The Adventures of
Kyle and Jordan
My Neighbor’s a
Vampire!
TEASER
Chapter one: An
unnatural Girl
Miss Jenks was the seventh grade teacher
for room 513. Her Class was considered one of the smallest consisting of twelve
boys and eight girls. It was only the first month and already four students had
left and one switched classes due to extra-curricular activities. So it wasn’t
unusual when the Principe showed up with a new student Monday morning. Though
unusual was not quite what I would call her.
“Miss Jenks?” Principle Carrey knocked on
the door lightly trying not to disturbed the half conscious class from their
readings.
The teacher, Miss Jenks, was a heavy set
older woman with hair the color of the afternoon before a rain when the sky has
a hue of yellow and orange. Her eyes big and brown like an owl who watched over
the room to ensure no child went to sleep from her small seat in front of the
chalk board.
Every morning the same twenty minutes of
reading than you write about it before spending the rest of the hour working
out of the reading and grammar books. Soon follows History and Geography before
the lunch break. Once lunch is out of the way than starts P.E. with Coach
Moore, and back to the class room with science before ending with math, but
this Monday morning was not any normal school morning.
“Yes, Ma’am?” Miss Jenks replied
getting to her feet. Stepping into the class room was the middle aged, short,
red head with small oval eyes.
“I brought you a new student,” the woman
stepped back making room for a young girl to step in. The whole room perked up
to get a look at her. The poor girl looked as though no one had given her
anything to eat in a while. She was all skin and bones. Her small knees stuck
out between her purple plaid pleated skirt and her purple stockings led down to
her little black flats. She wore a long sleeved pastel purple button up shirt
with the sleeves pushed up at the elbows. Each bent holding onto her large
backpack strap on her right shoulder. Her skin was liquid paper white and her
hair so black that the sun could not give it light.
She didn’t look at anyone as the principal
passed her into the welcoming hands of Miss Jenks. They shared a few words
before Mrs. Carrey left leaving the girl to Miss Jenks. Miss Jenks silenced the
ever growing whispers in the room.
“Okay everyone. Listen up.” The room grew
silent. “This is Clara Louis. Her family just moved to here, so let’s treat her
with a warm welcome. Okay? Clara, how about you take the seat up front next to
Abigail and Tyler?”
“Yeah, we get the creepy one. Aren’t we
lucky?” Tyler mumbled as Abigail giggled. They were the worst pair to be
around. They were evil and they deserved each other. Instantly Jordan, my twin
brother--a mousey auburn hair boy with thick glasses--rose up his hand. We
looked nothing alike and acted completely different.
“Yes?”
“She can sit here.” Jordan pointed to the
desk right behind me. I shot him a, ‘what are you thinking!’ look and sunk down
in my chair. Jordan was such a softy, but not I. I was more of the run free
lone wolf kind of guy.
“That’s a great idea Jordan.” Miss Jenks
clapped lightly and pointed the desk to the girl. She slowly moved towards me.
Just as she got to my desk I looked up into her eyes. Almond shaped Amber eyes
with silver close to the iris. My chest grew heavy with each breath and my grip
on the corner of the desk tightened as though I would fall over and onto the
floor, but I felt higher than the floor.
I was on a cliff. We were on a cliff!
There was no longer the large classroom and all the desks, no people, no teacher,
just Clara and myself.
No walls. No ceiling. No cliff. No floor.
A feeling of utter terror and loneliness
coursed through me.
“Kyle?” Gasping I jerked my head away from
the still walking Clara to look at Jordan who was leaning over to whisper to
me. “Isn’t she cool?” I barley nodded.
Touching my chest I could feel its calming
beat. I was alive. Everything was real again.
“I’m sorry.” Clara whispered faintly
behind me. I acted as though I didn’t notice and kept looking to Jordan who
gave me a big grin and a slight thumbs-up with excitement of our newcomer.
I just smiled and laid my head down on the
cold desk. Jordan’s past time consisted of doing his homework, helping mom with
chores, and joining me on adventures. We spent a lot of time fighting invisible
monsters and impossible creatures.
Who wouldn’t want to battle zombies in
their backyard woods or save drowning princesses in the small watering hole at
the end of the property which I know the evil emperor’s son loves to play in
when the emperor’s away. He’s a nice kid.
The rest of my day went by easily. I took
out a troll who tried to eat my food in the cafeteria by feeding him green
beans.
Mental note: Trolls are allergic to green
beans. Bring some in your pockets.
I also had a rough time with a two headed
monster in the bathroom, but thankfully I was able to sneak by and make my
escape without being detected. Some days you just get lucky.
After a few more hours of class I was
counting down. I waited for the explosion that sent the kids rushing around
like ants when you poke at their colony. Though you don’t want to keep your
hand in the ant pile for too long or else it spells trouble.
Mental note: Use a Stick.
“All right class. Get your things
together. The bell should be ringing any minute.” Mrs. Jenks announced tapping
her papers on her desk and removing her glasses. I had just finished my doodle
of her shadow eating half the classroom while Jordan was discovering her
weakness. It was her glasses. Her power came from in her glasses. Thankfully the
class was safe for one more day.
“Hey Kyle? You gonna to get your stuff?”
Jordan asked sitting his backpack in his chair. He leaned over and took notice
to my scribbles across our homework assignment. He laughed and looked over at
Mrs. Jenks.
“We’re safe today.” He said giving the
thumbs up.
“Just barley, maybe we will get lucky and
she will eat the mean team up in the corner next time.” I said referring to the
siblings in the room that made it a past time for sucking up to the teacher and
making fun of the other underlings to their society.
Mental note: ---
The bell went off dismissing the school.
“We’ll think of something.” Jordan handed
me my bag and I quickly shoved my books into it.
“We mustn’t keep The Duke waiting.” Jordan
chimed in as I struggled between remembering what books I needed to bring home.
“I know.” I answered.
“Clara? Do you know what bus you are
riding on?” Mrs. Jenks asked as I almost made my escape, but she called after
me the moment the stick figure said my bus number.
“Kyle! Jordan!” I returned slowly, but
Jordan rushed back as though someone was in danger. “Clara follow these boys
they’ll get you there okay.” Clara nodded and took a few steps closer. “She is
riding on your bus. Just make sure she gets on and let your bus driver know.
Okay?”
“Yes ma’am.” Jordan answered.
And like that we were a group of three
moving through the halls being starred at because of the way Clara looked. You
think her family would at least feed her something? Maybe they didn’t. The
thought hadn’t crossed my mind that maybe her family was a mean one and that
she lives in the doghouse out back where they sometime throw her scraps of food.
I felt for her a little bit more, but not
like Jordan. He was talking away trying to find something to get her going. So
far he had brought up his ant farm, his pet flying squirrel named Rodent, and
his love for vegetables. None of which was getting a response out of her.
We made it to the bus were The Duke was
expecting our arrival as he does every day. Our bus was packed three to a seat
except the last few seats in the back which thankfully Jordan and I had one of
those. I headed straight to our seat letting Jordan do all the talking. I
always loved the view from the window.
Jordan took his usually seat next to me
taking off his backpack and sitting it on the floor between his legs. I almost
didn’t notice when he pushed against me. Almost.
“Kyle! Clara gets off at the same spot.
She lives on our road! Isn’t that amazing?” Jordan pushed up his glasses with
excitement.
“Yeah,” what else was I going to say? My
day just became ruined by the walking stick because Jordan is going to want to
know where and then tale our mom. I will not hear the end of this for a while.
There go plans of fighting the wolf pack coming through town tonight on the
full moon.
“Did you just move in yesterday?” Jordan
asked. She nodded. She quickly tucked her hair behind her ear and kept her eyes
to the floor.
“Where do you live?” Jordan pushed after
giving me a little shrug. He was determined.
He had just about given up until her soft
little voice answered.
“403 Kings Road. Mom had me memorize the
address…403 Kings Road.”
I couldn’t believe she spoke. At least she
lives. I was starting to think stick girl here was a zombie. A pretty and quiet
zombie that avoided eye contact in worry that she would crave something to eat.
“403…Wait! We’re 404! We’re right across
the street.” Jordan nudged me a little ever more excited and now I was sinking
lower and lower into my seat.
“I’m Jordan and this is Kyle. We’re
brothers. Actually twins! Our dad is away, overseas, “
“I think she gets the point Jordan. We
live together.” I stated catching Clara’s movement away from us. She was almost
off of the seat and in the aisle. She was more than a little freaked.
“Are you okay?” I asked watching her hold
her backpack like her life depended upon. That must be where she keeps the body
parts of her latest victims to snack on during school.
“First time on a bus.” She whispered.
“Well you don’t want to sit that far off
the seat. The Duke will have a fit. Not to mention with his crazy driving you
could really get hurt.” I spoke up concerned.
“It’s okay. I don’t’ bite.” Jordan said
trying to squeeze the life out of me against a wall that wasn’t going to move.
“Don’t let him fool you. He’s a nerdy wolf
in disguise, on the night of the full moon he plays sorcerer of the Realm of
Madness, where his companion is a small book of spells that talks to him
guiding his hand for Justice!” I rambled on catching a smile across Clara’s face
and finally a laugh.
“And Kyle’s all bark, but no bite. He runs
around acting all high and mighty but he’s a softy. He saved a drowning
princess the other day.” Jordan added catching onto the fact that it amused her.
She slowly moved back over onto the seat.
“So your parent’s always drove you to
school?” I listened in curiously.
“No. I haven’t gone to school before.”
“What? Really? How’d you win that sweet
deal?” I asked leaning past Jordan. He didn’t understand my irritation with
school and the feeling of being confined.
“Um…I was home schooled and then we
moved…and they wanted to try something new. Something about it being okay since
my birthday and all.”
“I’m sorry.” I whispered and Jordan nodded
before shooting me a weird look.
“I think you are going to love school. It
is wonderful and full of all sorts of facts and information. It really is fun
once you get the hang of it.”
“I learned a lot of things from my
parents.”
“Yeah, but now you can make friends like
us.” Jordan announced and she seemed to respond to his words.
“I have family.” She added.
“Yeah, but friends are different. Well,
they are like family but not… I don’t really know what to say.” As Jordan
thought about it for a moment I was staring out the window watching the kids
get off the bus and their parents meeting them partway. Only a few more streets
to go before it would be our turn to get off with the zombie.
“My parents are in town on family
business. They are going to be spending a lot of time away from home.”
“What do they do?” Jordan continued to
talk to her. I just happened to be listening.
“I’m not allowed to say. I just know they
told me I’d understand when I got older.”
“All parents say the same thing!” I added.
“Really?” She asked running her hand
behind her ear again.
“Some, but that’s only because it’s true.”
Jordan added messing with his backpack strap which was wrapping around his
moving leg.
With a few more final sharp turns and
stops they were ready to get off.
“Clara, this is our stop.” I reminded her
as she quickly rose to her feet and began the long slow journey to get to the
front of the bus. There wasn’t many people left on the bus, but what few there
were made her uncomfortable. When she made it to the top of the stairs she
nearly jumped off the bus and bolted across the road to her house where a tall
and pale looking woman greeted her with a hug.
The woman looked healthy in comparison to
Clara. A nice full figure and she wasn’t afraid to look Kyle and Jordan in the
face. She pushed Clara inside and quickly crossed the street where we stood
watching the bus drive off.
“Hi. Kyle and Jordan?” She asked picking
each of us correctly after saying our names.
“Yes, Ma’am.” We said.
“Hi. I’m Carol Louis, Clara’s mom. I just
wanted to thank you for helping her out today on her first day of school. It’s
something new to her and she is very shy.” The woman spoke kind and clear while
shaking our hands.
“So you moved in last night?” I asked
questioning how they could have moved in without being noticed and had everything
ready to go.
“It was a long trip. Do you live here?”
She asked pointing to the small three bedroom house behind us.
“Yes, Ma’am.” I responded.
“Kyle! Jordan—Oh! Good afternoon. How can
we help you?” Our mom, Meredith, stepped out of the house and walked across the
lawn to meet us.
“Hi. I am Carol Louis. Your boys were
sweet enough to help my Clara on her first day of school.” She reached out and
shook mom’s hand.
“Well, that’s good to hear. Where did you
move in at? I haven’t seen any mover trucks recently.”
“We moved in last night. It was a long
road trip and we got in late. My husband returned the mover vehicle this
morning. We’ve had a very busy day.” She added.
“Boy’s you have chores and homework. And
don’t forget to wash up before dinner.” She added as we darted off.
Jordan rambled on about how cool Carol was
and her mom looked just like her. I didn’t really see the similarities, but I
was busy taking note.
Mental note: Find out what creatures Clara
and her mom are. Something isn’t right.
-Brenda Franklin, author of the Pulse
Trilogy and Guardian, A Fated Pairing.
