NOTE: You--yeah you. You're awesome. :D
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This town can actually be considered quite beautiful. On the drive to Leytonstone High, Criss, Cross, and I drive in between old trees that reach endlessly for the sky. We find that most houses are built on the slopes of the forested hills. The old paved roads are narrow and scenic with greenery everywhere: up, down, side to side. Everything feels alive here.
It’s a shame there have been reports of the undead everywhere. Leytonstone is apparently crawling with vampires—and we’re the ones assigned to fix that problem.
Criss is the one driving the old convertible BMW. The car might be old, but it still has class. The roof of the car is down, so wind cuts through our hair and fills our noses with the scents of plants. Honestly, I really like the change of atmosphere. I’m used to a flat dustbowl filled with sand and cacti. The heat could get so unbearable there that you didn’t want to even move. Now, in Leytonstone, it feels nice to breathe, and I wouldn’t even mind going for a jog one of these days.
I notice Cross drop down sunglasses onto the bridge of his nose. I look at him from the backseat of the car and say, “Dude. It’s not even that sunny.”
Criss replies instead, “He knows that.” He says with his eyes fixed on the road, “Apparently he’s going for the I’m-a-huge-douchebag first impression at the high school.”
I chuckle, and Cross takes off his sunglasses and faces his brother.
“Could you two stop criticizing me for just one minute?!” He says in an agitated voice, “God.” He adds in softly.
Finally, it’s as if the tall trees move out of the way and reveal a large building in the midst of the greenery. The road we’re driving on curves, falls and rises slightly as we pass a stone sign reading:
LEYTONSTONE HIGH
HOME OF THE VAMPIRE BATS!
“Would you look at that,” Criss starts as he drives into the school parking lot, “Home of the vampire bats.”
“Bats—bloodsucking vampire bats.” Cross observes, his sunglasses still in his hands.
I take a deep breath out and say, “These six months should be interesting.”
As Criss rolls the grey BMW into an empty parking space between a rusty truck and an old Honda, some of the students standing around point to their friends to look at us.
I take a look at the high school building to distract myself from the looks we get from the other students. It doesn’t appear to be old—in fact, it looks quite modern.The walls are a plain light brown color, and some of the columns have a metallic look to them. There are lots of windows that are tall and tinted light blue—I can see students pass in the hallways through them. The many doors that make up the school’s main entrance are all open as students gush inside. A few feet away from the entrance doors stands a tall white flag with a vampire bat’s mouth open as if it were hissing, revealing its fangs. The flag sparks a tang of fear from last night’s mission—the horrific look of the vampire girl’s open mouth, and the sound of flesh twisting and crushing as Criss staked her. It rushes through me, reminding me of my failure and fear.
Anyways, Criss opens the car door and steps out with his backpack in hand. Today he wears light jeans and a white button-up shirt with a collar. The first two or three buttons are left undone, revealing a little bit of Criss’s perfectly toned chest.
Cross doesn’t bother to even open the car door—he tosses his legs over it and does a sort of jump onto the paved floor underneath. Smiling, he brushes a stray strand of his bright red hair away and tries his hardest not to limp as he walks.
YOU ARE READING
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Vampire→Slayer rule #1: Never fall in love with the target you're meant to kill.
