Chapter Text
Chapter 1
The school was ablaze with talk, whispers whipped throughout the halls like snakes, moving from one breather to the next with ferocity. Vlad knew his first day back after what had happened was going to be difficult however he hadn’t expected his disappearance to come with so much talk. Faces turned towards him, brows furrowed with curiosity, he heard snatches of conversation,
“God I knew the Counts were pale but Christ Vlad looks dead.”
“I wonder where he’s been.”
“What a freak.”
He couldn’t help but let a smirk crawl across his lips, the irony not lost on him. He walked to his first period side stepping the shafts of sunlight that crept into the hallways, feeling the tightness in his chest as he held his breath. While there was no longer a need to breath it was difficult to shuck the familiar habit from his body and although he was surer in his ability to avoid the temptation of the multiple heartbeats around him, it was better to not allow the alluring scent of humanity to pass under his nose. But guilt still clawed in his belly as he saw a few cautious glances flicked his way many of the breathers had been exposed to a refraction of himself that he wished no one had seen, a part that gnawed at him constantly.
“Vlad!” he was shook out of his revere as Ms. Macaulay’s face filled his vision stopping him in his tracks.
“Oh! Um hi Ms Macaulay…” he wrung his hands unable to meet her eyes, “before you say anything! I wanted to apologize for the other week…you were right to suspend me; I was out of line.” He said, hoping to placate the tirade that he knew was to come.
“Yes, you gave us all quiet a fright Vlad but it’s okay. Growing up can be really difficult especially with your special circumstances,” her warmth was a surprising balm, but Vlad felt his skin prickle with suspicion.
“Special circumstances?” Vlad asked cautiously, now staring at her in an attempt to ascertain what she knew just from the pale plains of her face.
“Well your father being the owner,” she replied placing a hand upon his arm, “it must be difficult with the other students.”
“Ah. Right…yes,” Vlad felt the tension that had wracked his body release. It wasn’t unlikely that his father would let their secret slip to his beloved Ms. Macauley, he was truly becoming a bit senile in his age.
“But that’s not what I stopped you for,” Ms. Macauley placed a hand on his back and guided him through the hallway towards her office, “now your father told me your family moved from Stokely is that right?”
“Um yes,” Vlad looked around at the students that watched them as they passed. Reaching the office Ms. Macaulay turned to him smiling broadly.
“Well we have some new students who have arrived on scholarship from Stokely and I thought it would be best if you showed them round. If you could?”
Vlad’s mind went into overdrive, it would only be his luck that his family would have been found. There was a greater possibility it could have been someone he barely knew form the village but after Ingrid’s reign of terror there was no telling what even a regular member of the Stokely community knew, or what they were capable of, “Um, I don’t know if that’s the best idea Ms. Macauley, I have Home Economics in a few moments anyway.” He gulped at the pitch of his voice that had raised a few octaves in his panic.
“Nonsense!” Ms. Macaulay smiled, “Your father has been trying to get you out of that class all year anyway, he’ll be glad to see you taking a more active role in the Garside community. Now come on.” She opened the door into her office, the sunlight streaming through the window and Vlad felt himself take an involuntary step back as the two students were revealed.
Two familiar faces that looked up at him smiling from their seats in front of Ms. Macaulay’s desk. Jono Van Helsing and Robin Branaugh were sitting right there, a slayer and a vampire lover in the same room together, each in their own set of pristine uniforms. Vlad felt the cool chill of panic settle into his bones and that familiar empty space in his chest when he looked at Robin. Garlic he had missed him.
“Boys! This is Vlad Count. He’ll be giving you a tour of the school.” Ms. Macauley swept into the room, unaware of Vlad’s rising discontent. If he could sweat, he would have been, as he stood in the doorway out of the sunlight that filled the room like liquid gold, “Come on Vlad don’t be shy.” She sat down at the desk.
Vlad scuttled into the room, staying near the back of the room near the bookcase where he was just out of reach of the deadly fingers of sunlight that reached for him through the room.
Robin shot a questioning look towards him turning to Ms. Macauley, “Well I’m dead keen to have a look round, Vlad and I used to be best makes back in Stokely!”
Ms. Macaulay brightened at this, “Really?” clapping her hands together, “Well then this has worked out perfectly! Vlad show them round the school grounds and then help them find their first class, I have a meeting with Jono’s mum soon and you all can’t just hang out here all day!” She laughed to herself as Vlad shifted uncomfortably, looking at the backs of the two boys who had haunted him for years.
She gestured for them to leave as she looked down towards some paperwork, a universal sign of dismissal. Vlad stuttered out an excuse, but it was swallowed by the scrap of chairs as Robin and Jono stood and walked towards him.
“Nice to see you again mate!” Jono smile and clapped him on the shoulder, walking out in the hallway.
Vlad sighed and closing the office door behind the two boys as the bell rang for first period. Looking around the hallway the swarms of breathers dissipated quickly towards their classes leaving it empty, the sounds of the beginning of class only a whisper.
He rounded on the two boys, “So you remember me?”
“Of course!” Robin said, surprise colouring his features, “How could we forget our best mate?” he asked bringing him into a quick hug. Vlad gasped unable to control himself air flooded into his lungs carrying the scent of Robin, his warmth was intoxicating. He felt the sharp sting of his fangs cutting into his bottom lip, and his stomach roll as if filled with oily snakes. Gripping the boy tightly he pushed him away, looking away for a moment again, “Are-are you okay Vlad?” Robin asked, his brown eyes filled with concern.
“I’m fine,” Vlad bit out. Tension hung thickly in the air between the three boys.
“Come on then Vlad! Show us around and you better tell us what happened to you. You just up and disappeared!” Jono said, shoving his hands into his pockets he set off in a random direction.
This was going to be a difficult day. Vlad need to make sure that the mind wipe was still in place. Probably best not to let his family know that a possible slayer and his ex-best breather friend had arrived.