CHAPTER (IX)

Farian let Nate spend the night, letting him pick whatever room he wished.

"You don't have a ring," Nate pointed out in the morning as he was about to leave. "How can you walk in the sun?"

"Story for another day young Nate." He answered quickly and the tone warned Nate not to ask more of the matter.

"I guess this is goodbye,"

"Don't be too sure, I have a feeling I'll be seeing more of you young Nate." His cool smile was always present.

Nate returned the smile and started walking away. "And Nate," Farian called and he turned. "No feeding on humans. I have managed to stay under the radar by keeping my urges for human blood under control, I will not have you risk my discovery. If I find you feeding on human I will end you!" Something in his voice made Nate believe he could actually do it.

****

It was lunch time at Boyle Heights High, Melanie was with her usual group of friends, Jade, Benson and Bianca.

"There is a court hearing this afternoon." Melanie told them.

The conversation went on but Bianca's attention was somewhere else.

It is then that the others noticed that everyone was looking in one direction so they turned and there he was. Walking calmly to them with a broad smile, holding a water bottle.

Melanie slapped him. "Ouch!" he cried, a perplexed look all over his face.

"What the hell Nate!" she threw at him.

"What?" Nate asked looking at the shocked faces of his friends, then he noticed that everyone else regarded him with the same face. "I'm I missing something?"

"Dude you disappeared after Nicole's party. Your mom reported you missing like two days ago. Everyone's been looking for you." Benson explained. But he had left out a very important part.

"Amanda was arrested for your disap-" Bianca was saying but Nate wasn't listening after he heard the word 'arrested'

"What!"

"Since she was the last person to be seen with you, the cops believe-" Melanie didn't let Jade finish.

"We need to go to that goddamn court house now! Amanda is innocent." 

Everyone agreed with her, leaving their lunches on the table, they quickly walked towards the food court's exit.

****

"…charges read before you. How do you plead?" Judge Tierry posed to Amanda standing at the dock.

Amanda was about to answer when the large court room doors made creaking noises as they let in the five Boyle Heights High students.

Many gasped on seeing Nate. He ignored the murmurs as he walked to the front.

The court fell silent as he gave a polite bow to the judge. His eyes and Amanda's met and locked for a second. In that second, so much was said between them.

Nate turned to the judge. "Your honor my name is Nate Connor and I have a statement to make." That was a stupid way to start. "I am aware that Amanda is being charged with my disappearance, well here I am in flesh and I respectfully ask this court to drop all charges against her."

"Mister Conner, do you mind telling this court where you were for the past forty eight hours."

Nate took a second before responding to that question. He had to sell a lie that everyone in the court room would buy.

"After the party at Nicole Sorrenti's house I drove home but stopped to take a leak and after that everything is a blur." There were so many lope holes in that story but the justice system being the justice system, let it pass. After all, what was Amanda being accused for if Nate was standing right in front of them.

Judge Tierry read from a large book for a minute before saying the magic words that set Amanda free.

"I'm so sorry about all this." Nate whispered in her ear as the two hugged. It was a long hug, and a tight one too.

Slightly over seven minutes later. Nates mother walked to Amanda's mother with a smile. " I hope we can put all this behind us and-"

"Are you listening to yourself?" Jada bit out. "Ten minutes ago you were accusing my daughter of kidnapping your son." She pointed out.

"Surely you can understand the lengths a mother would go for their child."

"Sure I do. I hope your son will be able do understand the length I'm going to by forbidding Amanda from being in any contact with your family." There was this flair in her that made Nate keep whatever he wanted to say to himself.

Outside, as they were waiting for Amanda's father to get the car, Amanda noticed her friends Melanie, Benson, Jade and Bianca, Melanie was waving. She excused herself and walked to them.

"You have no idea how relieved I am that all this is over." Benson told her as they all shared a hug.

"Me too Benny." Amanda told him. "Where'd you guys get him?"

"He found us." Jade told her. "Walked up to us at lunch acting as if nothing had happened."

"Do you guys believe his story of blacking out while taking a piss?" It was Bianca's question.

"Not a chance." Melanie quickly gave her reply.

Amanda was about to speak but the hoot from their car stopped her. "I gotta go, but just know I appreciate you guys for this."

He was yards away from them but Nate had heard each and every word. He had his newly acquired vampire abilities to thank for. He honestly felt terrible that his girlfriend had gone through hell because of something she had nothing to do with.

He didn't know how he would make it up to her but he was sure as hell that Jada banning her daughter from seeing him wasn't going to keep him away from her.

He loved her... ? Time would tell.