Monroeville Academy

I don’t mean to be a bad person.
It’s just who I am. It’s the way I was raised. It’s how I’ve spent the last 100 years, and it’s hardwired into my mind.
As long as I am around… him, I’ve been encouraged- no wait, forced- to kill when I want and take what I want.

I sprint along the rooftops, thunder and lightning crackling above me. My fangs lengthen and sharpen as I jump off the building and land on the man’s back, my teeth tearing into his throat before he can scream. Hot, rich blood pours down my throat and I gulp it all greedily. I’m finished in maybe 10 seconds flat and a last drop trails from the corner of my mouth as I search his pockets and pick out a thick roll of $20 bills.
Applause echoes through the alleyways and I look up at Dimitri, his bright silver eyes glinting behind a curtain of shaggy black hair. “Impressive,” he says simply.
I nod. “Thank you, sir.”
He jumps down and lands next to me, rolling the body over with the toe of his black leather boot and shaking his head. “It’s a shame, really. If only they would give themselves up willingly.”
“The world doesn’t understand us, sir,” I say quietly, and then hand over the roll of cash.
“Hmm… Drug dealer,” he guesses. “Find any of his stash?”
I shake my head. “Perhaps he wasn’t a dealer but an addict on his way to make a purchase. His blood tasted clean, so it must have been a while since his last fix.”
“Correct,” he says, tracing the tattooed outline of a rose on my shoulder, and I suppress a shiver.
“S-Sir?” I stammer.
“We should return to the others,” Dimitri says, right in my ear, and I can hear the smirk in his voice.
“Y-Yes sir,” I nod rapidly.
He walks away and I allow the floodgates to open in my mind. Does he know what my brother and I are planning? Does he intend to stop it? Or is he simply teasing me?
I’d rather not think of a fourth option as I follow him silently.

“The sun will rise in approximately seventeen minutes. Everyone, return,” Dimitri orders to the group of vampires assembled before us. They all murmur in agreement and disperse, and I take a step forward to follow, but he wraps his fingers around my wrist and pulls me back towards him.
I look down at my arm then look up at him. “S-Sir?”
“You don’t need to go inside, Scarlett,” he says with a small smile, slipping something into my left hand. I glance down at the silver ring, with intricate vines framing a lapis lazuli.
“It has a spell on it,” he explains. “You won’t burn in the sunlight.”
“Sir, I don’t know what to say…”
“You don’t have to say anything.” Dimitri’s eyes suddenly glow a bright red and his fangs dig into my neck. I cry out in shock and pain but allow myself to relax as he pushes me back against the wall and drinks.
“D-Dimitri…” I moan as a wave of golden pleasure rushes through my nerves.
He lets go and looks up at me, my black blood covering his lips.
“Your turn,” he says simply, pulling off his black t-shirt, revealing his pale, chiseled abs. I slip the ring on my finger and allow my canines to extend, digging my teeth into his neck and drinking greedily.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Keep it in your pants, little sister,” Dante comments dryly.
“Oh, be quiet,” I snap, tossing him a heavy silver ring. “I got the ring, didn’t I?”
“After nearly jumping your new boyfriend’s bones against the wall.”
“What a mature statement.” I roll my eyes. “He’s… He’s nothing.”
“If you’re sure of that,” he tosses me a nondescript leather jacket and dark red backpack, “then let’s get out of here, before he discovers his new fuckbuddy and about ten grand are missing.”
I tie my hair back in a ponytail, examining the red, orange, and yellow permanently dyed into three inches of the ends. “You think we can ever get rid of the fire marks?”
“I doubt it.”
“Well, can we get the hell out of here? I want to be gone before he gets back from his latest territory… ‘negotiation.’’
“Gladly.” He tosses a pebble at a car a couple blocks away and sets off the alarm, before picking a simple grey car and quickly hotwires it, the engine hidden under the blaring horn.

10 years later…

I tap my pen against the cover of my Economics textbook, putting off my homework for as long as possible.
“Ms. Jefferson, please stay awake,” Mrs. Wayford scolds, her fingers moving rapidly over the keyboard. “We’re expecting the new students today.”
Due to a few… incidents, I have to work in the main office as school service. Fun, right?
“Of course, Mrs. Wayford,” I mutter, putting my head down on the book.
“Did you finish the file?”
“Yes, Mrs. Wayford.”
“And the essay for Literature Theory?”
“Yes, Mrs. Wayford.”
“What about your Economics charts?”
“I’m working on my nap charts…” I mumble sleepily, closing my eyes.
A crumpled piece of paper hits me in the head and I jerk awake. “What-“
She smiles, the spirit of her younger self glinting in her eyes. “Stay awake.”
Just then, the old-fashioned wooden doors creak open and we both glance up as Mr. Castro, the kiss-ass vice principal, leads in two teenagers, a boy and a girl.
“Of course we’re thrilled you chose our school!” he crows. “Monroeville Executive Pre-Professional Academy is the perfect school for you two, especially for anyone of the Marino family!”
The boy nods. “Thank you, sir.”
The two are obviously twins, with gunmetal grey eyes and jet black hair, dyed with red, orange, and yellow at the ends, almost designed to look like fire. The girl’s hair is wavy and tied in a ponytail, with side bangs covering her left eye, while the boy’s hair is ruler straight and in rough layers that shadow his face. He notices me staring and our eyes lock before I finally break the stare and look down. My cheeks heat up with a blush. Woah.
“Ms. Jefferson, this is Dante and Scarlett Marino. They’re a grade above you, but you’ll be their student guide for now.”
“Yes sir,” I nod.
“Mrs. Wayford, find their dorm rooms and class schedules please,” Mr. Castro says, opening the dark wooden door that leads to the staff staircase and heading up, closing the door behind him without a response.
She mutters a few choice curses under her breath and clicks a few times. “Alright, here are your schedules and your dorm assignments,” she says cheerfully, handing Dante and Scarlett two sheets of paper each with the school letterhead on top. “Melody, your time as a student guide will finish up the rest of your required service time.” She winks at me, and my face breaks into a grin.
“Thank you, Mrs. Wayford,” I nod, standing up from my position behind the desk. “Alright, come on you guys.” I head down a hallway, with the twins close behind.
I pretend not to notice Dante staring at me as I open up the door leading to the main plaza.
“Welcome to the Academy.”