I made eye contact with her, and whatever she saw in them made her flinch. I could feel my anger growing, feeding on itself.
“You’re right Doris.” I spoke low so only she could hear me. “I am a freak. But I’m also a predator, and you, Doris, are most definitely prey. Just remember that next time you want to pick a fight.”
I let her go and watched her stumble away to her roommate, who stood at end of the hallway. I took a few deep breaths, trying to reign in my uncharacteristic anger.
Doris glanced back at me to shoot me a glare, but it was her roommate’s expression that haunted me. She looked at me like I was a monster. Worst of all, I believed it myself.
***
“My love! You’re all right!” Oliver squeezed me against his nonexistent bosom, showering me with affection I ill-deserved. “We thought you were dead!”
He and Leanne had decorated our dorm with balloons and a “Get Well” sign. I guess they ran out of “Glad You Didn’t Die” and “Please Don’t Eat Me” banners at the drugstore. But it was incredibly sweet, even if I still felt like a complete schmuck for scaring Doris. I’d sat in the stairwell for a good fifteen minutes before I mustered the courage to face my new friends.
Leanne came up to me and squeezed my hand. “She deserved it,” she said.
I must’ve looked shocked because Leanne laughed and said, “I’m a seer. And I totally foresaw that fight go down about three hours ago, much to my excitement.”
When I didn’t laugh, she added in, “Sorry.”
I shook my head. “It’s okay. It’s not your fault at all. I’m just a little overwhelmed with everything that’s happened since the Awakening.” She nodded sympathetically. “Aren’t you guys freaked out that I’m going to become a vampire?”
Oliver began to laugh hysterically. “Seriously Gabrielle? Look who you’re talking to—I’m a gay fairy. I’m the world’s biggest cliché. It’s not like we get to choose these things. Besides, fairies are also ‘evil’ according to that stupid textbook of ours.”
“And I know a good person when I see one,” Leanne said, snickering at her own joke. “Get it?”
“Please, Leanne,” Oliver said. “Just stop it with the seer jokes. You’re beating a dead horse, only this poor horse died hours—”
I grabbed my friends and went in for a group hug. “You guys are amazing.”
“Duh,” Oliver said. “As if you hadn’t figured that out by now.”
***
The next morning my alarm clock went off. I groaned, rubbing my temples. I’d stayed up way too late.
“No,” Leanne moaned. She had too.
“Tell me about it,” I muttered.
An hour later the two of us stumbled outside. Oliver leaned against our building’s wall. “What took you broads so long?”
I gave him the stink eye.
“Ah. You two didn’t get your beauty sleep. … Well, let’s get going. Don’t want to be late on our first day.”
The Isle of Man decided it was going to be sunny today, an unusual occurrence. The sun was painfully bright, making my eyes tear up. Stupid vampire genes.
We crossed campus and entered the castle. Around us, teens were hurrying off to class. I pulled out my schedule.
Period 1: Science and Magic
Period 2: Supernatural Combat
Period 3: History of the Isle of Man
Period 4: Creatures of the Night: The Anthropology of Nocturnal Beings
Lunch
Period 5: The Politics of the Supernatural Species
Period 6: Enchanted Engineering
I’d never heard of any of these classes, although some slightly resembled the regular world equivalent.
Taking out a map of the campus, I tried to figure out where my first class was. The school’s dizzying layout was giving me a headache.
Leanne read over my shoulder. “I think your first class might be down that hall.” Leanne pointed to a hall branching off to the left. “Let’s meet outside for lunch.”
We broke up and went our separate ways. Even with Leanne’s help, I was still late. I stealthily slipped in but forgot to shut the door quietly. The sound of the thick oak door closing reverberated along the stone walls. Thirty heads turned in unison—including the teacher’s. My cheeks burned.
“How nice of you to join us,” Professor Nightingale commented sarcastically before turning back to the board. “Please take a seat.”
I nodded and looked for an empty desk. The students around me whispered to each other, casting nasty glances my way. I took in a shaky breath and began moving down an aisle, spotting a couple of empty chairs towards the back.