The Vampire Prince goes to High School (Book 1)

Contract

My heat beat loudly in the otherwise silent room. What I had thought to be a long boring speech turned out to be the most ridiculous set of rules on the contract in front of me. The vampires had explained how I would be completely safe and any harm to me or my family would result in probable disownment (they hadn't been too clear on the Prince's punishment). I still didn't like the part where I had to be the one who helped him. Though I'd love it if the Prince grew a conscious - not that he was a sociopath - but maybe rediscovering his humanity would be good for everyone.

Our contract would be kept a secret and the Prince's appearance at school would appear as another act of his random craziness. But even with all the rules in place and everything was clear, I still felt uneasy about it. If I recalled correctly, he had appeared in my house to collect "taxes". Wouldn't the Prince leave me alone if I gave him a pint of blood? I wasn't thrilled at the thought but if he got what he wanted and then left me alone, wouldn't that be worth it?

Yeah, so he can break into people's homes and bite them whenever he feels like it, my conscious said. I winced knowing that I was right. He would just continue to attack people.

The contract gave me six months to try to change the Prince but it's not like I had a plan. I just wanted him to stop thinking that the world had to kneel at his feet because he wanted them to. Vampires and humans still didn't get along no matter how friendly they looked on television.

Feeling a headache beginning to form, I massaged my temples. How long had I been here? My stomach felt hollow and it was a miracle it wasn't growling.

"Miss Borek?"

I sighed and straightened. "What happens if I fail?" I asked. "How can you ask me to do this?"

The vampire cleared his throat. "The Prince seems to have an interest in you," he said. "Madam Violet thinks it's better to use this opportunity to our advantage." He sat back, folding his hands on his stomach. "Off the record," he said. "My people and I are few in number. We are at an early stage of equality. I can't help but think that there's going to be a witch hunt soon. The King is trying to patch up the rifts but there's only so much he can do."

"But how can the thoughts of one vampire change anything?" I asked. "It seems like you think if the Prince likes humans, everyone else will fall in line. Aren't you putting too much faith in him?"

"He wasn't always like this," the vampire said. "Before our sleep, when we lived in secret, isolated and hunted, he changed all that. He had hope that one day we would be able to live among humans without any fear. He was the one who convinced everyone to sleep." He shrugged. "When he awoke, I don't know what changed him - he's no longer that man."

"Maybe he was disappointed that people hadn't changed at all," I murmured. "I wouldn't be surprised if his disappointment caused him to relapse or something."

When the vampire didn't answer, we fell into silence. I flipped through the contract again. All I had to do was be with him in class and help him "integrate" into the school system. I had to stop him from sucking the blood of everyone at school and had to minimize his contact with squealing girls. It didn't tell me anything about changing the Prince's mind to be more . . . human.

"There's one more thing that I need to know," I said. "I need to know that Carlos won't go to prison and won't be harmed in any way. It wasn't his fault and I think everyone in the here can agree to some degree on that."

Okay, so I wasn't an expert on negotiating with vampires but I wasn't sure that being so blunt was a good move but I did have to try. I would be a mummy right now if it wasn't for Carlos and I did owe him one. I didn't like the idea of being indebted to Carlos so this had to be the easiest way to set the record straight. Sure, I was being selfish and reckless but I had to use some leverage somehow; I had to rebel otherwise, I would regret it later.

"He'll be monitored," one of the gentlemen said. "He will also be put on probation. All communications from him will be observed to ensure the masses don't think it is easy to harm a royal member."

I frowned. "But a lot of people saw Carlos hit the Prince," I said. "How are you going to cover that up?"

A ghost of a smile appeared on their faces. I gulped. "We have our ways," the second vampire said. Yeah, I didn't doubt that at all.

They left it at that and I had no qualms about dropping the conversation there. The vampire nearest to me flipped the package to the last page where an 'x' was marked on a signature line. He pressed a pen on the desk.

"Please sign here," he said. "Everything will be taken care of. Your parents and the school will be told. We will hold a press conference at the end of the week. There will be a package waiting for you at home with all the information you need to know about this . . . mission."

I didn't like the fact that he hesitated. Did they also think this proposal was as ridiculous as I thought it was?

Crossing my arms, I leaned back on my chair. "What the media?" I asked. "I don't want to appear on any newspapers or television. I'm not doing this for fame or something dumb like that. It almost feels like I have no other option but to do this."

"Let me assure that that isn't the case. You do have a choice."

Right, I thought.

I frowned. "Don't I need a lawyer? I feel like I'm signing my life away here."

"If you turn to page twenty, you can see that if any harm comes to you, you can withdraw at any given point within the month grace period."

After a few minutes of stalling, I sat up and signed my name on the contract. My hands felt clammy and sticky. I placed the pen down.

"Now what?" I asked. "What does the Vampire Prince's babysitter have to do now?"

Without answering my question, the vampire grabbed the packet. "A copy will be send to your house," the vampire said. "There are instructions, as I mentioned before, at your house as well. All you need to know is there. Have a good day."

With a sinking feeling, I watched them walk out of the room. With a groan, I let my face fall to the table. What the heck had I gotten myself into?

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Cliffhanger!!! :D It's a short chapter and sorry about that.

Sorry about the history lesson in this chapter but it was necessary to what I have planned for the rest of the story. Thank you all for reading this so far and all your comments and votes. Those just make my day. Thank you.

Like always, don't be afraid to tell me what you think.