Melabeth the Vampire (34 page)

My anger drained away and was replaced by a new feeling; I felt like a dumb ass.

Mr. Wright broke up my pity party. “Times up, pass your test forward. Tonight Pages 335 and 336.”

The class moaned at the sound of homework. I passed my blank test forward. Then the bell rang, I couldn’t get out of the classroom fast enough.

I hurried out to the student parking lot. When I got to Michael’s Jimmy, Michael was already there. David and Lizzie had also beaten me.

“How was class?” Michael asked.

I let out a breath. “And all those years I thought I was missing out, because my parents didn’t send me to school.”

We all had about twenty minutes to sit around and talk. Lizzie was still trying to figure out how to bring Devon to justice, when we got a hold of the evidence. Me and the boys knew there wasn't going to be any justice. Revenge would be the justice of the day.

David and Lizzie had to go. Their mother would be here soon to pick them up. Her work hours made her run about a half an hour after school let out. I didn’t feel comfortable enough to kiss David in front of Michael. I am not sure what that says about me. I am sure David took it as I was still mad at him.

As soon as me and Michael got home, we both went to bed. I fell right to sleep. I woke up about nine, and then I had to relive my whole day with Alice, Charlotte and Ezra. They wanted to know every little thing that happened.

Michael came down after I was already done telling them about my whole day. Lea even joined us when Michael was forced to tell everyone about his day. I guess being a vampire could get pretty boring, because Alice never missed a word.

The next four days were repeats of the first day. The good news was that Nicks had come and visited me in my dreams twice. The bad news was he made me tell the story again. I wasn’t only sick of going to school; I was sick of telling people about my time going to school.

I finally understood what they meant by T.G.I.F. I had been really looking forward to the weekend and to getting a break from school. The bad news was that David was grounded, and I wouldn’t be able to see him until Monday. So, here I was on Friday night waiting for school on Monday. What a mess.

I had only been home for a few hours. I was lying in bed thinking about sixth period with Mr. Wright. It was on my fifth day at the end of the class that Mr. Wright asked me to stay, I almost said no.

“Melabeth, the reason I asked you to stay…well, it’s your grades. You haven’t done any of your homework, and you didn’t even try on the two quizzes I have handed out. You may not know this because you’re new, but quizzes make up fifty percent of your grade.”

I could hardly listen to him speak, and I couldn’t keep eye contact with him. So I looked at the floor when I answered him. “I don’t know how to do anything that we are working on. I don’t get it.”

Mr. Wright gave me a reassuring smile. “You should have said something. I offer tutoring after class. Would your parents let you stay late?”

Our cover story was that me and Michael’s parents had died in a car accident, and we were now living with our grandmother. I said, “I live with my grandmother, and she really doesn’t even understand what’s going on. So, whenever… it doesn’t matter.”

There was a look on Mr. Wright’s face... a dark look. He thought for a second, and then he said. “You need a lot of work to catch up. Why don’t you come by my house Wednesday night?”

He went over to his desk and wrote his address down for me. Then he handed it to me and said. “Let’s say around six, ok.”

“Thanks, see you Monday.”

I left,
and went to met up with Michael, David and Lizzie at the truck. They couldn’t believe the bastard had already made a move. Lizzie said she had an idea, and the next thing I knew Lizzie and Michael were plotting away. I would spend the rest of this weekend getting ready.

It’s time we gathered some evidence.

Plan A

O
ver the weekend I took it easy.

I went swimming with Michael and Lea a few times. I also got some practice in with Ezra. He took no prisoners during our practices; he hadn’t liked me missing all this training time, so he was trying his hardest to catch me up. I think I really surprised him in our sessions.

We had stopped to heal; Ezra looked over at me and said, “You truly take to this like a fish in water. You can’t teach talent. You’re slower and weaker than me, but you always manage to put up a good fight. It seems like you can see in all directions; I can never sneak an attack on you.”

“Thank you,
” I said; Ezra looked at me; he was standing perfectly still. “What is it?” I asked.

“Tell me, do you feel stronger and faster, than you did a month ago?”

“Yes, I believe so.”

Ezra then said. “Yes, you are stronger and faster than you were a month ago.”

He turned and started to put up some of the weapons we had been training with. He had meant more than what he had said.

So I asked him. “Why, is there something wrong with that?”

“No,” he replied.

I put the last weapon away, and Ezra was heading toward the staircase. “Is there something different with me? Do other vampires become stronger and faster in such a short period of time?”

Ezra paused; he didn’t answer me for a few seconds, and I was almost thinking that he might not answer me at all. “No, they don’t; it is curious.”

He walked up the stairs without a backward glance. Great, I just love being different and curious; I was now glad that I was having a planning meeting with Michael. I needed the distraction from thinking about what had just transpired between me and Ezra.

I went into the living room to find Michael; Michael was sitting there with Alice. "Hey, what are you two up to?"

Alice smiled at me, but Michael just stared straight ahead as if he didn’t hear me or see me. "What is wrong with Michael, Alice?"

"Nothing, dear, I am just using my power on him. I can make you see and hear what I want; most people can't see around that, and, when I say most people, I mean you. I wonder why that is?"

Alice has never stopped asking me
how I see around her power. I didn’t answer her; instead I just change the subject. "So what are you making him see?"

A wicked smile crossed Alice's face. "Not sure if I should tell you; it might upset you. Probably better that you don’t know. Michael asked me to show him, and I
thought to myself that I probably shouldn't, but he was so persuasive. How could I say no?"

I knew she was up to no good, that, whatever she was saying was probably just teasing me, but she is really good at that, so I took the bait. "Alright Alice what is it? What is he seeing?"

"Before you get mad, just remember that he is a boy, and boys like girls, and it’s perfectly natural to want to see them naked."

"You are NOT showing him me… are you?"

Alice put her hands up like I was pointing a gun at her. "Look, don’t blame me; I am just doing a good friend a favor. I tried to warn him, but he wouldn’t listen."

"Stop showing him; stop it before I rip his eyes out."

Alice laughed. "He's seeing this through his mind; ripping his eyes out wouldn't help you." I gave her a look of anger. "Ok… ok, I am stopping, but he is going to be disappointed; I was just getting to the good part."

Michael's look changed as his own mind returned; he looked at me, and said. "HI Melabeth, you’re here, great we can go over the plan now."

I tried my hardest to hold back my anger in my voice, but I wasn’t very good at holding back. "Did you ask Alice to show you…you’re such a pig!"

Michael had a look of surprise; I couldn’t tell if it was surprise because Alice lied to me, or surprised, because he had been caught.

Michael quickly answered. "Yes, I asked Alice to show me. She warned me about it, but I wanted to know."

"How dare you?"

"Wait… what did Alice say that I was watching? I asked to see some of her past… that’s all." Michael said this as he gave Alice a dirty look.

Alice still had a smirk on her face; she looked at him and then me. "Well, technically I didn’t tell her what you were looking at. I might have… made it sound as if you had requested Melabeth in a show of sorts." Then Alice burst into laughter.

"What she’s saying is, she made it sound… that you asked to watch me naked… did you?"

Michael shook his head no; at the same time he said. "I wouldn’t do that, Alice. Can you stop it? Isn't there enough drama around here?"

Alice stopped laughing and looked at us as if we just falsely accused her of a crime. "Joke… just a joke. You two need to relax. If you both are going to act like this, I am going to my room to play with my dolls." Alice stomped up the staircase as if we had been mean to her.

Mi
chael motioned for me to sit, "Sorry about that; she is always doing shit like that."

"I know, I don’t know why I let her suck me in. I knew better."

Michael smiled at me as I sat next to him. "You are stressed, and what we have to talk about is not going to help that."

"You’re right, so what's the plan, boss?"

“Lizzie, has worked out the plan, and it’s a two part plan. Before you interrupt me, Lizzie and David's part will be less dangerous than yours. Lizzie thinks that, once you have the evidence, that she will be able to get The Order to serve justice. Of course, we know better, and so does David; for this reason, Lizzie should have as little do with this as possible.”

“And David too, I want both of them to have very little to do with this. I would prefer nothing at all, but, if we need their help, and there is no way around it, so be it.”

Michael looked at me for a minute, then said, “I really like these kids, Lizzie and David, but they are just children; I guess you are as well. The plan that Lizzie worked out will work, but I think you should do this on your own. I am not sure how, and it will probably take you longer to get Devon, but in the end it will be better.”

The thought of having to sit through more classes with Devon was unbearable. “I would like to hear Lizzie’s plan. If you think it will work, we will keep their involvement to a minimum.”

Michael shifted his body around in the couch. Then he let out a breath, “I thought you would say that; I just hope you don’t come to regret it. Lizzie and David are bound and determined to help you, so here it is. Like I said, this is a two part plan; the first part of the plan is called Plan A; that’s your part.”

Michael pulled out a calendar and flipped it open, grabbed a pen, then he started to explain, Plan A. “Ok, Tuesday, is March the 6
th
. You will ride over to Devon’s house with him after school. He will believe that no one knows you are with him. Once you’re at his place, you will wait a few minutes, and then excuse yourself to go to the bathroom. Once you’re in the bathroom, you will take that teleporting stone that David gave you, and hide it somewhere. Now Lizzie told me it is better to be hidden in a low place, because they normally teleport above it. Once you have done this, you will flip the light switch off and on twice; I will already be there watching the house with Ezra. Flipping it on and off will let us know that you are done, and it wasn’t Devon using the bathroom.”

“It will still be daylight.”

Michael smiled, “good point, Plan A, part two. Wave your hand out the window when you have finished.”

I laughed, “
We’re doomed.”

“Shh… and
listen. After you wave your hand, I will come to the door and inform Devon that our grandmother is sick. You will act all worried, and we will rush away. That’s all for Plan A…easy.”

“Don’t you think he will be wondering how you knew where I was?”

Michael shrugged his shoulders, “No plan is perfect, Melabeth. He will probably be thinking that you lied to him and cannot be trusted, and, for that reason, you may never get a second chance. We need to do this right the first time.”

“Ok, that part sounds easy enough, so I am guessing that me and David will have to teleport back later and get the evidence.”

“Close, but no; we have another plan.”

I said, “Let me guess, Plan B.”

Michael smiled. “That’s a good name for it. I was going to call it mission break and enter, but I like your name better.”

I laughed. “Seriously, what’s next?”

“Ok, I have Mr. Wright in fifth period and you in sixth period. So starting at lunch time, we can keep eyes on him for almost three hours. David will teleport to his house, and only David.”

I started to argue, but Michael put his finger up to my lips and then continued talking. “David, will go alone; everyone will have a part in this plan for this to work. It will also be bad if he thinks you had anything to do with it. If you miss class the day after being in his house, well that may send up red flags. So far he knows nothing of David, and we need to keep it that way. David will find what evidence he can. Our job will be to watch Devon; he only works three minutes from his house.”

“How will we warn David in time?”

“That’s were Lizzie comes in. She has study hall fifth period. She always sits next to the window; if Devon tries to leave, I will leave class as well. Soon as I head up toward the office, Lizzie will see me. She will go to the girls’ room and then teleport to Devon’s house to warn David. In sixth period it will even be easier. Her class is right across from Devon’s, but there are no windows in those mobile units. If he leaves, you need to rush over to Lizzie’s class and tell the teacher that Lizzie has a family emergency, and you know what will happen from there.”

“How will we know that David makes it back safely, and we don’t need to rescue him?”

Michael said, “
We figured that out too. David will teleport back to his house. From there he will call the front office and have you paged; when you hear the page, you don’t have to call anyone. It will just let us know that he has made it home safely. Then later that night, you will meet up with David at some cemetery…Lizzie acted as if you would know it. There you will find out what evidence he found, if any.”

“This doesn’t sound so bad, and Lizzie will hardly be involved. In fact, if it goes according to plan, she will sit the whole thing out.”

Michael gave me a look, and then said. “I don’t like it; and you have my help, but after this, I don’t want Lizzie, or David involved.”

“Agreed.”

Michael had a real serious face. “You have to cut all ties with them. These are their lives we’re talking about. They are children; you can’t put them in anymore harm’s way, do you hear me?”

“Yes, I hear you. And Michael…”

“Yes, Melabeth.”

“Thank you, for everything.” I got up and left. I went up to my room.

The last thing he said had upset me as much as the first thing he had said. Of course, he didn’t know about the first, and he was right about the second.

First thing he had done to me was he had opened the calendar up, and pointed out that I would be with Devon on March 6
th
.  Melanie had a birthday coming up, a sweet sixteen birthday. It appeared that I would be celebrating it by flirting and hanging out with one of Melanie's murderers. I will never be sixteen anyway. Plus Melanie is dead, and Melabeth doesn’t need a birthday.

The second thing he did to upset me is that he was right about David and Lizzie. Lizzie, in one short week, had become a friend. I couldn’t really define it, but she was someone that I could see hanging out with a lot. It helped to talk with her at school; I didn’t get to see Carrie, and I needed a girlfriend.

Michael had been right; I should not let them help me with this. Their magic would help me get this done faster than me or Michael could do on our own. How would I say bye to David? This is going to be a crappy week.

Stressed about going over to Dr. Evil’s house, stressed about David going to his house, feeling sorry for myself on my birthday, saying goodbye to David the next night. I was about to cry, when Charlotte burst through the door.

She flashed up to me and wrapped her arms around me. She didn’t say anything as I cried into her shoulder.

After a little time went by, and I stopped crying, Charlotte said, “Let’s go flying.”

She pulled me out of my room by my hand. Being thrown off of cliffs would get my mind off my other problems. Living on Mile High Rd., we didn’t have to go far to find an overlook.

We were sitting on top of a boulder that outcropped from the edge of a cliff. There you could see the whole valley of lights below. Me and Charlotte both sat Indian style leaning our backs against the cliff. Charlotte had been mostly quiet; she had left me to my thoughts.

Then she said, “I have been talking to Ezra, and Alice, and they agree that I have been approaching the flying thing wrong with you. We all know you are strong enough, and the fear of falling normally will get most vampires flying. Apparently, you are not afraid of falling or hitting that head of yours. Let us try something new.”