Chapter 1: A maid
"Are you serious?" 16 year old Ivory Starlitta glared. "I don't think I heard you right."
"You heard me." 18 year old Dark Darthtire mocked. "Vampires have good hearing. Oh well, I'll repeat myself once more. I was 0.8 seconds faster than you."
"You're kidding." I stared at the sheet of paper in front of me. I had just taken a physical check-up, and ran 6 miles to make sure I'm is healthy. Vampires are typically fast runners, so I was sure I could win over Dark. But of course, demons are faster.
"Is it that much of a shock? You always lost." Dark grinned, "You have always lost. Sadly, running is probably the only thing you even have a single chance of winning. Oh well, demons are always better than vampires."
"I'm not so sure about that." I glanced at Catalina, Dark's 20 year old sister. "So, how'd you do, Catalina?"
"I got 10.5 minutes." Catalina whimpered. She was very childish for a twenty year old. "…w-what did you get?"
"2.0 minutes." I replied, "But Catalina that is your best score yet! I'm a vampire, vampires are known for speed. You shouldn't compare with me. Don't compare to Dark either, he's from another planet."
"You ran 6 miles in 2 minutes?" Catalina gasped, "You guys are always the fastest in the school. Always at the top, no one can defeat you…except Dark." That made my blood boil, and I blushed. Except Dark… I thought. It always came to this. I can beat everyone in school, except Dark. Dark is always ahead of me, and I hated that. He would look back at me once in a while, and mock me as much as he can. What can I say? I am the maid of the Darthtire family, I can't argue too rudely.
"One day, I'll kick his butt." I replied. Of course, Dark's ears are always keen, and he definitely heard me.
"I'll wait until then." I flushed. He was just spilling gasoline on my fire. How dare he?! When that day comes, I'll make him eat his words! "I don't think that'll ever happen in your lifetime, though." Dark added, smirking. I rolled my eyes. That was the rudest thing that I ever dared to do to my master, but he paid no attention to it.
"Ivory! Oh I never see you these days!" Sharon came over, smiling like the brightest sun in a mob of monsters. "Ever since you turned 14, you officially became a maid, didn't you?" Right, the rule in this world is that a person can only be 13 or higher to be a maid. I was adopted at the age of 1, so I had to be raised until I turned 14. On my 14th birthday, I had to serve Dark and Catalina food, even if it was my birthday. On that day, I officially became a maid. I always wondered why the Darthtire family adopted me. Was it really for me to be a maid?
"Hey Sharon, looking as spoiled as ever." I replied.
"Hey! You are the one that is spoiled. This is a noble school, for demon nobles! Not the minor ones, Ivory, the richest nobles! Yet a maid is able to attend! Do you know how lucky you are?" Sharon said, putting her arm over my shoulder.
"Even so, I'm still faster than you…and smarter than you. So don't try to kick me out of here, because it's not happening until you get better grades than me." I stuck out my tongue. I knew Sharon can say nothing else beyond this point. And she didn't, but it was Dark who spoke.
"Don't be so mean to Sharon. She's the daughter of the Noah family, right? Noah family is almost at the same rank as the Darthtires'. It's the highest rank you can get." Dark defended Sharon. Sharon blushed, but tried to hide it. I just rolled by eyes and laughed.
"Always good at flirting, I see, Dark." I replied, patting Sharon gently on the head. "Sharon, you should hire me. It must be much more fun serving you that Dark." Sharon's eyes widened.
"You are such a heartbreaker!" She replied, because Dark was right beside me when I said that. Before I can reply, the supervisor yelled, "We're heading back in!" The students immediately headed for the door. I followed Catalina and Dark like I always did. My mission is to stay when them, anytime. Not that I cared much anyway, it suited me just fine. Since Catalina is also friends with Sharon, I get to be with her most of the time. I found myself wondering time to time, why is it that I was able to go to such an honorable school as a maid? Oh well, I guess I'm just lucky.
"Ivory, come here please! I want you to file these papers!" The supervisor, Mr. Usui cried. Right, even teachers treat me like maids. Everyone does, only Sharon doesn't. Oh well, then again, I don't care either way.
"Coming." I called back and headed to Mr. Usui. I sighed, looks like I'll be late going back home again. "Hey Catalina, you go on ahead, I need to take care of business."
"B-but I'll feel only without you!"
"You have Sharon and Dark. Go on." I turned back and walked out of the crowd of running students. "I'm a maid after all; I'm nothing if I can't help out master." I mumbled. Mr. Usui was standing outside his office, and he gestured for me to come in. Mrs. Rose is also there, correcting homework, it seems.
"So…where is it?" I asked. Mr. Usui pointed at the stake of papers on his desk. I walked over and got to work immediately. Mr. Usui sat down, and started doing his business.
"By the way, Mrs. Starlitta, about your statues, one day you might not be attends this school anymore." Wow, that was straightforward. Oh well, that's how Mr. Usui rolls.
"I see. I'll wait until then." That was all I mustered to say.
"That day might be very soon." Mr. Usui, and pressed his lips together. "How do you feel about going to a maids' school? Of course, I haven't talk about this topic with the Darthtires' yet, because I wanted to talk to you first." I smiled.
"Oh, I'm sure excited." I just lied, but if I didn't I might say something terrible. Now that's how youkai (monsters) roll.
"Oh, really?" Oh course, Mr. Usui knows what I really meant to say. "Well, I can understand, but can you understand me a little bit? At a maids' school, there is no one to boss you around. Someone like me." I nodded, but didn't say anything. Mr. Usui's wings unfolded on his back. I always wondered if being a tengu (a crow youkai) is hard, because they had to hide their wings all the time. "Ah, that's a nice stretch."
"Mr. Usui…" I began, but I rethought about what I was going to say. "Which school are you going to transfer me to? Is it…good?" That is the nicest way I can say it.
"Mm…You're probably the smartest student there. I guess the servant curriculum is too easy for you." Mr. Usui smiled, "but you cannot stay here as a maid. You used to be a member of the Darthtire family…because you weren't 14 yet."
"I understand." I swallowed. Mr. Usui always gave me a chilly feeling. Mrs. Rose spoke up.
"Hey, don't be so hard on her. She probably likes it here. I always see Sharon pass notes to her." Oops, I guess she caught us. "I think she has some great friends." I picked up my pace. I don't want to be here any longer. Suddenly, the door opened. Dark and Catalina walked in. I jumped.
"This is not where you are supposed to be." I said, glancing at Dark and Catalina. "Aren't you supposed to be back home?"
"Ivory Starlitta!" Mr. Usui practically shouted my name. I jumped and froze. "You do not speak in such a manner to your masters! Phrase it a different away! Try again!"
"This is not where you are supposed to be, Master Dark, and Master Catalina." I breathed, "Uh, weren't you supposed to be going back home?"
"You do not say "uh" in front of you second phrase!" I glanced at the floor. That's it, Mr. Usui scares me. He always gave me grades at least 2 points lower than Dark's. I disliked him, now I officially hate him. "Dark, Catalina, don't you see? She incapable of being a maid! We should send her to a maid school!" Dark glared at Mr. Usui with his death glare.
"Did you say something? Please…repeat yourself?" The room suddenly chilled, Mrs. Rose silently stepped out. I don't see Dark this scary often. Catalina now looks more like a 20 year old, looking like a scary demon.
"N-no it's nothing." Mr. Usui looked back at his papers. Even a teacher is scared of demons, especially one whose status is as high as the Darthtires.
"Ahh~ that was easy!" Sharon walked in, her eyes somehow glowing red, and glanced at Mr. Usui, who flinched.
"Uhh…what do you need, masters?" I asked, wanting to break the atmosphere.
"Oh, we're here to pick you up! You're taking too long!" Catalina changed back to her old personality. Dark slouched and stared out the windows, as he always did when he is in the teacher's lounge, and Sharon smiled like she always did.
"Oh…I was finishing up. I filed the last few, and followed them." As we walked down the hall, I thought back to the words Mr. Usui said to me. Perhaps it is something I should think about. "Hey…what did you think about the maid school…what is it? Oh yeah, Saint Resa?"
"No!" Catalina cried, "Please don't leave me!" I smiled slightly, Mr. Usui was right, and I have great masters and friends.
"Ivory…this school, Hakuren, is the best school in the whole nation." Sharon said quietly. "Like I said, you are the only privilege to go. When you graduate, you'll be the first maid to graduate from Hakuren! You'll be famous.
"Mm…okay." Mr. Usui really wants me out of Hakuren. Oh well, I made another enemy. A bunch of kids already hate me, partly because threatened them even if I was a maid. Hey, they were saying nasty things about Darthtire. As we headed out, I saw a shadow by the trees. There were three kids; I feel large amounts of energy coming from them. I suspect they are the kids that I met yesterday who were whispering something about Darthtires. "Sorry, I got to go take care of something quick." Even if I am a vampire, I can beat up a bunch of demons. I'm pretty strong.
"Hey…what cha doin'?" I leaned over the tree. The boy in the middle, with a red head, suddenly jumped back, startled. A person behind him, with a blue head, had the same reaction. "What are your names again? Ah, right, Snowy and Flame?"
"T-that just the nicknames you gave us!" Flame replied. I smirked.
"So…what are you doing with that sword? Cutting down the tree?" I mocked, glaring at Snowy. I allowed some of my stored energy to leak out. Judging by their expressions, it seems that they can feel it. My eyes are probably bloody red too. Youkai's eyes turn red with they are about to use their powers.
"You don't scare us! We have the weapons! And you're just a vampire!" Flame cried. I wished Dark and Catalina didn't hear that.
"Oh?" I smirked. "Then, come at me. I'll entertain you." Flame launched, I dodged his attack and hit him with a swipe of my arm. I'm pretty powerful, so that must have hurt. Snowy lifted the sword and aimed towards me. Testing out how powerful that sword was, I grabbed it, and released my energy into the blade. Almost immediately, the blade cracked.
"A-ahh!" Snowy screamed in fear, and glanced at Flame, who was on the ground twitching because of the pain on his neck. Did I dislocate it? I'm pretty sure I didn't use all my energy.
"I'm just a vampire." I repeated their words. "How does this vampire bite?" They ran away with their tails between their legs. Not that they have a tail, but you know what I mean. I ran back to Dark's group.
"Are you doing taking care of your stuff?" Dark asked, glancing my way. I smirked.
"Yeah, I did." Catalina almost pounced on me.
"So, was it your secret boyfriend?" I frowned, and laughed.
"Why would I have a boyfriend?" It's true. I'll never get a boyfriend. "No one would possibly like someone like me, duh."
"Oh? Really?" Catalina smirked, and Sharon patted me on the back.
"What the heck?" I glanced at Sharon, who just winked. "Do you know something I don't?"
"Well, Ivory, you're the…second smartest in the school! The first smartest girl!" I winced. There she goes again. I'm the second smartest in the school. I hated to be called that.
"So? I'm practically a boy." I opened the door for Catalina, and Dark. Sharon waved good-bye as she got into her car.
"Yes, you really are." Catalina agreed. After they have gotten in the door, I sat in with them. This car can hold up to 10 people.
"I don't think so." Dark said. He was quiet the whole time, always non-caring. "Did you just say something?" I asked, even if I heard. What he said was a bit unbelievable. "What did you just say?"
"…nothing." Dark muttered. "So, second-place, what exactly 'stuff' did you have to do?" Oh, now he's back to his old personality.
"My hands got…itchy." I smiled. Catalina pouted.
"Ivory, your smile is always more like a smirk. Why can't you smile right? Your mouth will grow the wrong way if you keep smirking evilly!"
"Ah, sorry." I looked at Dark, just in time to see him staring at me. He looked away, out the windows. "Looks like someone hates my face so much." I joked.
When we got back to our mansion, it was dead quiet. We had no idea where everyone was. Darthtire had a bunch of maids, and the Darthtire masters would be home. "What the…" I whispered, glancing around suspiciously. "I'm head in first, please follow after me." Catalina obeyed, but Dark insisted on walking beside me. I opened each and every door of the mansion. It was hard work, since there are indeed, 300 doors in the first wing. But when we got into the living room, what we saw was…hell. True hell. Dead bodies lay all over the room. I stared, what the heck happened here?
