Theo's weekend was spent tagging alongside Renata, who was receiving some historical texts that had been gifted to her by friends overseas. Apparently, a vampire colleague from the UK was sending her some really old books. Over the centuries, Renata had accumulated various priceless pieces of literature, some dating back as far as the 1600s. Her collection even included several of Mary Shelley's unpublished stories and journal entries about vampires. A friend of a friend gave them to Renata, and she has kept them in perfect condition in her basement.
Renata was as giddy as ever flipping through the pages of her new texts, but she noticed Theo was distracted checking on his phone every few minutes. "Theo, I know this isn't fun for you, but would it kill you to put your phone away?"
Theo sighed, "Sorry mom…I'm just looking out for a text."
Intrigued, Renata continued, "Oh??? Is it from Colette?" Renata asked with a grin.
Theo blushed, throwing on his hoodie to help cover his face, "Maybe."
Renata chuckled, "Ah, young love. Listen, I'm sure she'll text you at some point," she said playfully as she pushed him to get back to work. "The faster we finish with, the faster you can get back to her, Romeo."
The weekend would be dedicated to the careful preservation and organization of Renata's new texts. Most of the books in the basement needed careful preservation to keep them from falling apart, given they were practically ancient. Their basement had a climate-controlled room for books, and Renata taught him how to handle and care for them with caution. By the end of the weekend Theo was exhausted by all the book preservation work. He had essentially completed a week's worth of labor in a matter of 48 hours.
Monday came around and Theo hadn't received a text or call Colette. He figured the space would be good since they still had had no closure following their late night festivities. Theo realized showing off his 'old-person' skills might impress Colette, so he couldn't wait to see her.
Before eighth period, although the hallways were crowded, Theo spotted Colette in the distance. He sped up to catch up to her and even attempted to call out her name. She didn't turn his way, but he assumed it'd be hard to hear over the rumble of the stampede of students in the hallway.
He finally caught up with her and reached out to gently grab her wrist, stopping her in her tracks. Before he had the chance to conjure a snarky remark, her ragged appearance threw him off. She looked very pale, with dark bags under her eyes. Has she not been sleeping? He thought, concerned.
"Colette…is everything okay?" He asked softly.
Her gaze was lifeless as she tugged her wrist away from Theo's grasp. "…Do I know you?"
"Wait what?…Colette it's me, XXXX."
She couldn't hear his name. Rather, it sounded like amplified white noise. The sudden, earsplitting screech caused a searing pain in her head; the world tilted violently, and she stumbled, dropping her books with a clatter. In a swift motion, he knelt to assist her in gathering her scattered books, subsequently handing them to her.
"Colette…A-are you okay?"
"I'm fine…but I really have to make it to my next class." She quickly sped off in an uncoordinated manner. Before he had the chance to pursue her, the school bell rang.
"Tsk," Theo sucked his teeth in aggravation. Something felt wrong. A sense of unease washed over him as the realization settled in that he'd be required to chase her down after school to understand whatever was going on. He suspected foul play, but didn't have proof… yet.
Theo spent the next class period fuming. He sat rigid, arms crossed, his feet a blur of nervous motion beneath the chair. Who did this to her? He thought, enraged.This had to be the work of a vampire, but who? Theo couldn't imagine how a retirement loving human could gain enemies. For whatever the reason, someone went to the extreme of wiping her memories of me. He sent Colette a text asking her to meet after school. He knew it'd be a long shot for a response, but he needed to sort this out right away.
The last school bell rang, and Theo shot up out of his seat to make his way over to the library. That was until Catalina stepped in front of him, her presence filling the space between them.
"Word is you made a fool of yourself again for that human girl... Don't be a weakling in front of our own."
Catalina was referring to the commotion in the hallway earlier that day, as many of the students who saw gawked and laughed as Colette brushed Theo off and hastily ran away.
"I'm too busy for this nonsense, Catalina." Theo attempted to pass her, but she cut him off again.
"Theo, you have all the time in the world," she hissed. Theo ignored her comment and continued pacing forward. Catalina was insistent on keeping Theo away from Colette. In a desperate move, she tried to catch his eye. "Theo - I have always really liked you! I really just care about you and I just want what's best for you." She tucked her hair behind her ear to look cute.
Theo sighed heavily. "Catalina, I'm not interested. Now please…get out of my way." He let out a sharp exhale and continued, his shoulder just inches away from bumping into hers.
Annoyance etched itself onto her face as she tightened her lips, tears stinging her eyes, threatening to spill. The tension dissipated into the crowd as the sound of new rumors resonated throughout the hallways.
"Did you see that?" one student exclaimed. "He totally ignored her confession!" Frustrated, Catalina's nails sank deep within her own skin, drawing blood. Feeling a surge of embarrassment, she quickly and quietly slipped away from the scene, eager to escape the uncomfortable situation.
With his attention focused on the library, Theo ran over as fast as he could. As he approached the library entrance, he noticed a flyer posted that read, The library will be closed today.
Dammit…where is she? Concerned, he darted towards the exit of the building, but he slammed into Rika. Before she had the chance to brace herself for the fall, Theo quickly grabbed her arm and stood her up straight again. Though it was a rough landing, he kept her from falling.
Disoriented, Rika fixed her glasses and her uniform before proclaiming, "I'm glad I found you! There's something wrong with Colette!"
"Let's get out of here first. I want to hear what you have to say, but I want to take this conversation off of the school grounds." Theo was wary of the other vampire students who might be listening in. In an inconspicuous manner they left the building…Or, they would have if Rika's supernatural energy wouldn't have drawn in so many bewildered eyes.
*****
Awkwardly, the pair sat in a nearby cafe to discuss the details surrounding Colette's condition. Rika's apprehension had her chugging boba tea faster than she could swallow.
Firmly Theo started, "Okay, from the beginning again. What did you notice about Colette today?"
Rika pat her chest a few times, trying to avoid choking on the tapioca balls that she had guzzled down. "Okay, this definitely happened to her once before!" Rika slammed a notebook on the table with a series of notes pertaining to different mechanisms for possession: spectral occupancy, alien abduction, and witchcraft. "It has got to be one of these! I couldn't explain her collapse before, but she'd mentioned these strange headaches."
Theo sifted through the pages of elaborate details describing Colette's paranormal intrusion. Before he passed the notes back to Rika, Theo continued to cross-examine Rika's version of events. "So, if that's what happened last time, what makes this situation the same?"
"I hadn't heard from Colette all weekend, so seeing her in class today was a shock. I mean, she looked awful… I've never seen her like that with those huge bags under her eyes. She complained she felt like she was forgetting something and that her head really hurt…I mean, even the teachers were concerned. They sent her home early today."
Theo sighed before finalizing his analysis. "Write this down in your theory notebook. Vampire glamour…I'm certain that's what happened to her. I just don't know who did it or why."
"Vampire glamour?" Rika readied her pen and paper.
"Think of it as a really strong hypnotism. Vampires used to use it for hunting in the old days so that their victims wouldn't remember having their blood fed on. I don't see the point in using it now…"
"Glamour huh?… I'm assuming this isn't something you can just go to the doctor for?" Rika questioned, concerned.
"I think I know how to nullify the effects, but it's risky…My saliva has healing properties, but I would need to get enough of it into her system for it to override the glamour."
"I don't follow…wouldn't you need to bite her for that? What about the pact?" Rika noticed a change in Theo's demeanor. Even though his brow was still furrowed, he avoided her gaze, trying to hide the fact that he was blushing. "What?! Don't tell me…you two have done this already?!"
Theo avoided her line of sight and nodded.
Rika's bewildered expression shifted to a mischievous smile. "Perverts," she mentioned as she chuckled. "So, what's the plan…you mentioned this was risky."
"I'm not convinced this plan will work. I'll need to get a considerable amount of my saliva into her bloodstream, meaning I'd also need to drink a lot of her blood." Theo slumped back into his chair with worry. "Honestly, I'm not sure how much is too much, but I could accidentally kill her if I'm not careful."
Rika nervously gulped and questioned "But…that isn't your only concern, is it?"
Theo slumped further down, his fear of hurting Colette outweighed his frustration. "What if I can't stop?…I mean, we are monsters, after all. I might give in to my impulses."
"Hold it right there! You mean to tell me that after everything you two have been through together so far you think you're just going to kill her off?…If anything, you two have just gotten started," Rika stood up striking a heroic pose and pointed directly Theo. "I'm going to ask you this again, but this time I want a serious answer! Do you like Colette!?"
Theo sat there meekly. This girl is out of her mind, he thought. But he could totally see why she was friends with Colette.
"Yes," he murmured under his breath.
"I'm sorry I can't hear you. Want to run that by me again?…Or maybe you don't mean it." She shrugged.
"Yes! I like Colette!" This time he shouted.
Rika flashed her signature mischievous smile and began packing her things. "Well, I guess we have our answer then…And I already have a plan to help with this! I'll fill you in tomorrow!" She held out her fist for a fist bump.
Perplexed, Theo reciprocated the fist bump and snickered. I hope whatever this plan is; it works.