Chapter Two – Surprised
The annoying sound of my alarm woke me. A constant, repetitive beeping noise. Sliding out of bed – which was surprisingly comfortable. I picked up my beeping phone and turned the alarm off. Checking the time said that it was eight, which meant I had an hour to get dressed, eat, and get ready for my new day.
My first day. I felt my stomach twist with nerves. As I jumped in the shower, I told myself that I'd be fine. That I had nothing to worry about. It didn't stop the nerves.
Climbing out of the shower, I towel-dried my blonde hair first, then dried my body. Getting dressed in the "black" uniformed code, I turned to the mirror and started to brush my chest length hair. I wasn't ugly. But I wasn't beautiful either. Average. Everything about me was completely average. Average blue eyes, average blond hair, average weight, average built, if a little athletic thanks to my adoptive father, and average features. The only thing that probably wasn't average for a female was my height, I was five-seven, the average height for a male.
Once finished in the bathroom, I wasn't a make-up girl unless I had to be, I returned to my main room and grabbed my bag, which of course was black.
By the time I was ready to leave it was eight-forty-five. Sliding my phone into my front pocket, I left my room. Telling myself I had to be brave, I couldn't hide in my room forever. That would be cowardly.
As I closed my door and turned to walk down the hall, I walked into a wall. How embarrassing...
"Are you okay?" a guy asked, a warm hand wrapped around my arm, steadying me.
Blinking, I looked up. Definitely not a wall. It was the guy who'd shifted for me in the headmaster's office. And now that I had a chance, I looked at him. His concerned grassy green eyes were framed in an rectangle shaped face. He had strong features, and his hair was a sandy blond that he'd swept up to spike like a Mohawk. He was a couple inches taller than me and was also dressed in the uniformed code, a black casual work shirt and black jeans. I hadn't seen it before, but he had a black tribal tattoo on his left bicep, going down to end at his elbow.
"Uh, yeah, I'm fine," I replied, pulling my arm away. "Sorry. I'm still waking up."
He smiled. Well damn. Bet he has all the girls after him. "I thought I'd show you where the main hall is. Has Michael given you a tour?"
"Um, no? He told me where everything is, but didn't show me."
He rolled his eyes. "Why am I not surprised?" he muttered quietly. "I'll show you around throughout the day, it's pretty easy to remember. Come on, let's get breakfast."
"Thanks..."
We started walking towards the stairs.
"Marc Spiren."
"Thanks, Marc. I'm Jasmine Drake, but people call me Drake."
He looked at me with a question on his face.
"Blame my friend, she started it years ago saying we should both have 'nicknames'. Once everybody had heard it, that was it. And it's stuck ever since."
He chuckled. "So, what are you doing in an all boys school?"
A what? I stopped and stared. A what? "A what?"
He stopped and turned to face me. "All boys. Let me guess, Michael didn't tell you that either?"
"No."
He rubbed his face as though he was tired already. "I want to kill him, but I won't." He said it more to himself than me, staring at the ceiling as though it would prevent him from killing the headmaster. "Come on, you can hang with me and guys."
"Thanks," I said, not knowing what else to say. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I was going to suggest it anyway, but I was going to wait to see how you all got along."
We started moving again.
"If I'm not liked, I'll go, don't worry. But at least I have another reason for being here."
"And what's that?"
"To kill Michael for not telling me that I'd be the only girl in the school."
"I think you'll get along fine with the guys," Marc chuckled.
I rolled my eyes and we walked into the main hall. And then it hit me. The school was definitely all boys, but then I remembered the deputy head, Guinevere. At least there was one other female in the school. I couldn't believe that Michael had forgot to tell me that one little bit of very important information, or, at least, it was important to me. I sighed, no use in getting upset over it, I'd have to deal with it. Having a hissy-fit wouldn't change anything.
Following Marc through the room, I was aware of the stares I was receiving, but I ignored them, or tried. I couldn't blame them for staring, I would have stared if I was in an all girls school and a guy just suddenly just walked in. Nope, couldn't blame them.
Arriving at the food counter, I watched as Marc grabbed his food. I just got a slice of toast. When Marc raised a brow at what I got I replied with "nerves", he nodded and told me to follow him as he headed for the table. We sat at a table which held three other guys.
"Guys, this is Jasmine Drake. Drake, these guys are Jason Blien – he's the asshole of the group–"
"Hey! It's Jace." I would have laughed at the fact that he hadn't corrected the "asshole" bit if it hadn't been for the nerves that twisted my stomach like a crocodile doing it's death spin.
"––Jack McKallan, and Erik Daniels."
"Hey," I said, looking at the group.
Jace looked like the most outgoing one of he group, the least afraid of what other's thought of him. His hair was a yellow blond with the tips a fluorescent green. His blue eyes were like a puppies, playful, and expressive. He was smiling even though Marc had just insulted him.
"Hey, Drake," a guy with with wolf amber eyes and normal brown hair said. "I'm Erik, and the quiet one is Jack." Erik pointed his thumb at Jack who waved.
Jack looked to be the smallest of the group with his wind swept hair a mixture of browns and blonds. His eyes were a different shade of green to Marc's.
They all wore black clothing, they'd just added some other things to it. Jace had a couple of badge's on his shirt. Erik had knuckle duster's hanging from a chain around his neck. And Jack wore a necklace that held a ring on the end, two wolves howling together.
"What you doing in an all boys school?" Jace asked.
The room seemed to go quiet, waiting for my answer. Great.
"She didn't know it was an all boys school until I told her a few minutes ago," Marc told them.
The guys raised their eyebrows, then Erik and Jace spoke as one. "Michael?"
Marc nodded.
Erik huffed a non-amused laugh and continued to eat. Obviously the guys were used to Michael not telling people everything. Picking up a slice of toast, I did the same.
"Your not one of those girls who starve themselves are you?" Jace asked, looking at my food with uncertainty. "'Cus your gunna need your energy for your first day."
"No, I'm not." I said.
Marc growled. "Leave her alone, Jace."
"Nervous?" Erik asked.
I nodded and continued to nibble on my slice of toast.
Erik picked up his banana that he had and put it in front of me. "Don't argue with me."
"I wasn't going to. Seeing you guys eat has suddenly made me hungry."
"Move the banana," a female voice from behind said.
Erik moved the banana back onto his tray, as Marc moved my tray out the way, and another tray replaced it.
"Um. Thank you?" I said, turning to face the only other female in the school – that I knew of – Guinevere.
"The boys are right Jasmine, you need to eat."
"I know. Oh, and thank you for helping me before."
She smiled, and it made her beautiful stone-like face come alive. And she was beautiful. Her pure black hair was tied back, and her eyes were the colour of the sky on a stormy day.
"White?"
She grinned. "What's life if you abide all of the rules?" She was wearing a white shirt and black trousers. Even the teacher's were supposed to wear all black.
"A dull one."
"Besides, we need something other than black. Don't you agree, Jasmine?"
I shuffled on my seat. Busted. "I don't have anything else. Not even back home."
"Eat that and I won't say anything," she said.
I turned and picked up an apple. Taking a bite I looked at her.
She nodded. "If you need anything, come and find me."
"Thank you, Guinevere."
"Have a good day Jasmine, don't get intimidated by the guys, they have puppy dog hearts."
I grinned as half the hall turned to look at her insulted and the other half laughed. She winked and left.
"I do not have a 'puppy dog heart'," Jace finally spluttered got out.
I laughed at the guys faces, feeling more at ease seeing the way both students and teachers communicated. It was more like a giant family than teacher and student.
"What was she on about anyway?" Marc asked.
I smiled. "You'll see."
A few minutes later, I remembered a question I'd wanted to ask. "What am I?"
They looked at me, with "uh?" faces.
"Let me guess, Michael didn't tell you?" Marc asked.
I shook my head.
"What did he tell you?"
"That the niveus, shifters, dhampire, lamia, and the... niveramia exist. And then he told me about the lessons."
"Why didn't you ask him?" Jace asked.
"I wasn't thinking about that at the time. I was trying to get over the fact that he–" I pointed at Marc "–had just changed into a wolf."
"Fair enough."
As we finished up, the room started to empty. Marc said to always know the time around here because their was never a bell to say when the lesson was going to start.
Before we left the main hall, I followed the guys and watched as they showed me what they usually did. They put all of their dirty dishes on one tray, and the rubbish went into a nearby bin. The tray with the dishes on went into one of the five tray stacker's while they wiped the other ones, which then went back onto the pile of clean trays.
"The boots?" Marc asked, going back the conversation of guessing what Guinevere was talking about.
"Yeah." My boots had a red and orange flames licking up the sides. "Why don't they just get you to put the dishes in a dishwasher straight away?" I changed the subject as we turned to leave. "It'd be easier."
"Don't know," Marc replied. "Never thought about it."
"Dude, that'd make more work for us," Jace complained, then he eyed me over. "Are you mad?"
"Uh, no? I was just thinking it because it would be less work for everyone."
"She has a point," Erik defended.
Jack laughed. "Your first day, and you've already got them thinking about dishwashers."
"Her first day and she's got you laughing and talking," Jace chuckled back.
Jack glared up at him playfully, and a cute blush rose over his cheeks.
Going up the stairs, they quickly gestured to a door on the right that apparently had more doors behind it, they were the dhampire's sleeping quarters. And to the left, and in front, were the class rooms.
"What room are you in?" Marc asked.
Pulling out my timetable, I checked.
07:45 – 09:05: Breakfast.
09:10 – 09:55: Sociology. CR20. Mr. Kanian.
10:00 – 10:45: Magic. CR10. Mr. Swiminon.
10:50 – 11:05: Break.
11:10 – 11:55: French. CR3. Mr. Craft.
12:00 – 14:00: Lunch.
14:05 – 13:05: Weapons. CR1. Miss. Chevanier.
13:10 – 15:10: Training. Training area.
18:45 – 21:00: Dinner.
"CR20 with Mr. Kanian."
"I must have done something good," Jace sighed. "First breakfast, now a lesson with you..." He sighed again, this time it was dramatic.
"You won't be thinking that in a couple of weeks, Puppy Dog," I told him. "You'll be begging me to leave."
He grinned, throwing his arm over my shoulders. Then he frowned at me. "Puppy Dog?"
"Well, your small enough to be one," Erik told him – he was six-foot-one where Jace was five-eleven.
"Hey!" Jace, Marc, and even Jack growled. Erik and I grinned.
I wasn't insulted because I was one, taller than the average female and two, I knew I wasn't a shifter, and that Marc, Jace, Erik, and Jack were.
"Come on, let's go," Marc pushed us gently.
Walking into the class room, I realised we weren't late, the teacher was sitting in front of his desk while the students talked. They quietened as I entered.
"Jasmine Drake?" I turned to the voice and realised the teacher was talking to me. He reminded me of a smaller, Chinese version of Zillah. Black hair and eyes, except, he looked more friendly. I'd never known black to be so different.
"Sir?"
"Ah, good, I'm Jonathan Kanian, but you can call me John," he said. "I would like to talk to you after class if that's okay."
"Uh, sure."
"Good. Take a seat. Anywhere you want."
Great, I thought, what have I done? I've only just got here.
Jace touched my back and I walked forward, following Marc. Marc moved down an isle of desks. Then I hesitated, did they want me to sit with them? Jace's push towards the isle said yes. Sitting between Marc and Jace, Jack sat on the end. Erik had a class elsewhere.
"Drake, how much did Michael tell you?" John asked.
"That you guys existed," I said. "That the niveus are vampires but not, they have magic. That shifters can change into nearly any warm blooded animal. The lamia are evil and are half snake. The dhampire's... he didn't really explain them, but I'm guessing their part niveus, part human?" At John's nod, I continued. "And he mentioned the niveramia, but he didn't say much about them, except that their was only one, and that they could only be female."
John nodded. "I'll give you some books to read."
John started his lesson explaining – for me – the differences between the different species. It was more what-we-are than sociology. But I wasn't complaining.
I looked around the class room, surprised that the students didn't mind that they were going over the most obvious basic information. As I looked around, I noticed men in black, standing around the room. Sure, everyone was wearing black, but, their black seemed more... lethal. A glint of silver caught my eye from one of the men nearby. Silver. Metal. Knife. They were armed. But why?
"Drake?"
"Why are they armed?" Damn, I hadn't meant to ask that. I blamed Alex – my father by adoption. He'd shown me different weapons. Guns, blades, the works. He's shown me the best way to kill if I'd ever needed to. Shown me how to defend myself and attack. He was a solider. And a bloody good one. But, even so, I never had worked out why he wanted me to know how to use weapons. Unless, he'd known I was different.
"They're dhampire," he said as though that explained everything. Seeing it hadn't, that I'd looked around the room to see the other men, he continued. "Because they are stronger than the niveus, they're our guards, our inside defence against the lamia."
"No dhampire will harm you here, Drake," the dhampire I was keeping my eye on since he was the closest said.
I met his eyes, then looked at John, as I did I saw that the class room was staring at me. Well done, Drake, I thought, well done, give them another reason to stare, why not? "Sorry."
I hadn't realised the room had tensed until I saw everyone relax.
"May I ask how you realised I was armed?" the dhampire asked.
"The light."
"And what do I carry?"
I looked at him in confusion. Why did he ask that? Did they know that Alex had taught me and wanted to test me?
"Like she's going to be able to answer that," a quiet voice said from the back of the room. I watched as the dhampire's eyes moved from mine to see who spoke then return back to me with a look that said show them what you know.
"The dagger I saw on your left forearm." He proved it to the class that it was there as I said them. When I was finished, the dhampire nodded in confirmation that I'd guessed them all. I wanted to hide from the stares that the class were giving me. Although, these stares didn't seem to be the same as earlier. Earlier, it had been more, a girl, what the hell! Now it was more as though they were accepting.
Looking back at the dhampire, I realised that had been his aim.
John chuckled. "At least we know that your going to excel in Guinevere's lesson."
"I guess."
"She's mine in the lesson," Jace grabbed and hugged me to him as I released an "Uff" in response.
"Anyway," John said. "Back to the lesson."
I pulled myself out of Jace's hug with an amused shake of my head.
"The niveramia are rare creature's that are always female. Gifted with being as magically strong as a niveus and a shifter combined, and as psychically as strong and quick as a dhampire."
"Why are they rare?" I asked.
He looked at me and nodded once. "The niveramia's line went close to extinction several centuries ago, thanks to the lamia. The reasons to how we managed to save the niveramia was because we – shifter, niveus, and dhampire – joined together to protect them. However, they couldn't bring the niveramia's number's back up because the niveramia are cursed to only being able to have one daughter."
"Where's the second niveramia then?" someone asked. "We know that one of them lives in England, but where's the other?"
"A couple of decades ago," I watched as the dhampire shuffled at the story, and John's voice went completely empty. "One of the two living females was killed."
"I can back that," a dhampire across the room said. "I was there when we... found her. There was no child. And we couldn't see how she was killed either. It's always been a mystery."
"Did she come here?"
John nodded. Ah, I thought, that explains why they were all so upset.
"Do you know for sure that she never had a kid?" another student asked. "I mean, the kid could have been with a relative when the woman was killed."
"There was no child," John told us. "No man in her life. She disappeared a year before her death, however there was never anything to say that she had had a child within that time frame. We only found her because one night we suddenly got a terrified niveramia calling us, telling us where she was, we went to her, but by the time we reached her she was dead.
"Anyway, enough on the depressing subject. Next lesson we will talk more in depth about shifters. End of class. Drake, put your text book in the table, it will save you carrying them around with you all day."
After putting my textbook in the desk, there was a wooden box underneath the desk, I moved to John's desk since he'd asked to talk to me after the lesson. Marc and the other's said they'd wait. I was about to say that they didn't need to, but Marc gave me a look, so I closed my mouth... nearly.
"Thank you."
He smiled and left the room. I hadn't realised how broad Marc was until then, he took up most the door way.
"Right, Drake. I know what Michael's like, did he tell you what you were, or did he leave you to guess what you were?"
I felt my eyes widen as he hit the question I'd been asking myself dead on. Then I laughed, everyone seemed to know the headmaster very well. "The latter."
"Your a dhampire, or that's what I've been told."
"What do you mean?"
"Female dhampire's generally stay at home, they don't join the Academy."
I shrugged. "Maybe I'm here to learn about what I am."
"Umm. I've thought of that. But he could have sent you to a dhampire home. For them to teach you."
Again I shrugged.
Then, so quietly, I shouldn't have heard it. "I wonder whether Justin had something to do with it." He shook his head. "I'll see you later Drake, you better get going or I'm going to make you late for your next lesson."
"Okay. Thank you, Sir."
"John. We're not a... normal academy."
I tried not to grin, but failed miserably, no, it definitely wasn't a normal academy.
Leaving the class room, I saw that Jace had left, but Jack and Marc had waited.
"Jace would have waited," Marc said, pushing off the wall that he'd been leaning against with his arms crossed over is chest. "But he'd get in trouble. Last year, he was always late to his lessons, so they said that he'd be banned from the 'Amusement Room' for the rest of the year if he was late without a proper reason again."
I huffed in laughter. That sounded like something that would happen to Jace.
Puling out my timetable, I saw that I now had 'magic' with Mr. Swiminon in room CR10.
"We're not with you," Marc said, peering over my shoulder. "But I think that's Erik's class. Come on, we'll show you where it is since we're only a few rooms over."
"Thanks."
"No problem. We're here to help," Marc said with a warm smile.
Arriving at CR20, the guys said they'd see me later, and then continued to their class.
Entering CR20, I wondered whether Erik would mind me sitting next to him or not. I didn't want to have to go up to him, only to be rejected. Looking around the class, eyes met mine, both niveus and shifter. The dhampire's looked at me but then returned to their duty and looked away.
"Drake!" my head spun in reaction to my name being called. Amber eyes met mine. "'Come 'ere."
Moving over to Erik, he gestured for me to sit next to him.
"You okay?" he asked.
"I'm good. Never thought I'd be learning some of this stuff, but I'm good."
In response, Erik smiled. "You'll get used to it, give it a couple of days."
"Niveus and shifter's pair up," Mr. Swiminon said, calling the attention of the class as he entered in a stride. "Drake, I want to talk to you." Do all the teacher's want to talk to me? "Today I want you to learn how to handle your abilities for when you need them. Shifter's, I apologise, but your the guinea pigs today, hence why I want you all paired up. dhampire's, may you keep an eye out?"
"Of course," a dhampire near the back said.
Then Mr. Swiminon came over to me. He made me think of Matt Damon from... what was that film? Dog-something... I sighed as I couldn't remember. But his hair was a darker blonde and he had dark blue eyes, he also had a burn scar covering most of the right side of his face. But the burns could only be seen if you focused on them, they weren't distracting.
"Hello, Drake," he held his hand out. "I'm Justin Swiminon."
"Hi," I shook his hand.
His eyes widened, and when he spoke, he sounded a little breathless. He still held my hand. "Have you ever felt magic?"
I frowned at him. Felt magic? How the hell did you feel magic? "No. Or if I have, I haven't realised it."
He frowned suddenly, looking at our joined hands. Then he released me and jumped back as though I'd burnt him. Staring at me, he rubbed the hand he'd held mine with. Then he laughed, a little hysterically, making everyone focus on him, and look at me.
"I can't wait for your abilities to waken," he said so quietly I shouldn't have heard, then he turned away.
I turned to look at Erik. He was staring at me with wide eyes.
"I've never known him to react like that."
"As though I'd hurt him?"
"He's one of the strongest niveus in the world. And you've just surprised him. No-one surprises him. Hell, he can even see the future. Nothing surprises him."
"Guess he didn't see me."
"I did," Justin walked over again. "There's just always so many outcomes with you, I never know what will happen. Your future depends on the thing you do at this very second, more so than for others."
Half-an-hour later after watching Erik with another guy, Sabien – really they just sat there and talked about nothing in particular because the guy's ability was that he could see bonds, so there wasn't much they could do, Justin dismissed the class. Before we left the room, Erik told me to put my book for this lesson in the desk just as John had from my previous lesson.
On the way out, a white-blond haired guy shoved into me, pushing me into Erik who caught and steadied me. The guy was taller than me, but shorter than Erik, his sky blue eyes were set in a boyish face. "Watch where your walking, Freak."
I frowned at him, what the hell had I done to upset him? Before I could say anything, Sabien spoke up. "Back off, Tyler. I can see your afraid that she holds more power than you."
Tyler snarled in return.
Sabien then proceed by putting a hand on my shoulder and pushing me away from Tyler. I wasn't going to argue with the guy, he was nearly Erik's height, probably six foot, and was nearly as broad as Marc.
"Thanks Sabien," Erik said.
"No problem," Sabien replied, pushing a hand through his wind swept blonde hair. He focused his deep brown eyes on me. "I was waiting for it."
Vote? Comment? Thanks!