Vampires Rule

A Senior at Last

"This must be our new student."

It was a week after his transformation, Monday, and Principal Hardwick stuck a huge hand out to shake Jack's. A big man in a dark suit, Hardwick was in continuous motion like a five-year-old on a sugar high. He rubbed his hands together, checked papers on his desk, paced the floor, and poured coffee all within a five-minute span.

During those five minutes Jack got slammed with reality. He couldn't recapture his lost life. What was he thinking? He shouldn't be trying to return to school as if nothing had happened. That stern voice in the back of his mind, the one that sounded like his father, taunted him while Hardwick was talking.

He should have stayed home.

Fortunately he had one thing going for him. Hardwick had only transferred to Jefferson Memorial a few years ago. Jack hoped his luck would hold for the rest of his senior year and he wouldn't run into any teachers he used to know.

Principal Hardwick interrupted his thoughts with, "Lunch is just ending. You'll begin with your fifth period class today. I like to assign a student to show our new people around the school. This is Meghan Welch, star pupil."

Hardwick gestured to a pretty brunette standing in the open doorway. She flushed a happy pink at the softly spoken praise. Smiling at Jack, she walked straight up to him and latched onto his arm as if they were the newest, hottest couple in town. "Nice to meet you."

Hardwick continued, "You couldn't be in better hands. Meghan is student body president, editor of our school paper, and head cheerleader. Teachers and students love her. Follow her lead and you'll do fine."

Ignoring the girl and the principal, Billy said, "I'll pick you up after school."

"Don't bother," Jack said. "I can find my way home."

Billy raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. With a lazy shrug he left the room. The principal followed suit, returning to his private office. Meghan pulled Jack into the hallway. He already regretted telling Billy not to return for him. He hadn't wanted his brother to make two long trips in one day. Surely he could convince someone to give him a ride at least part way. He could walk a few miles if he needed to.

Meghan went into a long, boring roll of what classes were where and told him some things about the teachers on his list. This obviously wasn't the first time she'd shown the new kid around. She droned on and on until he thought he might fall asleep standing up. Her giddy voice sawed on his nerves.

"You're in luck," she said, hopping like a demented rabbit. She waved his list of classes in front of his face. "Your next class is English with Jersey Clifford. I have him too. He'll ask you to use his first name. Always does. He is so cool and fun and super smart. Some of the girls have a crush on him. Mr. Hardwick scooped him up from a big school out east last year. One thing you should know about Jersey is that he loves quoting poetry. If you want to make points with him, memorize a poem by Frost or Yeats or one of those other dead poets. That'll impress him."

The hallway flooded with rowdy teenagers as lunch ended. Some rushed to their lockers, while others strolled along with friends, chatting and laughing. Jack froze to the spot. Feeling claustrophobic, he wanted to run for the nearest exit. He hadn't been surrounded by this many people in years. Vampires shunned the company of mortals—unless they were hungry.

"Where did you go to school before?" Meghan asked.

"Uh...Boston." He had to work to remember the lie.