The Bite

The Bite Part 3

"Dear class: You'll have to forgive me for I am a fraud. I've never completed any of my own homework, but figured I'd have Sammy or my twin sister complete it for me. And guess what? It worked."

Josie paused and smiled at the class, scanning everyone's shocked faces, but none of that registered. She had become so used to reading things she hadn't written that it didn't even dawn on her to actually comprehend the words.

I realized my sister had no intention of stopping. She was going to continue to read like a pageant queen accepting her award.

Guilt began spreading through me. I had imagined enjoying this moment so much, but all I could feel was guilt.

"I've always been the popular one, but that doesn't mean I'm the better one. Leah is my identical twin and not only is she just as pretty as I am she has the brains to back it. She is the one who the entire class should have been looking up to, not me."

The class started shifting in their seats, and the teacher was completely hypnotized at the events that were unraveling before us all.

I turned to Jake who was no longer looking at Josie. He leaned over to me.

"It's true," he whispered.

Rather than be flattered I was filled with remorse. I could've done a better job of stopping my twin, but I didn't. This would come back to haunt me somehow. I had a bad feeling Sammy was right about the whole karma thing.

As Josie began reading again, I threw my hand in the air waving it around, but no one called on me. The longer Josie read the juicier it got. The events transpiring were far too captivating for anyone to notice me waving around in my seat. I had to stop this from continuing no matter what. I ran to the front of the class and ripped the paper from my sister's hands. I looked at the class, but they were all a blur. Josie stood beside me as confused as ever, and Mr. Taylor had an amused expression on his face.

"This was a joke gone bad. Josie didn't have us write her papers." I looked at Sammy whose mouth was wide open, but no words were coming out.

"Here, Josie this was your real paper," I said, handing her my actual chemistry paper to read out loud.

I had no idea if I made everything right in the world with this move, but I hoped it would at least correct karma enough not to interfere with my second plan of the day.

I slowly made my way to the desk, and I felt the entire room's eyes on me as I plunked down in my seat. Sammy looked disgruntled and Jake was grinning. Josie was left in front of the classroom, undoubtedly trying to figure out what it was she actually read, and continued on. She really could be in politics some day.

Jake slid his hand over mine under the desk, and I wondered if karma might be working after all. The rest of the class was painfully long. My sister finished her presentation and ignored me completely. But I didn't care. I wanted to get my plan over with.

"Hey, Leah. Don't forget," Jake said. His brows wrinkled as he glanced at Sammy.

"Totally. I'm just gonna run to the bathroom and one other place," I muttered, grabbing Sammy to take with me.

"Whoa. Are you okay?" Sammy whispered as we dodged the vamps and witches walking to the gym. We made it into the bathroom, and I did a quick stall check and all was clear. I tried not to sneeze as the heavy perfume in the air hovered from whoever last doused herself before the pep rally.

"Seriously, are you gonna be all right?"

"I think so," I muttered. "I just want to make sure you're around when it happens. Jake wanted to see me alone and I told him I'd ditch you temporarily...but you've still gotta be around."

Sammy's eyebrows shot up. "He wanted to see you alone? Leah, maybe you don't need to do the spell."

"I don't want to take the chance. This might be my only opportunity," I replied, digging my hand deep into my pocket for the vial.

"Whatever you wanna do." Sammy sighed. She grabbed a tiny, pink squirt bottle out of her bag and did a quick pull of the trigger. "So after you fly over to his neck, you'll land, bite down quickly, and fly back to me. I'll squirt you with the antidote and you should pop right back into your old self."

"Please don't say should," I joked.

She laughed nervously. "I'm just worried you should have picked a different bug to go bite him. I mean—"

"There's nothing wrong with a Ladybug and it seems only fitting. I need all the luck I can get. If a vamp sniffs me out, I don't even want to know what could happen. Plus a Ladybug has a hard shell."

Sammy bit her lip and nodded, and I realized the longer I stood among the ceramic sinks and metal swing doors the more nervous I was getting.

"Let's do it." I twisted the black cap off the vial and brought the clear liquid up to my mouth. The sweet smell was almost gag worthy, but I pressed forward. I clenched my eyes shut and took a gulp. That's all it took. One swallow and the vial slipped from my fingers that no longer consisted of flesh and bone.

Sammy gasped as I zipped and buzzed all over the restroom, finally landing on her arm. My wings tucked under my shell, and I realized how disgusting human flesh looked from this size. Seemingly smooth skin, suddenly seemed to have peaks and valleys, covered in fur. And worse yet, it tickled my belly. Getting kind of grossed out, I began hovering near her shoulder as she walked out of the restroom.

"Hey," Jake yelled. "Where's Leah?"

His voice sounded concerned, as he shoved his hands deep into his sweatshirt. Was he this worried about whatever it was he wanted to talk to me about?

"She's coming. She had to go pick something up from Botany class." Sammy always sucked at lying, but I couldn't worry about that at the moment.

Jake's expression dropped and he leaned against the wall under a poster for spirit day. Now was my chance. All I had to do was fly – bite – fly, and he'd be mine without question.

He closed his eyes as he rested against the cinderblock wall, and I felt the flutter of my wings begin ramping up as I made my way to him. The halls were pretty empty so I had very few obstacles as I flew my heart out for my future love life.

Only inches away, I got my legs ready for landing. I wasn't sure what it would be like to land at this speed, but I had to be prepared to suction as best as I could. My six feet touched his flesh as my head banged into his neck. Not the landing I expected.

I got situated quickly and opened my mouth to bite down when Sammy let out a scream.

The last thing I saw was Jake's palm coming toward me at full force to squash me.

The first slam from his hand paralyzed me, but the kicker was when he wiped me off his neck and I went flying across the hall. My shell hit the metal lockers as I slid to the floor.

"Why are you screaming?" Jake asked Sammy.

"No reason," she replied, rushing over to where I was laying upside down, feet up. Not the best look in any form.

"Go away. Go away," I told her, forgetting I couldn't speak. "Don't squirt me! Not in front of him."

She got the darn pink squirt bottle out and aimed the little head right at me, and there was nothing I could do. I was stuck in this position, legs wiggling frantically up in the air.

"What the heck are you doing, Sammy?" Jake asked, leaning over her trying to catch a glimpse of what her pink bottle was pointed at.

"Please don't pull that trigger." I cried out silently.

"Is that the little bugger that bit me?" Jake asked.

Wow. He can look hot even from this vantage point.

"Oh, I don't know," Sammy replied, staring at me.

And as she was about to pull the trigger, Jake stood up and quickly raised his foot and stomped me into the linoleum with Sammy's screams carrying me into darkness.