(A/n: Please enjoy)
Chapter 11: A Storm And Differences
"Finally," Ike sighs out in relief as he plops down on the edge of his bed. He's wearing new clothes consisting of a plain navy-blue T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. He wore this casual attire ever since his third and fourth classes, and was able to get away with it after telling his teachers about the state of his uniform, which was being cleaned and dried at the time, and presumably still is. His second class was basically his first since they were combined by an extra hour. Ike then wonders why it wasn't indicated on his class schedule, perhaps the lady who was in the counseling office this morning figured his teacher would inform him himself. Even though he did, Ike still feels that she should've at least mentioned his first period's real duration, he is a new student after all.
Classes may be over with for the day, but the day itself is far from it. Ike glances over at the alarm clock, squinting a bit to see the red digital numbers. It's 4:36 p.m. He then looks around the semi-quiet bedroom, the raindrops beating rapidly against the big building. The lone bed across from him and the one next to him are empty. "Wonder how long they'll be out for." He directs his attention to the wet and crumbled up pale purple flower he placed on top of the nightstand, a small smile of satisfaction spreading on his lips. It wasn't an easy feat, but in the end, he managed to beat the first task he was assigned to by Firkle. That alone was enough for Ike to feel pretty good about himself. Maybe as long as he had Firkle as his training partner, his trials wouldn't be so bad, and he would become strong in no time.
An image of himself looking buff manifests in Ike's mind, grimacing he quickly gets rid of the horrific picture. Sure, he wants some muscles on him, but not too much where he'll look like he's on steroids. "Hope I actually don't turn out looking like that."
A crack of thunder startles him stagnant. He forgot that it's been thundering too...He snaps out of it and rises onto his feet, heading for the door just when another vibration reverberates the earth. He flinches to a stop, tensing up with clench closed eyes. He doesn't know whether if he should feel glad that Pip and Gregory aren't in here to see him reacting like this, or if he should be panicking that they aren't.
Gritting his teeth, Ike opens his eyes and hurries to the door, gripping its knob and pulling it back with enough force for him to exit the bedroom quickly after. He closes the door gently with a soft exhale, then scans the hallway. He spots no one around, but can hear faint laughing along with some chatter inside the bedrooms on his left and right.
"Guess I'll check out the library to kill some time." With a brief recollection of the library's location, the noirette ambles forward.
Luckily, the library isn't that far from his shared bedroom, it's only two hallways away. Such convenience also saves him the trouble of a long trek, meaning he can come here whenever he has free time. Approaching a pair of dark brown doors, Ike opens one of them, first peering inside as he pushes his way in. A nostalgic woody smell blows into his nose, his eyes widen, unable to contain his astonishment.
"T-this place is huge!" Is the first thing he notices from his standing position in the entranceway, his gaping eyes absorbing as much detail of the library as they can.
There is a big chandelier suspending in the vast upper middle, the ceiling is made of see-through glass and has a long bar of metal going across its center, holding the chandelier in place. Upon entering, students and teachers are immediately greeted by a staircase that leads down to an area big enough to contain two rows of six circular black clothed tables, and two computer stations containing eight computers each, all of the chairs are vacant. Nobody is at the librarians desk either, which is wide enough for not just one person alone, on top of it are a few stacks of books and two computer monitors with what appears to be wooden name plates next to them.
His shock ebbing a little, Ike nears and walks down the stairs to continue his scanning of the place.
Once his feet touch the smooth maroon carpet of the first floor, he walks past three tables and spots another staircase on his right side, splitting four computers from the other half and leading up to the second floor. He checks his left, but doesn't find another set of stairs. Instead, there is a bookshelf. Even though not a single book has been taken, there aren't that many on the two shelves. Ike assumes the bookshelf is there for easier access for those that are on the computers. He makes his way over to the other staircase and ascends it, discovering the rest of the numerous books on five rows of shelves. These bookshelves are large and broad, but there are only about four of them; the last ones on each side comes to an end by a wall.
Ike walks down one of the aisles, reading the titles of the books on their spine that are on par with his height. He can barely contain his excitement the more he surveys the variety of books that are surely about vampire history, he's past at least six of them so he figures he's in the history section.
"It's gonna be tough picking out a book to check out. I wonder how many you can take?"
After a minute or two of browsing, Ike abruptly collides into someone that startles him enough to nearly make him scream since he was so engrossed with the books. He stumbles back before falling onto his butt, slightly disoriented. Jeez, didn't he bump into a body? He was merely walking so why'd they send him to the floor as if they shoved him?
"Well, that was rude," he hears a familiar voice say, tinged with annoyance.
Ike snaps his eyes open to look up at the individual, widening them in recognition at the long bang of black hair on the male. "Sorry, didn't see you there. What are you doing in here?"
Firkle, who's wearing a long-sleeved black shirt, matching sweatpants, and bedroom slippers, rolls his eyes that are bare of their earlier eyeliner. He extends out a hand for Ike to take, hauling him up with ease once their hands interlock. "I'm obviously in here to check out a book," Firkle answers releasing Ike's hand and turning back to the shelf in front of him, staring at a single book. "What about you? Doing some exploring?"
The inch shorter noirette wipes the imaginary dust off his pants. "Uh yeah, pretty much." An awkward silence falls over them. Before Ike can even think of anything else to say, Firkle walks away, his hands balled into tight fists.
Ike watches him go with a frown. "Could've at least said bye." But then again, they aren't friends, just classmates and training partners- or better put, they have a mentor and pupil relationship.
He suddenly blinks in realization, and inches towards the book Firkle was looking at. "The Difference Between Purebloods and Mixed Bloods," he reads aloud in a whisper. "I thought he was gonna check out a book. Was it not this one?" He looks to his left to see that Firkle is gone. Looking back, he carefully pulls the medium-sized beige colored book out from between the other books, and opens it to a random page.
His cinnamon brown eyes skim through the sentences on each page. What he's read so far is information he is already aware of such as Purebloods, some parts of their heritage, and their diverse abilities in magic. He flips a page, on it he learns that unless injured by a weapon made of silver, Purebloods can heal and leave no scars or damaged tissue behind from their wound/s. He had a feeling that was the case, he's seen movies where vampires would most times be shot in the heart by silver bullets, killing them. On the other page, it tells him that Purebloods are rare among the vampire race, and that they age slower than the average human, only knowing half the details since he didn't start from the beginning.
"Hmm, I think I'll check this book out," the boy decides, digesting the bit of newfound knowledge into his brain. He flips a couple more pages, and ends up on a page that has 'πΈππππ ππππππ' in the upper middle. "After I read a little bit of this first." He begins reading the first paragraph.
'Mixed Bloods are vampires that are born from another vampire and a human. They are a well-known species of vampires, however they are the weakest - or rather the most vulnerable among the Purebloods. Because of the human cells flowing through their body, Mixed Bloods age like normal humans, meaning that once they turn 60 years old, they will appear as such, however they won't die from old age as the years go by. They also have more than a single weakness aside from just silver; the items are garlic, wooden stakes, and crosses. Not just objects, but direct contact with sunlight or sacred water can also cause them great harm; plain water isn't really all that effective.'
Ike shuts the book. "Most of this stuff I already know, but just in case I come across something new, I'll still get this book." He looks at the cover for the author's name, but instead finds where their name is supposed to be - under the title - scratched off. It appears as if someone did it with a knife until the person's name was completely gouged off, the gash is a little deep, but the cover is thick enough to prevent the first page from being visible. Ike raises an eyebrow as he tucks the book in between his arm, and goes back the way he came to the staircase, finding it quicker than he expected. He descends the steps, looking over at the librarians desk to see one of them present on one of the computers. It's a pale young lady with long, silky golden hair and rich red eyes.
Ike pauses, captivated by the vampiress' beauty. "Whooa..."
As if she'd read his mind (Which she most likely did), the woman looks away from the computer screen and at him. She positions herself straight in her chair with a warm smile, and beckons him over with a wave of her hand. Her gesture brings Ike out of his brief daze. Blushing, he hurries over to her while untucking the book. "You're one of the new students that transferred here, right?" Ike nods as he wills his cheeks back to normal, setting the book down on the desk in front of her. He looks at the name plate by the computer monitor, the words Zerphy Faith are stylishly engraved into it. "Alright, how may I help you?" She offers politely.
"I would like to check out this book."
Ms. Faith looks down at the novel, and her smile instantly drops into a frown. She looks into Ike's eyes. "Do you know what this book is about?" She inquires sternly.
Ike is taken aback by her swift change in expression. "Y-yeah, I read a little bit of it beforehand."
"Then may I ask why you chose this one in particular?" She narrows her eyes.
Ike gulps, feeling a nervous bead of sweat forming at his hairline. "I-I was interested in learning more about vampires, and I stumbled upon this book in the history section," he answers meekly.
Ms. Faith continues glaring at him for a few additional seconds, then lessens the intensity of her look of skepticism. She reaches for the book while pulling out a barcode scanner from underneath the desk with her other hand. She opens the book from the back and scans the barcode, closing it afterwards. "Well, here you go." She hands the book back to Ike, who takes it as she puts the scanner back where she'd gotten it from. "You must return this by next Friday. If you wanna keep it for a few more days, come back before the deadline next week." Her eyes slant back into a stern scowl. "Also, I'm warning you now, do not let any other person see that book. It's not supposed to be in here in the first place."
Ike frowns, nervous all over again. "Okay. Is that why the author's name is scratched off?"
"Yes, that's one of the reasons. It was written by a human I believe about fifty years ago. What you've seen in movies and t.v shows about us comes from that book. I honestly have no idea how they came up with such ridiculous myths, although some of their information is true. The rest is just nonsense."
Only a vampire themself would know about their own kind, but what made this person decide to publish a book on the supernatural when they exist to this very day, and provide false facts? Just when Ike is about ask this to the librarian, his body goes taut when he feels a light tremor.
"Been awhile since we've had a storm," Ms. Faith says almost quietly, gazing up at the ceiling. She looks down, and furrows her eyebrows at Ike's frozen posture. "Oi, are you okay?"
He flinches, a deep shade of red coloring his cheeks. He then chuckles sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand while his eyes lower to look at his feet. "Y-yeah, I-I was just thinking about something." He feels even more embarrassed by his pathetic excuse and stuttering.
"You must've been in deep thought about it then," the blonde quips, not making Ike feel any less flustered. "Alright, it's almost time for me to close the library. Remember to keep that book hidden, okay?" She gets up from her seat.
Ike looks up and nods with his cheeks slowly returning to their original hue, his hand dropping down to his side. Ms. Faith gives him an approving smile, though her eyes appear uncertain. "Have a good day then." She walks away towards her office, which is located in the back.
Ike turns the book around to hide its title from view, then exits the library tucking it between his arm again. He closes the door and heads to his shared bedroom, hoping Pip and Gregory are in there. He groans when he thinks back to how he reacted in front of Ms. Faith. "Stupid thunder. Why couldn't it have just rained instead?"
When he turns the corner, he stops in his tracks. Leaning against the wall before him is Firkle. "Took you awhile."
Ike raises an eyebrow at his joking tone. "Why were you waiting for me? I thought you went back to your room or something." Especially since he crudely left the library.
Firkle moves away from the wall. "Is it because I look like the type that doesn't wanna be bothered?"
Ike blinks, dumbfounded by the vampire's accurate assumption. "Uhh-"
"Don't deny it. It is true though, but I have roommates so I have no choice but to put up with their annoying assess," Firkle says sounding slightly annoyed towards the end. "Right now, I could be in my room fast asleep since no one's in there...but I actually don't feel like being alone right now. Mind hangin' out for a bit?"
Ike blinks again, speechless for a couple of seconds. "I see..."
"So, is that a yes or a no?"
Ike takes a few seconds to think about it. "S-sure."
Firkle turns away and begins advancing down the hall, Ike following and matching pace beside him. Ike honestly didn't expect this kind of development, he thought the vampire wouldn't want anything to do with him outside of Mr. Thorn's and their fourth period class. They share all four classes, but only interact with each other in their first/second but very rarely in their fourth.
"Sooo, you got anything planned?"
"Nope," is Firkle's quick and nonchalant reply. He says nothing else afterwards.
Ike whirls his head in the other noirette's direction, disbelief clear on his facial features. "Seriously? Then why'd you wanna hang out if you didn't plan on doing anything?" He didn't mean to come off as if he's mad, but the awkwardness around them is unbearable. He's probably the only one affected by this kind of atmosphere.
Firkle stops suddenly, Ike doing the same after taking one more step. He turns around looking into Firkle's narrowed eye, Ike discerning a vague glint of hurt in the violet iris. "I didn't think you would actually agree to hang out with me, alright? But since you clearly don't want to, I'll see you tomorrow." And with that, he walks away.
Just like in the library, Ike watches him leave. But for some unknown reason, he gets an urge to call out to him. Before he can ponder why, his mouth opens on its own. "W-wait!"
Firkle stops mid-step, closing the gap between his feet. He doesn't turn around. "What?"
Ike tenses, why did he do that? "I-I...umm..." "I do wanna hang out with you," his mind thinks subconsciously, but does he really want to? His mouth just moved on its own accord.
Firkle turns his head sideways, his eye still showcasing his indignation. "What?" He demands, losing patience.
The rain reduces the tensity of the silence until Ike replies back, his frown deepening. "N-nothing, see you tomorrow..." Firkle faces forward with a huff and resumes on his way, Ike keeping an eye on his figure as he gradually appears smaller and smaller. Then he's gone from his view behind a corner.
Ike proceeds to his shared bedroom. Once he's in front of the door, he pauses, his head angled down. Should he be feeling like this, guilty? He barely knows the guy so no, he shouldn't be feeling guilty. Yet he does. Does Firkle not have any friends? From the way he described his roommates, it was obvious he's not really close with them. The vampire himself said that he preferred to be alone, however today he wanted to hang out with Ike, a stranger on top of a human he'd just met.
Ike furrows his eyebrows. "He's seriously weird."
Just when he's about to open the door, someone from inside beats him to it. He looks up meeting a pair of widening light blue eyes.
"There you are! I thought you had gotten lost so I was just about to go look for you." Pip, who's still in his uniform, backs away from the door to let Ike enter. The noirette keeps his expression neutral, although deep down he is really relieved to know that he's not going to be alone in their bedroom anymore. Gregory is sat on the edge of his bed polishing his cutlass, clad in his own set of casual clothing. Ike still envies him for taking the solo bed as he makes his way to his own next to Pip's.
"Where were you, if you don't mind me asking?" Pip says while closing the door. He ambles over to his bed.
Ike stops by his bed, laying the book face down on the nightstand and giving the soggy flower a frown after a short recollection of what happened with Firkle just seconds ago. "I was in the library. What about you guys?" He takes off his shoes and crawls into bed, sitting Indian-style in the middle.
Pip starts unbuttoning his blazer, his back facing Ike. "I was in the cafeteria with some friends," he answers happily.
Ike's eyes go wide in shock. "Whoa, seriously?!" The question came out as soon as it formed in his head, he slaps his hands over his mouth. "S-sorry, I didn't mean to say that out loud," he apologizes regretfully, removing his hands. Back at their high school, everyone knew Pip had no friends. Ike didn't know why at first, but slowly caught on when most people found his cheerful personality intolerable to deal with while others were nice to him, however they didn't befriend him. Ike himself wasn't really bothered by it whenever he saw him in the halls greeting people with a smile that seemed forced, rather his whole attitude didn't seem genuine.
Once Pip is done, he takes off his blazer and begins to fold it up on his bed. "It's okay, no hard feelings."
Ike doesn't know whether if Pip is hurt or not, so he moves on to Gregory. "What about you?" He anticipates that the other blonde will either give him a half-assed response or none at all when he sheathes his weapon, he bends down and pulls one of the drawers back underneath his bed's bedstead, and deposits his cutlass into it.
After closing the drawer, Gregory turns his body both Ike's and Pip's way, bending one leg on the mattress, his always impassive countenance now looking a bit grim. "Tweek is back in the infirmary," he says neglecting the noirette's query. Ike and Pip stare at him with developing worry on their faces. "Stanley informed me that his neck started bleeding in second period. Me, him, and Tweek share third period together. After the last class ended, I went to go check up on Tweek but there was a note on the infirmary door stating that neither student nor teacher was allowed inside unless you had a serious injury. So instead, I searched for Kyle since he was the one who took Tweek there, but I had no such luck. I couldn't find his friend either."
A minute long silence weighs down the bedroom, then a rumble of thunder overlaps that and the rain, startling Ike and Pip. Unaffected, Gregory looks at the alarm clock, the time is 5:49 p.m. He stands up. "It's almost time to head down to the cafeteria for dinner." He walks over to the door, opening it then stepping out. Pip brightens up at his announcement, but only faintly. He joins Gregory out in the hall just as Ike starts scooting towards the edge of his bed, he slips his shoes back on, gets up and exits the bedroom, closing the door behind him. There are some students leaving from out of their bedrooms as well either as a group, pair or by themselves.
"Was he bleeding that badly?" Ike asks as they begin to walk to the cafeteria.
"I didn't ask, but I doubt it," Gregory answers. "Which is why I was looking for Kyle. If I see him in the cafeteria, I'll ask him about it." Ike gets a bad feeling when he sees Gregory narrow his eyes.
"Poor Tweek. It's only been two days, and he's already in the infirmary once again," Pip grieves, and Ike sympathizes with him.
(A/n: I hope you enjoyed and the next chapter will be up soon)