Drowning

Chapter 11

"Get what?" Kurt cocked his head.
"The meaning of the last name." Cora rolled her eyes. "Try thinking up meanings of the name without looking it up, using your brain."
I stood there for about three seconds. Nothing. "It's not really... Possible."
"I know! But I think that even though the book said the meaning of their name, it's not always what the snake might do. In this case, Kade wanted to make it different from the book to make it harder to get. But really, it's the most obvious way to do it!" Cora's mood was back to 100% and she danced around to room like the Cora we all know and love.
"What?" Kurt just stood there, watching.
"Me too. I don't get a word you just said." I sat down to think.
Cora scanned the bookshelf. "V... V... Aha!" She pulled out a book that looked exactly like an encyclopedia, except much older. It said "volume v" on the binding.
"Cora, what are you doing?"
"Come on, Amy. How can you not think of it? It's so simple! It's right in front of your face!" Cora grabbed a sheet of paper and scribbled 'Repiv' in big letters. She held the paper to my face.
"Oh!" I said shortly. "Viper!"
"Yes! You get it!" Cora smiled.
"Now I get it!" I heard Kurt say from behind."How did we not notice it before!"
"Just about to say that myself." Cora flipped through pages. "Here it is! The Ice Viper. This large, blue snake is distinguished by it's noticeable ice teeth. It sucks it's prey's blood through it's fangs and can shoot out its teeth to kill a victim at 75 mph and can shoot from a mile away. Every thirty years it eats off of changed soul mates. It usually likes to deceive the girl and get her with him alone, and then he makes his kill. After he kills the female, then and only then will he go after the male. All he does is get the male wet, and he is eaten while he is helpless and exposed. He will never kill anyone if they are by people. He doesn't care if it's a group of mermaids, but with just one human, the Viper with stay away. Weakness: it's tail. If you step or pinch or cause any harm to the tail, the snake will leave the area like a coward. But don't ever feel it's over, for it will never stop coming back. There is no known way to defeat the Ice Viper." I heard Cora shiver as she read the last sentence.

~~~

For once in my life, I felt safe at school. Even when I was around Kade, I knew he would hurt me with humans all around. But Kurt was lucky, he didn't have to worry until I died, because the girls always went first. Made me feel a whole lot better.
Cora was her normal self once again, but always frowned when she saw Garrett.
There had to be a way to defeat it. There has to be. Maybe we would just have to find a way.
"Cora, do you know of any poison we could get a hold of?" I whispered to her next to me.
"Well... In certain poisonous mushrooms there is a tube of poison. You can squeeze the mushroom and the poison will spill out the bottom. I guess that's the only one. It's kinda illegal for us to buy poison." Cora whispered back.
"Hm... Do any mushrooms grow in your backyard?"
"No. My mom hates them."
"Me too." I replied. "I'll ask Kurt after dinner."
The teacher suddenly turned her head and stared at us. Cora smiled and waved to her. The teacher smiled back and turned around.
"What was that?"
"My parents are friends with her."
The bell rang and students piled out the door. Time for lunch.
Cora and I walked down the stairs and into the lunchroom. It was really big, and I guess that's what happens in such a big school.
"Let's sit here." Cora set down her lunch bag.
I sat down with my hot lunch. Kurt came and sat with us also.
"What did you find out?"
"Kade told me he liked walnuts." Kurt smiled.
"That's not really... Helpful." I said as nice as I could. Kurt frowned. I was distracted from our conversation as Cora grabbed a ketchup bottle. She held it directly over her corn dog and stared at it. She was concentrating on it. She raised her other arm slowly over the ketchup bottle. Then, as if following a maneuver, she slapped to bottle and most of the ketchup in it landed on her plate.
"You're really gonna eat all that ketchup?"
"Of course!" Cora said as she stuffed her mouth. I watched her eat the whole hot dog in less than five seconds. Kurt and I watched in amazement.
Cora noticed our stares. "What?"
"I've never seen anyone eat a hot dog that fast before." Kurt gazed at where the hot dog had been.
"Normal people eat fast. You're just slow."
"Cora," I paused, "You aren't normal."
"Whatever." Cora said as she ate a chip.
"Double whatever."
"Triple-"
"Girls." Kurt interrupted,"Let's not start that again."
We all nodded our heads in agreement.
"So..." Cora commented. "Kade likes walnuts. Any idea what he's allergic to?"
"Great idea, but no. We could ask him. Does he know we know?"
"I don't think so." Kurt answered. "So then let's just act casual, so he still thinks we don't know."
"Good plan." We looked around and saw Kade sitting next to the 'popular boys.' Garrett was across from him.
"I'll go ask him if he wants to sit with us!" Cora didn't see Garrett at the table, unfortunately.
Cora ran over, eager to be friendly. Her eyes were bright, and her smile stretched from ear to ear. Yes, it did look like Cora was happy to see Kade. She was a pretty good actress.
"Hey!"
"Hi Cora!" Kade smiled back happily.
"How's it going over here?"
"It's fine. What's up?"
"We would love it if you came to join us!" Cora made arm movements.
"That would be great!" Garrett butted in.
Cora's frown disappeared and her face was sullen. "Um... Okay?" Cora said, trying to be polite, but at the same time unsure if she even wanted to speak to him.
Garrett hopped out of his seat and walked to our table. Cora stayed where she was and continued to talk with Kade.
"Is Kade one of you guys?" Garrett whispered as he sat down, seeing Kade start walking to us.
Hurriedly, Kurt and I shook our head and made no motions with our hands.
"Don't even ask." I whispered back quickly.