Eleven
When someone knocked on the door for the second time, Shade was good and ready to brutally maul the person on the other side. She groaned and ran a hand through her frazzled hair, already feeling exhausted to the bone. Why did people have to step in and make it worse?
Trying to tone down her homicidal instincts, she swung her feet to the floor and padded over to the door way, staring at the peeling white wash on the walls. Her brain was never able to function immediately when pulled from slumber.
She opened the door and felt her stomach drop when she saw Gemini, Mush, and Blink standing there, all serious expressions. She probably should have talked to Gemini at first to avoid this press conference. She sighed and tried to smile, but her lips stuck to her teeth.
"I suppose you want answers." She said in defeat.
"I know Mis is sleeping and everything…" Gemini began, but Shade cut her off.
"Don't worry about Misprint. She's involved wid this as well." Her friends reluctance to talk was still pestering Shade, and she felt slightly irritated that she was so clammed up about it.
"Sorry to bug you…" Mush said, seeing the strained look on the girls face. Shade shrugged.
"Come in. No use standing out in the hallway like this."
Despite Blink and Gemini's playful banter, the air around the four teens was serious indeed as the shuffled into the dorm room. Blink and Gemini had their fingers twined together, which made Mush even more despondent. But then again, that could have been because of Mondie's current state. Shade, herself, couldn't seem to get Jack out from the center of her brain. She was pretty sure he thought of last night as a fling that wouldn't have lasted more than two hours, but it was fun to pretend for a while…
"Where's Mis?" Gemini asked suddenly. Shade whirled around to find Misprint's silence was due, not to slumber, but to absence. The bed was empty.
"I don't believe this!" Shade yelled, grabbing fistfuls of hair as though she was going to yank it out of her scalp. Gemini squeezed Blink's hand, which clearly meant one thing. Maybe we should leave to avoid being splattered with gore when Shade finally blows. Mush was indifferent, looking politely confused about Misprint not being in the same room, but it came as no emergency to him. Shade and Misprint were always wandering around somewhere without permission. Why was Shade blowing a fuse?
She'd better not be with who I think she's with, Shade told herself cryptically. Spot's face came to her mind and she growled under her breath. Does she never learn?
She tried to calm herself and think things over. The logical solution was to call Jack, get him to go find Misprint and kill Spot, whilst she explained the situation to Gemini, Blink, and Mush, who in turn would explain it to the hospitalised Mondie. But, feeling slightly greedy, she decided to let Jack explain this state of affairs. She glanced over at the stake lying on her bedside table. She would go find Misprint.
"This changes everything." She informed the small group. "I'm calling Jack up."
"Jack's in on this?" Blink asked.
"Lots a' people are in on this." She said, raising her eyebrows. She grabbed a pair of jeans and a long black tee shirt and ducked into the bathroom to change, leaving the door open a crack so they could still hear her. "Dutchy, Bumlets, Chaos…"
"Well I'll be damned." Blink whistled. He counted the vast number of times he had passed them in the hall. They seemed perfectly normal. Too indifferent to be dealing with…whatever they were dealing with…he still had to find out.
"So listen." She came out, fully dressed, and pulled her hair into a quick braid. "You guys stay in the dorm room and do not leave. Jack'll be over here in two seconds, if he knows what's good for him."
She picked up the small black phone each dorm room had in case of emergencies. Damn straight this is an emergency, she thought, dialling in Jack's room number. It was answered after the first two rings.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Jack." She said. "It's me, Shade." She spoke quickly, so she could cut him off before he could tell her he hadn't meant it last night. "Misprint ain't here. I think she's over at Racetrack's or something, I'm gonna go look for 'er. Gemini, Blink, and Mush want to know the skinny. Get over here!"
"A'right, a'right!" He groaned. "Thanks for the short notice.."
"Any time, bud." She said, already good and prepared to slam the phone down and tear over to the boys dorm. If Misprint wasn't at Racetrack's, or Stephens, there was no telling where she'd be.
+
"Jesus!" Racetrack swore as he was pulled so rudely from his dream. His legs jerked, causing Misprint to tumble wildly off balance, then do a nose dive onto the cheap carpet. She quickly straightened and realised, in the full line of his furious, sleepy gaze, she couldn't hide. She grinned, kind of guiltily. The corners of her mouth felt stiff, she hadn't smiled in what seemed like ages. It lifted her spirits slightly, but not to cause a complete mood overhaul.
Just when she thought she'd never smile again.
"What the hell are you doing here, Mis?" he asked grumpily, ignoring the throbbing in his thigh, where her foot had landed. He couldn't forget the way she had been stalking him in grade two, and hoped this wasn't a sudden relapse of feelings.
"I'm gonna visit Stephen." She replied easily, running her hand through her hair and standing. She spoke casually, as though it wasn't strange at all to climb through his window, step on his legs, and then amble out quite casually.
"Stephen? The new kid?" He asked, rubbing his eyes sleepily. He glared. "Then whaddaya doin' in my room?"
"Yours just happens to be the one with the fire escape." She replied.
"Why can't you take stairs like a normal person?" He muttered, burying his face in the pillow. She half smiled, then turned and strolled out of the room, closing the door firmly behind her.
Stephen had never told her his dorm room number, as she had never revealed the same thing to him. But she knew exactly where to go. She walked a few doors down, then turned to her right and knocked firmly on the one she knew he was in.
It opened almost immediately. He was standing there, fully dressed in a blue tee shirt and jeans that had a tear in the knee. His hair was flopping before his face, but his eyes were deadly serious, his lips holding no trace of a grin whatsoever. Misprint knew she was in deep trouble, and questioned her instincts about going to him in the first place, but on second thought, it was better than lying like a corpse under the covers, pretending to sleep.
"Mis." He acknowledged, nodding his head.
"Stephen."
"You went, didn't you?"
"Brilliant, Holmes." She rolled her eyes. Then she stole a furtive glance up and down the hallway. It wouldn't do for her to be caught. She returned her already cynical gaze to him. "Can't I come in?"
"By all means." He said icily, stepping back slightly. He was so Joe Average, it was almost peculiar. His room wasn't neat, wasn't tidy, wasn't particular at all in the slightest. The slayers could take a lesson from this guy, she thought sceptically. He closed the door firmly behind him and motioned to the chair at the desk, where there was a lap top and a few papers. She sat down and stared at her thumbs, flicking them at each other restlessly. He sat down at the edge of his bed and leaned over his knees.
"I thought I told you not to."
"You know you told me not to." She countered, already feeling as though this was some kind of oral war. She wanted to win.
"Then why'd you do it?"
"Because…I don't know. I didn't think he could get at me if I was with Shade…or maybe Racetrack…"
"But you weren't, and he did, and now you're sliced and diced as a result." He said, clenching his jaw in anger. She glanced up at him, but returned her burning gaze to her nails as she caught his.
Misprint sighed and leaned back on the chair gently, so as not to upset her scars. It was uncanny, this strange wavelength they shared. Or at least, the wavelength he had. She felt nothing from him. Could he read her thoughts, or her feelings? Could she read his?
"Misprint, this ain't the first time it's happened." He said, standing up and pacing. She rolled her eyes, despite her confusion and fearful twinges.
"What are you, an expert or something?" She teased. He didn't stop pacing, but a small smirk twisted his thin lips.
"Ten years ago, I made a decision to kill Spot myself." He informed her. "I spent a hell of a lot of time researching and finding out all I could. I guess you could call me an expert." Before she could come up with a satisfactory reply, he was already talking again. "Five of 'em. Two escaped. The rest are dead."
"And I'm the sixth?" She asked in an emotionless monotone.
"That's right."
"Great. Here's hoping they'll let me into heaven. I know hell's afraid I'll take over."
"Misprint, I ain't joking here!" He said in exasperation. She looked up, offended.
"I know that."
"Then please take it seriously! You're life is on the line."
"It won't matter much if I bite it." She replied apathetically. She looked up quickly. "No pun intended. But seriously. Who cares?"
"Shade." He said quickly. "And Chaos, Bumlets, Dutchy, Gemini, Mush, Mondie, Blink, Racetrack…"
"They'll get over me." She mumbled, embarrassed. She declined to ask how he knew so much about her. She had a feeling he could tell her what brand of socks she wore yesterday. She, on the other hand, could hardly read the logo on the front of his shirt. So much for a wave length, she thought bitterly.
"If you think that, you don't deserve them." He said frankly, sitting down again. Misprint sighed and finally relented. Her cynical side brought her nothing but trouble.
"What do I gotta do?" She asked timidly.
+
Jack was impeccably dressed for a regular teenager so early in the morning. He caught the look on Shade's face as he strolled into the room. The raised-eyebrow-what-have-we-here look that he knew so well.
"What?" He asked, going on the defensive.
"I bet you were all dressed and ready when I called you, right?" She asked knowingly.
"Yes." He replied stoutly. She rolled her eyes.
"Great. I'm working with proffesionals."
"Where exactly did you say Misprint was?" he asked, as she tried to slide the stake into her jeans pocket without him noticing. Her valiant effort didn't work. His eyes caught on the weapon, and she flushed slightly.
"I dunno." She replied quickly. "Racetracks, more than likely. Or she went to visit Mondie. I just don't want her wandering around on her own."
"Why not?" Asked Jack curiously. Shade was definitely avoiding his eyes.
"No reason. She's my best friend. I don't want her getting into any trouble."
"You're equipped for slaying, Shade." He reminded her. She flipped her braid over her shoulder defiantly and tried to avoid the truth in the softest way possible. It wouldn't do for him to find out that she was actually leaving with slaying in mind, instead of just as a precaution. He'd want to go along to protect her. And the last thing she needed was protection.
"Just in case." She said stubbornly. "You can never be too careful, huh Jack?"
"You're not a slayer." He said, putting his hands on his hips.
"Bite me." She shot. She patted the stake through her jeans, then strode towards the door, oblivious of the stares she was getting from the trio that she had invited in only a few minutes ago. Jack caught her hand on the way out, and their eyes met briefly. He looked as though he wanted to say something, but couldn't, not with the visitors sitting slack-jawed in a row. He let her hand go, as though he had brushed against it accidentally. She scowled, then continued on her way. Silence flooded the room, and the click of the door closing was very audible indeed. Gemini swallowed.
"Slaying?" Blink finally asked.
"Stakes?" Mush added.
"It's a long story." Jack said, still staring at the door. Suddenly, he rounded on the lot of them, and glowered. "And it's important that you keep your mouths shut about it. Hear?"
"We hear." Blink said quickly. "You can trust us with your deepest secrets, Jack." Gemini snorted, and he had to elbow her in the ribs to get her to stop giggling. Jack, however, found it no laughing matter.
"I'm serious, guys. And…girl." He said quickly, as Gemini glowered at him. "You ain't gonna believe me when I tell you this, and I'm not so sure you can keep it confidential."
"Trust us." Mush said solidly. "If it's that important, we won't tell a soul."
"Yeah." Blink said, straight faced. "I mean, I know things about Mush that would make many people scream in horror. And I ain't never told no one."
+
Misprint sighed as she listened to Stephen's instructions, chin propped up on her knees, arms wrapped around her legs. The wounds stung underneath her clothing, but she tried to force herself to get used to it. The way Stephen spoke about some of the other girls that had fallen to Spot, she felt like a spoiled baby to still be alive.
"So what." She finally interrupted him, after hearing the fourth story about someone who had killed herself over the whole affair. "Are you saying that I'm the only one who made it past the first night?"
"Not the only one." He said, a small smile coming to his lips. "But one of the few."
"Oh good." Misprint said with fake joviality. "This way, he can keep coming back for more."
"Not unless you…"
"Do what you've told me, I know." Misprint said. She felt a strange revulsion in her stomach to listen to him speak of solitude and defences. She hated the cuts and burns on her skin, but there was a strange impulse deep in her body somewhere that wanted to disobey him, just to see what would happen. To see what Spot would say if he ever saw her again. Stephen regarded her warily.
"Why didn't…" Misprint paused, then glanced up at him. "Why didn't he kill me like the others?"
Stephen watched her, then leaned back in his chair. "He came pretty close, didn't he?"
Misprint turned her face downwards and pressed her mouth against her knees. Stephen waited for a moment, before adding in his gentlest voice; "That's a pretty nasty row of burns you have there."
Misprint whipped her head up, eyes flashing with confusion. Stephen caught her perplexity, and smiled, before standing and taking the hem of his shirt in his hands. He slowly pulled it up over his head, revealing a wiry, small body underneath, boyish and frail. He let his shirt drop to the floor and stood before her, bared from the waist up. Misprint narrowed her eyes, unsure of what he was trying to do, until her gaze caught on his stomach. Outlined in the bright red of aggravated flesh was every scar and burn that Spot had given her, identical, and angry looking, shadows of what decorated her body.
+
Mondie was ready to bash the nurses head in when she made that examination on her head for the fifth time in twelve minutes.
"Please, ma'am." Mondie begged. "I feel fine. Really." She lied valiantly. She did not feel fine. The two bruises on her head were pounding at her brain worse than ever. At least the throbbing in her temple had gone down some. The nurse looked sceptical, and even worse, a little suspicious.
She heard a knock at the door and sat up immediately, which brought forth a strong radiance of disapproval from the nurse, who had to force her back down onto her pillow again. "Come in." She called crossly.
Mondie was surprised when Shade peeked in. She was hoping for Mush. But the nurse squashed down all her hopes immediately by rearing to her full height and puffing up like an angry rhinoceros.
"No guests allowed." She declared.
"I was just wondering if…" Shade began in a normal voice.
"No guests allowed." The nurse repeated. Shade rolled her eyes.
"If Faith McAlester had visited here any time today. But I guess it's pointless to ask."
"No guests allowed." The nurse said again. She sounded like a scratched record. Mondie rolled her eyes.
"I ain't seen her. Why?" She replied. Shade shrugged, and Mondie caught the look in her eyes. She was hiding something. But she was playing normal, so there was no reason for Mondie to get on her case about it. Especially when the nurse was breathing down both their necks simultaneously, which physically must be very difficult indeed.
"Just…I have a couple of things she owns…I gotta return 'um." Shade lied. Mondie stifled a giggle. Shade, you two share a dorm. She thought. But no reason to arouse the nurses suspicions. So she smiled.
"Sorry I can't help you." Mondie said. And you better tell me what's going on later, or I'll set Mush on you.
The thought made her laugh so hard, the nurse had to give her an aspirin to calm her down.
+
"I'm gonna kill that goil." Shade promised herself, as she knocked on Racetrack's door. It was opened a moment later by the tired Italian, who looked as though she had caught him in the act of getting ready for the day. His hair was partially combed back, and his shirt half unbuttoned. He blinked sleepily, then half smiled.
"Hey Shade. What's new?"
"Is Misprint in there with you?" Shade asked, cutting right to the chase. His face broke into wrinkles of perplexity. Such a tone of voice was not good with the boy in the early morning.
"Uh…no." He answered, passing a hand through his hair. "But she was a few minutes ago…"
"Then where'd she go?"
"I can't remember." He drawled, opening the door a little farther so she could come in. But she stood stalwart in the hallway, eyes sparking with urgency.
"Anthony, this is serious." She said, using his real name. He winced. He preferred Racetrack. What was the problem, anyways?
"She went to…to…ah…" He rubbed his eyes sleepily. "Stephen's. That was 'is name."
"Which dorm room is he in?" She asked quickly.
"Well how should I know, Shade?" he replied. "I hardly know the guys face."
"Well how am I supposed to get there?" She demanded. He looked at her sceptically. She really should try to be a bit calmer at that time of day. He knew some people who could be absolutely homicidal morning people, and hoped she wasn't one of them.
"I don't know." He finally said slowly. "You could go ask Kloppman."
+
"Misprint!"
Misprint stifled a scream and jumped a mile, as though someone had pressed a gun to her back. She whirled around to see Shade standing there, looking just as shocked as she was.
"Shade!" She breathed, pressing a hand to her heart. She could feel it pulsing against the inside of her ribcage. "You scared me."
"Comon, Mis." Shade ordered, latching onto the girls wrist and practically dragging her down the boys dorm. She had been lucky. Walking out from Racetrack's room, she had seen Misprint just on her way down the stairs. Back from Stephens. Shade was as curious as the next girl, but managed to hold her silence. She completely understood the fact that Misprint probably didn't want to talk about it.
It didn't stop her from being just a little angry.
"Shade, yer hurting me." Misprint whispered, so not to wake anyone whose suspicions would be aroused already because of her near scream.
"Yeah, right. I let go of you, and you run away again. You disappear on me." Shade informed her. "There ain't no way. What am I going to have to do to get you to stay still? Tie you to your mattress?"
"I'm a big goil, Shade." Misprint demurred sarcastically, trying to snatch her wrist back. "I tie my own shoes and everything." Shade's grip was strong. She furrowed her brows in puzzlement.
"Then why can't you stay outta trouble?" She gave the girl a yank, and Misprint flew forwards unexpectedly.
"Since when did you hulk out?" She snapped.
"I like to think I'm prettier than he is." Shade replied sarcastically.
"Seriously. You have steroids for breakfast?"
"No! I just…it's a long story. I gotta get you back to the dorm. Mush, Gem, Blink, an Jack is there. He's probably having a hard time explaining it to them…"
"You're telling them?" Misprint exclaimed, so loud that Shade clapped a hand over her mouth, almost knocking the girl back onto the steps. "Why? I thought we were supposed to keep it a secret!"
"Well, in this case, it's impossible." Shade said lightly. "This subject is closed. No more talking, we gotta sneak past Kloppman."
"He doesn't care…" Misprint reminded her, but Shade sent her a glare that clearly meant "Shut up or die." Misprint chose the "shut up" option, and resignedly stitched her lips together.
They were lucky Kloppman had been swamped with so much office work lately. He was buried in mountains of papers as they crept past his office, then out into the cold autumn morning, which was quickly turning into the afternoon.
"What about Mondie?" Misprint asked suddenly. "Isn't she with Mush?"
"She's in the infirmary."
"The infirmary? Holy shit, how much went on when I was away?"
"A lot. Comon. I'll explain everything once we get back."
"Fine." Misprint grumbled. Shade glanced at her friends grumpy face, then released her wrist. Purple bruises were beginning to form hesitantly on the pale skin. Neither girl said a word.
They scaled the stairs to their room and Shade wrenched the door open. It opened on a very stressful scene indeed. Blink was leaning forwards, face to face with Jack, as though the two were speaking two different languages and were having trouble understand each other. Gemini was leaning against the wall, her arms wrapped around her legs, her stance immediately showing her insecurity, while Mush was staring determinedly at the floor.
"Okay, run this past me again." Blink was saying. Jack sighed in aggravation. Then, in a slow, laboured tone, he said:
"Vampires. Slayers. Are you with me?"
"Unbelievably, yes." Blink said sarcastically.
"Good. Slayers found by Slayers Council. Got it?"
"Got it."
"Good. Slayers kill vampires."
"I understand."
"Then why don't you believe me?" he asked, the same way a kindergarten teacher would, in a lolling, false voice.
"I guess I do…" he said softly, staring at the carpet. What was he supposed to say next?
Gemini shuffled forwards and knocked him playfully on the shoulder, but it did nothing to raise their spirits, which were soaked with shock. Shade cleared her throat. All four pairs of eyes flew to her and Misprint. She avoided Jack's which were especially clear, a burning flame behind the irises.
"Sorry to break up this shin dig." She said, pulling the stake out of her jeans and placing it on the table. "We all clear on this vampire issue?"
Blink was about to make a negative comment, but Gemini quickly slapped a hand over his mouth.
"Clear." She confirmed. Misprint was standing quietly in the doorway, eyes on the carpet. She began to wish she had at least gotten changed into another outfit. The scars on her arms were still visible. Mush caught sight of them, and his eyes grew curious. Before he could make an inquiry, Shade continued.
"Then I'd like to patch whatever happened last night together." She confessed. Gemini blinked in confusion.
"I thought we already knew." She said. "Jack spelled it out for us. Vampires. Slayers. Slayers appointed by…"
"That's great, Gem, but I already know the history." Shade said impatiently, flipping her hair behind her shoulders. She glanced behind her. "Mis. You gonna come in, or stand there like a Barbie Doll? Move, woman!"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Misprint said, an attempt to be the cynical girl she once was. But she stumbled slightly as she sat down heavily on her bed, grabbing a sweater and pulling it on, to avoid the stares of her friends. Shade shut the door behind them.
"Just a note." She said, sitting next to Jack. He placed his fingers on top of hers, but she curled them underneath her hand, pulling them away. "The minute we hear Ms. Mayen knock, the male population makes a run for the bathroom. Understood?"
"Loud and clear." Blink replied, doing a mock salute. Mush nodded seriously, along with Gemini. Shade sighed, then turned to Misprint, who, as though sensing danger, backed up slightly.
"Mis, I know you don't wanna tell anybody…"
"Don't want to?" She asked in a high voice. "More along the lines of I can't, Shade." She emphasised her words desperately, knowing she was already fighting a losing battle.
"Mis, come on." She said. "I saw the initials. I know."
"I know you know!" She snapped. "I just don't want to tell anyone right now that I…I don't want to."
"Misprint, we need to figure out what happened." Shade said desperately. "And if you don't tell them, I will." A small silence stretched from student to student. Misprint recoiled at the new, hard edge Shade seemed to have. Then she took a deep breath.
"Fine. Fine. I'll tell them."
"Good." Shade nodded curtly, then allowed her eyes to beg for forgiveness. She didn't mean to hurt her like this, but she needed a summary of whatever happened and fast. Jack glanced uneasily at her. She was already acting as though she was a slayer, even though he would never allow that to happen.
But it looked as though it was already befalling without his consent.
"A'right." She conducted her words to Misprint. "We were in the haunted house, and we got separated. I was with Jack downstairs, when we saw this girl that had been murdered. Turns out; our house was loaded with vampires."
"Mondie, Gem, Blink, an' Mush was upstairs." Jack said, taking on her sentence as fluid as water. It wasn't an interruption, more of an addition. "You guys got separated as well?"
"Momentarily." Gemini said, resisting the urge to share a knowing smirk with Blink. Now did not seem like the time for flirtation.
"Then…" Mush slowly took up his side of the story. "We were just looking at the decorations, when ten or eleven figures appeared. They had us cornered. One of them had a baseball bat, and he…he hit Mondie in the temple and knocked her out. She hit the door. Then he threw the bat down on the ground and advanced on me. I grabbed the bat and tried to get away…"
"Then Jack an' I found 'em." Shade said quickly. She could see it was painful for Mush to be saying all this. He smiled gratefully at her. "I staked 'um, and we took Mondie to the hospital wing."
There was a silence. It certainly hadn't taken long to outline the night, even though it had seemed to last forever at the time, a hellish nightmare that didn't stop. Misprint tucked her sharp knees under her chin and hugged her scarred legs to her chest, knowing that soon every pair of eyes in the room would be on her, listening to her spill the story.
How could Shade make her do this?
Sure enough, Jack turned to Misprint. His hazel eyes were glinting with curiosity. Following his lead, the four other teens looked over at her. She sighed and shut her eyes tightly. Her theory hadn't worked when Shade had seen the cuts. But at least it kept her hidden from their expressions, what they were thinking.
"I was dancing." She began shakily. "I saw Shade up with Racetrack. I saw Gemini an' Blink go into the house, same with Mondie." She tried desperately to stall for time. "There was no one else I really knew. I guess…I dunno." She opened her eyes quickly, to see them all focused on her. It was too much for her to handle. She quickly burrowed into her own dark haven again and decided to let the bomb drop. "Then, Race started playin' Hot One. An' then…Spot showed up." She opened her eyes.
"What?" Jack exclaimed, leaning forwards, almost jumping to his feet. Misprint stumbled backwards, as though she had been slapped. Shade was looking morosely at the floor, while Gemini and Blink shared an edgy look. Jack had explained what Spot had done to both Misprint and Shade, and who he was. Misprint looked over at Jack fearfully. Shade put two hands on Jack's shoulders to steady him.
"You heard me." Misprint replied shakily. But Jack's mind was already racing ahead, calculating the scars on her arms, her silence, her repression. He scowled heavily, a strand or two of his hair falling before his forehead. Misprint hugged her legs tighter and began to pray.
"You didn't." He growled. She shut her eyes tightly. Jack tried to stand up, but Shade pushed him back down again.
"For crying out loud, Jack, hold your applause till the end." She snapped. She knew it was hard for Misprint to be saying this anyways, and she didn't want her friend being interrupted by Jack, who would only make things worse. But Misprint seemed to have curled in upon herself, not answering anyone's questions. Shade sighed.
"A'right." She ordered. "This session is officially closed until tomorrow. Understood?"
+
Misprint could have kissed Shade a thousand times over every hour that day for mercifully ending the conversation. Jack, at that time, had already figured out the entire story anyways, and so that much damage was caused. Misprint knew he was ready to maul her, and would have gladly let him do so. She hated the feeling of the cuts against her skin.
She was good and ready to die.
Despite Stephen's warnings.
She sighed and poked at the stiffness of her gelled hair. Tomorrow he'd definitely want a full explanation, and directions to Spot's lair, both of which Misprint wasn't prepared or able to give. Suspension was supposed to be the worst of bad punishments, but really it only gave the kids an excuse to flop around in their dorms and tease their friends about still having to attend classes.
The caretakers weren't that bright.
Shade hadn't tried to let her hopes rise as Jack led her out of the room. Mush, Blink, and Gemini had left long ago, probably off to discuss and figure out what the hell they had just head. Jack knew, first hand, what it was like to find out there were vampires and demons and things you thought never existed.
He knew the hard way.
"Shade." He said, shoving his hands boyishly into the pockets of his jeans. She leaned against the wall.
"What?" She asked warily, hoping she wasn't going to be the outlet of his anger over Misprint and Spot.
"I gotta job for you."
"You really don't know me at all, do you Kelly?" Jack raised an eyebrow. Shade rolled her eyes. "I. Don't. Do. Errands."
"This is different. It's…" He sighed in resignation. "It's slayer work." He gave her a look with those steady hazel eyes. She shrugged. He glanced over at the door.
"I want you ta talk to Misprint. Find out where Spot's lair is. He's been around too long."
Shade couldn't have agreed more. Not only did he do this to Misprint, he had put her through the nuke withdrawal. She didn't like thinking about it. One, obviously being the pain, but two, the fact that it was that time Jack had taken it upon himself to nurse her to health, and hold her.
Almost every time.
"I'll try." She said finally.
Jack couldn't possibly explain why he was burning with rage. Spot deserved to be bathed in holy water, then set on fire, or any other kind of torture method Shade could come up with. He had never told anyone of how he got so set against Spot, or why he had made this vow to get him good and staked before he died. And he wasn't about to start now, that was for sure.
"Then…something else…" He said, pushing Spot, for now, to the back of his mind. His eyes were raised to her face, and dwelt fondly on the curves of her lips.
"What's this all about?" She asked gingerly.
"Well…it's about last night…" He replied. Shade sighed and felt her stomach sink. This was it. He was here to tell her it hadn't meant anything. Great, she thought. Find someone I'm happy with, and they're only in it for a midnight fling.
"Right." She said finally, running a hand through her hair. "Well then. Sorry." She turned and put her hand on the doorknob.
Jack dropped the smirk and wanted to reach out and grab her. Sorry? She didn't mean anything by it? His hand shot out before he could stop himself and latched onto her shoulder.
"Sorry?"
"Yeah. I'm sorry I even…I even tried." She snapped, causing him to grimace slightly. "I should have figured that you thought differently."
That he thought it felt right? He tightened his grip.
"So…for you it was…"
"Different. Yeah." She sighed.
"Fine. Sorry I brought it up." He let her go. She nodded, flipped her hair over her shoulder, then went back into the dorm, to the shell shocked Misprint, leaving him alone in the hallway.
+
Mondie cracked an eye open, and stared at the hospital wing, now shaded blue from the darkness. She took a hesitant breath, then sat up and swung her legs to the floor. The nurse had long gone. What time was it? Two? Three? She had no way of being sure.
All she knew was that, injury or no injury, she'd go insane if she was forced to spend one more night under the care of the nurse.
Her hands smell like cabbages, Mondie thought to herself, as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. The two strange and sudden bumps on her head were throbbing worse than ever, but she ignored them as she picked up her hair band, the cat ears still in place, and let it dangle from her fingers. She bid the infirmary a bitter goodbye, before easing the door open and slipping into the dark hall.
The night time transformed it into a trap filled swamp of ghosts and demons. She stole out the door and across the night, drizzle soaking through her hair and making her skin damp. She shuddered. She'd get in trouble for breaking out, she was sure. But it wasn't like she was in mortal danger or anything. It was just a bump.
She sighed with relief as she made it to the main hall unspotted. But that didn't mean she was home free. Luckily, the sharp eared Mrs. Mayen would be just a little too sleepy to notice her sudden arrival. Practically holding her breath, she edged up the stairs and to her dorm which she shared with Gemini.
She didn't want to wake her friend. She noticed, with a little anxiety, her friend was paler than usual. Her hair hung limply around her face, and moved slightly as she breathed in and out. Mondie shrugged, then brushed her own hair behind her ears.
It fell forwards onto her face again.
She froze, her fingers suspended by the side of her face. She hardly dared breath. She hastily tried to push her hair behind her ears again, but it fell back.
She had no ears.
"What the hell?" She hissed, pressing her hand to the side of her head. Nothing. She checked both sides, and even down to her neck. This was ridiculous! She must be dreaming. The two bumps hurt…
She held her breath, then slowly moved her fingers upwards. They slid over her brown hair, and along her scalp, until they bumped into two firm pieces of furry somethings…
She ran her fingers along the edge of the triangle shaped appendages, and fought down the urge to laugh. What a ridiculous dream. She walked towards the mirror, and saw, to her confusion, she had two small cat ears peeping out from the curtain of her hair.
She poked at one, and found she could feel her finger. She pulled at them, but they were stuck fast.
She had grown cat ears.
She opened her mouth to scream, but she was absolutely shocked. She had to be dreaming. There was no way she could have possibly grown cat ears, no matter how hard she had hit her head.
She stumbled backwards onto her bed, her fingers still prodding at the new extensions. How could she get rid of these? How could she cover them up? How could she not have regular ears?
She blacked out and fell backwards, her head landing mercifully on soft bedspread instead of floor.
+
Unfortunately, it is just I today. Mis the print. Just apologizing for such a long wait. I read over some of the Spot and Misprint scenes, and found myself lying on the floor coughing up blood. They were pretty bad. So I've rewritten them. Now they are eloquently bad. Made a small change to one scene, and then I had to correct references in many other scenes, and now…it's super different. Pity my toasted ribs, fans of the original work!
Lotsa updates for you guys today. For being such good waiters.
As in…people who wait. As opposed to obnoxious men and women who mess up your order.
-Misprint