Zero the Invisible Vampire

Chapter 7: Macbeth listens in

"I understand if you guys don't want me in I.N.K or to hang out with you guys anymore." Zero stared down at what was left of her breakfast.

"Don't be ridiculous Zero. We still want you around, we'll just need a bit of time to get used to it. That's all." Trixie assured her friend.

"Yeah, so long as you don't suck our blood, I don't see any problem." Newton smiled.

Zero glanced up at Vin. Of all of her friends, his opinion scared her most of all. She wasn't sure why.

"I… I need to use the bathroom." Vin hopped off his stool and dashed for the toilets faster than you can say "Vinnie baby, it's your mummy."

Zero tried to hold back tears.

"I'll be right back." Newton followed Vin.

*Inside the boys' bathroom*

Newton swung the door open to see Vin hyperventilating into a brown paper bag.

"Vin! Zero looks like she's about to cry! And Zero NEVER cries!"

"So what? She's probably gonna kill me and destroy the body! I'm too young and handsome to die! Or be killed by a girl!" Vin curled up into a ball on the floor and rocked back and forth.

"Vin get a grip! This is Zero we're talking about ! She'd never kill you, just maybe severely injure you and hang you on the coat rack, but that's beside the point! She's probably more scared than you are. Imagine what it's like, having to drink blood and constantly worry about losing control and hurting someone! You, Vin, are acting like a scaredy cat and a jerk!" Newton snapped, shocked at how Vin was acting.

''You're right. I just… I'm scared. Scared she won't be the same as before and she'll want to do creepy vampire stuff rather than talk to me… I mean, us."

"Vin, we can't expect her to be exactly the same as before, but I'm sure she won't be completely different. She'll still be the same old Zero deep down. Just because she's a vampire now doesn't mean she's a whole different person." Newton said, hoping he was right. Thankfully he usually was. But unfortunately, he wasn't right when he thought Miss Sadie Macbeth would not install security cameras in the boys' toilets. (A\N: I know, disgusting, right?)

*Macbeth's Lair*

"Oh Vagner, children's lives are so tedious. Those idiots Vin and Newton even have to make believe the teen terror's a vampire to entertain themselves." She said as she absentmindedly dipped her fingers in Vagner's bowl, swirling them around.

"Glug, Glug." Vagner replied, blowing bubbles and rolling his eyes trying to convey to his mistress that he was not one bit interested in human affairs and could she please take her fingers out of the fishbowl so he could enjoy ripple free water? Realizing she was too busy plotting and scheming, he swam up and bit them.

"YEOWCH! VAGNER!' Macbeth levitated from her seat in front of her security screens, oblivious to the dolphin like laughter emanating from Vagner's bowl.

"That's it. I never thought I'd have to do this to my beloved pet, but you're going in the spider cave." Macbeth picked up his bowl and dumped it in the cave, dusting off her hands afterwards.

"Now where was I? Oh yes! Vin and Newton were talking about Zero in the bathroom! She dashed back to the screens to find the boys' toilet empty.

"Drat! I'll bet they were talking about the Invisible Network of Kids, and I missed it!" (They weren't.) She scowled, turning her green glassed eyes to the camera in the cafeteria.

"Ah. There those little suckers are. You think you are so clever, don't you? Well guess what, you can't beat Sadie Macbeth at her own game!" She grinned maliciously as she angled the camera in the direction of the table where I.N.K were sitting, adjusting the zoom until she could see each person clearly, and hear their every word.

"Zero, I'm really sorry. I was shocked, that's all." Vin was trying to console a distraught looking Zero, who had her head in her hands and refused to look at him.

"You ran away from me." She said, lifting her head, her face as if that were the worst thing that could ever happen.

"Yeah. I'm sorry. That was dumb." Vin picked up her hand.

"Oh, why don't you propose to her while you're at it? It's not like it'd ruin her life if you ran away from her."Macbeth sneered, rolling her eyes.

"Zero, really, I don't mind if you're a vampire. I really don't. At least, not much." Vin gripped it.

"You're forgiven. Now let go of my hand or you'll be my breakfast instead." Zero glared at him.

Vin let go and sat back quickly.

"Jokes. I'm kidding. " Zero grinned.

"Ugh you'd think that she was actually a vampire! Even TRIXIE is going along with it, and I thought she was too mature to play pretend!" Miss Macbeth narrowed her eyes at the screen, determined to figure out the cause of their strange behaviour.

The bell rang before she could find out anything more, and Macbeth realized she may just have the perfect blackmail to get Vin, Trixie, Newton and Zero to spill every bean they had on the Invisible Network of Kids.

*Back with I.N.K, outside Macbeth's classroom*

"Ugh, another day, another class with the wicked witch of Pinkerton." Vin scowled, kicking at a stone on the ground. It went without saying maths was not his favourite subject.

"And her familiar." Zero gestured at Daryl, his expression showing pure elation at the mere thought of another class with Miss Macbeth.

Speaking of the devil, their dreaded teacher had just came up to the doorway.

"All right, you little suckers. Get into line or we'll spend recess AND lunch practicing." She glared at her students as they frantically arranged themselves into two poker straight lines.

*Later On*

"And so, x equals seven because, oh Vin, I can't seem to recall why. Can you tell me why? " Miss Macbeth zipped up to Vin, who was doodling on his paper and paying absolutely no attention.

"Because it does?" Vin looked up at her with a bored expression.

"NO, BECAUSE I SAID SO!" Macbeth screamed at him so violently his hair blew with her words.

The class was momentarily relieved, or rather distracted, from their torture by a knock on the door.

Miss Macbeth rapidly adopted a benevolent façade, opening the door with a large toothy grin.

"Why hello, Mr. Soper. What can I do for you?"

"I was just wondering if you or any of the kids had seen my cellphone. I seem to have misplaced it."

"No, I don't recall seeing it. Well, I'd best go on with the class-" Macbeth began cheerily.

"Hey, hang on a minute. Miss Macbeth, I'm not claiming I'm an algebra expert- I was actually in remedial maths and had to get tutoring for a while when I was in high school-but that sum doesn't look right." Mr. Soper scrutinized the equation on the blackboard.

"That seven should be a twelve." He finished.

Zero chuckled silently.

The bell rang, launching all the students out for recess break.

"Vin, Zero, Trixie, Newton, I need to talk to you." Miss Macbeth grinned evilly.