Chapter ELEVEN.

Chapter Eleven









I heard this weird ‘whoosh’-ing noise, and I let my eyes flutter open, slightly startled. When I peeled them open, I saw that I was still in a jet. So much for being a dream. Looking around, I see that Blake’s spot was vacant, which made me wonder where one can go in such a small amount of space. Too terrified to look back out the window, I get up and clumsily walk in the direction I remember Stevens walked through.
Just as I was about to go through this type of doorway-thing, I slam right into her, hard, but I didn’t fall over. Miss. Stevens, on the other hand, practically body-slammed into the ground.
“Holy-! Are you okay?” I asked, offering her a hand.
“Fine!” She gasped, ignoring my outstretched palm and standing up.
“Well, uh, I think the planes arriving at where ever we’re suppose to be at.” I said trying not to feel too guilty about knocking the breath out of her.
“Oh, good, I think I was starting to get airborne sickness, your bumping into me didn’t help out much either.” She pushed passed me to go to the front of the jet, leaving me confused and slightly irritated.
A few moments of lost altitude later, the jet came to a stop, turned off, and left us in a ringing silence.
“’Ready to get to your new home?” Miss Stevens stood at the entrance of the flying vehicle; it was slowly lowering, giving me the first look that I had in hours.
I walked slowly and cautiously to the opening, as to not be blinded and burned. Luckily it was shady, clouds affiliated the sky, threatening to rain. The environment was… green. That’s the only way I could explain it at first. It was forest all around us, with the exception of the platform that we had landed on. It was sort of random, especially since usually planes landed in busy, noisy places- don’t they? I made my way down the steps until I was on the concrete of the platform. Inhaling, the amazing smell of rain captivated my senses- it was amazing. I could smell the plant life as though I had pressed my nose against one of the huge pine trees. Maybe these stronger senses weren’t such a bad thing.
“Where are we?” I asked when I had finally stopped sniffing the air as though I were a druggie.
“New Brunswick, Canada,” Miss Stevens announced, sounding relieved. Maybe because I didn’t flip out about something for once.
“Canada?” What the Random? “Why Canada?”
“Because,” It wasn’t Miss. Stevens voice, “When Britain sailed to the New Land, Sterling Thorton settled in Canada to start his own home.”
Blake stepped down the stairs, staring down at me as he spoke, unwaveringly. It sucked- he looked so good. His nicely-mussed brown hair and perfectly stormy eyes boasted a paradoxical handsomeness. How could I still be even the slightest bit attracted to him?
“That’s true,” Miss Stevens chirped.
“He bought the Mansion in which he and his beloved lived. He could afford it selling his invention to the richest of the world- living death is oddly popular with the rich. There’s a problem, though, with selling such an un-tested product. That the disease is airborne- spreading from just breathing on someone, that it causes an unnatural appetite,” He stared at me with such intensity, that I felt maybe he were hinting at something. Though I couldn’t think of what he could be hinting about, “So, people they would associate with would get sick, rabid, go crazy, so what was he to do? Let people find out he was causing some of the most powerful people to go crazy? That people were being attacked by one another? No, he took them in. He soon built a secret building in the middle of the forest to keep everyone hidden and safe- but of course it was too late and the disease was still silently spreading. He would travel the world looking for ‘his kind’ taking them to his home, trying to keep it all quiet. Thus the Thorton home was born- a home for the Vampires.”
I stared at him in awe, not saying a word. This was the first time he had spoken to me in hours since the incident.
Blake must have figured I wasn’t much for words at the moment, because he brushed passed me and began to walk off. I turned around and watched him as he headed to a black car that had, apparently, been sitting there waiting for us.
I bit the inside of my cheek, as I watched him walk ahead. Without looking back at her, I said, “I still have a lot of questions.”
“Why am I not surprised?” I hear her mutter loudly.

♪~♪

The car trip was quiet, we headed down a dirt road, and we saw nothing but trees. It was the most monotonous ride of my life. We rumbled loudly (in my opinion) further and further, and I began to wonder if this was just an elaborate trick to murder me without any witnesses, and they would bury my body out in the middle of no where.
But then, I saw it. It was impossible to miss. Huge brass gates connected to tall brick walls, with a cursive ‘T’ adding to the decor of the gates beauty. Behind the ginormous fencing was a marvelous, massive, elegant building. There were enormous windows scattered along the front of it. All around it were huge trees and a perfect lawn and more buildings surrounded it, only they were smaller.
My mouth was slightly parted in awe, when suddenly we stopped in front of the golden gates. Maybe I was dying, and going to heaven? Though, how could I of all people, make it to heaven? No noise indicated their opening, but the gates swung in, allowing the car to enter the premises.
We parked outside the exquisite mansion and the car’s engine was cut off, leaving us in an awkward quietness.
“Welcome,” said Miss Stevens (a bit nervously), “To Thorton Mansion.”
“Mansion,” I repeated in a whisper.


♪~♪


We entered the building through these two handsome doors. Once we got inside I saw that it wasn’t so much like a house-y mansion, but it looked kinda like… a college?
There were kids in the front of the house, just walking and chilling out, and I’m going to be honest, I was so not expecting that.
“This is a type of living room, though most of the students don’t usually hang around here if there’s too much sun. Darn those huge windows,” Miss. Stevens began walking like a tourist guide, and I guessed I was to follow her. She turned a corner that opened into a hall way, it was huge and very fancy, and doors littered through out it. Stevens stopped in front of a huge ‘entry’ way and held out a hand, motioning me to look through it.
I peeked over and saw a GIGANTIC cafeteria. Thousands of people were sitting in there, making loud noises and conversation. It wasn’t just teenagers either- there were adults, smaller kids, and clicks.
“This is where you’ll be eating lunch, there’s a bunch of other kids in here, and you’re allowed to come here whenever you want, but no screwing around.” She began down the hall again. I looked at the sea of people, totally baffled at the thought- Vampires, like me. Suddenly, that thought didn’t depress me as much as it had a few hours ago. I caught up with Miss Stevens when she pointed to random things saying stuff like, “Don’t touch that,” “Keep away from that door,” and, “Don’t you dare mess with that,” but I was too busy looking at all the open doors to see people laying a beds, looking completely normal, except that they’re all gorgeous and pale.
“Now, it’s time to find your room, I found someone without a room-mate today, she’s on the,” She whipped out a list of names and numbers- there were a lot.
“Okay, you’re on the second floor with Kelsey.” She said more to herself than me. Again, she started walking down the hall to some stairs, my Converse kept flapping onto the marble making a clap, clap, clap, clap noise.
“So remember, you live up the stairs, in the first hall, three doors over, to the right, your room is 98 and you’ll be sharing a room with Kelsey,” Stevens looked back at me, eyebrows raised daringly, “I’m sorry,” she whispered.
Oh joy I thought to myself, what kind of crazy girl was I getting stuck with?
“People who live down the same hall as you are: First, Zoey and Emmy, then Clara and, uh I forget her name, oh well, then you have Justin and Blake-.” She jabbed on and on, but I was slightly struck dumb at the thought of Blake and I having to live so close to one another. This could get… odd.
We reached the top of the steps and down the first hall, down three doors. It was open and weird pop music was coming from within. Miss Stevens knocked the wall of the room and said over the music, “Kelsey, turn down the music.”
No response. The music didn’t get any quieter, “Kelsey, this is your new room-mate, Roxanne.” She yanked on my shirt, pulling me into view. The room was weird, with bright colors, like pink and yellow, and there was a bed decorated with the same colors with flowers, polka-dots, and stuff. This was kind of going to cramp my style.
I then saw a girl who was probably around my age staring at me, I mean, glaring at me. She had platinum blonde hair that was pulled into a fancy, clipped hair-do. Her eyes were a sharp, but deep blue, and she was pretty short, but dressed like a model in a magazine. I could tell she was superficial from the moment I saw her pursed, super-red, lips. Her stance wasn’t that inviting either, apparently she had been rearranging her closet, because she had clothing items in each hand, which were now placed on her hips, looking me up and down disapprovingly.
“I want you to help her around the mansion, since she’s new, and all that jazz, got it?” Miss Stevens again pushed me, but this time inside the room. I felt like I’d been chucked into a lions den. Before she turned and left, Stevens called, “Play nice.” And was gone.
That left Kelsey and I staring at one another, I was trying to avoid any eye contact, but she was staring me down.
“So,” I tried to break the ice, “I take it I sleep on this bed?” I indicated the mattress with nothing on it. She wasn’t very chatty at the moment and continued to look unimpressed. Shrugging, I turned from her and poked the mattress to test its comfort. It would have to do. I sat down on it and looked at her, a sarcastic smile across my face that was to be read as, “What, this isn’t awkward!”
A deep sigh later, Kelsey was back to shuffling through clothes in her closet and ignoring me. I could learn to dig it.
“So,” I asked as obnoxiously as possible, “Where can a,” I stuttered on the word, “Vampire, find a bed sheet around this place?”
Another dramatic sigh and Kelsey turned to face me, an irritated expression across her model face. Her hands replaced themselves to her hips, and her ruby-red lips formed the words, “Okay, let’s get something straight.” Oh this is gonna be good.
“I don’t like punks, and your hair color says it all,” She switched position, “And if you pull any funny business, like say, whip cream my face or anything during my sleep I will personally see that your face will need surgery-help to be recognized as a person. Stay on your side of the room, my stuff is definitely off limits, and your witty comments are not appreciated and won’t be tolerated.”
“Any thing else, oh wise master,” I put my hands together, imitating a genie.
She rolled her eyes at me, “This kind of crap is what I’m talking about.”
I laughed, “Okay, dude, I’m just trying to lighten your mood. I mean this whole… Nazi act is too tense for me.”
“Yeah, well, get used to it, because your in my concentration camp.” Kelsey took a step toward me. “Where are you from anyways?”
“New York,” I shrugged.
“Figures,” She said smugly, “New York’s cities are full of scum.”
“Sure, there’s scum,” I get up off the bed, and walk toward her, “But us scum sure know how to give a good… butt whoopin’ when needed. We play by the street rules.” I so didn’t want to say butt.
“Is that right?” Kelsey’s eyes flashed, and she was fuming. I waited for her to say something else, but instead, she squealed out in frustration and left the room. I stood in the middle of this color-fest, totally confused on what to do next. So, I decided I’d take my own tour.
Walking out into the hallway again, I sort of stood there, not really sure which way I should go next. Then, I heard a bunch of yelling coming from one of the rooms and some guy busted from his room. He was walking fast and pushed past me without saying a word or acknowledging me. This place kept getting more and more crack-headed.
I began walking down the stairs, looking around at the beautiful architecture. When I had reached the bottom, I continued to look around and began walking toward where I had entered. Once I was again at the ‘living’ room, I saw a sign that pointed in the opposite direction to a laundry room. Bed sheets? I thought to myself and started toward it.
This place was really confusing and weird, and my room buddy is a brat- I think this is going to be one cool place.