Vampire High Sophomore Year - By Douglas Rees Page 0,11

outside reading we would have to do.

“The addition of New Sodom history to the curriculum of this class is an idea of mine,” he said in the faraway voice he always used. “The topic of local history is endlessly fascinating in itself, of course. Moreover, what was once dismissed as mere antiquarianism has become a legitimate field of historical inquiry. And in the case of our unique community, it is, perhaps, especially intriguing. It is an area in which one may make original contributions to the study of the past, and I look forward to receiving yours.”

Sometimes I wondered if Mr. Gibbon was boring on purpose, or if it just came naturally to him, like his flaky skin and gaunt, bony face.

Then came dinner, a subject in which I was as good as anybody at Vlad. When I got to the dining hall, it was just the same as it had been last year, with white-coated waiters and silver trays. The only difference was there were no water polo jocks shouting and throwing food.

Ileana and Justin were already at a table. They had saved places for me and Turk.

“How’s it going so far?” Justin asked me.

“Same as last year. Impossible,” I said. “I have to write a book or something on New Sodom history. Sheesh. I don’t know anything about this place that you didn’t tell me.”

“Well, there’s a lot to know,” Justin said. “Pretty interesting, some of it.”

“Yeah, but a whole book,” I said. “What’s that, seventy thousand, a hundred thousand words?”

“More or less,” Justin said. “Maybe you ought to do a play. Plays average twenty thousand.”

“Maybe a musical,” I said. “Except that I hate musicals.”

“I could sing in it,” Ileana said. “I will be taking a class in vocal music.”

Justin’s mom, who had been teaching Ileana piano for years, had a new part-time job teaching a couple of classes in the music department.

“Musical history,” I said. “I could tell Gibbon it was a new form.”

Turk came into the dining hall. I beckoned her over.

“I thought this place was going to be hard,” she said as she sat down.

“What did Shadwell say about should?” I asked her.

“He said it was an interesting insight, and everybody should write an essay on it. Five thousand words.” She stretched and said, “If I can just keep awake, I’ll do okay here.”

“So, you like it okay, then?” Justin asked.

“Too posh,” Turk said. “Way too posh. But apart from that, what’s there not to like?”

“Well, some people think the work is kind of hard,” Justin said.

Turk shrugged.

“Not so far,” she said.

“It is good that you feel so confident,” Ileana said.

“Where’s Gregor?” I asked.

“I told him to get lost,” Turk said. “How hard is it to find your way down a hallway? Besides, he’s a jerk. That phony accent.”

“It’s not phony,” I said. “He talks that way. He’s from Europe.”

“Some kind of exchange student?” Turk said.

“There are dormitories for students from overseas,” Ileana explained. “Jenti from all over the world come to Vlad.”

Gregor came in at that point. He was with his friends Ilie, Constantin, and Vladimir. They sat down together and bent their heads toward him. Gregor was angry about something, and I had a pretty good idea, in a general way, what it was.

One of the waiters hurried over to their table.

“What’s up with that? That waiter acts like he’s afraid of him,” Turk said.

“Not afraid,” Justin said. “Gregor’s pretty high jenti. Some folks don’t mind showing him they know it.”

“Jerk,” Turk said.

Then Gregor stood up and stalked over to our table.

I tensed, figuring our on-again-off-again acquaintanceship was off again, but he wasn’t coming to see me.

“You spoke something in world history third period,” he said to Turk.

“Yep,” Turk said.

“What did you mean when Mr. Von Ranke asked, ‘What is the essence of the jenti situation in the world?’ and you said, ‘Ingratitude’?”

“I thought it was pretty clear,” Turk said. “Ingratitude means—”

“I know what it means,” Gregor said. “What I am really asking is, how dare you say such a thing, when you know nothing of us?”

“Do you remember who talked before I did?” Turk asked.

“Yes. It was I,” Gregor said.

“Mm-hm. You went on for five minutes about how the vampires have always been persecuted, and everybody was nodding along with you. And it just sounded like you didn’t have a clue in your head about where you are.”

“What do you mean?” Gregor said.

“I mean, look around you,” Turk said. “For God’s sake, man, half the world goes to bed hungry at night.