"Fall in!" Jesslyn's voice boomed across the gym as reluctant students approached her; it was the first hour of the second day of school and they already dreaded her. She could not care less if they did, but she wanted to get this day over with; there was a lot of things on her plate right now.
"I can't believe she's our teacher."
"Can't we get another one?"
"I wish we can."
Blowing her whistle, Jesslyn silenced the murmurs of the class; it was not even the whole of the level and they were already being crass about it. All forty of them sat in front of her as she took out her clipboard, then announced the regular activity for today; a round of relieved sighs erupted as everyone's mood turned a little better.
"Before you start your incessant groans," Jesslyn spoke as she examined the room, "Let me explain something first," she continued, "The two hour P.E session, now called Drill Class, only happens once a week and for you first years, yours happens on Thursdays."
Soft murmurs broke out as Jesslyn examined their expressions, aware that they did not like the announcement; she merely took a deep breath as her eyes landed on Katherine, whose head was hung low. It nearly made her frown just looking at her, aware that her guilt had yet to dissipate.
"So," Jesslyn chirped as she tried to change the mood, "Your P.E today will be normal as per usual," she smiled at them, "But I want five laps around the gym before you run off to do your own things."
Everyone stood up with a groan as much as they complied; they went over to the starting point that Jesslyn pointed out. The whistle went and they began their laps. Katherine kept her head hung as she run; she did not wish to raise her gaze, afraid that she would meet Jesslyn's stare.
After one lap, she still fell behind as the others ran past her; she did not feel all too well – nearly faint, but from Jesslyn's point of view, it looked like she was being unreadable. Katherine kept running and running as the memories kept coming back to her head; she did not wish to recall it – all of her weakness.
Her feet took stride after stride as she ran past the large crowd without even thinking; she could feel the wind pick up as much as she can feel her muscles ache. She ran and ran until she heard Jesslyn's whistle go and made her stop, then turn to her; she met her standing figure as her finger pointed to the crowd.
"You there," Jesslyn shouted as Katherine pointed to herself, "The guy in black tinted shirt," she called out as Katherine took deep breaths to control her risen heartbeat, "Come here," she frowned as the tall well-built lad approached her, "And Miss Wilson, you're good for free play."
Katherine hung her head as she breathed through her mouth; she slowly made her way to the bleachers and plopped herself down on the seat. Thump went her heart against her chest as she recalled the exact same rhythm it played last night – at how she felt fear inside her heart as much as anger.
"May I ask why you're not wearing the right school shirt, vampie?"
"I was in a rush, teach."
"You're not allowed to wear anything else than the school uniform when inside school grounds on a school day."
"I know that, I was just-"
"Being in a rush is not an excuse, Mister Arnolds," Jesslyn roared and silenced the young ginger haired lad, "I will not allow you to take my class if you keep slacking about," she continued as she could see the red in his eyes, "If I see you not in uniform again, you will not enter my gym, is that clear Mister Arnolds?"
Her voice thundered across the gym, enough for everyone to hear; she glared down at him as he glared back without the faintest hint of remorse. Jesslyn could sense his anger as much as his eyes grew red, aware that he would soon take the first move; she merely glowered at him which only taunted the young vampire.
"You're just a human," Arnolds hissed as he threw a punch at Jesslyn which made the crowd gasp out loud; it hit her right in the left cheek which made her head move ever so slightly, but the force was very strong. "I know those uniforms bar our powers and it's the reason why we can't use them in school or in class!"
A round of whispers erupted as every student halted their jog and talked amongst themselves about it; some of them even looked at their uniforms and wondered what was so special about it, but found nothing in the soft silk they wore.
"Does his words ring true?"
"Are we really useless with our uniforms on?"
"So, that's the secret!"
Katherine stood up as she noticed the change in Jesslyn's eyes, aware that Arnolds had popped a vein; she clenched her fists as she waited for something to happen, unsure whether Jesslyn would do what she think she would do.
"I'm right," Arnolds smirked, "Aren't I, human?"
All eyes were on Jesslyn as much as Arnold clenched his fist, ready to strike her again should she deny his allegations; he waited for her to reply as everyone watched as Jesslyn slowly turned her gaze at him and merely smiled. Katherine felt her pulse shot up at her smile, aware that it was that smile.
"I'm afraid you're wrong," Jesslyn replied as Arnold clicked his tongue and threw another punch, but Jesslyn caught his hand even if it was at breakneck speed; the crowd grew wide-eyed – nearly stunned at what they just saw – even the young vampire in front of her could not believe it. "You just don't get it."
Hissing out loud, Arnold tried to punch Jesslyn once more with his free arm in his anger, but Jesslyn pulled his fist she had in her hand towards her and head-butted him; it made him grit his teeth as Jesslyn pushed him back and looped under his arm, then kicked his shin which forced him down.
"You bitch!" Arnolds hissed as Jesslyn placed him in a submission hold and pulled on his arm whilst she slowly twisted his wrists, "Let me go!"
Jesslyn smirked, "I thought I'm just human?"
"Let me go now or I swear I'll rip you in pieces!" Arnolds threatened as Jesslyn twisted his wrist fully and the whole room heard the snap; gasps erupted as much as fear spread across their chests. Katherine stood there in horror as they all heard his wrist snap as much as he shrieked out loud from the pain.
Jesslyn let go of him as she towered over him and watch him squirm like a pig on the ground; she glared down at him with a devilish smirk on her lips. Her gaze soon landed on the crowd, who jolted from her intense gaze as her lips soon turned into a straight line as if to show her seriousness; even without her doing that, they knew that she meant business.
"I'll only say this once," Jesslyn shouted calmly as the whole room tuned into her, afraid that she might do the same to them, "So, listen carefully," she continued as walked over Arnolds and took her clipboard, "You're uniforms are essential to your everyday life and not because it controls your powers."
Katherine swallowed her spit as her eyes locked on Arnolds who had yet to get up; he was a vampire so his recovery rate would match a wolf, but faster, so why hasn't he gotten up? If he claimed that the uniform prevented his powers, why has he not recovered? He was not even wearing the school's dark blue top!
"The school issued uniforms to show equality," Jesslyn explained as she addressed the crowd properly and placed both her hands behind to show a determined stance, "All of you are from different races, forms and social standings," she continued, "But in this school, all of you stand equal and your backgrounds are irrelevant!"
There was silence; none bothered to steer their gaze away from Jesslyn as they realised the truth behind it. They have never thought about it at all and began to understand the need for it; even though she was the only human in that school, they had a lot of disrespect for her, but after what they saw, they have grown to do so.
"You're just human," Arnold spat as he slowly stood up, "We can take you down on our own!" he hissed as he lunged towards Jesslyn who merely stared him down, "I'm going to kill you, bitch!"
Jesslyn stood her ground as she waited for him to attack, but felt a gust of wind touch her right cheek which made her smirk; Katherine held him back as he threw a tantrum. She watched Katherine let him go and made him roll on the floor; there were faints echoes of her growl.
"Stand down!" Katherine roared as Arnold got up and hissed at her, "You're already out of line and have gone beyond disrespect for our teacher!"
He hissed back, "You're just her pet!"
Katherine growled as they both exchanged roars; the rest of the room already felt frightened as Jesslyn merely sighed and walked up to the two of them. Arnold saw her approached and charged her, but she merely side-stepped, then put her foot out for him to trip face first; she has had enough of his childishness.
"Miss Wilson," Jesslyn spoke as Katherine looked at her, "I suggest you explain to Mister Arnolds his position in this fight, before everything is too late."
Arnold got up and hissed, "What are you saying, you slattern?"
"Stand down, Mister Arnolds," Jesslyn commanded him in a stricter tone, "Or else."
Arnold laughed out loud, "Or else what? A human like you can kill me? A vampire? Don't fool yourself, mortal!"
"Back away," Katherine spoke as she exhaled to calm herself, "This isn't a fight you can win."
"Hah!" Arnolds exclaimed as he walked past her and faced Jesslyn, "A mere human can't beat us Non-Mortals!"
Katherine just sighed and walked away, aware that this did not bode well for him; she stood a few feet away as the others looked at her with raised brows and curiosity. Soon enough, they heard a loud thud on the ground and their eyes once again returned to their teacher, then found the unruly vampire on the ground spread eagle as though paralysed.
The bell rang as Jesslyn towered over the well-built vampire and watched as he tried to move his arms, but could not; he watched as Jesslyn turned to the class and smiled as if nothing was wrong. He could not understand how a human made him like that, certain that she had used something on him for him to be so weak.
"Class dismissed," Jesslyn clapped her hands as the crowd dispersed to their respective lockers; it did not end in silence, where everyone walked past the vampire on the ground and merely felt sorry for him, but others found him intolerable. "Don't be late for your next class."
With that, Jesslyn walked over the vampire and picked her clipboard from the ground, then exited the gym; she left him there to think about his actions as she made her way to headmaster's office to report what just happened, aware that it would not look good for her, but it had to be done.
"You should've just backed away," Katherine stooped down to his level as he turned his eyes to her, "You were no match for her from the very beginning."
Arnold furrowed his brows in anger, "She was Mortal, how can she be so strong?"
Katherine sighed as she sat beside him and hugged her knees; she did not know whether it was a good idea to tell him the truth, but Jesslyn did tell her earlier to warn him properly. It's better late than never, I guess, she thought as she looked into his seething gaze, but the red has already subsided.
"Because she's from the Assassin's clan."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Have you heard what happened?"
"They said that there was an intruder in the campus last night."
"I heard someone tried to commit suicide."
Endless speculations continued to fog the cafeteria as Katherine kept her head down; she did not wish to hear them as much as she wanted to forget what happened last night. They do not know the truth and they should just quit their petty gossip about it; nothing will come out of their hearsay rumours.
"How come you're not with the other wolves?"
A soft, but chirpy voice entered her ears which made her peep out of her crossed arms and saw a pair of familiar blue eyes; she returned to her shell and tried to ignore her, simply because she too reminded her last night's travesty.
"And here I thought you respected me," Ori pouted as Katherine sighed and broke out of her shell then looked at her with tired eyes, "What's gotten you down in the dumps, firstie?"
Katherine plopped her elbow on the rectangular table, "Nothing really."
"Okay, I won't pry," Ori nodded and left her alone, "So, why aren't you with the rest of your lycan brothers and sisters?"
Katherine eyed her listless, "I should say the same to you."
"I'm not wolf though," Ori giggled as she took a bite out of her strawberry.
Katherine rolled her eyes, "You know what I mean."
"Well it's simple," Ori smiled as she nudged to the whole room, "Because we don't have our own table," she explained as Katherine took a good look at the cafeteria, "Morphlings aren't really keen on sticking together, because we prefer to be with other people."
Katherine raised a brow, "What for?"
"I'm not sure," Ori shrugged, "But because we like to be surrounded by other people, I guess."
Katherine sighed, "Lucky for you."
"Hey, is it true?" Ori suddenly queried, "That coach Jesslyn fought with a kid in your class this morning?"
Katherine chuckled, "Yeah, he was being disrespectful and because he alleged that the uniforms bar our powers."
"So he learned it the hard way huh?" Ori giggled as Katherine smiled at her, "I still find her unusually strong for a human you know?" she told her honestly, "But all the more, she has my respect."
Katherine nodded, "Yeah she has always gotten that feel like it's an aura around her."
"Always?" Ori raised a brow as she stared at her curiously, "Have you known the coach before?"
Katherine puckered her lips to one side, "Well you can say that."
"Really? Wow," Ori nearly squealed as she leant closer, "How was she like before being a teacher?"
Katherine shrugged, "I have known her for four years and met her through my m-" she halted her tongue, "a fond friend."
"Well, that doesn't really answer my question," Ori hummed a bit as a tall lanky lad approached their table and sat beside her, "Oh, what took you so long Chase?"
The curly haired man smiled, "The queue here is extremely long you know?"
"Right, I keep forgetting," Ori replied as she turned to Katherine, "Chase meet Katherine, a freshie," she introduced them, "Chase is a good friend of mine."
Chase feigned hurt as he clutched his chest, "Just a good friend? You hurt me madam."
"Nice to meet you, Chase," Katherine laughed as she extended her hand out, "I'm Katherine Wilson."
Chase raised a brow with a bit of startled expression, "Oh my gosh, she's polite, Ori."
"I know right," Ori giggled as she watched the two shake hands, "I told you she was."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Katherine looked at them with a curious brow raised.
Chase chuckled as he plopped an elbow on the table, "Well, little miss Morphling here just told me about you last night," he explained as Ori playfully elbowed him, "She talked a lot about you, Kathie."
"Good things, I hope," Katherine turned to Ori, who looked a little red on the cheeks, "Anyway, Jess has always been like that Ori – nice one moment, serious the next, but unpredictable mostly."
Chase took a sip from his drink, "You're gossiping about the hot human?"
"Chase shush," Ori rolled her eyes, "We don't really want you drooling over the coach right now."
Chase chuckled, "Hey, I'm just saying."
Katherine sat there and watched her two upperclassmen talk about Jesslyn; little did they know that she was more than what she seemed. She did not wish to reveal more than that or the fact that she was already taken by another person; Chase's dreams would be shot down before it could even rise up.
Whilst the duo chatted, Katherine noted the black, circle tattoo below Chase's left ear that covered at least one fourth of the side of his neck; it made her wonder what it was and looked around the cafeteria. There were a few from the Mage's corner that had the same tattoo's but in different designs and locations, which made her wonder if it was something to mark them.
"What's with the tattoo?" Katherine blurted out unconsciously and caught the duo's attention.
Chase chuckled, "It's not really a tattoo, but it just looks like it."
"What do you mean?" Katherine queried further as she looked at Ori for a brief moment, who was writing something on a piece of napkin.
Chase smiled, "It's our birthmarks, something that shows us that were noms," he explained as Katherine raised a brow, "There are four different designs which tells us from which Magesterium we came from," he continued as he pointed to his own tattoo, "Mine is the owl's eyes to show that I came from the western one."
"There's also the Buffalo, the Armadillo, and the Shark," Ori explained on behalf of Chase, who finished the rest of his drink, "Shark to the East, Armadillo to the North and Buffalo to the South."
"I see," Katherine replied as Ori handed her the napkin, "What's this?"
"Our numbers," Ori replied with a smile, "You can call us when you need help with anything."
Chase frowned, "You should've asked for my permission before you gave my number."
"Should I rip it out then?" Katherine offered as Chase laughed at her response, "What?"
Chase turned to Ori, "I like her already."
"I told you, you will," Ori smirked as they both high-fived each other, "Well, we should go, the bell would ring soon."
Just as she predicted, the bell rang and signalled the end of lunch hour; the trio smiled at each other as they went their separate ways, Katherine really appreciated their company as she made her way towards her building. As she passed the double doors out, she found herself walking towards a different direction – to the centre of the all three buildings.
Led by her guilt, Katherine stood in front of the infirmary door and stared at it; she could not bring herself to enter the door and merely stood there as she recalled everything that happened last night. Anger overcame her guilt as she hated herself for her inability to protect her; she was weak and she disliked it very much.
"Kathie?"
She raised her lowered gaze and found Jesslyn by the door; she just left the room and stood there with a smile on her face as she approached her. Katherine looked away and began to walk away as much as she knew she was already late; Jesslyn caught up to her and fell into strides with her, wondering why she did not enter.
"Are you still blaming yourself?" Jesslyn tried to understand her but Katherine did not respond; she could faintly hear her unsteady heartbeat which told her that she was. "Look, it's not your fault, alright?"
Words falling on deft ears, Jesslyn halted her step as she watched her student walk away; she sighed and proceeded to the faculty. It hurts her to think that her inability to protect her own students was the very reason why Katherine was blaming herself; if there was anyone to blame, it should be her and none else.
As a teacher, it was her duty to protect and guide her students – the latter she seemed to have failed at; she knew not how to comfort the guilt in Katherine's heart, but knew that there was only one way to banish her guilt away.
And that answer had yet to waken.
Sighing, Jesslyn just hoped that her only ray of hope would soon open her eyelids; even she wanted to know how the intruder got into her room undetected. None of the alarms were triggered nor were there any signs of forced entry into her room; the window was intact and there was not a single claw mark dug onto the building walls.
For all the years she has dealt with these Non-Mortals and her first-hand experience through two dear friends, she has never seen anything as clean as this; the only damage that was actually visible was the crack on the wall and the broken door that Katherine herself made.
Sighing, she entered the faculty room and sat on her desk, then took her clipboard for the next class; she went through the list in an effort to divert her attention from the on-going investigation. No matter how much she read through the races that were on her class list, she cannot help but think that their culprit was not even one of them; it was merely a hunch.
"What is he?"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Can I go now?"
"Just half an hour more, Miss Shepard."
"But I'm fine already!"
Hailey groaned as she rolled her eyes and sighed out loud, enough for the Mage doctor to hear; she can feel his chant flow across her body as much as the marks on her neck had already faded as if it never existed at all.
From the way the sun was setting, she was certain that she had been there for most of the day and school would be over soon enough; the open window blew a soft breeze into the room that made her frown at the message it carried. She sat up and swung her legs off the bed and approached the window; she breathed in the fresh air and let out a soft sigh.
"I need to meditate," Hailey whispered as she draped herself on the window's ledge as the wind touched her cheek; her mind wandered off to what actually happened last night. It was all a haze inside her head, but she can never forget those golden eyes that threatened to take her life away; his silent growl echoed sinisterly inside her brain that made her body quiver for but a moment.
Unconsciously, her hand touched her neck as a flashback of those eyes came back once again; her body quaked as she pulled herself back into the room and went back into her bed, then pulled the duvet over. Fear crept along her spine as she hugged herself and pulled her knees up into a foetal position; her eyes closed shut as the memories haunted her.
As her body quivered, she recalled another pair of golden eyes that was more worried and concerned than sinister despite in her half-form; the memory of her worried face and the mix of her emotions somehow calmed her down, even by just a bit. A part of her wanted to see her, to thank her for saving her from that nightmare.
"Miss Shepard," the doctor called as he pulled aside the white curtains that separated the beds, "You are free to go, but you need to see Miss Faraday first."
The doctor waited for her to come out of the duvet and nearly found it odd that she was hiding under it; he raised a brow in curiosity as he approached her and noticed that she the sheets were quaking. Slowly, he pulled the duvet and noted his patient's state – afraid and shocked.
"Don't be afraid, Shepard," the doctor comforted as he sat beside her and rubbed her back, "There's none here who can hurt you," he soothed her as he felt the warmth that emanated from his hand, which told him that the young Fae felt his emotions and eventually, she calmed down, "Are you feeling better?"
Hailey slowly opened her eyes, "Much, I thank you."
"Hey, that's what doctors do," he smiled as he stood up and watched her sit up, "We're here to make you feel better," he chuckled as Hailey found comfort in his words, "I'll help you change."
Hailey blinked twice at his statement, "I'm sorry, whut?"
"That came out wrong, huh," the doctor hummed as he held his palm out, then wrote an invisible circle, "Just trust me," he told her as the uniform that was neatly folded by the stool float up and stood in front of her; he waved his palm towards her and the clothes rushed towards her and eventually, it was the one she wore. "There."
Hailey looked down with her mouth agape, completely in disbelief, "That is sick."
"Old tricks," the doctor chuckled, "From an old dog," he smiled as he beckoned for her to follow him, "Before I forget," he spoke as he sat on his desk chair and took out a box, "This was left here for you."
Hailey looked down at the table and noted the small, transparent plastic box that had a small brow muffin inside with a chocolate cookie stuck on the top; she raised a brow at it before she looked up at the doctor as if asking who gave it, but he merely shrugged at her.
"It was here when I got back," he tried to explain as Hailey slowly raised it to eye level just to examine it, "Don't worry," he chuckled, "I already inspected it with a chant to see if its poisoned or anything."
Nodding, Hailey examined the little muffin as she felt a warmth envelop her heart; there was a faint trail of energy left on the plastic that allowed her to feel care and concern over her that made her wonder who gave it. The energy did not seem to manifest any face in her head that she cannot say for sure who gave it; she held it to her chest as though it was precious.
"Thanks for taking care of me, doc," Hailey smiled as she bowed her appreciation and proceeded to the door, "I'll come by if I feel anything."
The doctor smiled, "You're free to come back for any ailments."
"Which I hope I don't get any more," she giggled as she opened the door and closed it behind her; the warm air greeted her as much as the mild chatter around entered her ears. The last bell rang not too long ago and the hallways were already filled with students in navy blue blazers and vests.
The energy from the box seeped into her as found herself sitting on a stone bench and staring at it; other passers-by saw her and wondered what she was doing with the box. A part of Hailey could not understand the joy she felt at the thought of someone deeply worried about her; the concern that ate at them just to know she was safe.
"I have no idea," Hailey spoke to none in particular as the soft breeze gently blew against her skin, "I feel warm inside," she whispered as the leaves rustled overhead, "I don't know," her voice nearly choked, "I'm just, happy."
"Who you talking to?"
Raising her lowered gaze, Hailey saw a familiar face standing in front of her; her blue eyes gleamed curiosity as she gestured to take a seat next to her. She allowed her to sit beside her as she returned to her gaze to the muffin and felt the energy left over it; it somehow calmed her further.
"Nice muffin you have there," Ori spoke as she turned to her, "Who gave it to you?"
Hailey shook her head, "I'm not sure."
"I see," Ori hummed, "Sorry if I bothered you, I just found your muffin quite curious."
Hailey raised a brow at her, "How so?"
"Well for one," Ori spoke as she gave a thoughtful expression, "The school doesn't sell pastries on weekdays," she explained as she pointed to the box, "So, I wondered if someone actually baked that."
Hailey felt a little flutter in her heart as she thought about the person; it made her wonder even more at who had left such a present for her. Now that she knew, she did not wish to even eat the little muffin; just looking at it made her want to meet this person.
Ori stared at the blue haired teen and wondered what ran in her mind, but as the sun slowly set, she stood up, then took a good stretch; Hailey still had her eye on the box as Ori looked down at her. She smiled at the beautiful expression she that nearly looked like there was nostalgia in her.
"I'll see you around," Ori bade and left Hailey to herself; the soft breeze touched her cheek, but she refused to steer her gaze away from the box. She had hoped to learn more of its maker as she tried her hardest to focus on the energy, but the remnants have dissipated.
Disappointed, she stood up and proceeded to find her coach; there was a little bit of dejection in her heart as kept the box close to her chest. The warmth it gave her, she wanted to feel more of it – the feeling of being important to someone.
Who could you be my mysterious baker?
Hailey had her eyes on the muffin as she tried to make her way towards the faculty office, where assumed her teacher would be; she expected her to have been waiting for her outside, but she can only imagine that she was not that a special case for her to miss her own classes – she was a teacher after all.
Rounding the curve, she bumped into someone as the small box almost fell off her grip, but thankfully it did not; she glared up at the person she bumped into, who merely apologised as Hailey just nodded and proceeded up the stairs.
The box was precious to her and she did not wish for anything to happen to it; she wanted to know who gave it to her. Could it be Katherine? she thought, but the energy that was left on the box did not hold any kind of hate, not even a speck of guilt; it could not have been her, since she knew that any person who feel such an emotion after what happened and would not be able to accept their weakness.
Especially the prideful wolves.
As she ascended the stairs, she looked around and found the faculty; the green plaque with black borders gave it away as much as the word written on it. She approached it with the box still carefully resting on her chest as if it was her most prized possession – the most important thing she had in the world.
Beside the door was a stand with a list of names on a machine; there was a button beside each name that made her wonder how to operate it. Finding the coach's name, she pressed the button and waited for what would happen; a minute went by and the door slid open, the person she was told to seek stepped out with a smile ready to greet her.
"You look great," Jesslyn spoke as she examined the young teen and noted the muffin in the box, "How are you feeling though?"
Hailey smiled, "I'm feeling great as much as I look great," she jested as Jesslyn chuckled, "Thanks for the muffin."
"No problem," Jesslyn smiled wider as she gestured for Hailey to sit on the bench next to the intercom, "I have some news for you," she spoke as she looked at her straight in the eyes, "And I'm not sure you'd like it."
Hailey braced herself as she took a deep breath, "I'm sure it's not that bad."
"Well, it's decided that you'll be detained."
~
~
A/N: Jesslyn's teaching style, how would you respond to it? If you were her student, would you accept her teaching style? What would happen to Hailey? I need information! :D Hope you enjoyed this chapter even though I think its not much.
Vote Comment and Follow if you haven't yet; your support is widely appreciated (:
Dedicated to Phoenix-Luv as thanks for her support of Scent of Blood! (: I hope you will enjoy this series too ^^
~
~
©bookie032 2015