Drama Club Vampire: Chapter 8

Old Debts

The morning school bell rang. Alexi ran to her locker to grab a book she forgot, and met up with Janelle in the hall, swinging her boa around.

“Oh1 Uh...hi, Janelle.”

“Hmm? Are you addressing moi? Oh, you’re the servant girl.”

Alexi bowed to Janelle. “It’s an honor to work with you. I heard your audition, you were very good!”

Janelle yawned. “Yeah, I know I was.” She looked judgingly towards Alexi and sighed. “I guess you weren’t bad either.”

Alexi’s eyes lit up. “You really think so?! Oh, but I know there was so much I could have improved upon! I probably was using too much vibrato. Did I use too much Vibrato? I knew I was, but I couldn’t stop myself.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.”

“Hey, maybe we could rehearse together-“

“Sorry, only fools with weak acting practice together.”

“Eh...?”

“Besides, I’ve already memorized my lines.”

“You said that during the first practice...but could you have really memorized ALL of them?”

“Of course. Dracula: Moonlight Romance...ugh, it’s so easy and drab. I wish they could have picked something less cheesy.”

Something in Alexi’s head snapped. “Easy? Drab? ...cheesy?”

“Oh yeah, it’s defiantly a grade-c play.”

“Grade...c?”

“Oh well, it’s just another lead part to put on my resume when I...” Janelle’s eyes lit up “...finally go to Broadway!”

“...drab?”

“Eh?” Janelle looked at Alexi’s pale expression. “Oh get over it” she said, flipping her boa over her shoulder, and walked away.

Alexi stood in the center of the hallway, with her head down. “...easy? ...grade c?” She shook her head. “No, Janelle is wrong...” Alexi looked down the hallway. “She...she seems like she couldn’t even care if she got the main role or not...”

Suddenly, the late bell rang. Alexi jumped, grabbed her books from her locker, and ran down the hall, praying the teacher hadn’t arrived yet.

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During lunch, Drake sat with Bryant. He looked around for Alexi, but she was no where to be found.

“You lookin for that Alexi girl you always sit with?” Bryant smirked.

“Eh?! Uh ... yeah. She usually isn’t late.”

“Detention.”

“What?”

“Miss “Usually isn’t late” was late this mornin” he laughed.

“Oh...I see.”

It had been a week since rehearsals started. Because of all the work everyone was doing, the only time Drake had to see Alexi was during lunch period.

“Damn...so much for biting her anytime soon...”

“What was that?” Bryant asked.

“Oh, I said I better get biting before noon. The cream cheese on this bagel expires soon.” He laughed.

“Eww...” Bryant squirmed.

The lunch bell rang soon enough and the two walked down the hallway.

“Hey, you don’t have rehearsal after school today, right?”

“Uh...no.” Drake thought for a moment. “Wait a minute, if I don’t have rehearsal, then Alexi doesn’t...this may be my chance!”

“Great!” Bryant patted Drake on the back. “Let’s hang out then!”

“Ah! But-“

“Damn, my class is on the other side of the school! I’ll see ya after last period!” Bryant yelled, running down the hall way.

“Ah...” Drake stood in the center of the hall way. He kicked up some dust, and walked the other direction.

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“Ah, you live in this big building here?” Bryant asked staring up the tall building, blocking the sun from his eyes with hand.

“Yeah, top floor. Just lemme drop my stuff off, and then we can go hang out.”

“Hey, why don’t we just hang out here?” Bryant suggested.

“Uh...nah, let’s not-“Drake said nervously, before Bryant put his arm around his neck in a headlock.

“Aww, com’on, whatcha hiding?”

“Only a coffin...” Drake said under his breath.

“What?” Bryant asked.

“I said I could go for some coffee.”

“Me too! You got some in your place?”

“Well, yeah, but-“

“Let’s go then!” Bryant yelled, marching into the building with Drake still in a headlock.

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“Master Drake! I didn’t know you were bringing a guest home today! I could have cleaned up!” Maxwell laughed, standing on a pile of laundry in the middle of the room. The room was a complete mess, with clothes, dirt, and other trash scattered everywhere.

“Meh, it’s ok.” Drake sighed.

“Feels like home!” Bryant laughed.

“Good then!” Maxwell said happily. “Can I get you boys anything?”

“We still have any coffee beans?” Drake asked.

“I believe so.”

“Ok, fix us up some.”

“Right away, master!”

Maxwell left the room, and the two boys sat on what they could only hope was the couch.

“So, you have your own butler, eh? That’s pretty cool! Your family must be rich!”

“Not really.” Drake sighed.

“Speaking of family, where’s yours?”

“Huh?”

“I mean your parents. From the looks of things, they haven’t been here for a while.”

“Yeah...they’re...on vacation.”

“Ah, I see. Where?”

“Europe.”

“Cool, where?”

“I’m not sure right now. Their ...touring.”

“Ah, ok. They don’t send you post cards?”

“No...”

“Oh, I’m sorry...”

The boys sat in an awkward silence for a moment, until Maxwell came back into the room.

“Oh, I’m very sorry Master Drake, we’re out of cream. I’ll run down to the corner market and get some. Please, it’ll be ready shortly, so feel free to pour some.”

Maxwell went out the door. Drake got up and went into the kitchen. He made sure to keep the pot at the right temperature. He heard Bryant walk in behind him.

“So, you’ve got a fully stocked kitchen, eh?”

“Yeah, I suppose.”

“Plenty of dishes, glasses...knives...”

Drake thought nothing of what Bryant said at first, but his eyes widened as he heard a drawer open. He turned around, to find Bryant already pointing a large kitchen knife at his neck.

“B-...Bryant...”

“I know what you are.” Bryant said, looking down the floor.

“Wha-...what...”

“Don’t play dumb with me...” He said, his tone sounding angrier. “You’re one of them...

...A Vampire.”

Drake was at a loss for words.

“I knew it, since the day I saw you. You think it’s so easy to hide from normal people that you forget to cover your tracks from people who know how to hunt for your kind. Filthy blood sucker.”

“A...hunter?”

“That’s right. I know all your tricks too, so don’t even think about pulling them. Your special gift however, that threw me off for a bit.” Bryant smirked.

Drake felt more and more uneasy by the second.

“Yeah... out it sunlight... not many vampires can do that... but humans can...” Bryant grinned widely. “You’re a half-blood.”

Drake cringed at hearing that term again.

“Aww, sorry, did I upset you, half-blood? Probably were harassed by the other vampires because of it, weren’t ya? But don’t worry; most of those who made fun of you are probably now dead. See, I’ve killed many of you blood suckers. I most likely did you a favor.”

“You...killed them? But, why?!”

“To repay them.”

“Repayment for what?”

“For killing my father!!”

The front door slammed.

“Master Drake! I’ve got the cream!”

Bryant shoved the knife into his back pocket, and walked towards the door. He glanced over his shoulder back at drake. “You’re next.”

Bryant walked past Maxwell as he left. “Thank you very much for the coffee.” He smiled.

Maxwell smiled back “You’re very welcome.”

Maxwell continued to the kitchen at the front door open and closed. When he walked in, he saw Drake sitting on the floor, still with a shocked expression. Maxwell dropped his bag and ran next to Drake.

“Ma-master Drake?! Are you ok?!”

Drake said nothing.

End Chapter 8