Izzy swished a gulp the soda around in her mouth at Trevor’s comment about his readings, then swallowed the sugary drink. Though it was less refreshing than she remembered, thankfully, it still tasted about the same. “Still tastes like Coke,” she confirmed. “Darn.” She snapped her fingers in mock disappointment. “I was looking forward to finding out what ash tastes like.”
	She cocked her head as he mentioned another “myth,” his familiar grin making her smile back. “Oh, gee. Thanks a lot!” she said sarcastically.
	She looked at him for a moment, the mirth that glittered in her eyes fading. His smile, his jesting, the life in his eyes had all nearly been snuffed out scarcely a day ago. [i]Had[/i] been snuffed out, if only for a short time. Because she had brought him into this side of the world. A world of monsters, where even she could pose a danger to his life.
	Izzy held the soda bottle in her lap and looked down at it. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a short moment.
	“Listen,” she began quietly, opening her eyes. “You’ve gone above and beyond, and I appreciate your help to no end. But what happened last night...” She shook her head. “This [i]life[/i] isn’t made for humans. The more time you spend around all this,” she gestured to the classroom, indicating to not just the building, but everything it had come to stand for. She lowered her hand and looked back to her soda bottle, “around [i]me,[/i] the more danger you’re in. I don’t know when I’ll...” she faltered, “I’ll need to drink blood, but if you’re the only one around...” She shook her head. “I couldn’t live with myself if I hurt you.” She took another breath, then looked to him, her face hard and gaze pleading for him to not argue. “After tonight, we shouldn’t meet anymore. Not until I get this mess straightened out.”