Worth Waiting For

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~~~ Ashlynn (POV) ~~~

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I have been wondering around this planet close to eight hundred years. Most of it has become boring to me. The politics of my world will also be the bane of my existence. They just never let it go. I mean, since when did the princess of the vampire kingdom have to marry and mate in order to claim what was rightfully hers. What was rightfully mine.

For close to two hundred years, I have successfully evaded the limelight. Although this meant that I needed to be far away from my home in Romania, as well as far away from my family. It was needed. I wanted to live my life as the Queen. Not the carefully constructed image my mother wants me to convey.

Not many things in my life was a surprise anymore. Not the natural disasters, nor the disastrous after effects of humans moving to a new settlement, nor the people I fed off of. Since I left my home to go on my journey, I have not killed a single person. When I fed, I would do so conservatively. When I needed to fight, I would use my Glimmer to erase their memories after I had won. This has become my boring life.

Little did I know that Fate had another plan for me. Without me noticing, as it always has been, Fate moved me from location to location. All the way to the America"s. North America to be exact.

I was driving down a long stretch of road surrounded my dense forests. It has been a long time since I ever thought about enjoying the scenic"s. I drove in silence, not even switching on the radio to my "69 Shelby GT500. It was a long drive ahead, and I knew that if I ran I would leave too much of my scent behind. It was a way they could track me, therefore I needed to avoid such activities.

For reasons beyond my understanding, I felt as if something was about to happen that would forever change my life. For the better or worse, was still to be determined. No matter what I did, I could not shake this feeling.

I rounded another bend in the road and came upon a fiery crash. A log truck was overturned as the logs it was carrying was scattered across the road. Four cars were mixed up in the crash. It might become an even bigger accident due to it happening on blind bends within the road.

I didn"t notice how much I didn"t care about what I was seeing. It was if I was numb to the fact that there were human lives in danger. I guess that it attributes itself to being alive for over eight hundred years. Well, sort of anyway.

I stopped my car about a dozen meters from the accident, wondering how long the authorities would take to get here and start moving everything. I wanted to get to my destination quickly so I could begin to plan the next few years within this state.

It was at the point when I almost decided to turn around that I heard the noise that would change my life forever. It was the sound of a toddler crying. The sound came from an overturned car within the carnage of the accident. The voice took over all my thoughts. All I thought about now was this voice and how I want to hear more of it.

I got out of the car quickly and made my way over to the overturned grey minivan. Fire had erupted by the engine and the rest of the car was beginning to catch a light. I located the source of the voice and found it to be a three year old boy with black hair. He was still strapped within his kiddies chair, bawling his eyes out.

I saw his parents in the front seats with their arms resting on the roof of the car. Both had ceased breathing. For the first time in a long time I actually felt sorry for this human boy. For anyone for that matter.

I wanted to see him smile. To hear him laugh. What is happening to me? Why am I feeling this way? It is just a three year old boy and yet I would do anything for him.

I pulled him out of the wreckage and held him tightly to me as he wrapped his arms around my neck. His crying only intensified until it wore him out enough causing him to fall asleep.

It took close to an hour before the police officers and ambulances arrived. The little boy resting against my shoulder was the only one who survived the accident. When the paramedics came, I handed the boy to them for a check up. As soon as he left my arms, I felt empty. I felt alone.

It was then that I knew that I would do absolutely anything and everything to keep this boy safe. Regardless of whether or not I was in his life. I would have to wait up to fifteen years or so before I could bring myself to allow anything with this boy. After all, he needed to be a consenting adult in order for anything to happen.

I asked the ambulance where they would be taking the boy and once they told me I returned back to my car. Once the road was clear enough, I would drive through straight to the hospital to see if the boy was being taken care of.

My mind began to wonder whether this boy was the reason for my long dull life. Whether life would be worth living as long as he remained with me.

Over the course of the next few days, I watched the boy from afar. I watched as the nurses ensured that the boy was healthy. I watched as Child Protective Services came and took him away. I watched as he was introduced to the orphanage where his new home would be. I watched as he grew ever so confused at the absence of his own parents.

I watched as he realized he would never see them again. I watched him cry himself to sleep everyday for weeks. It was hard on me, but I just couldn"t leave him.

I never thought I would be reduced to a glorified watcher. Or maybe a stalker if you see it that way. What I never thought in my whole eight hundred years, was just how much your Beloved would mean to you once you found them.

But now I had to wait before anything could happen. I had to wait for a decade and half to pass before I could finally have my little part of happiness. But how is this going to work? How does the Princess, Ashlynn of Graen"a, have a human for a Beloved?

14 Years Later

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~~~ Malachi (POV) ~~~

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I sat in the back of the classroom, which was still empty. Since I arrived thirty minutes earlier than usual, no students were here at school with me. It gave me time to think. To read through my class notes. It gave me the peace I longed for that the students at this school never offered. I was after all the school"s nerd.

As I was going over my history essay for today"s class, I began to wonder about my own history. For the few years I stayed at the orphanage, the caretakers, refused to speak about my parents. It wasn"t until I did my own research that I found out about them. About the car accident that claimed just over eleven lives. Yet I remained.

The articles didn"t mention who dragged me out but they did mention a bystander. A bystander that save my life when no one was there to help. How I wish I could thank this person.

I put the essay down on my desk just as the first students began to walk into the classroom. In a matter of minutes the classroom was full.

I always kept to myself. It was the best way to go about these dreary school days. To this day, I don"t know how these students found out about my past, but they have used it to their advantage. Using my pain and mental anguish in order to elevate their own popularity.

I have never done anything to them, yet they did everything to me. I can"t remember how many times I was sent to the nurses office with bruises on my body or cuts on my face. I just needed to last until graduation and then I would be home free.

I could move out of the orphanage, and then I could make my own. A fresh start so to say. But it was still seven months down the line. Seven months until I can find a sliver of happiness.

I sat there, staring out the window as the rain began to batter against the windows. It was turning into a really dreary and cold day. Thankfully, I remembered my loose black hoodie that now provided me with the well needed warmth.

"Alright class." Mr Harris boomed as he entered the classroom. To be honest, he didn"t look like a typical teacher. He wore light blue jeans, t-shirts with multiple sayings on them. The one today said, "Do Not Disturb. Already Quite Disturbed." It was a white shirt with black writing. "Morning." He said with a smile, as the class quietened and then returned his greeting. He ran his fingers through his crop of dirty blonde hair and then adjusted his thin black glasses.

"It seems that on this dreadfully rainy day." He motioned to the windows with his right hand. "We have a ray of sunshine. Our class is getting a new student, who just transferred in."

Everyone seemed to be happy at this little tidbit of news. But how could I be. It would just be another student who either completely ignores my presences, or joins in on my torment to gain a higher standing in the school"s popularity polls.

I continued to stare out the window only faintly listening to what the teacher had to say. I just wanted this day to be over. Then I could be where I actually wanted to be. At work. Even though my school life is completely undesirable, my work on the other hand wasn"t. I worked as a assistant cook at the local cafe just a few streets down from the school. And I loved it.

"Please, Miss Nichol." He said gesturing for the new student to enter the classroom, and apparently its a girl. That doesn"t bode well for me. They tend to want popularity a little more than their opposing gender. "Class. This is Miss Ashlynn Nichol." I turned my head towards them just as he gestured for her to introduce herself.

My eyes widened. I have never seen anyone like her. Her long softly curled bright red hair that hung down past her breasts. The dark eyeliner that accentuated her eyes. It wasn"t enough to be considered emo but it was enough to give her a dark aura. An aura that most of the bad boys and bad girls of the school have.

"I"m Ashlynn." She began talking and instantly my mind blanked. Her soft smooth voice sending shivers down my spine. Is that an Irish accent? It truly sounded heavenly. And now listen to me. I sound like a hopeless romantic. I shouldn"t get my hopes up. It always comes crashing down. My years in the orphanage taught me that. "I just moved here with my folks and now I have to go to school here. So yeah." She ended and I got the faintest idea that she was lying. But why though?

"Thank you Ashlynn. Please take the available seat next to Mr Keats in the back." He said as he gestured to me. What! I shouted in my mind. Why would he put her next to me? Why can"t he just put her with the rest of the snobby uptight girls in this class. This may not end well. I thought to myself as I heard the gasps and whispers erupt at the mention of her seating arrangement.

She made her way over to me as she held her backpack strap over her right shoulder. She wore a black long sleeve buttoned up collared shirt that was rolled up to her elbows. Her black jeans may have been a little too tight, but honestly speaking, it worked for her.

She caught my gaze and offered a small smile of her own as her face lit up slightly. I averted my gaze down to my essay before quickly switching for the rainy view out the window. I tried to control my breathing as to not let off that she made me nervous. Hopefully it was working well.

What I wasn"t expecting was that if I concentrated just enough, I could see her reflection in the window. She sat back in her chair crossing her arms in from of her chest. I watched as she took quick glances in my my direction. I was beginning to wonder why. Why would she even care? Did she care? Was she planning something? Did she already know of my reputation?

My mind began to wonder with these questions just as the bell rang ending the first period. I didn"t realize so much time had passed. I was just content in seeing her reflection. I quickly picked up my books and bag, making a straight line towards the door. I didn"t want to give the rest of the students any time to cause me any trouble.

I made my way to my locker as I put my books inside. Again, I began to think of the beautiful redhead who sat next to me. Just as I closed my locker, I was pushed hard into it, causing my head to bang loudly against it.

"Watch it, Nerd." I heard the familiar voice of my main tormentor. Haylie Andrews, wearing faded pink jeans and a long sleeve bright blue shirt which showed off her midriff. Her long straight blonde hair pulled into a ponytail and hung down the center of her back. One could say she was the Queen of the school. The most popular girl who just so happened to finish off the cliche of being the captain of the cheerleader. "I saw the look you were giving Ashlynn. Do you think she could ever like someone like you." She spat the words at me with disgust filling them. "You"re nothing but a nerd." She pushed me again before she walked away.

I know I should defend myself, but it would only make matters worse. My torment would be worse. It has basically been beat into me that if I attempt to fight back, more will follow. Although I am used to the beatings, it really began to hinder my day to day life. When it began affecting my work, I knew it would be better if I just let it happen. It would be a lie if I said I wasn"t already used to it.

Yet as I stood there trying to keep my eyes from darting to the inevitable crowds that have gathered, I hoped against all odds that Ashlynn didn"t see this.

The tried to keep my head down and succeeded. To my surprise there weren"t any other incidents today. This is an odd occurrence in my life.

I walked into the cafeteria, quickly making my way to the food counter. I grabbed a tray and got myself a burger with sloppy fries. I made my over to the table in the back where oddly enough, no one ever sits at. I think it"s due to my presence there. As I walked over to the table, I overheard some conversations regarding Ashlynn.

Apparently she already has a bit of a bad girl reputation. She turned down Haylie regarding joining the cheerleading squad and even made some comments about her excessive make up. She punched Mark, the football team"s quarterback and captain, when he asked her out and grabbed her ass. He also just so happens to be dating Haylie, the school"s Queen. She even, apparently, skipped a couple classes to wonder the school grounds. At least she did so after it stopped raining.

I sat down and was about to begin eating when I heard a tray slide in front of me. I looked up from the cheese burger in my hands to the redhead who just sat down. A smile adorning her face.

Why is she sitting here?

I stared at Ashlynn who seemed content to just sit in her seat admiring the same cheese burger on her plate. She noticed my attention on her and she looked up, smiling. I felt my face heat up slightly and I knew I was beginning to blush. What the hell is wrong with me? I sat there stunned, not moving a muscle.

"Excuse me?" I asked her as I slowly put my burger back onto the plate. "Is this a joke?" I added as I began to look around the cafeteria, noticing the looks that the many students were giving both Ashlynn and myself. Most of the looks were of astonishment while others held some disgust. There were even a few that held some hostility towards me.

"No, it is not." Ashlynn said still smiling just before she lowered her head slightly and took a bite out of her burger.

I was still stunned as to why she was here, and now apparently, it is of her own free will. I slowly picked up my burger, still focusing my gaze on her wondering if there is in fact a hidden agenda.

We ate in silence until both of our burgers were finished. I saw the look of content on her face as she ate the last piece and it would seem she really likes these cheeseburgers. I sat back and watched her push her tray to the side and then her gaze met mine. I noticed a soft blush rise to her cheeks at the same moment I felt heat rise within mine.

"Why are you sitting here?" I asked her still a little confused at this whole situation. For a brief moment I thought I saw a hint of pain cross her features but the smile returned almost instantly.

"Because I want to." She said with a soft chuckle as she picked up her bottle of water and took a sip. Even this ordinary movement of taking a sip of water had an affect on me. Just what the hell is happening to me? I screamed inside my head.

"I don"t believe you. No one wants to sit here." I told her as she leaned further forward, her smile growing larger.

"But it"s the truth. You seem to intrigue me." She said as she tipped her head slightly to the left. She reached out her right hand offering to shake mine. "I"m Ashlynn. It"s a pleasure to meet you."

I watched her hand slowly wondering if she truly meant that. Deciding to give her the benefit of the doubt, I reached over and shook her hand softly before quickly pulling my own away. "Malachi."

"Interesting name." She said with another large smile. I could be wrong but she seemed to be enjoying herself here. "Tell me about yourself."

"I don"t understand. Why do you want to know about me?" I asked her as I leaned against my arms on the table. I tilted my head just before her right hand shot forward stealing one of my fries. "Hey! Those are mine." I told her and in return all I received was a chuckle.

"Sharing is caring." She told me still chuckling. "And I want to know about you because, and I have stated before. You intrigue me." She pointed the half eaten fry at me near the end of her statement.

"Fine, but these are my fries." I told her as I pulled them closer to me. "And there really is not much to say about me. According to the student body, I am the school nerd. To be honest, that is what I sort of am. In my brief stunt in high school, I have only received a grade lower than an A once. And even that was a B+.

"I don"t play sports due to it being uninteresting to me. I love to cook and work as an assistant chef at Cyrus, the cafe close to here." I began my little introduction to her, only to be interrupted at this point.

"Oh, I love that place." She said with a big smile. "They have this dark chocolate cake with a white chocolate icing. It is amazing!" He said, using her hands to gesture just how amazing this cake was.

"Thank you." I replied with a smile. Of course she wouldn"t know that I am the one who bakes at the cafe. The main cook, Trey, deals with the everyday meals while I am left to do the baking in the early morning.

"Why are you thanking me?" She asked a little confused, but in just a few short seconds, it seemed to dawn on her. "Wait, you baked that? Seriously?" She seemed shocked and pleased at the same time.

"Yeah." I told her beaming with pride. "I love to bake. And I always appreciate good criticism about my work." What are the odds that the conversation would take this turn? Her smile was quickly becoming my favourite thing to see. I couldn"t get enough of it.

"Wow. You really are an amazing baker." She said with a sigh and I no doubt knew she was thinking about the cake. Once more, she moved quickly and stole another of my fries. The look of shock on my face seemed to entertain her as she smiled once more. "What? I forgot to get some earlier. Please share with me." She asked with another smile and I could have sworn my heart skipped a beat. What is she doing to me?

"Fine." I told her as I moved the plate of fries to the center of the table. "Tell me about yourself."

"Well, you already know I absolutely love your cake." He said with a smile and a slight blush. "Other than that, I just moved here with my folks, who at the moment are away on business. So it is just me at the moment. According to the rumors flying about, I am a bit of a bad girl. But it wasn"t my fault. These people are just sheep. They don"t really want to get to know me. I became agitated and one thing led to another..." She trailed off gesturing a "whatever" motion with her hands.

"And you punched the quarterback." I finished with a chuckle of my own. "Well done."

"Again, it"s not my fault." She said in a mock defensive posture by crossing her arms in front of her chest. "He basically insinuated that sleeping with him is a gift that all women should have and then he grabbed my ass. I was so not having that." She said as she leaned forward resting her forearms on the table.

"And Haylie? What was that about?" I asked, wondering what she did, other than what the rumors have being saying.

"Have you seen her? She is a walking doll." She said with a look of disbelief. "You can practically peel her face off. In one piece!" She added as we both chuckled at her joke.

I still can"t believe how at peace I feel with her. How comforting it is to be in her presence. I can really get used to something like this.

Just then the bell for the end of lunch rang and broke up our little moment. We both stood grabbing our trays.

"Hey." She said as she moved around the table to stand next to me. "Will you be working at the cafe this afternoon? I could really use a slice of that cake." I could almost see her drooling at the thought of the cake. I laughed as I turned to her.

"The cake was made this morning. There should be a slice or two left this afternoon." I told her and a huge smile crossed her face. "And yes, I will be working. If you come by, I can probably whip something up for you if you want."

"I would love that." She smiled and we both made our way out of the cafeteria after disposing of our trays.

The day dragged on as my thoughts began to wonder if my school life might just have a chance. I know I just met Ashlynn, but this whole thing just feels so right. Our brief conversation at lunch was the best moment of my time here at this school. I began to wonder if I will be able to have more of these moments.

The day finally ended, and only now did I realize that I only have one subject in common with Ashlynn. History. That just had to ruin my day. I wish she had been in more. It would have made it so much better.

At the end of the day as I walked out of the school building, I noticed Ashlynn waiting for me. She stood next to a silver ford mustang with dark gray racing strikes. I could have sworn I have seen that car before.

My smile dropped as Mark and the rest of the team made their way over to her. Mark was smaller than his friends but that didn"t mean he wasn"t big. His black short sleeve shirt pulled tightly across his chest displaying the muscles beneath. His short blonde hair spiked upwards.

"Hey, Red." He said as he came to a stop next to her. "Nice ride. Bet I"m better." He said with a smirk as his friends chuckled behind him. Ashlynn on the other hand, seemed a little agitated at his presence.

"Two things." Ashlynn began as she raised two fingers on her right hand. "One, don"t ever call me Red again. And two, I am pretty sure I told you this morning to not mess with me. So why are you here?" Her voice pervade her annoyance at the situation.

"Aw, come on Red." Mark began as he leaned towards her placing his right hand on the roof of her car right next to her shoulder. "You know you wan-" He was cut off my Ashlynn"s right hand hitting him square in the chest.

He stumbled backwards into his friends trying to catch his breath. His friends all looked at Ashlynn with surprise plastered on their faces. If she could see mine too, she would see the same expression. She just hit the most popular guy in our school and he was the one to back away.

Afraid at what he might do, I quickly made my way over to Ashlynn, and grabbed her left upper arm turning her away from the group of footballers.

"I think it"s best if you go now. I will meet you at the cafe." I told her hoping she would agree.

"Fine. Get in, I"ll drive." She said as she opened the drivers door and got in not waiting for an answer.

I stood there slightly stunned at her answer before I quickly made my way to the passenger side door. I got in quickly wanting to get out of here due to the fact that I noticed Mark regaining his composure and he looked pissed.

"I could"ve just walked." I told her with a soft smile.

"And make we wait for my treat? No. You promised me something delicious and now you have to deliver." She said with a laugh.

I moved my left hand to the radio to switch it on at the same time she did causing our hands to touch.

What the? I thought to myself.