Star, Starland Vamp Series, Book 1 by Theresa Oliver Page B

ready?” Zac asked me, chivalrous, then proceeded to move his desk next to mine.
    I smiled sweetly, as the other students moved their desks around ours.
    As a group, we decided to split up each page into sections. Then, two of us would work on each section, picking out the main idea and important supporting details to present to the class.
    “You want to work together?” Zac asked hopefully, turning to talk only to me, much to the chagrin of the other females in our group.
    “I’d love to,” I replied, giving him a dazzling smile.
    He smiled broadly, showing perfectly aligned pearl white teeth; a stunning smile.”Here,” he said reading the articles while moving closer to me. I could smell his cologne, Obsession, which caused my heart to flutter again. It usually never beat that much; only three beats per minute. My heart was having a workout today. “The Legislative government is made up of the Congress and the …”
    “Senate,” I finished, not taking my eyes from him as he read. He was very masculine, despite his age. He reminded me of the men from my era, the Revolutionary War; a true gentleman with powerful good looks.
    He dazzled me this time with another smile, then continued reading. I read it all as soon as the papers were passed, so I let him take the lead, watching him intently. For research, I told myself. He was kind to others, helpful, and very considerate. And his parents had taught him well, as he treated a lady like a lady, something I haven’t experienced for a while. Okay … back to work.
    As I listened to Zac, I stole glances around the room. Everyone within the confines of the room was human. There were no vampires. Everyone seemed to be studying attentively. No one seemed to be paying particular attention to Zac.
    Satisfied, I decided to change the subject a bit. “Zac, may I ask you a question?”
    He froze, astonished, then replied, “Sure.”
    I nodded. “How long have you lived here?”
    “In Cooperstown?”
    I nodded encouragingly.
    “Well, we moved here about four years ago.” There was a faraway look in his eyes, thinking back to a time not as pleasant. “I was a freshman and moved from D.C. and had to make friends all over again.”
    “I’m sorry,” I said, listening attentively. And I truly was. I could tell it was hard on him and still hard to talk about.
    He quickly shook it off. “Don’t be,” Zac replied with another dazzling smile. Whew ! I was going to have to get hold of myself. “I made friends quickly and now I’m a senior and the captain of the football team.”
    I smiled, nodding. “You’re very outgoing,” I said, unable to believe the direction our conversation had taken. “I’m sure making friends wasn’t a problem for you.”
    His eyebrows pulled together, thinking. “It wasn’t a good time for me.”
    I nodded, then proceeded gingerly. “Not to pry, but why? What else happened?”
    Zac looked directly into my eyes, surprised. I was trying to get too much information too quickly.
    “Forget I said anything,” I responded, looking back at the paper.
    “No, it’s okay,” he replied, still watching me. “I was just amazed.”
    “At what?” I asked shyly.
    “At your directness,” Zac replied, then shook his head, looking down. “I don’t even know you, but now I’m telling you my life story.”
    “Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry …”
    “No,” Zac corrected, looking directly into my eyes again. “That’s not what I mean. You’re so easy to talk to. I’ve told you more about my life than some of my closest friends.” This surprised me. “I feel like I’ve known you all my life.”
    My heart swelled within my chest, listening to his words and looking into his mesmerizing eyes. And the wild part was that he didn’t realize the effect he had on people. “We can change the subject …”
    “No,” Zac interrupted, looking into my eyes. “Where are you from?”
    “I’m originally from Boston, but moved to Florida recently,” I