My Soul to Keep - By Sean Hayden Page 0,17
Clarisse pulled away from the curb and headed toward the school. “I like your hair by the way. Why did you dye it?”
“I know because your body is changing. We can’t snap our fingers and make you a Fallen. It has to come slowly. The wings and the eyes are about the only instantaneous change. You’ll notice a bunch of different ones as time goes on. You’ll start to get stronger and faster. Your hair will grow unusually fast and might change color. You’ll start to get hair in strange places.”
“Excuse me?”
“I couldn’t resist, I'm just kidding.”
“Thank God.”
“You might want to avoid using that expression from now on.”
“Why?”
“The Chosen, if they hear you, they might pick a fight.”
“Seriously?”
“Very.” She pulled into the senior parking lot of the school. I kind of hoped she would use the regular lot. I wanted Caelyn to see I didn't walk to school, and her friend was only a junior.
“You never told me why you dyed your hair,” I said, remembering my previous question.
“I didn’t. I change it every day before school. Last time I lived in the area and went to this school I had red hair. You know how it goes, people are nosey. Every yearbook for the last hundred years or so is in the library. Kids like to look through them and make fun of the old hairstyles and fashions. I couldn’t chance anyone recognizing me from my picture.”
“How long ago?”
“Fifty years or so.” I sat there with my mouth open and stared while she got out of the car. “You need a ride home?”
“Um, sure. Thanks for the ride.”
I got out of the car and rushed to catch up, slinging my backpack over my shoulder as I walked quickly. More than a few people stopped and stared at the sophomore, hitching a ride with the hot senior. I was intruding into their secret realm. More than one football player squinted at me wondering if the world was about to end. One of the geekier seniors gave me a thumbs up. I flashed a little smile.
“Just meet me out here after school and try not to talk to anybody. I’m sure I’ll get a thousand questions as to why I’m bringing you to school. I’m going to tell them you’re a charity case, so don’t say anything.”
“Whatever, Clarisse.”
“Uh uh. Claire. Claire Awl is my name here, worm. Keep it straight.”
“Claire Awl?”
“Yeah, when I registered for school the lady behind the desk had a huge can of pink hairspray sitting on her desk. It’s the first thing that popped into my head.”
“I don’t get it.”
“Claire Awl, Clairol hair care products. If you laugh, I’ll stab you in the face. By the way, you’re going to see some strange shit with your new eyes. Try not to gawk. If the vampires and werewolves realize you can see them, they might try to eat you.”
“Will you quit joking around?”
“I’m not.”
* * *
It took me until I got into my homeroom to see Claire really wasn’t. I had no less than two vampires in my class. Jenny Warburn and Elizabeth Keating were the last two people on earth I would have expected to sell their souls to become one of the walking undead.
Looking at them sort of hurt my eyes. I saw them as they sat in the room with their blood red eyes and elongated teeth, pale skin, and quick inhuman-like movements. Superimposed over that, I could see them as they've always looked.
Jenny focused in on me and caught me staring. Her right eyebrow raised in a good impersonation of Mr. Spock.
I pretended nothing was wrong and gave her a quick smile. I tried not to laugh when she made a disgusted face and turned back toward Beth, completely ignoring me. I guess it was better she thought I liked her than thought she was a vampire. I don’t think she’d eat me for finding her attractive. More like she’d eat me if she found me attractive. Sometimes plain can be good.
I shuddered at the thought of why anyone would want to be a vampire and the answer hit me. People were afraid to die. I wished to be one of The Fallen, but it had been an attempt to save my soul. I don't know if it actually worked. I may not end up being a dead human working for them, but I still ended up working as one of them. The Chosen sounded like a severe band of assholes. I just hope