AN: Hi, everyone! I just wanted to thank you all for reading my story so far. I hope you've enjoyed and continue to enjoy reading it.
Chapter 4: Nostalgia
Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.
"So what did Tug want?" Sibella asked. She had been waiting for Lauren to arrive, being concerned for her friend.
Lauren blanched before saying "Nothing, really. He just wanted to apologize for the way the Cadets cheated during the volleyball game."
"He wasn't freaking out that you told him you had powers?" Sibella asked, earnestly concerned.
Lauren smiled and sat down beside her. "Sibella, humans don't want to believe in magic. They will make up any excuse they can in order to disprove magic exists in the world. Tug and the other Cadets just thought I was being stupid."
Sibella's eyes widened then. "Really? He thought you were just joking?"
"Yep. Nothing to worry about now, right?"
"Well, if you're not worried..."
"I'm not," Lauren reassured her. Taking out a pair of fake vampire teeth, Lauren shoved them into her mouth and asked, "You wanna take a fangtastic selfie?"
Sibella giggled and said "Sure."
Lauren pulled out her phone and held it up. She smiled, revealing the fangs and Sibella unsheathed her fangs. Lauren took the picture, took her teeth out, and smiled regularly, Sibella mimicking her. Readjusting her phone and face, Lauren made a goofy face, Sibella getting the idea did the same, and the camera went off. "Once a picture is taken, you can pose for another one without waiting for me to tell you whether or not I'm taking one. If I see you posing, I'll click away." Lauren told her and Sibella nodded. They spent the next part of five minutes taking pictures before Sibella yawned, exposing her fangs. "You can go on to bed, Sibella," Lauren said. "You don't need to stay up on my account."
"No, it's all right. Besides, it's dawn anyway."
Lauren's head snapped in the direction of the window. Sure enough, the sun was filtering its way through the clouds. Suddenly, a thought struck her. "Oh, my gosh, Sibella! You're a vampire! How have you not obliterated the second you went outside during the sun?"
Sibella giggled and said "I'm immune to sunlight. All vampires are. And I can see myself in the mirror. However, I will not eat garlic, even if that won't kill me it still smells disgusting, and I'm pretty sure a stake to the heart would kill me."
"Who wouldn't that kill?" Lauren asked, popping a Hershey kiss in her mouth and offering one to Sibella, who took it and ate it. Suddenly, an idea struck Lauren. "You girls know that none of the foods are rotten, they'll rot your teeth, but they're fresh, right?"
"Of course. It's the healthy stuff that's no good if it's fresh." Sibella replied.
"You know, it's kinda weird." Lauren began, looking away from Sibella. "The way I feel about you girls, like you're my sisters, and yet I hardly know a thing about any of you." She turned to Sibella then and asked, "You know?"
Sibella pondered this and replied "Well, I don't know everything about everyone here, and I've been here the longest. It keeps a relationship of any kind interesting, not knowing everything there is to know about someone. Like, if you read a book, the author doesn't automatically tell you everything about the character. You find out along the way. Now if you're just dying to know something, ask. It's not like we'll tell you no." Sibella added the last part with a laugh. The laugh was infectious, making Lauren laugh as well.
"I do have one question for you." Lauren began.
"Go on." Sibella encouraged.
"How long have you ghouls been here?"
"Well, usually a monster is dropped off when she is very young. Tanis, she's six, she's been here for a year. Winnie, she's eight, and she's been here for three years. Elsa's ten and she's been here for five years. Phanty's eleven and she's been here for six years. And I'm thirteen and I've been here eight years."
Lauren's eyes bulged. "Nine years! That's quite a bit."
"Well, yes it is. There were others though, students, that are gone now and out into the monster world."
"You know, you guys are really spread out as far as age and experience goes so how come Miss Grimwood is the only teacher here? How do you all learn? In fact, I haven't been to a single class yet."
"She usually gives us two weeks off after Halloween before starting back up with classes and you arrived during the time designated for volleyball practice, which is three weeks, but the rest of the year, we're busy. And as for the level of difficulty with classes, Miss Grimwood is very good about having the main lesson and then giving us each an assignment that deals with the lesson and fits with our age and experience."
"I follow you." Lauren said, nodding, then asked "What about summer break? Winter break? Spring break? Do you have any of those?"
"No. What are they for?" "Well, where I went to school, Winter break was a two week period off from school for Christmas and other winter-related holidays. Spring break was a week off for the celebration of Easter. And summer break was over a two month period in which school was over to allow students a shift from one grade to another."
"Wow! You get all that time off? What'd you do during all that time?"
"Well, over the summer, my friends and I would go to the beach together, down off the west coast of Florida where the Gulf of Mexico is. We'd spend two weeks there. Apart from that, we'd go shopping at stores, volunteer at the local VA together, play tennis or volleyball, go to summer workouts for tennis and volleyball, we all had jobs at the mall that we had to do if we wanted money to shop with, you know, girl stuff. And when I wasn't with any of them, I'd read or work out or listen to music or other trivial waists of time."
"That sounds really nice!" Sibella said dreamily.
"Yeah," Lauren said nostalgically. "It was."
"Do you miss it?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you miss it? You're old school, friends, and what you used to do?"
"Yeah, I miss it and them a lot. I miss going to football games, pep rallies, dances, clubs, games and matches, and to their houses. I mean, we text, Skype, and message each other through various forms of social media, but it's just not the same as being with them. They were my sisters and I don't think I'll go a day without missing them."
"But you still like it here, right? You like it here with us?" Sibella asked her.
"Of course I do! Why wouldn't I? You guys actually remind me of them, a bit."
"Really?"
"Oh yeah. You all are dedicated, loyal, smart, brave, kind, generous, caring, hilarious, true friends that took me in like I was part of the gang from the beginning. You have a lot of the same characteristics as them. You may prefer different pizza toppings and live completely different lifestyles but it didn't feel awkward hanging out with you guys after being around hundreds of humans for a long time. So thanks. And know that I love you guys a lot. You're my sisters now." Lauren threw her arms around Sibella and embraced her tightly.
Sibella was taken aback for a second but embraced the other girl back warmly. "You're probably used to my bat puns now but I want you to know you're a fangtastic friend, Lauren. Without you, we wouldn't have won that volleyball trophy. Without you, we wouldn't feel like we're good at anything. Before you came along, the five of us hardly ever got along on anything. We never spent time together and never did anything fun. You brought us together and made us feel like family. If anybody needs to be thanked, it's you. So thank you for giving me a family away from home and being my sister." Sibella replied.
The girls broke the embrace and grinned at each other. Lauren pulled her phone out from her pocket and asked "Do you wanna take one more selfie? This time as sisters?" Sibella scooted closer as Lauren held the phone up and snapped the photo with the #sisters. Lauren looked over to show Sibella and smiled. The girl was asleep, her head resting on Lauren's shoulder. Lauren set her phone aside and gently laid Sibella down. Placing her head on a pillow, Lauren took the blankets and covered Sibella up before brushing loose hairs off the girl's forehead.
Satisfied with her work, Lauren changed clothes, tucked her phone in her pocket, put some candy and other foods from last night in a bag, shut the blinds, and left, closing the door behind her. Checking the time, she saw that she and Sibella had been talking for hours and that it was nearly nine thirty. "I hope they let that poor girl sleep," Lauren muttered.
She felt bad for keeping Sibella up all night with her questions but once she had begun talking, curiosity took over and she couldn't stop. It was so interesting to her. Lauren could have grown up with exactly like Sibella, without a clue of the wonders of the human world, if her mother's dying wish hadn't been for Lauren to go to a human school when she was older. She would have gone to Miss Grimwood's Finishing Academy for Ghouls starting at around age five and would have learned lessons that were completely different from the ones she had learned growing up, with just a handful of other girls. Shaking her head, Lauren stepped outside and made for the volleyball court. She walked over to a tree, slid her bag onto the ground, and leaned against the tree, stuffing her hands inside her pockets.
A few minutes later, Tug appeared, running towards the trees. He looked around before finally spotting her and blanched. Suddenly he felt very nervous, looking at her. Months of living with five other guys had made him forget how beautiful she was. Especially in a cream-colored sweater, light blue jeans, and mint colored Vans. As he ran towards her, Lauren's head whipped in his direction.
When she saw him, she smiled and waved him over. Once Tug was in front of her, she reached forward and hugged him. Tug was taken aback, feeling Lauren against him, her head resting on his shoulder, her arms enveloping him. After a beat, he hugged her back, smiling. Once the embrace was over, the two sat on the ground and Laurens' hand delved into her bag. She pulled out a popcorn ball and tossed it to him. Tug unwrapped it, tore off a piece, and ate it as Lauren broke a pretzel in half and ate it.
After a minute of silence and chewing, Lauren swallowed and asked him "So what have you been up to today, Cadet?"
"Well, the Colonel wasn't very happy with you girls beating us at volleyball, or being called out for cheating, either. So he's had us up since four this morning, training for next year. He says lessons won't start for another month, to give us time to work on our game."
"Four in the morning? That's absolutely ridiculous! We only won by two points! It was as close as possible and he's upset?"
"Well, it wouldn't have been that close if we hadn't cheated."
"Grunt didn't score a single point with the jetpack on, though," Lauren explained.
"Er, well, earlier in the game Miguel put a small chip in the ball so he could remotely control it to mess up you girls serves and hits. It lasted until it got knocked into the water."
"You guys score a dozen points before the first ball got knocked into the water! We could have won much faster if you hadn't done that! I hope the Colonel pushes those guys until they can't take another step. Unbelievable!"
"I know! I'm sorry! But please keep your voice down! I was only able to come because I told the guys I forgot my water in the kitchen. We were on a run, you see. I told them to go on but if they are nearby and hear us, I'm going to be in so much trouble with the Colonel."
"Tug, you are so very lucky I don't want to see my boyfriend get clobbered." Lauren whispered, throwing a pretzel into her mouth. Tug rolled his eyes and smiled at her, running a hand through his scraggly blonde hair. "They Colonel's the epitome of stupidity." Lauren began after a moment. "Making you six train your butts off when the game isn't until next year."
"You're telling me." Tug muttered, finishing off the popcorn ball.
Lauren kicked the bag at him and said "Help yourself. We hit the jackpot last night. Every house we visited gave us the rest of their candy because they were going to call it in. Some people didn't have candy so they gave us cash instead. I think we got around fifteen dollars."
"Whoa." Tug replied, breaking into a chocolate bar.
"I know! It was great. How was your Halloween?"
"Well, I got you as a girlfriend so it was really good. By the way, the guys really appreciated the chocolate and we promise, no more cheating. We'll win next year based on of pure talent, alone."
Lauren sniggered at him and said "Pure talent for losing, maybe. You're talking to the girl who made the varsity volleyball team in her freshmen year of high school, remember?"
"I know, I know." Tug said, shoving her.
"And maybe you guys want different uniforms for next year? Your shorts looked tighter than mine."
Tug face palmed himself and groaned. "I know. The Colonel chooses them every year. Your uniforms looked cool, though. Where'd you get them?"
"I made them for the girls. They didn't have uniforms and I wasn't having them play in dresses."
"That was thoughtful of you. I remember you started a sewing club at school before you left."
"Yeah, well, I was in a lot of clubs and sports."
"Yeah, you were. Tennis, volleyball, basketball, and track. And you were in the sewing club, Key Club, FCA, book club, student council, mathletes, journalism, and the ping pong and badminton clubs."
"A girl's gotta have her hobbies."
"But you were taking honors classes!"
"I have excellent time management skills. You know, Tug, I was thinking. I was thinking of starting up some clubs at Grimwood but there aren't but five other girls who go there.
It would be awesome if you Cadets considered joining with us girls. And maybe we could do some other sporting events apart from just volleyball."
"I know I'd be interested in doing activities with you guys but the other Cadets... And just think what the Colonel would say if I asked him."
"He's just pissed because he lost. He'll get over it eventually."
"I don't know." Tug began, rubbing his arm. "This is the first time Calloway lost a volleyball match against Grimwood since the tradition began."
"You mean to tell me that Grimwood never won? Not ever?"
"No, because normally Calloway's team cheats and the Grimwood girls never practice the game so they're always rusty."
"I guess it's good I'm here then. I'm just glad I could help them win. You gotta admire them, though. Playing year after year, knowing full well they'll probably lose. Now I'm settled. I'm going to talk to Miss Grimwood about seeing whether or not I can start new clubs or sports for the girls and you Cadets. It'll be fun!" Lauren exclaimed.
Tug crossed his arms and said, "For you, maybe."
"Aw, you just don't want to spend time with me, do you?" Lauren asked, teasingly.
Tug uncrossed his arms and cried "No! That's not it! Definitely not! It's just the Colonel won't let us."
"He doesn't let you do anything. You decide for yourself."
Tug nodded, licking the chocolate off his fingers. Suddenly, a voice filled the air. "Tug? TUG? Where are you?"
Tug's face paled and he said "That'll be the guys. I gotta go. Give me a kiss goodbye?" Lauren leaned forward and pecked him on the lips. She helped Tug up, stuffed his pockets with candy, and sent him running. He waved before dashing off into the bush and jumping the wall that separated the two school's property. Lauren smiled, snatched her bag off the ground, and walked back to the school, smiling happily.
Lauren gently pushed open the door to her room, just on the off chance that Sibella was still asleep in there. Peering inside the darkened room, Lauren saw that Sibella was indeed still asleep. Checking the time, Lauren saw that she had only talked to Tug for half an hour and knew Sibella was going to be asleep for a while. Lauren really didn't mind. She liked the dark and silence so putting her phone away, she pulled out a book from her suitcase and began to read. The book was called 'The Selection' and it was a present Tara had given her before she left and became one of her favorite book series.
She had just gotten to the third chapter when a moan filled the air. Looking up from her book, Lauren saw Sibella stir. Sibella sat up and threw her arms up in the air, stretching. This was followed by a yawn so huge it revealed her fangs, which shone even in the poor light from the few fragments of sun that managed to sneak past the blinds and pale curtains. Lauren shut the book as Sibella took in her surroundings. "I would say good morning, except it's well past two in the afternoon."
Sibella placed her forehead in her hand and blinked before saying "How long have I been asleep?"
"I'd say five hours, more or less," Lauren replied, ticking the time off on her fingers just to make sure. "Yeah, definitely five hours."
"And what time is it?" Sibella asked, her brain still waking up.
"A hair past two in the afternoon."
"Sorry about that. How long have I been in your room?"
"You fell asleep while we were talking, not that I blame you because you had just played a fangtastic game of volleyball and had a long night of Trick or Treating. Then I selfishly kept you awake by asking you every question I could think of and after several hours of talking, you kind of just went unconscious so I tucked you in and got to read. Don't be sorry about that. I've been meaning to finish this series anyway." Lauren finished, holding up the book that she had forgotten to set down, and placed it on the dresser. "If you're still tired, by all means, go back to sleep. It doesn't matter to me either way. I have to go find Miss Grimwood anyway so I guess I'll see you later, then." Lauren left before Sibella could reply and went to find Miss Grimwood.
Lauren found the woman in the kitchen, stirring a bowl. "Do you need any help with that, Miss Grimwood?" she asked.
"Ah, Lauren. No, I'm afraid I just finished. However, you can lick the bowl."
"Gee, thanks, Miss Grimwood! What is it, anyway?"
"My famous swamp brownies! Made with swamp water, mosquitoes, and algae."
Lauren ran a finger around the bowl, scooping up a healthy portion of the batter and stuck it in her mouth. "It's delicious!"
"Well, thank you, Lauren. Matches, could you please heat them up?" Matches nodded and blew fire at the pan of brownies, cooking them instantly. The rotten aroma filled the air and Lauren inhaled deeply.
Sighing with content, Lauren leisurely cleaned out the bowl with her fingers. Holding the bowl in the crook of her elbow, she turned to Miss Grimwood and asked "Miss Grimwood, I was wondering if I could ask you something?"
"Ask away, dearie."
"Well, at my old school, there were lots of clubs and a large variety of sports for the students to participate in and I was only wondering if I could start some of those things up here at your school? The Calloway Cadets would be welcome to join as well if they wanted."
"Oh! What a wonderful idea! What other sports and clubs were you thinking of?"
"Well, I was thinking for sports we could have tennis because as long as you have two people, you can play. I was also thinking soccer because as long as there are four people, the game can be played. And perhaps we could have track meets because again, only two people are needed at least. And since we have a volleyball court, we could use that for badminton as well and just two players are needed. And if we were to attach a small net to a table, we could have ping pong, which would only require two people to play."
"Oh, that does sound fun! What were some of the clubs you participated in at your old school?"
"Well, there's book club, a club where we discuss books, world languages club where we learn different languages around the world and discuss culture, and mathletes where'd we learn advanced math. Based on the size and location of this school, those are the only clubs we could have."
"Well, in the way of a budget, we don't really have one to put new clubs and sports in place but if you can start them and the girls like them, be my guest. Though I've no way to fund them so that will be up to you."
Lauren's face broke into a grin and she replied "Thank you, Miss Grimwood. I'm sure the other ghouls will love it! Ah, you're the best!" and Lauren sat the bowl down, licked her fingers clean, and ran back up to her room. She burst open the door to her room, thinking Sibella would be in there, but she wasn't. Lauren glanced around but all she saw that had been changed was that the bed had been made up. Sibella must have left. Lauren's face fell just a second, but then shrugged and walked into her room. She didn't want to mess up the bed Sibella had gone to lengths to make up so instead, Lauren sat down in a chair. Pondering what to do, she checked the time. It was nearly three o'clock so her friends should still be up. She looked through the messages on her phone and searched for one of their group messages before asking them what clubs and sports she should take up at the school out of a list of the cheapest ones she could think of, ie; tennis, soccer, track, badminton, ping pong, book club, world languages club, and mathletes.
Once they had all texted her back, she took a collective poll of the ones they had suggested on and decided on doing tennis, soccer, track, and ping pong only since the sports were definitely something she could get the Colonel to agree to. Clubs might have been deemed too girly or a waste of time in his eyes. She spent the rest of the day writing out plans and mini-lessons for the clubs and letting the ghouls decide what it was they wanted to do.
AN: Well, I hope you enjoyed the new chapter! I'll post Chapter 5 soon.