Nightwalkers

by Candace Wondrak

  “Should I go up to the board?”

  I was surprised at the soft, wispiness of her voice. I barely heard it, and I was only a row and a few seats away.

  Mr. Wood shook his head and laughed. “That might be a good idea.”

  Alyssa was measured in standing, her feet slightly pointed inward in a way that said love me, I’m an adorable nerd and her long, curly black hair was drawn back into a bun I hadn’t seen since Gabriel showed me photos from a magazine from the nineties. Her slim, frail body was dressed in flowing, earthy garments, layers upon layers. A moon pendant sat on her chest.

  She seemed strange, like she was something more than met the eye.

  But maybe that’s just me being a paranoid, always-on-the-job Purifier.

  Chapter Two – John

  The day started out like any other. Woke up, showered, got dressed, drove to school with Alyssa. After all these years of doing it, my body still wasn’t used to waking up so early. School should start later in the day. But then I supposed that would mean that it wouldn’t end until late afternoon…so maybe it’s fine the way it was.

  After arriving, Alyssa and I parted ways, and I headed toward my locker. All I had to do was lift the handle, because it was broken, and exchange books for whatever dumb class I was headed to next. I was like a zombie, going from place to place. I didn’t really care about the school’s new gossip.

  At least, that’s what I kept telling myself, even after being begrudgingly included during fifth period.

  My eyes stared at the clock, watching, waiting for the second hand to make its round and, in doing so, cause the minute hand to click. The bell signaling the end of the period we were in was set to ring in the next few minutes.

  I sighed as the kids around me raised their chatting level a few more decibels. Too loud for me. Zoning them out was easy enough, however ignoring the kid walking over to me was going to be more difficult. Why the teacher let us have the last ten minutes to do whatever we wanted, I had no clue. Some were diligently working on their assigned homework, but most were simply chatting, as if they hadn’t just talked to each other yesterday.

  “Hey, man,” Davis said as he slid into the desk next to mine. It was fifth period and the whole class was getting anxious for lunch. My stomach growled, but there was scarce I could do about it until that stupid bell rang.

  I looked at his hazel eyes that were hidden underneath his shaggy brown hair. “What’s up?” It took every ounce of my willpower to not sound utterly bored.

  “Have you heard? New chick transferred in,” he replied with a smirk. As he watched my reaction, which clearly wasn’t the reaction he was hoping for, he added, “A hot one, I mean.” A very familiar smile crept across his face.

  I played with the pencil in my hands, pretending that the old-fashioned yellow color was fascinating to the point where I could not take my stare from it. As I toyed with the granite tip, I muttered, “Sweet.” Trying to act like I cared was harder than I thought. You’d think after years of practice, I’d be golden.

  Another new girl. Just what this school needed. Just what I needed.

  I was done with new girls. Hell, I was done with old girls. Girls, as a general subject, were something I tried to stay away from. Females were trouble: something I learned the hard way, many times. Although no one would catch me saying that out loud. If I lost my player reputation, that left me with next to nothing.

  “John, I don’t think you’re picking up what I’m putting down.” Davis leaned in, waiting for me to do the same. “She’s hot, and from what I hear, single.”

  My usual careless façade crossed my face as I smiled and chuckled. Taking my intense stare to him, I asked matter-of-factly, “Since when do I care if girls are single?”

  Davis thought for a moment. “True. Very true. But still. You should check her out. She’s in my physics class. Her name’s Kass. She’s hot. Short, skinny, brown hair, average size rack.”

  I couldn’t stop myself from laughing at his brief, yet descriptive, explanation. “Davis.”

  He was serious as he said, “John.”

  I cocked my head as the bell rang. “I’ll check her out.” My interest wasn’t exactly piqued by Davis’s awful physical description, but I owed it to myself to at the very least see what this chick was about, right?

  Chapter Three – Kass

  The cafeteria was bustling.

  And I had no idea what to do or where to sit.

  I looked down at my brown bag. Thank you Michael, I mentally barraged him, for making me feel even weirder. That was something I did not need. I was already too weird with my extracurricular activities of being a Purifier, along with the awkwardness I seemed to bring to any encounter I had with classmates or teachers. Inconspicuous was a word I didn’t know, apparently.

  I didn’t know what to do with the damnable paper lunch. As I walked around the cafeteria, I felt so uncomfortably ridiculous carrying that thing. I was seconds away from dumping the stupid thing when I saw Gabriel sitting by three platinum blondes who were all laughing at something he said. If he saw me wandering, he probably would’ve invited me over, but I didn’t really want to sit and listen to him brag about himself for thirty minutes. Plus, from what I’d seen of them in my classes, those girls weren’t the nicest ones around.

  Forgoing my inclination to sit with Gabriel, I walked in the opposite direction and chose an empty table. Just as well, I thought bitterly as I unfolded my brown paper bag and dumped the contents out. Making friends was not on my to-do list. I would be fine on my own, as I always was. And always will be.

  As I was busy checking out what hidden food laid inside the paper bag, I acted oblivious as a girl hesitated to make her way to me. Of course, I saw her coming from a mile away. I could smell the incense fumes seeping from her layered clothing all the way across the room. I didn’t need any Purifier-trained senses to know who she was.

  “May I join you?” a soft voice asked.

  It belonged to Alyssa, who happened to be in every one of my classes so far, minus physics. I found it strange. If I was a normal girl with normal paranoia, I wouldn’t think twice about it, but due to the fact that I was a Purifier with paranoia that only a Purifier would have, I immediately thought it was creepy. Perhaps some purifying would be in order?

  Taking my mind from the ensuing thoughts of shoving her to the floor and staking her with my spork, I nodded and said, “Sure.” It wasn’t like I could turn her down. Not without coming across as anything other than a bitch.

  “Kass, is it?” Alyssa carefully set her tray down before sitting. There was a tiny smile on her pale face. When I noted her paleness, I couldn’t help but internally moan. Not another pale one. Paleness was never good, especially in a climate like this.

  I nodded again while opening a protein shake Michael packed for me.

  “Trying to build some muscle tone?” A male came and sat next to me. He obviously did not care about that age-old adage of personal space, for the side of his arm practically rubbed against mine. His square jaw housed a wide smile as he sized me up and introduced himself, “John.”

  I stared at the guy, blinking slowly. He definitely had the tall, dark and handsome thing going for himself. If I could handle stabbing a Nightwalker who was once a good-looking guy in the heart, I could take on John in a normal, everyday conversation. “Um, no. And I’m—”

  John flashed his pearly, obscenely white teeth. I nearly went blind. “Kass. I already know you. How could I not hear about the new girl in the badass leather boots?” Two, deep dimples appeared on his cheeks. “Not a fashion choice many would make around here.”

  I chugged the shake as I decided to ignore him. Why couldn’t these people leave me alone?

  Alyssa threw a food wrapper at him, though I didn’t think it had the same impression as she hoped. If you wanted to scold someone by throwing something at them, then you didn’t throw a wrapper. You threw a brick, possibly a stake.

  “Don’t mind him.
He’s just my idiotic brother,” she added quietly.

  “Idiotic? I think you mean handsome, dear sister,” John defended himself, sounding—gag me—much like Gabriel.

  Unfortunately for him, all I could think was that Gabriel had some competition…but judging the fact that he was over here talking to me, that meant he had been through every girl here. However, once those thoughts died down, a strange feeling emerged. I kind of felt flattered. Although it still didn’t change the fact that I wasn’t allowed to date anyone. Civilians were especially off limits.

  The sad truth I was taught from an extremely early age.

  Silence permeated the space between us, and I pretended to not notice it as I continued to chow down. Maybe if I acted like a gross pig, he’d become disgusted with my lack of etiquette and decide I wasn’t worth chasing. If only.

  “I like a girl who isn’t afraid to eat,” John said as he noticed I had already been through the majority of my lunch, most of which was yet in my mouth behind my chipmunk cheeks.

  I looked at Alyssa as I struggled to swallow the huge pile of food I’d stuffed in. She was small in frame, probably about as big as me, black hair, dark eyes. Dressed like a Wiccan. Then I studied John. Broad shoulders. Defined arms. Over six foot, nearly the same height as Gabriel. Like a darkened version of the blonde boy.

  And John’s nose was straight. Not in the least bit crooked. The only reason I noticed this was because Gabriel’s nose was crooked terribly, on account of being broken a good ten or twenty times.

  But, back to my point, Alyssa and John did look like they could be siblings. Their story was believable. However, that didn’t mean I trusted them. In this place, this (I shivered to think it) school, I trusted no one but myself and Gabriel.

  I looked sharply at John. “I eat a lot.” To my dismay, my tone was short, telling John and Alyssa that I wasn’t used to this sort of thing. I wasn’t used to people talking to me or staring at me and waiting for me to say something.

  He laughed deeply, and I scolded myself for somewhat liking the sound. “I could tell.”

  Alyssa cleared her throat, trying to ease the tension that rose between me and her brother, who would not stop eyeing me up like he’d never seen a girl eat. “So, Kass, where’d you come from?”

  I nearly choked on my orange juice. Once I regained my posture, I realized that I did not feel like talking at all, that I really wasn’t a friendly person. And yet, here these two people were. Granted, one of them only wanted to get in my pants, and the other one was probably a friendless loser. After I thought that, I realized something else.

  I was a mean, mean person too.

  Chapter Four – John

  Damn it. I knew this was a bad idea from the start. I shouldn’t have sought her out. I shouldn’t have joined Alyssa at the table. This could only end badly, for the both of us. I wasn’t good when it came to girls, no matter how much I tried.

  Those thoughts livid in my mind, I couldn’t help myself. I eyed her up. Davis wasn’t wrong. She was hot. Judging from her awkwardness, she probably had no idea how attractive she was. I could barely stop myself from sweeping her up and taking her somewhere private.

  Somewhere we could get to know each other a little better. Okay, a lot better.

  Alyssa’s dark eyes were upon me, making me wonder if I was being that obvious about the fact that I wanted Kass right now. She squinted at me, sending me a look that warned me: Don’t. Alyssa knew what I could do, and she didn’t want me hurting Kass like I had the others. I didn’t want that either, which was exactly why I shouldn’t be here.

  “I, um…I’m from…” Kass glanced from me to Alyssa. “Places,” she finished quickly, hoping to end the discussion right then and there. But I would not let Kass go so easily. Not yet, and not for a long while.

  I was here, after all, so I had to make the most of the situation, right?

  “Places?” I echoed, a huge smile forming across my face.

  “Yeah. You know.” She shrugged her small shoulders. “Around.”

  I laughed. I couldn’t help it. This girl was something else, that’s for sure. “Around? Like, where around have you been? We’re looking for cities here, or states.” I couldn’t tell if it was me causing her to act this way, or if it was something else entirely.

  Either way, this girl was cute. Cute and hot: two things that didn’t necessarily go together.

  Kass twiddled her hands. “Lots of places.”

  I was about to say more, but Alyssa spoke first, glaring at me, “How do you like it here? Is it much of a change from where you lived before?” Alyssa’s brown eyes shot daggers at me.

  Kass flipped her hair to her other shoulder, a motion she did often, like she was confident, even though her words would say otherwise. “It’s okay. I mean—” She glanced around the cafeteria. “—there’s a lot of people here. Back where I lived, there…wasn’t so many.”

  “Really?” Alyssa asked. “That’s weird. This is actually a pretty small high school.”

  “Well, there wasn’t half as many. Seriously.” Kass’s light eyes landed on me, sending tingles throughout my entire body.

  Damn it. She wasn’t even smiling, not flirting in the least sense, and I knew I wanted her. I wanted her so bad and I just met the girl. There was something different about her that I couldn’t put my finger on, and whatever it was, it was amazing, alluring to the point where I’d say or do anything to get her to smile at me.

  “So.” I leaned on my elbows and grinned a wicked grin. “Do you have a boyfriend back home?” I had heard she was single, and my curiosity got the best of me. Normally, I wouldn’t give a rat’s ass if she was single or not. But this was different. For some reason, I didn’t just want her once, like every other girl.

  I wanted her all day, every day. Call me a cliched teenage boy. Say all I thought about was sex, sex, sex.

  It was true.

  “John!” Alyssa yelled lightly, squinting her eyes in that I-know-what-you’re-thinking-and-it’s-not-going-happen way. It was a look she always gave me, especially when I was around girls.

  “What? I was just asking,” I defended myself, shrugging as if it meant nothing. And that was exactly what it meant: nothing. Nothing at all. Alyssa just thought she knew all about me and my intentions. Usually, she’d be right, but in this case, she wasn’t.

  She couldn’t be farther off.

  Turning back to Kass, Alyssa began, “Kass, you don’t have to answer if you—”

  But Kass answered. She answered quietly, but she still answered, and that was all I cared about. “No.”

  Hearing that she wasn’t tied down to another guy made me grin wider. She didn’t seem the type to have a guy on the side, unlike half the girls around here. The fact that she was single made my brain race with possibilities. I could take her out for dinner and a movie…or was that too old-fashioned? Did people do that? Maybe I should just ask her to the football game Friday. That was a more public setting, less pressure.

  What was wrong with me? I barely met her and I was already planning out our dates?

  I hated it and I wanted it to stop…and yet, another part of me loved it and wanted it to never end. It seemed like a damned if I did, damned if I didn’t kind of situation, and everyone knew how much I loved those types of situations.

  “That’s great,” I said, smiling like an idiot. I imagined I looked like an idiot, anyways. An idiot. A smiling idiot who was drooling for a girl he’d just met. Yeah, that was definitely who I was.

  “I guess so?” Kass smiled shyly and ate more of her food.

  Damn. Her smile was adorable.

  Adorable? Excuse me while I go toss my man card in the garbage.

  Chapter Five – Kass

  “What a crappy day,” I whined as Gabriel and I stepped off the bus.

  “Not for me.” Gabriel smiled that superior smile that was usually plastered on his handsome face. He tilted his blonde head in the sunlight as we strolled to the front porch.
/>
  My eyes rolled. I knew what he was talking about. How? Because I knew him too well. Sometimes I hated myself for knowing him so damn well. “How many?”

  With a quick hand, he opened the door and spun around, a huge grin on his face. “Eleven, Kass. Eleven numbers! On my first day! Hot damn, it’s like I’m-I’m…I can’t even think of a reference to reference!” Gabriel threw his backpack on a barstool and stretched, like getting all those numbers had been hard work.

  “Wow, that’s a first.” Sarcasm dripped off my voice as I wandered over to the fridge. I knew that lunch today wasn’t enough. Michael should know by now that I could eat an entire grocery store and still be hungry. He’d had his hands full with Gabriel for nearly eighteen years now, and me to deal with for the last three.

  Thinking of lunch made me think of John. He was a good-looking boy, that’s for sure. Though he may not be as godly in his looks as Gabriel was, he was still one of those guys girls automatically swoon for.

  Swoon? Oh, god. Did one day at a public high school make me go insane?

  My stomach rumbled, making me realize that I wasn’t just hungry. I was starving.

  “I know! It’s going to bother me all night!” He rested his head on the countertop, trying to search his mind for a usable reference. It was on rare occasion that that boy was at a loss for words, even if it was accidental.

  “I bet,” I spoke seriously. My eyes spotted a note hanging haphazardly on the ivory-colored fridge. “Hey, Gabriel.” I creased my eyebrows. “There’s a note.”

  He lifted his head up, obviously interested. “What’s it say?”

  I prepped my voice, so I could do the best Michael imitation I could muster. “Gabriel and Kass, I went to take a look around the woods. When you read this, head over to the old church on Forty-Second Street. Gabriel, you know the one. Someone’s waiting to meet you. And don’t take the car…you are going to have to learn how to walk. Michael. P.S. This was not my idea, so do not blame me.” I glanced up, meeting his intense blue-eyed stare, speaking in my normal, American voice, “You know where this place is?”