Music To My Soul

Ch. 4

Anderson: 

It's been 3 weeks, and I've found a way to be at the middle school. They needed a new religious studies teacher, and I was more than qualified. They were overjoyed to have me, and said I started today. I got set up in the new classroom easily enough, and I got here before Timothy did. I've been watching him and Alucard, and it seems they've gotten extremely close. Alucard seems to be taking Timothy as a Mate, be it human or not is yet to be decided it seems. I go to the teacher's lounge, and found Timothy there. I walk in and grab a cup of coffee, and I hear a small squeak from behind me. 

" Good Lord, you are quiet for your size. Sorry, I must've spaced out. Names Timothy, but you can call me Tim." 

" Father Alexander Anderson. I'm the new religious studies teacher." 

" Makes sense. Shame about the last one. Father Kinsley was cool, but he was 80, so he did deserve to retire. I teach music here. The kids love me, and I'm thinking of going full time here once I finish school." 

I could see why Alucard chose this young man. He was polite, kind, honest, and a sweet soul. He seem to radiate sunshine. I notice his uniform was sharp, but his badge had stickers all over it, and I chuckle a small bit, the feeling of butterflies in my gut make me feel like a kid again. 

" I bet the attitude you present gets you in well with the kids too, huh? The stickers on your badge must be something fun." 

" Oh, I have a special needs student who loves to give out stickers every class. I just try to remember they aren't much younger than me, ya know? I mean, they are middle schoolers, so I guess they need a sunnier outlook in this rather bland place. My partner seems to love them when I talk about them to him. He's always getting me going about possibly having a family one day." 

He gives  genuine laugh, and I force mine out. Remember, Anderson. You can't think like that here. You need to remain neutral. Alucard is a threat and he quite possibly has no clue.

" I didn't think they allowed teachers to be that open about their relationships. Still strange to hear about them after so long." 

Tim swallowed hard, nervous radiated off him. " As long as it's not around the kids, they don't care. And besides, I never believed in that old book anyways, so what it says means little to me. I'm just here to teach and to get my degree. You don't have to like my lifestyle, but you will respect it enough to shut up and accept it. I got a class to teach, as do you, Father." 

His tone shifted to one full of venom, the last word off his lips stinging deep and true. He's used to defending his nature to people like me. He left in a huff with his stuff, and that left me alone with a depressed feeling settling in my chest, a sweeping cold washing over me as he left. I should apologize. It's not that I'm against such relationships, it's just the specific individual that he's with isn't the best guy, and that alone is my biggest worry. I get up and got to my first class, and it flies by, the kids laughing and having fun just like my old Sunday school group. The last bell of the day rings before I know it, and I hand out my last homework assignment. I catch Tim before he gets near the doors, and he has venom in his palm tree green eyes. 

" Listen, Tim, I owe you an apology. I'm sorry if I seemed cruel earlier. That wasn't my intention. I know the progressive nature of the school, and I'm not against you or your lifestyle, I'm genuinely not. I'm just not so used to it being out in the open. I'm fresh from Rome, so please, forgive me. Seems all that time with the old timers has rubbed off on me a bit and I need to shake it out. I don't want you to think I'm a bigot, because I am far from it."

Tim melted into a smile, and offered his hand. We shook hands and I felt less guilty and I knew I had just gotten an in on talking more openly with him, but guilt is still sitting in my throat like acidic bile making me feel ashamed for having to be this secretive with him. 

" Mind me walking you out?" 

" Not at all, and apology accepted. I understand it's hard for Catholics to wrap their head around it, but only an open mind learns." 

" So tell me, who is the lucky guy?"

" His name is Vlad. He was my roommate at first, but over the past few months, we got close, and sure enough one night, we just clicked. I guess what they say is true. Good guys can't help but love a bad boy." 

We both laugh a small bit, and I stop short of the atrium. I can't have him see me. I feel horrible as I knew once Tim was out of my sight, I couldn't protect him from the man he was head over heels for.

" Do you talk to Vlad about work?" 

" Not really. I try to keep work and home life separate, but if a fun story in class happens, I talk with him to get him to smile, or if I have a conversation with one of my co-workers and I want his input about the same topic." 

" Makes sense. Well, see you tomorrow, yeah?" 

" Yeah. Welcome to St. Catharine's, Father." 

" Please, just Alex is fine. Leave the formalities to the kids, yeah?"

" Alright. Later."

He left without another word, and an old familiar longing filled the hole in my chest. He was such a sweet guy, and he didn't deserve the vampire he got. I go to my classroom, and gather my things, when a knock on my door told me someone as here. 

" How was your first day, Father Alexander?" 

" Quite well, Sister Marge. The kids seem to love me, and I'm getting along nicely with the staff." 

" I saw you with our music teacher, Tim. The kids adore him. I don't know how he does it, but the kids love his class. You could learn a thing or two from him, I certainly did. Sweet kid, big heart." 

" Do you know anything about his personal life? Either the gossip mill or from conversations with him?" 

" I know he has a male partner, I know he has a friend at collage he's known for years, and I know both his parents passed on when he was young. Poor kid's been scrambling up the ladder just to even get here." 

" What happened to his parents?" 

Sister Marge made a cross and looked extremely disturbed and sad, as if the topic was horrid even to think of.

" Both died in a rather unorthodox way. I learned all this from a drunken confession at one of the little get togethers we have, and Tim had hit the wine a bit too hard. His father died by a group of guys throwing stones, slurring him and everything. His father was a known ally, and this earned him an early grave. His mother wasn't any luckier. She was lynched by the same group of men due to her pagan nature and due to her being born Romani, but not before they, well, you know. Both died just by being good parents to their son, and shortly after, Tim was placed with adoptive parents who he disowned due to them being zealots of our variety." 

" That's why he was so quick to defend himself. Poor kid's been through hell." 

" He has, God bless him. From what I hear, his new partner is Romanian like his mother and makes good money as a bar bouncer. They look so cute, the edgy bad boy with the wayward sweet kid." 

I forced a smile, but I genuinely felt horrible for Tim. Now he's wrapped up with the worst of the worst. God really must've abandoned him if he's ending up this way. I just pray I can slay the dragon before this poor boy gets eaten.