Chapter Two

"Bye, children. I will be going to the Embassy to work. Jack, Ben, Emily, if you have any queries, just ask the servants or my wife. Dominique, do your homework, OK?" Uncle Henri said as he headed out the front door. He was wearing fur coats and a fur-lined top hat over his balding head.

Dominique pouted and ran to her mother. "Moi—" she began.

Mrs. de Montargis held up a hand. "At home, Dominique, we should speak English. We are, after all, living in America. You must fit in. So speak in English."

Dominique sulked and said, "Moi amigos are coming to my house today for a party ten minutes later. Can I do my homework later?"

"Non, moi petit belle. You must do your homework, and that's it." Mrs. de Mortargis said firmly.

"Excuse moi, madame, but when and where do we start school?" Em asked. Jack and Ben groaned. Trust Em to be so enthusiastic about school.

"Next Monday. We want you to settle down first. You will be going to 266 Park Place Comm High School," Mrs. de Montargis said.

Back in their rooms, Jack, Ben, and Em are conferring. "Only a weekend to relax!" Jack moaned. "I wanna play soccer!" They all laughed, and spent the day being merry. However, something changed that day.

They were watching the evening news. "An epidemic has hit New York. Students from public schools have been reported to stay up all night long. They look pale, and some are even practicing rites and voodoo! A principal of a public school says that it's like, "They were vampires…Nobody goes to PE anymore in the daylight. Every student wears black. They had fake incisors, with accessories of bats and acted like Dracula.

"Oh, moi god. I knew we shouldn't move to New York, Henri!" Mrs. de Montargis cried.

"Excitement," Jack whispered.

"I think we need some l'ail for the 'vampires', Madame." Em joked.

"What's that?" Ben asked.

"Garlic," Em said.

"What for? You don't really believe that there's vampires in New York? I mean, please! We're talking about one of the world's busiest megalopolis. This can't be happening!" Jack said. "Em, I thought you're a scientific person!"

"Alright, I was just kidding, but something weird is going on. Let's just treat it with an open mind. For safety purposes, I'm wearing my cross pendant. The one mother left to me," Em said softly.

Dominique started harping on about religious symbols too, declaring them to be the cult fashion accessories that were in style now in Paris. Mrs. de Montargis, an avid follower of fashion herself, decided to bring her to the nearby shopping mall to buy jewellery.

"Emilia, do you want to come with us?" Mrs. de MOntargis asked.

Em hastily declined the offer. Ugh, shopping. She'd rather play soccer with the boys. "By the way, it's Emily."

"Whatever, goodbye," Mrs. de MOntargis walked out, planning to invade the New York shopping mall.

"Wow!" Em, Jack, and Ben barely suppressed the utter of awe they felt PPC High School was huge, much bigger than the little room that was used as a classroom back in the orphanage. Groups of boys hang around, trading high-fives. Cliques of mean girls stalked the corridors in their fashionable accessory. Dominique felt at home here.

"Hmm, tres belle. See you later," she said as she went to find a poor soul to pour comments about her wonderful house. Em felt slightly inferior to the beautiful girls that seemed to give out confidence as they strutted their catwalk.

"Em, we're off to find our classroom now. We'll meet you in lunch. I think that's your classroom," Ben told her. Em gathered herself together, to face her first view of the American school system.

"Is this our classroom?" Jack asked Ben, who claims to be very good with maps.

'Er, yeah. Should be." They went in and was faced by a pale thin old man. He was dressed in old-fashioned clothes, and looked like Count Dracula. He smiled, revealing slightly pointed teeth. Even Jack was shocked.

"Lots of people don't have perfect teeth," Ben whispered.

"New here, aren't you?" The man barked. "I'm am Vald Curalad. You are late. Stand at the back until the end of the home period. And no noise."

Jack and Ben felt shocked. Were they in prison camp or something? From what they knew of high schools, isn't it okay to not come in until the second bell? Jack felt compelled to say it out. And that's when Ben pointed out one thing to him:

…All the pupils were deadly quiet. And deathly pale. All are wearing black. Em was pretty sure that goth wasn't in at the moment. Dominique would have said it was. She edged to the back of the class.

Nobody moved. Just as she sat down, all thirty heads turned and looked at her in sync.

"Um, hello?" She was aware of their slightly glazed look and pointed teeth, which was shown in the curl of their lips.