Exhausted from the day’s regular classes, Vincent was voracious for lunch. He had heard one of the items was meatloaf, which he had ordered three of, tossing the side of carbohydrates, quickly going to work devouring the protein without use of utensils.

  When returning to class, he noticed his classmates gathered around a large television with no audio that showed some kind of sporting event. Totally satisfied from a delicious lunch, he moved in their direction, wondering why they had not returned to class. He pulled out his phone, noticing that they still had about 15 minutes before lunch was over. Had he really eaten that fast?

  “Tania’s been training me hard,” Mizuki said, flexing one of her arms. “She’s rough, but I like her style.”

  Mizuki, like Isabella and Vincent and Alacard, had been approached by Tania Eln to do extra training before and after school.

  Max took a chug of his soda and smirked. “What’s the training like? Does it involve tight sportswear, wrestling, and heavy sweating?” He looked like he was imagining it in his pervy mind of his, which made Vincent shake his head.

  “No,” it doesn’t,” Mizuki said, shoving him and making him spill his soda on his uniform.

  “Ah, man,” he said, frowning down at the wet spot on his red dress shirt, and glowering at Mizuki.

  “We all agreed to train and become stronger, didn’t we?” Mizuki said, eyeing him. “So why aren’t you doing any?”

  He took a chug of his soda, finishing it off and tapping the bottom to get every drop. “Training sounds like too much work.” He burped and crunched the can in two hands as if this was some miraculous feat.

  “Besides, when you got skills like mine, training isn’t needed.” He then eyed the recycling bin before tossing his can in its direction, miserably missing. He frowned.

  Mizuki shoved him again and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, you’re skilled, all right.”

  Mizuki and Max were both sitting in a little alcove with a padded bench, Isabella leaning against the wall nearby.

  “Training takes work,” Isabella said matter-of-factly. “Something you seem to know little of.”

  “Hey,” Max said with a look of disapproval.

  “She’s got a point,” Alexander said, leaning back with hands behind his neck. “I’m currently training with a white-haired goddess that has promised to show me the ropes of magical prowess when she returns from the Outer-School Tournament.”

  Vincent blinked. “What’s the Outer-School Tournament?”

  They all turned to him.

  “Yo, Vince,” Alexander said with a little salute.

  “What’s with the nickname?” Isabella said with hands on hips.

  “Some say it’s a term of endearment.” Alexander hadn’t really answered the question, just gave that sly smile of his. “Would you like a nickname?”

  “I have one,” she said, folding her arms. “Issy.” She let out a little, exhausted sigh at his antics. “Do you have a nickname for everyone?”

  “Sure do,” he said, sitting up and pointing at each of them as he stated the names. “We got Vince, Mizu, Issy, M,” –

  Max raised his eyebrow at his nickname of M, but didn’t protest as it made him sound villainous, and he was okay with that. He tapped his fingertips together and let out a little chuckled as he imagined himself doing villainous stuff.

  “And finally,” Alexander said, leveling his finger on Alacard in the alcove across the way. “We have Ally.”

  Alacard jerked up and growled. “What’d you call me, mage boy?”

  “Ally,” Alexander said with an even tone. “It kinda fits, doesn’t it?”

  Alacard ground his teeth. He looked like he wanted to do something about it, but much like an exhausted Vincent, he waved it off, laying back down on the cushions. “Whatever, playboy.”

  “Why are you all sitting out here?” Vincent asked.

  Alacard scoffed. “Someone catch the newbie up to speed.”

  “We’re here to watch the Outer-School Tournament,” Alexander said.

  “Which is?” Vincent asked, tilting his head.

  Isabella let out an annoyed sigh. “It’s a sanctioned tournament for juniors from other supernatural schools to come together and compete in duo combat to determine which pair is the best.”

  That was quite a mouthful, Vincent thought. “So, it’s like sports or video game event for human beings then?”

  “Yeah, pretty much,” Max said.

  As if on cue, the television showed two individuals taking the stage inside a large oval arena, the surrounding seats full of cheering onlookers. Two unrecognizable individuals turned and waved to the crowd. A subtitle at the bottom of the screen read, Outer-School Tournament: Quarterfinals.

  “Wish I was on that stage,” Mizuki said with fire in her eyes.

  As the next two combatants took the stage, Vinent’s eyes went wide as Alicia and Yuki took the stage.

  “Whoa,” he said, watching Alicia’s name scroll across the bottom of the screen as she was introduced as part of one of the pairs of combatants.

  “Yep,” Alexander said with a sly smile. “Our very own Crescent Academy kin made it to the quarterfinals. Yuki is a beauty, isn’t she?”

  “Yeah, except for those gnarly scars,” Max said to silence and no response.

  Vincent couldn’t believe he called it out like that. Then again, it was Max.

  “So what if she’s got scars,” Mizuki said with a warning glare directed at Max. “We’ve all got scars in one way or another.

  Alexander simply nodded as nothing more needed to be said. Besides, he kind of liked the scars as they were part of her character. Yuki also wasn’t the type of girl to use the scars as a crutch or to feel sorry for herself or anything like that. They didn’t define her. They were just there, just another part of her. Still, he would like to know how she got them as she was as was an interesting mystery. And unraveling a mystery was quite enjoyable.

  “Is Alicia that good of a fighter?” Vincent asked with wide, worried eyes as he stepped to the screen.

  “She’s the best,” Isabella said with a knowing, envious tone.

  Vincent continued to stare at the screen, unmoving. “H-how do you know?” His heartbeat quickened as his eyes locked on the screen.

  “Because she not only won the Inner-School Tournament,” Isabella explained, “she beat the last two victors as well.”

  “The Inner-School Tournament?” Vincent said, trailing off, as if wondering about it himself, though he had an inkling. How many tournaments were there? he wondered.

  “The Inner-School Tournament is for sophomores,” Mizuki said, her eyes alight with excitement as she pondered the possibilities of her coming year of entering it. “We get to fight each other in one-on-one matches to prove our prowess with our abilities.” She glanced at the screen with an admiring tone in her voice. “Alicia basically kicked butt in her trials, winning it all and then some, just like Isabella said.”

  Isabella glared at her as if upset that Mizuki took the spotlight of explaining it from her.

  “S-she’s that strong, huh?” Vincent said, backing up and falling into the alcove next to Alacard, not caring that Alacard had to move out of the way to give him room.

  “Why do you even care, chump?” Alacard said with a scowl, upset Vincent had sat next to him. “What, you got a thing for both fang sisters or something?”

  Vincent leaned elbows against thighs and stared at the ground as if he had seen something supernatural for the first time. “I’m… an idiot.” He wiped hand over his face.

  “Yeah, you are,” Alacard said, scooting away from him.

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  “When it comes to the Inner-School Tournament and fighting, and other things,” Max said. “She’s kinda a prodigy.”

  Vincent raised his eyes to the screen as the combatants stepped to each other to prepare for battle and rubbed his hand through hair.

  The battle had begun between the duo of Alicia and Yuki and a boy and girl team that looked like siblings with matching green hair and tuxedos.

  Alexander whistled as the match unfolded, apparently impressed by the Crescent Academy team. “They do make quite the team, don’t they?” Yuki moved gracefully and with seeming ease as she unleashed magic and Alicia with her swift and powerful movements as she took up point. “You could learn a lot from both of them.”

  “Yeah,” Vincent said, watching with wide-eyed realization that he was in major trouble.

  “Mage boy crushing on mage girl and wolf boy crushing on the vamp sisters,” Alacard said with a smirk. “Love is in the air.”

  Vincent was too lost in his own thoughts to react or notice Isabella flushing.

  “I think love might do you some good, pup,” Mizuki said.

  Alacard grinned, looking her up and down. “I wouldn’t mind shedding some love on you, baby.”

  Mizuki clenched a fist. “Is that a challenge?”

  “The only challenge would be what to do with you once I’d worn you out,” Alacard said, licking his lips.

  Mizuki growled, but didn’t take the bait. She just shrugged and chuckled. “Whatever.”

  “What’s on your mind, Vince?” Alexander asked as he noticed Vincent looking like he had when Mr. B had transformed into a werewolf for the first time.

  Vincent sat up with a silly smile. “I, uh, sorta challenged Alicia to a fight.”

  “You what?” Isabella said, stiffening. “Why would you do something as stupid as that?” Why was she so upset? Was it her raging emotions, or something more? Something she had seen from her Connection dealing with Vincent and her sister and his intense emotions?

  “Well, that is something,” Alacard said with a little chuckle at the thought of Vincent getting pounded by Alicia, especially as he watched the match unfold and quickly go in favor of the Crescent Academy duo as they cornered the magician siblings.

  Max pulled out a candy bar and was munching on it. “Why would you challenge someone as skilled as that girl?” He jabbed a thumb at the screen, motioning to Alicia. “What, did you make some sorta bet with her?” He was totally joking about that without realizing that was exactly what Vincent had done.

  Vincent let out a little sigh, his shoulders slumping in defeat. “Yeah, kinda.” He thought about his words, then continued as the battle came to an end. Alicia and Yuki had finished off their foes in a swift and decisive victory, cementing their place in the semifinals. “Alicia is… frustrating. She acts like she owns the school, as if she is some sort princess or something, and she looks down on others, treats them like crap.”

  “And?” Max said, curious at what was going to be said next, the rest of them looking onward at Vincent at this point.

  “I called her out, challenged her to a duel. Told her if I could strike her, she’d go on a date with me.” Did he just blurt that out? Well, it didn’t matter now. His face went red.

  “Full moon,” Alacard said, sitting up and slapping his leg. “So you do have a crush on the vamp sister. She’s gonna whoop your butt and drain you for all you’ve got.”

  “Shut up,” both Mizuki and Isabella said in unison.

  Vincent just sat in silence, feeling ashamed and stupid.

  “Don’t worry, man,” Alexander said, grabbing Vincent’s shoulder with a reassuring smile. “Women like a man of action.”

  “This woman doesn’t like any men,” Isabella said with authority, then rethought it. While her sister was solely focused on herself, her ideals, and getting better and stronger and faster, she recalled a time in the past where Isabella believed she liked a boy deeply that didn’t go Alicia’s way. Isabella had never asked her sister about that, or anything dealing with her sister’s thoughts, as Isabella often would be severely punished for it. The hurt welled up inside her at the next question, but she still wanted to know.

  “Why did you do it?”

  “Because,” Vincent said, feeling his confidence and anger rise at the thought of Alicia and how she thought of Isabella and other beings in general, as if she was their better. “She acts like she is some supreme being, strutting around like a queen. And I didn’t want to have any of that.”

  “Oh, you want something,” Alacard said with a knowing smile, as if him and Vincent were buddies, talking about girls they liked and things they’d like to do to them.

  Max shoved the rest of his candy bar in his mouth, talking with a filled cheek. “What’d she bet?”

  “Oh,” Vincent said with a blink of his eyes, glancing over at Isabella. “For me to stop talking with Isabella.”

  “What?” Isabella said, stepping backwards and shaking her head at this revelation that felt like a betrayal.

  Max swallowed. “Dang. That’s harsh, dude.”

  Mizuki swatted him on the back of the head, as if to tell him to not state the obvious.

  There was a long silence, and then Alexander sat next to Vincent. “Vincent, my man. I never knew you were so sly, confronting someone like her with something like that.” Alexander gave him a little wink.

  “Do you like her?” Isabella said, her face stern, serious, and concerned. Her eyes bored into Vincent as she shamefully engaged her Connection.

  Vincent glanced at her, feeling conflicted on what to say, and wondering why it was so hard to just state the truth. He rubbed his neck. “I don’t know. Can we talk about something else?”

  Isabella felt something, strong and intense and passionate, and looked away with a blink. She disengaged her Connection because it was also pulling her toward him, making her want to do things to him, with him. She felt herself yearning for his blood in that moment. So she had to refrain, the shame too much.

  “Ginga,” Alacard said in his usual teasing fashion. “Now little vamp has competition with bigger vamp. What will you do? I mean you can’t even take me on. And while I’m much stronger than this Alicia girl, there’s no way you can take her without mastering your Transformation at Will, and you’re so far from doing that.”

  Alacard chuckled.

  “You’ve dug yourself into such a deep hole, all to try to look cool in front of your peers. It’s been nice knowing ya. I was planning on finishing you off myself, but she’ll probably do it for me.”

  Vincent felt his anxiety rise at the prospect of fighting her, of training with Alacard, and of mastering his Transformation at Will. For the first time, he felt himself falter. Doubt creeped in at the possibility of not mastering the Transformation at Will, of the beast catching him in his dream, and he gulped.

  Mizuki let out a disappointed sigh before she spoke, as if feeling ashamed to agree with Alacard. “I gotta take Ally’s side and say that challenging someone like that is kinda silly of you. And while I admire a man that faces a challenge, that chick seems tough as tar.”

  Alacard looked upset at being called Ally, but let it slide because she had agreed with him. That was a first. Still. “Alacard’s my name. Ala-card.” Of all the things to get offended by, this one really seemed to have gotten under his skin.

  “The victors,” the television suddenly spouted as the volume was turned up by a grinning Max, “Alicia Dawn and Yuki Dormanhein, will advance to the semifinals,” continued the voice of one man in an excited tone.

  “Ginga, these two are quite the pair,” the other commentor echoed with enthusiasm. “Alicia Dawn, with her victory in the Inner-School Tournament, and her besting of the previous three victors at Crescent Academy is something to admire. And Yuki Dormanhein, a mysterious elven magician with a tainted and bloody past of ancestors. It’s no wonder this duo was able to pull a decisive win. I have a good feeling about this pair.”

  As the commentators went on, Vincent noticed Isabella had walked away. He shuffled after her, knowing she was probably feeling down.

  As he moved by, Alacard gave a little smirk. “Go win her back, lover boy.”

  “Shut up, Ally-card,” Mizuki said with a matching mock of a tone.

  Vincent followed Isabella through some doors that led to a patio on the roof with a few chairs and tables and umbrellas students often relaxed in during lunch.

  He touched her shoulder. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

  She spun around, obviously angry.

  “You know exactly what’s wrong,” she said, intensity in her eyes that seemed to be radiating.

  “Uh,” Vincent said, looking away and feeling a bit uncomfortable. What was he supposed to say, and why had he followed her out here? He felt like a fool as he just had to tell her the truth, even if it hurt her.

  “You’re an idiot to challenge my sister.”

  He shrugged and went along with it. “I know, but someone has to put her in her place.”

  “And going on a date with her if you win… what’s that about?”

  “It’s nothing, it’s just…” What happened to telling the truth?

  “D-do you like her?” Isabella asked, her eyes on him.

  He turned his head, too terrified to meet her eyes, feeling his face get hot. “I’m not sure.”

  “Then why make the bet?” Her eyes were boring into his soul. He didn’t have the guts to meet them, but he had to, so he smiled and met her eyes.

  “I went with my animal instincts.” He smiled as if that was a cool joke. She looked unsure about that, so he shrugged. “I guess, maybe, I find her fascinating.”

  “I see,” Isabella said, letting it linger as she stared with unblinking eyes as if reading him. He looked away again, feeling ashamed and uncomfortable to hold eye contact that long.

  He scratched the side of his face. “Is there something wrong with that?”

  “No,” she said. “She’s pretty and smart and strong and…” She shifted her weight. “I can see why you like her. But still.”

  “Still?” Vincent said, not sure why he was encouraging her.

  You’re supposed to…” she blushed as she trailed off and turned away.

  “I’m supposed to what?” he said with as much tenderness as possible.

  “Nothing,” she said, making a motion as if wiping a tear away.

  “Are you crying?” He reached out to touch her shoulder, too scared to place it on her. She beat him to the punch and spun quickly, a mixture of anger and acceptance in her wet eyes. He jumped back and raised his hands as if he wasn’t just trying to softly touch her shoulder in a reassuring manner.

  She beamed. “Do your best, okay?”

  He blinked, dropping his arms. “Huh?”

  She then leapt off the roof and landed below. Vincent moved to the edge, watching her run off, wanting to pursue her, but leaving it at that because… he certainly wasn’t going to just drop down even though part of him knew it would be all right, he still got the jitters from heights after being pushed by Alacard and all that. So, he’d just leave her be. Plus, what was he going to do that he couldn’t have done when she was there a moment ago? Straighten things out? Tell her that they were just friends, that he had no feelings for her in that way? Apologize and tell her good luck?

  Sheesh, he thought, rubbing his neck and smirking. It was ironic to be the one having these thoughts about a girl, because he thought it would always be the opposite.

  He shook his head. “Oh boy, this is gonna be a problem, isn’t it?” Then he went back inside.

  . . .

  Isabella had stopped running and was leaning against a tree, watching Vincent with sad, wet eyes as he returned inside.

  She sniffed.

  “Stupid, stupid girl.”

  It was always the same. They always like Alicia, and never her. And when she did get attention, it always seemed to be negative. But with Vincent she thought it’d be different, but she guessed wrong. She let out a sigh and wiped her eyes.

  “Well, better get back in there as I can’t just run off like a budding vampire.”

  And she made her way back inside, feeling like a fool for just running off in a fit like that, a small part of her hoping that Vincent would have followed her, stopped her, warmed up to her, grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her into him, apologized, and, and… No, I mustn’t have those thoughts. Besides, while he hadn’t come right out and said it, she had felt it from her Connection, seen it in his body language, heard it in his words. She knew he didn’t like her like that. And while she felt even stronger toward him, hoping and wishing for something different, she had to accept the truth, even if she didn’t want to.

  Still… Maybe he would develop feelings for her over time?

  Yeah, that’s the spirit, girl, she told herself, feeling a little bit of hope.

  Hope was all she had.

  . . .