chapter 9 – Why do vampires have to go to school?
the next few days passed quickly as we settled on a routine. In the mornings dad would drop off CJ and Maddie to their preschool on his way to work. I'd explore the town for a while and then I'd pick them up and go to the quarry. Most of the afternoons we'd go swimming and have dinner with dad. Sometimes caroline would join us for a swim and/or we'd go out for drinks later or meet stefan and damon for a night out.
I had decided to join Damon in my feeding habbits and while I used his supplier for bloodbags with human blood with the exception of once a week where I had a 'fresh meal' like Damon had so eloquently put it. Caroline had decided to join Stefan (with the exception of actual hunting) and used a fiend of Damon's who was a vet in a DC zoo and she'd join us for our weekly hunting, in which even stefan participated. All of us had started to consume vervain on a daily basis after Stefan and Damon had let us in on how helpful it would be on the long run.
The first day of school things started as normal as it could I guess. It was the one day Maddie decided to throw up her breakfast on me, CJ decided he didn't want to stop clinging to me before leaving with dad twenty minutes before me and decided to draw on my clothes moments after I put them on. I was ridiculously close to murder my siblings for destroying my total white look so dad hurried out the door with one kid under each arm, chucking, allowing me to change clothes and get ready for school.
Seeing as I was all alone I decided to use my new - and really cool if you stop and think about it - speed so I had the house cleaned up and had gotten dressed in minutes. I pulled on a pair of dark blue boot cut jeans with a line of lighter blue on the waist and a top in hot pink with flowers and thin black straps with a thin black belt. everything else including my double heart necklace and blue sandals. I took my keys and purse and was out the door in minutes.
From across the street I could hear a woman stressing over getting someone ready for school and then run out and hop in a car speeding away. Moments later a boy my age got out of the house, putting a hoodie on and started walking away.
I had put the car seats in the trunk of my car last night so it was presentable. I drove with the hood down thinking how for a few hours I could be a teenager and how no one but three people knew about my private life - just like I liked it. I pulled in the parking lot of the high school less than half an hour later. Caroline was standing in an awkward silence with an african american girl.
"are you ok?"
I asked her telepathically. In the past few days we had found out I had a power that was not shared with her or the Salvatore brothers. I could send telepathic messages to other vampires if I thought something directed to them, much like a text message. Damon loved it and used it all the time only to find out that it had to be 'turned on' much to his dismay. Then he insisted his ability to create fog was cooler.
"ughh"
was her reply. I laughed and got out of the car, locking it up and headed to her.
"good morning"
I said pleasantly. The african american girl simply looked at me remaining silent. I glanced at Caroline who sighed deeply.
"I'm Bella Swan"
I said again and extended my hand to her. She huffed at took it.
"Bonnie Bennett"
she jumped slightly and retracted her hand fiercely glaring at us and all but ran inside the school.
"what's her problem?"
"she and Elena were closer than me and her. We never spoke to each other since Elena's funeral"
she looked ready to tear up but she held her head high and turned to a guy who got out of a car with another guy and a girl who looked like she had just finished her night job if you know what I mean.
The driver - a boy our age but really well built with a smile that screamed money came to us. He gave us a onedown look and smiled lecherously heading to a group of jocks. The second guy, a blond one wearing the typical jock outifit - a red school jacket with a print of a dog like wolf and the team's name Timberwolves in the back, stopped to say a polite hello
"Caroline"
"Hey Matt. This is Bella she just moved here"
"hello"
he said and then left inside the building.
'wow the people in this place have amazing manners. NOT'
I thought wryly. Caroline shuffled her feet a little before planting a fake smile on her lips. It was then I noticed the slutty girl.
"who is she?"
I asked Caroline. she made a yuck sound
"Vicki Donovan. Matt's sister, a real gem. why?"
"remember my little accident? it's her"
"ouch. she's a total crack head, did you get high?"
she joked and I laughed along. I left her - mostly because everyone stared more with us together - to go to the office to take my schedule. To my surprise Stefan was there compelling the secretary.
"did you say we shouldn't do this because no one deserves to have their mind messed with?"
I asked him telepathically when the secretary complied with his 'request'
"sometimes its necessary"
he replied back
"Hey you"
"Hey"
"what are you doing here?"
"I decided to enroll to school"
"why would you do this willingly?"
I joked wryly talking our loud. I actually like school, just not when I'm being stared down by everyone.
"I did last year. It's easier to keep an eye on things"
"tell me if you need any help, 'k?"
he agreed and together we headed to first class literally turning heads from everyone around us. I hate being the centre of attention! In class - thanks to Stefan once again - the teacher didn't make either of us stand and talk about ourselves so we sat down. Caroline was twitching, her friend Bonnie was glaring... And I thought my school in phoenix was weird! a small note landed on my desk
"she thinks she's a psychic, if you believe that crap"
"Caroline, we're vampires. I don't think clairvoyance is too far out of the picture now"
I replied back telepathically choosing to hide the note in my purse. a black crow came to stand on the glass window on my right and Stefan moaned.
"Damon"
under his breath. I hid my smile behind my hand and tried to pay attention to class. I really did but the 'what did you do over the summer' discussion bored me to tears. At least we didn't have to write an essay about it like we did in elementary school. I rolled my eyes and chose to ignore the black bird turning my brain to 'no incoming messages' just as an image of Damon stripping started playing. Sometimes I envy Caroline for choosing to drink bambi!
During break I was given the grand tour of the school. The cafeteria, the lockers, the part of the yard behind the school the crack heads go etc.
"Stefan?"
"yeah?"
"who's he?"
I motioned to the guy selling drugs a few feet away from us.
"Elena's brother. I see he decided to do the same again"
"selling drugs you mean?"
"and taking them"
"what did you do last time?"
"Damon turned Vicki, the girl he sold the pills to, and when she went nuts and tried to kill Jeremy I killed her. Damon then took his pain away"
he said emphasizing the word 'took'.
"why not do it again?"
"we're not back to mess with everything"
"no, you're only back to stop the sacrifice which you did. and yet you're still here. fixing everything else goes under it"
he didn't reply but I could see the wheels turn in his head. I managed not to roll my eyes. If this boy, Jeremy, had hit rock bottom when his parents died (and I know how bad that feels. I'm only dealing with it because I have two younger siblings and a father who would fall apart otherwise) imagine how worse its now that his sister is dead as well...
Next class was history and it was even worse. All I could think as the teacher droned was that at least I had never talked about Virginia in World History. poor Stefan looked as if he'd fall asleep any minute now and Caroline was doodling. the blond guy, matt, was scratching a mosquito bite and I had to keep moving. My butt was falling asleep. Bonnie was with us once again and this time she had started to send text messages to Caroline bonding over Stefan's hotness... I miss Damon...
As soon as the school was over (much faster than I ever thought possible) I got in my car, declining at least 37 date invitations, and headed to pick up the lil ones. As I was stuck at a red light the black crow made a nest on my passenger seat. It crowed
"hello bird"
I played along. Damon might be an ass, but he seems to be a good guy underneath the cockiness, if that's even a word. he seemed sad, for a bird. I let him sit and sulk on my way to the preschool where I fetched the kids. CJ let a loud scream and crushed on my legs sending me straight in the wall behind me.
"hey buddy"
I pulled him for a big hug kissing him.
"school good?"
"yeah buddy. it was good"
I took him by the hand with his bag trailing behind us and we headed up in the nursery to pick Maddie who was throwing a small red toy to another toddlers head. I tried not to read to much into it and picked her in my arms and signed her out. We returned to the car to find that the car seats had 'magically' been strapped in the back seat and smiling I put the kids in.
"birdie"
CJ said
"yeah buddy. this is a bird"
"can we keep it in cage?"
Damon the crow let his disagreement be head in a loud crow and I hid a smile
"no buddy. it's not nice to keep people when they don't want to"
he seemed ok by my refusal and started plucking the crows' feathers out. Fearing for his welfare I stopped him in what mom called 'the bad CJ' tone
"CJ, no!"
he pouted but got over it by the time we got to my house. Instinctively I chose to trust him and grand entrance
"wanna come inside?"
"sure"
he replied turning to his human form shocked.
"you gonna have to help with these though"
I motioned to CJ who had ran straight to his colourings and Maddie in my arms. he made condescending gesture but still took the bags from the trunk before coming inside after me. I put Maddie in her playpen and as we all had lunch I took a seat on the couch and Damon joined me. Soon everyone in the room was laughing with winnie the poo. I chose to ignore the fact that I was leaning in a pair of arms and that a leather jacket was partially obstructing my view as my eyelids drooped and was soon in dreamland.