Gabbi with Tyler had their backpacks, complete with 'ammunition for war,' as Tyler said.
"In short, don't be suspicious," the youngest Roșu concluded after the last round of the same reminders Marcus recited.
"Yes, don't be suspicious," he said and adjusted his tie. But Gabbi, who was willing to make herself useful, raised her hand to do it for him. He nodded. Her previous job as a maid before the brothel had come in handy. As she fixed Marcus' tie, his reminder never ceased.
"One mistake and I'll lock you up again, Ty, get it? Your transfer is done. Someone related to our kind will help you inside the school. He'll be waiting."
Marcus was wordier than usual; he resembled a mother in the movie they watched who fussed over her child's first day.
"Something wrong?" he asked after she had been staring at him with a suppressed smile. She stepped back, satisfied with the tie knot. Anyone with no knowledge could mistake him for a normal human. Well, a tycoon, but a human nonetheless. "I'll watch over Tyler, I promise. I'll tell you if something's wrong." She has wondered why and what work Marcus does. Even Damien helped him. At least she wanted to give him a piece of mind while at work, that his brother is on the right path of anonymity at school.
"And most of all, enjoy." Marcus looked at them like he meant it.
"Yes," she replied while Tyler mumbled an impatient "Of course."
A shiny red car rolled from the manor's side path, and Damien climbed out from the driver's seat. He then threw the key to Tyler.
The latter frowned. "We'll use this slow thing? Can we 'walk' to school?"
Damien responded with a stern "No. You'll be driving from now on."
"But—"
"—Act like a human, damn it."
"Yeah, yeah." He opened the passenger's seat. "Hop in, Gabbi!"
There was no way they wouldn't stand out with such a vehicle, but she swallowed her words.
"Be careful out there," Damien reminded before the door shut.
His brows were furrowed, much of warning and worry. For a moment, she wanted to stay a little longer. For a moment, she wanted to stay with him.
"I will," she mouthed to him.
The engine revved, and Tyler put on his sunglasses. "Freedom, here I come!" he screamed as he sped out the gate.
Gabbi looked back at the front door. Marcus was waving goodbye, while Damien had the same unreadable expression.
"Don't worry, he'll be fine without you," he assured, "He's used to it."
______________
If not for the unbearable experience of being stared at, Gabbi could never immerse into the character of abashed 'new kids' in movies. The moment they stepped out of the car, stress bore into their backs. Iverfield's lifeline is an underground cave, discovered a decade ago a kilometer east of an abandoned village. The country was shaken to find out that a farming village of almost a hundred residents had disappeared, houses into the flames, but as the red ambers died and ashes remained, no traces of bodies were found. They were just gone.
Tourists of all kinds flooded the site, police plastered yellow tapes of warning, and the cameras flashed. Everything was printed in newspapers and reported in the news. But as big as ambiguous it was, it was a cold case.
The hype died, and Iverfield struggled with its tourism bubble but revived when daredevil teens got lost in the forest and found the cave a decade ago. A campaign site around the cave was set by the town council, and the abandoned village was revamped to be a 'cursed gate to the underworld.' It said that a hidden passage somewhere in the village may send one to the underworld, like how the residents disappeared. Surprisingly, people consumed the novelty.
And so, Iverfield's economy rose, investors flocked, and new money popped up every so often. Everybody seemed rich. Gabbi spotted shiny cars and brands everywhere, but Tyler's presence cannot be bought, worn, or ridden. To the others who only had their parents' money to flaunt, Tyler stood above the crowd without him even trying. And Gabbi was uncomfortable to be around a high school rockstar who kept on whispering, "Gabbi, everyone's looking at us. We're 'cool kids', aren't we?"
Act normal and blend in, they said. It's impossible.
"Gabbi, people. A lot of them." Tyler tugged the sleeves of her jacket as he swept his eyes on the clump of cliques. Some discreet in sizing them up, some blatantly pointing at them with their sharp manicured nails. She inwardly apologized to Marcus.
"Do you think they know who we are? That's not good. What do I do, Gabbi? Can we kill them?"
Her steps faltered and wide-eyed at Tyler with incredulity. "Please don't," she squeaked.
He grinned and removed her hood. She can hear a few gasps and "Damn" but ignored it. Well, at least someone's happy, she appeased herself and let Tyler enjoy his moment. A teacher greeted them by the entrance. Unlike the rest, his stare was not of awe but recognition. "Tyler Roșu and Gabrielle Red?"
"That's us... yep." Tyler nodded his head proudly. "The new students. Just normal kids."
For some reason, she imagined him giggling internally.
"Jagger, Felix Jagger. I teach here. If you need anything, ask me. We assured your brother, Marcus Roșu, that you'll be fine."
Marcus already told them about the people that would help at school.
Well, the Roșus are all tall, but Felix Jagger was probably shorter than an average grown man, so he had to crane his neck up to Tyler. Gabbi pictured him running in late, with three buttons of his creased shirt open and his hair sprung like grass, forcefully combed with fingers. "Human..." she mumbled, but audible enough for him to hear.
"I am." He smiled. "And so are you."
"Sorry, I'm late." Another one approached after a forced halt beside them, and yet she never chased for breath. It was Gabbi who held hers and blinked at the familiar doll. It was the girl sticking posters they saw back on Gabbi's first sneak at school.
Her eyes were black, and no trace of sleepless purple under her eyes. Contact lenses and makeup can cover distinctive physical features, yet Gabbi, despite being unable to explain how or why she knew that the smiling girl was a vampire. Even her voice was pleasing, as the beginning of a happy song.
"It's fine," said the teacher. "This is Kelly, Kelly Pierce. Senior. She'll tour you around." Felix Jagger bid them farewell and staggered in the corridor, mumbling his fix of coffee.
Kelly was almost the same height as her, yet the way she carried herself made her the tallest. She was lively and approachable. Her short wavy hair was tied into a ponytail, few strands loose behind her ears. She wore a peach sailor dress, sleeved up to her wrist, and a pair of white sneakers.
No wonder Tyler was listening eagerly.
"You mean I'll have detention if I disobey the school rules? So detention in movies is real?"
"I don't know what movie you've seen, but yeah, detention exists. It could even be up to two hours before they let you go home."
"Bloody hell." Tyler's mouth twisted in dislike. "You heard that, Gabbi? They try to imprison me even here. The audacity!"
"Nobody wants to imprison you here, Tyler," she assured him. "Just don't be reckless."
"Do you have your class schedules?" Kelly asked after the tour and the uncomfortable second looks of others.
"We do." Tyler raised his sheet. "And we're classmates, no problem of being lost on the first day."
"That's good to know." Kelly leaned closer to Gabbi. "You stare too much." She grinned, but Gabbi was sure she saw the sharp end of her fangs. She blinked, and it was gone.
Kelly straightened her back. "Well, I hope you'll enjoy your new school." She winked.
They watched her leaving figure as she greeted back to students. "Tyler, she's like you, isn't she?" Gabbi asked.
"Yep."
She has never seen such a cute vampire, Gabbi thought.
______________
Lunchtime, and she already wanted the day to end. Tyler was enjoying the attention, but every decision he makes, he consults Gabbi first. They claimed a spot at the border of the forest for lunch. As Tyler babbled his experiences and disappointments, Gabbi ate Alivia's sandwiches and fruit in silence. She knew everything. She was with him the whole time but didn't stop him anyway. The only respondent was Koro's screeches every now and then.
"You'll go home after this," Tyler commanded his pet. The bat answered a shrill sound as if it understood. They were already in class when the bell rang, and the afternoon passed to Gabbi in a daze.
Tyler declined invitations to 'hang out' with a stern yet childlike "Can't do. My brothers' gonna hound me if we're not home by six." It was a naive answer, funny, but the truth. They didn't even answer what kind of relationship they have.
Damien was already waiting by the door of the manor. Gabbi exited the car first. "I didn't kill anyone today, happy?" Tyler yelled before he rounded the corner to park the car.
"That brat," Damien muttered.
"I'm home," Gabbi quietly announced the obvious after debating herself whether to pass him by or greet.
"Did you have fun?"
She didn't. "Yes."
"Liar," he said but still held her face gently. "You big liar."
______________
It was still the first period the next day, but Gabbi already couldn't wait to go home. Though the rain since morning followed her to school, there was no sense of familiarity. It wasn't that cold and mystic compared to the forest's view from the window of the manor. She was surrounded by people, yet she wished to be back, surrounded by books and missing the presence of the Roșus. She wanted to go.
Home.
She just called the nest of vampires her home.
Her train of thought was disrupted by an intrusion.
"Excuse me."
Mr. Largen's fervent lecture on chemicals was disrupted by a newcomer and lively murmurs. Like a few who were late swinging their blank and bored gazes to the door, she has become one with the other few who spoke no words. Gabbi blinked, whispers of 'Cute guy alert' and 'He's beyond cute' was just in passing to her. Everyone gaped at him, even the guys.
"I knew it." Tyler chuckled beside her.
"I enrolled late," said the newcomer and handed a piece of admission to Mr. Largen, displeased that his students had come alive and not from his well-thought lesson. "Roșu," he read the paper. "Damien Roșu."
"Yes, that's right. I'm Tyler's brother." But he was looking straight at Gabbi now.
"Welcome to Iverfield High."
"Thank you."
She was sure the corner of his lips raised. Gabbi, without a thought, mirrored his smile.
______________
Willing Captive
you reach the light
freedom, almost in sight
yet claws bind you to stay
you can never escape away
then you found peace
within the walls of your prison
in the cage of relentless
you found calming silence
clawed grasp now loose
unbounded, unguarded,
alas, freedom and chance
yet you loved your chains
you soared the skies
lonely bird you did
when the monsters hunt you
you flew with them, indeed
shadows chase you, little bird
endless hunt, endless death
yet you smile while you bled
you lay down with the dead