Walking in the Shadows (20 page)

“What did you say?”

“
I told her that I had never read them
,
nor was I ever going to.”

“Is that because of me?”
I asked.

“
Do I look like that sopp
y romantic type?” h
e teased.

“
A lot of people still love that vampire stu
ff,”
I retorted, and I found that I was a bit nauseous at the thought of being forced to read the book that had ruined my life.

He stood
and
walk
ed to
the front
of the room.

“She has a 'run
s
with vampires' tattoo on her wrist. That's why she wears that hideous bracelet all the time. That's good teacher gossip for your trouble maker friend
Jaz
,”
Tad commented
,
turning and
pointing at me
with
his eyes narrowed.

“
You would die if you knew
what else she's said about you.”
I teased, and I was glad to change the subject to something lighter.

His head whipped around
.
“Does it emba
rrass you or make you think...
a
bout things?”
Tad winked at me.

“You suck.”

“I see the way you stare at my han
dsomeness when you walk in here,” h
e commented.

I was glad that I had worn a tight, v-neck t-shirt.
I leaned forward and his eyes went
ju
st where I knew they would
.
“
T
wo can play that game.”

“
You
’
r
e
... bad,” h
e stuttered.

“
Nope, I’
m just
remi
nding you of the towel incident,”
I taunted him.

The bell rang and he adjusted his tie.

“
Yo
u look flustered Mr. Knightley,”
Jaz
observed
coming into the r
oom
.
“
Is
Vera
causing trouble again?”

“
Mhmm...
a
lways,”
I responded as Tad
pulled on his tie symbolically.

The second the bell ra
ng
Jaz
’s
arm
was
linked in mine
,
dragging me out the door
. 

“
So
,
it looked like you were f
lirting with the hottie
and it looked like he liked it!”
Jaz commented
,
nudging me in the ribs.

I stopped and turned
.

“Don’t
say that
—
teachers can get fired
just be
cause someone makes something
like that
up
,”
I responded in a hushed but accusing voice.

“
I wasn't planning on telling anyone! I w
as just teasing you. You
need to learn to take a joke
!
” s
he said
,
throwing her hands up.

“
Sorry
Jaz
...he's a good teacher
,
and
I wouldn't want a rumor to ge
t started that would get him in
trouble,”
I replied
,
taking a deep breath.

“
No one would believe them
anyways;
remember he's madly in lo
ve with his college girlfriend?”

“Oh, yeah I forgot,”
I muttered.
Not.

“So
while you were sitting at home throwing your peas up, did you watch the news at all?”
Jaz
asked as we continued to my next class.

The peas were threatening
an encore appearance
at the thought
.
“Umm
…no why?”

“Everyone is totally on the vamp talk again. First
the Channel 3 N
ews got their ass handed to them on a platter by the chief of police for accusing the daughter of the first couple that was killed of having some hand in the murders. I guess it turns out her safety was at risk
,
so she moved away under witness protection
,” s
he explained
,
pausing for effect
,
and my
stomach calmed somewhat
.
“Well
,
now everyo
ne is
all riled up because a
—
Mac Bronson
’s beautiful face is going to be plastered everywhere again
soon
;
and
b
—
there’
s talk the murders will start again with
the release of the new movie.
”

“That part b doesn’t scare you?” I asked
as we took our seats in Miss Jennings
’
classroom.
It certainly scared me.

“
A
ll the murders took place like
one hundred miles away from here way
on the other side of Mass. We’
re safe here
;
don’t you worry.”
Jaz
reassured me
,
squeezing my hand.

“Did you ever think that it was more than one person
,
so it could happen here?”
I suggested as sweat began to build on my brow.

“
Y
ou do have an interest in vampires—
you
are a normal teenager!”
Jaz exclaimed.

“No, I don’t
;
I just heard the stuff about the different murders and none of them are really the same, except for the vampire part. Maybe it’s
a
cult?”

Jaz
shrugg
ed
.
“As long as Colby Gray
comes for me
,
I don’t care.”

“I
s there any time you don’t think about guys?”
I teased
,
the panic releasing with Jaz’s nonchalant attitude.

She turned and pointed her finger at me
.
“Men,
Vera
, those are real men. Not little boys.”

“Knightley beats Bronson
hand
s
down,
Jaz
. There’s no competition there,
”
I joined in with a smile.

“You’
re right about that
one
,
and
I don’t think they would need to spray paint muscles on him from the
looks of those tight button ups,
”
Jaz commented
, her pupils
widening at the thought.

I smirked to myself. Nope, no spray paint needed there.

“I so need
ed
this ten minute break, a block of Knightley is great
,
but then a block of Jenn
ings—I feel like going to sleep,
”
Jaz
yawned
as
we stood outside her locker across from
Miss Jennings
’
room.

“Shh…here she comes,
” I whispered
,
lowering my eyes to stare at my flip flops
.

“I heard you girls talking about
the murders,” Miss Jennings began
.
“Do you
think killers have a conscience
?”

“Well, Miss Jennin
gs, they killed innocent people,
”
Jaz
replied
,
and her body movements indicated she was
as
uncomfortable
as I was
with the conversation.

“Have you read the
Crimson
Reign
books?” Miss Jennings asked
,
tilting her head
.

“Yeah, of course
,
but
Vera
over here hasn’t touched one,
”
Jaz answered
,
nodding towards me with a nervous twitch.

“Well, then you know
Faye was after Naria for revenge? Colby
killed her mate
, and caused the coven war, so it was only fair
, right?” Miss Jennings probed
as she flipped her long blonde locks.

I wished I could walk away
because I wanted to yell at the women that she was
insane. She was talking about my
parents like they deserved to be killed.

“
Colby
only killed him be
cause he was going to kill Naria
,
and she had done nothing to deserve it
b
ut run away from being a slave to them
. So it wasn’t right,
”
Jaz
retorted as she backed
further into the lockers
.

I knew I should speak up as I looked at Jaz’s anxious eyes darting from me to Jennings
.

“An eye for an eye isn’t fair because what you think is equal punishment may not be
.
T
he people killed weren’t the only ones who suffered. Their families did
too
,
and
how many people live in fear now because of it? No one should have the ability to decide to e
nd someone else’s life,
” I said as I tried to keep my voice level and unmoving.

“Yeah, exactly what
Vera
said,”
Jaz
agreed and then whispered,
“Way to show me up
!
”

Miss Jennings raised an eyebrow
,
but said nothing. I could feel she didn’t agree.

“I was thinking we should do a sec
tion on the murders in my class,
”
Miss Jennings suggested, her eyes narrowing on me. I felt like a cock roach hit with poison. I wanted to scurry away, but
I
couldn’t feel anything except for the slowing of my heartbeat.

“What?”
Jaz
burst out
,
and I
was
too
shocked to speak
.
“It’s not even history, it’s happening now
,
and I don’t see anyone teaching about Ted Bundy or Zodiac!”

Miss Jenn
ings pursed her lips and began to walk away. She turned back around and spoke,
“It wi
ll be history ladies.”

“Is she
freaking
nuts?”
Jaz
gasped
,
her stance relaxing
.

“I think so,
” I choked.

“No parents would let—
Vera
, are you okay? You look super pale.”

“I have to go,
” I mumbled.
Jennings’
words that it would be history echoed in my head, dulling my senses and numbing the tips of my limbs.

“Don’t faint,
Vera
,
”
Jaz
ordered
as she squeezed
m
y shoulder before letting me go
.
“See you in the AM?”

“Yeah…thanks,
” I replied
as I rushed towards the only person that I knew could do anything.

“
Vera
—are you okay?” Tad asked
,
shutting the door behind me as I rushed in
to his classroom with
my hands in the air.