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Chapter 22

There are a few times in Ivan's life where he truly wanted to bash someone's head in. The unfortunate day at school happened to be one of them. It all started with the moment he woke up with the rising of the sun, like always, and his sisters were missing. It took him over an hour to locate the note they left. Who would have known they could stick a note under his pillow without waking him up in the process? Either way, they were going to be gone for the next two days, as they were driving to the next town over to go shopping for their yearly annual trip.

Ivan hated being alone. Sometimes he could hardly stand traveling to school and back after Alfred got dropped off. Now he would be forced to spend the next two days alone. Sure it was just two days but it was still more than he liked.

Next he arrived at school, to not just one pop quiz but two in the same class. He was sure that he failed both of them miserably. When Ivan arrived to his next class, he found that there was going to be an assembly to welcome back the students from the break even though they had all been back at school for more than two weeks. If there was one thing Ivan hated more than being alone, it was the mass of students that were all idiots at his school.

As he walked to the assembly with the rest of his class, he encountered someone that he had not seen in a long time, but it wasn't that hard to recognize her though. Bethany walked towards him with a purpose in her step, much unlike her gait before. Ivan studied her as she walked towards him.

Bethany held her head high. It wasn't unlike before, but this time she wasn't even glancing to her friends as she put one foot in front of the other. Her name was called a couple times in the crowd, but she didn't even glance at the people trying to get her attention. Her eyes were fixed on Ivan. That was the second thing he noticed about her. Bethany's eyes, while once bright and warm, were not boring into him with a blank coldness, a determination to get what she needed out of Ivan. Ivan almost smirked at the challenge he could sense. Whatever she wanted out of him, she would not get it. Finally his eyes traveled over her attire. It wasn't as bright as before, it was bland, neutral brown and black, and very covering, only her hands and the top of her throat showing.

"Hello Ivan," she almost purred as she reached him. Ivan nodded at her, and kept walking, leaving her with no choice but to either follow or get left behind. She followed quickly behind.

"Have you talked to Alfred yet?" she asked him. Ivan paused for a moment, his steps freezing for a moment before he kept moving like nothing happened.

"I talk to him a lot, what are you referencing?" The last word was difficult to say through his accent, but he didn't mind. Bethany paused, looking up at him as though it should be obvious.

"About me of course," Bethany answered with a smile. Ivan tilted his head as he thought, but couldn't think of a single instance where anyone talked about Bethany since Alfred told her he wasn't interested.

"No," came his simple reply. Luckily they were nearing the gym, and Bethany would have to go and leave him alone.

"No?" Bethany asked, completely shocked. Ivan didn't reply to her, "Well maybe you can help me then Ivan, what kind of girls does Ivan like?"

Ivan had to force back the bark of laughter that choked its way past his throat. At this point in his life, he was sure that no one in his small circle of friends that none of them were straight. Maybe Kiku but Ivan could never tell with his friend, he was normally so closed off from everyone who wasn't Alfred or Feliciano. Ivan smirked down at Bethany, which she returned with a huge smile thinking he was about to tell her every little thing Alfred liked about girls, when really he was thinking about how he could mess with her.

"Alfred…he likes…." Ivan wracked his brain, "ah, he likes make-up. Lots of it."

"Make-up?" Bethany asked, her eyebrows creasing together in confusion.

"Yes, lots of make-up. Also bright and flashy skirts, you know the kind that go above the knees," Ivan was still trying to think but he just couldn't think of anything that Alfred really didn't like about girls. Alfred seemed like the kind of guy who liked everything.

"Above the knees?" Bethany almost gasped out, hand over her mouth in shock. Ivan almost giggled.

"I know. And he likes the forwardness. He can be very dense even when he doesn't want to be." Well the last part was true but not the first part. Alfred did like to think of things his own way.

Ivan and Bethany entered the gym together. It was brightly decorated in streamers and posters, with upbeat pop music playing and kids screaming. Ivan looked around to see if he saw one of his friends, and luckily saw Matthew sitting not too far from him, looking way out of his comfort zone.

"Hello Matthew," Ivan greeted before plopping down in the seat next to him. Matthew shot him a smile, looking much more comfortable than he had been 30 seconds ago.

"I saw you with Bethany. Is everything alright?" Matthew asked, yelling to get over the music but to everyone else it was just a normal speaking tone.

"It's very funny. She was acting strangely, but she wanted to know what kind of girls Alfred liked," Ivan responded. Matthew raised his blonde eyebrows at his friend.

"But I thought Alfred was…you know…"

Ivan laughed at his friend's awkwardness. "Da, I think so as well. But that doesn't mean I can't tell her some things I know Alfred doesn't like," Ivan finished with a dark smile. Matthew stared at his friend before he himself doubled over in laugher.

"You're horrible!" Matthew laughed.

"Not as bad as this assembly is about to be," Ivan whispered to Matthew as the lights dimmed. Matthew had to hold back in his laughter.

"So you're telling me that a magic potion made of…what was it again?"

"Elderberries, milk, and untainted blood."

"Right. So this 'magic potion' made of some berries no one has ever heard of, some processed milk no doubt you boys were going to get from the grocery store, and untainted blood, is going to magically make us be able to move?"

Arthur could have been the equivalent of a mother hen scolding her chicks the way that he burned into the young boys sitting in front of him. Most of them bent their heads in shame, while Ivan just smiled like he normally would.

"Where in the world did you get this idea?" Arthur eventually sighed, obviously out of steam from ranting before. They hadn't been there long but the moment the boys had said the only lead they had Arthur jammed down their throats, going on the longest rant that they ever heard.

"From Alfred's friend. He runs a book store," Feliciano spoke up.

"Oh he runs a book store. Excuse me, every single word he says must be true, excuse me boys forget I said anything. This man must be refined and know everything about myths and legends," Arthur began again, and almost everyone could hear the newest rant beginning to form.

"Arthur enough…. I think it's the only lead we have right now. It can't hurt to try!" Alfred interjected.

"Oh? It can't hurt to try? How about the bloody part where we have the untainted blood?! How are we going to get untainted blood?" Arthur's face was turning red from his force of speech.

"From Feliciano! That's what he said. Also we don't need like a bucketful, just a drop!" Alfred almost shouted back. His volume was higher than normal, but not at the point of yelling yet.

"Oh yes let's listen to the old man who hasn't ever once travelled outside this town," Arthur snapped back.

"Well do you have a better idea?" Alfred shot back. Everyone looked at both of them, wondering where the argument was heading towards next. Arthur was silent.

"That's what I thought. We might as well go along with it, who knows if it could work but it sure as hell can't hurt us can it?" Alfred's fists were clenching and unclenching, looking as if he was trying not to punch something.

"Fine, we can try."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, going to their respective partners and talking to themselves. Well, all except Feliciano who was still sitting where he was before.

"What about blood?" he asked softly.

So questions for my readers! What's happening with Bethany? How do you think Feliciano is going to handle the news? What can I improve on?

Also I have lost contact with my Beta reader, would anyone mind becoming mine?