Hunter's Soulmate

2

As we pull into the full parking lot, Nikki and Ryker run up to our truck. Simultaneously they rush, “Ivy, Quinn, you have a visitor in the front office. They wouldn’t tell us who. Just that the principal wants to see you both. Do you know who it could be?”

I grin at the two of them as the four of us leisurely walk toward the office. Quinn just looks at them with a raised eyebrow. His look says, do we look like we know who’s at the office waiting for us? The thing about my favorite cousin is that he is not much for words. He also is not very fond of being an expressive person. Especially when the people that are around are strangers or he doesn’t trust very well. The few people that I have ever encountered that could read his face: myself, the people on our team, and my aunt. They are the only people who can read him no matter what.

Nikki suspiciously gazes at Quinn and says, “You know, I will one day crack that mental code of yours. And I find it unfair that Ivy is basically the only person who can read you. Totally unfair.”

I laugh out right at her. She prettily pouts at me and tries to get Quinn to help her. She says that I’m “being mean.” (This is where I’m rolling my eyes at her immaturity.)

About this time, we arrive at the double doors of the front office. The room is full of our team, the secretary, the principal, two men, and Quinn and myself. I push my way up to the front of the room...right behind Quinn. I look behind me at one of the strangers. He has light brown shaggy hair, bluish-green eyes that can remind one of the clearest space in the ocean, and he’s wearing faded jeans with a hole in one knee, black tee shirt, and he’s wearing combat boots.

He looks really familiar. Where do I know him from?

I look over at his companion and notice that he looks almost identical to the first stunningly attractive guy. The only difference is that instead of a causal dress, he’s wearing black slacks and a white suit shirt. Oh, and he has a buzz cut instead of a headful of hair.

The first guy, the one wearing jeans and a tee shirt, grins over to me. As he flashes that hot grin, he also flashes fangs. Dammit, he’s a vampire. Just what we need in the school.

The principle looks up from the paperwork in his hands to notice that he had everyone that he apparently needed. He gently smiles at me and says, “Ivy, let me introduce you to the newest student body, Gregory, and his uncle, Colton. They just moved here from New York. You are going to be his student to student mentor. Ok?”

I nod because this is just what is expected of me. I joined a student organization early in my high school career, mostly because my aunt and uncle wouldn’t stop asking me if I joined in one. The S2S organization, or student to student, is all about integrating new students into the older student body. It can sometimes be difficult because of the how few new people we get. But over the last year, I seem to be the only one who gets to really integrate the newest students. Anyway, I look over at Quinn. He is staring at the new guy, the one in jeans (not the one in a suit).

Mr. Steele continues, “Quinn, Aleksei, Nova, Killian, Blair, and Jaxon, you will all also be his guides. You will all receive his schedule and his locker number. Gregory you will receive a copy of each of their class schedule. However, you have most of your classes with Ivory, you have a couple with the rest of these students. Now, when you all receive your paperwork, you need to get to class. The tardy bell has already rung. Good bye, everyone.”

We recited, “Good bye, Mr. Steele.”

I continued alone, “Hi, Gregory, my name is Ivory. My friends call me Ivy. This is a good school to be at. We have a lot of advantages over many other schools in the state. We have a good pool and gym. We have a brand-new auditorium that was just built maybe two years ago. And we have really advanced classes. The one thing that you will find in while attending this school is that none of the students will slack off here.”

“Nice to meet you Ivory. If you will, call me Greg. I’m happy to be here. I also hope that one day, the two of us will be close enough to allow me to call you Ivy. And if you don’t mind, can we go to class. We have delayed for at least ten minutes already.”

I nod and the principle hands us all the informative papers that we were promised. As I’m walking out into the hallway just behind Quinn, I look through Gregory’s schedule. His and mine are virtually the same schedule. The only class that we didn't have together was Health. I glance over at Quinn to notice that he was looking over the schedule too. When he finally looks up, he c***s a questioning brow in my direction. I nod to acknowledge that I had noticed that he was in most of my classes. This is going to be a long year. If not just for it being an advanced year and my extra obligations, I am going to have a vampire in my class.

Quinn leans toward me and says, “Don't forget about our meeting after school. See you there, cuz.”

I grin and say, “Later, babe. See you at lunch.”

He flashes a quick grin in my direction.

Gregory and I head toward our first class -- advanced lit. I look over at him with suspension in my mind. He looks blissfully innocent. I snort as I lead the way to class. When we get there, I hand the principal's note to the teacher. The teacher is a small and a very colorful woman.

As I head to my seat, Mrs. Copeland asks Gregory to tell the class about himself. He nods and begins, “Hello, I’m Gregory Hunter and I’m from New York. I recently moved in with my uncle, but I’ve been visiting this area for years. Is there anything else that you want to know?”

“What was New York like?” asked a girl in the front of the room.

“It was crowded. But it was one of the most amazing places I’ve ever been. It was fast-paced and culturally shocking.”

As Gregory talked, everyone was riveted to his speech. Well, everyone except for the hunters, we just listened and absorbed everything we would need if something happened and we need the information. Eventually, while the class grilled him, the hunters in the room started passing notes to each other. Mostly about our meeting after school.

I eventually wrote back that we should all meet at lunch to talk about our meeting this afternoon. Then, I texted Quinn to let him know that we were going to meet the others at lunch to answer the questions. He responded quickly with an affirmative.

Finally, I looked back up and the teacher was trying to find a place for Gregory. The only open seat just happened to be right next to me. The two of them happened to notice the seat at the same time that I did. I really hope that I don’t have to sit next to him in the rest of my classes. This is so going to be a long year.

The next few hours were long and dragged out until I almost thought that I was being punished for something. But lunch finally came, and I had to say to the fiend, “Hey, Gregory, why don’t you go find a seat somewhere. I have to talk to some friends.”

As I try to walk off and leave him there, he follows me. I walk up to the table that holds some of my family.

“Hey, guys. What’s up?”

Luke spoke for the group, “We thought we would take him off your hands for a while. Because we want to get to know our new neighbor. Why not introduce us, Sis?”

“Fine,” with an exasperated sigh, I continue, “Gregory, this is my twin Chris. The one that looks like me. The two with the dragons on their shirts are Ryker and Luke. The two with demonic wolves on their shirts are Jason and James. Then, the two girls with blond hair are Jade and Amber. These two with the books in their hands are Nick and Kaylee. Then the girl over in the purple outfit is Natalie. These are my siblings. My cousins are Quinn and Nikki; they are the two that look the most like Chris and I. Arabella is the one with the tight tank top and jeans and Skylar has the pink tie dye shirt on. The one with the lion on his shirt is Donovan and Trenton is the one with next to him with the laptop in front of him. The one with birds on their shirts are Raven and Robert. The two in the gray hoodies are Liz and Destiny. Everybody this is Gregory. I’m going to be with Quinn and our friends. Behave.”

With that, I walk off to talk to my team. When I get to the quad everyone is talking amongst themselves. I shoot a look at Quinn, before strolling toward the empty seat next to him. We start to have a silent conversation that lets him know that Gregory is now occupied with the family, we really have to talk, and that the vamp is our neighbor.

Everyone starts to wind down and looks toward Quinn, our team leader. He starts off saying, “We are going to be meeting tonight to go over more information at our treehouse at five. Questions?”

Immediately, everyone's hands go up. Quinn rolls his eyes and says, “This is not a classroom, we don’t have to raise our hands to talk. Let's go around the circle. Aleksei?”

Aleksei blurts, “He’s your neighbor? How did you not know that your closest neighbor is a drinker? And does anyone know anything about this kid?”

A drinker is a code word that is used when the team is not in a secure position to talk openly about the paranormal world that we are involved in. There are many different code words: drinker for vampires, bi for werewolves, wiz-kids for wizards, etc. And we are not the only team that uses these code words. The whole of the Organization, along with the rest of the paranormal community, uses them. They were invented by a group of hunters that had kids and did not want their children to know to soon about the world around them.

Quinn handled all of the questions the way he always does...its need to know and this is not the right place for these types of conversations that these questions will lead to. Then, when everyone was placated, to the best of my cousin’s ability, we all left to hurry back to our destinations. Quinn and I stalked back to the cafeteria and our family...and new neighbor.

Everyone at our table, including Gregory, was so engrossed in their conversation that they didn’t notice when we sat in our chairs. Shockingly, I learned that they were talking about me. The fact that Nick and Kaylee were talking and laughing along with them was scary, but they had it under control. So, we started talking about random things, like school and the weather. Until Chris looked up and saw us, he paled like he had seen a ghost. Which is saying something because I look just like our mom according to everyone. Chris looks just like dad. But he looks ashamed, like he does when we talk about our mom or dad. See we think that we should have been there to save our parents and they would still be alive, but we don’t say anything to the others. But at times we think that they know what we think. But are afraid it will make our pain worsen. Anyway, he also looks pained.

I look at him and say, “What’s wrong?” I move over to his side and hug him, like I do when he is in pain or afraid or upset.

He says in a choked whisper, as if he was suppressing tears, “You almost looked like Mom. When I look at you really fast you look like her.”

I hug him harder. I hide my face from them all. Except the only two people that really knows about how I feel. Quinn and Chris scooted together and held me like I was the younger child that they think me to be. I let them hold me.