Bloodlines Chapter Twenty

I ALMOST ASKED, Are you serious? But lets face it that probably wasnt the kind of thing she would joke some, especially considering how obese her face looked. Other questions popped into my issue, simply I held ass on those as well. They werent that weird, solely I didnt want to draw attention to myself by showing anomalous interest in a grisly murder. Instead, I simply thanked Mrs. Dawson for her help with the letter and returned to East Campus.Mrs. Weathers was at her desk when I entered the dorm. I brought her the letter, which she read over double before tucking it away in her filing cabinet. e real right, she said. Just make sure your sister signs in and out each time.I will, maam. Thank you. I hesitated, torn over whether to go or study the questions Mrs. Dawsons information had triggered. I decided to stay. Mrs. Weathers ever since Jill disappeared, I only when keep deliberateing about that miss you t obsolete me about. The one who died. I keep guessing that couldv e been Jill. Mrs. Dawsons face softened. Jills fine. I shouldnt fork up told you that. I didnt mean to scare you.Is it true that girls throat was slit?Yes. She agitate her head sadly. Terrible. Simply terrible. I dont hold out who does that kind of thing.Did they ever find out why it happened? I mean, was there anything unusual about her?Unusual? No, non in reality. I mean, she was a lovely girl. Smart, pretty, popular. A good no, great athlete. Had friends, a boyfriend. But nothing that would especially make her stand out as a target. Of career, muckle who do awful things like that probably dont need a reason.True, I murmured.I walked up to my room, wishing Mrs. Weathers had elaborated a scant(p) more than(prenominal) on how pretty Kelly was. What I really wanted to know was if Kelly had been Moroi. If she had, Id hoped Mrs. Weathers baron comment on how tall or pale she was. By both Clarences and the Alchemists accounts, no Moroi on record had lived in the Palm Sprin gs area. That didnt mean someone couldnt slip through the cracks, however. Id hand to find the answer myself. If Kelly had been Moroi, then we had three young Moroi women killed in the equal way in southern California within a relatively short time span. Clarence might argue for his vampire hunter theory, further to me, this model screamed Strigoi.Jill was in our room, serving out her house arrest. The more time passed, the less angry I felt toward her. Having the feeding issue fixed helped. I wouldve been a lot more upset if wed been unable to get her off campus.Whats wrong? she asked me, looking up from her laptop.Why do you think anythings wrong?She smiled. Youve got that look. Its this tiny lour you get between your eyebrows when youre trying to figure something out.I shook my head. Its nothing.You know, she said, maybe all these responsibilities you have wouldnt be as bad if you talked them out and got help from otherwise people.Its not quite like that. Its just something Im trying to puzzle out.Tell me, she entreated. You can trust me.It wasnt a matter of trust. It was a matter of unnecessarily deplorable Jill. Mrs. Weathers had feared she would scare me, but if someone was killing Moroi girls, I wasnt in danger. Looking at Jill and her unwavering gaze, I decided if she could handle living with the knowledge that her take people were trying to kill her, she could handle this. I gave her a brief summary of what I knew.You dont know if Kelly was Moroi, though, she said, once Id finished.No. Thats the crucial piece here. I sat cross-legged on my bed with my own laptop. Im red to command our records and local newspapers to opine if I can find a picture of her. All I learned from Mrs. Weathers is that Kelly was a star athlete.Which may mean shes not Moroi, said Jill. I mean, look at how terrible I perform in this sun. What happens if shes not? Youve got a lot of theories hinging on her being Moroi. But what if she was hu musical composition? What t hen? Can we ignore it? It could still be the same person but what would it mean if the murderer had killed two Moroi and one human?Jill had a point. I dont know, I said.My search didnt take extensive. The Alchemists had no record of the murder, but then, they wouldnt if Kelly had been human. Lots of newspapers had stories about her, but I couldnt find any pictures.What about a yearbook? asked Jill. Someone must keep them around.Thats actually pretty brilliant, I said.See? I told you Im useful.I smiled at her and then remembered something. Oh, Ive got good news for you. Maybe. I briefly recapped Kristin and Julias plan about Jill joining the sewing club.Jill brightened but was still cautious. You really think that would work?Only one way to find out.Ive neer touched a sewing machine in my life, she said.I guess this is your chance to learn, I told her. Or maybe the other girls will be happy to just keep you around as their in-class model.Jill smirked. How do you know only girls sig n up for that?I dont, I admitted. Just playing off gender stereotypes, I guess.My cell phone rang, and Ms. Terwilligers number flashed on the display. I answered, bracing for a java run.Miss Melbourne? she said. If you and your brother can be at Carlton within an hour, you can speak to someone in the registrars office before they close. Can you manage that?I looked at the time and took it on faith Adrian wasnt doing anything important. Um, yes. Yes, of configuration, maam. Thank you. Thank you very much.The man youll want to talk to is named Wes Regan. She paused. And could you bring me a cappuccino on your way back?I assured her I could and then called Adrian with instructions to be effectuate for me. Quickly, I changed out of my uniform and into a blouse and twill skirt. Glancing at my reflection, I established he was right. There really wasnt a lot of difference between Amberwood attire and my normal wardrobe.I wish I could go, said Jill wistfully. Id like to see Adrian agai n.Dont you kind of see him every day in a way?True, she said. Although I cant always get into his head when I want to yet. It just happens randomly. And anyway, its not the same. He cant talk back to me through the bond.I nearly replied that it sounded better than being around him in person but figured that wouldnt be helpful.Adrian was ready to go when I reached Clarences, excited and eager for action. You just missed your friend, he said as he got into Latte.Who?Keith.I made a face. Hes not really my friend.Oh, you think? Most of us figured that out on day one, Sage.I felt a little bad about that. Some dissolve of me knew that I shouldnt let my personal feelings for Keith mix with business. We were co-workers of sorts and shouldve been presenting a united, professional front. At the same time, I was kind of glad these people even if they were vampires and dhampirs didnt think I was friendly with Keith. I didnt want them thinking he and I had much in common. I certainly didnt wa nt to have a lot in common with him. The full meaning of Adrians words suddenly hit me. Wait. He was just here?A half hour ago.He must have come straight from the school. I was lucky to have missed him. Something told me he wouldnt approve of me furthering Adrians education.What was he here for?Dunno. I think he was checking on Clarence. The old guy hasnt been feeling well. Adrian pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. Do you mind?Yes, I replied. Whats wrong with Clarence?I dont know, but hes been resting a lot, which makes things even more boring. I mean, he wasnt the greatest conversationalist, but some of his gaga stories were interesting. Adrian turned wistful. Especially with scotch.Keep me updated on how hes doing, I murmured. I wondered if perhaps that was why Keith had been in much(prenominal) a hurry earlier. If Clarence was seriously ill, we were going to have to make arrangements with a Moroi doctor. That would complicate our setup here in Palm Springs because w ed either have to melt down Clarence or bring in someone. If Keith was working on it, then I shouldnt have concerned myself but I just didnt trust him to do a good job with anything.I dont know how you put up with him, said Adrian. I used to think you were weak and just didnt fight back but now, honestly, I think youre actually pretty tough. It takes a hell of a lot of strength to not complain and lash out. I dont have that self-control.Youve got more than you think, I said, a little flustered by the compliment. I was down on myself so much for what I proverb as not thrust back sometimes that it had never occurred to me that took its own strength. I was even more surprised that it would take Adrian to point this out to me. Im always walking a line. My daddy and the Alchemists are really big on obedience and following the directions of your superiors. Im kind of in a double bind because Im on shaky ground with them, so its extra important for me to not make a fuss.Because of r osiness? His tone was carefully controlled.I nodded. Yup. What I did was tantamount to treason in their eyes.I dont know what tantamount means, but it sounds pretty serious. I could see him studying me out of the corner of his eye. Was it worth it? So far. It was easy to say that since Zoe had no tattoo yet and I hadnt seen a re-education center. If those things changed, so might my answers. It was the right thing to do. I guess that justified dramatic action.I broke a lot of rules to help Rose too, he said, a troubled tone in his voice. I did it out of love. Misguided love, but love nonetheless. I dont know if thats as noble as your reasons, particularly since she was in love with someone else. Most of my dramatic actions havent been for any cause. Most of them have been to annoy my parents.I actually found myself a little jealous of that. I couldnt fathom purposely trying to get a reaction from my dad though Id certainly wanted to. I think loves a noble reason, I told him. I was speaking objectively, of course. Id never been in love and had no point of reference to really judge. Based on what Id observed in others, I assumed it was an amazing thing but for now, I was too busy with my job to notice its absence. I wondered if I should be disappointed by that. And I think you have plenty of time to do other noble things.He chuckled. Never thought my biggest cheerleader would be someone who thought I was evil and unnatural.That made two of us.Hesitantly, I managed to ask a question that had been burning inside me. Do you still love her? Rose? Along with not knowing what it felt like to be in love, I also didnt know how long it took to recover from love.Adrians smile faded. His gaze turned inward. Yes. No. Its onerous to get over someone like that. She had a huge effect on me, both good and bad. Thats hard to move past. I try not to think about her much in terms of love and hate. Mostly Im trying to get on with my life. With mixed results, unfortunately.We soon reached the college. Wes Regan was a big man with a salt-and-pepper beard who worked in Carltons registration office. Ms. Terwilliger had tutored Wess niece for free one summer, and Wes felt he owed her a favor.Heres the deal, he said once we were seated across from him. Adrian was eroding khaki pants and a sage-colored button-down shirt that wouldve been great for job interviews. A little too late. I cant just enroll you. College applications are long and require transcripts, and theres no way you can swing one in two days. What I can do is get you in as an auditor.the likes of with the IRS? asked Adrian.No. Auditing means youre attending the class and doing the work but not getting a grade for it.Adrian opened his mouth to speak, and I could only venture what comment he had about doing work for no credit. I restlessly interrupted him.And then what?Then, if you can throw together an application in, oh, a workweek or two and are accepted I can retroactively change you to stud ent status.What about financial aid? asked Adrian, leaning forward. Can I get some money for this?If you qualify, said Wes. But you cant really file for it until youve been accepted.Adrian slumped back, and I was able to guess his thoughts. If getting enrolled would take a couple of weeks, thered doubtlessly be a delay with the financial aid filing too. Adrian was looking at a month or more of living with Clarence, and that was probably optimistic. I half-expected Adrian to get up and nix everything. Instead, a resolute expression crossed his face. He nodded.Okay. Lets get started with this auditing thing.I was impressed.I was also jealous when Wes brought out the course catalog. Id been able to lull myself into contentment with Amberwoods classes, but looking at real college offerings showed me the two schools were worlds away. The history classes were more focused and in depth than anything I could have imagined. Adrian had no interest in those, however. He immediately honed in on the art department.He ended up signing up for two preliminary courses in oil painting and in watercolors. They met three times a week and were conveniently back-toback. Thatll make it easier if Im busing in, he explained as we were leaving.I gave him a blow out of the water look. Youre taking the bus?He seemed amused by my astonishment. What else? Classes are in the daytime. You cant take me.I thought about Clarences remote house. Where on earth would you magnetize the bus?Theres a stop about a half mile away. It transfers to another bus that goes to Carlton. The whole trip takes about an hour.I confess, it left me speechless. I was amazed that Adrian had researched that much, let alone was willing to go to all that trouble. Yet on the ride back, he never uttered one word of indisposition about how inconvenient it would be or how long hed have to wait to move out of Clarences.When I arrived back at Amberwood, I was excited to propound Jill the news about Adrians collegiate suc cess not that she needed me to tell her. With the bond, she would probably know more than I did. Still, she always worried about him and would doubtlessly be pleased to see something go well for him. Jill wasnt in our room when I returned, but a note informed me she was studying elsewhere in the dorm. The only bright part of her punishment was that it limited where she could be at any time. I decided to use this opportunity to go make Ms. Terwilligers crazy amulet. Id accrued most of the necessary ingredients, and along with compliance from the biology teacher, Ms. Terwilliger had secured me access to one of the chemistry labs. No one was there this time of night, and it gave me plenty of blank and quiet to mix up the concoction.As wed noted, the instructions were extremely detailed and in my opinion superfluous. It wasnt enough to just measure out the nettle leaves. The instructions called for them to rest for an hour, during which time I was supposed to say to them, into thee, flame I imbue every ten minutes. I also had to boil the agate stone to bang up it with heat. The rest of the instructions were similar, and I knew there was no way Ms. Terwilliger would actually know if I followed everything to the letter particularly the chants. Still, the whole purpose of this stunt was to shroud on what it was like to be an ancient practitioner. So, I followed everything dutifully and concentrated so hard on performing every step perfectly that I soon fell into a lull where nothing existed except the spell.I finished over two hours later and was surprised at how exhausted I felt. The final result certainly didnt seem to justify all the energy Id expended. I was left with a leather cord from which hung a silk pouch alter with leaves and rocks. I carted it and my notes back to my dorm room, intending to write up my report for Ms. Terwilliger so that I could put this assignment behind me. When I reached my room, I gasped when I saw the door. Someone had taken red paint and drawn bats and fanged faces all over it. Scrawled across the front, in big blocky letters, were the words vexer GIRLFull of panic, I burst into the room. Jill was there along with Mrs. Weathers and another teacher I didnt know. They were going through all of our things. I stared in disbelief.Whats going on? I asked.Jill shook her head, face mortified, and couldnt answer. Id apparently arrived at the end of the search because Mrs. Weathers and her associate soon finished up and walked to the door. I was glad Id taken my Alchemist supplies with me to the lab tonight. The kit contained a hardly a(prenominal) measuring tools I had thought I might need. I certainly didnt want to explain why I owned a collection of chemicals to dorm authorities.Well, said Mrs. Weathers sternly. There doesnt appear to be anything here, but I may do another spot check later so dont get any ideas. Youre already in enough trouble without adding yet another charge to it. She sighed and shook h er head at Jill. Im very disappointed in you, Miss Melrose.Jill blanched. Im telling you, its all a mistakeLets hope so, said Mrs. Weathers ominously. Lets hope so. Ive half a mind to make you sporting up that vandalism outside, but in light of no hard proof well, well have the janitors take care of it tomorrow.Once our visitors were gone, I immediately demanded, What happened?Jill collapsed regressive onto her bed and groaned. Laurel happened.I sat down. Explain.Well, I called the library to see if they had those yearbooks in the ones about Kelly Hayes? Turns out they do normally have them, but theyve all been checked out by the newspaper staff for some Amberwood anniversary edition. And youll never believe whos heading that project Laurel.Youre right, I said. I never would have guessed that. Isnt she in Freshman English? Laurel was a senior.Yup.I guess everyone needs an activity, I muttered.Jill nodded. Anyway, Miss Yamani was in the building, so I went to ask her about joining the sewing club and working for Lia. She was really excited and said shed make it happen.Well, thats something, I said cautiously, still unsure how this was leading up to vandalism and a search of our room.As I was coming back, I passed Laurel in the hall. I decided to take a chance I approached her and said look, I know weve had our differences but I could really use some help. Then I explained that I needed the yearbooks and asked if I could borrow them just for the night and that Id get them back to her right away.To this, I said nothing. It was certainly a noble and brave thing for Jill to do, particularly after Id encouraged her to be better than Laurel. Unfortunately, I didnt think Laurel would reciprocate the adult behavior. I was right.She told me in well, very explicit terms that Id never get those yearbooks. Jill scowled. She told me a few other things too. Then I, um, called her a raving bitch. I probably shouldnt have, but, well, she deserved it Anyway, she went to Mrs. Weathers with a bottle of I dont know. I think it was raspberry schnapps. She claimed I sell it to her and had more in my room. Mrs. Weathers couldnt punish me without harder evidence, but after Ms.Changs hangover accusation on the first day, Mrs. Weathers decided that was enough for a room search.I shook my head in disbelief, anger growing within my chest. For such an elite, prestigious place, this school sure is quick to jump on any accusations that come up I mean, they believe anything anyone says about you. And where did the paint outside come from?Tears of frustration glinted in her eyes. Oh, Laurel, of course. Or, well, one of her friends. It happened while Laurel was talking to Mrs. Weathers, so of course shes got an alibi. You dont think you dont think anyones on to anything, do you? You said before its just a mean joke and humans dont even believe in us right?Right, I said automatically.But I was beginning to wonder. Ever since that phone call with my father, when hed ment ioned that there were humans who suspected and wouldnt be silenced, Id wondered if Id been too quick to dismiss Laurels teasing. Had she simply found a cruel joke to run with? Or was she one of those humans who suspected about the vampire world and might make a lot of noise about it? I doubted anyone would believe her, but we couldnt risk attracting attention from someone who would.Is it possible she really thinks Jill is a vampire?Jills forlorn expression turned angry. Maybe I should do something about Laurel. There are other ways to get back at her alike freezing water.No, I said quickly. Dont lower yourself to that. Revenge is petty(a), and youre better than that. Plus, I thought, any more supernatural activity, and Laurel might realize her taunts have more backing than she originally thought.Jill gave me a sad smile. You keep saying that. But dont you think something needs to be done about Laurel?Oh yes. I unimpeachably did. This had gone too far, and Id been wrong to let it slide. Jill was right that there were other ways to get back at someone. And I was right that revenge was petty and nothing that Jill should sully herself with. That was why I was going to do it.Ill take care of it, I told her. I Ill have the Alchemists issue a complaint from our parents.She looked dubious. You think thatll fix things?Positive, I said. Because that complaint was going to pack an extra punch. A glance at the time told me it was too late to go back to the lab. No problem. I simply set my alarm extra early, with the intent to get up and head back there before classes started.I had one more experiment in my future, and Laurel was going to be my guinea pig.