Little Nora Grows Up

“Must ve do zee mezzurements every day?” I asked petulantly.

Professor Barnes quickly slid the tape measure closed. “Are you uncomfortable, Nora?” he asked in concern. He looked like someone just realizing they were being horribly rude.

I shrugged. “Eet doez not upzet me.” It was just tedious and tiring.

“Oh, good.” He slid out the tape measure again. “The measurements are absolutely essential.”

“For what purpoze?” I had to ask.

“I’m glad you asked.” There was a gleam in his eye, one that only appeared when he was talking about his favorite subject. Papillons.

He reached across the desk for his laptop, turning the screen so it faced me. Lines and numbers were listed on the screen. The words were in English and practically unreadable. I spoke much better English than I could write.

“I have been keeping a careful catalogue of your growth since you’ve arrived at Saint Katrina’s. Using these numbers and the quantity of blood you drink each day I’ve been able to track your growth.” He turned the monitor back to himself and started typing some more. The light from the screen reflected off his glasses, hiding his eyes.

“Eez eet really uzeful, knowing zeez?” I was curious, of course, but not really in his research. He became so animated when he talked about papillons. Studying them seemed to be his biggest dream in life. There was something about making him so ecstatic that made me feel good as well.

He dragged a hand through his brown hair, making it stand on end. “Of course it is, Nora. Using this information I have learned how much blood vampires have to drink to sustain themselves.” He turned back to me. “Which reminds me, how much have you drunk today?”

My mouth pulled into a scowl. “Two and one halve gallons today.”

He looked back at the screen. “That’s a bit on the low side, isn’t it?”

My scowl deepened. “Zee pig’z blood. I do not care for eet.” I looked down at the ground.

His hand appeared in my vision. It hesitated, then touched the back of my hand politely. “Do you want to talk about it?”

I peered at him. He withdrew his hand calmly. His expression was truly that of a teacher concerned for his pupil. There was no resentment hiding underneath it as she had seen with her other teachers. There was no smell of fear on him.

“I do not like zee taste,” I told him. “Eet eez swine, and I ‘ate eet.”

“I understand that it must be different from what you are used to.” He looked at me over his glasses. “You’re doing really well, though. I’m proud of you.”

I felt my cheeks flush. Blast it, why did I have to be the only papillon with warm blood? “I bear eet, becauze I muzt.”

He nodded. “To be able to stay at the school.”

“No, eet eez a different reazon,” I said, shaking my head.

Now he looked surprised. “Oh? What would that be?”

I cleared my throat, wondering how to begin. “My fahzzer, my ‘ole familee, took care of me zince zee day I waz born. They fed me, I never ‘ad to zearch for my own blood. I’ve never keelled.” My hand trembled slightly and I took a second to steady my nerves. “Wen Gabriel brought me ‘ere, I met zee children. Zat waz wen I knew vhat my fahzzer ‘ad been feeding me. I could smell zee blood in zeir veins.”

I was starting to shake. Professor Barnes looked alarmed now. He put a hand on my shoulder to steady me. “It’s okay, you don’t have to-”

I held up a hand. “No, let me fineesh.” I looked right into his face, showing him all the sincerity I had. “I never vant to ‘urt them. Zey are tiny and ‘elpless just like I vas. To me, zey are so perfect… Zat eez vhy I drink zee zwine.” I lowered my gaze back to the floor. “Eet’s ‘ard to swallow eet, but I do zat for zem.”

He lifted his hand from my shoulder. He made a fist and held it under my gaze. Then he turned his wrist up. “Then you can have some of mine, Nora.”

I looked back at him in surprise. His action had caught me completely off guard. I could feel the fire deep inside of me roar. I pushed his fist away as gently as I could. “No, I could not…”

He withdrew his arm. “I see, I’m sorry.” He undid the button on the collar of his shirt. “The neck is traditionally more preferable, isn’t it?”

I stared at him in shock, till finally he started to look a little nervous. “Don’t take all of it, of course,” he joked. “And I know it’ll hurt, but I promise not to scream too loudly.”

“W-why? Why would you…?” I was so flustered, I couldn’t get my thoughts in order, much less translate them into English.

His nervousness turned to sympathy. “You’re asking me why, after you’ve helped me so much?” He gestured at the empty classroom. “I drag you down here every night after school. You could be with your friends, or studying, or doing any number of other things instead. I really do appreciate it. Also, you’re my student and I take that very seriously. You might be older than I am, but if there is something bothering you it’s my job to address that concern.”

“You’re zeriouz...?”

“I wouldn’t make an offer like this in jest, believe me.”

For a moment I couldn’t help but let my mind wander. It was true that there was no one around, and I could hear any footsteps approaching well before they reached this room.

I had no desire to drink his blood, but the temptation to be that close to him was overpowering. The full force of my influence could paralyze him, allowing me to press my lips against the pulse of his neck with no resistance. My fingers could trail along the line of his jaw and bury themselves into the hair at the back of his head.

“Nora?” Professor Barnes looked like he’d been trying to gain my attention for the last few minutes.

I shook myself from my reverie. “I theenk I muzt decline,” I said as politely as possible.

“I don’t want to pressure you, but if your drinking declines your growth will slow. You’ll be stuck as a child for longer than you might like.”

It was about time for me to retreat. “I theenk zat for now, staying az a child eez for zee bezt."

"That's entirely up to you to decide. I'll see you tomorrow night, then?"

My face was aflame as I made my escape. My voice was strangled, so I just nodded. Then I got the hell out of there.

I remained calm till I was just out the door, then I ran out the door. Seconds later, I was at the top of the stairs. This hallways was a bit more crowded. Several students stared at my abrupt appearance. I ducked my head down and walked down the hallway quietly. I wasn't too far from my room now.

"Hey Nora!" I turned. Aiden was running to catch up with me. "I was waiting for you to get done so we could go get dinner together." She paused when she saw my face. "Whoa, does someone need to change their panties?"

Somehow, my face turned even redder. I felt the heat of it crawl down my neck. "Aiden, please..." I whimpered. "Don't do this to me right now..."

She wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "Geez, how can you be so human?" She said it gently, trying in her own way to cheer me up.

"Eugenics." I let out a small sigh.

"Wait, are you serious?"

I nodded. "Father bred me to have these traits. My sisters were failures in his eyes and were all killed. I was forced to drink their blood to grow stronger."

"If I had read that in a book, I would have thought that was wickedly cool. In real life, not so much..."

I shrugged. "It is what it is."

"Why would he do that though? Is that common for papillons? Is that how they raise their families?"

"As far as I know, it's just Father that does this. And only with the Noras. He has a purpose for me, or he had one. Most likely he'll have to start again."

"That's rough. I'm sorry.”

“No need to be sorry. It does not bother me.”

“Well yeah, not when you’re all hot and bothered over something, or someone, else.” Aiden’s voice was sly. “I never would have pegged you for a Barnes girl.”

“Aiden, shush, it’s not like that. I have unstable hormones now that I’ve reached puberty. My androgen levels must abnormally high.”

“Someone’s been reading their biology textbook.”

“Shush. These symptoms also present themselves when Kieran is near as well.”

“Well, he’s over there right now.” Aiden pointed to a figure clad in a long coat at the end of hall.

“I’m fine from a distance.”

“You have any feelings for anyone else?” she asked curiously.

I shook my head. “No, just the males.”

“Hm, well that’s a bit disappointing.”

I looked up at her. While I was growing rapidly, I still had not caught up to her height. She was still an inch and a half taller than me. “Why is that?”

“Because pickings are really slim around here!” Aiden said in annoyance. “If you take one of the guys, then the other girls are definitely going be pissed.” She thought for a moment. “On second thought… that might be interesting to watch. Why don’t you confess to Professor Barnes? He’d probably just die right there. You’re a papillon and I’ve heard rumors he likes older women.”

“I don’t think I’m ready for something like that. It sounds stressful and fraught with disaster.”

“Nah, it’s super easy.” Aiden waved a hand at me. “Watch this.” She cupped both hands around her mouth and shouted down the hall. “KIERAN, I LOVE YOU! HAVE MY BABIES PLEASE!”

“Get an A in Math and we’ll talk!” Kieran yelled back. He laughed loudly.

Aiden sighed dreamily. “That man makes me want to learn…”

“You’ll never get an A,” I said jokingly.

“My point still stands. Telling someone how you feel is no sweat. Even if you get turned down, just move onto the next guy!”

“There are only two men here…”

“Shhh! You’re ruining my pep talk.”

“The one you’re giving to me?”

“Yes.” She stopped walking, forcing me to stop as well. She stood in front of me and put both hands on my cheeks. She squeezed my face. “Just look at you. You’d be hopeless without me. Do you want to a boyfriend or not?”

“Not really.” My voice was muffled slightly by her smushing of my face. A boyfriend was not necessary in my plan to acquire the school.

“Do you at least want to have epic makeouts?” She stared into my eyes intently.

“If I’m honest, the notion is both intriguing and frightening...”

“Baby steps, then. With my help, you shall succeed.”

“Can I have my face back first?”

She leaned forward dramatically and lowered her voice to a whisper. “No, this is too much fun…”

“Nora! Nora!”

Aiden released me just as Aimie ran up. “Nora! He’s back! The boy from last night is back! He’s in the school!”

The boy with the ice stick? My eyes narrowed. “Where is he?”

Aimie was winded from running. She took a few deep breaths before continuing. “He’s in the office with Ms. Brun. I was passing by when I saw the two of them go in there.”

“We have to tell Kieran.” AIden looked down the hall, but Kieran was gone.

“You two catch up to him and let him know. I’ll head down to the office.” I gripped both their shoulders. “Stay safe, my friends.”

They nodded, then we split up. I ran swiftly back downstairs, past the classroom I had recently fled. Professor Barnes was standing in the hall, but I sped past him without a word. I ran into the front hall and from there to Ms. Brun’s office.

The door was open. I stopped in the doorway, surveying the scene. I was surprised by what I saw.

The boy was indeed in the office. He sat on the small sofa Ms. Brun kept in there for conferences. He was in the middle of pouring a cup of tea for the headmistress.

They both looked up at my arrival. Ms. Brun looked especially startled. She jumped to her feet. “Nora, whatever is the matter?” she asked in concern.

“He’s back.” I pointed at the boy. “Why is he here?”

“I was having a meeting with him. He’s interested in transferring to the school.”

My mouth went agape. “He can’t!” I exclaimed. “This is a GIRL’S school!”

Ms. Brun frowned at me. “That is not a rule here,” she replied. “That is merely a by-product of your family’s rule of not killing young girls.”

She could have slapped me in the face and it would have stung less. “But, but he’s a papillon!”

Her gaze was turning frosty now. “And so are you.”

It was then that the boy stood up. “Ms. Brun, please let me explain myself to Miss Mangiault. I do not wish to cause an uproar.”

“Your last visit to this school would suggest otherwise,” I spat. “What is Father playing at? Does he really think he can drive me out of my home?”

“This was not your father’s idea, but mine.” The boy put a hand on his chest. “If you do not wish to leave this place, then I must join you here. It was ordered by both of our fathers.”

“What are you talking about?”

The boy sighed. “Let me start from the beginning. As you most likely have guessed, I am not from Paris.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yes, it is obvious you are a foreigner.”

“My home is in Kyoto, Japan. There, I am the youngest of my father’s sons. My older brothers are all very accomplished and have brought my father great fortune. I am still young yet, but he does not have high expectations of me. He calls me ‘useless’.” He bowed his head slightly, so that his black hair shadowed his eyes.

“Excuse me if I do not weep for you.”

“Your father recently approached mine, looking to make an arrangement with him. He offered you in exchange for one of my sisters.”

“In exchange? What does that mean?”

The boy fixed his eyes on mine. “They arranged for the two of us to be married, uniting both families and countries in partnership.”

“MARRIED?!” I felt my blood rise explosively. “My father cannot simply trade me away like a crate of iPods! Just because I choose not to follow his plans!”

The boy held up both hands. “I cannot force you to be my bride-”

“You had best believe that!”

“But I have come all this way to at least try, that way I can at least be of some use to my father.” He sighed again. “If I fail then I shall depart honorably, but I feel that I must at least do my best. Father has donated a new science wing to the school in lieu of my tuition.” He gestured to a black briefcase on the coffee table in front of the sofa.

Ms. Brun cough politely into her fist. “We really could use a science wing. Plus, I’d be able to hire an actual science professor, instead of having Prof. Darwin pull double duty…”

I eyed the boy suspiciously. “You’ve used your influence on her, haven’t you?”

At this he finally became angry. “I would not disgrace my family name with such deception! I am merely leveraging simple human greed.”

“It doesn’t matter. I will not allow you into my school!”

“Nora, if I remember correctly, this is MY school,” Ms. Brun said sharply. “And I like the idea of a science wing. As long as Mr. Tsukishiro is no threat to my students, then I have no objection?”

“Oh, will he be drinking swine too?” I asked in disbelief.

He nodded. “I also have something better. He bent down and recovered a small cooler sitting next to the sofa. A gift for you.”

I lifted the lid hesitantly. It was filled with clear plastic IV bags. I picked one up in confusion.

“My eldest brother runs a bio-tech company. He’s recently developed a plasma that is supposed to be twice as nourishing as blood. Officially it’s meant for human transplants, but it’s still in the testing phase.”

Now I was a bit intrigued. “Why is it clear?”

“It’s completely pure. It has no discernible odor or taste. Also, it currently has the consistency of corn syrup, which makes it unsuitable for transplantation. That’s the next thing my brother’s company is working on.” Now that he’d gotten my attention, he seemed keen to hold onto it. “It’s very expensive to produce right now. This cooler costs three million yen.”

“What is that in Euros?”

“About twenty thousand Euros.”

I put the bag back into the cooler and covered it. “Your brother is using us as guinea pigs, isn’t he?”

This made him a bit flustered. “It was a generous gift from him, and so far I have not suffered any ill effects…”

“You will have to switch to pig’s blood when this runs out,” I told him sternly. “If you harm any of the children here I will gut you and leave your corpse hanging from the rooftop for the crows.”
The boy bowed. “You have my word Miss Manigault.” He turned to Ms. Brun. “If you could show me to my room?”

“I’ll have Kieran take you.” Just then Kieran, Aimie, and Aiden appeared in the doorway. “Ah, perfect timing.”

The trio looked alarmed and confused. I grabbed Aimie and Aiden by the arms. There was much to explain and discuss.