Braced to Bite (17 page)
Authors: Serena Robar
Tags: #Vampires, #Fiction, #Horror, #Horror & Ghost Stories, #Schools, #Juvenile Fiction, #School & Education, #High schools, #Fantasy & Magic
She stood up and rushed to my side. Her frail arms encircled me. “Now what makes you say a crazy thing like that? You aren’t anything like Ned, Colby. He was a full vampire and freshly risen. They have an awful thirst then. When you were freshly risen, how many times did you feed? Once? Twice? You are different, special. You aren’t like the others. You are still the Colby I know and love. That hasn’t changed, you haven’t changed.” She smiled at me and pointed to my heart. “At least where it matters, you haven’t changed.”
I hugged her tightly. She was an amazing woman, my Aunt Chloe, and I never knew it. “I should have visited you more. I’m sorry.”
She waved her hand at me in dismissal. “None of that. It’s the here and now that matters.”
I nodded in agreement. I couldn’t worry about the past; it was the future I needed to protect. “Thanks, Aunt Chloe. I have some studying I have to do.”
I stood up and grabbed all the paperwork I’d copied at the vampire library. An idea was starting to form in my head.
“Are you studying for your scholarship interview tomorrow?” she ventured. I gave myself a mental slap. I’d completely forgotten all about the interview, but now it didn’t matter. The future wasn’t just about me anymore.
“No, I have something more important to do.” I ignored the surprised look on her face and went upstairs with my research.
Thirteen
I
stayed up all night working on my Tribunal presentation. Capturing Chuck wasn’t my problem. The
system
was my problem. And the system needed to change.
stayed up all night working on my Tribunal presentation. Capturing Chuck wasn’t my problem. The
system
was my problem. And the system needed to change.
I skipped school and continued my research. I finally fell asleep out of sheer exhaustion and awoke close to sunset. I had just enough time to shower and meet the university board member for my scholarship interview.
I arrived with barely a moment to spare. Pam and Tim were already seated and fielding questions from a nondescript man in his late forties wearing an overcoat over chinos and a blazer, as well as leather gloves. The room temperature seemed fine to me, but I barely had a pulse. I noticed Pam clutching her sweater close together so perhaps it was a bit chilly in the room. Or maybe she was nervous. Hard to tell with her.
“I apologize for being late,” I murmured to Mrs. Gillman, who nodded in understanding. She introduced me to the PSU interviewer, Mr. Holloway, and I apologized to him as well.
“No worries, Ms. Blanchard, we were just getting started. I heard about your earlier, ah, ordeal and just wanted to let you know I am very impressed with your making an appearance here today, under the circumstances.”
I nodded to him and glanced at my competitors. Pam fumed silently but Tim seemed oblivious to everything, except Mr. Holloway. The intense scrutiny didn’t seem to bother either of them so I ignored it and sat down in the empty chair.
Mr. Holloway scribbled something on the top of a packet of information about the college, then gave it to me. A handwritten note, thanking me for coming in. Maybe I could milk the sympathy thing? Once I sat down, Mr. Holloway directed his next question to me.
“Colby, please tell me your take on Darwin’s theory of evolution.”
“Only the strong survive?”
“Yes.”
“I guess I would need you to clarify your position on ‘strong,’ Mr. Holloway.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, strength is perception. If you were to ask anyone who was stronger, a cockroach or a human being, I think most people would say a human being. After all, a person can easily squish a cockroach. But, after a nuclear explosion, the cockroach will be the only living creature to survive. So who is stronger in that context?”
“So you disagree with Darwin?” Mr. Holloway pressed.
“If your interpretation of strong is an ability to adapt and evolve, then I would say, yes, the strong will survive. But the strongest is not always the brightest and therefore they jeopardize their own existence.”
My fellow students were staring at me with something akin to awe and pity. It wasn’t a good sign. I was so tired and making little sense.
“Explain, please.”
“Let’s take the crown heads of Europe in the earlier centuries. They owned everything, had more than the peasants could ever hope for and believed they were superior. They believed it so much they thought the only way to keep the royal blood pure was to only marry others with royal blood.
“When you narrow the gene pool that much, you just exacerbate the genetic abnormalities, increasing the chance of abnormal propagation. In other words, you get a lot of screwed-up royalty, from genetic disorders like hemophilia to outright insanity. So were they stronger? Eventually you interbreed your royal line into nothingness because none of the offspring can survive. Look at dogs.”
Okay, so now I was just letting the lack of sleep, the injustice of my situation and my dislike for those tiny toy poodles take over my interview.
“Excuse me?” Mr. Holloway said.
“You know, purebred dogs,” I clarified. “They are so interbred that many have serious problems, but they cost a lot more money than a mutt. Why? Because they have papers. However, the owners will spend tons of money treating these problems even though many purebreds will die sooner than a regular dog. In the end, the pureblood dogs will die out and the only option left will be the strong, adaptive mongrel that is the loyal, lovable anchor of the American family today.”
I smiled sweetly to take the bite out of my rampage. Mrs. Gillman chose this moment to interrupt the interview process by calling a recess. She took me aside and asked how I was feeling.
“Oh, I’m fine, Mrs. Gillman. Never better,” I assured her a little too brightly. I was scheduled to capture or kill my vampire Creator in a couple of hours and then defend my existence, but other than that, I was superpeachy.
“Well dear, that’s good to hear. I think we have enough information from you at this time. You are free to go.”
“I’d really like to finish my interview,” I argued.
She gave me a pitying look. “Dear, you are finished. Er, that is to say, you’re finished with your portion of the interview today. Thanks for coming in.”
It was safe to assume after this completely whack interview that I could safely cross off PSU as a collegiate option. Good-bye scholarship, hello community college.
As I made my way out of the room, I couldn’t help but notice how Pam beamed with happiness and Tim avoided eye contact like the plague. I slunk out the side door as quickly and silently as possible.
Even though I wanted to go home and crawl into bed to hide in shame, my stomach wasn’t going to let me off that easy. I was hungry. It was time to feed. I drove to the Krispy Kreme and parked my car in their well-lit parking lot. If I was lucky I could find a quick meal. If I was really lucky, I could also capture Chuck.
After checking out the area carefully, I walked across the street to the dimly lit parking lot of a home improvement store and sat down on the concrete pavers display by its front entrance.
Everyone cruised this street; people stopped to chat, hang out and deal in the parking lot. I watched some likely candidates park their low-riding truck with bass-blaring stereo system pretty close to me. Two guys popped out wearing baggy pants and knitted skull caps. I snorted at the Posers. Nothing was funnier than rich white kids pretending to be from the ghetto.
All I needed to hear was the ever-so-famous line, “Yo, what up, dawg?” answered with “Just keepin’ it real, yo,” to make my evening complete.
I didn’t recognize them; they probably went to Newport or one of the other schools. They stood leaning against their shiny red ride, bobbing their heads to the beat and stealing glances at me.
Finally, after a couple of minutes, the taller of the two said something in my direction.
“Whatcha doing all alone out here? Waiting for a ride? We could give ya one.” His buddy laughed in appreciation of the innuendo and they tapped fists.
I stood and walked their way, my internal organs shaking with the beat of their bass. “Actually, I’m more in the mood for a bite to eat.”
This caused a few guffaws from my prey, as they whispered stupid crude jokes about having something for me to eat all right. How come guys one-on-one were usually so sweet but put them in packs and they were reduced to the lowest common denominator?
I casually took out my head gear and popped it on. They were shocked into silence—and then started laughing! Oh yeah, did I strike fear into the hearts of men or what? I assured myself they were truly terrified of my steel fangs beneath all their mirth-filled bravado.
I took off my sunglasses and looked one in the eyes then the other and both quieted down quickly. They stood transfixed as I stepped in front of them.
“Gentlemen, could you pleash turn down the mushic a bit?” I was proud of how quickly I was mastering my fang-induced speech impediment.
The guy closest to the window reached in and turned it down a decibel or two.
“Ah, lovely. Thank you. Don’t move. This won’t hurt at all.” They stood completely still as I advanced toward one neck and then the next. I took no more than a cup or so total and made sure I licked the puncture wounds. As a thank-you, I left a small hickey for each of them. In a few short moments I was done, and took off my headgear before I spoke again.
“Now, the story is you found two really hot chicks in the parking lot who made out with you—the proof is in the hickeys. Too bad you lost their digits.”
I was going to leave when I decided the community needed my services on this one. “Oh yeah, and you no longer like to play your stereo so loud you bounce in the seats. Also, the unwashed hair look is out.”
They nodded in unison and I calmly walked away. I was almost out of the parking lot when I heard them get back into their truck and drive away. They did not turn their music back up and I smiled at my good deed for the day.
“Now don’t you look proud of yourself?”
I wasn’t paying any attention to my surroundings so Chuck managed to sneak up on me. I guess no good deed goes unpunished after all.
Fourteen
“
I
thought we were meeting later tonight?” I asked, looking around for some sort of weapon or kidnapping tool that would enable me to truss him up and take him to court with me. I was completely unprepared to take action in that moment.
I
thought we were meeting later tonight?” I asked, looking around for some sort of weapon or kidnapping tool that would enable me to truss him up and take him to court with me. I was completely unprepared to take action in that moment.
“Tell me, Colby, don’t you like to feed? Where is your passion for the hunt? The thrill of the chase? The delicious satisfaction of taking lifeblood from another?” he questioned.
My stomach rolled at the picture he painted. “Dude, it’s just lunch. Chill.”
“You must think you are better than the rest of them, don’t you? You don’t fight the same ancient cravings, the wanton lust for destruction and darkness. Oh, how we could conquer the world together.”
“You’re beginning to sound like a broken record, Chuck.”
Not that I’d ever seen a real record, but my father always said this to me when I harped on wanting the same thing over and over again.
“Come away with me,” he commanded in a whisper, looking deep into my eyes using all his vampire powers of persuasion to bend me to his will.
I was surprised that part of me wanted to please him, make him happy.
“I’m just not sure,” I hedged, trying to fight off the compulsion.
“It is time for us to settle this, Colby.”
I suddenly realized that he was right. It was now or never but not the way he meant it. Chuck was right in the sense that we were the same. We were victims. He hadn’t asked for what happened to him any more than I’d asked for it. This life of loneliness had driven him crazy and at that moment I realized I couldn’t lead him like a lamb to the slaughter.
Despite what he’d done to me, I felt sorry for him. Taking him back to the Tribunal would be like signing his death warrant. At one time that would have thrilled me but after all the research I’d done about vampires, half-bloods and the history of our people, I couldn’t really blame him for wanting to have a family and not be alone anymore.
But my newfound understanding didn’t mean I was going to hang with him either.
“Good-bye, Chuck. And good luck,” I said to him. Then I surprised him by turning away from his intense gaze with little effort and opening my car door. By the time I turned over the engine, he was nowhere in sight and I couldn’t help wonder if I hadn’t just made the biggest mistake of my life by letting him go, or by not going with him.
It was too late. I’d made my decision. It had stopped being all about me when Jill Schneider was killed. I was fighting for all of us now. Even Chuck. How was that for irony?
I went home and reviewed my defense again. Like it or not, it was all I had now. Satisfied that I was as prepared as I was going to get, I went to bed. I dreamed of Thomas and woke up depressed.
I spent the rest of the evening with my family, basking in the glow of their acceptance and love. None of us was saying aloud what we were really thinking, that this evening was perhaps our last one together.
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