"IDIOT!" the King screeched. Toyo flinched as if the King had struck him.
"DO Du KNOW WHAT YOU'VE DONE?" he continued to yell angrily.
"The Vampire Society figured out that Aiko was at X Aacademy," Toyo sagte quietly. "So I sent her away."
"Without the protection of other vampires," the King hissed. "Suppose they find out where she is now. Who will protect her? She's as good as dead now!" The King sighed irritably and strode towards the door.
"Inform the Society that I will not be available for the Weiter year," he sagte coldly. "And this time, don't mess it up." The King strode out of the room, leaving Toyo to clench his teeth and wish he was dead.
"A new school," Aiko breathed, stepping into Briar High.
"I'll say," sagte a kind voice from beside her. Aiko turned. To her right was a thin, rather beautiful girl with hair below her shoulders and a thin, gentle face, a familiar face...
"Yeah," Aiko said, and she and the girl began walking down the halls together. "I'm Aiko Johnson."
"Elaine Matthews," the girl introduced herself, and the two of them shook hands and beamed when they both realized that they would in fact become good friends.
"So, what do Du have first period?" Elaine asked curiously. Aiko checked her schedule.
"History," she said.
"Me too," Elaine smiled. "Let's sit Weiter to each other." Aiko beamed, glad to have made a friend already.
"Okay!" she sagte happily. Elaine had a locker Weiter to Aiko's, so when they both opened their lockers an envelope apiece fell out of each locker.
"What...?" Aiko sagte confusedly, picking hers up. The envelope contained six letters. Aiko read the first.
Dear Aiko,
I'm going to miss Du a lot. Toyo's just a big jerk... he won't even tell us why he sent Du away! Just remember I'll be your best friend ever!
~ May
Aiko whispered, "You're the best, May," and pulled out a Sekunde one.
Dear Aiko,
I swear to you, if Toyo does anything as stupid as sending Du away I'm going to lock him in the closet for eternity!!
~Leo
Aiko tried not to imagine Toyo suffocating in a closet.
Dear Aiko,
Ever since Du left, James and I have regretted how we've treated Du over the past Jahr and a half. We hope you'll forgive us.
~Manny and Jason
Aiko nearly burst out crying, but forced herself not to in front of Elaine.
Dear Aiko,
I haven't been able to make a single joke since Du left. Life is so boring now... well, if you're down, just try to picture Toyo in his underpants. Hey, a joke!
~ Wyatt
Aiko giggled.
Dear Aiko,
Despite what Toyo may have told you, we all Liebe you. We all miss you, Toyo included. Whatever the reason for him sending Du away, I'm sure it was a good reason. The idiot's locked himself in his room; he's that upset. Anyway Aiko we WILL be seeing Du soon (you didn't think we'd abandon Du like that, did you?)
~ Sebastian
"I Liebe you, Sebastian," Aiko sighed.
Dear Aiko,
Screw this Academy-- it sucks without you. After this Jahr I'm dropping out and seeing you!
Liebe you, remember that,
~ Abigail
"I got a letter from Abby!" Aiko sagte happily.
"Who's that?" Elaine asked curiously. She had been watching Aiko read her letters and was greatly entertained Von Aiko's constant change in expression.
"My friend from my old school," she replied. "Wait, there's another letter..." Aiko shook the envelope. A small piece of paper fluttered out of it.
I will always protect you.
The words were written in an elegant, beautiful script. But there was no signature on the letter.
"It's from Blaine!" Elaine cried happily.
"Who's that?" Aiko asked distractedly, still staring at the anonymous note.
"My twin brother," Elaine said, hugging the letter. "He's the best brother ever, but he's always so busy with work since he has such an important position."
"What does your letter say?"
"He's coming to visit! For a whole year!" Elaine gaped at Aiko.
"You should come meet him with me!" she sagte cheerfully. "You'll Liebe him!" Aiko smiled at Elaine and said, "Yeah, I'd Liebe to meet your brother!" A blast of wind suddenly swept through the school. Elaine's hair whipped behind her, revealing two scars on her neck.
Vampire bites.
"Elaine..." Aiko gasped. "Your neck." Elaine looked horrified.
"It's just an old scar," she sagte hastily. "Nothing important..."
"Elaine, I know a vampire bite when I see one," Aiko said, firmly pushing back her hair to reveal the bite marks on her own neck. Elaine covered her mouth with her hands.
"You too...?" she choked. Aiko nodded.
"Yes," she sagte quietly. "There are Vampire at X Academy."
"'X Academy'?" Elaine echoed. "That's your old school? Then Du must be the girl the Society's been searching for!"
"Shush, please," Aiko hushed, glancing around. "Are Du on the Society's side?"
"No," Elaine sagte determinedly. "My brother was, at first, until a few months ago. He sort of... works for the Society."
"I'm not meeting him," Aiko sagte crossly.
"Aiko, I told Du he's not on their side anymore! Just please, come meet him with me. You'll see he's a wonderful person."
"You're a spy. You're trying to lead me to an Elder."
"Aiko, I'm human and I hate the Vampire Society. Just please, meet my brother. He's the greatest ever." Aiko sighed.
"Fine," she agreed. "But I swear to God, if you're trying to trick me..."
"You'll use your Chosen One power on me," Elaine grinned. "I'm telling you, Du won't regret it!" Aiko clutched the anonymous note firmly and hoped that whoever wrote it would protect her if Blaine was a spy.
"DO Du KNOW WHAT YOU'VE DONE?" he continued to yell angrily.
"The Vampire Society figured out that Aiko was at X Aacademy," Toyo sagte quietly. "So I sent her away."
"Without the protection of other vampires," the King hissed. "Suppose they find out where she is now. Who will protect her? She's as good as dead now!" The King sighed irritably and strode towards the door.
"Inform the Society that I will not be available for the Weiter year," he sagte coldly. "And this time, don't mess it up." The King strode out of the room, leaving Toyo to clench his teeth and wish he was dead.
"A new school," Aiko breathed, stepping into Briar High.
"I'll say," sagte a kind voice from beside her. Aiko turned. To her right was a thin, rather beautiful girl with hair below her shoulders and a thin, gentle face, a familiar face...
"Yeah," Aiko said, and she and the girl began walking down the halls together. "I'm Aiko Johnson."
"Elaine Matthews," the girl introduced herself, and the two of them shook hands and beamed when they both realized that they would in fact become good friends.
"So, what do Du have first period?" Elaine asked curiously. Aiko checked her schedule.
"History," she said.
"Me too," Elaine smiled. "Let's sit Weiter to each other." Aiko beamed, glad to have made a friend already.
"Okay!" she sagte happily. Elaine had a locker Weiter to Aiko's, so when they both opened their lockers an envelope apiece fell out of each locker.
"What...?" Aiko sagte confusedly, picking hers up. The envelope contained six letters. Aiko read the first.
Dear Aiko,
I'm going to miss Du a lot. Toyo's just a big jerk... he won't even tell us why he sent Du away! Just remember I'll be your best friend ever!
~ May
Aiko whispered, "You're the best, May," and pulled out a Sekunde one.
Dear Aiko,
I swear to you, if Toyo does anything as stupid as sending Du away I'm going to lock him in the closet for eternity!!
~Leo
Aiko tried not to imagine Toyo suffocating in a closet.
Dear Aiko,
Ever since Du left, James and I have regretted how we've treated Du over the past Jahr and a half. We hope you'll forgive us.
~Manny and Jason
Aiko nearly burst out crying, but forced herself not to in front of Elaine.
Dear Aiko,
I haven't been able to make a single joke since Du left. Life is so boring now... well, if you're down, just try to picture Toyo in his underpants. Hey, a joke!
~ Wyatt
Aiko giggled.
Dear Aiko,
Despite what Toyo may have told you, we all Liebe you. We all miss you, Toyo included. Whatever the reason for him sending Du away, I'm sure it was a good reason. The idiot's locked himself in his room; he's that upset. Anyway Aiko we WILL be seeing Du soon (you didn't think we'd abandon Du like that, did you?)
~ Sebastian
"I Liebe you, Sebastian," Aiko sighed.
Dear Aiko,
Screw this Academy-- it sucks without you. After this Jahr I'm dropping out and seeing you!
Liebe you, remember that,
~ Abigail
"I got a letter from Abby!" Aiko sagte happily.
"Who's that?" Elaine asked curiously. She had been watching Aiko read her letters and was greatly entertained Von Aiko's constant change in expression.
"My friend from my old school," she replied. "Wait, there's another letter..." Aiko shook the envelope. A small piece of paper fluttered out of it.
I will always protect you.
The words were written in an elegant, beautiful script. But there was no signature on the letter.
"It's from Blaine!" Elaine cried happily.
"Who's that?" Aiko asked distractedly, still staring at the anonymous note.
"My twin brother," Elaine said, hugging the letter. "He's the best brother ever, but he's always so busy with work since he has such an important position."
"What does your letter say?"
"He's coming to visit! For a whole year!" Elaine gaped at Aiko.
"You should come meet him with me!" she sagte cheerfully. "You'll Liebe him!" Aiko smiled at Elaine and said, "Yeah, I'd Liebe to meet your brother!" A blast of wind suddenly swept through the school. Elaine's hair whipped behind her, revealing two scars on her neck.
Vampire bites.
"Elaine..." Aiko gasped. "Your neck." Elaine looked horrified.
"It's just an old scar," she sagte hastily. "Nothing important..."
"Elaine, I know a vampire bite when I see one," Aiko said, firmly pushing back her hair to reveal the bite marks on her own neck. Elaine covered her mouth with her hands.
"You too...?" she choked. Aiko nodded.
"Yes," she sagte quietly. "There are Vampire at X Academy."
"'X Academy'?" Elaine echoed. "That's your old school? Then Du must be the girl the Society's been searching for!"
"Shush, please," Aiko hushed, glancing around. "Are Du on the Society's side?"
"No," Elaine sagte determinedly. "My brother was, at first, until a few months ago. He sort of... works for the Society."
"I'm not meeting him," Aiko sagte crossly.
"Aiko, I told Du he's not on their side anymore! Just please, come meet him with me. You'll see he's a wonderful person."
"You're a spy. You're trying to lead me to an Elder."
"Aiko, I'm human and I hate the Vampire Society. Just please, meet my brother. He's the greatest ever." Aiko sighed.
"Fine," she agreed. "But I swear to God, if you're trying to trick me..."
"You'll use your Chosen One power on me," Elaine grinned. "I'm telling you, Du won't regret it!" Aiko clutched the anonymous note firmly and hoped that whoever wrote it would protect her if Blaine was a spy.
Shaun
I wonder, sometimes, if she ever thinks of me.
If she knows that I kept only one picture of her. Anything else was just too painful. In the picture, she doesn't know I am taking it until the camera flash goes off. She has been sitting at the schreibtisch in her old bedroom, and she is half-smiling.
**************************************************
I walk up to her, not breaking eye contact. Nothing existed but her.
The little girl was perched on her hip.
I trailed my fingers down her jawline. She still didn't move.
"Why did Du leave?"
I wonder, sometimes, if she ever thinks of me.
If she knows that I kept only one picture of her. Anything else was just too painful. In the picture, she doesn't know I am taking it until the camera flash goes off. She has been sitting at the schreibtisch in her old bedroom, and she is half-smiling.
**************************************************
I walk up to her, not breaking eye contact. Nothing existed but her.
The little girl was perched on her hip.
I trailed my fingers down her jawline. She still didn't move.
"Why did Du leave?"
Time is just a thing.
Du can't ever have to little.
Du can always have enough.
But when Du look at it,
our lives are just a piece.
A piece of what time has to give.
So why not live the fullest,
to what we can.
Why waste it wishing,
on something you'll never have.
Let time do its own thing,
so we can do ours.
Du see time is mysterious.
It controls our lives.
And in one quick second,
our time may be up.
So take what you're given,
and give nothing back.
With time nothing is ever what it seems.
Du can't ever have to little.
Du can always have enough.
But when Du look at it,
our lives are just a piece.
A piece of what time has to give.
So why not live the fullest,
to what we can.
Why waste it wishing,
on something you'll never have.
Let time do its own thing,
so we can do ours.
Du see time is mysterious.
It controls our lives.
And in one quick second,
our time may be up.
So take what you're given,
and give nothing back.
With time nothing is ever what it seems.
Photograph by Ansel Adams
I'm just drifting, drifting down this road.
The dust kicking up behind me,
Just a wolke to hide my past.
My feet don't leave any footprints,
My name never graces those lips
That I'm watching from a distance,
A distance that grows greater
As I'm drifting, drifting down this road.
I'm not on the way to anything great,
I'm just hiding, hiding down in the dark.
The shadows closing in around me,
Just a blanket to smother my past.
My eyes can't see in the gloom,
My voice never breaks the silence
That I keep deep in my heart,
A herz that grows blacker
As I'm drifting, drifting in the dark.
