“He would never hurt anyone. He was a gentle giant,” Candy was telling the cameras.

In no time this girl had gone back to the dorms, changed into a dramatic high fashion Yves St. Laurent gown with emerald diamonds. She was crying at the entrance of Royal palace where the King's Guard had assembled. They said they had assembled to keep us safe but for hours we'd spent time being interrogated by Jackson. Luckily for me Jackson was a friend, at least I thought he was and he seemed to take it easy on me as opposed to the others.

“That guy was a big bully, that's what he was,” Roman states.

Candy isn't close enough to hear what he says. She's too distracted by the flash of the cameras anyway. Roman might be right but there is a time and a place to say those kind of things.

What's more annoying than Roman being in his ty mood is Mino checking him, “Baby, c`mon. Not now.”

Roman rolls his eyes and goes down in his seat a little more.

Candy's interview is finally done and Nelly is the only one nice enough to bring her down from her podium. Nelly continues to rub her back until Candy shoos her off with her hand clearly no longer interested in being comfort her time of need. Candy was close to Ronny. I wasn't sure what their relationship was but I was sure that he protected her. I don't think Candy lacked compassion but the amount of compassion she was showing for the cameras just didn't add up to when the cameras went away.

Jackson walks into the room we are kept in. It's a closed off room that he says is secured in the palace. I know better. The room is laced with cameras trying to see if anyone is acting strange or nervous or gives themselves up.

“Is everyone ok?”

I nod, “Where is JB?”

I'm concerned with him because he was taken away as soon as Ronny was declared dead and when they said it was an assassination attempt.

“The prince is being kept away...until we determine his safety,” Jackson explains before crossing his arms, “The rest of you are free to go to your dorm rooms but the prince won't return until he we assure his safety.”

“His safety from who---us?” Roman asks.

“That's ridiculous. Who the would do this?” Mino asks mimicking his boyfriend's sense of confusion about the whole situation.

It's Candy who stands up at that moment I can feel the anger in. She adjusts her long black gloves and her elegant gown before giving us a stare that lets us know that at the end of the day...she is a vampire and she's very dangerous.

“The AB says he thinks that it's one of you,” she explains, “I agree with him... I'll find out who it is and you're going to wish you got the Final death instead of Ronny.”

With her threat Candy dramatically walks out of the room leaving the room in a cold violent anger. Her fair skin is dark with intent. The awkwardness that she leaves behind causes the rest of us just to look at each other in awkwardness still searching for answers. It was scary. One day one of us were here and the next day we are receiving the Final death. There was no coming back from that for an immortal. I didn't even know it was possible for vampires to be poisoned. There was so much that I didn't know about this situation.

“It could have been any of us,” Roman states at that moment, “Where is our safety? Hell...I could have drank out of that glass. But what are we doing? Protecting the spoiled prince again who gets what he wants. I'm sick of that bull.”

Roman storms out of the room at that moment and it's not long before just as I expect Mino is chasing behind him like a lost ing puppy. The others soon clear out of the room after them.

I am going to follow the rest of the class but Jackson pulls me off to the side. He keeps me away from his guards and just holds me there.

“Are you really going to be ok?” he asks me.

I shrug, “I just seen someone die. Like not vampire die---but really die. I don't know.”

“This world is dangerous,” he explains to me, “Roman was right when he said it could have been any of you. The Royal family...they are targeted. You do realize that. This isn't the first assassination attempt.”

“You've stopped them before?”

“Yes but this is closer to home. You are right. It may be someone from Class O,” Jackson explains, “I'm struggling to keep that away from the king because it may cause unnecessary actions to be taken...”

“Actions like what?”

“Like all of you being killed,” Jackson responds, “You have to be careful what you say and do in Eden. You don't understand the laws here. You don't understand the culture. It would have been easy for the king to just get rid of all of you for even the possibility that one of you might be a threat to his heir. You do realize that right?”

The thought of it is scary. I wasn't even thinking when I told people that. Clearly I can see from Candy's anger and her threat that this threat was probably going to do more harm than good.

“Why do you do that?” I ask.

Jackson looks at me. He squints his eyes, “Do what?”

“Protect me.”

Jackson shrugs, “Isn't that what the Captain of the King's Guard does. He protects the people of Eden.”

“But you don't even give Nelly two looks.”

Jackson shrugs, “Why would I?”

I shake my head and laugh at him, “Guys are so clueless. That girl has been trying to get your attention forever.”

Jackson still seems relatively clueless but when it clicks to him he lets out a slow, “Oh. Pretty girl. She is but I just don't have time for her right now.”

I shake my head, “Ok. Maybe you should open up a little more. There's more to life than just your job.”

He laughs, “Like what?”

“Like love.”

He takes a really deep breath as though not knowing what to say but Jackson's face shakes and he turns into his normal self, “I'm capable of love. But it takes time for me. Besides there are other things I can focus on besides a love struck lil girl. Other things like you.”

My heart skips a beat when Jackson says that. I just cross my arms and attempt to feel my body numb up.

“Listen Roman and JB have been driving me up a wall.”

I’m trying to warn Jackson. I'm trying to push him away.

“JB is dangerous to be around. And Roman. Honestly how much do you know about Roman?” Jackson asks me.

“He disappeared about 2 years ago.”

“Really because I checked his file and it says that he only turned into a vampire completely a year ago. Where was he for that other year?”

“You don't think Roman had anything to do with it?”

Jackson shrugs.

“No I know he doesn't have anything to do with it. For sure. Still. I need you to watch out. Not everything is as they appear in Class Zero. Listen. Just stay safe and honestly stay away from these dangerous guys,” Jackson tells me.

There is something about Jackson's warning that sends a shiver up my spine. There is much more going on in Class Zero than I can even be aware of.

***

JB doesn't return to class that week or the week after that. Two weeks later and I still can't get him off my mind. Every time I ask Jackson about him he just tells me that they want to make sure the Prince is safe. My mind wanders. I can't believe that at this point I'm actually starting to miss JB. And as I start to miss JB I realize my performance in my classes are beginning to drop.

“F...” I say, “I got an F in the last two Combat exams.”

We are in homeroom. Jackson has just handed out our report cards. The first couple of weeks of school has gone extremely fast and I'm already flunking the first quarter. I'm talking to Nelly. I'm not surprised that she has nearly all perfect scores in all her classes.

“You got a C in Vampire history,” Nelly tells me at that moment, “That's not so bad...right?”

I know she's just trying to make me feel good. Bambam and Satyr are even doing better than I am and they aren't even trying. They give me weak smiles when they see my report card.

“No one cares about grades anyway,” Satyr assured me, “Who cares of your place in the King's guard when one day you'll end up marrying the king?”

“I'm not marrying JB,” I respond.

It's hard not to hold back how harsh I sound. They all still think JB and I are actually a couple. Satyr, Bambam and Nelly all give me an interested look as though wondering why I sound so passionate about it. I want to take it back but I honestly don't even care at that moment.

It's Bambam who puts a hand on my shoulder, “You are Jackson's favorite.”

Nelly is quiet. She looks on at me. I can see a slight wince of jealousy in her eyes.

Satyr seems to agree with Bambam almost immediately, “Exactly. Even if you don't marry a king...the captain of the King's guard is not a bad thing. You are going to be good regardless.”

Bambam smiles, “Right. Why even try?”

I can see Nelly is hurt and honestly this isn't the first time Satyr or Bambam brought up Jackson. The only thing is Nelly wasn't always around us when she did. They've been hanging out with me more and more. It wasn't by choice. I'd rather be with Nelly any day but Satyr and Bambam follow me around hoping that this friendship thing will actually happen.

Nelly's reaction to Bambam and Satyr is clear. She rolls her eyes and says, “Right. Why even try to do anything? You can just be the worst and you'll still get by. Everyone wants to be with you...or be around you.”

“Nelly that's dumb as ...”

I don't get a chance to argue my point with her. Nelly is halfway across the room and leaving. I look at her wondering why the the girl who was nicest to me when I first came here is actually now being shady as .

“Don't mind her. She's just jealous. The guy she's obsessed with is obsessed with you,” Bambam laughs at that moment.

Satyr leans in close, “That's a lot of man too by the way. Look he's even staring at you right now. God he's y. I don't know how you haven't the skin off his by now. We wouldn't blame you. Not Bambam and I...”

Bambam laughs, “Hell naw. We are your real friends. While the prince is away...Jr should play...”

She taps me a little bit on my shoulder. I'm trying not to let them influence me. I just know Bambam and Satyr are bad news but they are right. Jackson is staring at me from across the room. He is trying to hide it but he isn't doing a good job. He is really ing handsome too. I have to admit it. He looks buff. His curly hair is the only soft thing about his masculine structured head. When he gets up I hear Bambam and Satyr break out into laughter.

They get real quiet when Jackson walks up to me and says really bluntly, “Meet me here. Tonight.”

“Wait...alone.”

“Of course...alone,” he explains.

My heart skips a beat as Jackson walks away. Bambam and Satyr are laughing again. This time they are laughing harder than they usually do. I can feel my heart racing wondering what the Jackson wants to meet with me tonight in a classroom for. I don't understand why but right now I know that my heart can't handle any sort of romance after Roman.

That's when I see Jackson stare at me one more time. His dark eyes. He has this protective nature about him. He is that knight in shining armor. He is beyond attractive.

Could I open myself up to something more?

***

The rest of the day in class goes pretty much the same as it always goes. I . I . I'm the worst in class and the only thing that is saving grace it the fact that people think I'm the person who the prince is falling for. Otherwise no one would care about me. I knew I would be bad at things but I didn't think it was going to be this serious. I knew the vampires with O Type blood were special but they are blowing away from me.

Mino on the other hand is top of the class in Combat and the Art of Killing. There is no one even close save Nelly and JB but JB isn't even around. If he was around I feel like he was the only one who could give Mino a real fight. Bambam and Satyr float somewhere in the middle, doing what they need to get by because I have no doubt they plan on entering vampire society as socialites. Candy hardly tries probably because her father is the dean of the school but when she does try she seems to do really well. Roman sometimes is really good and sometimes is just completely awful.

Then there's me. Completely at the bottom.

“You're horrible,” Roman tells me, “You do realize you're going to flunk out of school if you keep performing like that.”

He's followed me into the locker room after combat. I am not surprised he was watching me. I'm wouldn't be surprised if he already heard some gossip about the fact that I was failing Combat. I don't put it past Bambam and Satyr. They gossip like the old Dominican ladies that sell empanadas outside of the projects back home.

“You heard I'm failing?” I ask Roman, “Huh?

We are in the locker room alone. I came in early because I figured the sooner I get out of my sweaty clothes the better. I'm surprised Roman actually follows me to the locker room and decides to speaks to me. Sometimes he stares at me. Sometimes he doesn't. It's what Roman is good for. You never know what you get with him.

“Nelly told me.”

Figures. I roll my eyes at the thought. Nelly is really upset about this whole Jackson thing. It pisses me off that she is going around telling people what I got on my report card.

“Didn't you get the memo? I'm Jackson's favorite and the I'm the prince's boyfriend. I have a fall back plan.”

“You been spending too much time with Bambam and Satyr,” he respon