Bells
My first fewdays in the new block were far more pleasant than I’d imagined they would be, considering I was sharing a relatively small apartment with a pair of mortal enemies. For the most part, Dean and Alistair were on good behavior, which made me wonder if they’d come to some sort of truce behind closed doors. I could tell they still got on each other’s nerves, but they didn’t have to like each other. As long as they tolerated each other while we were all stuck together, that was good enough for me.
Classes weren’t going too badly, either. For the first time, I was actually starting to think I might stand a chance at catching up, and in the evenings, I had two more experienced students around to answer questions I had while studying. They were both more than eager to help, and despite knowing they both had ulterior motives, it was kind of sweet.
That afternoon, as I headed to lunch, I found myself wondering if I’d run into Dean. He and Alistair had both kept to their word about trying to give me some space, if only so the rumors that were already stirring in the student body wouldn’t spread like wildfire. I had a few classes with Dean, but I’d learned only recently that Alistair was taking advanced courses. I planned on asking him which track he’d chosen when we were alone, since I couldn’t imagine him going either the military or administrative routes.
I arrived in the cafeteria and grabbed a tray, looking around once I made it through the line. Most of the other students were still shunning me, but the novelty of my presence had mostly worn off, and I didn’t feel lonely anymore.
“There you are!”
I turned around to find Maddie walking toward me with a tray in her hands, her blonde hair bouncing around her shoulders since she’d curled it that morning.
I smiled and motioned for her to follow me over to an empty table, ignoring the filthy looks the vampires at the next table over were giving us. “Hey. How’ve you been?”
“Good, but I’m not the one who’s been MIA,” she replied, taking the seat across from me. “What’s going on? I heard you were moved into a block with Alistair and Dean. Well… okay, I saw the paperwork, and everyone else probably heard it from Amari.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m sure.”
My former roommate couldn’t be bothered to acknowledge my existence, but apparently, she had plenty of time to talk about my business.
I glanced around to make sure no one was close enough to listen. Then again, I didn’t really know just what the others were capable of, but I had bigger issues if they could hear me from that far. “Remember when I asked you about imprinting the other day?”
“Yeah,” she said slowly, leaning in. Her eyes were glimmering with curiosity. I could see why she liked working in the administrative offices. It was a ripe source for gossip. “What about it?”
“Well, turns out it’s a little more possible than we thought,” I said with a sigh. “At least, that’s what they think.”
“Dean and Alistair?” she asked, her eyes growing wide as saucers.
“Shhh,” I urged, raising a finger to my lips for her to keep it down. “I’d rather not become the new hot topic now that I’ve got a moment’s peace.”
“I can’t imagine sharing a block with a vampire and a werewolf is peaceful at all,” she said with a wary laugh. “I’m surprised they haven’t killed each other yet.”
“That makes two of us,” I admitted, taking a sip of my seltzer. “Honestly, they’re kind of on good behavior. For now.”
“They must really care about you, then,” she said thoughtfully. “I know you barely know each other, but imprinting sort of makes that...well, less important. I know when a shifter imprints, it feels like they’ve known the other person forever. Since before their spirits were even on the Earth. I’m sure it isn’t much different for vampires. And werewolves, as much as I hate to admit that.”
“Yeah,” I murmured, thinking about her words. It was easy to focus on how annoying it was, let alone impossible, in light of everything else I was dealing with, but she had a point. If the guys really had imprinted on me--and I knew them well enough to know that whether they had or not, each of them wholeheartedly believed he had--this was just as hard for them.
Sure, I felt connected to them. In a way, I could understand what she meant about knowing someone longer than you actually had. It was even stranger, considering I barely felt that way about anything, to the point where I’d wondered just how much of a life I really had to leave behind.
“Have you ever felt that way about anyone?” I asked, suddenly curious since she seemed to know a lot about it. I knew imprinting was rare, but it had to happen sometimes.
“I’ve never imprinted, no,” she replied. “I don’t even think I’ve ever been in love, to be completely honest with you. The closest I’ve come is a crush.”
“Anyone at school?” I asked, giving her a sly smile. Despite the fact that we all had limited pasts, to one degree or another, it seemed like there was a pretty normal amount of dating and hooking up that went on.
She sipped her drink to give herself a moment to think, probably about whether she was going to tell me or not. “Silas,” she finally replied, grinning a little. I hadn’t known her long, but it was the first time I’d seen her look bashful.
“Silas?” My eyes widened as I thought of the ghoul I shared a few classes with. It was an unusual name, so he stood out to me as the quiet guy with long red hair who always sat near the door. He and Maddie were about as far apart as two people could get, other than the fact that they both seemed sweet, but I guess it was true what they said about opposites attracting. “Have you said anything?”
“No,” she sighed. “I’m traditional. It’s up to him to make the first move… if he wants to. If he even knows I exist.”
“I’m sure he does,” I snorted. Maddie was cute, and there were plenty of guys who noticed, even though she seemed oblivious. If she didn’t usually sit with me at lunch, I was sure she’d be surrounded by them. “He does seem a little shy, though.”
“I think ghouls in general tend to be quiet,” she said thoughtfully. “It’s probably part of the species phenotype or something. I’ve never known one to be loud.”
“Maybe,” I agreed. I couldn’t help but wonder if there were traits specific to whatever the hell I was. Then again, the fact that no one seemed to have a clue probably suggested I wasn’t a typical one.
