CHAPTER 3
the hallway was tall and long, not making me feel better. on the walls there were statues of gargoyles and great paintings of dragons and mythical creatures. it was like something out of a Harry Potter book.
Mr. Verdingo seemed really tense, and he didn't say a word. i was getting more and more anxious. what the hell was going on?
finally, we stopped in front of these huge doors. they were medieval styled, and at another time i would've thought they were really cool. now they just looked oppressing.
Mr. Verdingo knocked with the latch, and someone inside said, "Enter."
Mr. Verdingo wrenched the door open, and then let me in first. i wanted nothing more than to run away, but i went in.
the furniture was old, and really cool, and looked REALLY expensive. if i broke a vase in there, i knew i'd have to work at the school for the rest of life to pay for it.
there was a big, mahogany desk at one end, and behind it was an old guy. he carried so much respect and authority that i knew for certain he was the principal.
"Tristan," the Principal said, "what has this young lady done?"
"Sir," Mr. Verdingo said quietly, "this girl is a code red."
the Principal stood up in surprise. "a code red? A-are you sure?"
Mr. Verdingo nodded gravely. i was getting more and more confused. the way they were talking about me... it was like i was dangerous.
"uh... what's going on?" i asked.
the Principal looked at me. "Ms... Smith, is it?"
"yeah?"
"aren't you a dry-siren?"
"what's a dry-siren?" i asked. "what's going on?"
"Miss," Mr. Verdingo said, "in the form you said your talent was 'singing'. how good? do people LOVE your singing? are they drawn by it? are they entranced by it?"
"uh... no." now i was gonna be kicked out. i knew it.
Mr. Verdingo and the Principal looked at eachother. "i thought she was a dry-siren."
"and her father one too."
"and her mother a dance demon."
A demon? "excuse me?"
"So she is a code red," Mr. Verdingo confirmed. "now what?"
"Tristan, come with me," the Principal said quietly. "Ms. Smith, if you'll please stay here?"
"sure." did i have any choice?
The Principal and Mr. Verdingo went over to another room, and I didn't know if they wanted to be heard, because I heard everything.
"What now?" Mr. Verdingo asked.
There was a pause. "we let her stay."
"we WHAT?"
"we foster some loyalty in her," the Principal said. "she'll make friends, perhaps even find some boy. Then she'll be compelled to keep the secret out of loyalty."
I heard Mr. Verdingo pause. "I see."
"I'll tell her," the Principal said, and I heard them coming back to me. I tried to act casual, like I hadn't heard a thing.
"Ms. Smith," the Principal said, "there's something we'd like to inform you of. St. Anderson's... is a school for the specially talented. Mythical creatures, I believe you call them."
I smiled uneasily. He was NOT funny, but since he was gonna be my principal, I gave a polite smile. "uh... very funny, sir."
Mr. Verdingo frowned. "Ms. Smith, this is not a joke. This is a school for mythical creatures. Henry? He's our finest student, and he's a vampire."
"Yeah, he told me," I said. what happened to the school? Did someone drop a mad gas bomb on it?
"Ms. Smith," the Principal said quietly, "perhaps you don't understand. This IS a school for 'mythical creatures'.
I gave another uneasy smile. They were freaking me out! But I didn't wanna get kicked out of the school before my first lesson, so I kept my mouth shut.
"she doesn't believe, Tristan," the Principal said to Mr. Verdingo. "show her, if you please."
Mr. Verdingo sighed, and then, suddenly, there was a huge ball of fire in his hand. He wasn't holding it: it was floating like an inch above his palm.
It wasn't special effects, no type of trickery. I could feel the heat from it. I wanted to scream, then faint. But I've never been a screamer, and never fainted in my life. So I just took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. CALM MYSELF???? The guy had created fire in his hand out of NOWHERE!!!
"Tristan is a fire demon," the Principal said casually. "he can create fire, as you see. Now, would you like to listen properly, Ms. Smith?"
I was barely able to nod. I wanted to hyperventilate... no, even better, I wanted to run out of there screaming my lungs off. But I just sat there like an idiot.
"you see, St. Anderson's is a school for mythical creatures. We have students who are vampires, werewolves, demons, elves, nymphs, sorcerers and the like," the Principal explained. "we usually seek students out, but some apply to us. We... we thought you were one of them. But you're obviously not."
"No." calm down Lara, I told myself.
"we presumed you a dry-siren, or rather, a dryad or oread," Mr. Verdingo said. "nymphs of woods or mountains. They attract people with their singing, or even with their glances. That's what we mean when we write 'talent', to throw off any suspecting... people."
"I see." I see? I was in a school for vampires and werewolves.
"we've agreed to let you stay," the Principal said. "we not only teach students to control their powers, but we also teach them normal subjects. You will attend your classes, and you may sit in on other special classes, too."
I nodded. I am gonna attend school with demons and stuff. No biggie, right?
"you may go," the Principal told me. "here is your dorm number." He handed me a piece of card, and I got up to leave.
"Ms. Smith," the Principal said as I was leaving, and I stopped. "remember, this is of the utmost secrecy, so please do not tell anyone."
"of course not, sir," I said, and I walked off.
The gargoyles in the hallway glared down at me. I took a deep breath. Just act cool, I told myself. COOL??? I jumped a mile in the air. I was going to a school for mythical creatures!!!
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