18.

  Cole and Benny were waiting at the entrance of the dorms, leaning against the wall, wringing their hands, and tapping their feet as Gregor lay strewn on one of the common room's couches reading a research book professor Malsauve had suggested could serve as a good spot of extra-curricular reading. It was a detail on the American demon sightings of the nineteen eighties, the real and assumed encounters during what the mortal world called the ‘Satanic Panic’ most of them were false with a detailed explanation, but some sightings did have at least a kernel of truth to them.

  “Gentlemen, I assure you you’ve nothing to worry about, the reports you're waiting with bated breath for are merely our midterms, nothing more than a simple benchmark to show our educational progress. It’s not until our final grades that you need to sweat,” he said.

  “My dad didn’t want me getting into this life, if I have bad grades, he’ll think it’s a reason for me to go home, and I can’t go home, I got work to do as a hunter,” Benny said.

  “Can you imagine what my dad is going to say if I’m flunking?” Cole said, “Never mind my brothers, if I’m the first Longdren man to flunk the Academy I’ll never hear the end of it. I’ll be an embarrassment to the family, a pariah,” he turned to Gregor, “It’s just nerve-wracking, okay?”

  Gregor closed his book and rested it on the coffee table, sitting up and turning to his friends and dorm mates, “Again, gentlemen, I have seen you both perform admirably if not above expectations in every class I’ve shared with you. Your grades by all observations I’ve made should confide in you the kind of confidence in your own academic abilities that I believe you should already have.”

  “I hate report card day, I have always hated report card day,” Benny shook his head.

  “I never had to give report card day that much worry in mortal school, my dad and my family already knew my career, and didn’t really need a traditional mortal education as much as I need this one. I could slack off there, but I can’t slack off here,” Cole said.

  “You’ll be fine,” Gregor said, getting up and taking a stretch, “As most of my free time has been spent studying instead of listening to records and chasing girls, I’m quite confident in my own performance,”

  “That’s right,” Cole looked to Benny, “I wanted to ask you, how did things go with that redhead I saw you talking to, the one with the curls?” he asked.

  “We’re hitting the club next trip topside,” Benny smiled, “Apparently Eliza’s got a thing for New Blood guys. She wants to know everything about what it was like growing up in the mortal world. I can’t lie but there’s really not that much to tell, so I’ve been dolling it out piece by piece, making up a few things, I think I got her hooked,” he grinned.

  “Wait, is that Eliza Saffren? I knew she looked familiar,” Cole said, snapping his fingers.

  “Yeah, Eliza Saffren, why? Is that name important or something? You know I don’t really know who the important people are,” Benny said.”

  “Eliza Saffren is old blood, old blood. Her family is even older than mine. She could trace her family all the way back to before the war,” Cole leaned in, “I heard that she’s descended from one of the twelve disciples, I mean, I’m old blood, but she is old-old blood, which probably explains why she likes new blood. If anything, I bet a girl like that has been introduced to every old family hunter in the business. I should know, I had a couple play dates with her growing up,”

  “You did?” Benny asked.

  “Yeah, I’m the Seventh son and all, my mom has been trying to get me married into one of the old-old lines since I could walk,” Cole said.

  “You’re not jealous, are you? That I’m trying to date her?” Benny asked.

  Cole laughed, “No way, curls aren’t my deal, she’s nice, tell me does she still like finger painting?” Cole asked.

  Benny laughed, “Dude, she’s so pretty, I mean like I met a ton of pretty girls in the school I was in before I came here, but dude, she is really pretty,” Benny said.

  “More power to you, go for it. She’s into new blood, just don’t be surprised if you meet her parents and they’re a bit off-put by you,” Cole said.

  “Not to try to steal the thunder from our friend's romantic conquest, but I too have been engaging with a beautiful young lady,” Gregor said, a light smirk coming across his face.

  “Gregor, you dog, go on man, who is it?” Cole asked, finally starting to relax as he waited for his midterm grades to come in.

  “Her name is Willow Kirkland, you may recognize her from our Etymology class, studying for a career in the support profession, she’s currently petitioning Professor Jyphid to be his TA in the coming term, a brilliant student, and quite a beautiful mind,” Gregor smiled.

  “I saw her, a little stringy, I like some meat on my girls, but she’s cute,” Benny said.

  “Yes, apparently she is quite the fan of the gentleman's sport of fencing, she said she recognized me from my Olympic tryouts, she thinks I got robbed,” Gregor laughed.

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  “Good for you,” Cole said.

  “She’s not half bad with a blade herself, in fact, I learned that she’s the only other member of our class who summoned a rapier at the weapon selection. We’ve been spending our free periods in the gym, sparing,” he raised an eyebrow.

  “Damn dude, you’re sparing with her, that’s some serious game,” Cole said.

  “Yes, a good spar is not that far removed from a good lovemaking,” Gregor raised his hands, “Not that I’m the kind of gentlemen who kisses and tells, but the weaving, the dodging, the thrusting, she gives me quite the invigorating workout, we’ll just leave it at that,” Gregor held his hands out and his smile was damn near contagious.

  Benny turned to Cole, “What about you, that Tav girl, little too much black make-up for me but if you’re into that it’s all good,” he said, “What was that you told me, you’re her Not-Boyfriend? What does that mean?” Benny asked.

  “Being her not-boyfriend means that I’m not her boyfriend, but I’m not not her boyfriend, because I’m her not-boyfriend, and she doesn’t already have a boyfriend,” Cole shook his head, trying to make as much sense as he could out of this precarious social situation. “Look, a girl like Tav is pretty closed off, it’s going to take some time,” Cole said, giving in to the fun of locker room talk, “Who knows, a few trips to the surface, a few dances, she plays things close to the chest, sure every guy in this academy may not be her boyfriend, but I’m the only one who’s her ‘Not-Boyfriend’” he said.

  “I remember the Goth Girls from my Mortal School, they’re a weird bunch,” Benny said, “I mean, Tav seems cool, but there was always something off about the Goth Girls,” he said.

  “She’s not a Goth Girl, she just likes black,” Cole said, “I mean, you’ve seen her, it’s a good color on her, it works for her, matches her hair, and she’s fair skinned so it really pops, just because she likes black and My Chemical Romance that doesn’t mean she’s a goth girl. I went to Mortal School too growing up, I know a Goth Girl when I see one and Tav isn’t a Goth Girl, she’s just unique,” Cole said.

  “I’ve been attending college since I was twelve, these petty titles and justifications for spending time together without assuming said petty titles fly quite far over my head,” Gregor said, “What, pray tell, is a ‘Not Boyfriend’?” he asked.

  “It means what it means, I already tried to explain this, she’s not my girlfriend and I’m not her boyfriend, but she’s also my ‘Not-Girlfriend,’ and I’m her ‘Not-Boyfriend’ so that means that, I, umm, I’m not her…but I am her…she’s not my…but she is my…” Cole dropped his head in defeat, “I have no idea, I got to come clean, I have no idea what I’m doing, she’s playing this twisted game with me. I mean, I think she likes me, but it’s, damn it’s complicated,” Cole put his head down, “Where are our freaking grades so we can talk about something else,” he said.

  “Dude, dude…dude,” Benny put a hand on Cole’s shoulder, “You’re getting there, you’re already her ‘Not-Boyfriend’, she’s hot, there are probably a ton of dudes here who wish they could be her ‘Not-Boyfriend’ With how off-putting she is, ‘Not-Boyfriend’ might be the best you can do for now,” Benny said.

  “I’m taking it as a win,” Cole said, peering his head out “Oh, crap, he’s coming,” Cole said, “This is it, grade time,” Cole said as the courier arrived.

  “Mr. Longdren, I presume,” he said, already knowing Cole’s name as he handed him his envelope. then turned to Gregor, “Mr. Munchouse, you should be well satisfied by this report,” he tossed the envelope to Gregor. “I’m looking for a Benjamin Paterellis,” he said.

  “That’s me,” Benny said, reaching out to take the envelope, “Okay, let’s see if we’re screwed,” he said, ripping his grades open and looking at Cole.

  “Okay, Etymology, I answered like five questions right, battle training I know I killed,” Cole said, looking at his paper, “All B’s, I’ll take it,” he smiled, holding his report card up with great bravado, “All B’s, let the word be spread, that Cole Longdren does not sleep on his studies, I knew when I presented Professor Jyphid with some high-quality demon teeth and identified every one of them to him before I sold them off, I knew that bit of knowledge would prove I understood Demon Physiology, never underestimate the power of extra credit,” Cole laughed.

  Benny sighed, “Let’s see what we got,” he ripped his envelop open and looked over his grades, “Okay, I can work with this, Etymology B, somehow,” he looked up, then back to his card, “Demon Psychology, B, again no idea how. Though I was able to deduce what kind of people that Possessors targets, that might have helped,” he looked back to his card, “History, B, okay that’s out of left field,” Benny said, “I was sure I failed that one.”

  “Good for you the midterm was multiple choice, never underestimate the forces of chaotic randomness,” Gregor said as he looked at his own grades. “Not to brag gentlemen, but I did fine,” he said, a cocky smile on his face.

  “Straight A’s?” Cole asked.

  “Yeah, you made straight A’s, didn’t you?” Benny asked.

  Gregor rolled his eyes, “I am an academic, there is no reason to compare your own performance to mine, that said, yes, straight A’s of course,” Gregor said.

  “Even in combat? I mean, you’re good with that rapier, but I think I could take you,” Cole said.

  “You very well could, your reckless raging and swinging with a weapon of your size would most likely overpower one using my weapon of choice, but you must understand that all things be taken into account, our weapons are made to fight the demonic breed, not each other,” Gregor said.

  “You don’t go to worry about fighting me, can’t even make my sword light on fire,” Cole looked down. “Good grades, not great, but good, do you think my dad is going to be proud?” he looked to Gregor.

  “As I expected, your performance in class was admirable, I told you that you had nothing to worry about,” Gregor said. “Your grades, being less than perfection as they are, are respectable, you’re in the curve, you’re above it, all B’s, nothing to be ashamed of,” he said.

  “I’m going to take it as a win, one of my brothers, Colin, he got more than a few C’s, as long as I’m keeping pace with my brothers, I’m happy, what about you Benny?” Cole asked.

  “I got an A in exorcism,” Benny smiled, “I mean, everything else is B’s and C’s, but I got an A, I never got an A in mortal school, this feels good, I’m happy with this,” he said.

  “So, we all passed, we’re all still in good standing, you know what that means,” Cole smiled.

  “What does it mean?” Benny asked.

  “If a hunter is not weeded out in the first term of studies, that means he is invited to the second hunt, the hunt that separates the true Demon Hunters from those whose skills are purely academic. If we fail here we’ll be regulated for our next year here to be mere specialists and supporters, and in the worst-case scenario, we’ll have to find jobs as traders. If we can’t prove ourselves in the second hunt, our careers will be quite impacted,” Gregor said.

  “Okay, so we go to the second hunt, and show the academy that we’re the guys who mean business, you two with me?” Cole asked, “We got to kill something epic to prove our worth,” Cole folded his grades and slipped them into his pocket.

  “Let’s kill something epic,” Benny said, smiling, “I just got the best report card I’ve ever gotten, I kind of want to send this to my parents right now,” he said, “Does the Academy need them to sign these?”