Soul Crafter

Chapter Three: Making History

“Why did you do that?” Michelle demanded under her breath, righteous indignation evident in her tone.

     “What? Can’t I say I’m your boyfriend? You don’t want me?” Victor pouted.

     “I barely even know you!” she said as she found the doorway to her classroom. It was a vast, spacious room with multilevel seating. She stormed up the steps between the aisles of seats, picked a spot way up at the top and sat down. Victor chose the seat beside her and sat down as well.

     “You don’t even go here; why are you sitting next to me?” she asked, still fuming.

     “I can sit where I want,” he smiled.

     “Fine,” Michelle retorted, still flushed.

     “Good morning, everyone,” Mrs. Collin said. Mrs. Collin’s full name was Yvonne Collin; she was a slender, attractive, middle-aged woman who wore pencil skirts with matching blazers. Despite her age, many of the young men at the college found her to be quite attractive, and charming— albeit strict.

     “I said ‘good morning’ everyone,” Mrs. Collin repeated, followed by most of the room mumbling good morning back.

     “So, what’s she teach?” Victor asked as Michelle pulled out her notebook and pen case.

     “Mrs. Collin is our history teacher,” Michelle whispered back.

     “What are you studying exactly? What do you want to be?” Victor inquired. In truth, he already knew what she would say, and why she chose this college, but he knew she was not ready for him to tell her everything. Yet.

     “I don’t know yet. I’m just… trying to keep busy until I figure out what I want,” she said with a pained sound in her voice.

     “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it,” Mrs. Collin began, looking around at the whole class. Her eyes landed on Victor, and Michelle noticed she stared at him way too long.

     “Why?” Mrs. Collin asked.

     “You know,” Victor began, whispering in Michelle’s ear. Her whole body erupted in goosebumps. “I can make you pass this course, if you wish it.”

     Victor had successfully peaked her interest, but it was short lived. “That’s lovely,” she said, “but I think I’d prefer to work for it and succeed, personally.”

     He shrugged.

     “Although,” she paused, “it could be nice if you help ensure that I pass all my courses. So long as I work for them.”

     “It can be done,” he said stoically, gazing around the large classroom.

     Michelle was listening intently to Mrs. Collin when she noticed some kind of black smoke out of the corner of her eye. She looked at Victor and saw that his eyes were closed, and his whole body was radiating a dark smoke-like energy. After several seconds, he opened his eyes, and they were pitch black— not a trace of the red she’d seen before. Looking into his eyes made her blood chill. She looked around the whole room, and it was as if Victor was not even there with her. For everyone else in the classroom, there was no black-eyed man emanating dark energy.

     He closed his eyes once again, and the dark aura around him slowly faded. He opened his eyes again, and they were back to the piercing blue again.

     “What was that?” Michelle asked, trying to mask her fear.

     “That was me granting your wish— ensuring that you pass all your courses,” he said in a serious tone.

     “Just like that?”

     “Yep, just like that.”

     “Miss Gilder, is there something you’d like to share with us?” Mrs. Collin asked loudly.

     “No ma’am,” Michelle said timidly, hunching her shoulders.

     “Well then, since you have nothing to share, then why not keep it that way for the remainder of the class?” Mrs. Collin said snidely. She stared at Michelle, who was red from embarrassment and shame, for a long second and returned to lecturing.

     Michelle bowed her head and refrained from speaking.

     “You shouldn’t need to make yourself so small,” Victor said to her softly.

     Michelle just glanced at him, then returned to staring down at the paper in her lap, which she could barely focus on.

     Mrs. Collin, while continuing to speak to the class, turned around and began to write on the chalk board.

     “I am having an affair with the dean, George Huang, and I have been keeping it from my husband for a whole year now."

     Michelle looked up in time to see what she had written and couldn’t believe her eyes. Numerous gasps of shock could be heard throughout the classroom. Some of the students took out their phones and began snapping pictures of what Mrs. Collin had written on the chalkboard.

     “Are you doing that?” Michelle whispered to Victor.

     “Me? Have the ability to do that? Never,” he said coyly.

     The classroom door suddenly opened, to reveal the Dean, George Huang, who had come to collect a student.

     Dean Huang was a short, balding man. As soon as he entered, he noted the stunned faces of the students before him— and the laughing faces of others. He turned to look at the chalk board to see what all the fuss was about. When he did, he looked to Mrs. Collin as if she’d shoved a thick dagger into his back.

     “YVONNE!” he shouted. “What are you doing? What is the matter with you?” Only when she heard his voice, did Mrs. Collin stop and read what she had written. When she realized what she had done, she backed away in horror, and turned to look at the whole classroom, now abuzz with conversation and gossip about her and the dean.

     “No, no, it’s a joke. It’s not true,” Mrs. Collin tried to explain it away. None of them listened to her, as plenty had probably already started putting two and two together— that she spent a lot of time in his office, that she followed him to his car after class, and much more. Almost all thirty of them were now thoroughly immersed in a juicy conversation about her.

     Mrs. Collin ran for the door and left the classroom, humiliated. Dean Huang collected the student that he came for, and then quickly left, calling Mrs. Collin’s name.

     “How did you do that?” Michelle asked Victor, eyes wide with curiosity.

     “I can sometimes make people do things,” Victor said simply.

     “You can?” Michelle whispered.

     “Uh huh,” Victor affirmed, suppressing a grin.

     “You’ve never made me do anything like that, have you?” Michelle gasped.

     “I wouldn’t do that to you,” Victor said.

     “You didn’t have to do that though— don’t you think that was a bit harsh?” Michelle commented.

     “She’s been unreasonably harsh enough with you this past year. I think she can take a little of her own medicine… Or not, I don’t care.”

     The buzzer rang, and now Michelle had her first free period.

     “I forgot to ask you something,” Michelle said as they walked down the corridor. She waited until they were out of earshot of everyone before she spoke. “Why were you injured when I found you yesterday? And what was that loud bang?”

     Victor’s expression suddenly became dark, and his face was full of contempt. “I was attacked by someone who fancies himself a vampire hunter.”

     “Is he going to be coming back for you?”

     “Most likely,” Victor responded, clenching his jaw. Michelle picked up the tension he was emitting and thought she’d leave the subject for now.

     Later, when all of Michelle’s classes were finally over, she walked down the front steps with Victor beside her. Seeing her friend Bianca Noble ahead of her, she made her way through the crowd of students and caught up with her friend.

     As soon as Bianca saw Michelle, her eyes immediately searched for Victor and she was not displeased when her eyes landed on him.

     “Michelle!” Bianca said excitedly, but grinning at Victor. Michelle scrunched her eyebrows.

     “Hey, Bia, so did you still want to go to Chelsea Anderson’s ballroom birthday party this weekend?” Michelle asked. Bianca was still eyeing Victor. “Bianca?” Michelle repeated.

     Bianca shook her head slightly, and reluctantly switched her gaze from Victor to Michelle. “Oh, yeah, yes. Sorry. Yeah, we can go this weekend. I hope Victor will be there too.”

“I wouldn’t miss it,” Victor replied, smiling cheekily.

     “Great,” Michelle said, somewhat uncertainly. She looked from Bianca to Victor, and then bade Bianca farewell.

     “So, she seems to like you,” Michelle said to Victor.

     “Mmmhmm,” Victor agreed, looking intently around him. “It’s pretty normal for me, if I make myself known.”

     “Oh, so, what? You’re usually a lady-magnet?” Michelle asked, trying to seem blasé.

     Victor smiled and raised his eyebrows.

     “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were jealous,” Victor chided.

     “What? No, no, of course not,” she said, ducking her head.

     “Tell me about this ballroom party?”

     “Oh, that? It’s something a girl who goes here is doing, Chelsea Anderson. Each year, she throws an extravagant birthday party. This year, it’ll be ballroom themed.”

     “And when is it?”

     “This weekend.”

     “So, it’s a date.” Victor grinned.

     “What? We’re not dating. I barely know you!” Michelle exclaimed defensively.

     “Yet.” Victor winked.

     Victor thought about how Michelle didn’t really know how much of a hold she had on him, but he knew that she would likely find out soon enough. Not only that, but she would eventually find out just how much she means to him.