Chapter 3. Bonds Broken
My next class The Arts is broken up in different segments throughout the school year. It starts with art history for a week, and then it goes into sketching. Several girls asked me about Caleb and what it was like to live in New York. One girl tried her best to sound like a New Yorker but failed miserably. I took public speech classes since the ninth grade to learn how to hide my accent. I thought it worked, but realized it couldn’t hide the fact I don’t have a southern hitch. Maybe, this won’t be so bad. It’d be so much better if fourth period would get here already. I’m the only dork on earth that wishes Historiography class would hurry up and arrive. I bet girls are hitting on Caleb. I wouldn’t put it past that Carmen girl to try to break us up. She’s crafty that way. I have a sixth sense about stuff like that. Is the bell ever going to ring? I wonder where the bathrooms are. The more I thought about the bathroom, the more I fidgeted. I wiggled until my bladder screamed at me that we needed to go and when it says go it means it. My hand shot up into the air.
“Miss Lucente, can I help you with something?” The copper-hair teacher asked. She wore a copper colored nametag that matched her hair perfectly.
“May I go to the restroom?” In that moment, I realized, no one has asked to go the bathrooms all day.
“Let me find out if I can get an escort for you, it’s about time for the bell to ring. You can’t wait another fifteen minutes?”
I turned 77 shades of red. “Eh, hem, no ma’am, I need to go now.”
“Of course you do. Jasmine will you escort Miss Lucente to the bathroom.” I turned quickly to my left to see who she is talking to and almost peed myself when I saw her. Beautiful long black hair, big brown eyes, and skin so bronze that she’d make a perfect suntan lotion model. She is also the ex-girlfriend to Clark, the guy that was bonded to her, but I fell and he caught me, breaking their bond. By the look on her face, she is none too happy about taking me to the bathroom.
Why in the hell does my life have to suck today? Great, now I’ll have to worry about her beating the crap out of me in the bathroom. I know a few Puerto Rican girls from Harlem that put the f in fear.
Jasmine turns to me. “Someone told me that you and Caleb are re-bound together. How did you do it?” She flips her long hair over her shoulder. “I have to get Clark back. He and I were perfect together, until you and that weird Underworld guy ruined it. He’ll be 18 soon, and instead of trying to bond to me, he is out making out with every hoochie he can find.”
I know the pain she is in. It’s just like when Caleb and I kissed and I felt the pain of us being unbound. “I honestly don’t know how we reconnected. Have you tried to kiss him?” I followed her as we walked to the other end of the hall. “Fairytales say that true love’s kiss will break any spell. Have you tried that?”
Jasmine stops and pushes me into a locker pinning my back to it. I feel the lock embedded in my back. “You’re freakin’ kidding me, right? This isn’t an F N fairytale, you idiot. We’re Light Tamers, you know…the good guys. I’m in jeopardy of losing everything I’ve ever trained for and you’re over here saying stupid things like true love’s kiss. I knew better than to ask you. You’re no better than anyone else in this school. I don’t know why they’re making such a big deal out of you. Freakin’ faerie-ass.” She is so close that we are boob to boob. Awkward. She abruptly stepped back and pointed to a light blue door that says GIRLS. “Go…remember, you had to pee so bad you were doing the pee pee dance in your seat.”
She has some nerve, ‘fairy-ass’, what the hell? So much for the sweet girl I thought she was. I didn’t bother replying to her outburst and straightened my shirt as I walked into the bathroom. My hands tremble so hard, I barely get the toilet paper off of the roll. Don’t cry, don’t cry. No tears, please don’t cry. The mirror threatened to betray me as I look in it. “Shit, is that the bell?” I turn and run out the door, bumping into a girl who was coming in.
Thankfully, Jasmine was nowhere to be seen. She probably left as soon as I walked into the bathroom. I wonder if Caleb will ditch Historiography. Like magic I look up and Caleb is standing in front of me with my backpack.
By the look of concern on his face, he knows something is wrong. “Jess, are you okay?” He pulls me to him and wraps his arms around me. It is moments like these, the world stops spinning on its axis and begins revolving around us.
I shake my head up and down. “I’m okay, especially now. What are the chances that we can ditch our next class?”
“Hmmm, since I’ve never heard of anyone ditching this school, I’m guessing we can’t. Come on, at least we have it together. Do you want to go to the library after school? Amber said she’d meet us there after she is finished with detention,” Caleb asked. We walked around the corner and down the math hall.
“Yeah, that sounds good. I have to be home by 5:30 for dinner. Good gawd, this class is huge.” We crossed the room and took the two back chairs farthest from the door. I pull out a paper and a pen out of my backpack. I watch as the now familiar hooded figure walks into class. I wonder why he keeps that hoodie on. Amber said it felt like he is in terrific shape, but she didn’t get enough time to explore completely. Oh, I did NOT just think that!
Chapter 4. Filii Nocte
The name on the desk read Mr Ralph Wolfshadow, Teacher Extraordinaire. His portly build fit his last name to a T. His round face hid behind a mask of hair, otherwise known as a beard. He must have it professionally carved and trimmed, or maybe years of practice made it perfectly outlined. He masked his age well, his eyes sparkled with youth, but his leathery nose aged him.
“You aren’t paying any attention to me are you?” Caleb says as he flicks a folded up piece of paper to me.
Thorne takes a seat in the front row, next to a heavy-set guy and a girl from Caleb’s house. Unable to quit watching, like a voyeur I watch the girl flirt with him. Touching his arm, and giggling, finally I turn away. Oddly, I feel dirty, I want to wash away the seductive way she acted.
Mr Wolfshadow doesn’t strike me as a big cuddly kind of guy, if I were to judge by looks alone. His big bulbous nose is enormous compared to his little close together eyes. He rustled some papers on his desk until he obviously finds the one that he’s looking for. He stood up in front of the room and before saying anything, he clears his throat. When I say he cleared his throat, I mean he tried to cough a horse out of his lungs. He pulls out a red handkerchief and covers his mouth with it. I try with all of my might not to look at Caleb, as I’m sure we will die laughing. I sense he’s about to laugh, if he does, I’ll fall over.
The classroom of possibly fifty students is shifting around in their seats uncomfortably. I’m thoroughly convinced that Mr Wolfshadow is giving us some type of endurance test. I can’t prove it, but I’m sure of it.
“Eh, hem, sorry about that kids. My allergies kick up when I’m around so many Tamers. Your dander is unbearable to someone like me. Never mind, that sounds harsher than I intend.” He wads his handkerchief up and shoves it into his pants pocket. My eyes directly go to the bulge he has put in his pants, and I’m confident I’m officially grossed out. “How many of you grew up with the knowledge of Light Tamers?” He finally asks.
Caleb and I look around the room and notice no more than five hands go up.
“Okay, how many of you learned about Tamers after starting going to this school?” I look around, and half of the class raised their hands. “Interesting,” he says and scratches his beard. “How many of you learned about Tamers today or the very minimum, this summer?”
The rest of the class, including Thorne and I, raise our hands.
Mr Wolfshadow flings his arms out wide and starts laughing, and not a little chuckle…he practically falls to the ground in hysteria. Caleb senses how uncomfortable I’m feeling. I know this because he reaches over and puts his hand on mine.
He finally finishes laughing and composes himself. “I have my work cut out for me. I’d like to begin by telling you that
I am not a Light Tamer, but I am an expert about your species.” He says as if we’re dogs. He seriously said we have dander, wth? “Don’t get me wrong, I’m serious when I say that the mythology about your kind is particularly interesting. By the time you’re finished with this semester, you’ll be armed with knowledge. As you know, that is the best weapon on earth. If you can outwit your opponent, you can win. There are a lot of misconceptions out there. Many of you that grew up with the knowledge might be even more at risk than those that didn’t know. You see, many truths have been uncovered in the last decade. That means that what your parents have learned is wrong. With a show of hands, how many know the Vow of the Tamed?”
Two girls that are sitting next to each other raise their hand.
“That is reassuring, to say the least,” Mr Wolfshadow continued. “At the end of the course, you will take a vow of silence, next year you’ll take the Vow of the Tamed. This class will be mostly lectures, so get your pretty little pampered hands ready to take notes. It would behoove you to start taking those notes…now.”
I pull out a spiral notebook with butterflies on it. I look over at Caleb’s and see its plain green, but he has drawn hieroglyphics all over it.
“Light Tamers are people who have the ability to absorb light from many light sources. Who can name a light source they cannot absorb?”
Caleb raises his hand. “Light emitting diode, or L.E.D. lights.”
“Very good Mr Baldwin. When a Light Tamer is in good health and well balanced, they can stay in a room with light, without draining it. You’re known as a Tamer because your body has learned how to be balanced. It will change your mind about mythical stories and the way you see the world. Not all of you are equal; a few of you will never be able to harness your light.” At that moment, no one made a sound. “This is life, you ninny’s. Look at Zeus and Dionysus, his son and a god too. He invented wine, which makes him a better god than Zeus, in my book.” He chuckles at his own admission. “Dionysus had a mortal mother, this is the first recorded mixed race. His father a god’s god, and Dionysus merely the god of vine. Do you understand? In the future, you will be able to harness your light and use it for good things. Let’s just say, hypothetically that you are a parent one day, and that child becomes sick, you can heal it. You will simply place your hands on that child, and your light will emit from your hands. Simple right?” Yeah whatever. “I bet you’re asking yourself why you had chicken pox, or had a cold. Not all of you have a parent that is a Tamer. You have to learn how to heal yourself and that comes with building up your immunity. Although, we’d love for you to have the power to heal everyone, and every animal, it simply can’t be done. The world is full of balance, and we must learn how to make sure it stays balanced. It may seem to you that there are a lot of you out there, there isn’t. You’ve had the rare chance to go to a school that is tailored to you. This school is for the paranormally gifted.”
What the H did he say? I’m so not going to ask. Nope, not going to do it. Why is my freakin’ hand in the air?
“Yes, Miss Lucente?”
“What do you mean paranormally gifted? Are you saying that everyone in this school has a power?”
“Of course not. Everyone in this school is gifted, not powered. There are some who have the ability to read minds, or control insects. Some of the kids have much stronger abilities, but their secret is theirs alone. The younger children are being monitored to make sure they were born with the suspected ability of their family. The school is sectioned out, and you won’t know what the others have. You may share some classes together, but you coexist in harmony. The faculty is aware of most of your gifts, and we’re equipped to train you and protect you. Tamers that are juniors will take two classes that will consist of Tamers only. You’ll take Alchemy, it has other students, but the Tamers are sent to their special class and this class. There are various types of Tamers. Scientists have identified different bloodlines and maybe one day, they’ll expose the truth. I can’t tell you exactly what they’ve uncovered.”
The Bronx is sounding more and more like heaven. If I could kidnap Caleb and Amber, we could run to New York.
A buzzing sound came from the room speaker. “Mr Wolfshadow, I have a new student for you. I’m sending her your way, so please don’t go all paranoid when someone tries to open the door,” said the nasally female voice. We all stifle a giggle.
“Of course, Mrs. Pricer.” He opens a drawer in his desk and produces another handkerchief to wipe his brow. He takes a silver thermos out of his lunch bag and pours just enough to fit in the little cup attached to the top of it. We turn our heads to the tapping noise on the door. Mr Wolfshadow hustles over and lets the student in. “Pass please,” he holds out his hand to receive the note from the office.
“Oh, just what we need, smartass Amber,” a girl two isles over says.
I look up in time to see Amber strutting across the room. She eyeball’d the empty seat in front of me and winked. Let the good times roll.
“Hey chickadee, I changed my schedule so I can be in here with you lovebirds. You can pay me back with chocolate covered raisins.” She joggles around until she finally settled in for the lecture. “I hear this guy knows a lot about Tamers.”
“I do Miss Edwards, if you’ll take out a pen and paper, you can start writing notes.”
“How did he hear you?” I whisper to the back of her head.
Amber shrugs her shoulders.
The teacher walks over to the grease-board and starts writing frantically.
FACT OR FICTION
1. Tamers are protected only if they have two parents.
2. All Tamers must bond to another Tamer before they are 18.
3. Tamers that don’t bond are destined to be a Dark One.
4. All Light Tamers are good.
5. If the bond is broken, they can never be bound again?
“To the lovely young lady in the second row, third chair; answer number one.” Mr Wolfshadow says as he uses his laser pointer.
The buxom blonde with hot pink lip gloss looks around the class before she answers the question. “I don’t know, I just found out about Tamers this summer.”
“The gentleman on the back row next to Miss Lucente, can you answer the question?”
Caleb takes a deep breath before answering. “In my opinion, yes we are better protected when two parents are around.” I look over at him and give him a reassuring look.
“The answer to the question is actually ambiguous. The protection doesn’t matter if it’s your parents. You’re protected by adults, Tamer or not. Young children don’t typically have enough light in them for the Dark Ones to bother them. The threat of Dark Ones isn’t overly obvious until puberty. Many kids are surrounded by adults all of the time. Instinct kicks in and kids throw fits about being scared of the dark. Mommy and Daddy give you a nightlight, problem solved. I can bet that none of you hung out in dark closets.” The room nodded in agreement. “Think about it, sadly so, there are a lot of broken homes. Studies have proven that two non-Tamer parents are as effective as one non-Tamer or Tamer parent. Puberty is when you become taller, stronger, and all of those hormones make your light irresistible.”
“Irresistible, like chocolate and peanut-butter,” Amber whispers to me in her vampire voice. “Follow me you little Light Tamer, with your irresistible pheromones.”
“What in the hell is wrong with you Miss Edwards,” the teacher shouts, making me jump. “Can you keep your comments to yourself until class is over?” Amber moves her head up and down and straightens up in her seat. “If you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m not an easy teacher. I will bust your balls if needed.” No one makes a sound even though the teacher just said balls. “I don’t care if you’re rich, or pretty, or the mayor’s daughter. I don’t care who you think you are. I care about your safety. Shakespeare wrote about people just like you. If I don’t teach you about your species, than I have failed. I. AM. NOT. A. FAILURE.” His annunciation of each word make
s spittle fling from his mouth.
One girl at the front of the class slammed her pen down on her desk as she jumped up with her backpack. “I’m going to see Miss Ward about you. How dare you talk like that to the class!”
“Sit your ass down, you little primadonna. Your principal doesn’t give two flips if I say BALLS to you. She wants you to be safe, for what reason? I don’t know. I don’t care. Well, I do care a little. I don’t care if you come from a little house, with a little veil of goody-goody, and I don’t care what you think. I’m trying to get you to the point that you understand how to protect yourself.” We all turned to face the front of the room, giving the girl the chance be humiliated solely.
I’d be on the verge of tears if someone yelled at me in front of everyone. I wonder who she is. I wonder if that girl frets about her big boobs too? It’s probably a lousy idea to go up to her and ask her how she feels about her boobs.
“…and that is how you were protected as a child.” Mr Wolfshadow said. “Moving forward, who can tell me what filii nocte means?” No one raises their hand. “You’re killing me here. Obviously none of you has taken Latin. It means, Children of Night, it’s also the real name for the Dark Ones. The term Dark Ones came into play in the mid 1800’s. There is a record of a soldier in the Civil War writing letters about the Dark Ones. He was a medic and talked about one of the young soldiers turning dark. How is that for a little history? Rarely is the Latin name used.” He looks down at his watch, thankfully the day is almost over. “Okay, the bell is about to ring. I want everyone to write a thousand word essay about your experiences as a Light Tamer. It’s due next Tuesday.”
Enlightened A Light Tamer Novel (The Light Tamer) Page 3
