Thicker Than Blood

Chapter 8: Graduation and a lie...

I was sitting at my desk waiting for Mitchell to arrive, of course he was holding a sandwich as he walked up. I don't think I could eat as much as he did, but I wasn't going to try either. As he was sauntering up to me, I was thinking of all the classes he and I taught together, how those students were graduating today. I stood up to straighten my suit, this time I wasn't going to have to give a speech.

"You ready?" The words, and some food, fell out of his mouth with a chew in between each syllable.

Trying not to choke from laughing at Mitchell, "Yes. Straighten your tie, it looks like a mess."

Straightening his tie, Mitchell glanced at me. "Why are you so happy today? Oh, wait, does it have to do with Rachel?"

To be honest, I wasn't really happy. I mean, I was happy for my students, but tonight we were going to collect some more... specimens. Thinking about having to grab them just made my skin crawl. I was never going to enjoy it or get used to it. The rush from the first one never came back. We didn't need all of them, just a few to give us the blood Park was craving for his experiment. "No, I'm just uptight about tonight... I can't help but smile when I'm nervous," pausing, "you know this."

Mitchell looked down at his shoes, "Yeah..." Then smiling his famous smile at me, he waved his hands for greater affect, then patted my face, "It'll be fine. We always get what we need, no one has discovered us yet. You worry too much."

"Yeah, let's talk about something else. Robert's coming." Feeling uneasy, I knew what we had to do, but this was getting harder. Especially trying to keep it a secret from Rachel, our relationship was blooming! How was I going to keep this up? I didn't want to lie to Rachel, but I knew that coming clean to her would cause her to be a part of this chaos that Mitchell and I were in. I still didn't know how Mitchell got to be a part of this.

Robert was walking down the hall towards us, greeting the other teachers. I pretended that I wasn't dreading this night, that I was happy. Rachel came and stood close to me, her scent wafting, filling my nostrils with desire and more dread. Robert winked at me as he looked over to the beauty that was standing close, I stifled a giddy schoolboy squeal. "How's Mariah?"

Mitchell shuddered at her name, remembering another one that he couldn't, as he'd put it, conquer. Robert noticed, but was amused that he could rub it in. "She's great! We're going to the vineyards in Connecticut this weekend. She took some time off, and we're off for the next 3 weeks, so..." Robert smiled bigger than normal, Mitchell grunted, I'm guessing in approval. I knew Robert was falling for her, and she was a great woman. Rachel and Mariah were fast friends too, eventually we'd end up on a double date. Just it wasn't going to be tonight.

The other teachers began to gather around, waiting for our cues. We were putting on our gowns, per Noreland's request, and our hoods. I rather disliked showing off my doctoral hood, but it was required. Mitchell held up his multiple hoods, his kelly green and then his dark blue, "Which one goes with my eyes better?" I heard him behind me trying way to hard with Michele Franklin. I could hear her eyes roll to the back of her head as he kept holding them up to his face, "Just pick whatever Mitchell." Rachel nudged me, giggling while she too rolled her eyes, then walked over to Michele, but not before she flashed a smile at me. I wanted to take a hold of her, but we were surrounded and since Noreland, and Mitchell, was wishing he could get Rachel, I withheld my urge.

Rebecca was frantically running around, trying to find a cup. Margie was now by my side, waiting to see if I needed anything before she walked over to Rachel and Michele. I nodded that I was good, and she briskly maneuvered herself to the front of the room. I smiled as necessary, not fully paying attention to what was said, but enough to get away with it. My thoughts weren't my own, swirling throughout my head was a mixture of Rachel and the weekly escapades. Should I be happy or thinking about my impending doom. Martha Angback was talking to Noreland, with her assistant Jenna right behind her.