(A/n: Please enjoy)
Chapter 42: The Calm Before The Storm (Pt. 1 out of 2)
First period seemed to drag on longer than usual today, Kenny felt like he had wanted it to end hours ago. He can't precisely tell the time of day thanks to the grey clouds shedding rain, and Mr. DeLorne never cared to get a clock for his classroom. Right now, the Frenchman's students are preparing for a test they'll have to take come the end of this week, jotting down notes they think will be useful from the textbooks.
However Kenny is having some difficulties concentrating on the task, only having one or two sentences written down. He looks up from his paper, and at the empty seat beside him. His bored frown deepens slightly.
Stan hasn't been showing up to none of his classes lately. Reasons being he didn't feel like it, he didn't feel well, or he just wanted to be left alone, Gary was kind enough to relay those messages to him. No matter the methods, Stan refused to leave the room.
Kenny understood the cause of the noirette's lack of enthusiasm, he wanted to return home so badly that he'd even get help from a vampire hunter to accomplish that goal. And for it to fail so easily, Stan had every right to feel utterly devastated.
"Why's it so wrong...for us to go back home? Why are we even here?"
Pursing his lips grimly, Kenny stares back down at his paper, gripping his pencil nearly tight enough to snap it in half. He would like to know the answer to that also, why did Principal Brimestone summon six humans to this school? What is their real purpose for being here? Kenny has a hunch that Mr. Valentine is perhaps behind this, did he really want them here to see if vampires and humans could coexist with each other? If so why didn't he call for a meeting with the students, teachers and staff to discuss it when he was visiting?
He was more focused on the matter with the vampire hunter, Kenny recalls. That is undoubtedly important.
Sighing quietly with the shake of his head, Kenny puts his elbow on his desk followed by pressing his cheek against his palm. He twiddles his pencil, mind still unable to think about anything other than Stan. Usually Kyle and/or Mark are the only ones he ever cared about. Maybe he should pay Stan a visit after his classes, yeah it wouldn't hurt to do that. He hasn't seen him again since that day the teen's plan backfired, giving him some time to accept the fact and get over his cold.
"Oi Kenny."
Raising an eyebrow at the sudden voice that called for him inside his head, Kenny looks over at the last row next to the windows, and at a noirette wearing a purple headband, who's seemingly working fervently on his work. He lowers his brow. "What's up Wendell?"
He sees Wendell pause in his writing, lips curling downward into a concerned frown. "Has..Tweek been okay?"
"Kenneth." Said blonde blinks, startled out of his telepathic conversation. Nervously, he slides his eyes over to meet a calm yet stern glare from shamrock green orbs by the teachers desk. "I assume you've written down everyzhing you needed since your pencil isn't moving on zhe paper, yes?"
Kenny glances back down at said sheet of paper, feeling a bead of sweat forming at the meager sentences he wrote. He just stopped halfway through. Forcing out a sheepish chuckle, a similar grin spreads across his lips. "I uh need a little bit more time?" He says, sounding uncertain even though he knows it's the total opposite. He needs far more than a bit of time.
Mr. DeLorne eyes him silently for a moment, sitting in his chair with one leg perched over the other. His glare disappears once he looks down at his lap, an opened book in his hands. On the cover right up under the vaguely visible title, the authors name had been gouged off. "Class is almost over and I'm only allowing you all a chance to get some notes down, and use zhem for zhe test solely for today and tomorrow. Take zhis lightly all you want, if you fail zhen zhat's because you were being nozhing but a lazy idiot." He flips a page casually. "I'll be more zhan 'appy to fail you."
Offended while some students laugh - only to quickly be silenced by the brunette - Kenny scowls at his textbook, then at his paper.
"Sorry, didn't mean to distract you."
After reassuring Wendell that he did no such thing, Kenny gets the boost needed to devote all of his attention on his assignment thanks to his teacher's insult.
However a little too late.
The bell rings five minutes later.
Pouting as he closes his textbook and puts it inside his desk, his classmates packing up their belongings and making their way out of the door, Kenny notices a very timid Gary approaching Mr. DeLorne's desk, the man giving him an inscrutable stare as he nears. Making the teen all the more anxious. Pip gives Gary a questioning frown as he leaves.
Feeling inquisitive, Kenny takes his time getting his things together, keeping his eyes on his pencil as he leisurely slides it into one of the pockets of his orange binder.
"Will Stan be exempted from the test?" He hears Gary ask.
His question is left hanging in the air for a little while, then the brunette heaves a sigh. "Great, anozher one," he mumbles, shutting the book with the shake of his head. Tweek is still feeling unwell, and now Stan has suddenly stopped coming to class. He glares into Gary's teal colored eyes. "Tell me what 'is real reason is for not attending my class, zhen I may conzider it. Unless 'e's skipping." He already knows that the brat's friends have been covering for him, and he hates being lied to.
Both Kenny and Gary tense, Kenny wondering what Gary's response will be while Gary himself undergoes a nervous breakdown. He truly dislikes doing this. Ever since he was a child, he'd been taught not to lie, and to never commit many other sinful deeds from both his parents and the church. His saint-like nature was pretty much the reason he hardly had any friends prior to coming to this school, names such as goody two-shoes, 'Mormon's boy', and other names Gary wishes to not think about are etched into the very depths of his mind. Clutching his light blue notebook close to his chest, he bites his bottom lip.
"W-well-"
"Wait one second," Christophe quickly interrupts, holding up a hand. He turns his head toward the still seated vampire, Gary following his gaze with the tension gradually leaving his body thanks to the distraction. "Being nosy you little sheet?"
Realizing he's being addressed, Kenny fully shoves his pencil into his binder's pocket and looks up, scratching the back of his head with a forced chuckle. "Oh uh-"
"Get zhe 'ell out right now," Christophe demands, hardening his glare.
"Okay okay, jeez." Standing up tucking his binder underneath his arm, Kenny hurries out of the classroom as new students walk in, resisting the urge to flip the man off. "What the hell's his deal?" He turns right, takes a few more steps, then stops and presses his back against the wall. He feels that Mr. DeLorne has been a lot more pissy towards him as of late, and he hasn't a clue why. Perhaps it's got something to do with Mr. Thorn, since he annoys him just as much as Kenny does. Actually he's worse than Kenny. It's uncommon for Mr. DeLorne to let his boyfriend's goading effect him to the point of taking it out on one of his students.
"Ahh whatever." Kenny shrugs, not letting it bother him anymore. When a few seconds pass by, he looks to his left just in time to see Gary exiting the room, sporting a frown. Forming his lips into a line, Kenny stuffs his hands into his pants pockets as he strolls to walk beside the other blonde.
"Didn't go so well huh?"
Flinching and gasping in shock, Gary's enlarged eyes gape at him for his unexpected appearance. Once he recognizes Kenny, he looks ahead as his face shifts back into the troubled frown he bore just a second ago. "Sadly not."
Kenny figured as much, Mr. DeLorne isn't so easy to persuade. "Mind if I see Stan after classes?"
Gary's frown intensifies. "But you know that he..hasn't been well."
"He's still sick?!" Kenny questions in disbelief.
"I don't know if he is or not," Gary replies, iffy. "He hasn't left the room for five days. He's just been lying in bed...saying nothing, and doing nothing. I don't even remember the last time he's eaten or showered." That worries Kenny even more. "Hopefully you can get him back on his feet somehow, since me and Vice can't."
A slight pressure settles itself on Kenny's shoulders. "Yeah, I'll try."
They continue to walk side by side until they each go their separate ways to class, the late bell a minute or two away from ringing.
After the first class of the day had ended, the rest seemed to go by swimmingly because an irritated Kenny is currently heading towards Stan's shared room, his hands in his pants pockets and his blazer slung over his shoulders like a cape. Even though he loves the rain, it's not alleviating his mood and it's been nothing but dreary grey clouds for days on end. In fact now that he thinks about it, it became this way ever since the humans showed up...Kenny shakes away the thought, and inwardly grumbles about the BS that happened in gym. Clyde is seriously a pain in the ass.
After a minute or two of cursing and calling the vexing brunette all kinds of names, Kenny finds himself reaching his destination when he detects a head full of dark blue hair leaving out from one of the rooms.
Pushing his annoyance aside to display a smile, Kenny picks up a slight pace. "Yo Vice." He waves when the teen's turquoise colored eyes looks over at him. Looking miffed as he closes the door, he greets his former roommate with a small nod. Kenny's grin falters, stopping once the gap between them has lessened. "Stan still givin' ya'll a hard time?"
Vice faces him letting out a sigh, confirming his suspicions. "He's been moping for God's knows why for nearly a week now, not even Gary can snap him out of it. I tried a few times only because, well..." He shrugs uncertainly. "But it was pointless anyway, I shouldn't have even bothered. And I was just starting think he was a tolerable human," he mumbles the last part to himself.
"Damn, forgot this dude is kind of an asshole. Now I see why he always keeps to himself." Kenny feigns an amused smile. "I actually stopped by to talk to him. We got a test in first block this Friday, and it would be pretty bad if he missed it."
Vice eyes him curiously. "If Gary couldn't do that, what makes you think you can?" Then he shakes his head. "Actually screw it, I don't really care." He begins to walk away, Kenny glancing back when he passes by him. "He's all yours, I'm going to the library," he calls over his shoulder.
"Not surprised." Kenny rolls his eyes facing forward, he takes two steps closer to the closed door. That boy is literally the only person he knows who frequents the library as if it was his home, yet he doesn't seem like the type. Kyle doesn't even go there that much.
Placing a hand on the doorknob, Kenny pushes the door slowly, peeking his head in through the widening gap. It's dark inside. "Stan?" He looks around, spotting a lump nestled underneath the sheets in the single bed on his right. Frowning, he fully enters the room, switching on the ceiling light while closing the door behind him. He approaches the noirette. "Stan I know you're not asleep." He sighs when he's met without a response. He then makes a hesitant face, staring at the covers. Shutting his eyes briefly, Kenny grasps the sheets and swiftly pries it off the body that was buried beneath it.
Is it him...or does it seem like Stan has lost some weight?
Stan's back is facing him, his body curling into a tighter ball now that he's been exposed. He's wearing his pajamas with no socks. "G-go away..." He rasps, making Kenny cringe.
"You..why'd you stooped to this? To shutting yourself in?" No answer once again.
Kenny moves to the other side of the bed to get a good look at Stan's face, feeling a strong wave of concern overcome him when he does. Stan looks so pale, as if his cold had never abated and had only gotten worse. And he has, in fact, lost quite a few pounds.
"Dude..." Kenny is at a loss for words, he did not expect to see Stan like this. To see him look this miserable. His sapphire eyes a shade darker than normal, Stan just blankly stares ahead, though he knows a pair of hazel eyes are boring into him. "What happened?" Kenny's voice comes out in a murmur. "I thought...you accepted it already. So why? What's the point of doing this to yourself and making your friends worry?"
Stan makes a face at that, either in anger, regret or both. But he refuses to speak again and make eye contact with Kenny.
"You should know by now that it's impossible to-"
"No it isn't!"
Kenny blinks, taken aback by Stan's outburst, who ends up coughing as a result. The noirette's body had shot upward into a sidesaddle position, a hand over his mouth with his head angled down due to the force of the coughing. Kenny stands there awkwardly, wanting to soothe the coughs down but doesn't want to aggravate Stan any further.
Once he's able to breathe again, Stan clears his throat while lowering his hand. He looks up angrily at Kenny, tears gleaming in his eyes. "I-I thought we understood each other Kenny, we both went to a school that we didn't belong in." His voice was still a bit hoarse. He looks away changing into a different seating posture. "None of us couldn't even think about getting used to this place thanks to Craig..and what he did to Tweek. I'll never forgive Kyle for that. We'd just got here, and he already made one of us a victim." He grits his teeth, making a fist on his lap. Kenny doesn't object, as much as it pains him to admit it Stan isn't wrong. "I started to think, what if someone else got bitten? Whether it was from that bastard, or any other vampire. What if..I was next? What if we'd been lied to a second time, and we were actually here to be blood donors? It was scary having those kind of thoughts...But it didn't stop there."
"I know." Kenny feels bad for interrupting, but he doesn't want to hear Stan's following set of words. "I know..." He averts his gaze elsewhere.
Stan wipes the tears in his eyes with the sleeve of his arm. "Now do you finally get why I don't want us to be here any longer? We clearly aren't meant to be here. How you managed at a human school is beyond me, but we obviously can't do the same."
Narrowing his eyes into a light glare, Kenny looks back up into Stan's own. "I get what you're saying, but that doesn't mean you should call it quits." Kenny relaxes his expression. "Yeah the first week had been really rough, but you didn't go through it alone. And besides you still have me, I would never hurt any of you." Stan's mood seemingly brightens ever so faintly at that. "Tweek held on even though he suffered more than any of you combined-"
"Yeah? Yet look where that got him, being turned into a monster," Stan states coldly.
Kenny looks hurt instead of angry at his words. "At least he's-" He swiftly stops himself short, but the scowl he receives from Stan indicates that he already knows what he was about to say. "Did your friends really wanna go through with your plan?" He asks, switching the subject.
Stan sharpens his glare defensively. "If they didn't then they would've said something."
"Tweek has already been through hell here, now we're just going to abandon him for our own sake!"
He stiffens, nonplussed from the distinguishable voice suddenly shouting in his head.
"I bet you didn't even consider his feelings did you Stan?! This has to be the lowest thing you've ever done, you're despicable..." The word 'despicable' reverberates around inside his mind, fading out agonizingly slowly.
Kenny narrows his eyes suspiciously at the teen. "Someone did, didn't they?" He assumes, figuring he's hit the nail on the head when Stan snaps out of his daze with a small flinch and a blink. "But you ignored them."
Recalling Pip's vehement words enforces Stan to feel immensely guilty, he can practically picture the pained look of frustration on the British boy's face. Stan hangs his head low, clenching his eyes shut to rid away the image, his dark fringes of hair draping close to the bridge of his nose.
"I...I know I was in the wrong, but I just..wanted us to go back home..."
"And you have every right to feel that way." Stan raises his head, a shocked expression on his pale contrite face. Kenny inches himself to sit on the edge of his bed, he stares at the wall. "It's totally normal to feel that way dude, but I felt that you were only focused on yourself deep down." He looks over at Stan only to see him glancing off elsewhere. "I know you came up with the idea of an escape plan before Tweek even became a vampire."
Hearing that makes Stan's heart jump, he nervously looks at the blonde again. "H-how do you-" He watches as Kenny's eyes suddenly radiate in a soft yellowish-brown glow, it's the very same mystifying color he'd seen that night on the rooftop. This time he spots another glow coming from off the vampire, though it's subtle he can see a bit of yellow by the upper left side of his exposed collarbone. "So doing that allows you to see into someone's past?" Stan asks tentatively.
Kenny's eyes return to their hazel hue, and the indistinct golden light promptly dims completely. "In a way yeah, the only downside is that I have to be specific with the dates and crap in order for me to know the things I want. It's why I barely use it, it's too much work." Stan hums, silently admiring the blonde's memory yet also fearing his ability. "You were actually gonna leave him here if he hadn't of gotten better by the time you had a plan. That was the fucked up part."
"I was scared okay?" Stan admits, grimacing at his lap. "I didn't want me or anyone else ending up like Tweek."
"What were you gonna tell his parents if you guys had managed to escape? That he was too sick to tag along?" He stares at Stan intently for his reaction to his next question. "Or that he died? Because if Luke hadn't of turned him, that's what would've happened."
Perturbed by the truth, the noirette brings his knees up to his chest and hugs them. "I..." He doesn't know how to answer - rather he didn't really think that far ahead had his plan actually worked. But if he's being honest, "I would've told them...-"
"That a vampire bit him," Kenny finishes, taking Stan's silence as confirmation that he's right. "And that's another thing, the possibility of you five telling everyone about our existence. Whether they believed you or not, we can't have anyone knowing about us."
Stan denies his presumption with the shake his head. "I would've forgotten ever coming here."
Kenny acquires a brief unidentifiable look on his face, then the wall attracts his attention again. His lips compress into a line, and his eyebrows knit together. Stan's words stung, far worse than being kept in the dark from friends. He's still growing used to that.
"I get forgetting the bad things he went through here, but what about...me? I did almost everything I could to-"
"Is..there a vampire here that can erase memories?"
Blinking out of his selfish brooding, Kenny forces his troubled feelings aside to look at Stan in confusion for his random question, the human appearing anxious yet curious at the same time. But then it dawns on him. If he tells Stan that there's actually someone with that kind of ability in this school, it would definitely drive him to create another escape plan. Kenny can't allow for him to pull another risky stunt like that a second time. He looks down at his lap. "I think the Principal is the only one that can do that." He hears Stan swear under his breath, seems he bought his lie. "Why'd you wanna know?"
Stan shakes his head again, looking a bit upset as he waves his hand dismissively. "No reason, was just wondering."
"Mhmmm," Kenny hums. "I hope you apologize to Tweek, as well as the other four. He deserves it." Stan doesn't say anything, already dreading even thinking about talking to his once human friend after so long. But he knows Kenny is right, and Stan isn't one for letting his self-acknowledged wrongdoings go unforgiven.
The rain outside fills the semi-tense silence.
"Are you gonna start back going to your classes?" Kenny asks after a short while, begrudgingly remembering the test. Thankfully none of his other periods declared one, and hopefully none spring up either.
Stan appears greatly hesitant, pushing his numb knees down on the mattress. "I...dunno..." After his mental breakdown that night, he doesn't feel comfortable leaving this room. Gary was empathetic at first, but soon came to terms with their situation thus was granted the cold-shoulder. Stan thought that he didn't care anymore, that he didn't want to see his family and friends again.
"Even if I told you we have a test this Friday?"
Stan blinks, then looks up slightly wide-eyed. Kenny glances over to see his expression, and he can relate. Tests as well as projects are a students' worst nightmare.
"In whose class?"
"The Mole's. Mr. DeLorne," Kenny clarifies when Stan looked puzzled. "Gary asked him if you could be exempted from it, but he couldn't convince him. Tomorrow's the last day for us to study for it, and the good thing is that we can use our study guides to help us." Kenny makes a mental note to do better tomorrow so he can have reliable notes that will at least get him to or miraculously above average. Which is a 75% according to the constantly grouchy brunette.
Stan is silent, processing everything the vampire teen just said. He's dumbfounded that Gary would even consider caring about him, especially since he's been snubbing him lately. However it's not hard to believe, Gary is a benevolent guy and they've known each other ever since 5th grade. He's rarely ever held any ill-will towards anybody, Stan thinks he doesn't even know how to.
"I'll apologize and thank him later."
Not wanting his friend's thoughtfulness to go to waste, Stan comes to a decision.
"I'll go."
Kenny observes his facial features for some seconds, he isn't lying. "You don't have to force yourself, your health is far more important than a test."
"I'll deal." Stan musters up a strained small smile. "If I'm gonna stay here...I can't have my grades dropping."
He is definitely forcing himself, but Kenny doesn't push, only shrugs in surrender. "Alllright then." He stands up, stretching his arms high, his blazer slipping and landing on Stan's bed. After his bones finish popping, he lets out a content breath and turns to grab his jacket, holding it in one hand. "We gonna have to study our asses off tomorrow." His lips then protrude into a reluctant pout. "Which means we'll have to go to the library uggh," he groans. "You okay with that?"
A humorous grin spreads across Stan's lips. "Unlike you, yeah I am."
Kenny rolls his eyes playfully. "Uh huh, anyway I'll see ya at dinner later?" He begins to panic a little when Stan's smile starts to dwindle. "Or if you want I could just bring your dinner to you?"
Even though the last offer was very tempting, Stan shakes his head to decline it.
"You ain't skippin' dinner anymore, now that I know," Kenny asserts, his tone equally jocular and serious. He chuckles at the noirette's remorseful frown, then makes his way towards the door. Once his hand touches the doorknob, he gets an idea. He opens the door, cocking his head back. "Oh yeah, make sure you're up on time in the morning cuz we're gonna start eating breakfast together." He walks out with a wink and a smirk before Stan can protest, shutting the door with a gentle 'click'.
Stan sighs deeply while placing a hand over his forehead, but the corner of his lips curl upward and some color shimmers back into his eyes.
"I'll ask one more time, why are you coming along?" Gregory demands, glaring over at Pip as they walk the halls that same afternoon. Students, teachers, and some other staff members linger in the hallways, though the numbers have decreased.
Pip nips his bottom lip, looking down at his moving feet. "I don't wanna be alone in our room..." Ever since Ike lost his library book, he's been searching for it after classes. But hasn't been having any luck. Pip and even Gregory volunteered to help him, but he kindly turned them down. The matter was dropped without much debate, and was left solely in his hands. He seemed the faintest bit confident he would find the book too.
"I thought you'd be with your group of friends in the cafeteria," Gregory says, the annoyance firm on his face.
Pip nearly makes his lip bleed with how hard he bites down on it. "I...didn't feel like it today..."
Gregory eyes him a few seconds longer before averting his gaze forward. Pip is patently hiding something from him, but Gregory can dwell on the issue another time. Today he is going to get some answers on the whereabouts of his cutlass. His solo attempts at finding it were null since he had no leads to go by, and he didn't want to go pointing fingers at possible culprits. However there is one vampire he feels that would resort to such an underhanded method. Just the notion alone infuriates Gregory, he clenches his fists tightly.
"If that fat bastard was the one who had the gall to take it, he will pay dearly."
He disregards the onlookers who comment and even snicker at his pissed off expression, most likely getting the wrong idea thanks to Pip casting an aura of despondency around himself. Gregory quickens his pace impatiently.
Startled once he notices a few seconds too late, Pip hastens his speed to catch up. "G-Gregory why the sudden rush?" The taller blonde doesn't answer nor look back. He proceeds to the office eagerly and angrily.
Frowning as if he's to blame for angering Gregory, Pip returns his eyes to the floor just in time to see a stray black dress shoe in his path. Unfortunately he has no time to evade it, and ends up losing his balance upon impact, falling with a hard thud and a pained grunt. Gregory stops right in his tracks after hearing him collapse, turning and first spotting three vampires standing in the middle of the hallway, then at the teen on the floor.
Two of them instantly burst out laughing. "Ouch that had to hurt," the one not laughing comments, a pleased smile on his face.
Turning a blind eye at the immature trio, Gregory nears and gets down on one knee to help Pip up. "Are you okay?" Gregory asks, his soft tone void of any irritation. Wincing with one eye shut, Pip nods his head as he's carefully being lifted back on his feet, Gregory being nice enough to straighten his hat for him. Pip is honestly touched by that, but the abrupt sting in his arm prevents him from expressing his thanks.
"Maybe if you weren't in such a hurry, you wouldn't have fell," the same male says mockingly. The rude duo starts calming down.
"Oh shut up," rebukes a new yet also recognizable voice. "It's obvious you tripped him on purpose."
Now standing, both Pip and Gregory look down the hall to see Kenny giving the three bloodsuckers a black look, his blazer tied around his waist and his hands stuffed in his pants pockets. Nobody else but the six teenagers occupy this corridor now.
The presumed leader of his posse crosses his arms with a scoff, he has pink hair and pecan colored eyes and he's the tallest out of his group; though his height is nowhere near Kenny's but a couple inches closer to Gregory's. "How do you know it was me? It could've been one of these guys," he nudges his head at his friends, both glaring at him. One has muddy brown hair with matching colored eyes, and the other has a half-shaven head of black hair and olive green eyes.
"You losers always do childish shit so it didn't matter who did it." Kenny's rebuttal riles the group up, louring and baring their fangs at him. He is unfazed, only disappointed that his good mood was ruined so fast.
"Sorry Kenneth but we need to get going," Gregory speaks up.
Kenny gives him and Pip a brief smile. "No problem, go on ahead." He gives the vampires a scornful scowl. "I'm done talkin' to these kids anyway."
"Thanks," Gregory says, then continues on his way. Pip gives Kenny his gratitude as well, and hurriedly follows after Gregory, lightly clutching his arm.
Seeing that Pip had gotten hurt from his fall, Kenny's expression goes blank and his eyes dull in color. He advances toward the triad, eying them fixedly while clenching his fists in his pockets. "I was actually gonna let you guys off the hook, but it ain't gonna happen now," he says calmly.
The three feel a nervous drop of sweat emerging near their hairline, but the pinkette puts on an arrogant smirk, holding his ground. "O-oh yeah? What the hell are you gonna do? We outnumber you."
Kenny stops with an uncanny grin, breaking the boy's cocky facade in one go. "I wouldn't care if there was over ten of you assholes." Leaning forward a bit too close to the pink haired vampire's face, who can't fight back a blush, he narrows his hazel eyes that illuminate and change in color - this time in a bright orange-yellow. A faint golden light shines by his collarbone.
"No one hurts my friends and gets away with it."
Genuinely frightened, before either of them can apologize or utter a single syllable from their quivering lips, the four disappears. Leaving the entire hallway empty.
...
It takes no less than several minutes to reach the light brown door belonging to Principal Brimestone. Gregory raps on the wood, and they wait. While doing so, he catches a glimpse of Pip holding one of his arms. Pip pretending to be oblivious of his stare. The instant Gregory opens his mouth to say something, the door makes a sound, indicating that it is being opened. It pulls back partway, revealing the curly black haired man.
"May we talk to you for a minute?" Gregory inquires politely.
After studying the teen's restless face, the Principal heaves a small sigh. "Since it's you Gregory, I already know what this is going to be about." Then he looks over at Pip, raising an eyebrow. "I'm honestly surprised you aren't in the cafeteria right now, you and your crew are famous for being gluttons."
Pip's cheeks flush a vibrant pink and he looks off to the side, chuckling awkwardly. "I-I'm not all that hungry today."
"He has a question he'd like to ask you, which is why he came with me." Pip pales at Gregory's briskly thought out lie.
"Hmmm, must be important then. Come on in." Principal Brimestone steps back, opening the door wider to let them into his office.
The two blondes walk in, Micheal closing the door then strolling over to his desk.
His blush fading, Pip observes the room as he and Gregory follow the vampire, instantly discerning something red out of all the dark colors, and the minimal brown on the iron grey bookshelf. Gregory sees it also, but pays it no mind. Pip takes a moment to examine the object, slowing his pace some. He finds this very peculiar, why does the Principal have a single red book on his shelf? Is it important? Or does it-
"Alright, let's get Pip's question outta the way first."
Hearing his name makes him jolt. He pushes his curiosity aside, and scuttles to stand next to Gregory in front of the Principal's desk, the man already sitting in his chair.
"I would like my issue to be resolved first," Gregory opposes. "If you don't mind," he says, looking at Pip through the corner of his eye.
Pip gives him a momentary look of confusion, perhaps Gregory is planning on buying him some time to think up a question. "Sure, I can wait."
Micheal shakes his head. "All he has is one question, jeez."
"But before that," Gregory peeks back behind him. "Why aren't there any chairs for us to sit in?" He points out, annoyed all over again that he has to remain standing.
Micheal leans back against his seat, crossing a leg over the other and clasping his hands over his lap. "Why would I bother getting any more when I'm the one who works in here?"
Gregory glares at him dubiously for his absurd logic. He opens his mouth to correct him, but ends up closing it and shakes his head. He didn't come here to scold the man about his poor etiquette, he probably gets that enough from his colleagues. This is his office and he can do what he sees fit with it. "Okay fine whatever, can you please tell me if you or anyone has at least seen my cutlass yet?"
Micheal grins. "Believe it or not, it's been found."
This greatly surprises Gregory rather than put him at ease. "That's wonderful news!" Pip beams, wincing again when he unintentionally strengthens his grip on his arm.
"It..has?" Gregory asks cautiously. This immature man better not be lying to him.
"Pffft." Micheal stifles a laugh. This will likely be the only time he'll witness the always stone-faced teenager looking flabbergasted. Clearing his throat, Micheal nods his head. "Yes. Seems one of the teachers that were inspecting the rooms at the time of the vampire hunter invasion found it underneath someone's bed, yours I'm guessing. They brought it to me first, asking if I knew that it was in one of the students' rooms and what should be done with it. I just told them not to worry about it and to toss it in the lost and found."
The utter shock on Gregory's face morphs into a frown. Pip feels his elation diminishing. "Wait, so you're saying that you knew where it was all along?" Micheal nods his head again. A strong rush of anger overwhelms Gregory. "Then why the hell didn't you just tell me that before?! I wouldn't have had to constantly worry, and look around for it myself!" Pip frowns uneasily at his exclaim, he'd never seen him get this furious over anything before.
"You cherish it that much huh?" Micheal wonders calmly. "But I told before that I was very busy with the vampire hunter ordeal, which will hopefully be taken care of tomorrow. Did you even get into a situation where you needed to use your weapon?"
Gregory feels his rage ebbing rapidly at the realization. He didn't need to use it against the fat oaf in none of his training sessions, although there were plenty of times he yearned to cut the bastard into pieces thanks to his overzealous taunting. Plus what if it's blade is rusty after not being polished for this long? He tries not to visualize it's once shiny silver metal stained an ashen grey. "N-no, but still-"
"Look you know where it is now now go and get it. Have Token escort you there, the Student Council room is just at the end of this hall. Tell him it's an order from me."
Relief finally settles it's way into Gregory, though he feels embarrassed for exploding at the Principal like that. He bows his head to hide his rising blush. "Thank you, and sorry for yelling." He spins around, making his way out of the office.
Once he's gone, there's a stiff silence left in the air. Not even the rain can alter the atmosphere. Pip has the great urge to bolt out of here, and follow after his friend.
"So, what's your question?"
Pip's shoulders flinch at being addressed, and he starts fidgeting. "U-umm..." He can't think of anything, not even a random one.
"Does it have something to do with your arm? Or are you just shy?" Pip stops moving. Micheal eyes him attentively. "You've been clutching it ever since you and Gregory appeared before my door. Did you actually come here to report the person who hurt you?"
Pip shakes his head feverishly, releasing his moderately injured limb. "N-no! It's nothing to do with my arm." The pain had reduced to a vague ache, probably due to him gripping it in the same spot for a couple of minutes.
Micheal hums at his response. "You don't really have a question."
He said that as if he already knew Pip didn't have anything to ask to begin with. He's glad yet also ashamed: glad, because he doesn't have to rack his brain any longer for a question, and ashamed because now the man knows Gregory lied to him. He made something so simple so difficult. He frowns at the black and purple patterned rug beneath his feet. "I-I don't. I only followed Gregory, because I didn't wanna be by myself in our room."
"Well ain't that cute." Heat erupts throughout Pip's face, fortunate that his head is faced down so the Principal can't see it and make fun of him further. Grinning a little, said man unfolds his legs and scoots closer to his desk, propping an elbow on top of it followed by his cheek against his palm. "You sure you didn't ditch your friends to hang out with Gregory instead? You even wanted to go with him to get his sword back, it was literally written all over your face." He laughs, thoroughly enjoying teasing his new victim.
This is by far the most he's been made fun of in this school...from an adult. This feels more humiliating than when one of the vampires tripped him earlier. Gregory was right, Principal Brimestone is a man child! "I-I'm going to take my leave now."
"Do you like him?"
Pip snaps his head upwards, his cheeks the color of a red rose. "W-what?! Of course not!"
Micheal broadens his smile. "Hmm your face says otherwiiise~"
Pip makes a face, he'd just played into this guy's hands didn't he? He knew he'd react like that. Equally annoyed and embarrassed, Pip turns to leave. "Goodbye Principal."
Micheal watches him leave with a lazy smile. "I thought he was gonna ask about the red book, wonder why he didn't." All of a sudden, he recalls something that causes his lips to form into a line. "Damn...forgot to mention the secret stunt they tried to pull last week." He sits back with a soft exhale through his nose, turning around in his chair to look out of the large window soaked with rain behind him. He gazes at the raindrops instead. "Oh well it doesn't matter," his eyes darken. "They're not going anywhere."
Thunder rumbles in the distance.
(A/n: I hope you enjoyed and the next chapter will be up soonish)
