Free The Keeper's Vow by B.F. Simone

Stopped by her house, or sent a telegram.
What if she had spent the rest of the weekend having panic attacks.
Didn’t anyone care that her life had just been turned upside
down?
    “Kay?” Allison said, breaking their long
silence. She put her hand on Katie’s shoulder.
    Katie felt a wave of guilt and shame. Why
was she mad? Where was it all coming from? Her stomach twisted with
each step as she thought of a response. “Mmhmm?” was all she could
muster. Tears threatened to blur her vision. Why was she about to
cry? She felt so stupid.
    It’s just school. I’m just going to
school. She’d spent yesterday trying to convince herself that
it was just school. But no matter how many times she told herself
that, she knew it wasn’t true; every time panic crept in and she’d
remember Glock’s horrid beady, black eye soaking her in and the
smell of death rolling off him.
    That was what waited for her if she changed
her mind.
    Allison stopped her. “Kay? What’s—did you
tell your dad? Did he say something?”
    The dam was over flowing. Katie hated how
caring Allison could be. She was almost as bad as Lucinda, and it
always made her close to flooding the gates.
    Katie stood in the middle of the side walk
trying not to cry like an idiot. After Allison pulled out a
hand-full of tissues from her book-bag and Katie blew her nose a
few times, they continued walking to school. Katie told Allison
that she hadn’t told her dad, or slept the last two nights. She
told her about her occurring nightmares of Glock.
    “I don’t blame you,” Allison walked up the
steps to the school. “Everything about him is nightmare
inducing.”
    Katie started to agree when she heard
someone call her name. She turned around to see Lucinda waving as
she climbed up the school steps towards her.
    “Lucy, what are you—“ Katie started, but
instantly knew the answer to her question. He was staring at her
with his blue piercing eyes behind Lucinda.
    “Kate, I’ve been trying to call you since
Saturday. Did you get my messages?” Lucinda said, turning back
periodically to make sure Tristan was following her.
    Katie felt another wave of guilt. “I left my
phone in my locker. Why doesn’t anyone email me?”
    “I was under the impression you wanted to be
left alone.”
    There was a hint of sadness in her voice.
Katie sighed. Lucinda had been expecting Katie to call. Why didn’t
Katie use her dad’s cell to call anyone? Katie kicked herself for
it. She’d thought about it, but pride had stopped her multiple
times.
    Lucinda checked for Tristan one more time
even though he was standing next to her in the school uniform,
looking as normal as ever. Not a hint of vampire in him. “Well,”
Lucinda said, looking back at Katie, “I’m glad Tristan spotted you.
We have to go to the front office to get your new schedule. Unless,
of course, your father came to do that with you today. How did that
go anyway?”
    Katie could hear the strain in Lucinda’s
voice. They avoided talking about her dad just for this reason. It
had been three years, since the day Katie had heard Lucinda scream
that he could never come back to her house ever again. She was in
the back yard with Brian, and they hadn’t heard anything until
that. She was sure the whole neighborhood had heard Lucinda. Still
no one would speak of that day or what made Lucinda snap like
that.
    “It went fine.” Katie said eager to change
the subject. “I have a new schedule? What? Werewolf 101?”
    Lucinda and Allison stared at her. Tristan
stared off as if he weren’t interested in the school and even less
interested in the conversation.
    “Katie. It’s important you don’t saying
anything like that unless you’re in one of
your—accelerated—classes. You see the trouble it caused when you
found out. Imagine if it were someone whose only option was an
omitter.”
    Katie felt the blood rush to her cheeks. “I
didn’t—mean to—”
    “It’s alright. Let’s get to the front