Night and Day

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Katie Rivers stood on the bleachers, staring at the evening sky. She hated night. Darkness gave her a sense of unwelcome anxiousness that she would much rather ignore. She was a bubbly person filled with light and joy that was hard to surpress. 
"There they come." Ann Talley, another of the cheerleaders whispered with glee. She was talking about the night students, of course, those that only showed up at night. 
It was the first night of the year and all the students were gathering on the field for the annual "meet and greet" that kicked off the year. 
Katie stood on tiptoe on the bleacher to see, frowning at the sudden cloud of darkness that was preventing her from seeing anything at all. The night students were a mystery to everyone. They avoided the day class and no one really knew why. Rumor had it it was because they were from rich families. At least ones that were richer than all the others. 
The little blonde was looking so hard to see she slipped on the cold metal and lost her balance. The ground behind her began to come up fast and she shut her eyes. There wasn't even enough time to scream. This was going to hurt.

Raife Saunders scowled at the giggling girls that were watching the night students arrive. "Stuck up and stupid." He growled, not sure if he meant the girls or the night class. He hated them both. The cheerleaders were whores and hr had no words for the night class. This wasn't his first year with them. He knew something wasn't right. He just wished someone would listen. 
Sighing deeply he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit one. He was bound to get in trouble sooner or later. Why not start the year off right? 
He watched Katie Rivers as he took a drag and wondered where her sister was. Probably under the bleachers tying shoelaces together he concluded with a laugh. When Katie fell and hit that cotton ball head of hers, he'd know for sure...

Ann couldn't even tell her friend more. she was staring past her at the young man on her bed. She was practically drooling. Katie was quick to push her into the hall and shut the door. A few moments later she returned wearing a deep frown. "It's almost dawn. You need to go, Toby." She said softly.

"The werewolf got to him." Julian said darkly. "Your mother is blaming us, of course. She's fit to be tied that the kid will be joining the night class now. That means closer to your little half breed. Right?"

"Or, better yet... I could stay right here." Tobias replied with a bright grin. "And... so could you." He added as he got to his feet and took hold of both of Katie's hands. "Forget those silly humans!"

"I should that means he's further away from Katie now." Marie breathed. "What do you care anyway? Glenda likes you."

Katie looked down at the icy hands covering her own, once again wishing she could simply say yes. If it were only that easy. "I have class in a few hours and it's my turn to clean the kitchen." She said softly. 

"You know..." Julian found himself frowning. "The whole thing with that kid sounds a bit like a set up. Your mother was looking for a reason to expel him...then the unregistered wolf shows up..."

"They make you clean?" Tobias hissed, seeming genuinely outraged. He took a short step back so he could look at Katie a little better. "Why? Though I hate to admit it, both sides of your lineage put you above such tasks!"

"You think she would actually go that far?" Marie finally sat up and turned around to look at Julian. "But... Wasn't the new night student supposed to have killed it?"

Katie looked at Tobias as if he'd grown a third eyebrow in the middle of his forehead. "I'm not anything special. I'm just Katie, silly. And it's Katie's week to clean the kitchen. Next week it's bathrooms. Katie hates that." She laughed, patting his shoulder. 

"That master vampire fed you a load of shit. That girl disappeared when he did." Julian snorted. "That mutt got away. Hell, I'd be willing to bet if we went to the guild we'd find out he was registered and everything. It's all laying into place whether you see it or not."

"You think your father would allow it if he were still here?" Tobias challenged. "Really, Katie... you are so much better than all of this. Why not do what your sister did and just disappear?"

Marie threw back the blankets, thinking she was wearing one of Cyrus' old shirts like she usually did... She wasn't wearing anything at all. "You have no proof at all!"

"Because...weren't you one of the people who said I wouldn't be safe if I were alone?" Katie asked him, again looking at the windows. "Besides, if I were alone if be in the same position. Who would clean my bathroom then? But...you said something about my sister. Does that mean you've seen her? Is she okay?"

Julian was grinning like a pervert. "Wow, Red. You've still got it." He purred. "I don't remember you liking to sleep naked though. Is that a new thing?"

"I never said you would be alone." Tobias replied with a knowing grin. "I would be with you. I could show you the world, little kitten." He added, avoiding the question of her sister entirely.

Marie's face turned a shade to match her hair and she quickly grabbed for the bedsheets, though she wrapped them around herself so tightly they barely helped hide anything at all. "Shut up!" She told Julian rather childishly. "Like you haven't seen it before." She added with a huff.

Katie didn't smile at this. It wasn't hard to remember the way he'd simply stood there when she'd turned to leave. He hadn't even asked her to stay. She knew where she stood with him. Everything he said now was just pretty words. "I have to go and so do you." She whispered, standing on tip toe to press a kiss to his lips before leaving him alone in her room. 

"Hey, you left me." Julian reminded her. "And besides, we were kids. It wasn't meant to be. I suppose you should be thankful for that. You've got the most coveted thing in the underworld right now."

"I left because I couldn't trust you." Marie told Julian rather sadly. "You proved me right by taking up with Frost pretty much straight after!" She added as she shuffled over to her closet and hunted for something that would be easy to put on. "And then by tricking my own daughter into loving you."

"Frost was...not a choice and...I never tricked your daughter." Julian's voice softened considerably and he was no longer teasing her. "No matter what she seemed to think of me." He got to his feet and headed toward the window again. "I need to go. Some of us have been awake all day and have been listening to giggling girls. How I hate the sound of giggles. I'll see you in a few hours to begin our watch." He jumped out the window, barely missing Katie as she burst into her mother's room. 
"You're not going to believe this!" She shouted, missing the door frame and tumbling inside like a sack of potatoes.

Ebony slept very little lately. She couldn't take the nightmares any longer. It was always the same one; the ball where Katie and Tobias killed her while Julian and her mother watched on. When she slept the magic she used to alter her hair faded anyway, and she didn't want the risk of anyone recognising her. It was for this reason that she had returned to the school gardens, intent on finding the werewolf she believed had slipped her grasp the previous night.

"Hey, easy there." Marie told her daughter gently, one arm still holding the bedsheet while the other reached out to try and catch her exuberant daughter. "If you mean Evan, I already know honey. I'm so sorry."

Julian had made it as far as the lavender bushes. Exhausted he dropped onto a bench and had fallen into a deep sleep. He didn't see or hear anything as the young woman passed by him. He laid on his side and snored softly. 

"Oh no. I figured you knew that." Katie said, unable to hide her grin. "The night teacher offered to give me a few extra classes! He's going to tutor me in ancient history!" She couldn't contain her excitement, hopping up and down with a wide grin.

Ebony had heard Julian's snores long before she saw him. "Stupid puppy..." She muttered as she crouched by him, gently pushing the hair from his face. It was the only time she would drop her guard and get this close.

"What?" Marie clearly was not pleased by this. "Did she have a hand in this?" The red haired woman demanded. "I am still your mother! She should not be making decisions in my place!"

Julian didn't move, even when the rain began to pelt against his face. He was simply too tired. He stirred ever so slightly at the feel of Ebony's fingers against his cheek. "Child...where have you...gone..."

"What?" Katie stopped bouncing and gave her mother an odd look. "Are you mad?"

"I disappointed you, and you didn't want me." Ebony whispered, knowing this would be her only chance to tell Julian the truth. "You can be happy with my mother... So stop pushing her away." She added, thinking her mother could be the one to break him free of Frost.

Marie was still reeling from Julian's accusation that maybe the new vampire was the one behind the attack on Evan. If that were true... What were his motives? Katie? "No, I'm trying to be your mother... for once."

"I miss you, girl...she cannot compare..." he whispered in his sleep, another snore drowning our anything else he was going to say.

"I'd have thought you of all people would be happy about the classes." Katie said softly. "I can't go on to major in history without the extra help."

Ebony leaned over Julian and dropped a gentle kiss against his lips. Once she had done that she got back to her feet. It was too dangerous to reveal herself to him beyond this, not if she wanted him free of Frost, and of the hunters guild.

"I just..." Marie sighed quietly, wishing she had handled it better. "How much do we really know about him?"

As usual the Frost began to collect on the edges of his hair. Julian began to stir even more, his teeth chattering ever so slightly. "Ebony...you never learn..."

"Gran says he's fine."Katie argued. "Gran would never do something to hurt us. Seriously, mom?"

Ebony stepped back, knowing Julian would wake and run to Frost any moment. "I just needed a better teacher..."

"Not intentionally, perhaps." Marie agreed. "But why would an ancient vampire like him want anything to do with this school?"

Julian opened his eyes, looking around for Frost. She was playing games with him again and he knew it. It annoyed the hell out of him when she used Ebony's scent to get what she wanted. She knew what she did to him.

"Gran says they get bored." Katie shrugged. "There's only three of them left and they need something to keep themselves from going craxy."

"You look much surlier than usual." Frost commented from where she had suddenly desposited herself in Julian's lap.

"Why here? Why now? You're not suspicious?" Marie realised that she was thinking 'Ebony would be suspicious'.

"I haven't slept in two days. I'm freezing and now I'm horny." Julian said in a husky tone. "Why must you continue to tease me so? What did I ever do to you?" 

"Should I be?" Katie asked, blinking innocently. She was truly nothing like her sister. She thought nothing of the vampire's offer to teach her ancient history.

"You can't blame me for any of that." Frost replied sweetly as she stroked her fingers through Julian's hair. "But I could help you with at least one of those problems." She added with a grin.

This was where Marie had failed. She had sheltered Katie from the evils of the world, while allowing Ebony to experience and endure them alone. Katie would not be prepared for things that could happen to her. "We're supposed to be keeping you safe from the vampires, remember? They want your blood as much the guild did."

"You could help me by releasing my heart." Julian told her, his deep yellow eyes challenging her. "Take it put of whatever box you have it hidden in and put it back where it belongs."

"Mr. Malik isnt a bad man, mom. He's just trying to teach me about history. How am I going to major in it if I don't learn?" Katie pressed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Why are you pretending to care now?"

"Where is the fun in that?" Frost pouted. "This is still because of her, isn't it?!" She suddenly hissed. "You think I am going to let some little girl have you, just because you beg it of me?"

Katie's words struck Marie deep. "That's what you think? That I only pretend?" She asked, her voice catching in her throat.

"I don't beg." Julian said through his teeth, promptly dumping her onto the bench alone. He knew the consequences of making her angry but he couldn't help himself. He'd been her slave for far too long. 

Katie didn't know what to say to her mother. She didn't want to hurt her feelings and yet...the truth was the truth. Her mother had spent years far too worried about pleasing her vampire husband to care about her children. It had not gone unnoticed by Katie how cruel she'd been to Ebony as well. "I have to go. I'm going to be late to my tutoring class." She said softly, wishing she'd said nothing to her mother at all. Katie simply didn't know how to keep her mouth shut.

"Not even when the very thing you want most is right under your nose?" Frost called after Julian, though she would be gone again by the time he turned around.

Marie simply sat on the ground in front of her closet. Her mother's words about her having been too young for a family of her own ringing in her ears now. She hated that Glenda was always right about everything.

Julian met Marie in the woods as darkness settled over the school. Neither of them seemed to be in the best of moods. It was because of this that the silence between them remained so heavy, even when an unwelcome vampiress stepped onto the grounds and goaded them to kill her.

Katie returned to her room much later feeling like she'd taught the master vampire more than he'd taught her. She frowned at the thought that he'd spent a lot of time asking about her blood and wondering aloud if a fresh sample would be better than the days old one her grandmother had given him.

Marie seemed to be holding back killing the female. It was like she was taking sick pleasure in causing the woman harm first.

"You know, your mother may have been right... for once." Tobias was lazily lounging on Katie's bed when she returned, like he had been there all day.