First off, there were now at least a half dozen vampires in each of his classes. It seemed like there were new additions every day.
Secondly, the drawings Lisa was talking about—he knew them well. Someone had been drawing them on his classroom chalkboard for the past week. Each night before he left, he locked the classroom door, and each morning, despite that course of action, he had a chalk rendering of something you’d see in your worst nightmares.
Frank tried to block out the conversations but there were too many. He craned his neck and scanned the crowd, spotted Rick McNeil, who rolled his eyes and pretended to hang himself.
Just then, the door to the study hall opened.
Henry Fisher, the principal, walked toward the front of the room, escorted by a cop. He took out a handkerchief and dabbed at his sweat-covered head. He was a large man, bordering on obese, and he looked ready to topple over at any moment. It was obvious whatever he had to say wasn’t good. He held his hands up and the room quieted.
“Folks, I don’t think it comes as a surprise when I tell you we’ve got a bit of a situation on our hands this afternoon. I’m sure you’re all aware of this little vampire group and up until now it’s seemed harmless but today it’s something more than that.” He paced as if choosing his next words carefully. “This morning, I woke to what I thought was someone knocking on my door. I went downstairs to investigate and saw nothing outside but when I turned to face the front of the door, I saw my neighbor’s cat, Whiskers. Whiskers was in bad shape. Some little bastard had nailed him to the front of my door with a railroad spike. They left a convenient little note too, signed ‘LW Vamps.’ The note was not written in ink if you catch my meaning.”
He signaled the cop, who passed him a piece of paper that was resting inside of a Ziploc bag. An evidence bag. He opened his mouth and cleared his throat. “We’re coming.”
Frank had regretted his decision of sitting so far away, because he began to feel cold and watched, and not by the other teachers.
“What do you propose we do?” Nancy asked.
Principal Fisher handed the letter back to the cop, who looked just as spooked as the rest of them. “I think we ought to keep our eyes open. It seems like this little group has popped up overnight. Their members are growing at an alarming rate. I’ve spoken with half a dozen kids—good kids who normally get straight A’s—who are now walking around like Halloween came early. I spoke to a few of the officers today and they seem to think this was some sort of ritual sacrifice. Part of me thinks it’s just kids asking for attention. But another part of me has a bad feeling about all this.”
Rick stood up and raised his hand. “Henry, I hope you won’t think I’m speaking out of turn here but I’d say that’s the fucking understatement of the century.”
Roughly half the teachers murmured in agreement.
“I understand your concern,” Fisher said, trying to calm the crowd. “But there’s not much we can do at this point.”
“Well I sincerely hope that changes real soon.” Rick pointed to the evidence bag. “I’ve got two cats myself. Kevin and Boots. My wife loves them but I think they’re a pain in the ass. With that said, I wouldn’t like to see either of them nailed to my front door.” Fisher tried to cut him off but he kept talking. “Now I understand this isn’t something we could’ve been prepared for. I’ve been teaching longer than half the people in this room and I’ve never seen anything like it, but I think we ought to have a plan in place.”
Fisher dabbed his head again, the sweat instantly replaced. From Frank’s seat, it looked like the handkerchief was drenched. “A plan, Mr. McNeil?”
Rick nodded. “That’s right. Just in case things get to a point of no return.”
“And what, exactly, does that mean?”
Rick fingered his beard and thought for a long time. “I’m not sure and I hope we don’t find out, but it’s a month and a half into the semester and they’re killing felines. What’s to say they’ll stop there? What’s to say we don’t wind up with one of those notes stapled to our foreheads?”
“I think that’s a bit overdramatic, wouldn’t you say?”
Rick didn’t seem to think so and neither did the rest of the crowd. Everyone grew silent. Frank was inclined to agree. It did seem the vamps were building up to something, though he wasn’t sure what.
Fisher’s hands fumbled, the evidence bag falling to the floor so that the message, written in smeared red letters, was displayed for everyone in attendance. Frank was too far away to make out the words but Fisher’s rendition floated through his mind.
We’re coming.
●●●
Busty groaned, not in bliss but anger. “This doesn’t usually happen. I swear.”
“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.” Alyssa took him back into her mouth but he stayed just as flaccid as he’d been the last half hour. Her jaw was getting tired and her lips were drying out. She wasn’t exactly experienced. She’d only been with Justin but he’d certainly never complained when she went down on him.
That’s because he was a sweetheart and you left him high and dry.
She told herself to keep her mind occupied on the task at hand. After another couple minutes, Busty told her to stop. “I think I’m just tired or something. Been picking up extra shifts at the record store.”
“Don’t they close early, though?”
He paused. “Yeah but we need to restock after it’s closed.”
“I didn’t realize that many people bought records anymore. Thought they just stole everything off the Internet.”
“You’d be surprised.” He slid on his boxers and jeans and zipped his fly up.
They sat in his car, which had been making horrid noises while they drove to their secret spot, a place no one would ever think to look for kids fooling around. It was creepy, especially considering what had happened there, but that meant they could be alone without interruption. No one was going to take a nightly stroll past the old Lynnwood High School.
She looked through the passenger window. It was mostly covered in condensation, partly from the cool air outside and partly from the warmth of their bodies. She rubbed some of it away. Though the scenery was obscured and warped from the moisture, she couldn’t help but think something was just outside, waiting to open her door and drag her away.
She shivered and put on her sweatshirt. Underneath her clothes, her skin was cool and clammy, the sweat still drying. Busty had gone down on her for ten or so minutes and she’d finally pretended to finish. He was awkward with his movements, like he’d never done the act with any of his former girlfriends, of which there were surely plenty.
Unless you considered that garbage her dad had spewed last week.
“I know you really like the guy,” Frank had said. “I don’t know why you like him but that aside, I think he might be… how do you say… gay.”
She’d laughed at him and shook her head. “Real nice, Dad. You’ve really hit rock bottom now, haven’t you?”
He’d tried to smooth things over later by reminding her that she was his only remaining child and that he was just looking out for her best interests. She could tell Jeremy’s name had been seconds away from spilling out of his mouth so she’d told him how pathetic he was and hadn’t said much to him since.
“Everything okay?” Busty said.
She shook her head. “Sorry, I guess we’re both just tired tonight.”
It was dark inside the car. The closest streetlamp only flickered on every so often before shutting off again. Despite that, she could still make out his pale skin. It looked more ghostly than usual. She was almost certain he wore make-up but she wasn’t one to judge. She still found him attractive in some way she couldn’t explain, and even though they hadn’t slept together, she wasn’t planning on leaving.
“I meant to tell you,” he said, reaching into the backseat and grabbing onto what looked like a box. “I got you something.”
She beamed. “Like a gift?”
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“Open it and find out.” He handed it to her.
“You didn’t have to get me anything.” She tore off the wrapping and opened the box. Inside lay something too dark to see. She turned on the overhead light, winced at the sudden brightness. When her eyes adjusted, she cocked her head at the contents, peering at a black leather jacket, like something out of the Warriors, and a small necklace. She held the latter up and examined it.
The chain was tarnished and the pendant confused her. At first she thought it was just an odd shape, an asymmetrical stone or something, but the more she studied it, the more she realized there was a method to its construction. It was in the shape of a squid or octopus, or maybe some other kind of sea creature. There were several tentacles and what looked like tiny mouths. It almost resembled those weird drawings she’d been seeing around school lately but that must have been a coincidence.
“What is it exactly?” she said.
He shrugged. “I thought you might like it. And the jacket just looked cool. I noticed you’ve been wearing a lot more black. Maybe I’m rubbing off on you.”
“That’s sweet of you. Really.”
“Here,” he said, motioning for her to turn around. “Allow me.”
She spun her head around and he put the necklace on. With the overhead light still on, she could see his reflection in the passenger window. Behind him, just outside his window, was another face, peering in at them.
She spun back around and nearly screamed but there was nothing there. Her pulse pounded in her ears and she tried to pretend she’d just been yawning.
“How do you like it?”
“It’s beautiful,” she lied. Truthfully, the thing gave her the creeps but as her mother always reminded her at Christmas, when Alyssa opened up photo albums or framed pictures of Jeremy like he was still alive, it was the thought that counted.
“Can I ask you something?” she said.
“Anything.”
“You’ve probably already been asked this a thousand times in the last month but are you, like, with those kids who have been dressing up like vampires?”
He laughed and lit a cigarette, lowered his window a bit to let out the smoke. He offered her one but she declined. “What makes you say that?”
She shrugged and told him about her first and final honor society meeting of the year. The second week of the semester, she’d made her way back to the meeting place, but stopped outside the room. Every shade had been drawn and the remaining members who’d been normal one week prior—Angie and Carlos—were now dressed identical to Vickie, Sylvie, and Tom—who shouldn’t have been a member in the first place. They’d been laughing about something and she swore there was a pentagram drawn on the floor. Probably just her imagination working on overtime.
“Look,” Busty said. “You want the truth?” He breathed smoke out through his nostrils. It filled the car and made her eyes water. “The truth is that it’s just a club, you know? There’s nothing dangerous about it, just a bunch of kids—or a guy in my case—hanging out. We didn’t even come up with the name. We’ve got the teachers to thank for that. It just kind of caught on. Everything else you’ve heard is just rumors. I mean, come on. Do you really think any of us are nailing cats to doors? That’s probably the work of some sicko.”
She frowned. “I haven’t heard that one yet.”
He laughed, more smoke pouring out. “You will. Trust me. The bottom line is that sometimes kids are wound up so tight they’re ready to explode. When you get a bunch of them together in one place, they’re drawn to each other. We’re just blowing off steam. Nothing more to it than that.”
“When you put it like that, it doesn’t sound so bad.” She thought about what it would be like to join their club, how it would almost be like a family. Not like her real family, where there was constantly a fourth member who no longer existed, where she had daily reminders of her deceased twin. This seemed like something else, like the members accepted you no matter what, saw you for who you really were.
I call bullshit, the rational side of her mind screamed. Look at the “members” so far. They’re all kids who were perfectly normal last semester, getting straight A’s, at the top of their class. Kids a lot like you.
“Look” Busty said. “No pressure but if you ever want to join, just let me know.”
She swallowed. Her throat was scratchy from the smoke and tight from anxiety. “I’ll… think about it. At this rate, it seems like everyone will be a member at some point.”
He finished his cigarette and tossed it outside, looking toward the school like there was something there she couldn’t see. “Not everyone,” he said.
Chapter Fifteen
Justin yawned at his desk. It was way too early to be at school but he hadn’t been able to sleep more than a few minutes here and there. The night before, with a weight in each hand, he’d waited at his bedroom window for what seemed like an eternity until Busty had finally dropped Alyssa off way past her curfew. In fact, she’d snuck out of the house around midnight and hadn’t come back until almost two.
Teenagers only left their homes that late for one thing. Justin gritted his teeth at the thought of that undertaker with his hands all over his girl, pretending he was straight, if that was even possible. Unless Marianna had been lying to Justin’s face. He still wasn’t sure what to make of the situation.
It doesn’t matter either way. She’s not your girl anymore. You’ve got to move on. Find someone else.
His arms burned as if in response. He’d been lifting even more lately. When you combined Alyssa with the vamps and his dad, you had the barrage of thoughts that refused to leave his mind. The weights kept them in check but not for very long.
By the time five o’clock rolled around that morning, he decided sleep was not coming so he’d thrown on some clothes, gotten an iced coffee, and made his way to his first class of the day, trig. Though he’d skipped homeroom, he wouldn’t get in trouble. The teachers had more than enough on their plate with the vamps. Besides, he liked the silence of Murray’s classroom. It calmed him some. He had another twenty minutes or so before anyone showed up.
Or so he thought, until the door opened and he heard someone step into the room and sigh.
He turned around and saw Alyssa standing there, barely looking like her usual self, wearing a black leather jacket and a necklace that resembled a deformed squid. She hesitated at the door.
He pointed to her desk directly next to him. “It’s fine. I won’t bite.” But your boyfriend probably will.
Slowly, she walked toward her desk and put her bag on the floor. “What’re you doing here so early?”
“Couldn’t sleep.” He stirred his coffee with the straw and took a long sip. “My dad drank this stuff all the time and I used to make fun of him, told him he was one step away from being a junkie. He said I wouldn’t be laughing when the real world came knocking. Then I’d be drinking it like water just to get through the day.” He held up the cup. “Turns out he was right.”
“Yeah… I know what you mean.”
“I bet. You look tired too. Were you up late for some reason?”
She rolled her eyes. “Like you weren’t being a stalker all night. You know exactly where I was.”
He shook his head. “I don’t know where but I can guess with whom.”
“That’s none of your business.”
He nodded. “Yeah, you’ve made that clear plenty of times. I have to ask, though. Are you part of all this?”
“Part of what?”
“The vamps. I mean, you’ve been dressing like a new recruit the last couple of weeks.” He nodded toward her outfit.
She sighed. “If you must know, I’m not in their club.”
“Not yet. That doesn’t mean you won’t join soon. Your boyfriend must be high up in the ranks.”
“I’m done talking to you about this.”
He held up his hands. “That’s right. None of my business. Anyway, while we’re on speaking terms I
do have another question. One that you still haven’t answered. One I’ve asked about a million times since summer.”
“Don’t bother,” she said.
He asked it anyway. “What the hell happened that night? We were getting along great, hadn’t had a single argument since we started going out. So why did you freak out on me?”
“It doesn’t matter now, does it?”
“That’s where you’re wrong. It matters to me. I at least deserve an explanation. If you remember correctly, when Frank saw that we were arguing outside, he made it perfectly clear to stay away.” He rubbed his chin as if he’d just been hit and the flesh was beginning to swell all over again.
“Maybe you should’ve listened. And since when did you start calling him Frank? What are you guys, friends now?”
The door opened and several students made their way inside. He’d thought it was still early but apparently time flew by when you argued with your ex-girlfriend.
Art stopped short at the door, noticed the way Alyssa was fuming. “You two having a nice heart to heart?” he said as he sat down.
“Don’t start.” Alyssa opened her notebook and pretended to read something.
Five minutes later the classroom was almost full. Though it was the same roster as it had been all year, you wouldn’t have known just by looking. Roughly half the students were vamps, kids who had been popular and well-adjusted just weeks—and in some cases days—before, who now looked better fit to prowl a New York subway tunnel.
It’s catching, Justin thought. Like wildfire. Anyone that gets too close gets burned to a crisp and there’s no rain in sight.
He adjusted the collar of his shirt and tried to focus as Mr. Murray came into the class, smelling so strongly of booze that Justin thought he might get a contact buzz.
“Sorry I’m late,” he said, opening his book, and telling them to take out their homework from the previous night. Everybody did so except one student.
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