Darlings of Darkness: A Vampire Anthology Part 87

"I've been home a few hours, and I really don't want to talk about hunting with you. I'm afraid you might have a conflict of interest if I decide to hunt something you used to hang out with."

Did that mean Billy knew his friends were still in town?

"How are things going at school?" Billy asked.

Jack quickly went through a list of things that had happened since he'd joined the Jefferson High student body. There wasn't anything he wanted to share with his brother. He couldn't tell Billy about losing his temper and getting into a fight on his first day. He couldn't tell his brother about getting detention or about the new werewolf boy, but he had to say something.

"Do you know a teacher named Jersey Clifford?"

"Never heard of him. Why?"

"He says I look familiar."

Billy frowned. "Maybe he was reading newspapers back when you died and he has a good memory. What did you say to him? I hope you didn't make him more suspicious."

"I didn't say anything. Don't worry about it."

"What about Silver? Have you been hanging out with her?"

He didn't want to talk about Silver. A flash of her in the forest, terrified and running from him, sprang to mind. Had he dreamed of her before? Is that why she seemed familiar when they first met?

He wished he could call and ask her about it.

"I'm not talking to her anymore," he admitted.

"Why not?"

Jack groaned. "Mind your own business. I won't ask you about hunting if you don't question me on my personal life."

"Hey, let's not forget I'm letting you live with me even though you were a vampire. I opened my home to you, so watch your mouth."

"This is my home as much as it is yours. In fact, being the oldest son, it should belong to me."

"I called in a big favor to get those papers for you so you could go to school. If you want to continue to live here, I suggest you drop the att.i.tude."

Jack shoved Billy and his brother flew backwards, smacking into the wall.

"Don't you forget I'm the firstborn!" Jack yelled. "Not you. Me."

Billy took a swing at him, but Jack ducked. The fist flew over his head. The breeze disturbed his hair. Billy grabbed him around the waist and dropped him to the floor. They rolled around in a tangle of arms and legs, both of them trying to hit the other. They tumbled into Jack's desk and knocked over the chair.

Jack got Billy beneath him. A loud snarl erupted from his throat. It sounded like a wild animal, a cross between a mountain lion and a bear.

Billy froze, his eyes widening in fear.

Jack jumped to his feet and ran. He kept going until he was outside. Although he tried to use vampire speed, he still didn't have that power. He stopped in the front yard and took a deep breath of fresh, cold air. The chill cooled his anger.

He looked up at his bedroom window and saw Billy watching him. At least his brother hadn't gone after a wooden stake or a gun... yet.

Chapter Nine:.

TWO WEREWOLVES ARE MORE DANGEROUS THAN ONE.

The thrill of being back in school had worn off. Jack emptied the coffee pot into his mug. He'd brewed it last night after his fight with Billy. Exhausted, he rubbed his eyes while sitting alone at the kitchen table. Maybe he should skip school today and try to work things out with his brother. Billy had locked himself in his room. That's why Jack hadn't slept. He was afraid to let down his guard in case Billy decided to grab a stake or a rifle.

After a long, silent debate he decided to go to school. Facing Silver on two hours of sleep was better than staying at home, possibly blacking out and getting killed by his brother. With a tired sigh Jack rose from the table. He dragged himself up the stairs and knocked on his brother's locked door. "I'm taking your car. I need to go to school."

No response.

Jack spoke louder. "Is it okay if I take your car?"

He pressed his ear to the door, listening for movement. Minutes pa.s.sed. He waited, impatiently tapping his foot. Was Billy asleep? The thought of his brother getting rest when he couldn't sparked his anger. He kicked the door. "Billy!"

"I don't care what you do." Billy's m.u.f.fled words floated through the solid wood.

The sound of Billy's voice startled Jack. His brother was standing on the other side of the door, face pressed against the wood just like him. Once again Jack asked if Billy would come out to talk. Billy refused. His brother told him to go to school, a harsh command. Under other circ.u.mstances Jack might have argued with Billy, told his brother he didn't have the right to order him around, but there wasn't anything more to say. So he left.

He drove on automatic. Nothing registered. His eyes drifted closed a few times, but he jerked awake before losing control of the car. Part of him fantasized about driving into a tree and killing himself. A vision of what his funeral might be like danced through his mind. He wondered if Billy would care. Would his brother mourn him? Would he feel bad for pushing Jack out the door, or would he dance on Jack's grave?

Jack made it to school alive. He slid his brother's four-door between a truck and a compact. Groups of students stood around talking and laughing, not a clue about the upcoming war. He envied them for their ignorance. A few of them had cigarettes dangling from their fingers. The smell of tobacco reminded him of his friends, but he refused to dwell on those memories. Last night, about three in the morning, he'd had an epiphany. From now on he was living in the present. Leave the past in the past.

He didn't recognize any faces in the parking lot, and he didn't feel like making new friends. Some of the students stared at him as he walked by. As the new kid he was still a phenomenon. He should have worn sungla.s.ses. At least they wouldn't be able to see the dark circles beneath his eyes.

When he got inside the building, he went straight to his locker. Too bad he couldn't remember the combination. His tired brain refused to function. Jack spun the lock around a few times before trying a series of numbers that felt right to him. Wrong. He tried again, different digits this time. It didn't work. He had to have his books. If he couldn't figure it out on his own, he would have to go to the office, and starting his day in a possible conversation with Princ.i.p.al Hardwick didn't sound like a good idea to him.

He groaned and rested his forehead against the locker with a loud thump.

"Problem?" Meghan appeared at his side, smug smile. "Allow me."

She rotated the lock a couple times before dialing it to a series of numbers. She pulled on the metal door and it opened. Relieved, Jack grabbed the books he needed, Math and Biology. He also removed a notebook and a pencil.

"Thanks," he said. His eyes narrowed. "Wait a second. How do you know my combination?"

"It was with your list of cla.s.ses, and I was blessed with a photographic memory."

"Well, thank you again. I appreciate the help."

She smiled sweetly and moved closer to him. Too close. "Have you heard about the bonfire party yet?" He shook his head, and she added, "It's going to be Friday night in the field on the edge of town. You know the one next to the cemetery? Everyone will be there. How about you?"

Next to the cemetery he'd been buried in? Oh yeah, he knew the place intimately.

"I think I'm busy this Friday."

"Really?" She pouted. It reminded him of Summer when she didn't get her way. "Can't you change your plans? I was looking forward to getting to know you better."

Before he could politely but firmly put her in her place, Silver came into view. He had been dreading this moment. No doubt she was going to tear him to pieces for putting that note into her pocket yesterday. He hoped she wouldn't cry or make a scene. If she started with the tears, he would have to give in and tell her the truth, regardless of the consequences.

Silver walked past him without a glance in his direction. She went straight to her locker and retrieved her books. Amazing. She wasn't going to confront him. Part of him wished she would. He wanted an excuse to make up with her.

Meghan asked him out again. "Would you please go to the party with me? Pretty please with pink sugar on it?"

He answered her in a loud voice, hoping Silver would hear him and get jealous. Maybe she would confront him then. They'd work it out. His powers could return at any second and he would be able to protect her from his old gang. He never should have given her that stupid note.

"Yes, I will go to the party with you, Meghan." He watched Silver over the other girl's shoulder. "Thank you for asking me."

Silver shot a dirty look his way. She grabbed a pa.s.sing boy, one of the big guys who had been sitting across from her in Study Hall on his first day. She shared a dazzling smile with the oversized boy, and Jack experienced a rush of anger.

"Are you listening to me?" Megan's smile faltered. "Did you hear a word I just said?"

He blinked at her. He could either stand around, flirting with a girl he had zero interest in, or he could put an end to this silly game and talk to Silver. It was an easy choice to make. Misery was a mild word for how he felt about losing Silver. Still, talking to her could put her in danger. He reminded himself he was staying away from her for her own good. His former friends might decide to kill her if they caught him with her, and he didn't know when his powers would actually return. He went back and forth on the subject until he got dizzy.

His new claws could help protect her. If Cowboy and Summer caught sight of those babies, they'd leave him alone. They'd be worried that a scratch from him could kill them. They'd clear out of town so fast that he'd forget what they looked like by sunrise.

The large boy put a hand on Silver's waist, and Jack lost the tenuous grip on his temper.

The bell rang. Megan flipped her hair and smacked him in the face with it as she stormed off. He barely noticed. His eyes were on Silver and her groping friend. The hallway emptied fast. Silver and the guy started for one of the nearby rooms, but Jack blocked their way.

"What do you want?" Silver asked with a deep scowl.

"I just wanted to meet your friend."

"Why?"

He ignored her. His eyes narrowed on the boy's ruddy face as he said, "I'm Jack. And you are?"

The boy with the huge shoulders and enormous teeth smiled. He offered his free hand to Jack. "I'm John." His smile faded a bit. "Hey, aren't you the guy who almost broke Tucker's finger?"

"That's me."

"Tucker is a friend of mine." The smile vanished completely. "What is your problem, dude? Huh? Why did you jump him like that? Are you crazy or just stupid?"

Jack gestured to John's other hand and said, "He touched Silver."

"Really?" The kid's smile returned, but it had a mean twist to it now. His fingers tightened on her waist, and he jerked her closer. "Well, what do you know about that? It looks like I'm touching her. Are you going to try to hit me? I'm a lot bigger than my buddy Tucker. Think you can take me on, squirt?"

A slow grin spread across Jack's face. "I thought you'd never ask."

Silver intervened. She knocked John's hand off her waist and stepped between them. "Excuse me. I am not a chew toy for you two morons to fight over. Besides, I'm not supposed to be talking to you. Remember? Isn't that what you wrote in that stupid note?"

She stared up at him, not blinking, her face an angry mask. He turned away for a second, long enough to see Jersey Clifford standing in the doorway of his cla.s.sroom. The teacher's probing eyes narrowed on Jack. They seemed to be asking a silent question: Are you going to let that kid push you around?

The idea that the teacher thought Jack was weak added gasoline to the growing fire in the pit of his stomach. He didn't know why it mattered to him what Jersey thought, but it did.

John chuckled. "You are such a loser."

Bam! Jack's hands moved faster than his brain. He pushed Silver out of the way with one while the other plowed into John's smug face. He regretted doing it almost immediately. How many times had his mother told him violence didn't solve anything? It was wrong... but it felt so good.

John was right about being bigger than Tucker, but that only meant he fell harder. The guy wasn't smart enough to stay on the floor. He was on his feet before Silver could get a single word out. No doubt she was going to tell Jack he was a jerk, but she didn't get the chance. John took a wide swing at Jack's face.

Jack ducked. He punched John in the stomach, twice. He shoved the boy backwards until they hit the wall. John tried to get Jack's head in a wrestling hold, but Jack was too fast for him. They struggled to subdue each other and banged into the lockers several times while Silver yelled for them to stop.

Deep in the dark recesses of his mind Jack wondered why he didn't hear Jersey Clifford's voice. Weren't teachers supposed to break up fights?

"What in the world is going on out here?" Princ.i.p.al Hardwick shouted, "Break it up, you two, or I'll expel you both for the rest of the year!"

Jersey leaped in as if he'd just arrived. He pulled John to the side, and his arms wrapped around the kid in a tight hug. He had John's arms trapped at his sides.

Hardwick glared at Jack. "This is your second day and your second fight. I have had it with you. You are not going to get an opportunity to make it a third."

"Sir," Jersey said. "It wasn't Jack's fault. He was minding his own business when John attacked him. I heard John say something about this being payback for Tucker."

The three students gaped at the English teacher, mouths wide open. He wasn't supposed to lie. Wasn't there a code he had to follow? John started to babble, desperately trying to tell Hardwick what had really happened. Hardwick wasn't going to take the word of a student over a member of the faculty. He gave John a week of detentions.

Jack expected Silver to back up John's version, but she kept her mouth shut. This would have been the perfect opportunity for her to get rid of him. Maybe she didn't think Hardwick would believe her. Her eyes remained on Jersey's face the whole time. She didn't understand why he was covering for Jack either.

"Shouldn't you two be in cla.s.s now?" Jersey held the door open for Jack. "Show's over," he told his students. "Everyone get back to work."

Jack's eyes went to Silver's face. There were things, important things he wanted to say. He owed her an apology to start with. Maybe even several. He wanted to tell her about his vampire friends, about the threats. He wanted to tell her about the fight with his brother and confess his new power to her.

He opened his mouth, but she cut him off with a glare.

"Don't talk to me." She walked away, simple as that.

And he let her go.

Every English cla.s.s with Jersey was more fascinating than the last. Jersey had a way of commanding attention without simply asking for it. He had the entire room enthralled from word one. Jack thoroughly enjoyed the lecture. It even took his mind off Silver for a while.

When it was over, Jersey asked him to stay for a few minutes and talk. Now he was going to hear it, the reason Jersey had lied for him. He was beyond curious. Jack stayed in his seat until the last student walked out the door. Then he slowly stood and picked up his books, ready for an explanation.

Jersey took time to wipe the chalkboard clean. He didn't speak until he was finished. Once the board was looking brand new Jersey turned with a deep scowl on his face. "Why did you attack that boy? He may have given you minimal provocation, but not enough to resort to physical violence. I was astounded by your lack of self-control."

Jack's shoulders sagged as he admitted, "I've had a short fuse lately. I'm not sure why. I used to be an easy, laid-back kind of guy, and now I lose my temper for no reason."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems to me that Silver is always somehow involved."

"She didn't do anything!"

"I'm not saying she did." Jersey held his hands up in mock surrender. "No need to get upset. We're all friends here."