My Bully…

Rowena.

Jason was standing way too close. My breath hitched, and my legs felt shaky.

Damn it, Rowena, why couldn't you just mind your own business for once? But this time, it was happening right in front of me. I couldn't just stand by.

"I... I..." I stammered, trying to find my voice.

Before I could even get a word out, Jason spun around to face the snickering crowd. A cruel grin plastered on his face, but I could see the raw anger simmering beneath. "Who the hell is this?" He yelled while he pointed at me.

The crowd's laughter shredded on my nerves. "Who are you to act like this?" I snapped, but my stomach was churning with anxiety.

"Me?" He sneered, turning back to me. "Are you really asking me that? I can practically smell the human on you from here. A pathetic, weak one, at that."

"You're a jerk, Jason," I retorted, trying to keep my voice steady. "Why do you always have to pick on the weak? Is that the only way you can feel strong? Beating up on some girl and acting like you're some blue vile god? You're nothing but a pathetic vampire bully!" The words tumbled out, laced with more fear than I wanted to admit.

Before he could respond, a familiar voice cut through the air.

"Jason!"

It was Rachel. Her tone was calm, but that icy smile on her face sent shivers down my spine. Rachel, the queen bee of Blue Vile college, always surrounded by her gaggle of followers. Half-vampire, half-human, and all trouble.

Jason immediately turned toward her.

"Jason, I know her," Rachel said, her voice dripping with a fake sweetness as she laid a hand possessively on his shoulder. "She's in our history class. She's, like, top of the class!" The smile didn't reach her eyes, and I knew it was a threat.

"I don't give a damn who she is!" Jason roared, his attention snapping back to me. "She interrupted my fun!"

"Just because you think you're smart doesn't mean you can stick your nose where it doesn't belong! No one even knows you yet." Rachel stormed towards me, her eyes blazing.

Before I could react, Jason was on me. Vampire speed slammed into me, his fingers closing around my neck. A gasp escaped me.

"Let me go," I choked out, the words barely audible. I glanced over at Cindy, who was frozen, her eyes wide with terror. She wouldn't say a word. She was just a human, like me.

"Now you see how weak you are," Jason hissed, his grip tightening. "How pathetic you are. I could snap my fingers, and you'd be gone. No one would even notice you were missing."

He laughed, a cruel, chilling sound that echoed in my ears. My vision started to blur.

"Let me go, you fucking pathetic vampire bastard!" I choked out. His grip on my neck was like a vise. I glimpsed the tiny beads of my own blood on his claws. It was happening so fast.

"Jason... let her go," Rachel whispered, her voice right beside his ear. "You're going to hurt her."

"I don't fucking care!" he growled. "She deserves to die. For testing my patience, for interrupting me, for being such a bitchy thing!" His eyes were flashing red, and my body was shaking so hard I could barely stand.

"Pleas...se... let... go..." I stammered, my voice cracking. I felt like I was suffocating.

"Jason, we're in public! In front of the whole school!" Rachel reminded him, her voice still calm, too calm. Her eyes flicked towards me, and I saw a cruel, knowing glint in them. "If you kill her here... what will the humans think? And what about your dad? Remember, he wouldn't take it lightly."

Immediately, Jason released me. Frustration twisted his face. He growled, a low, guttural sound that vibrated in my bones. His fangs snapped together. He grabbed the girl he'd been with before I’d gotten involved. Yesss taunting . I balled my fist , my nails digging on my palms

"Fine," he spat. "You want me to spare her? Then you’ll take her place?" He gripped the girl by the neck, his nails digging into her flesh. "Her blood would taste really good, especially if I take it slowly. I'd feed on her slowly..." I could see his fangs lengthening, moving closer to her neck.

I clenched my hands into fists, shut my eyes tight. I couldn't watch. My heart was pounding against my ribs like a trapped bird.

Without thinking, without hesitation, I screamed,

"What do you want?!"

My voice came out in a desperate rush, raw and shaky. I was terrified, but something had to be done.

My heart was slamming against my ribs so hard it hurt. My breathing was all over the place, shaky, heavy. Each breath felt like a struggle. Jason’s cold eyes locked onto mine, amusement flickering in them like a spark ready to explode. He was enjoying this--- My fear, Myy helplessness—watching me squirm. It was all a game to him.

"You want to save her?" His voice was soft, almost a purr, but it sent shivers down my spine. "Then here's the deal, little human."

I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry. I knew, I just knew, whatever he was about to say would be twisted and horrible.

"You’ll be mine," Jason continued, tilting his head. "Not just my personal blood bag—but my plaything. My little toy. Whenever I want, you’ll come crawling to me. No arguments. No running. Just you, obeying every little thing I say." His smirk widened. "Think of it as a trade—you, for her life."

A sickening chill crawled down my spine, leaving me cold and clammy. This couldn't be real. It had to be a nightmare.

I clenched my fists, trying to find some strength, some defiance. "You're a lunatic," I growled, my voice shaky but laced with anger. "A complete bastard. Get the hell away from me!"

I turned, wanting to get away from him, from the suffocating dread he exuded. But before I could even take a step, his hand shot out, clamping around my wrist like iron. I gasped, pain shooting up my arm.

"I'm giving you 24 hours to think this through." His voice was flat, but there was a dangerous edge to it, a promise, and a threat of something far worse if I refused. He glanced at the girl he was holding, still gripped tightly by the neck.

The girl whimpered, her eyes locked on mine, pleading.

"Plea....se..." she choked out, her voice barely audible.

I froze. Her desperate plea hit me like a punch to the gut.

"I....i—" I stammered.

No. No, no, no. This couldn't be happening.

Jason's grip tightened, pulling me closer, forcing me to meet his gaze. His eyes were burning now, a deep, terrifying red.

"You wouldn't want her death on your conscience, would you, little human?" He growled, his lips twisting into a cruel smile. "Because if she dies... it'll be all your fault."

My throat tightened. I wanted to scream, to fight, to do something – but I was paralyzed. Trapped in his game, his hands.

"Tick-tock, little human" Jason whispered, his breath brushing over my skin. "You have one day."

Then, just as quickly as he'd grabbed me, he released me.

I stumbled back, my heart still hammering, my mind racing.

The girl was still staring at me, her lips trembling, her silent plea tearing me apart.

I couldn't breathe.

Jason grinned, shoving the girl away like nothing.

"See you soon," he murmured, his eyes locked on me like a predator sizing up its prey. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he turned and walked away, his followers laughing as they trailed behind him.

I felt like I was going to be sick.

Twenty-four hours.

And I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do.

But I know I still had a choice to make.