Mrs. Cunningham makes a sort of "hmm" sound while looking over my Jellyfish essay. It's Monday and we are sitting at that same old kitchen table. I managed an A on the math problems but this is torture, waiting patiently while she looks over this stupid paper on stupid Jellyfish without making any definite response to the positive or negative. Granted, Jellyfish turned out to be rather interesting, it didn't stop this from being uncomfortable.

Mabel is sitting on the windowsill without a care in the world, sunbathing and licking her left paw. Mom is at work and had actually left on time this morning, which is a miracle. Then, here I am worrying about my paper on the surface while thoughts of my elusive upstairs neighbor and what has happened the past few days dances in the background. Last night I had a disturbing nightmare about the robbery. There was lots of blood, but luckily not my own. At least I didn't think it was, I couldn't remember it all. I really wanted to talk to Joanna. This school stuff needs to go faster. I tap my pencil on the table and after a minute makes Mrs. Cunningham rather annoyed. She just has to give me a look to stop.

Finally, she clears her throat and places the paper down. She smiles, which allows me to sigh in relief before she speaks. "This is well done, Colin," she says pleasantly. "Have a few too many run-on sentences but I forgive you a little of your grammar considering this is a biology paper and not an English one." She scrawls a few notes and my grade on the paper in a red ink pen before returning it to me.

I'm looking it over when she stands up abruptly and she draws my eyes as she does so. "I would like you to open your World History book now and open it to chapter seven and read the section on Henry the VIII, while I make us some tea," she says whilst walking around the table to the kettle already sitting on the stove.

I had started to open the textbook while she had been speaking and attempt to concentrate on what I am reading. Normally I am really intrigued by British history but right now I have an odd and burning question I'd like to ask Mrs. Cunningham, though I don't know if I should. I bite my lower lip a moment, debating before finally relenting to my own curiosity. "Mrs. Cunningham, could I ask you a question?"

"Hmm? What is it, Colin?" She says while putting a tea bag in each mug.

"Uh...Do you know much, that is, on the subject of...vampires?" I almost whisper that last word but it seems she heard me anyway.

She stops what she is doing immediately and turns towards me with such an odd and slightly surprised expression. She seems to think a moment and takes a few steps towards me. "Vampires? And what, may I ask, has brought this on?"

I shrug and fiddle with the pages of my World History book. "I don't know. Just curious, I guess, plus as you know there is always vampire stuff going on in the entertainment world." I look up at her as I try to give my best innocent face.

She scoffs and wanders back to the kettle. Mrs. Cunningham is definitely a bit of a snob, especially when it came to books and film. She mumbles something but I don't quite catch it, I tell her so but when she speaks up I'm pretty sure that isn't what she had said. "I'm no expert but I do know vampires are a legend that have been around for a long time and almost every culture across the world has some form of vampire folklore," she states and a second later the shrill whistle of the kettle sounds off. Nearly makes me jump out of my seat.

She pours the tea into the mugs and brings one to me before sitting down again and nursing her own. I take a sip and think about what she said. I can feel Mrs. Cunningham watching me while I stare into my mug. What must she be thinking? "Colin, if you are so curious about vampire folklore, perhaps you should research the topic...maybe as an extra credit activity?" She takes a nice long sip of her tea and looks towards the window, her back straight and ankles crossed.

Well there's an idea. I could go see Joanna and get her to let me use her laptop again. I mean I don't know why I didn't think of using that thing people call the Internet before now. I mean this is the main reason its there, to look up stuff. "Okay," I say more to myself than my teacher.

"On Wednesday we can discuss what you find, be sure to bring me notes or printed articles." She smiles kindly, setting her mug down on the table.

"Wait, Wednesday? Why not Tuesday?"

She seems startled and then laughs quietly, shaking her head. "Oh! I am so sorry, Colin, I forgot to tell you. I have to go see my sister upstate tomorrow, so we won't have class. I hope you don't mind, dear, but I really must check on her. She isn't well."

"Oh, yeah, that's okay. I hope she feels better, Mrs. Cunningham, your sister," I say politely, though I honestly can't care that much. I am a little excited to have another day of no schoolwork. Though I guess I have more research to do, but I really do need to find out more about...well, what Felix might...be?

Mrs. Cunningham smiles and nods. "Thank you, Colin. Now, let's get back to the history lesson!"

We don't get back on the subject of vampires again and continue for another half hour or so of study.

                                                        ---

I do the dishes an hour later after Mrs. Cunningham has left before I slip on some shoes and make my way out of my apartment and to the elevator to go see Joanna.

While I wait for the elevator to come to my floor, I hear a door open and look down the hall to see Aunt Rosie coming out of her apartment and locking the door behind her. She has a scarf over he head and a jacket on. I wonder where she might be going, I didn't even know she left her apartment all that much. She has bad arthritis and usually gets Marco, the Latino kid who lives around the corner down the other hall, or me to get her groceries and such. She turns towards me to start walking towards the elevator I assume and she seems startled to see me. She recovers quickly and smiles her pleasant granny smile. She slowly makes her way towards me and makes it just in time for the elevator ding and the doors slide open.

We step in together, I click the button for level C and she clicks for the lobby. "How are you, my dear? Is your mother well? Haven't seen you for days," she asks sweetly and starts digging in her giant purse. "I have some chocolate-covered raisins in here...somewhere," she mumbles out loud while she rummages.

"We're good, mom is doing well in her job so far, though its only been a couple of days," I reply while watching her. She is a bit of an odd one but who isn't in this building? Is it a requirement on the lease application? She finally pulls out what she was looking for, an entire box of chocolate-covered raisins and offers it to me.

"I'm glad to hear it. Here you go, sweetie, I've only had a few." She keeps it held out till I take it finally. I thank her but stare at the box a bit questionably. How long has it been in her purse? I do actually love chocolate-covered raisins though. Not many young people like raisins, but I do. Heck, I even like dates and Brussels sprouts and goat cheese. Jo is always telling me I'm just an old person in a young person's body.

The elevator went up first and it dings for Jo's floor. "Bye, Aunt Rosie, have a good day and thanks again!" She smiles and waves, but from the corner of my eye as I start to turn away from her in front of the elevator doors I see an odd flash in her eyes. At least I think I do, I stare dumbly at her as the doors close and seeing nothing out of the ordinary. I stand there for a second before shaking my head and moving on. Eyes are known for playing tricks on the human mind.