We Will Be Together For Never

[12] The Training Center

I was shaken awake a full hour before my alarm was set to go off.

I sat bolt upright, flinging aside my bedcovers and leaping out of bed to stand ramrod straight and staring straight ahead, my heart pounding. I prepared myself to run, or to fight, or to face whatever sort of challenge Father threw at me this morning. Please don't hurt me, please don't hurt me, please don't - 

Then I remembered where I was, and relaxed, glancing sheepishly over at Roger, who was watching me worriedly. "Tamara?" he asked uncertainly. "Are you having a - "

"Why did you wake me up so early?" I demanded as lightly as possible, stretching and walking over to the closet to pick out today's outfit.

"Tamara, we can talk about it - "

"Seriously, it's an hour early," I continued with mock exasperation, completely ignoring Roger as I threw clothes onto my bed. "I assume you want to talk about the school situation?" I turned around to stare him down, challenging him. I was in no way about to talk to Roger about my past. About Father.

Roger was staring at me with a frustrated, helpless expression on his face. Finally, he sighed, abandoning it. "Okay. For today, I want you to drink a bit of blood every hour. Stay full, almost to the point of feeling sick."

I wrinkled my nose. "That sounds pleasant."

"It's necessary unless you want to dine on teacher a la mode in art class. I'm still waiting on replies from some vampires, but I'll see what I can get from them."

"Is that all you woke me up early for?"

"No. We need to take a trip."

I yawned. "Where?"

*

I stayed in the car as Roger climbed out, staring dubiously at the house we had stopped in front of. "What is this place?" I asked.

"You've only met me and...and your father vamp, correct?" Roger asked quickly, obviously hoping to avoid a mental breakdown at the mention of my parent vamp.

I felt a twist of dread in my gut at the direction his words were taking. "Yes..."

"Come on. Get out of the car," Roger said, refusing to elaborate further. Reluctantly, I did.

We walked up to the building and Roger knocked lightly on the door. It looked like a completely normal house, and when the door opened to reveal a seemingly normal middle-aged woman, I worried for a moment that he had the wrong address. Then she smiled at Roger, and I saw her incredibly sharp canine teeth.

"Come in," she said, quickly ushering us inside.

The interior of the house looked nothing like one.

I gaped at the vaulting ceiling and lack of walls. The house was gutted, except for structural support beams here and there. The second floor had also been taken out, making the space seem huge.

Instead of regular rooms or furniture, the "house" was full of exercise equipment. A rock climbing station took up the entire back wall. To the left, something that looked like a parkour workout routine was set up. To the right, strangely elongated treadmills, weight machines with extra weight levels, and a small bar were laid out.

The woman laughed at my expression, her pearly teeth flashing in the low light that soothed my eyes, allowing me to take off my protective sunglasses. "Welcome to the training center," she said over her shoulder as she walked to the bar.

"Like it?" Roger asked, chuckling at my awestricken expression. "I was thinking that you could come here every so often - get your energy out."

I glanced around the room. Already, it had several vampires working out in each area, and two more (including the woman) at the bar. Instinctively, I felt a shiver of disgust.

For so long, though, I had despised the idea of vampirism. I had hated my father vamp, I had hated being a vampire myself, and I had even hated Roger at times.

For the first time since being turned, I actually felt somewhat comfortable in a space devoted entirely to vampirism.

And I loved even the simple, remote feeling of comfort.

"I love it," I said sincerely, turning to Roger and impulsively throwing my arms around his neck. "Thank you."

I felt him stiffen with surprise, but then he relaxed into the hug and embraced me back. He was obviously still shocked that I liked it, however, when he said, "So...I guess I should probably teach you to drive?"

I whooped with excitement, pulling away from him and clapping my hands. "Yes! Let's start now!"

Roger pulled out his phone and checked the time, then shook his head regretfully. "No can do. I've got to get you to school."

My smile dimmed. "Oh, yeah. School."

*

"Hey, Tamara!" Sapphire greeted me as I entered the school building. I blinked, taken aback by her sudden appearance. She can move almost as quietly as a vampire, I thought wryly.

"Hey," I greeted her, using my closed-lip smile. I had been practicing it ever since I became a vampire, and while before turning, I would have looked like I was in pain while smiling with a closed mouth, I liked to think that I now looked somewhat friendly and approachable.

Until the bell rang, I listened to Sapphire chatter about nothing at all, responding where needed and adding on where I could. There wasn't much I could relate to or even understand, though - it was amazing how fast the world changed. In the two-year break I had taken from normal life, so much had happened that I was clueless about.

Finally, the bell rang, and I was released from my floundering conversational state to go to class.

It surprised me how eager I was to see Jordan in Algebra II. I couldn't explain it or justify it, but regardless, I watched the door eagerly after I had set out my notebook and pencil.

He finally entered just as the bell rang, the teacher right behind him, her shoulders stiff with annoyance. He slouched his way over to me and sat in his seat.

"Hey," I said, trying to sound confident and friendly. It came out much quieter than I had intended and I winced.

Jordan glanced over at me with raised eyebrows. I guessed that a lot of people just ignored him when he arrived. Or maybe he just thought I was a new type of crazy. "Hey," he replied uncertainly and equally quietly.

Miss Calder began the day's lesson, calling for silence, and we didn't speak for the rest of the hour.

Even that small victory, however, had made me glow.