The Cure

Chapter 9 -- Your Girl

Recap:   Vampire Bunny Baneful has come back to the Sawtooth Wilderness Academy to get a teen vampire's help to steal the genetic data that may lead to a cure for vampirism. After a  2-hour mule ride to the school, she orders Arvin, the vampire teen who brought the mules, to follow her  "to save the vampire world."  She goes to wash up in the female faculty lounge but is stopped by Isadore Finkelstein, the guidance counselor who smuggled 16 year-old Kathy back into the school. To stop Bunny from finding Kathy, Finkelstein claims the ladies' room is being cleaned by a student.  Meanwhile, inside, Kathy has  encountered Portia Underlude, a vampire teacher of theology who is sympathetic to her. 

Chapter 9 – Your Girl

Bunny's forehead wrinkled with puzzlement. "What do you mean I shouldn't go in?"

"The girl is cleaning the spa," said Finkelstein, blocking the door. "The floor's wet and slippery. The girl asked that you come back in half an hour."

"She knew I was coming to wash up?"

"You, in general."

Something's going down. Bunny glanced at Arvin. Is he in on it? The straw-head didn't look away.

"Miss LittleHawk told me I should bring you directly to her," Arvin said. "Maybe you should come back later."

"That's right," said Finkelstein. "Edna wanted to see you first thing."

They're in cahoots. "I'm not going to Edna and the Council smelling like mule." She took off her hoody and handed it to Arvin. "Hold this." Under it she wore jeans and an American Flag tee shirt with the motto Freedom Demands Blood and Guts.

She glared at Finkelstein. "Get out of my way. I won't mess up her clean floor."

"Why is a student cleaning instead of the custodian?" asked Arvin.

"Good question," said Bunny. He doesn't know what's happening any more than I do.

Finkelstein raised a finger as if scoring a point. "That's the thing. Arthur – the custodian -- is out hunting. Unfortunately, a Vakextractor misfired in there." His cheeks sagged, his lips turned down. "Quite a mess. Believe me."

"Believe you?" She laughed. "The card shark who pulls a fourth king off the bottom?"

The guidance counselor shook his head. "Never. You overestimate my ability and underestimate my character."

"Right now I'm estimating the size of your coffin. Get out of my way."

Finkelstein shrugged and moved aside. "You won't have any privacy with a student in there."

"You think I had privacy in Army latrines?" Bunny pushed the door open. Portia Underlude stood with her back to the sinks, smiling.

"Oh Christ!" said Bunny. "From the Jew to the Faithmonger. Hello, Portia. You cleaning for penance?" Finkelstein was crowding in behind her. "Go get LittleHawk," she heard him tell Arvin. No matter. All three of them together couldn't match her strength.

"Bunny! What a wonderful surprise." Portia Underlude stepped forward, arms open for an embrace. "I didn't know you were coming."

She wants to tie up my arms. There are lights on behind her in crappersville. Bunny put a hand to Portia's chest to fend her off. "Hang a minute, babe. What's happening here?"

"Just the usual," said Portia.

Bunny took a deep sniff and screwed up her face; a gargoyle looked back from a mirror. The odor of shit was nasty and expected, the lavender air freshener was sickly sweet, but Finkelstein's rotten fruit cologne was mixed with a warmblood sweatstink of fear. She glared at the guidance counselor. "Did you bring Miss Godspiel here a little something to prey on in private?"

Finkelstein's wide-eyed look of innocence convinced her she was right. These religious types won't share the time of day with a non-believer, much less a cup of blood, thought Bunny.

"You're way off base," said Finkelstein. "Edna will be here in a couple of minutes. She'll explain."

"She in on it, too?" Bunny pushed Portia aside and headed into the room with the toilets. "Well, I'll take my share now. It's common courtesy to serve guests first."

Finkelstein stayed hot on her heels. "This isn't what you think. Portia and I are too old for gang-fangs."

"Good. Then there's more for me." Bunny kicked open one stall door after another. "Where are you hiding it?" She saw the arch to the shower room. "Oh." She strode into the darkness and tore a shower curtain from its hooks. Empty. She dropped the curtain and stepped to the next stall. She sniffed. Smiled. It was as if they'd gift-wrapped her prize. Fangs bared, she ripped the curtain back. "Got you!"

The girl stood trembling in her boots, her face almost as bloodless as a vampire's. She was tall and pretty, with strawberry blonde hair down to her backpack. Her ski jacket was unzipped and both hands were tucked beneath her sweater as if she were dealing with heartburn.

"What's your name?" asked Bunny.

The girl licked her lips. "Kathy."

"Well, Kathy, it's dinner time. You can make it hard or easy. You don't have to suffer through the entire meal. What's it to be?"

"Don't do this," pleaded Finkelstein.

"Easy," said Kathy.

"Then step out of the shower like a nice little pudding." Bunny retreated a couple of steps to give the girl room.

Kathy stepped forward. "Mr. Finkelstein, please – " Her voice quavered. From beneath her sweater, she brought an empty hand out in desperate appeal. "Please tell my parents I was eaten by a bear."

Bunny's laugh died when she saw Kathy's knife plunging toward her chest. The vampire pivoted and brought her forearm up to block.

"Oww!" yelled Kathy.

"Fuck!" said Bunny, as the knife lodged in her forearm. Wood, she thought. The kid meant to kill me. "That's it for you, babe," she snarled.

"Stop!" shouted Finkelstein.

"Get lost," said Bunny. "I ought to kill you for bringing this assassin up here."

"Wait! I'm not an assassin."

"Oh, no?" Bunny looked at the knife in her arm, then back at Kathy. "Then who or what the fuck are you?"

Kathy swallowed hard. "I'm your girl."

End of Chapter 9

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