy figure familiarly. Katy edged closer, trying to get a better look, but a branch snapped under her foot. She cringed as Felicity's head whipped around at the sound.

His eyes narrowed, staring straight at where Katy was half-concealed behind the tree. She held her breath, her heart pounding wildly.

After a tense moment, Felicity turned back around. Katy heard low, indistinct voices. Before she could react, Felicity and the stranger disappeared back into the bushes.

Katy stood frozen for a minute, her mind racing. Who was Felicity secretly meeting? And why did he look so angry when he noticed her spying?

She had to figure out what was going on.