The New Girl

Chapter Ten

Lovina didn't come to school the following day, nor she replied back any of my texts. My eyes kept traveling back to her empty seat in the last row in our first class. But each time they would meet brooding Brookyln's. He flipped the middle finger at me when Professor Maya was writing something on the marker board. Afterwards I didn't turn back.

Apart from Arvon and David and the professors, nobody in the school spoke to me. The news of Mariana death had spread through the school like Ebola virus, and don't-speak-to-Casper behavior was irritating me very much. I could have simply enjoyed the advantage of having left out alone, which meant there wasn't more taunting and name calling, but I couldn't.

I couldn't just ignore the hatred looks people were flashing at me anytime, anywhere I go. Especially from Humanity faculty. Apparently they deemed I was the convict behind their friend's murder. The Twins were seen uncountable times gossiping away like women with people they have never talked before, which was unusual, and so I reckon -

"They're encouraging people," Arvon said in lunch break, throwing a look of great dislike at the table occupied by the popular kids: Avalanna and her two girlfriends and the Twins. They were many tables far from us, but still we could distinguish them clear as the blue sky: Avalanna was applying make-up, watching her reflection in the small handheld mirror while Mimi and Caybe were seemingly flirting with the Twins.

"But we know you didn't kill her," David said . "Because if you had, you'd been spending this moment in jail."

"I wish others feel that way about me too," I said. "I don't understand why the popular kids hate us so much?"

"Hating or, you can say, dominating others is the only way how they make feel good about themselves," David said. "It gives them a sense of power. With power comes fame. If you're going to get so much in return, why don't you simply hate/ dominate people?"

"Well, they could have got those things by spreading love too?"

"Love is a long way," David said. "Hate is a shortcut. Now say which way most people would take?"  

"But still -"

"Guys, look," Arvon interrupted. "Someone is about to join their pack."

Someone was Brooklyn. He was talking to Avalanna, who had her makeup and mirror tucked away in her bag, and was smiling back at him. Brooklyn's exceedingly charming look was winning Avalanna in no time.

She stood up (her lather skirt was five inches longer than yesterday's), gave her seat to Brooklyn, pulled a chair from next table and sat down on it with oh-I-have-been-waiting-for-this-moment look. He waved at Mimi and Caybe and shook hands with the Twins as if they had just taken the blinds off their eyes and were noticing one another for the very first time in their lives.

"The popular kids just got more popular," David said.

"I hate them all," I said, looking down at my salad. "Oh, wait, does this give me power?"

"That depends on how you feel about yourself, dude" David said.

"I'm feeling crap right now."

David shrugged and popped potato chip in his mouth.

"Your room partner is hardly active in other activities than brooding, dude," Arvon told me. "Yet they accepted the douchebag in their pack."

"It's all about the good look and the influence he has on them," David said.

"And he also happens to be Lovina's Ex," I revealed.

"No way, mate," Arvon said.

"Then this means they knew each other even before they got admitted in Neon," David said. "And speaking of Lovina, where is she? Do you think she has shut herself in her dorm blaming herself for the death of Mariana because she brought her in the party?"

David had a point.

"Who knows?" Arvon said. "You should visit her dorm and check on her, C. If you don't know where it is, I'll help you find it. Make sure she doesn't put herself in depression and do something stupid like suicide."

"She would never do that," I said confidently. "She's a lot tougher than any of us. And she handled the death of Mariana in matured way. I'd have panic attack without her. She thinks, and now I think too, a vampire killed Mariana."

Aron's mouth hung open: a bit of sandwich he had been chewing fell from his mouth. However David's face split into a happy grin.

"So I was right, dude?"

I nodded.

"I knew it, I knew it," David said excitedly. "All those bite marks and pale dead bodies were the act of a vampire. If we want to catch vampires, I suggest we search them during daytime. That would be easy and safe because vampires can't walk out in the sunlight unless they have daylight rings or something magic."

"We aren't going after any vampires, D," I said.

David's face fell. "Why not?"

"Because we've school during day," Arvon, said, "and vampire hunting could be dangerous."

"Well, we could start from somewhere after school before the sun sets," David said firmly. "Look this way. Many lives will be saved if we catch the vamp. And nothing has ever been achieved without facing the danger first."

"I'm already voted as top dork of this school, D. I'm not going to do something others think stupid. I don't want to see my name on top of the dork list every week."

"You know what?" David said. "You both are cowards."

"Don't call us that," Arvon snapped.

"It's the truth," David said. "Fine. It's your choice. Do as you like." He stood up.

"Where are you going?" I asked David.

"To the library," he said. "I've to research information about the vamps before going after them, haven't I?"

"Hadn't you already watched enough vampire movies to give you enough information about them?" said annoyed Arvon.

"See you after thirty minutes, guys."

And David was off.

"He's bringing unnecessary troubles upon himself," Arvon pointed out.

"Well, that's David. He might be nerd, but he does what he feels like doing."

Later in the last period, a minute before the last bell rang, the principal announced through the intercom that the school will remain close tomorrow in respect of Mariana's death and the class will continue the day after following as usual.

I kept my head bow while listening to this announcement. Deep inside me, I was dreading to hear the horrible voice of the principal at the end of the announcement, beckoning, "Casper! Come to my office! We need to talk! Now!"

But luckily that never came.

Mariana's parents took their daughter's belongings with them at the end of the day. They were good people, and didn't fuss around with anybody in the school.

I went back to my dorm and noticed from a distance that the door to our room stood ajar. That was strange. Brooklyn never left the door even slightly open if he was inside or unlocked when out. I got the instinct something was terribly wrong in there.

I pushed the door open wide.

A big gasped escaped through my mouth at what I beheld:

One side of the room, where Brooklyn's bed was, was totally in disaster. His bed was broken in half as though the breaker had cut it through the middle with seesaw and bed sheet and mattress and books were strewn across the floor. All ripped and damaged badly. And the double doors of his wardrobe were hanging on their hinges, the contents inside all gone....