Vampire High School (Book 1: Gregor Academy)

by Lachelle Miller

  I heard a crunching sound that was either bone snapping or someone shaking a tin cup full of gravel. When I turned around Hannah was behind me. Her eyes were wide open and amazed. As she started to slip down to the floor, her body fell in a heap but her head was just kind of hovering there. It was so weird. You know- one of those dreams that you know is a dream because everything’s just too bizarre to be real?

  Only this wasn’t a dream at all.

  Jackson dropped Hannah’s head to the floor, rolling it far away from her body. Then he went around me and pulled the poker out. He caught me when I started to fall and carried me over to the couch.

  “Just lay still. It’ll take a while but you’re injuries will heal. I’ll take care of this mess.”

  Of course it sounded like gibberish at the time. Then he went to work building a fire in the fireplace. Probably would’ve looked strange to anybody who could see the chimney outside- a fire in August? I didn’t really think about it then, though. Don’t think Jackson did either.

  Once the fire was going good, Jackson got busy dismembering Hannah and Barton. I passed out right around the time Hannah’s eyes were melting into their sockets.

  Chapter 10. More Questions Than Answers.

  I lay awake that night and couldn’t get to sleep. My first thoughts were, of course, of Mary-Christine, and that stunning costume, but she did slip after a bit. The events of the last few weeks were hectic in the extreme and the Karate and guns were only the extreme outside part of it.

  I was a Helsing, and although Mom and Dad seemed to have no idea of their heritage, Dave Muscat had.

  Questions began to multiply in my head.

  Somehow Dave had conspired to find either Dad or me, and have us tested, or have our lineage traced or something.

  Did that mean that one of my granddad’s was one?

  And how exactly had Dave Muscat found me?

  How big was this Helsing family?

  And was Mary-Christine’s appearance at Alan’s gate that day a coincidence?

  I wondered if my kids would carry the gene. Our kids. But that just made me think of doing it with Mary-Christine. Not a good image in your head if you’re trying to get to sleep.

  Who controlled the Helsings? I mean, they seemed to be not above the government, but Unicorps was a big company, and at least one of their ‘research’ facilities was heavily involved.

  Despite my sleeplessness, I awoke early the next morning, at seven oh six precisely. I dressed quickly, determined to find out what I could, and my first port of call was Dave Muscat.

  Dave left for work at eight thirty, and I knew that he read the morning paper extensively beforehand, so I had a little window.

  “Come in Lyman.” Dave was surprised, and opened the door wide. “What’s the occasion?”

  “Eh, I’m building a picture in my head, and was hoping you can help me.”

  “Sure. You had breakfast?”

  I shook my head, and he preceded me through the large kitchen into his study.

  Two small leather couches faced each other over the small room. He took one, I sat on the other.

  “What’s on your mind?”

  “Well, I’m not sure what order these questions should be in, but I’m just going to start, and see where it goes. Is that alright?”

  “Fine by me.”

  “The Helsing gene? I have it, but not Mom or Dad?”

  “Well, technically, you all have it. It’s just dormant in your parents. It seems that because of the double whammy, your genes are very active. Probably amongst the highest we’ve found.”

  “That brings the next question; how do you know all this?”

  By the look that passed over Dave’s face, he hadn’t been expecting that one.

  “Genetics is not an old science.” He began. “Most of the work has been done since the fifties and sixties. DNA has been a wealth of information ever since. Unicorps was one of the first laboratories to structure a test for the Helsing gene in 1982. Since then, we established a database and today have extensive knowledge of the gene and its path through the generations.”

  He obviously thought he’d answered the question.

  “Why is the Bracks family in Gregor?”

  “Ho!” Dave laughed. “So the gloves are off, huh?”

  I was resolute. I mean, if I had the beginnings of a man’s body, why shouldn’t I stand up for myself? I sat in silence for a moment, wondering if he’d answer the question.

  “Unicorps brought the Bracks family here.” It seemed that all Dave’s friendly vibe had gone. “We detected the gene in your father and mother in 2003. We get a voluntary DNA sample from all employees and spouses for standard drug testing. To have both parents with the gene is rare, so we arranged your father’s transfer and promotion. We have been watching you since then.”

  “Did you test my DNA?”

  “In 2005.”

  “Without permission?”

  “Don’t go there. We grabbed some red hair from a hairbrush. You are the real deal.”

  Although I feigned annoyance at the infringement of my personal freedom, it didn’t really bother me. “Grandparents?”

  “We haven’t checked, there seemed no point. They’re too old to put at risk.” He sat ready for the next question, but missus Muscat popped hear head round the door. “Toast, Coffee?”

  “Yes please.” We both replied in near synchronicity.

  “So, how much of Unicorps is involved in this?”

  “It’s not a huge vampire-bashing organization, if that’s what you’re getting at. We have people high up, but only a fraction of the company has any idea what my department actually does.”

  “Are you the top man?”

  Dave nodded. “In this area. We have a few personnel at my level.”

  “Ok. Your family. Are you all Helsings?”

  “Yes, we are. I met Roni in 1987. She joined Unicorps, and her gene was reported to me. I then found interest in what was inside her jeans, more than her genes. As you have already seen.”

  I was surprised at Roni working at Unicorps. She seemed the stay-at-home mom type.

  “So both Mary-Christine and I are double Helsings. Is there going to be any problems if we have children?”

  “Quadruple Helsings?” Dave’s eyebrows lifted. “My, you are thinking ahead, aren’t you? No, Lyman. Thank you for being so thorough, but there’s no danger there.”

  The toast arrived, and we each got our own tray. Roni placed coffee on the wooden floor. “Everything okay in here?”

  “Oh, Lyman here is just bringing himself up to date with all the Helsing stuff. Nothing bad. Well, apart from the fact that he just asked permission to have children with Mary-Christine!”

  We all laughed, and I knew my face went beetroot red because I could feel it. For once, I was glad that Mary-Christine was not present.

  Roni left, and I slowly finished my mouthful of toast.

  “So you brought the Bracks family to Gregor. What for exactly?”

  “We actually needed a man in your dad’s field, it wasn’t a false transfer. But it was because of your genes that he was the one chosen.”

  “So my being here is part of the great plan.” The thing was, as I said it, I realized that I didn’t particularly care. “How about me and Mary-Christine? Was that staged too?”

  Dave laughed. “Now that is a funny story. We asked her at the start of the school year to keep an eye on you, a kind of undercover mission. Then one day she comes home and tells us that she met you, and even kissed you. Seems she really threw herself into her mission!”

  “Last one for now.” I began, a big grin on my face. “If I’m going to college with Unicorps in mind, what do I major in?”

  ~ ~ ~

  At some point Jackson took me back to his place. I was in and out for a couple of days. The pain was unbelievable; sometimes- when I was awake enough- it felt like my insides were on fire. Then I’d fall into this un-asleep state and have what I’ll cal
l a dream but I don’t really know for sure what it was; vampires don’t sleep a whole lot and since I’d been one I hadn’t dreamed at all. So, whatever was going on in my mind- it was like my consciousness was somewhere else.

  When I was in that other place, I felt like I was under water. And the water was boiling. My skin was peeling off in chunks like I was cooking off the bone. I kept trying to flap my way to the top and break the surface; but it was too deep.

  A day or so after I’d come out of it, I told Jackson about the un-dream.

  “I really wonder if that’s where my soul went after I became a vampire.” I told him.

  For once he took me seriously. Jackson, sitting on the edge of my bed, was looking down on me with the saddest expression.

  “I wish I knew what to tell you, Mandy,” he said, “all these years I’ve just kind of hoped that my soul returned to God while my body remains earthbound.”

  “I wouldn’t have thought vampires believe in God.”

  Jackson almost smiled at that. Almost. I mean- the slight turning up of this mouth was the closest to smiling Jackson Cole ever came.

  “Amos Blanche didn’t take everything away from me- certainly not my beliefs; before I was turned I had plans to go into the ministry and I still pray every single day… of course, the Bible doesn’t address the Lord’s position on vampires so I can’t say for sure that He’s still listens to me.”

  Just like that the smile was gone.

  I was super weak still; and starving. Jackson handed me a plate. He had been feeding me a steady diet of his mice to get my strength up. It was working- but heck of a slow. I looked at the limp rodents and felt my stomach turn over; it might as well have been a pile of Brussels sprouts.

  I waved the plate away. “Can’t I get something a little more… satisfying?”

  Jackson got all bitchy again, “Oh sure- wait here while I go nab the Carter’s two year old.”

  “I don’t mean a person… more like a dog or something…”

  “If you can’t abide by our rules then you’ll have to find somewhere else to stay.”

  I looked over to find Mona Cole standing in the doorway. Okay. Even though I’d totally done what she wanted me to do- kill Hannah and Barton- she was still really pissed at me. It was obvious- written all over here face.

  “She’ll be alright, Mona,” Jackson told his foster mom, “Mandy will learn to make due on our diet; right now she’s just weak from the injury… not thinking clearly.”

  It was weird that he’d gotten all protective of me- seeing how he all hated me and everything. But, I wasn’t really interested in his pity. And I had no intention of calling the Cole’s house my home.

  “No, Jackson,” I said, trying to force some attitude into my dry, husky voice, “I am thinking clearly and I’ll be out of your guys’ hair tonight.”

  Mona just lifted her bushy brows at me and turned on her heel, “The sooner the better. Good riddance to bad trash.”

  Once we were alone again, Jackson got all flustered.

  “Are you nuts? You’re nowhere near strong enough to leave yet. Besides- where are you planning on going?”

  My mouth said the words before my brain had thunk it, “South. Mexico. This is one vampire that loves the sun.”

  “Mandy… seriously… I know Mona’s being a tight ass but she’ll get over it; you just have to prove to her that you can live the way we live—without taking human life or disrupting it in anyway. That includes feeding on their pets…”

  “It’s not your mom, Jackson. I just don’t want to be here anymore. Alan effed up my whole life… now I need to start a new one. And I can’t do that here.”

  “You also can’t do that alone. Solitary vampires don’t last long; or they turn screwy and start doing all sorts of crazy shit. You don’t want to end up some mass murderer of Jack-the-Ripper proportions—do you?”

  “That’s not going to happen. I’m not gonna like go off on a wild feeding frenzy; I just gotta get away from Everton.”

  Jackson shrugged. I couldn’t tell if he was mad, relieved or bored. Either way, he pushed the nasty feast back under my nose.

  “If you’re traveling tonight you’re going to need to eat.”

  I grabbed one by the tail; it was still hanging onto life and squirmed around a little as it dangled. It was gross.

  “Fine.”

  ~ ~ ~

  So I knew I had changed. From pure geekdom under Alan, I had found a new assertive part of me that I’d never known was there. I was in the middle of a huge schedule; we did school, Karate, gym and gun club. From a wandering no-one, I had turned into quite the ‘never-at-home’. Mary-Christine and I also set into a bit of a schedule of our own. Our petting sessions now included a bit of fumbling, and if anyone had asked me at the time, I would have already said I was in love.

  Yup, the geeky Lyman George Bracks was in love. And it felt great.

  The next day at school my life changed.

  I was walking between classes, when suddenly, Jim Creary grabs me by the lapels and pushes me up against the wall.

  “I don’t know what you did, Red, but I know you had something to do with Dorothy leaving.”

  I got hit off the wall a couple of times as he raged. “What are you on about?”

  His knuckles got right under my chin and pushed me higher. “You did something!”

  Spittle was flying at me, and over his shoulder, I noticed the kids between classes were starting to gather round us.

  “You’re fucking crazy, Jim!” I spat back. “She probably left because you’re a nut-job!”

  To my surprise, he threw a fist at me. I’d had punches at the Karate, and some were fast, but Jim was lightening. On instinct, I flipped my head to one side, and his knuckles went right past my nose, grazing my cheek.

  I’d learned my defensive move weeks before, it was pure reaction. I just raised both arms and with all of my strength, slammed the heels of my palms into his temples. Bam! For a second he looked shocked, then his eyes kind of wandered a bit, then he just fell into a crumpled heap on the linoleum floor.

  I don’t know who was more shocked, me or the two seniors that rushed to his side; Jeff Fielding and Billy Tankard. Both were in the ‘six’, both growled at me like the wildest animals. I stepped forward, bringing my fist back, and to my shock, they shied away, doubt crossing both their faces.

  “Lyman Bracks!” A low roar echoed down the crowded hall. “Stop this instant!”

  I stepped back and let the two seniors pick a very groggy Jim Creary from the floor. By the time the Mr. Belcher had fought through the crowd to reach us, they were leading him away.

  “What’s the meaning of this, Lyman?” Belcher asked me.

  “We just collided, sir. Busy corridor. I guess I over-reacted.”

  He gave me a good looking over. “You report to the office after lunch.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  He turned to walk back to his class. “Nothing to see here! Get on to your next class!”

  To my surprise, many of the students were still standing round, big smiles on faces.

  I turned and headed for the science department. I think my stride was longer, and I’d developed a little swagger too.

  So we were doing a chemistry experiment, and Andrew Butler came up to me. He’d hardly spoken to me in years. “I heard you decked Creary.”

  “He did hit the ground kinda hard.” I allowed the smallest of grins to flash across my face.

  Andrew just walked away, grinning and muttering ‘fuckin-A, fuckin-A’, under his breath.

  I grinned again.

  At lunch, I got a lot more stares than normal, a few nudges and smiles, it was quite intoxicating. Mary-Christine arrived and sat beside me, but instead of being left alone to chat, others joined the table. It was bizarre. It was all just small-talk, but I didn’t care.

  Inwardly, I kept a watch over the far table. The table of ‘the six’.

  If six vampires were going to be out fo
r vengeance, I needed to be on my toes.

  After smooching with Mary-Christine after lunch, I walked to the school office.

  “Mr. Belcher told me to report myself.” I said to the secretary at the desk. “Lyman Bracks.”

  She looked through some forms. “Ah, yes. Fighting in the corridor.”

  “Hardly a fight, ma’am.”

  “Tell that to the Assistant Dean, step inside.” She pointed to the glass door on her left.

  I sat on the chair for a few minutes, then my name was called.

  Assistant Dean Frobisher was not a nice man. Story goes, he was an ex-policeman who couldn’t cut it, then turned to teaching. He was now nearing his sixties, and bitter at the world.

  “Fighting in the corridor.” He said, not even bothering to look up at me.

  “No, sir.” The words were out of my mouth before I knew it.

  Now he looked up. “What do you mean, ‘no’? If Mr. Belcher said you were fighting, you were fighting!”

  Having already put my foot in it, I tried not to back-pedal. “Beg pardon, Assistant Dean Frobisher. But if I was fighting, where’s the other guy?”

  “Now listen here, young man.” He sat back on his chair for effect, but it didn’t faze me at all. “You have been reported by a teacher for fighting. That’s enough for me.”

  I have no idea where I got the balls, but I decided to stand my ground. I’d seen far too many episodes of Boston Legal and Ally McBeal to let go now. “Sir, I say again. If I’d been fighting, where’s the other guy? It takes two to tango. You’re either punishing me without cause, without proof, or you’re taking sides against me, letting the other guy go scot-free!”

  He looked up at me, and for a second I felt sorry for him. Waves of weariness washed over his face.

  “Detention. Two nights starting tomorrow. Dismissed.”

  My second of sorrow ended in a heartbeat. “Yes, sir.”

  Now I had a more hectic schedule; school, detention then gun club.

  ~ ~ ~

  I did try to leave that one night. My legs literally buckled underneath me when as I was walking down the stairs. Steve, Jackson’s foster dad, caught me and handed me off to Jackson, who brought me back to bed. As I was being carted off, I heard Steve telling Mona off; he was saying how God wouldn’t approve of them turning me out before I could handle myself.