Teachers Pet

Elise Canton sighed as she scribbled red all over another report. These kids were worthless when it came to writing. The sentences were incomplete unless they were run-on's. They couldn't get a point across to save their lives and she learned absolutely nothing from their long winded narratives. She would have gleaned more from a blank piece of paper. The only one that had stood out at all was Matthew Northman's. He was clear and concise his sentence structure fantastic and he had a great writing style. Unfortunately he decided to create the facts as he went along claiming his father had filled him in from his days as a Viking; preposterous.

She found he was an odd child, the handsome exterior carrying around an old soul. He was small in stature yet his presence was larger than most men. It was if he filled up the room simply by arriving; Elise thought of his vivid blue eyes; tight and in control, his face enduring as if he was resigned to things beyond him. Yet he seemed exotic, sophisticated and oh so Nordic as if he tumbled from a brochure toting Scandinavian superiority in all its blondness. If he were only fifteen years older she would most certainly track him down in whatever bar he frequented.

There was a knock at the door and Elise shook her head in silent rebuke ashamed at her moment of immaturity as she set down her papers and made her way to the front door. She looked through the peep hole and nearly fell over in shock as she saw what she had just dreamt of. Standing on her doorstep was the adult version of the very student her future had been longing for. She smoothed out her hair as her heart hammered in her chest. She was deciding that this must be one of the best dreams she had had in years as she yanked the door open.

Eric stood waiting the streetlights humming behind him as he glanced at the closed doors on the second floor landing of the mediocre apartment building. There was a small wreath with fake flowers staring him in the face and encircling a peephole; the meager attempt at individuality fell as flat as the worn and faded silk. He imagined each apartment was like the next, same floor-plan same worn out beige carpeting. He would be quick to fail the students as well if this was what he had to look forward to every night. Eric sniffed the air; he could smell her perfume, just a hint of a sweet flowery scent. Suddenly the door was yanked open and they were standing face to face. He guessed she was in her early thirties, brown wavy hair, brown eyes and just this side of pretty. She wore a pink t-shirt and jeans her bare feet peeking out toenails painted the same shade as her shirt.

"Mrs. Canton?" Eric asked.

"It's just Ms. or Miss; the students call every female teacher Mrs. for some reason. I guess they all figure we are married by the time we hit thirty," she said a nervous tic to her voice.

Eric smiled and turned on the charm. "Well I'm sure they find it hard to believe that you aren't already spoken for."

"Well flattery will get you everywhere," she giggled.

"I'm Eric Northman, my son Matthew is in you class."

"I figured you had to be Matt's father, you two are nearly identical. I enjoy having him in class," she smiled.

Eric took a step closer stopping at the threshold. "I was just wondering if you had a few minutes to talk."

"I suppose, that wouldn't be a problem. I generally don't have parents drop by my home."

"Well school hours don't work for me," Eric replied stuck outside as an official invitation had yet to come his way.

"I see it is hard for working parents. Does your wife work?" she knew it was cliché but she couldn't help herself.

"Matthew's mother died quite a long time ago," Eric said matter-of-factly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…" she said letting her voice drift along with the apology. She turned her back on him and glided deeper into the living room.

Eric began to rock on his heels hoping that she would invite him in and out of the sticky, humid air. He continued to peer into the living room as she receded from view wondering if she noticed he was not following.

She finally turned and saw him still outside and gave the quick invitation he needed. Relieved Eric moved forward pushing the door closed behind him as he stepped onto the veritable brown carpet and plain furniture he expected. The teacher waved her hand towards a maroon recliner as she sat on the couch adjacent to it. Eric took a seat and managed to force a smile.

"I know it's not much, but I'm saving for a house, so now I live in a dump," she explained.

"You owe me no explanation believe me I have lived in some less than desirable places, real holes in the wall," he said speaking literally but knowing she wouldn't take it as such. "Listen I wanted to talk to you about the grade you gave him on this report," he said pulling out the homework from his jacket pocket.

"I thought that might be the case. First I want to tell you he wrote the best report out of all my classes but his sources are unsubstantiated and unacceptable. He was to use his text book and two other sources, but he claimed to speak with an actual Viking and I just can't believe that."

"How can you not believe a first person account?" Eric asked trying like mad to keep the smile intact.

"I am aware there are vampires in the area but I would hope any decent parent wouldn't allow their fifteen year old to be in the company of the undead. And how would your son even know a vampire, do they hang out at the mall?" she asked a shaky smile on her face the nervousness back in her voice fearing she had said too much.

"Well my son does know a vampire, in fact he is extremely close to one and the facts he wrote are all accurate."

"No offense Mr. Northman but how do you know they are accurate?"

"Because I was there."

"At the interview?"

"Yes and at the battle fields in 990, I wielded the weapons he wrote about, I rode on a boat like the one he built and my father wore the crown he drew a picture of. I am that vampire and I am his father and I'm sorry if that doesn't add up to good parenting to you, but he wrote the facts that you seem unable to accept and that should not reflect poorly on him. He gave you an A paper and that is what I expect to see."

Elise Canton couldn't get her tongue to move it just sort of lay there ineffective like a slug in the sunshine. Her heart began to pound and her nervousness suddenly went turbo charged. Her blond haired blue eyed Aryan had suddenly become sinister and she knew her fear was seeping from every pore.

"I know you're terrified right now, I can hear your heart race, don't fear me I won't hurt you, but you need to understand my son told the truth and it should affect his grade in a positive light."

"You are a vampire? But how do you have a son?"

"Life finds a way Miss Canton, we won't even get into how old he is, but I invite you to ask him next time you see him. He is caught between three worlds and none of them are easy to deal with."

"How do I know you aren't some crazy parent with a story," the teacher said finding her voice though it still lacked any confidence.

Eric smiled as he stood up and leaned close to her, his face inches away he revealed his fangs causing her to gasp. "Now I can answer any question you have after you change his grade," Eric promised handing her the failed report.

She leaned away and pulled the red marker from the coffee table and quickly changed the grade to an A and handed it back to Eric as if it was about to explode. "I have no questions Mr. Northman."

"I do apologize if I scared you but nobody calls my son a liar."

"I had heard the rumors but dismissed them as false and petty, I had no idea."

"But now you do." Eric turned walked to the front door opening it and launched himself off the front balcony area. He made his way airborne to where he parked the car a block away knowing he shouldn't have shown off but he just couldn't help himself.

The next day Ms. Canton's cringe was barely perceptible but told Matt everything he needed to know. He looked at his teacher shook his head and whispered, "et tu Brute?' He took his seat and hung his head.

Class plodded along Matt now used to the stares which was all his fellow students dared to do after he had planted the rather large senior into the locker. But that didn't stop them from attacks while he wasn't looking, his locker had been decorated with graffiti and bumper stickers all maligning the existence of vampires. None of it scared him but he did find it annoying, these pesky brats knew nothing of the true difficulties of life. They whined when it was too hot, too cold, when they had to walk more than a block or when their favorite soda was out of stock at the store. It was pathetic and Matt was quickly running out of patience with them. He had seen so much and most of it terrifyingly bad that he could barely contain his anger as his classmates texted through the Civil War, laughed through the holocaust and couldn't pay the least bit of attention while the horrors of the past were described. They knew nothing of death, pain and hardships of those forced to live previously in order to give them their modern conveniences. Matthew had seen it all and watched it die around him. He had gained his strength through pain but now all those around him were so weak he couldn't even let it show.

"Matthew can you come here please," Elise Canton asked as Matt headed for the door after class.

He sighed and prepared himself for what was to come. He turned and walked against the outgoing flow wondering which of the little shits was going to head directly to his locker and add to the defamations.

"Your father came to see me last night."

"That explains a lot."

"What makes you say that?" she asked keeping her voice as even as possible.

"You paid no attention to all the rumors and I greatly admired you for that, but now, today you look at me differently. I figured he had something to do with it. Today you fear me; you vilify what you don't even know."

"You're right I don't know, why don't you tell me."

"You don't want to know," he turned and began to walk away but she grabbed his arm. His blue eyes turned and locked on to hers, churning furiously, memories stirring; agitated he pulled his arm away with strength she hadn't expected. "I'm a half-breed, belonging to no one. Mixed kids think they have it rough, try mixed species. I have no home, nobody to confide in and nobody to trust. My dad probably told you I was a part of three worlds. I am but belong to none of them. My father ensures I have a place in the vampire world, yet I don't drink blood and I can enjoy the sun, my mother gives me my human side but also this immortality that I endure, but she gave me something more; a part of a magical world that I have yet to totally understand. "

"Your father does love I could clearly see it last night. So much of your life is a mystery?"

"He does, I feel it, but there will always be a part of him that won't trust where the other half of me came from. Witches and vampires have never been friendly."

"You're a witch?"

He laughed out loud, "son of one, but then witches are merely human right?" he asked his eyes flickering something she couldn't place but scared the hell out of her.

"How old are you?"

"over four hundred give or take, one tends to lose count and Hallmark didn't have a calendar back in my day."

"How did you survive? With who?"

"The only thing that matters is that I did, lesson over. I need a hall pass," he stated as students began to pour in.

She wrote out the pass trying to keep her hand from trembling as she spelled out his name. He took it from her making a point to touch her hand. The touch seemed to shoot straight to her heart as he left it felt as though he took all the air from the room with him.