"Supposedly, I got intoxicated with enough of their venom, would I eventually become immune?" Jane asked.
She had been replaying every interaction in her head, and it led her to that conversation after the horse incident. Rose's first guess for Jane's resistance was that she had experienced one of those wicked powers before. If that was true, then, although rare, there must be humans who grew immune to their power over time.
The same logic might work for the venom. Honestly, she was more terrified of the venom than of Rose's power. It brought out a different kind of fear, but both pinned her down and led her to accept her fate.
To be fair, she didn't think she would die. This school was full of rich people's kids, so there had to be a strict rule that forbade killing.
So unfortunately,… she might have overreacted. Now, and back then, in the forest.
"Yes, there are a few cases, but they have to be in contact with it for a very long time. The first ever recorded case was a 50-year-old man," Elly replied, leaving out the fact that he also had a specific physical condition.
"So, if I'm somewhat half of a vampire right now, the chance that I could resist it is higher, right?"
"Yes…" Elly said, unsure of where this conversation was leading.
"Then can I have some of their venom? Do you have any equivalent pills?" Jane said, her eyes squinting while her voice softened, almost like she was asking for pitiness. A silly and meaningless request that would only come out of her mouth on a day when she was desperate. She had to, or else she would have to turn to her last resolution.
"We can't. That is strictly forbidden." Elly saw Jane's face drop and swallowed the lecture that was resting on the tip of her tongue. They did have some samples, but they were for studying purposes, not for some students to get high on.
But Elly had never heard of Jane being fond of those things. She had excellent school records, a bit pale and lifeless, yes, but it was because of the transformation. Then, things started to connect in Elly's mind.
"How have you been feeling, Jane?" Elly asked, a certain concern settling on her face.
"Me? I am fine," Jane answered, her eyes opened wide, confused as to why she was being asked this again. The wave of sadness had come and gone. Her answer might have been different, and some hints of the dark period might have shone through, if this question had been asked 3 days ago. But now she had recovered, even better than before.
Elly didn't say anything, but her heavy breathing told Jane she wasn't happy with what she was hearing. She opened the folder Jane had always wanted to peek at, and pulled out a black-and-white film frame.
"This is the test result for your brain scan, Jane," Elly said, pointing at the picture. With one look into each other's eyes, they both knew things were about to get uncomfortable.
"I won't go into details as it isn't my profession, but look at this part," Elly said, her finger tracing a circle over a dark patch. "See this spot? It's your prefrontal cortex. This area regulates your emotion, and it should be active, but yours is dark. Instead, all the activity has moved down here, into your amygdala, the part of the brain that deals with fear and stress. "
Elly swallowed, a gulp so big Jane could probably hear with or without her heightened senses. "A change like this doesn't happen overnight, Jane. This is physical proof that you have been dealing with severe stress for a long, long time. In conclusion, you are not fine."
Silence spread. All Elly could see was the whorl of hair at the top of Jane's head. She didn't want to handle things so roughly, but if she didn't, she might never hear what Jane was actually thinking.
"I didn't mean to lie. It's just that …" Jane said, her stomach burning hot while her throat turned dry. "Coincidentally, when you ask me, I'm actually fine. And if I'm fine right now, I don't see the point in telling you all this."
Elly let out another long sigh. Her voice softened "You're feeling fine but it isn't a recovery. It's a temporary boost from your overworked brain. And it is important that you tell me, Jane."
Elly stopped. She took a slow breath before continuing. "A student like you, from another academy, recently committed."
The sentence flew out quickly, carrying a noticeable shake that could be forgiven. Jane gasped, a cold shiver running across her skin.
"This transformation is especially hard for females," Elly continued. "Your physical period stops, but the hormonal fluctuation and mood swings stay. During that time of the month, everything is heightened. That student couldn't pass it. By the time the neurologist's notes came back, it was too late."
Elly raised her head and looked to the side to chase away the heat approaching her eyes. The notes didn't arrive late; the didn't take it into consideration. Stress, it started out so simple, so easy to overlook. The girl overdosed on the same sleeping pills coming from their labs, accumulating them day by day until the number reached 24. The pills were specialized for mid-transitioning humans, and unfortunately, were strong enough to kill her.
"So, I need you to be truthful and answer these questions for me, okay?"
"Yes," Jane whispered. There goes her newfound happiness…
After a long list of questions, which Jane mostly said yes to, she was put on a watch list. Knowing that her sadness was all a physical thing, and not just her being dramatic, didn't change much, really. She had accepted that she could be a crybaby today, and a crazy bitch like some had called her the other day.
Though it was satisfying knowing she wasn't fine.
She took one last look before walking through the door. Elly was still sitting in her seat, papers scattered all over the table, waiting for someone to collect them. Elly's mood went down visibly after Jane answered the long list of signs and symptoms.
"Elly, don't worry. I wouldn't do that," Jane said, her hand resting on the door handle while half of her face bathed in sunlight.
"How are you so sure?" Elly asked.
"I don't know. I just know I wouldn't." A long time ago, Jane had a vision, a sudden flash in her head telling her that if she chose that route, everything would repeat.
Scary.
Elly stared as the door closed shut. Jane's steps seemed lighter, and her back was straight when she said those words. She thought this was the first time she had ever seen Jane so determined,… and lively. And it soothed her, even if it was temporary.
Elly was so deep in her thoughts that when Ms. Kelsey appeared beside her, she almost jumped out of her seat.
"You scare me!" She said, stroking her chest.
"How's the appointment?" Ms.Kelsey asked.
"You're right. She is more comfortable with me," Elly said, handing the notes over. "She even asked me a weird question today."
"Really? What was it?" Ms. Kelsey said, looking up from the mid-flipped pages.
"She asked if she could build an immunity to the fangs, and then proceeded to ask me for the actual venom," Elly said, her voice rising and falling in disbelief as she retold the story. "I can't believe she dared to ask me that."
Elly heard a very small scoff, almost like an exhale of breath coming from Ms. Kelsey:
"She wants to prepare for that day."
Elly blinked. She hadn't considered that possibility at all.
"If that's the case, then we don't have to worry about her mental state," Ms. Kelsey said as she put the notes to the side. "She wants to live."
"Do you think it would work?" Elly asked.
"She has that specific condition, doesn't she?"
The old man who had grown immune was a human with a rare genetic trait that helped him adapt to diseases and toxicity better. From Jane's former neighbor, they knew she had been sickly as a kid, and that her mother used to knock on their door at three in the morning asking for help. But just like that man, all those times she got sick had been training her immune system.
They ended up turning him into a vampire to see if it would develop into some sort of unique ability. Too bad, it didn't.
"She might have a chance."
Today was the 7th of November, 48 days until the hunt. A close call.
"So… do we still have to inject her with S42?" Elly asked.
S, short for stabilizer. The higher-ups couldn't risk having a half-vampire roaming free; especially not with this variation. They were chaotic in nature.
"We'll see."
***
Oh well, what was here again?
Jane stared at her desk. It was covered in marker ink and deep scratches spelling out the same four-letter word: SLUT.
She opened her bag, pulled out a bottle of rubbing alcohol, and poured it onto a cloth. She scrubbed the fabric over the scratches. The cooling sensation slipping from the cloth to her fingers almost made the process enjoyable.
The first time these things started happening was when she got locked in the bathroom. Jane thought the door was broken until she climbed out and saw a barricade of buckets and mop handles piled up against the door.
The teachers knew about this, but Jane guessed they didn't want to get involved. So childish and stupid.
She didn't even know what she did to deserve this title. If anything, she expected them to call her a loser, a social climber, or a traitor, considering her recent fallout with Rose's group.
But this wasn't coming from Rose. It was from Emily and something something, a vampire and her two minions.
How did Jane know?
Because right now, she could feel their gazes lurking behind her. Jane had been hiding and running for the past 3 days, always the last to come into class and the first to leave.
It was time she needed some practice. Jane turned around and looked directly at them. The sudden movement caught them by surprise, especially since the teacher was still talking at the front of the room.
Then, they watched as she slowly raised one finger in the air and smirked. Her two front teeth pressed against her bottom lip as she delivered the soundless words perfectly.
Fuck you.