Thanks to CMNCISWriter3980 I have decided to continue this fic. Hope y'all like it!
The drive to Torchwood was anything but silent, Kevin could go on and on about what it was like at Torchwood, and how it was being a ghost, but if Nick had a question about vampires, the lively dead would quickly become quiet. The school turned out to be only three hours away, and just like Nick suspected it was surrounded by thick woods. The building looked more like an old hospital than a school, and Nick began to worry that he just volunteered himself to be a government testing experiment, when Kevin explained that it was once indeed an old hospital but was shut down when the ghost of the dead started appearing and haunting the nurses for fun.
"We didn't mean for the whole hospital to be shut down, but I guess it did have its upside." Kevin laughed at the memory. "Because, four years later Aaron Hotchner bought the hospital and turned it into Torchwood, and it been that way even since the 1950's. Of course there has been some-" Nick tuned Kevin out as they walked up the steps and entered the school, a strange smell of musty dog, and sterile floors hit his nostrils. On the inside, it only slightly resembled a hospital with the long hallways and the white tile floors.
"These are the classrooms, you will see more of them tomorrow, but now it's really late, even thought I know Garcia will want to meet you, but she will just have to understand that you have your first day of class in the morning. So I'll take you right to your room." Nick followed Kevin out the building to another that looked slightly bigger than the last.
"Who's Garcia?"
"In the morning. But for now this is where they kept the patients, now of course this is where the students and faculty live, but don't worry you can hardly tell it was a hospital." Kevin said excitedly as Nick followed him up three flights of steps and down the hall to his room, and he had been right, the only thing the building had in common with a real hospital was the white floor. Everything else was painted in all sorts of colors, and the doors had designs on them, that were done by the students.
"The floors aren't really divided into sexes, but the rooms are, so don't worry, we didn't stick you with a female ghost. Trust me they're the worst." Kevin laughed at his joke that Nick clearly didn't understand.
"Here we are, " Kevin opened the door quietly peeking his head in the room before letting Nick go in. "Well it seems that your roommate is 'out' tonight, so I guess you will meet him later, your schedule is on the table, get some sleep for tomorrow, and you have a meeting with the principal in the morning at nine o'clock. Breakfast at eight. Bye!" Suddenly Nick was alone; as it took him a second to realize that ghost can pop in and out of places as they pleased. He walked into his new room, it was a good size, and there were two twin size beds on different sides of the wall, both with chest at the foot of them. There was a tall dresser leaning up against the wall between the two beds. Nick laid down on the bed that he assumed was his, considering how his has a neatly stacked pile of clothes on it while the other bed was unmade, with socks and underwear laying on the floor next to it. Nick considered skipping showering and just waiting for in the morning, but then he remember just how long he had gone without showering and head for the bathroom.
The morning came too soon for Nick, as he realized he missed breakfast, he wondered briefly what they served the vampires of the school, and if ghost even ate anything. He didn't see many students around that morning, and if he did see any, Nick recognized them to be vampires. So far he hadn't seen any werewolves, and only a handful of ghost.
After a couple of minutes of him wondering around aimlessly through some hallways he heard someone come up behind him.
"Hey, you must be new." Nick turned around to see three brunette girls smiling at him, "I'm Miley, this is Selena and Demi, and you are?"
"Uh, Nick."
"Oh, isn't he just the cutest thing?" Miley squealed, the two girls behind her automatically agreed. "What are you trying to find?" she asked taking the schedule out of his hands and looking it over.
"Well I have a meeting with the principal in four minutes." Nick said looking at a clock on the hall entrance.
"Don't worry, we will get you there in time, but first can we give you a quick tour of the basement?" Miley asked, as sudden spark flickered in her eyes, as Demi and Selena giggled behind her.
"No thanks, I think I'll just go-"
"It will only take a moment, I know you'll love it down there!" Miley smiled. Nick was terrified, could vampires eat other vampires, he was assuming the three of them were vampires, because he could smell the sweetness in Miley's breath as she giggled in his face, as she tried to pull him down the hall.
"Ms. Stewart, let him go." Miley froze, then turned around slowly, with a smile painted on her lips.
"Dr. Reid, we were just showing Nicky here around the school, and-"
"Right, I'm sure you were. Now go along." Said the older boy with an awkward wave of his hand, he then turned around, as if he were in a great hurry, a messenger bag was slung over his tall thin frame.
"Sir?" Nick called out, he assumed he was a teacher, Miley had just called him doctor, but he looked more like he was 22. "Sir!" The man paused and turned, glancing briefly at Nick.
"I am to take you to Principal Hotchner, you are the new student who resides in room 139 correct?"
"Yes."
"Ah, good, I was supposed to meet you at your dorm, however I ran into a ghost, literally, and they really hate it when I do that, but there always so hard to see. Oh- here we are!" said the young man suddenly, pointing to the door labeled 'Principal Aaron Hotchner'. He opened the door and stepped in.
"Good Morning Pretty Boy," spoke a blonde woman from behind a desk.
"Hey Garcia." He ignored the comment, as Nick realized this must be the same Garcia Kevin had mentioned in the car ride.
"Oh! And who is this beautiful creature? Look at his curls! Just adorable." She squealed as she rose from her desk and made her way over to Nick, with excitement dancing in her eyes. Nick looked to Dr. Reid to make the introduction; however he was standing in the corner rummaging through his bag, spilling some of the papers on the floor.
"Um, I'm Nick Jonas."
"Oh right, right! Kevin told me all about you. Well, I'm Penelope Garcia, and welcome to Torchwood Academy! How was your first night? Who is your roommate?"
"I- um- I haven't met him yet."
"Joseph Thomas is his roommate." Dr. Reid chimed in from his corner.
"Oh! Joe is a funny kid, I see him in here a lot, he's a bit of a trouble maker. Aren't you good friends with him Spencer?" Nick turned his attention to the clumsy doctor, and noted that aside from the dark shadows under his eye, he didn't look much like a vampire at all, but he certainly couldn't be a werewolf, he was much too small for that, and he was clearly not a ghost.
"One could say that, I was the first to find Joseph after he change, um- actually it was more like I was at the wrong place at the wrong time."
Nick heard Garcia mumble something that sounded like "as always", however Reid again ignored this comment.
"Basically Joseph attacked me from behind thinking I would be a good snack, until he noticed that I was a vampire."
"So vampires can't eat one another?" Nick asked thinking back to Miley and her friends.
"No? But Joseph is a werewolf, that is why he wasn't in his dorm last night, he should be back by this afternoon." Reid glanced at his watch, "Where is Hotchner?"
"He had an emergency come up, but he told me that your meeting is to be reschedule for Saturday afternoon. " Garcia said looking up from one of her many computers, Nick had yet to figure out which type of creature she was. "But, you still needed to get your books," she continued, as she spoke the books suddenly appeared on the chair next to Reid, causing him to jump. So Garcia was a witch, as of two weeks ago Nick didn't believe in vampires, and now not only was he himself one, but also he knew a witch!
"Okay, well I must be going, I'll point you to your first class, which is?"
"Chemistry."
His classes went by very slowly, however thankfully none of the teachers made him introduce himself, because somehow everyone already knew him. He guessed it was because the school was so small, he even had World History class with Miley and her friends.
The last class of the day was called 'History for the Dead', Nick found this name a little humorous as he wondered what this class could be about. He walked in and found a seat near the middle, he had started to recognize some of the same faces from class to class, but no one had come up to introduce themselves as "Joseph Thomas" yet, so he guess he didn't have any class with him. The teacher was late to class by about ten minutes, but the students didn't seem to be concerned as Dr. Reid came rushing in muttering about something under his breath.
"Um. S-sorry about that guys. I ran into some trouble," he said as he started shuffling his papers, getting them in order, Nick was starting to get the idea that Dr. Reid was often getting into 'trouble' and that he wasn't a normal vampire, he had always imagined vampires as strong evil and rude creatures, but Dr. Reid seemed all most human with his slight stutter and jerky movements.
"Last week we talked about the first stories of vampires in the world, and about the real first vampires in the world. Would anyone care to remind us of some of the stories?" Reid said, as a boy named Michael, from Nick's chemistry class, raised his hand.
"Yes?" Reid asked.
"When were you changed?"
"That question is widely off topic but, eighty-eight years, seven months, and nineteen days ago." Reid replied simply.
"Uh- so what year was that?"
"1923."
"That explains his clothes," Nick heard a kid whisper from behind him.
Nick raised his hand, " What kind of doctor are you?" Surly Dr. Reid wasn't a surgeon, that would be terribly funny seeing him dressed in scrubs leaning over a patient.
"I hold doctorates in Chemistry, Mathematics, and Engineering. I also have BAs in Psychology and Sociology. However, I reserved this status all before I was changed, of course that was back in the 1920s, so every twenty years I get my doctorates renewed at different colleges just to be kept in the loop. Now to get back on topic, myths and facts about vampires."
For the rest of the class Nick listened closely, but Dr. Reid didn't really answer any of his questions, he noticed that he often got off subject, and although what he would talk about would be very interesting, it didn't help Nick with learning more about what he had become.
"Dr. Reid?"
"Nicholas?"
"I had some questions that we didn't really get to in class."
"Ah- such as how we are killed, can we go out into the sun light, and do we really live forever? Yes, most young vampires have those same questions, and we those were supposed to be covered in today's class however-" he paused to look over a paper he had found on the ground. " I get distracted. Anyway I will be more than happy to discuss these matters at another moment, however right now I am running late for my Calculus Part 2 class, perhaps tomorrow after class?"
"Yes, that's fine. Thank you." He added before the doctor rushed quickly out of the room with his messenger bag slung over his shoulder. Nick made his way to his room, as he realized he hadn't 'eaten' anything in a couple days and he could feel the burning begin in his throat again. He got to his door and began to open it, but not before noticing a woody musty smell coming from inside. He found Joseph sitting on the floor playing guitar hero, and sucking at it badly.
"Hey dude! You must be Nick? I guess they already told you but I'm Joe." He said with his tongue sticking out of his mouth and his eyes glued to the game. "Sorry I couldn't be here last night to welcome you to Torchwood, but I figured you'd understand." He laughed, as he lost the game, putting the controller down, and standing up. "Hey you wanna grab some dinner? I'm starved!" Joe slipped on his shoes, and was out the door, Nick hurried along behind as to not get lost since he had yet to go to the cafeteria since he arrived.
Nick followed Joe through the line, looking at food he used to be able to eat, but now couldn't. The burning was getting worse, he knew he needed something.
"Oh! Tater tots! My favorite!" Joe proclaimed grabbing two of the little baskets.
"Hey Joe? What do I- um – you know?"
"Eat? Sorry dude I totally forgot, yeah hang on let me put this stuff down." They walked to a small table with only two chairs, Joe grabbed one of the baskets of tots and they were on their way.
"Okay, so generally the vampires only eat every other day, and here they have every type: O+, O-, AB+, B+, A-. Literally every type, I've heard that it's just like when human drink different types of sodas. Or that's what my friend told me, anyway, when there as young as you are they feed you in a separate place, to make sure you won't attack anyone. You know?" Joe said brightly popping a tot into his mouth.
"Uh, no."
"Well like if you get out of control, and forget that you don't drink 'live' anymore. I don't really know, it's just something they do until they know you can be trusted. Here we are," he pointed to the nurse stations door.
"Where do they get all the blood from?"
"I have no idea, it's kind of creepy, some of us think they steal it from hospitals, but no one really knows. Do you want me to stay?" he asked as he licked the crumbs from the tots off the basket.
"Naw, dude. I think I got it, plus you look you haven't eaten in a week." Nick laughed at the the boy, who had now stolen a lollipop from a bowl sitting on the desk of the nurse.
"Awesome, so I'll see you tonight? Oh, and good luck!" And with that Joe was off, racing down the hall's, Nick heard a ghost scream, and a 'Sorry'. Nick laughed, Joe was defiantly something else.
Nick rang the bell that sat on the nurse desk, and suddenly Garcia appeared in front of him.
"Oh hey, Nicky J! Can I call you that?" she said overly excited.
"Uh- sure?"
"Good, because I would have anyway, what can I help you with?"
"Are you- um- how do I?' Nick didn't want to say it, he felt horrible enough drinking blood, but having to ask someone for it was just awful.
"Oh, I see, yes, follow me, and don't be so worried!" She said patting him on the back. They walked into a chilled hallway with a desk and two chairs, and a locked door at the end.
"Have a seat, I guess you wouldn't happen to know your body type before you were changed do you?" she asked like it was everyday conversation, and maybe for her it was, but Nick just felt sick.
"B positive" he answered.
"Good, excellent! Now for this first couple of days of feeding we would like to monitor you, just so we know you won't go crazy on some werewolf accidently." She laughed.
"Has that every happened before?" Nick asked shyly.
"Only once when we first opened, but that is why we now obverse all the newbie's, don't worry in a few days you'll be able to eat with your friends like a normal 'person'." Garcia put air quotes around the last word.
"Okay here you go!" she placed a black glass in front of him, and within seconds Nick had drunken it all, looking very embarrassed, but he was still hungry.
"Vould you like some more BLOOD?!" she asked in her best vampire accent, and all Nick could do was nod his head, because he couldn't trust how his voice would sound, last time he drank he sounded like a crazy person was but he didn't want to scared the witch. He knew his eyes were pitch black, and his fangs were fully extended, and he could feel a slight buzz at the base of his neck. Garcia ended up giving him two more cups, and by the end Nick was very full.
"Thanks Garcia," he said as they walked out of the 'blood bank' as she had called it.
"No problem, Nicky J. Today you were very controlled, extremely hungry, but very controlled." She smiled, patting him on the back again. When Nick got back to his dorm Joe was sitting on the floor like he had been earlier, with another boy sitting on Joe's bed, both were jamming out the Guitar Hero.
"Oh, hey? How'd it go?" Joe asked when he noticed Nick's entrance.
"Pretty well, I think?" Joe and the other boy laughed at this.
"Hey, I'm Derek." The boy said, and Nick could smell the wolf on his form.
"Nick." He said with a small wave as he sat down on his bed, exhausted from his first day at Torchwood. Nick must have dosed off because suddenly Derek was gone, and Joe was climbing into bed.
"How did you like your first day?" Joe asked through a yawn.
"It's different." He grumbled.
"Yeah, one could say that, who are your teachers?" Joe asked propping himself up with one elbow to look at Nick.
"Pre- Cal with Mr. Clifford."
"Boring."
"English with Mrs. Blair."
"Sysco!"
"History with Master Smith."
"Weirdo"
"uh-Chemistry with Mr. Collins"
"Even weirder."
"And History of the Dead with Dr. Reid."
Joe was quiet for a second, then added, "He's cool."
"Yeah, I think he's my favorite so far. How long have you been at Torchwood?"
"Let's see…" he paused counting something on his fingers. "About a year and a half, but I was changed twenty months ago."
"Oh, does it get any easier?"
"You mean the leaving your family thing? Yes and no. You have friends that are going through the same thing, and the school has a counselor for students who might need it, but it doesn't really ever go away, the pain of missing them. I mean one of my friends is a really old vampire… and he still misses his mom, even though she has been dead for decades. You never really get to say goodbye. You know? But it will get a little better, it just takes awhile. Night Nick."
"Night." Nick rolled over so he was facing the wall, he listened a Joe started to softly snore. He really missed his mom and his little brother, but Joe was right, he couldn't go back. That night Nick dreamed he was at Frankie's 12th birthday party, the birthday party he missed.
