Walking in the Shadows

by Giovanni, Cassandra

  “Let’s see,” the nurse said as I sat down on the bench; “Nice egg!”

  “Thanks,” I mumbled.

  Carl was leaned against the wall in a way that would make most girls swoon, but I wasn’t most girls. I was annoyed when he demanded, “How bad is it?”

  “Ice should do the trick and a couple Excedrin,” the nurse explained. “I’ll write you both notes to go back to class.”

  “Should I walk her back?” Carl suggested.

  “Sure; seems like a good idea,” the nurse answered with a wink at me. It made me want to slap her.

  “All I wanted to do was ask you if you were free Friday and you end up injuring yourself,” Carl joked as we neared Tad’s door.

  “Friday? Busy…sorry,” I stuttered very aware of his arm around my waist. I knew if he removed his arm there was a chance I would fall, so I let it stay there. We were close enough to the classroom that everyone could hear our conversation, and I hoped this would keep him from pressuring me further. I figured that his arrogance wouldn’t let him drop it though.

  “After I saved you?” he pushed, and his arm went slack around my waist.

  “You brought me to the nurse’s office, and if you hadn’t snuck up on me I would have never done it in the first place!” I snapped. His expression went from concern to disappointment. “Sorry…it’s the migraine getting to me—I have to work Friday.”

  “Some other time?” he suggested with an awkward crooked smile.

  “I have to get to class…you know Mr. Knightley can be a grouch when his students are late,” I said, avoiding the question and before he could respond, I was walking shakily into the classroom.

  “Vera, nice of you to join us,” Tad observed as he stopped writing on the board and turned to face me.

  I handed him the note and turned my head so he could see the ice pack I was holding. An eyebrow rose in question.

  “Don’t ask,” I muttered in embarrassment. It really was his fault, but I couldn’t be mad at him when his brow crinkled in obvious worry.

  When I sat down Jaz turned her head to whisper, “Did you just turn down Carl? I mean seriously?”

  “I can hear you, and I don’t need to know about any of your dating preferences. So I would appreciate it if you reserved that sort of gossip for the hallways and Facebook,” Tad scolded, his jaw clenched in marked jealousy, or what I hoped was jealousy. When the class ended I rushed out as I tried to avoid the thousands of questions Jaz would no doubt ask me about my love life. As I practically jogged out of the door Lily cut me off and slammed her shoulders into mine.

  “What the hell…” I huffed under my breath.

  Lily smiled apologetically. “Sorry, V—can I call you that?”

  “No, it’s Vera,” I growled as I gritted my teeth. She hated me, so why was she pestering me now?

  She shrugged. “Oh, alright… so, I heard a tasty bit of gossip about Knightley…”

  Now she had my attention, “Yeah?”

  “He’s the youngest teacher to ever work here—even younger than Jennings…He’s only twenty-two.” Lily stopped in front of me and cocked her head.

  “And…?”

  She smiled, and inside I cringed. “It’s too bad he’s a teacher, his age would mean he was totally up for grabs.”

  I nodded my head stunned and she continued, “Aww, you know, now that I think about it, you two would look really cute together.”

  Her smile widened into a smirk that made my stomach curl, and she turned on her heel. I could feel the blood draining from my face as I stood there staring at her back.

  “Earth to Vera.” Jaz waved her hand in my face making me turn to face her.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked, but all I could see was Tad standing behind her. His brow wrinkled as his eyes met mine, and he shook his head in question.

  “Hello, Vera—what’s wrong?” Jaz waved her hand in my face, and I finally let my eyes meet hers.

  I shook my head. “I don’t really know.”

  “Jeez, for not knowing, you sure as hell look like you just saw the devil,” Jaz teased, pinching my upper arm.

  I glanced back over my shoulder, my eyebrows up as I watched Lily laughing with Miss Jennings, and I couldn’t help but feel like I had.

  “Well, you’re not the only one—Knightley was a total grouch today,” Jaz commented as we walked to my locker.

  “I guess my being late really set the guy off,” I replied, taking a color coded book and notes out of my locker. The thought of how irritated he had been, and how worried he had just looked conflicted inside of me, he was my teacher. I needed to get that through my head.

  “I don’t think it was you if it makes you feel better; he was in a wicked bad mood the second the first bell went off. You would have sworn hell froze over or something, he wouldn’t even let us settle in. He went all military on us.”

  “Yeah, he does that when he is mad…closes himself off—I mean I guess he does that,” I caught myself and thought that I deserved another slam in the head with my locker. If Lily suspected something than opening my mouth too much to Jaz was not a good idea.

  She raised an eyebrow before shrugging off my mistake. “Super hot though, isn’t he?”

  I looked back over my shoulder at his classroom door where Miss Jennings was now standing Lily-free. “What’s with Jennings?”

  “She totally has the hots for him; it doesn’t seem his temper has given way, though,” Jaz responded as we began walking. We stopped at the entrance to my next class, and I could still see Miss Jennings flip her straight blonde hair at him. My stomach sank at the scene. Jaz rolled her eyes, adding, “She sure is lathering it on thick, huh?”

  “She’s pretty; I wonder why he doesn’t date her?” I asked, feeling jealous and anxious all at once. It wasn’t a nice feeling, and he wasn’t even trying to make me feel this way.

  “I think he has a girlfriend? Not sure though, he just seems to be off limits to all women here—well, you know, the other single women teachers. Maybe he’s gay?”

  “I seriously doubt that one,” I responded as I struggled not to laugh.

  “That would be a serious punishment to woman- kind. I wonder what he looks like without that vest and tie teacher getup…I bet he looks amazing naked.”

  “Holy crap, Jaz!” I yelped, but I could feel that I was blushing. I knew what he looked like with his shirt off and it was damned good.

  Chapter 13

  I had never had an interest in what had happened to my parents, or what had truly caused their deaths until now. I knew it would be disturbing to know what others thought and said about the events that led up to their demise. I had always had a good grip on what was the truth and what wasn’t, but now I was questioning the whole thing. I couldn’t escape my past, so I should at least understand what had led me to this place. I didn’t even know what the books that had inspired the murderer were about. It was all just so sick, but now I felt the need to know why.

  “Literature’s effect on the schizophrenic mind?” Kirsten commented as she leaned over my shoulder. I could tell from the way her eyes widened and the frown on her face that she had disapproved of this as much as I thought she would. She took a deep breath and shrugged, “It’s weird how this revolves around a fictional book about vampires.”

  “I guess it’s like Romeo and Juliet— except with vampires. The weird part is the main characters; the ones everyone loves are good vampires,” I explained, pointing to the screen.

  “In the third one isn’t there a vampire army created by the only survivor of the bad coven—Faye?” Kirsten asked as she smiled at a customer who came in the door.

  “I’ve never read them, although I think every other teenage girl on the planet has.”

  “Read what?” the customer asked.

  I evaluated the girl standing in front of me. She looked as though she had spent far too much time at the beach and had dipped her head in a vat of bleach. What the hell could it hurt? “Any of the
Crimson Reign books,” I remarked, off-handedly.

  “You haven’t read them? O-M-G, you are so missing out!” she shrieked.

  “Not really into it—besides it’s connected to that serial killer over in Norfolk County, which is disturbing,” I mumbled back.

  “Yeah, that is super freaky! You go to Amherst?” she asked, and by the way she easily changed the subject, it was obvious she didn’t think anything of the murders.

  “Umm…yeah,” I replied, looking around the room.

  “You should read the Crimson Reign books, or see the first movie at least. They’re super good, not sure how it connects to those murders though,” the girl said, browsing the jewelry in the clear counter display.

  “I thought maybe it had to do with the vampires that are after that Naria chick?” I commented, prying into her knowledge of the series.

  “The Cabes, the bad vampires that hunt humans and have them as pets?” Kirsten suggested, turning to the dressing room and pulling some clothes off the rack that needed to be put away.

  “You’re joking right?” I mocked as I closed my lap top and lifted it off the glass counter so the girl could see the jewelry better.

  The girl nodded her head, “No, it’s true. In the first book the bad vampires are the Cabes. Naria Cabe doesn’t agree with the way they live. Naria tries to escape her family and she meets Colby Gray from the good vampire coven and they fall in love. Then in the second book, the Cabes find that the Grays have Naria and when Evan, the leader of the Cabes finds out, he fights Colby. It was so awesome to see the fight on the big screen! So then, Colby kills Evan, sparking a war between the two covens that won’t end until every last person of one or the other coven is dead. It’s really good—you should go see it when the new movie comes out. I know I’ll be there the first night,” the girl gushed, an enthusiastic smile washing over her face.

  “Isn’t the newest movie based on the third book?” I asked, feeling nauseous. I couldn’t understand what this had to do with why my parents were dead.

  “Oh, well, Evan’s mate Faye is the only one of the Cabe coven left, but the Grays think they are safe so they start living a normal life among humans again. Faye can’t understand why her sister betrayed them and she’s still after Naria,” the girl answered, her eyes wide with anticipation.

  “All this over Naria? They can’t marry from people from other covens?” Kirsten asked, returning with an armful of clothes.

  “Well, the good vamps don’t usually mate with the bad vamps because their history is so different…the last novel was the best. It showed all the history of the vampires that are good, versus the ones that are bad. The other covens understand the living among humans, but they don’t understand the treating them as equals. It’s a constant war between the covens that are bad and the ones that are good and the humans,” she replied, and she jumped up and down as she looked in the case of jewelry. “Oh, is that a Coach bracelet?”

  I took the key from my pocket and unlocked the case, handing the bracelet to the girl. “Genuine.”

  “No way!” she yelped as she clipped it on her wrist and then looked at the price tag. “No way!”

  “Genuine Coach, yes that’s the price,” Kirsten replied, turning from her rack of clothes.

  “Seriously? That is totally amazing! I’ll sooo take this! Do you have any more Coach treasures hidden in your shop? I’m a Coach fa-nat-ic!”

  “I’ll lead her to the purses and shoes,” Kirsten said, nodding over her shoulder as she headed into the right side of the store.

  My thoughts drifted away from the reason behind the murders and to what had happened to my parents. I didn’t understand how my parents had been unknowingly given the drugs that subdued them. Had it been a waitress? Or was it someone they knew? I struggled to recall the events, biting at my nails in anxiety.

  “Whoa, there, Killer. If those weren’t fake you would have no nails!” Kirsten remarked, breaking into my thoughts as she walked back with the Coach-ee.

  “Good thing then, right?” I replied, my stomach tensed and twisted with nerves.

  “I’m so happy right now!” the girl announced. She cocked her head at me as she placed down her stash of Coach products. “Do I know you?”

  “I’m a transfer—remember, I already said I go to Amherst?” I said, wondering if the bleach vat had made her as stupid as she looked.

  “I don’t go to Amherst. I live in Cambridge.” She scrunched her nose.

  “I go to the Coffee Book Nook there,” I mentioned as I rang her items up.

  “I work there!” she replied. “Oh, you have that super hot college boyfriend with the killer eyes and those muscles!”

  “Would you like to be added to our mailing list?” Kirsten cut in to change the subject, and the girl cooed yes as I handed her change back to her.

  Kirsten slipped into the back room and returned with a present just as the girl was leaving. “Happy Birthday!” she said.

  “Seriously, Kirsten you didn’t have to,” I mumbled, suddenly aware of my lack of celebrating.

  “Who else do you have to buy you a gift? Everyone deserves a card and a present to unwrap on their birthday.”

  “My birthday was a week ago, and I got a car!” I replied as I accepted the gift.

  “Well, I couldn’t do it on your birthday because I knew you would be expecting it. It’s more of a surprise this way and the car you bought for yourself, so it doesn’t count,” she said, and her face was eager to see me open the gift.

  “Very cute!” I commented looking at the card of a cat with a birthday hat on. It felt as though it had been forever since I had opened a present, and I had forgotten how nice it felt. Inside was a super soft royal blue tunic sweater and ankle boots. “This is beautiful!”

  She wrapped me in a hug. “Just like you.” She smiled as she held me at arm’s length. “Your parents would be very proud of you—I’m sure of it. You have turned out to be a mature, self-sufficient, young lady determined to do well for yourself.”

  “I don’t know about that. I’m so jumbled up about everything I can barely keep a straight head…especially around Tad and anytime I think about my parents all I can see is death,” I sighed, and I could feel the tears building in my eyes. “What the hell is wrong with me?”

  Kirsten put her arm around me and squeezed. “Nothing at all.”

  As I looked up I saw Tad standing just outside the door. His hands were in his pockets and his jaw was clenched. When his eyes met mine he swallowed, looked away and continued walking.

  “I don’t think I can believe you,” I whispered back.

  “Vera, come on!” Kirsten soothed as I shrugged her arm off me.

  I shook my head and grabbed my back pack, saying, “Thanks for the present; I’ll lock the door behind me on my way out.”

  Chapter 14

  It seemed sleep deprivation was becoming my best friend, for I was staying up until one in the morning staring at my lap top screen watching my parents’ names blink in the Google search bar. I was afraid to hit enter and more afraid to see what would come up on the murders. It had been two years, two whole years since the day I had been told my parents were dead, and I had the sinking feeling something bad was going to happen. It had been a little over a year since the last murder; moreover, it had been a year since I had run as quickly as legally possible from whom I had been. It had taken almost that long to become a legal adult, get the money straightened out and get my name changed. Who was Abigail? Who was Vera? I felt as though I was neither person. I felt like I wasn’t a person at all anymore.

  “Vera, why do you think that this was the last of Shakespeare’s works I had the class read in this unit?” Tad asked, breaking into my thoughts.

  My head shot up and the words tumbled out before I thought. “I don’t know.”

  “You have no idea at all?” he pushed with his lips in a straight line.

  “Can you repeat the question?”

  His eyes were furious and the
bell rang, saving me. I shoved my books in my messenger bag and stood to rush out of the room. “Vera, a word please,” Tad ordered.

  Jaz bit her lip and mouthed. “Good luck.”

  Lily laughed and flipped her hair, giving me the nastiest look I had ever seen—as if to say ‘serves you right.’

  “I really can’t be late for my next class,” I replied, and rushed past Tad. I heard him throw the book he was holding across the room and cringed as I heard him swear. I had disrespected him as a teacher and as a person. I rushed not to my next class, but out the front door and to my car. As I looked up I saw him standing at the door I had just exited with his arms crossed in irritation and worry. I slammed the car into reverse and didn’t look back.

  Chapter 15

  I cursed myself for always having to be early as I stood and stared into my locker, praying that some student would walk in the door before Tad realized I was already here.

  “Vera?” Tad asked from behind me.

  “Yes?” I said not turning, but speaking into my locker.

  “Would you please come into my classroom? I need to speak to you,” he ordered with his voice soft.

  I followed him into his classroom and glanced over my shoulder to make sure that no one was within ear shot, but before I could speak, Tad did.

  “It’s like you don’t respect me anymore, and I know this sucks, but I don’t like it either.”

  “No, that is not it,” I replied my voice cracking. “I can’t sleep anymore and everything…everything reminds me of what I’ve lost. Between you and my parents, everything is gone. I know I shouldn’t treat you like this—” I trailed off, biting my lip as I stared at the wood grain of his desk.

  “I get it, you were trying to show me something was wrong…I knew it, especially after you bailed on school after my class,” Tad responded with a heavy breath.

  “I don’t know who I am—I feel so lost, Tad…I guess it’s a bad time of year for me.”

  I tried to hold my composure by hugging my book to my chest, but I knew it wouldn’t work with him studying my every reaction. It felt like he knew I was falling apart, and was unable to do anything about it.