The Keeper's Vow

by B. F. Simone

  “I’m pretty sure I know this play by heart,” Tristan said.

  “Did you read it a lot at other schools?”

  “No. How many times do you think I’ve been in the eleventh grade?”

  She stared at him.

  “When I was a kid—how old do you think I am?”

  Katie looked away. She couldn’t help it if she thought he was a kid in the 1800’s he said he was a vampire.

  Tristan opened his mouth but changed his mind.

  Mr. Rhineheart put on a theatrical reading like he did every class, and Katie relaxed. She expected everything to be different, but English was still Mr. Rhineheart’s chance at being a Shakespearean actor.

  She paid attention more than usual as Tristan pointed out his favorite parts. He marveled at the way Iago manipulated Othello. “Genius,” he said. “Genius.”

  The next two periods (math and chemistry) passed the same way: Tristan sat next to Katie, and he made her look incredibly stupid. He was good at everything. It was disgusting. He sat in class, took notes, answered questions…what was he doing? Wasn’t this a hoax? Why was he trying so hard.

  Katie almost died when her Math teacher, Mr. Right, walked over to their desk and told them to exchange numbers. “If Tristan has questions about the school he can ask you, and if you have questions about Math, you can ask him.”

  “I see, my only talent lies in knowing where the classrooms are?” Katie said, eyeing Mr. Right.

  “Katie, Your talents go farther than spacial recognition. I’ve seen you in the lunchroom haggling with the lunch ladies, maybe you can get him a cheap lunch.”

  Katie smacked her head against the desk as they laughed. “Aren’t teachers supposed to encourage students and build their self-esteem?”

  “Aren’t students supposed to have a hunger for knowledge and a thirst for learning? —By the look on your face I think you know what I’m getting at. Exchange numbers.” When Mr. Right left Tristan was still laughing.

  “It wasn’t that funny.” Katie said.

  “No, I’m laughing because he’s under the impression that I’d ever give you my number.” Tristan laughed harder while jotting down more problems.

  When the bell rang Katie was glad to go to study hall. She left the class so fast she forgot to wait for Allison to pack-up her things. They always walked from Math together, in fact they usually sat next to each other in math, but Allison forsaked her to Tristan to sit next to her newest crush. Typical.

  Katie slowed her pace to the library. She was suppose to be meeting her new tutor. A tutor. It wasn’t that she cared how it looked. She worked hard at not caring what other people thought of her. But she couldn’t help hating the idea. It didn’t matter that the subject was paranormal. A tutor was a tutor. She’d be subject to a speech about trying harder, and living up to her full potential.

  Sigh. Today was proving more normal than she thought. Troublesome, but normal.

  As soon as she walked into the library she spotted her. Her new tutor. It was obvious. The lady was the dorkiest looking thing in the library, and waving like she was manic. Katie took a deep breath and inched her way over, periodically looking over her should to make sure the lady wasn’t waving at someone else.

  “Hi, Ms. Tis—”

  “No, Call me Traci!” Traci said, blinking behind the biggest bifocals Katie had ever seen. They made her eyes look bigger and rounder than they should have been.

  “Hi Traci, I’m Katie.” They shook hands. Traci’s hands were so small Katie felt like she could break them if she squeezed. Traci couldn’t have been that much older than her. Yet, everything about her pea-green sweater and binoculars for glasses, made her look like she belonged in a nursing home.

  Katie looked away trying not to stare or judge. It would be just her luck that Traci could read minds too. Her eyes drifted to the door as Tristan, Allison and a few other students piled into the Library. It looked as if Allison invited Tristan over to a table, but whether he heard her or not Katie couldn’t tell. He sat in the far side of the Library with his back to her.

  “I’m very excited, you’re my first student—but that doesn’t mean I don’t know what I’m doing or anything. It’s just, this is the first time they’ve let me do anything, really. They think because I’m not good at hunting things or giving life advice that I’m not much use for anything, but of course that’s not all people are good for, right? Oh—sorry. I didn’t mean to go on like that—you’re new right? This is your first day? That’s different.”

  Katie blinked. Was that a question or statement? The way Traci stared behind her large frames indicated that she was looking for an answer. “Yeah, I guess I’m new.” Katie said, diverting her eyes. Traci smiled anyway and pointed to the stack of papers Katie still had in her hand.

  “Is that a study plan?”

  Katie handed her the papers with a shrug. Study plan? Fuel for fire? It was all the same to her.

  “Oh yes. Indeed. Oh, look. We even get to cover the Lycan Empire! That’s my favorite really. Lycans really don’t get the respect they deserve amongst the lore. It’s not like they choose to be big and hairy—you know there’s something about having a tail that really makes them fascinating.” Traci shifted through the papers smiling to herself as her finger found more topics she liked. Katie tried to look interested, for the first minute or two she even felt sincere, but the more Traci talked the more Katie was weighed down by her decision. She tried to swallow down the anxiety from the morning. Every time, it rose higher and higher.

  Just when her hands began to shake Traci stopped talking and turned to her.

  “You know, I know it looks like a lot of work, but I’ve got an idea—” Traci bent over in her chair and rummaged through a bag Katie didn’t know was there. Katie peeked over and was not surprised to find a large flower-print rucksack. Traci surfaced again with a brown leather notebook. There was a pink flower in the center. It was hideous, and seemed like something Traci would like. “I hope you don’t mind, I bought you this as a sort of good luck token.”

  “I—Thank you,” Katie said as Traci handed it to her. Katie blushed as guilt welted in her. She was never good at getting gifts, she didn’t know what to say. What was the proper protocol? Squeal and say something nice about it? Instead she felt the cover. It was soft. She tried to think nice things about it as she forced a smile. She felt like an ass.

  “Oh no, you don’t have to thank me. I just want to help you as much as possible. I know what it’s like to be behind—and—well I just want it to be kind of a reminder that you won’t be for long. Also it’s a planner so it’ll help organize your time.” Traci smiled big obviously proud of herself. Katie felt worst for thinking it was the most ugliest thing ever. She felt even worst for doing nothing but judging Traci since she sat down. Traci was nice.

  Katie reached into her book-bag and pulled out a pen. She opened up the planner—cringing a little at the flower print paper—and asked, “So how do I use this thing.” Traci laughed. It was the cutest thing Katie had ever heard, until Traci snorted.

  It was the longest fifty-minutes of Katie’s life. Traci planned out nearly ever hour of Katie’s day along with her new sleep time, for the next ten months. Guilt or not, she was going to take that little book of hell and stuff it into the darkest depths of her locker. Just before the bell rang she caught of glimpse of Tristan hovering over a book. His back was still and he was the only one wearing the jacket to the school uniform. It made Katie angry that even then he looked more in his element than Katie felt listening to Traci mumble on about “The Vampire Dynasty”. This was her school, not his. Her life.

  Her life.

  If she wanted to, she could go back to the way things were. He would be a nobody to her and she could be an underachiever slipping under the radar.

  The bell rang and Katie thanked Traci for the notebook again before leaving. It was a relief to be out of the library, but not for long.

  “Why, exactly, do you strive
to be mediocre?”

  What bothered her most wasn’t what he said, but how he walked next to her. Like he was pretending not to walk next to her.

  “Why are you here?” She said, checking her syllabus. She was headed to a new class with a teacher she’d never had before; but history, whether it was “Natural” or American was still bound to be boring.

  “Because we have the same class,” Tristan said.

  “No, why are you here. Bothering me, at my school, why do you exist? What is the point of you?”

  He was silent and Katie found that more aggravating than his banter.

  They walked together, and yet apart, to the classroom. She scanned the room curious to see who was in it. She didn’t expect a greeting of gaping mouths. New students must be a rarity. She knew a lot of people in her grade, and apparently most of them were normal, because she only recognized two people. Christi Taylor and Ethan Brown.

  She cursed. She hated Christi and she only knew Ethan because he stalked Allison all last year. The only other person she knew was Tristan—and he’s annoying like Christi and just as much of a stalker as Ethan. Great. She frowned, looking at his face wondering if he heard what she had thought. If he had, he didn’t show it.

  “Hello, Katalina? Tristan?” Mrs. Barnes said. Katie only knew of Mrs. Barnes because Brian would point her out and complain about her hard to past test last year.

  “Katie,” she responded. Mrs. Barnes nodded, smiling behind a wall of make-up. Mrs. Barnes’ face reminded Katie of her clay pots: blotches of bright paint here and there with no sign of artistry. She wore a fluffy bun on the top of her round head.

  “I’ll remember that, Katie,” she winked. “You will take the desk there—in the back next to…Christi—Christi raise your hand—okay, and Tristan you can take the next one over. I’ll go get your books before class starts.” She gestured for them to take a seat and went into a tiny office.

  Katie moved to the seat next to Christi. She contemplated smiling at her. An offering of a silent truce. The last thing she needed, in her increasingly complicated life, was another problem with Christi. Katie laughed at her luck. Of course Mrs. Barnes would make her sit next to Christi.

  Time to be the bigger person. When Katie turned to face Christi, she was staring at Tristan.

  “Hi, I’m Christi. And you’re Tristan?”

  Tristan turned slightly in his chair and looked at her.

  “I’ve never seen you before, are you new?”

  “That’s generally what it’s called,” he said, shifting back to his original posture.

  “Well I’m the president of the Junior Guardian Honors Society. We only let a select few people in. That is,” she paused and glanced at Katie, “We don’t allow just anything in. You should come to one of our meetings.”

  Katie cursed herself for ever thinking she’d smile at that snot-nosed pig. She wanted to punch her in her face and break her pig nose, but Mrs. Barnes walked in and handed Katie and Tristan their new books.

  “Christi can you show them the two chapters we’ve already gone over in class? Thank you.” Mrs. Barnes didn’t wait for a reply.

  Katie glanced over her book. It looked like a regular textbook—heavy with glossy, boring pages.

  “Don’t worry Katie there are plenty of pictures in it. You’ll be able to understand at least a few things,” Christi said loud enough for the back of the class to hear.

  Katie snatched up her book ready to swing. She didn’t care that she’d get kicked out of class and probably suspended for a week. She got a thrill out of seeing Christi flinch—but she stopped. A hand grasped her wrist. It was firm, like it could break her bone with a little added pressure. A chill went down her body because she knew the hand belonged to Tristan.

  “You’ve got to work on that temper,” he said, letting go as soon as she put the book down. Katie choked on a response.

  “She’s obviously unstable,” Christi said.

  “You have a death wish?” Katie spat back.

  “How about both of you shut up?” Tristan said, back in his lax position.

  Katie spent the next twenty minutes on the same page in her book, not hearing a word of what Mrs. Barnes said about Louis the Great, a Guardian who stopped a war between vampires and werewolves in the fifteen hundreds. She tried to shut out the chill that ran down her spin when Tristan touched her. It was an electric pulse she’d felt in her bones.

  “And this leads us to the rise of the Fates,” Mrs. Barnes said, walking towards Katie. “Page eighty-nine, Dear. Who can tell me where they came from?” A boy three seats in front of Katie raised his hand. “Yes, Michael.”

  “No one knows. Most people think they came from the fae, but that’s not a fact.” Could it be? Michael Heckler sitting three seats in front of her. And knowing it all, what a surprise…. She hadn’t seen him when she walked in.

  “Very good, Michael. Someone read ahead,” Mrs. Barnes smiled. “The fates showed up in Europe and Asia around the same time, and helped kill many high profile people. They were used as trackers. Anyone know how?”

  This time it was a girl in the first row who raised her hand. “All they need is to see the person they’re tracking. It doesn’t matter where in the world the person is, they find them.”

  “Correct, Jennifer. That’s exactly how they got their name. Louis the Great was quoted saying, ‘Once he have seen thy face, thy thread of life has been cut.’ He was referring to the Greek Fates of course, but as time went on they became the embodiment of the word.”

  “Is it true they have fangs with venom?”

  “Yes, Michael. Depending on how much is taken into the body it can cause permeant paralysis.”

  “Are fates involved with the recent sightings of D-Ranges?” Michael said.

  “We are not discussing current events and crack-pot theories.”

  “But my dad said an increase in the D-Range population only means one thing. A pure blood is building an army to over take another coven and they always use fates to take out major players. My dad says pure bloods are the only ones with enough money to pay for their service.”

  “Enough Michael.” Mrs. Barnes rolled her eyes.

  “He said even the vampires and werewolves are scared of them.”

  “Michael!”

  “I heard the omitters are fates,” a boy sitting next to Michael said. Like a pot of boiling water, the classroom erupted into chaos.

  “There’s evidence fates have been stalking the streets in Gray City.”

  “I heard they sent a message to headquarters demanding Guardian allegiance.”

  “I heard they’re getting inside help which is why no one is reporting the increase in D-Range population.”

  “Quiet!” Mrs. Barnes shouted red in the face. “Enough. All of these rumors are ridiculous. Turn to page one-hundred.”

  After forcing everyone to read silently, Mrs. Barnes ended class with a three-page paper on fate behavior and their impact on the Holy Roman empire.

  Katie sighed, stuffing her text book in her book-bag. This is more work than regular History. Happy to escape Mrs. Barnes’ squinty eyes, Katie went to the cafeteria in search of food and Allison.

  Tristan didn’t follow her. She wasn’t relieved or sorry. As she waited in line for her food she wondered what Brian was doing. She missed him in English and in the hall between classes. They always joked around like they were the only people in the world that could laugh. Swapping lunch with Brian and eating off of each others lunch tray was the best part of her day.

  “Looks like it’s lunch with me and the Track team,” Allison said as Katie paid for her tray of taco salad. How could Brian miss Taco Salad Day?

  “You make it sound like a punishment?” Katie said, feeling like it was. Katie loved Allison, but all she did during lunch was study.

  Allison looked around the cafeteria and Katie knew the question before Allison could form it.

  “I don’t know where he is, and I’m not sure I care.
” Katie said not sure if the last part was true. Her eyes darted to the door every few seconds since she’d walked into the cafeteria.

  “Kay, he’s new. He needs friends. Everyone needs friends.” Allison said, looking between the crowds of bodies.

  “He looked real friendly in the library when you asked him to sit with you.”

  “So he’s a little aloof. He’s new. All new kids act weird at first.” Allison swung her lunchbox back and forth as she crossed her hands.

  After lunch, Katie walked with Allison to her new Field Study class. On the way Allison explained that it was an internship class. They took field trips and had job training. When Katie walked in Tristan was already there, pretending he hadn’t seen her walk through the door.

  “Come on in, everyone. Come on in.” A man wearing brown plaid dress pants and a yellow polo shirt walked up to Katie. Mr. Carver. Everyone knew who he was. Checkerboard Carver. “Katalina?—Oh Katie? I’ll try to remember that. So your partner is Tristan am I right?—That’s what the paper says. Because you two are a little behind on the partner thing, I’m going to send you home with some projects that Lucinda will have to sign off on. But I see Tristan is a transfer student so you’ve got an experienced partner if you have questions. Great relationship building opportunity—Michael! How many times to I have to tell you not to touch those. Good grief, kid—anyway Katalina—no Katie, see I caught myself. Why don’t you go on over there with Tristan, I’ve made you two a worksheet. We’re reviewing some material today so you’re not missing out on much.” Mr Carver handed Katie a small packet of papers and pointed to a door at the back of the room. “You and Tristan can use that training room. Just don’t touch any of the buttons or you’ll end up somewhere completely different—MICHAEL, STOP TOUCHING THAT!”

  Mr. Carver walked off and was gone. Katie had heard about half of what he said and, yet again, was left with a packet of papers. Was a Packet of papers suppose to prepare her for Fates and Lycans and Vampires and who knew what else? Allison grabbed the papers from Katie and looked them over.

  “Oh,” she said with a hint of caution. “It’s a team building worksheet.” Allison handed it back.