Gerard's pov.
The hall we entered was huge. Really huge. And was full of people. Sleepy looking teens passed me, many of them in pajamas. It took me a moment to realize that these teens were nocturnal, and that their classes probably began sometime around now. They looked almost like normal teens, only small things hinting that they were… unnatural. I saw a lot of sharp teeth, and many strange eye colors. A few were flying, like, actually flying, though they looked like they were half asleep and kept bumping into things. Some had colorful (and very messy) hair, and they looked like they were from all around the world. None of them offered my family a second glance, so I guessed that newcomers weren't that strange.
A huge staircase led up to the upper floors. The staircase and railings was decorated with the same pretty engravings as the oak door that closed behind me. All of it was stunning, though I hated to admit it. I was supposed to be sad and angry and scared, and I still was, but the look of this castle made me a little less sad and angry and scared. Yeah, Mikes had been right; it would be cool to live here.

-Welcome to the Academy, Mr. Way, the woman with the warm golden eyes laid a hand on my shoulder. I looked up at her. - I am Kenzie, by the way. She smiled again. This Kenzie smiled a lot really. I liked it. And her eyes fit her dark complexion. And she smelled weird. Like grass and... dog, actually. It made me feel a little better, and I did give her a small smile, though it was forced. She patted my back and guided me forward through the mass of sleepy teenagers and taking me to an office, my family shuffling after me. Mikey was looking wide-eyed at the teenagers, obviously trying to figure out what species they were. My parents, on the other hand, walked stiffly and kept their eyes glued to the wooden floor, trying to disappear.
The office was old fashioned, like the rest of the castle, 16th century gothic style. It smelled of parchment and wood, huge bookshelves covering the walls. A grand desk stood in the middle of the room, snirkling engravings covering the legs, which ended in lion’s feet. It was pretty impressive, but I couldn't not think how fucking heavy it must have been to carry, and how the hell they got it through that door.
A man sat behind the desk, in a big comfortable chair. He looked about forty, black stubble covering his chin. His dark brown eyes crinkled at his kind smile, though he looked like a serious and neat man. He gestured for us to sit down in the chairs in front of the desk. I did, and found the chairs surprisingly soft. Kenzie came after us and sat beside the man.
He cleared his throat.
-Welcome, Mr. Way, to Oswald’s Academy for Talented Youngsters. His voice was deep and strict. – My name is Jasper Cornelius Oswald, the founder and headmaster of this Academy. I hope you did not have too many difficulties finding your way up here. You know, we have had some situations where the former issue has been a problem.
-N-no, my dad collected himself, - That has not been a problem; it was easy finding our way with the coordinates you sent us. That was not entirely true; mom had taken a few wrong turns.
-Good, the headmaster gave him a nod. He turned his attention to me again. I tried to not look scared. I probably had to answer a lot of questions. – You were bitten September 12th, right, 13 days ago? Wow, way to be straightforward. He gave me a reassuring smile, and I nodded. – This means that you are still in the turning process, Mr. Way, and you probably have experienced some changes already. I nodded again. – And you will experience a lot more in the near future. The process takes about a month from when you are bitten and until you are fully vampire. Could you tell us what's already changed about you?
Fuck, I had to talk.
-Um, yeah, I um- Kenzie leaned forward, interrupting me.
-This is just because we need to know what stage you are on, keep track on what’s left and how fast this is happening.
-Oh, yeah, well... (What the hell was I, some kind of experiment?) – First came the, um... teeth... I stuttered. I remembered running my tongue over them and feeling my sharp canines for the first time, strange and huge, poking my bottom lip. – And the, you know, need for, um, blood, I almost whispered, drawing a sharp breath and not daring to look at my parents. I could feel them stiffen beside me. Kenzie just nodded like this was the most normal thing in the world, her smile encouraging me to continue while she scribbled it down. I did. - Then... I paused. Then, the nightmares began, the hunger, the frustration, pain, anger, depression, and the trauma. I gathered myself, trying not to think about it. – Then, things started to happen gradually, you know, I was less tired in the night, started to sleep longer in the day. The sun became more and more annoying, like I got sunburn from walking to the library and back. And, um, I don’t feel much temperature anymore. It’s like, I’m not cold, not warm, but objects still have temperature, it feels really weird. I gave Kenzie a questioning look.
-Yes, said Kenzie, nodding, - Your own body doesn't absorb the heat anymore, so you can feel the temperature of the object or person, but your own body repels it. This, for example, also means that you can wear whatever you want without being too cold or too hot. Which is really practical. I nodded. Finally something I could take advantage of. I was so tired of feeling like a boiled egg trough the whole fucking summer.
-Is there anything more? Mr. Oswald sounded strange and loud in comparison to Kenzie’s soft voice. I shook my head.
-No, um, I don’t think so...
-Well, you seem to be on schedule. Kenzie gave me a nod of approval. – Let’s see... Oh, yeah, as you probably saw, the students here can be quite different from one another. There are vampires, like yourself, werewolves, like myself (that explained the slight dog smell), and warlocks, like Mr. Oswald here. And yes, as you saw, their classes are at night, as all of the three species here have a nocturnal body clock. She checked her wristwatch. - They should be finished with breakfast about now. Also, here is your schedule and list of classes. She found a paper sheet, and handed it to me across the desk. I looked at it. I quickly scanned the list of topics, and to my relief, there was no math. I looked at the list again. It read:
-Supernatural History through the Ages (everyone). Great, I though. History. Yay.
-The Art of Attack (everyone)
-The Art of Defense (everyone). Both attack and defense? Was shit really that dangerous? I continued on.
-The Moon and its Effects (everyone). Oh, yeah, I was going to turn into some blood sucking monster in about a week or something. Nice.
-Physical Education (everyone). Fuck. I still had to do P.E.
-Warlocks, Werewolves and Vampires (everyone)
-Warlocks, Werewolves or Vampires (dependent on species). Seriously? And Vampires, or Vampires. I looked questioning at Kenzie. – They couldn't decide, or what? She laughed, clearly knowing what I was talking about.
-No no, there is one class where you learn about all the three species and one where you elaborate in your own species, getting to know your abilities better.
-Oh, okay, I mumbled, feeling stupid. I should have guessed that. – And, I looked at the list again, - Special Ability Training? What special ability are they talking about?
-Ah, yeah, after a while, you will begin to develop a special power, so you will, when you have found this power, train at using it together with the other students in your year.
This sounded more and more like X-Men. Kenzie continued talking. – There is also the class of choice, and the information we received said that you wanted art, is that right? I nodded. Of course I chose art. It was about the only topic I was interested in. – And Mr. Way, don’t worry, the school year has just begun, so you haven’t missed out on anything much. Well that was good to hear. As if I cared a lot. She continued. – And you wanted a single room? I nodded again. It wasn't as if I knew someone here who I wanted to share with. – Great, she smiled. – Everything seems in order. Remember that if you want roommates, change in roommates, or another room, just come talk to me and we will fix it for you. I smiled. That seemed about it. But Mr. Oswald cleared his throat once again.
-I think you are forgetting something important, Kenzie. He smiled cunningly. – The boy is a vampire, and he needs blood. My body stiffened, the thought nauseating me, though my mouth watered. Traitorous mouth. – We have sufficient stocks of blood, which Kenzie will show you later today. But I was just wondering, what have you been drinking the last two weeks? Bloodlust is the first change you notice, and you couldn't have gone two weeks without blood. I swallowed, getting ready to speak and looked over at Mikey.
-I have, um, been drinking animal blood. I shuddered. It was so gross, I thought, but it also tasted so amazing. – It was actually my brother’s idea, he came up with the thought. And it seemed to work. But, my eyes are black, though... I pointed to my eyes. – Is that, uh, normal? I asked. I didn't like it at all, to be honest.
-Oh, yeah, when drinking animal blood, your eyes turn black, Kenzie said. – It’s strange. When you drink the blood we have here, your eyes will return to their natural color after a little while. But, animal blood, what a clever young man. She smiled widely at Mikey, her teeth showing. He beamed back at her, clearly proud. – Remember that animal blood is not entirely healthy for you, though, but it is a clever replacement for human blood when you don’t have that for hand. She stood up, smiling. – Well, that seems about it, should we, um, say goodbye? She clapped her hands.
Fuck. I wouldn't see Mikes in a long time, several months actually. I stood up, looking at my family. Giving my parents quick hugs (they weren't too happy about having to touch a vampire), I turned towards Mikey. Not caring about Kenzie or the headmaster, I threw my arms around my brother in a big hug, burying myself in his neck, smelling his citrusy shampoo for the last time in a long while.
-Call me, right? he whispered, hugging me back.
-Every fucking day, I whispered back. – Come visit me here, okay?
-Okay. I could feel him smile.
-I’m gonna miss you so fucking much, you know that? I was rapidly blinking to keep my eyes from watering. It didn't work.
-Oh, I know, and I’ll miss you even more.
-I strongly doubt that. I laughed a little. My voice was turning thick. Fuck.
-Bye, Gerard.
I pulled away, watching his sad face smile a last time before he turned around with my mom and dad and walked out of the office, Mr. Oswald showing them out. I saw my brother turn around and he gave me a small wave before he disappeared. I waved back, watching him go, raising my arm halfway, just slightly moving my fingers.
-Bye, Mikes, I whispered. Kenzie laid a hand on my back. I wiped away the tear that escaped my glassy eyes.

Notes

yeah, I know, no frank yet, but I need sleep and this took a while to write.