8 Brianna

The remainder of the week ran off smoother than a baby's buttocks. I managed to have kept the majority of the rules while the others were too outrageous to be heeded. Even my mother would never agree to those. 

The greatest discussion I made was having the little human as a friend. Little Miss Rambler was quite the observer. She knew every back-story of every species who attended the institution. The walking encyclopedia was able to provide me with updates on the school's latest news. Now, I knew all the dirty little secrets of almost everyone. Summer was perfect. 

"Can anyone tell me, what is a Siphoner-vampire?" 

Three hands flew in the air. 

Brian made a pouting face. "Oh, come on. You guys can do better than this." The pout transformed into a smile. "Are we bright sparks or what?" 

A chorus of yeses echoed through the classroom. 

Brian did a come-on gesture with his hand, and asked louder, "Are we bright sparks or what?" 

All the kids screamed yeses. Some even cupped their mouths with their hands to make funnels. 

Brian smirked at his handy work as he shook with excitement. "Which bright spark wants to share the answer to the question?" 

All hands were held high, waving in the air like flags as the teacher stood thinking. 

"Okay, okay, I know. You." Brian pointed to a small child at the back of the class. She didn't look more than nine years old. 

When she realized she was picked, she squealed with excitement. Her cheeks grew red. She stumbled to her feet with a, "A siphoner-vampire is a hybrid who is half-witch and half vampire." 

Brian's facial features got serious. The kids saw this and grew quiet. The girl fidgeted beside her seat, anticipating her teacher's response. 

He sat on the edge of the teacher's desk; his feet crossed at his ankles. "Guys, do you think Bianca is correct?" 

Another yes was shouted. The little girl sighed in relief. "That's so not funny," she whined. 

Brian's answer was a snicker before he resumed seriousness. "Now we all know what an SVH is, but I bet no one knows what a Tribrid is." 

Before he got a chance to finish the sentence, hands were thrown in the air. The teacher wiggled his index finger while little arms jiggled with anticipation of being selected. Brian covered his face with a palm and pointed to a boy at the front. 

The boy jumped to his feet; a confident smile on his face. "A tribrid is a hybrid that is a combination of a werewolf, witch, and vampire. Or any other three species."

Brian turned to me — who was seated in the chair behind the teacher's desk — and wiggled his brows. "He said, combination."

My palm covered my mouth, stifling a giggle. 

Brian was such a child. Of course, the nine, ten years old was going to know the word combination.

 Brian swiveled around to face the students. His palms connected with a loud thud. "Well, Troy, you are correct." He eyed the rest of the class; a dreamy expression covered his face. "I'm so proud of you, guys."

Giggles followed the comment. 

I, too, could not help but smile. A proud feeling cocooned my heart. Brian had grown so much since I left town. Though he was only two centuries old, his leadership qualities had blossomed a whole lot. To top it all off, he was amazing with kids. Long gone was the lost boy, now came the replica of the King of Vampires.

I was indecisive when he had asked me to accompany him today. It was Saturday. My first week back in town. I wanted to enjoy it. Still, I tagged along to escape my mother's disapproving stares and my dad's lectures. Not to mention, the town's not so hushed whispers. 

The prodigal daughter had returned. Why did she come back? With her past, why was she becoming a High Council member?  What happened at her last school? 

It went on and on. I bet I could have written an essay from all their squabbling. 

My fingers drummed on the desk. 

At least, I did not feel as miserable as how I would be if I had stuck to my original plan. As it turned out, Brian held history classes for young vampires on Saturdays. As boring as it sounded, it was quite fun. It was unexpected when the news found me he had begged my parents the chance to open the class a decade ago. It was even more surprising to know they said yes, knowing they were the ones against his turning. And, by the looks of it, the vampire community and their kids loved him, and his classes. The mere fact they were willing to accept him as a member of the High Council was a big blow to the gut. 

Such hypocrites. 

"Who's ready to hear the legend of Redwood?" A clap sounded before the question. 

Everyone straightened in their seats. 

Their enthusiasm pricked my curiosity. I could not say when I was younger I liked the legend. History class was the time I would be found sleeping at my desk or when I snuck out to go site-seeing in the woods. It was on one of those infamous hikes I had first seen Kyle. 

Ugh. 

I squeezed my lids shut as the memory of what happened Monday washed over me. The mere thought of how easily he affected me had plagued my mind for the past few days. With the memory came the same sensations I experienced that day. 

I shook off the feeling and tried to pay attention to my surroundings. 

Brian stared out the window. Then purple contacts landed on me; an impish grin on his lips. "Why don't we ask Aunty Brianna to share the story? After all, she is an SVH." 

The kids provided a round of applause while I glared at the jerk. He knew how much I hated the story. Yet, here we were, at history class, and I was supposed to be the narrator.

 Hmmm, maybe this was payback for all the trouble I had caused on Monday. 

A proud smirk danced on Brian's face as his eyes roamed the classroom. 

"I may not be as funny or amazing as Uncle Brian," was my lame excuse. 

"Well, of course, she isn't. No one is as amazing as me." Purple eyes met mine. "Come on, you'll do great."

"Yeah," beamed a kid at the back. 

I guess it would not hurt. I knew it like the back of my hand. "Okay, I'll do it." 

I got out of the comfort of my chair and prodded to the front of the class.

For the student's sake.

I jumped right into it. "About a millennium and a half ago, in this very town, there lived a Siphoner-vampire named Caroline. She was the most beautiful creature in all the land. Various species came from near and far to gain her affection, or ask for her hand in marriage. I'm talking about vampires, warlocks, dragons, foxes to werewolves."

I whispered an illustration spell. Images came to life before our eyes, performing the act I've heard many times before. For once, I felt giddy with excitement while the kids watched in awe. 

"One day the alpha for the town's wolves fell ill. His son traveled a great distance to comfort his father in his last days. Only to gain the knowledge he was next in line to become alpha. When the old man died, some of the old folks said, his son, Gideon was distraught. After years of traveling, when he came back, it was to his father's death. At first, he refused to take the reign of becoming Alpha and went into a month-long mourning. Because of this, some of the werewolves became furious. They called him a coward and ungrateful, that he didn't deserve the position. Most even challenged him." 

"What asses," a boy in the corner accused. 

"Hey, no swear words," Brian scolded. 

"They weren't even considerate," shouted another. 

"Yeah," Brian nodded. "But think of it this way, a flock of sheep without a shepherd is like driving without a steering wheel. While Gideon was in mourning, the community needed someone to lead them. It wasn't that they weren't compassionate or they weren't sympathetic towards his situation, they were. Heck, they lost a leader. But, they needed someone strong enough to take up the torch and keep the flames burning. They were out of control, and vulnerable to outside attacks, and they needed someone to keep them united."

Nothing else was said after Brian's explanation. A smile tilted my lips. His passion for leadership was remarkable. I would never have imagined he would become such a person. 

A mother's pride swam through my veins as I continued, "The accusations drew him out of hiding. He accepted every challenge. The elder wolves bragged to their pups for generations that Gideon taught his oppressors a lesson that day."