by B. F. Simone
Katie exhaled. “What? Jesus, Dad. No.”
He smiled again and let out a long breath. “Good—good. These days there’s all sorts of diseases going around and girls giving their stuff away like candy.”
“Dad, please. You’re killing me. Let’s not have this talk.” She was relieved.
“I’m just checking. You know—if you were you could talk to me. I wouldn’t judge you—too much,” he said, flashing her another toothy grin before picking up a pot. “Help me over here?” He nodded at the strainer and she went over and put it in the sink. She leaned against the sink as he drained noodles.
“I’m sure whatever parenting book you got that line out of says not to judge your daughter,” she said.
“Tell you what. Don’t have sex till I’m good and dead and we won’t have to worry about any of that.” He kissed the top of her head and laughed.
“I might as well become a nun.”
“That works.” He ran water over the noodles. “You going to taste that sauce or what?”
Katie looked at it cooking in the pot. If it was anything like his lasagna she’d pass.
“It’s not going to kill you,” he laughed.
“The eggs you made yesterday almost did,” Katie said.
“I put in too much onion. I was trying to make an omelet. You have to give me some credit on presentation.”
“Sprinkling green things on top didn’t make it taste any better,” Katie laughed for the first time.
She helped him set the table and they sat down for dinner. The spaghetti was better than she thought it would be. It was too good. After going back for seconds, she teased him until he admitted the sauce was from a jar.
“I commend you on your jar selection, Sir,” she laughed. They cleaned up like they did almost every night—he washed, she dried, and put away. They watched a little TV until he fell asleep. She’d laugh at the way his head dropped back jolting him awake, until he threatened to make her watch Matlock and Jag reruns.
On the way to her room, she stopped in the hallway at the picture of her mom. If she told her dad now, what would he say? Would he tell her why he kept the truth from her in the first place? Would he tell her a different story about her mom?
She had passed that picture a thousand times; never once had she stopped and wondered anything more than what her dad told her about the woman smiling back at her. She could turn around and tell him about yesterday. All she had to do was open her mouth and say it. But she couldn’t. Something about Tristan stopping at the street corner made her hesitate. He knew something, and she couldn’t be sure her dad would tell her what that was.
CHAPTER FIVE
Katie woke up early to get started on the yard. Anything to avoid a conversation with her dad. She was knee deep in weeds when he came out to help. Every time they were within twenty feet of each other, she’d find something somewhere else to work on. The entire day passed with only a few grunts here or there between them: “What do you want for dinner?” he’d ask. “Eh, whatever,” she’d reply. “What do you wanna watch?” he’d mumble. “Eh, I don’t care,” she’d yawn. It wasn’t that hard or unusual for them to murmur that way. That’s how they usually talked unless there was something specific to talk about. The only unusual behavior that day was the way Katie froze anytime he’d grumble out a question. When he said: “Hmph, it’s hot.” She’d freeze as if his words had slapped her. Or when he said: “Hmph, water?” She felt her own words drowning in her throat.
He never noticed, or if he did he made sure to pretend like he didn’t. They were both masters at avoiding anything close to an awkward situation. It was good he didn’t feel chatty or ask too many questions. All she thought about for two days straight was Tristan. Him reading her mind. How did it work? How far did he have to be before he didn’t hear her thoughts. How long had he been hearing them? That last question she’d spent hours on, wondering if he’d heard her most private thoughts. It was a complete invasion.
How the hell had this happened to her?
It was Monday.
Katie was out of bed, dressed and eating her cereal an hour before it was time to go. It was Monday. This never happened on any day of the week let alone a Monday. It was still dark when she got out of the shower. The fact that she had time to take a shower and dry her hair was a phenomenon.
She couldn’t stop wondering what would happen at 7:25 when it was time to leave. Would they all walk to school together.
Would he be there?
What would school be like?
She swirled the cereal around in her bowl. Who else was in the program? How many already knew what she’d just found out? She’d tried not to think about it yesterday, but it was all she could think about. Her school. Her school was more than a bunch of teachers hustling to get her to do homework. And homework. Did this mean no more papers on irrelevant dead people?
Katie was terrible at school. She worked just hard enough to stay in the middle of the pack, that in itself took a lot of strategic planning: which assignments to do—which ones to do to the minimal degree. If only her math teacher knew how often she did use math, he wouldn’t shake is head every time she entered the room. But, her heart sank a little as she thought about Brian and Allison. They were always busy. They stayed at school longer than Katie on most days, and they were always studying. Katie had always thought they were just more serious about school, it had never occurred to her they were keeping a secret.
Her cereal sat soggy in the in he bowl and she poured it in the sink as the clock slowly ticked closer to 7:25.
It was time to go.
Just as she grabbed her book-bag she could hear her dad opening the bathroom door. There was a pause.
“Katie? Are you up yet? Katie you’re going to be late.”
“I’m downstairs,” she yelled back, looking for her keys.
“Really?”
She opened up all the pockets in her bag fingering for her keys. When she found them, she yanked them up and yelled, “Bye, Dad!” before rushing out the door.
She hurried to the opening of her neighborhood. She halfway ran from her dad and halfway ran into a strange new chapter in her life. As she neared the usual meeting spot she could feel her heart pounding faster.
This was it.
She was being pulled to a new world completely. Everything was going to change. She turned the corner out onto the main road and stopped.
No one was there.
She looked at her watch. It was exactly 7:25. They always met at this spot at 7:25 that is how it’s always been. Why, of all days, did they choose today to be late. Or worse, not show up at all. Had they gone straight to the school and no one bothered to call her? She pulled her bag around to grab her cell phone, but sighed when she remembered it was still at school. She’d discovered that she’d left her cell phone Saturday night when she wanted to call Allison.
Katie hated not having a home phone.
She waited.
Nothing.
Thirty more seconds.
Nothing.
Her hands were clammy and she scratched her arm more times than necessary. Panic settled in. She didn’t know why. It wasn’t like she didn’t know how to get to school on her own. It wasn’t like she’d never walked to school by herself before. But today—today was different. Today was like going to a new school. She didn’t know what to expect. Maybe there was a secret entrance she was supposed to go in through. Why hadn’t anyone prepared her for today? Why hadn’t anyone prepared her for any of this.
Her heart pounded as she stood on the corner trying to decided whether to wait or leave.
Katie searched the street.
Finally, Allison was walking toward her—five minutes late.
“You’re late,” Katie said, trying to pull it together. She felt like an idiot.
“Actually I’m two-minutes early. You’re always seven-minutes late.” Allison said. Her expression told Katie the next question was going to be, “are you oka
y?” but instead she said, “I called you last night but your phone kept going straight to voicemail—are you okay? You’re totally spazzing out.”
“I’m not spazzing out.” Katie said, adjusting her book-bag.
They started off down the street. Katie was irritated. All weekend no one bothered to contact her. Maybe they did call her cellphone, but there was email too. It wasn’t that she really needed someone to call just to find out how she was, but why hadn’t they tried harder? Stopped by her house, or sent a telegram. What if she had spent the rest of the weekend having panic attacks. Didn’t anyone care that her life had just been turned upside down?
“Kay?” Allison said, breaking their long silence. She put her hand on Katie’s shoulder.
Katie felt a wave of guilt and shame. Why was she mad? Where was it all coming from? Her stomach twisted with each step as she thought of a response. “Mmhmm?” was all she could muster. Tears threatened to blur her vision. Why was she about to cry? She felt so stupid.
It’s just school. I’m just going to school. She’d spent yesterday trying to convince herself that it was just school. But no matter how many times she told herself that, she knew it wasn’t true; every time panic crept in and she’d remember Glock’s horrid beady, black eye soaking her in and the smell of death rolling off him.
That was what waited for her if she changed her mind.
Allison stopped her. “Kay? What’s—did you tell your dad? Did he say something?”
The dam was over flowing. Katie hated how caring Allison could be. She was almost as bad as Lucinda, and it always made her close to flooding the gates.
Katie stood in the middle of the side walk trying not to cry like an idiot. After Allison pulled out a hand-full of tissues from her book-bag and Katie blew her nose a few times, they continued walking to school. Katie told Allison that she hadn’t told her dad, or slept the last two nights. She told her about her occurring nightmares of Glock.
“I don’t blame you,” Allison walked up the steps to the school. “Everything about him is nightmare inducing.”
Katie started to agree when she heard someone call her name. She turned around to see Lucinda waving as she climbed up the school steps towards her.
“Lucy, what are you—“ Katie started, but instantly knew the answer to her question. He was staring at her with his blue piercing eyes behind Lucinda.
“Kate, I’ve been trying to call you since Saturday. Did you get my messages?” Lucinda said, turning back periodically to make sure Tristan was following her.
Katie felt another wave of guilt. “I left my phone in my locker. Why doesn’t anyone email me?”
“I was under the impression you wanted to be left alone.”
There was a hint of sadness in her voice. Katie sighed. Lucinda had been expecting Katie to call. Why didn’t Katie use her dad’s cell to call anyone? Katie kicked herself for it. She’d thought about it, but pride had stopped her multiple times.
Lucinda checked for Tristan one more time even though he was standing next to her in the school uniform, looking as normal as ever. Not a hint of vampire in him. “Well,” Lucinda said, looking back at Katie, “I’m glad Tristan spotted you. We have to go to the front office to get your new schedule. Unless, of course, your father came to do that with you today. How did that go anyway?”
Katie could hear the strain in Lucinda’s voice. They avoided talking about her dad just for this reason. It had been three years, since the day Katie had heard Lucinda scream that he could never come back to her house ever again. She was in the back yard with Brian, and they hadn’t heard anything until that. She was sure the whole neighborhood had heard Lucinda. Still no one would speak of that day or what made Lucinda snap like that.
“It went fine.” Katie said eager to change the subject. “I have a new schedule? What? Werewolf 101?”
Lucinda and Allison stared at her. Tristan stared off as if he weren’t interested in the school and even less interested in the conversation.
“Katie. It’s important you don’t saying anything like that unless you’re in one of your—accelerated—classes. You see the trouble it caused when you found out. Imagine if it were someone whose only option was an omitter.”
Katie felt the blood rush to her cheeks. “I didn’t—mean to—”
“It’s alright. Let’s get to the front office before classes start. Can’t be late on your first day, right?” Lucinda said, doing her routine check on Tristan. He raised his eyes brows at her and shoved his hands in his pockets.
Katie couldn’t help notice that some of his facial expression sparked an instant spike of dislike…paranoia…shock.
He scowled at her, which meant one thing. It was true, he could read her mind.
Katie hated going to the front office. Myrtle, the front desk lady, gave her the creeps. She was kind of spacey.
They walked to the front desk with Lucinda. Myrtle waved, wearing a bright blue frilly shirt, her frizzy straw-yellow hair in its usual beehive location, and her usual strange smile.
Lucinda and Myrtle talked for what was achingly, too long while Katie and Allison sat in waiting chairs. Myrtle took Tristan’s picture for his new school ID card and waved Katie over. Her eyes sparkled when she asked to take Katie’s picture for a school ID card.
“It’s me Katie. Katie Watts. I go here.”
“Sure. Sure you do.” Myrtle said, still smiling. “I’ve been waiting for you. I have your new schedule. You weren’t on the active list since birth, so you’ll have to take an evaluation with Mr. Carver before winter break. If you pass, you’ll be a permanent member of the program.” She handed Katie a piece of paper: a new schedule.
Her schedule wasn’t as new as she’d thought it would be. The first half of the day she had regular classes: English, Math, Chemistry—except she’d been moved into Brian’s chemistry class—and Study Hall (normally that was her seventh period class where she napped). The second half the day was what she didn’t recognize: Natural History, Field Study, and Practical Application. Last on the list made her cringe, but she knew it was coming: After School Activities. For three years, Katie had counted herself lucky that she got to go home to her comfy bed after seventh period, while Brian and Allison went to their after school activities four days out of the week.
She already worked hard at being average. How was she going to get the little bit of homework she did do done? Now Myrtle talked of an extra midterm test.
“What if I fail?” Katie asked.
“What?” Myrtle smiled.
“The test. What if I fail the test.”
“Well, Sweetheart. We’ll cross that bridge if we get there. Won’t we?” she said, her eyes sparkling and glazed. “Oh! I almost forgot!” Myrtle said, shaking her head as she fumbled through papers on her desk. “Ms. Tisdall will be your study hall tutor. Oh, here it is.” Myrtle handed Katie a stack of papers. “This is the material you’ll need to go over by winter break—oh no need to look through it now, Ms. Tisdall will go over that—oh you dropped a paper right there. Should I staple those for you?”
Katie shook her head as dread filled her soul. This was a mistake. If they had told her she’d have this much more homework to do she would have jumped into Glock’s arms.
Tristan had only one sheet of paper in his hand and, without a single word, he put it on top of her stack. It was an exact replica of her new schedule. Why doesn’t he have a stack of homework papers? Annoyed, she looked from Tristan to Lucinda and to Myrtle’s smile.
The bell rang.
“You kids better be off to class then,” Lucinda sang. She moved to straighten Tristan’s shirt, like Katie had seen her do a dozen times to Brian, but stopped. He turned as if he didn’t notice.
They said their goodbyes to Lucinda and left her to talk with Myrtle.
Katie handed Tristan back his schedule as she left the office dragging Allison with her.
“Aren’t you going to show me around, Katalina?” he called behind her. She tur
ned around to his easy simile and tripped over her own feet. Why did seeing that smile creep her out?
“Don’t call me that here.”
“But that’s your name.”
“People call me Katie.”
“Katalina sounds better.”
Allison snorted and stopped at her locker.
“Tristan,” Katie said.
“Katalina?”
She sighed and turned away from his mocking smile. How could she ever think he was menacing? The only thing he was capable of being was irritating…annoying…pesky…and there’s probably a hint of self-centered there somewhere.
“You want to let up on the compliments?” Even though she wanted to slam his face into a locker, she couldn’t help but stare in awe. He really heard what she was just thinking. She let out a short laugh. It was absurd. Pure insanity.
A new type of doom and gloom hung over Katie as she realized she didn’t do her English homework. She needed to do the short journal entry on the first Act of Othello. That would have given her enough points to skip out on the paper. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Tristan shake his head.
Mr. Rhineheart introduced himself to Tristan and told him to take a seat wherever he’d like. Tristan picked the seat on the other side of Katie. Brian’s seat. It didn’t escape Katie that he wasn’t there.
She pulled out her copy of, Othello, from her book-bag. Still, it was impossible to think of Mr. Rhineheart as a guardian, he was a high school English teacher. Stranger, was knowing some of the kids in her class were guardians, just sprinkled in with normal kids. Had she really spent the last two years of high school with kids who believed in monsters?
“Katie? Katie—come in, Ms. Watts. Over.” Mr Rhineheart said, doing his walkie-talkie impression. “Do you mind sharing with Tristan? We’re out of Othellos.” he asked.
“Sure,” she said, realizing she had been staring at him the whole time. He looked at her a little longer than usual, no doubt contemplating if he should move her to the slower-paced class.