Egbert

Way down we Go

I'm awoken by the screaming of my alarm clock. Eagerly I slap the dismiss button and get ready to go back to sleep, until my eyes fly open with the realisation that I have school to go to and my stomach begins sinking. Getting ready is quick enough, it's the awkward car journey that proves difficult. Vikram is sitting to one side of the car, right up against the door and refuses to look at me when I shuffle in and say my Namaste. I'm guessing Preeti refused to give up the front seat judging by how smug she looks.

"Are you two still fighting?" She asks after she's had enough of the complete silence.

"What? Who is doing the fighting? Eh ke?" His mother glances over her shoulder.

"Ram aur Eg are having a spat. They're not talking to each other." She clarifies for her mother.

"No, no. Why are you arguing putaar?" She asks me, frowning as she drives.

"We're not arguing." I insist. Vikram takes this opportunity to finally speak. I swear if he says anything to get me in trouble I'm so telling his mum about what really happened to her samoseh.

"Arguing implies we're actually going to talk about our problem. No, Egg and I have decided to completely ignore each other and the fact that he's abandoning me." From the window school creeps into view, I don't even wait for the car to stop rolling before jumping out to avoid aunt's questioning or Vikram's snarky comments.

The best thing to do would be to face my problem head on. I rarely do the best thing for me. I'll admit class is quieter without Vikram by my side. Instead he's sitting at the back of the room staring at me sullenly. I know this because he keeps mutter Punjabi swear words at me, knowing I can hear him and forcing me to turn around and glare at him by throwing balled up bits of paper whenever he can before class begins. "Kutha kameena," he hisses before finally falling silent. And his silence isn't due to some respectful understanding that we've come to but rather at the face that walks into the room. Hans trots into the room. Only he doesn't look like Hans. He doesn't have the usual cocky smirk or the blonde hair that sits atop his head. And the pained look he had yesterday has disappeared. It's replaced by a sombre gaze, his square jaw is tilted upwards and a brown mop adorns his head. If he didn't have the same eyes I wouldn't have recognised him at all. So the transition is done then, and I'm not the only one who's noticed. The loud chatter in the classroom had dulled down into whispers and gawking eyes. His squad of Dhampirs are looking at him eagerly, noting the difference, but his eyes shoot past them and look intensely towards the back of the classroom. Why did he just walk past his usual seat? Wait why is he coming to sit next to me? What is this bullshit? Doesn't he know I hate him?

In response I give the glariest glare I can give him but he nods respectfully. What the hell is it with this guy and suddenly being all respectful? Like anyone does that. He must be on drugs. No wait- he's a vampire now... I think.

"Are you a..." I whisper low, he nods. So I guess that explains it. No drugs necessary he's going to be a bat shit crazy bloodsucker like my parents now. Is it any wonder he looks so astute.

We don't speak at all; it's crazy how loud our silence is, it's able to compete with the hubbub of our maths class. And it happens again in science. Here I am, thankful to get away from him and learn about the mitochondria and the asshole comes and plops down next to me. This time I won't stand for it. When the lesson gets going and we're discussing the set questions I turn to him.

"What?" I accuse.

My words come as shock and he manages to stutter out and answer, "T-the mitochondria's the powerhouse of the cell."

"Not that Hans. What are you doing next to me? Why are you here?"

My outburst seems to have been angrier than I anticipated. Maybe it's the fact that I'm stressed all over.