Kootenay River Secondary School was one of the only public high school in Creston, with the only other school that taught up to the 12th grade being the Mormon Hills Elementary-Secondary Society School. The fact that there had been a chance that Jolyne could have gone to that place was mortifying, and thank God she didn't. She already disliked Mormonism, and to be surrounded by practitioners of the faith would actually drive her insane.
That being said with Kootenay River Secondary School, or KRSS for short, being the only public high school in town, it attracted a lot of stupid people, and a lot of would-be drop outs. The dropout rate was 8%, which wasn't good. But it was the best in the district, which spoke a lot on how good the schools in School District 8 were.
It was lunch time, and watching the halls full of other students from the comfort of in front of the library gave Jolyne the time that she needed to speculate on just how many people were going to drop out like the morons they were.
If she had to name a few who she already thought were going to, there was Nick from Mr. Jared's class. A complete shut-in with no friends. Rightfully so, seeing as he had a reputation of being a creep, perving on girls and trying to sneak into the girls change room. Apparently he had been depressed, and had been considering dropping out.
Good. The less perverts there were, the better.
Then there was Missy—yes, that was her name, Jolyne had to do a double take when she heard it for the first time, too. Missy was the stereotypical blonde. Pretty, yes, but very, very dim. Missy was also known for her penchant to sleep around, and most of the guys on the basketball team have slept with Missy at least once.
The idea of Missy dropping out was pretty common, given the fact that she only ever did things to spite her father, who apparently was ashamed of her. Jolyne wouldn't comment on that, but if she had to guess it was probably for the whole "sleeping around" bit. There was also the low grades, but that was a common factor of The Big Three Failures.
The final one of the three candidates for potential dropouts was one of the resident smoke pit visitors. Dustin. Now, Jolyne wouldn't talk smack about Dustin, because Dustin was a friend; even if he was a little racist, but it wasn't intentional. He just said stupid shit half the time and never thought before opening his mouth.
Dustin was trying to be an auto mechanic, and he was taking the mechanics course. The only reason why she put Dustin in that line-up was because he constantly skipped most of his academic classes, causing him to be behind. And with exams coming up in a few weeks, he couldn't afford to keep skipping.
Either that, or Dustin was confident enough to where he could ace said exams without prior knowledge.
Jolyne thought he was a moron for thinking like that, but to each their own, she supposed.
As Jolyne continued leaning against wall, she spotted Julliette making her way toward the library, which give her a sense of relief. Jolyne had been worried, seeing as she hadn't seen her in Mrs. Jurello's Art Class this morning. Seeing her here now though alleviated the troublesome thought that something bad might've happened to her.
As for who Julliette was…. Well, she was Jolyne's friend for the better half of twelve years. But how could she possibly describe Julliette? What could Jolyne possibly highlight to pinpoint exactly what it was that made Julliette herself?
Was it her always somber yet expressive hazel eyes? Maybe it was her long, beautiful, flowing black hair that was always styled in a tucked long ponytail? Was it her blemish-free light coloured skin? Was it the fact that when she walked her hips swayed a little, like a hypnotists watch on a string?
Perhaps it was her the general shape of her body; naturally pear shaped, where her hips and thighs were bigger than the rest of her body, but not so big where it was overwhelming to look at….
Maybe it was her laugh? That cute, light sounding giggle that she made whenever she found something funny. That same laugh that would bring about the most adorable smile that melted Jolyne's heart every time she saw it.
Or maybe it was what she was wearing? A bright red cardigan sweater that hid a loose fitting, thin-strapped white sleeveless shirt. Paired with black leggings that hugged her lower body to such a point that it outlined every possible curve, along with a pair of chestnut coloured mini-boots.
Just her walking down the hall was hypnotizing....
If it wasn't her general appearance that made her easy to look at, it was usually her wardrobe. Julliette always dressed nice, no matter the occasion. It could be the worlds most inconsequential get together, and she would find a reason to bust out her most expensive dress. That was just the kind of person Julliette was.
It wasn't out of a want to flaunt her wealth, but simply because she always wanted to look her best. Putting aside the fact that she was the daughter of a very rich oil tycoon family, Julliette had never let her wealth come between her and the people she cared about.
And that, as far as Jolyne was concerned, was admirable.
Although when talking about Julliette, it wasn't just one thing that made her who she was. It was a combination of everything all at once. Just thinking about her made Jolyne's heart race like an overworked engine, and every time they spoke, Jolyne had to push down all of the dirty thoughts that flooded her mind.
If it wasn't abundantly apparent, Jolyne had a massive crush on Julliette. borderline being horrendously down bad for her. It had been like that for quite some time, starting since the 9th grade and bleeding into the 12th. She had thought that overtime it was fade away, but as they both grew older, the worse it got. The more attractive Julliette appeared, and the more nice she seemed to be.
How Jolyne kept her composure around her was only known by God himself.
"Oh! Hi, Jolyne," Julliette said, noticing her, smiling. "I heard you went to church yesterday!"
"Yeah. I was kinda hoping to have run into you there…"
"Believe me, I wanted to go as well, but I had a very nasty head cold. I would've been sneezing and coughing the entire service, and it would've been rude. But I'll be there on Thursday to help set up for the Halloween event we're planning! If you want, you can go too. I was thinking about dressing up as a vampire!"
Jolyne snorted. "A vampire?"
"Yeah! What, is that a bad idea?" Julliette asked as Jolyne half-heartedly smiled, thinking about how either offended Bishop Higgins would get, or how funny he'd find it. Maybe a mix of both?
"No…. It's just I never really pegged you as someone who liked the supernatural?"
"Well, recently I've been more interested in it…" Julliette said, her tone of voice dipping from its usual cheeriness to a more somber tone. "I don't know if you know this but… my little brother, Gregory, you remember him, right?"
"Well, duh! The little prick put ice cubes down my back the last time we saw each other," Jolyne joked. The attempt at a joke didn't land as Julliette looked away, pain flashing in her eyes.
"He… he was found dead this morning."
"What…?" As Jolyne said that, Julliette wiped a tear from her eyes, trying to keep herself from falling apart.
"I was the one who identified him. That was why I was late. Something bit his neck and he bled out… He lost five pints of blood according to the doctor, and… I…"
Julliette had been unable to contain herself and broke down, latching onto Jolyne in a bear grip hug that stunned her for a second before she immediately embraced her back. "Hey…"
"It's my fault, I should've been walking him to his friends house last night, not letting him go alone…!" Julliette sobbed as Jolyne held her close. A few people were staring, but all Jolyne had to do was glare at them and they continued to walk.
"It's not your fault, you couldn't have possibly known that would happen," Jolyne said, low and calm. There had been plenty of times when Julliette had been there for her, it was only right that she repaid the favour.
But still, something had been bothering her. His neck, according to Julliette, had been bitten. He lost five pints of blood. If it wasn't for the fact that Jolyne knew about vampires, she would've assumed that he had simply been murdered. But new knowledge dictated that wasn't the case.
It could only mean that Gregory was attacked and subsequently killed by a vampire. Her only question was who? Her first guess was the guy she had just met, Hilbert, but that was just rude. She knew nothing about him, so why would she assume? She also immediately ruled off Bishop Higgins. He seemed like the kind of guy not to kill a kid.
"I can think about this later. Now is not the time," Jolyne thought as she continued to hug Julliette, who continued to sob on her shoulder.
After a moment, Julliette composed herself and pulled away, wiping at her eyes before letting out a shaky breath. "I'm sorry, Jolyne, I—"
"You have nothing to be sorry for, Christ alive, be fair to yourself," Jolyne rebuked as Julliette smiled faintly. "…And I hate to be that person, but what does that have to do with your sudden new interest in the supernatural?"
"Oh! Right, um…" Julliette stammered, her voice turning to a hushed whisper. "I don't think my brother was killed by a human."
Jolyne blinked, raising an eyebrow. "What?"
"I know, you don't have to believe me, but please just hear me out," Julliette pleaded as Jolyne nodded.
"Of course. But, maybe not here. We're getting stared at," Jolyne noted as Julliette looked around. They had been garnering the attention of a lot of people, and a few of them were even whispering to each other.
"Right… Come on, outside," Julliette said as Jolyne followed after her and out the side doors of the school. Walking out toward the back field, where the only people hanging out were a couple of jocks kicking a ball around, the two sat on a set of steel bleachers as Julliette pulled out a few photographs from her cardigan.
"Take a look at these. These were photos taken by a nearby security camera off of someone's security system. The police were able to get them after a few of the people in the neighbourhood cooperated, and my dad demanding copies of them," Julliette explained as Jolyne frowned, taking the photos from Julliette.
In the photos was Gregory. Same black hair as Julliette, and he was a little on the shorter side than most kids his age. She couldn't make out anything else aside from his general shape and appearance. But what she could see was someone watching him from afar.
It was hard to tell who it was, and while the photo was in colour, and this had been during the day, the person in question was dressed in all black, their face obscured by a hood and shadow. The only thing that she could make out was their hands, and that they had pointed, claw-like fingers.
"Just what I thought… He was kidnapped by a vampire," Jolyne thought as she glanced over at Julliette.
"Please tell me you can see it, too," Julliette said as Jolyne nodded.
"You mean the blacked out guy with the claws?"
"Yes! Oh thank the Lord I wasn't seeing things!" As Julliette said that, Jolyne handed the photo back and looked at the next one. This one had been of the same man seemingly talking to Gregory. In the next photo, it was of Gregory walking off with the man and away from the camera.
"The police are looking for the suspect, but because there aren't any identifying parts of him exposed…" Julliette said, the implication clear in her voice.
"Don't worry about it, I'm sure we can figure it out," Jolyne said as Julliette raised an eyebrow.
"We…?"
"Well, duh!" Jolyne said, smirking. "C'mon, I trust the police, obviously. My Dad's an officer for crying out loud, but that doesn't mean they don't take ages. Maybe Bishop Higgins might know a few things."
"Why would he know something?" Julliette questioned as Jolyne's smirk fell.
"He's a Bishop. People tell him things all the time. Maybe someone saw something and told him in confidence. My family is close with him as well, so I can pull the "I know you personally" card with him. Can I borrow the photos?"
"You promise to give them back?" Julliette asked as Jolyne gave her a knowing look, which immediately made her flustered. "R-Right, sorry. I'm just…. You know, I'm worried."
"Don't sweat it, Jules. Everything's going to work out."
Julliette smiled. "I hope so. I really hope so…."
***
Watching from afar, and having listened in on their conversation, Viktor was a tad on the confused side. He had every reason to be.
For starters, the topic of one Jolyne Brooks, Theodore Higgins' spawn. Not in the literal sense of them being related, but with Jolyne having been made a vampire by Theodore, thus making her his. Spawn was what fresh vampires were called. Like separating the wheat from the chaff.
Although, Viktor had to give credit where credit was due, Jolyne was certainly... different, to put it lightly.
For a vampire, Jolyne seemed rather compassionate. Almost human. Whether or not it was a ruse hardly mattered at the end of the day, but it was still odd. For a vampire to retain their humanity to such a degree was almost unheard of.
From what Viktor had observed from other vampire hunters and their journals, they noted how vampires instantly became monsters. Vicious, blood thirsty beasts who preyed on anyone and everyone. Prey was prey, no matter the size, shape, or form it took. It didn't help matters that they could only consume human blood.
But nevertheless, it was still bizarre. Why a vampire would be helping a human find out the truth of what was obviously another vampire attack made no sense. The boy, who had now been identified as Gregory Hart, son of Jeremy and Louis Hart and brother of Julliette Hart, had been drained by a vampire.
He had personally gone to see the body, and that was how he had confirmed it. When a vampire bites a victim, they always leave behind two scars that appear to look like needle injection spots. It was due to how their teeth were shaped, and depending on the skill of the vampire, those wounds stay the way they are or immediately scar over.
Smart vampires cover their tracks by scarring the wound over, and by doing so, it also heals that individuals neck, making it so that all the damage done to it disappears. Only those who know what vampires were knew about the trick, thusly Viktor knew it to.
The "how" wasn't known. If Viktor had to guess, it was imposing the will of the vampire onto the body to make it heal over. Depending on the damage dictates how long it took for the wound to heal and scar. A minor wound would take maybe a minute. Something like tearing open an individuals throat would be a full 24 hours. Anything past that, and the healing process is stifled.
The only time it isn't is if the intent was turn them into a vampire. At which case, any amount of damage can be done to the corpse, because the process of turning someone into a vampire is already considered a resurrective process. The only stipulation is that the body cannot be dead longer than 24 hours.
All of that being said, that meant that the vampire who had attacked and drained Gregory did so to harvest blood and nothing more. They also knew how to cover their tracks so it couldn't have been Jolyne, unless she was simply that quick on the uptake. Given who her master was, it was possible.
But, considering what he saw of her, she didn't seem the type to hunt and kill children.
"I also do not know if she would kill children or not. Vampires are very deceptive creatures…" Viktor mused, watching as the two women left the field to head back into the building via the rear doors.
"Oi, you spying on them or something?" Someone behind Viktor spoke up as he glanced over his shoulder. It was some kid wearing a tank top and shorts with short black hair. He looked to be on the younger side, maybe sixteen. There was another kid as well, appearing the same age, in a similar kind of outfit with brown short hair, although he was a smidge taller than the black haired boy.
"Yeah man, not cool," the brown haired guy said, scowling. Viktor narrowed his eyes, matching their scowl.
"Mind your own business," Viktor spat, walking away. As he did, the two teens blocked his way, or at least, they tried to anyway. Viktor grabbed the brown haired one by the arm and haphazardly threw him into the wall, the boy grunting and slumping over unconscious.
"Are you going to get in my way?" Viktor asked condescendingly as the black haired one cowered away, both hands up in surrender. Viktor grunted, walking past them.
Viktor knew that they knew nothing, and he knew that what he had done might have been seen as an over reaction. But at the same time, Viktor did not care. If someone were to get in his way, then that person would have to deal with him personally. They were lucky he didn't have access to his weapon right now, otherwise he would've done far more damage.
Not to say he would have killed them! He was a vampire hunter, not a murderer. He would've beat them with the cudgel part of his weapon. The buzzsaw half, on the other hand, is left specifically for vampires and nothing else.
The lunch bell rang. Viktor scowled. His next class was woodwork with Mr. Spencer, which meant he shared a class with Jolyne.
"You know what they say: Knowing is half the battle…. Time to get to know Jolyne Brooks and see just what kind of person she is."