Nightschool chapter 3

"Well, well," Teresa said, grinning and ignoring the scowl on Nicholas's face. "If it isn't Mr. Will-Date-Anything-With-A-Pulse." She walked over to him, holding a stake against her cheek. "She your girlfriend or midnight snack?"

The girl in question had shrunk behind her boyfriend.

"Don't see her running, do you?" Nicholas asked through his teeth. "You Buffies need some glasses."

"You Nozzies need to get a tan!" Teresa shot back.

"Hey." Cassidy set a hand on her shoulder. "The treaty."

She stiffened and looked in the other direction, shrugging him off. "Well, no time for chitchat." She took a few steps away from them. "We're Hunting some real vampires."

"Reports of ripper maulings around here," Cassidy said, not looking at the vampire he was talking to. "Seen anything?"

Nicholas scowled deeper. "Go %$@& yourself."

Cassidy looked at him, eyes calm. He turned away.

"I guess you don't want help when they're ripping your girl to pieces."

"I can take care of my own!!"

"Who are rippers?" the human asked, eyes wide, voice small.

Nicholas glanced back at her, concern replacing his scowl.

He turned her around.

"We have to get out of here," he said, his hand still on her shoulder.

"Wait!" She looked back at the others. "What are they going to do to her?"

The new vampire blinked at Cassidy and Teresa, who were hovering over her.

"She must be new…" Teresa said thoughtfully. "She doesn't know to be afraid." She reached out a hand toward the girl.

"Do you want to find out… why you should be?"

The human jumped in front of her.

"Don't touch her!!!" she said too quickly.

Teresa raised her eyebrows and clicked her tongue. "Girl, you still here? Scoot on home before you're someone's dinner."

"What's your problem?!" the other girl yelled.

Teresa stared blankly. "My problem?"

The girl struggled for words. "I… I know who you are! Big frigging deal! Being the law doesn't give you the excuse to be a bitch!"

Her hands flew up to cover her mouth, her eyes wide.

Teresa glared, one eye twitching. "What did you just call me…?"

"Oh, here we go again," Cassidy muttered from behind her.

"I-I… well…" the girl started, voice shaky.

She frowned, suddenly taken over by a surge of determination.

"You heard me!" the self-proclaimed vampire rights activist snapped. "And don't try to scare me, I know you can't do anything because I'm human!!"

Teresa tightened her grip on her stakes. "No, no, no," she said, grinning crazily. "I'm not supposed to. Big difference from can't. There are loopholes I can drive a truck through, okay?!"

"They aren't breaking any treaty laws, so leave them alone!!" the girl yelled back at her.

"This one tried to bite you, hello?!" Teresa pointed at the vampire girl, who was still sitting on the ground next to them and staring at the human, drooling.

"She can't help it, she's hungry!" the girl said.

The African American girl and Cassidy sighed in unison, knowing that they wouldn't stop for a while.

"Did you leave your basic survival instincts somewhere?!" Teresa yelled at her. "What's wrong with you?!"

"Ten?" Cassidy said.

"Yeah?" the African American girl asked, not looking at him.

"Jaq and me are gonna finish the sweep," he said. "You watch things here, 'kay?"

Ten blinked and looked at him. "Wait, what?"

The other two had already fled.

"Hey, why am I stuck dealing with the catfight?!" she yelled after them.

She turned to Nicholas. "You going to do anything or what?!"

"Are you crazy?" he scoffed. "I'm not getting in the middle of that."

Ten sighed. "Great. Extra endurance testing today, I see." She looked away from the still-arguing older girls.

"And let me tell you–" Teresa continued.

"No, let me tell you!" the girl interrupted.

"Hey!! Shut it and listen!!" the Hunter threw back at her. "You don't have a clue!! What, you think this is real darkness you're dating?! This redblood? You have no idea what a real vampire is."

Ten blinked and squinted at the silhouette forming to the left of the feuding pair.

Two chalky skinned, almost ghostly-looking figures appeared, eyes glowing white in sockets of black.

Ten inhaled sharply, fear appearing in her eyes.

"Rippers!!" she yelled back at the others.

By the time they'd turned around, the younger Hunter already had two spiked chains out and was running toward the pair of vampires gone wrong.

She whipped the chains toward the pair, lunging at them.

The chains wrapped around the two, and her foot hit one of them in its overgrown jaw.

She stepped up on its chalky face and jumped off, chains tightening in her hands.

She skidded to a stop on the wet grass and turned around.

"Teresa!!" she yelled.

"On it!!" the Hispanic girl said, charging at them.

She jumped up, stakes at her side, and slipped in between them, one stake landing in one's neck, the other in the second's chest.

She skidded to a stop next to Ten, both girls watching as the rippers tore the stakes out of themselves and dove straight through the ground, leaving Teresa's stakes and Ten's chains behind.

The girls froze.

"They're going for the girl!!" Teresa realized, whipping around toward the human, who was still behind Nicholas.

The girl stared at her, not understanding until a pair of claws reached up at her from underneath.

The rippers sprung up, one holding Nicholas back, the other going for the girl's neck.

Nicholas managed to put his hand in front of her neck so the ripper bit down on it instead.

It opened its mouth, revealing a heavily bleeding wound deep enough to show bone.

One of its claws scratched out at the vampire's neck, making his head snap back and letting him go flying.

"Hey, dustbreath."

The rippers turned to see all four Hunters, ready to attack.

"You are hereby charged with breaking the treaty," Cassidy finished.

"Go!!" Teresa snapped at the others.

She and Cassidy tackled the two of them, and it became a blur of weapons.

Cassidy plunged wood into anything he could see. Teresa sliced out with her daggers. Ten whipped her chains around them, the spiked ends cutting through. Jaq was the only one unarmed, simply punching and kicking anything the others didn't get.

The human moved her arms away from her face and looked back at the Hunters, still shaking.

Ten was kneeling on the ground. Cassidy and Teresa were hovering over her, and Jaq stood off to the side.

"Get the other hand," Ten said to the leaders.

Teresa looked up and saw the girl looking at them, shaking like a leaf.

"So, want to see a real vampire?" Teresa asked. She gestured to the broken bodies on the ground. "Rippers. Nothing but ash, darkness, and bloodlust. They can't even talk anymore. Can't breathe, can't eat, can't even die properly. It's not even blood they want…" She looked down at the heavily bleeding scratch on her hand. "It's life. A taste, any taste… of what they once had." The cut stopped bleeding. She gently stroked the quickly healing wound. "Your boyfriend's future. If he still has one."

"Nicholas!!!" the girl cried, running off. She spotted him sprawled unconscious on the ground several feet away. "Nic…!!"

She knelt down and left up his deeply scratched face, tears pouring out. "Ohgod, ohgod."

"We take them with or leave 'em?" Ten asked.

"Tag a guard circle and leave them leave them for the sun," Cassidy said.

Teresa started walking away but paused, seeing the new vampire huddled a few feet away from the group.

She walked over and knelt down next to her, waving her hand in front of her glazed-over eyes.

"Wow, way deep under," Teresa muttered. "Guess this was her first show." She thought a moment. "Never seen a Hunter, never seen a ripper… huh. If she's that new, then maybe…" She pulled a compact from her pocket and held the mirror in front of the girl.

"Reflection?" Cassidy asked.

Teresa smiled a bit. "Yep. Can take her to Mona's, she'll fix her up." She snapped the compact shut. "Hey, girl. Good news. You can have your life back. Want it?"

Cassidy looked over at the human, who was holding Nicholas's head to herself.

Cassidy walked over and knelt down next to her. "Can you turn his head toward me?"

She looked at him, distrusting, her mascara running down her cheeks.

"Just want to check on him," he said gently. "I can't touch him. So you have to do it."

"Damn straight he can't touch me," Nicholas said weakly. "%$#&ing kill him if he does."

Cassidy blinked. "…It is my professional opinion that he'll be just fine."

"Nicholas!!" the girl cried. She squeezed him to her chest hard enough for an audible crunch to be heard.

"OW!!" the vampire yelled.

"Sorry, sorry!" she apologized quickly.

Cassidy stood up and walked back toward the rest of the group. "Okay, Hunters, sound off."

"Nozzie noob – ready to go and willing to look at her options," Teresa said, her arm around the blonde, who was now wearing her coat. The vampire blinked, dazed and confused.

"Rippers – all camped out and not leaving," Ten said, kneeling next to the chalky remains. She shook a can of spray paint and popped a bubble in her gum.

Cassidy turned toward the only person who hadn't spoken. Jaq was looking off at where the others had disappeared to.

"Jaq?" Cassidy asked. "How're Terrence and the others? Did they find anyone there?"

The other Hunter was silent a moment.

"Something's wrong."

The other three Hunters were sprawled on the ground, eyes closed, not moving.


I posted two! Just for the fans!

Nightschool chapter 2

Alex took a step outside and set one hand on the rail, her spell book under her other arm. She looked up at the waning moon.

"New moon is soon," she said to herself. "Time to go."

She took another step forward, only for the hood of her jacket to snag on something. She turned around and saw her spirit behind her, a hand on her hood. It tugged at it.

Alex frowned and shook her head, fingers arching over her forehead. She turned back to it, a big fake grin on her face.

"Look, when Sarah says "Don't leave the house"… what she actually means is "Don't leave the house unprotected." And since you're with me, you'll  protect me! So there's no problem, right?"

The spirit stared at her, then reached three more hands out to hold onto the building.

"Aw, come onnnn!!" Alex complained, struggling against the three hands holding her and the five gripping the wall. "I have to practice this spell outside!! Argh!! Bad Astral, bad Astral, let go!!"

She stopped struggling, breathing hard, and looked back at the spirit, annoyed. "What if I said there's a cookie in this for you?"

The spirit let go too quickly, and Alex went flying.

"Gah!!"

The spirit fussed around her as she started walking, looking through her purple messenger bag and the pockets of her white hoodie.

"Stoppit, I don't have it on me!!" Alex said, shooing it away from her hair. It dropped behind her and sulked.

"I'll get you one later, settle down," she continued, holding her hands perpendicular to her collar bone. She brought them up to her lips and blew on them gently.

"Out of sight," she whispered, running them parallel to her face.

She disappeared.

"Stop fussing! What Sarah doesn't know won't hurt her."

***

"You don't know this?"

"Um, well," Sarah said meekly. "In-in theory?"

The woman in front of her stared, annoyance and concern fighting in her solid blood red eyes, brightly painted lips in a deep frown. "But this is so basic!"

"Sorry, I'm still learning all the ropes," Sarah said, voice small.

The woman raised a pale hand to her forehead, long, sharp, red nails banging against her glasses and messing up the parted bang in her brown, flipped-out bob. "Oh very well, I supposed I can take some time to explain."

She conjured up a thick, simple looking book. "So, as it clearly states in the Night Student Guidebook…" She flipped through. "Casting spells outside the classroom on school grounds is forbidden. Breaking this rule triggers a special ward that marks the caster… Like so." She pointed to symbol on the forehead of the African American girl sitting in the chair in front of them.

"It was an accident, I swear!" the girl cried. Her Astral floating next to her, trying to comfort her. The black closed-looking eye socket on the white side of its face turned toward her in unreadable concern, the black semicircle on its white cheek rubbing against her shoulder. The white eye on its black side stared at the older teacher in an indecipherable glare. The white circle between the two sides was nearly concealed by the white veil that covered it.

"That's what they always say," the woman said, holding the book out to Sarah. "Excuse #1 in the Night Teacher's Handbook. There's a Top Fifty list, see?"

"Ohhhh!" Sarah said quietly.

"And here!" the woman said, looking over at the African American boy, brunette girl with hair just past her shoulders and eyes like the woman's, and paler boy with spiky black hair sitting against the adjacent wall. "We have a prime example of students who just don't. Know. When to stop."

She smiled, getting an idea. She turned to Sarah quickly, her hair brushing against a pointed ear. "Ms. Treveney, I do believe this is also a case to be taken straight to the night principal's office."

"O-oh, can't we just…" Sarah started.

"And since you are new," the woman continued, "I will put forth the effort and do it myself…"

"Oh no no, that's all right," Sarah panicked, "I can…!"

"And let you deal with this one. A two-hour detention in the Gray Room should do."

The African American girl started.

"Now then, follow me! Time to learn your lesson!" the woman said to the three of them, all smiles.

The brunette put her hand on her forehead.

"Yes, ma'am," the African American boy grumbled. "Mrs. Witch, rhymes with–"

"O-ho-ho, looks like someone isn't in enough trouble already!" the woman said almost evilly. "I'll be delighted to fix that for you."

The four of them disappeared through the door that led to Madame Chen's office.

Sarah looked back at the girl.

"The Room?!!" the girl panicked. "Miss T, it really was an accident, I was just passing by and–"

"I believe you," Sarah interrupted. She held out her head and erased the mark on her forehead, a knuckle brushing against one of the girl's small, curly twin buns. The girl's eyes squeezed shut, emphasizing her long eyelashes. "No detention, but promise to be more careful, okay? And don't tell anyone… Or we'll both be in trouble. Mrs. Murrey will eat us or something." She tilted her head toward the door where the teacher had disappeared.

"So not a problem," the girl said, opening her eyes and shaking her head. She reached out to pet her Astral. "Thank you very much, Miss T. Do you need any help here?"

Sarah turned around and put the books up. "No, I'm all right, thank you. Also, isn't our class going on a field trip tonight?"

"Yes, ma'am! Twilight Lakes."

"Ah, great place. Waters deeper than time and colder than death," Sarah said thoughtfully. "Good spot for annoying some mermaids." She chuckled.

The girl giggled. "I better get back to class then," she said, walking toward the door. "Thanks again!!"

"Anytime!" Sarah called back brightly. She watched her leave, then frowned slightly.

She walked over to her desk and plopped into her chair, face in her hand. "Wish Alex would go…" she said to herself. She sighed. "She better be studying."

***

The gate to the graveyard said "No Trespassing", but that didn't stop a mysterious set of footprints without a source from marching up to it.

"Aww, they fixed the hole!" Alex complained, reappearing.

"Hmm…" she muttered, looking at the wrought iron spikes on top. She looked at her Astral.

"Okay, let's try it," she said. Black wisps of substance wrapped around her.

She stepped back a bit, took a running start, and jumped right over the fence, the Astral still clinging to her.

She had almost landed when a loud RRRIIP snapped her out of it.

"Aw, man!" she complained, looking up at the torn messenger bag stuck on a spike, whose strap left her dangling a foot off the ground. She slipped out from it and tugged at the bag.

"Figures," she grumbled, "that's what I get for lik… for hating it."

She glanced back and saw her Astral looking away, guilty. "Heeey, this wasn't your fault," she said consolingly. She yanked the bag down, ignoring the giant tear in the bottom.

"It's me…" she said quietly, looking away. "I just… I need to get better. Stronger." She took a deep breath. "And I will be. Just you watch."

She looked at her Astral, a translucent white veil suddenly draped over her head.

"I will be the power that shapes the world."

The Astral hissed and slid back.

Alex blinked, surprised, the veil gone. "What was that?" she muttered, hand on her head. The Astral fussed over her. "I'm okay, I'm okay. What was I saying?"

She blinked, dazed. "Well, whatever, let's go." She started walking, slouching and dragging the torn bag behind her. "Sheesh, can I have more weird tonight, please? Hope no one got buried on my practice sight," she grumbled.

A short while later, Alex was crouching behind a gravestone, staring into the middle of the graveyard.

"Aw, come on!!"

A human girl was standing in Alex's practice sight, glancing around quickly. She pulled the hood of her leather, short-sleeved mini-dress over her Rogue-style black hair, a gray-clad wrist brushing back a white strand of it.

"Damn straight I'll kick her out," Alex grumbled. "I've got homework to do… What's a human doing out here so late, anyway?"

The girl continued looking around, not quite nervous, chewing on her bottom, cherry red lip. She jumped, seeing the swirl of leaves, light, and shadow appearing to her right.

A blond teenaged boy appeared, the collar of his leather jacket blowing away from his white long sleeved shirt, which was blowing against his leather pants.

"Nicholas!!" the girl exclaimed. "I thought you weren't going to make it!"

"I wouldn't miss this for the world," the boy said, leaning down toward her, a rose behind his back. "To be honest, I didn't think you'd come."

She put her hands on her hips. "Ha, you don't scare me!" she said, smiling.

"You had to wait," Nicholas said softly. He held the rose out to her and took her blushing face into his hands. "Let me… make it up to you." He leaned in closer and opened his mouth slightly, revealing a pair of fangs.

Alex gagged and turned away from the kissing couple. She glared in their general direction.

Her face brightened with an idea.

"Did I take it?…" she whispered to herself, rummaging through her bag. "Aha!"

She pulled out a notebook entitled, "vampires In Their Natural Habitat, an observational journal by Alexius Treveney" and a pair of binoculars. She opened the notebook on her knees and put the binoculars up to her eyes, smiling. She had a night speciology report to do.

Crunch

The three of them started.

Nicholas and the girl turned toward the source of the sound.

"Who's there?" he growled.

The fall leaves rustled and crunched until a silhouette appeared around the corner of a large tombstone.

A girl in her early teens staggered out, wavy blonde hair half-covering her face and glazed-over eyes, the blood from a deep wound on her neck dripping down and staining the top half of her shirt.

"H-help…" she whispered weakly.

"She's hurt!" the other girl cried, rushing toward her.

Nicholas watched, slightly exasperated.

"C-cold…" the blonde whispered.

The black-haired girl looked her over and turned back to Nicholas. "Nicholas, she's been bitten!! Is she going to turn?!"

"Huh… Hungry…"

"Uh," Nicholas said, raising an eyebrow at her. "She already has."

The blonde girl lunged at the human, shrieking, eyes wild.

The human gasped, closing her eyes.

Nicholas pushed the other vampire away before she could lay a hand on her.

"Hands off, newbie!" he growled. "This one's mine."

The newbie snarled and scratched across Nicholas's face, leaving five deep marks.

He pushed her back and punched her, causing her head to snap back.

"Observation Cycle II, Day 13," Alex jotted down, "vampires–still go for the jugular. Humans–still dumb as lampposts."

He sent her skidding back across the ground.

"I said back off!!" He wiped at the blood on his face.

The other vampire pushed herself up, snarling. Her nails dug into the ground.

"Touch her and you're dust, you hear?" he growled.

"You two need some help killing each other?"

Nicholas turned toward the voice.

Teresa and Cassidy were standing behind them, flanked by the fair-haired Hunter and the African American girl.

"Because I'd volunteer," Teresa finished, a stake in each hand.

Alex stared from her hiding place.

She ducked back behind the tombstone, her notebook clutched to her chest. She squeezed her eyes shut.

Hunters.

She shoved the notebook into her bag, yanked it off the ground by the strap, and made a run for it.

She stopped too suddenly and fell, taken aback by the other three Hunters standing in front of her.

The girl with the braid and red make-up looked off to the side, watching the other four with the vampire.

"Told you there's someone here," the African American boy said.

"Not just someone," J said, smirking. "It's a little Weirn. With her Astral all showing, how cute."

Okay everybody sorry about how long it took to post this!