N I N E :  D I F F E R E N T

Ari sat silently in the back of the car. Christine was seated next to her squeezing her hand. 

"Do you think you'll be okay?" Christine asked. 

It was finally the day Ari would be back at school. Ari gulped as she looked up at her mother, "I-I think so." she said nervously while playing with her hair, "W-What if they notice something off about me? W-What if my eyes turn red?!" Ari started to panic.

Christine smiled at Ari and pinched her cheeks, "Calm down little one. Just take a deep breath. If you think you can't make the whole day, just call me and I'll pick you up right away! You'll be fine, we've walked through the park already and you did okay." 

Ari pouted, "I almost bit that kid!"

"O-Okay, but who knew that kid would fall and scrape his knee! And you didn't bite him, you ran the opposite way remember." Christine giggled, "Arielle, just remember to breathe and relax and you'll be fine. I promise. And here, put these on, just in case." Christine threw Ari a little bag. 

"Eye contacts?" Ari mumbled while staring at the package, "Honey Brown colored lens." 

"Hopefully the venom in your eyes won't burn the color away, but I'm sure they'll last. There's a spare in the bag too." Christine said. 

Ari had trouble putting them on, but when they slipped in her eyes, she blinked. "It feels weird." Ari said while blinking quicker, "But, I guess they'll have to do...How do I look?" she gazed at her mother. 

Christine clasped her hands together and smiled, "Beautiful!" The car stopped a block away from the school and Christine glanced at Ari, "You ready?" 

"I hope I am." Ari sighed and sat up straight, "I can do this!" she pumped her arms, "Yeah, I can! It'll be a piece of cake." 

Christine laughed and hugged her daughter, "You'll be fine. Remember to walk at a normal pace, blink a bit, and smile. Do those things and you'll be fine." 

Ari silently nodded and got out the car. She fixed her backpack and uniform, before looking inside the car through the window, "Okay, I'm off."

"Joongki will pick you up here after school, okay?" Christine said. 

"I will, Miss Ari!" Joongki grinned from his seat.

Christine put on her sunglasses, "Have a good day at school sweetheart! Bye byee~!" she waved and then they were off. 

Ari stared at the disappearing vehicle before walking towards school. She took a big whiff of air and already smelled the human blood. "Maybe it's not a good idea to do that." she said to herself.

Ari felt her heart rate quicken as she walked through the school gate. Everything was so loud and blood filled the air, which made tighten in pain. Ari felt panic started to rise. Ari took out some blood pills and threw them in . The aching pain of thrist started to subside a bit and she was finally able to breathe normally.

I definitely look like a weirdo. Ari thought as she walked through the courtyard entrance. People are staring, oh my god they are.

Ari remembered her mother's words and relaxed. Just act normal: Back straight, eyes forward, and move. And Ari did. She couldn't tell, but people stared at her with awe. Her hair gracefully danced behind her back as she moved through the crowd, and her skin looked soft and white. She moved delicately and quietly as ever. 

Some people who recognized her couldn't even believe it was Ari. She was only gone for about a few days, including the weekend, but what had happened to the girl named Kim Ari? Or had they not realized her beauty before? Others who have never paid attention to her before wondered who this beautiful girl was.

"A transfer student?" 

"Maybe!"

"And she looks like a foreigner." 

"Her eyes are pretty!" 

"And her hair! I want her hair!" 

Comments buzzed around the school until in reached the ears of Got7. 

"What's going on?" JB wondered out loud. 

Youngjae shrugged, "Maybe a new student?"

"Don't you think JYP would have told us though?" Bambam asked. 

"Transfer student this time of the year?" Jr. scratched his head with a smile, "This is interesting."

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Yugyeom grinned. 

"I bet it's a girl!" Jackson smirked. "Look at the guys go crazy." 

Mark looked around at the student body. Everyone was excited with talk. Jackson was right. All the boys were looking a bit too much like happy wolves. Through the crowd, he saw Min running towards them. 

"What's up, Min?" Mark asked. 

Min looked at him with urgency, "There's a problem." 

Mark and Got7 frowned, "What problem?"

"The 'new student'." she said, "She's a vampire." 

JB frowned, "What's wrong with that? It does happen Min. You know we don't push away our kind." 

Min shook her head, "That's not it!" she shouted, silencing everyone. Her eyes shined from bright red to brown once again. It was clear that this new student had some sort of connection to her to make Min upset and riled up. She looked towards Mark, "Don't go ape when I tell you."

Mark stared into her eyes and he didn't like the feeling that he'd be really upset when she told him. But, he answered anyways, "I won't."

"It's Ari."

Jackson whistled, "Damn." And a second later, Mark was gone.

Ari walked through the halls and headed towards her locker. There were definitely some vampires within the school student body. She could see it clearly. Aura or whatever it was, she could feel it from them. And they all looked back at her with awe struck gazes as if she was some sort of majestic figure to them. 

"JYP is a hybrid school of both human and vampire students and faculty. Remember this, there are three main schools with vampires students: SM, JYP, and YG. However, YG is more of a neutral/individual academy—not that they're not powerful. Those in YG  don't really like to associate with anyone but themselves. They're really a clan of their own and don't like getting into anybody's business. That's why SM and JYP are rivals." Leon said to Ari the night before. 

So, I've been surrounded by vampires my entire life. Ari sighed and opened her locker. She was putting her things in her locker when she felt it. Someone's aura. Anger. Rage. Sadness. Ari turned around immediately and found the source of it all. She felt her heart rate quicken as she stared at the boy before her. 

Mark was standing a few feet away from her, panting from anger and surprise. It was true. Ari was a vampire. Her aura was radiating. If Mark thought she was beautiful before, he was speechless now. B-But, how?! Mark thought. How is she a vampire?! Who turned her? But, she can't be a vampire unless... Mark's eyes widened and his heart started to ache. Unless it was consented. Did she allow another to touch her?

"M-Mark oppa." Ari whispered. 

Mark grabbed her arm and pulled her away. He lead her away from the other students who just stopped and stared at them. Got7 watched with solemn expressions. Min, Fei, Jia, and Suzy also watched them sad frowns. 

Min frowned, "I can't even read her mind anymore." 

Fei scratched her head, "What the hell is happening?"

"Do you think someone changed her by force?" Suzy gasped and covered . 

Jia crossed her arms, "Something is definitely weird." 

Mark and Ari were staring at each other on to the top of the school roof, they were studying each other. Ari just couldn't believe it. Mark oppa is a vampire?!

Mark spoke first, "What happened to you Ari?" 

"W-what do you mean?" Ari slightly frowned, "You're no different from me, Mark oppa." 

Mark's eyes flashed red, "No, I am! I've been a vampire since the day I was born Ari. You're a human—or you were supposed to be. Who changed you?" 

"Changed?-"

Mark interrupted,"Was it by force? Did someone hurt you? Bite you?" Mark asked consistently and grabbed her shoulders, "Who did this to you?! And why...why did you allow this to happen?!"

Ari stayed silent as she stared into his crimson eyes. They were full of sorrow and anger.  She didn't know if she could tell him everything about her family and history. "No one changed me." Ari said, "So, please don't be angry at me."

"I'm not angry at you, Ari. I'm angry at who made you like this." he growled, "You're not supposed to live this type of lifestyle." 

"Like what? A vampire?" Ari frowned, "Mark oppa, what's so wrong with me being a vampire? Why are you so against it?"

"I-It's not like I have a problem, I just don't want you to suffer. It's not easy to be a vampire. It's tough and sad sometimes. It's challenging and I wouldn't want you to live like that." Mark said softly. "What if you regret this type of life. You can't go back after this. It's a long miserable lifestyle."

Ari stared into his eyes, "I can't tell you much. But...I know I won't regret this. And I wasn't changed or bitten, rather I was...awakened." 

Mark furrowed his eyebrows in surprise, "Awakened?"

"Yeah...and I agreed to be awakened." she said. 

"Then that means..." 

Ari nodded, "I'm biologically a vampire." 

"WHAT?!"

Ari and Mark snapped their head to the side and watched Got7, Min, Fei, Suzy, and Jia run through the rooftop door. 

"You said you're a vampire, vampire?" Fei gasped, "Since when?!"

"You guys..." Ari softly mumbled. 

"I knew there was something sketchy going on lately." Jia clicked her tongue, "We followed you home that one time. But, you didn't go to the home we knew." 

"You followed me home?" Ari scoffed, "Seriously?" 

Suzy held up her hands, "We were just worried about you. We kept our distance, but we just wanted to make sure everything was okay with you at home." Suzy looked away, "Sorry." 

Ari slowly smiled, "No, I should be the one apologizing for making you guys worry...I should've told you about my situation at home." 

Min waved her hand, "Don't worry about it. We know you'll tell us eventually."

"So take your time, just not too long. We're immortal, but that doesn't mean we're patient." Fei smirked. The five girls stared at each other before hugging each other and giggling. 

Jackson smiled, "Who knew Lee Ari was a vampire. My bad Ari, my bad." 

"Well, I just found out on my 16th birthday actually." Ari said. "I was quite surprised too." 

"Damn." Jr. whistled. 

Bambam and Yugyeom pouted, "It must've been difficult for you to hear all that." 

Suzy and Min rubbed Ari's arms, "We'll help you out."

"Yeah, you're basically the baby of the group now." Youngjae grinned, "Don't worry. Being a vampire is super easy!"

JB rolled his eyes, "Don't lie to her." he smiled at her, "But, like Suzy and Min said, we'll look after you." 

Mark just watched the whole interaction between Got7, Miss A, and Ari. He still couldn't believe that Ari was a vampire. She was just like how she was as a normal human. It was her physical features that were different. Her hair, face, and body. The way she moved was more gracefully and light. Her voice was soft and delicate. Her eyes golden brown, but that could've been contacts. Was she really still the Ari Mark loved? 

Ari noticed Mark quietly standing away from the group watching her. She blushed a bit and smiled at him. All Mark did was give her a small smile before quietly leaving the roof. She stared after him with a tiny frown on her lips. Where is he going?

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sorry about my unofficial hiatus :(