Hollow Mate: The Roma Academy

Chapter 1

-Tinsley POV-

"A warm bed and food do sound good." I mumble to myself.

(That is what he said. A bed and food.)

I look down at my hand where I hold the card the strange man I met at the alley gave me.

I look up again at the big black double doors in front of me. They have a snake carved on each door. The snakes go up a pillar and meet in the middle.

(I have never seen something like this in a school or college.)

I look back at the card. “This is a college, right?”

I turn the car around trying to make sense out of it but all I can see is the name of the school, “The Roma Academy”, the address in Baltimore, and the man's name “Ezekiel” written behind it.

I lean back and look up at the huge old English-style building, still debating if I should go in. The building rests at the edge of the city. It is one of the few places—if not the only besides the park— in the city that has a forest with about twenty acres of land which is also rare to see so close to the city. The forest on the back of the building is surrounded by a six to seven feet fence with metal bars that enclose it, obviously to keep intruders out.

“But who would want to break in such a creepy place.” I whisper.

I sigh, trying to think of what to do. It is cold, the winter cold creeps in through my old beaten pink jacket and my ripped jeans. Not ripped because of style but because of wear and tear. These are the only jeans I own and the only thing warm enough to get me through winter. Through my worn-out shoes, the cold of the snow under my feet creeps in and my toes feel like ice cubes.

Snow starts to sprinkle on me from the sky.

“Come on Tinsley...” I talk to myself trying to encourage me. “... a blizzard is coming and that corner in the alley will be a death trap to sleep in these next two days. I don’t even think I will be able to make it in time to the bridge that I tend to sleep under. And besides, I am already here.”

I take a deep breath. My hands go to the strap of my backpack.

“I have my medication and all I need here. I’ll be fine.”

I nod to myself and lift my hand up, my fingers touch the handle of the cold black door. I open it and push it to find a hallway. It is dimly illuminated. I walk in, dragging snow in but I am so distracted that making the place dirty is the least of my concerns though looking at this place, maybe it should be.

The floors are cream-colored glistening marble. The walls have white Tudor paneling going all the way up to the high ceilings. There is a bright chandelier in the middle of the ceiling and a set of stairs on the right side, leading up to the upper floor to a small balcony overlooking the entrance. It is not what I expected when I looked at this place from the outside. The outside looks like an old creepy mansion or castle but the inside is bright and inviting.

I feel out of place.

“Why am I here?” I whisper.

It feels like staying here for just one night will cost me my soul because it is the only thing I have to give.

I shake my head and turn around, ready to run out but a voice echoing through the hall stops me.

“Can I help you?”

I jump, startled. “Balls!” I say in almost a shout.

“Excuse me?!” The voice has command and if not for my cold trembling legs that I can barely feel, I would have been halfway across the city by now.

I turn and am met with an attractive older man coming down the stairs in a suit. And by old I don’t mean he is old, he is just older than me. Maybe in his late thirties. I am just eighteen, nineteen in two months.

He has blond wavy hair and almost yellow eyes that I am mesmerized with. Despite his commanding voice, he emanates kindness and looks curiously at me.

He stops at the last few steps of the stairs and opens his mouth to say something else but we are interrupted by noises coming from the end of the hall.

I can hear someone shouting in the distance and people running. As the sounds get closer, the man in front of me closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose. Suddenly, a young guy runs across the hall laughing while a man chases him.

“YOU ARE A MENACE!” The man chasing shouts. “I know it was you! Come back here Leon!”

And just like that, the voices, laughter, and footsteps fade away but I am left there with my mouth opened.

(What the hell is this place?)

The man in front of me takes a deep breath and opens his eyes with a smile.

“Is there something I can help you with?” He asks.

“I...” Nothing really comes out of me. I close my mouth not knowing what to say. I take the card out and hold it up.

He walks down the stairs and comes closer, then takes the card out of my hand.

He turns it around to where the name Ezekiel is written. He looks back at me with a curious expression, trying to understand.

“Ezekiel gave you this?” He asks.

I force myself to talk. “I assume the man who gave it to me is Ezekiel. Crazy, blond, blue eyes...”

He nods without letting me finish but there is no need to explain. From the corner of my eyes at the top of the stairs on the small balcony, the man Ezekiel stands. He leans in and rests his arms on the veranda.

“There she is. My little stray pup.” He says with a big smile.

The man in front of me looks up at the man Ezekiel.

“When the hell did you get here?” He asks him.

Ezekiel smiles. “Just now.”

(Pup?)

This man called me a werewolf back in the alley.

“And what is this?” The man in front of me asks Ezekiel as he motions towards me.

“A stray pup... you can’t smell her?” Ezekiel asks.

“Smell her?” The other man asks and looks at me.

My eyes widen.

(These people are crazy, aren’t they? But I am crazier for coming here. Wait... do I smell? No I don't!)

I am ready to run out again but stop at the mention of food.

“Marco, I promised her food and a warm bed.” Ezekiel says.

My stomach starts to hurt. I haven't eaten since yesterday.

The man Marco stares at me and then back at Ezekiel. “I assume you have a... reason for this?” Marco asks Ezekiel.

Ezekiel nods. “Yes. But let's feed the girl first.”

Marco nods and turns to me, holding his hand out. “Marco Volkov, it’s a pleasure.”

I stare at him and slowly shake his hand. “... Tinsley... Jones.”

“Tinsley Jones.” He repeats.

He holds his arm out, motioning me towards the stairs. I slowly start to make my way up. When I reach the top, Ezekiel straightens up with a smile.

“Follow me.” He says as I do what he says and Marco walks behind me.

My heart beats more than a hundred miles an hour. I am scared but I am so hungry right now that I am not thinking rationally. In my right mind, I would never follow strangers like this. It does not matter how good-looking they are. And they definitely are nice to look at.

As we walk through the hall, we pass a couple of—what I am guessing to be— students. First, a girl who rushes by us, and then a boy. A very, very attractive boy. He looks at me as he passes me by and smiles with amusement. The guy is tall and has a nice body. He has blond hair and blue eyes, a piercing on his left ear, and his muscles are something to admire.

I can spot a f**k-boy a mile away and he is definitely that. He probably smells like Axe body spray and hair gel.

I sigh. He probably is a nice guy and I am just being judgy because I am not in the greatest of moods right now.

When we pass him by, I look back over my shoulder to see him walking backward, staring at me. He gives me a playful smirk but I quickly turn back and continue following Ezekiel.

We come to an open door where light creeps out from. Ezekiel walks in and I follow into a big spacious office.

I look back to find that I am alone with Ezekiel. Marco is not there anymore.

Ezekiel motions me to sit on a sofa in the middle of the office. I sit but my body feels tense.

I have no idea what I am doing here. This is so out of my character but I guess I am desperate.

I spend all of my days walking people's dogs to scarp for a bit of money. I am a dog walker. It is about as much as I can do where they don’t ask you for proof of where you live. No one will hire someone who lives on the streets. And the money I make is barely enough to eat through the week and I spend most of it on my medication. My next dog-walking appointment is in two days and all I have to get me through it is a small bag of crackers and a bottle of water that I was going to have to stretch for the next two days.

Ezekiel leans on the desk with his arms crossed, smiling down at me as he stares.

“So, Tinsley...”

I wait quietly for him to finish.

“... who are you?” He asks.

I am taken aback by the question because I don’t know exactly what he is asking.

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“Where do you live? Where do you come from? Who are your parents? Family?” He asks all of this and waits for my answers.

I don’t trust people easily. I am an assertive person and have a strong personality—at least that is what I call my grumpy side— but I have been very compliant so far and maybe it is because I am feeling a bit weak and tired. But I guess this is where I draw the line.

“You are asking me very personal questions and I don’t feel comfortable giving you all this information. Why do you care anyway?”

“A young girl running in the alleys at night, being chased by cops... that is how I found you, wasn’t it?” He asks.

I look away with my lips pursed and cross my arms.

He chuckles.

“I am not judging you. I just want to make sure that you are in no immediate danger. Are you running from someone? Do you fear for your life?”

I squint my eyes at him in confusion and sigh.

“No. I sometimes live under the Patapsco River bridges or whichever bridge is closest at the moment and that is if the weather is bad. Mostly in the alleys.”

“You don’t have a home?”

“I do in a way... just not one I want to go back to.” I say softly, making sure I guard my face against showing any emotion.

He slowly nods and before he can ask another question, Marco walks in with a tray. I can smell it and I have to contain myself from jumping up and taking it from him.

I almost whimper at the delicious smell as it entices my nose.

Marco walks over and puts the tray in front of me on the coffee table but I don’t make a move until I am instructed to.

“I hope you like meatloaf.” He says.

There is meatloaf, green beans with a side of mac and cheese, and a water bottle. Even though I don’t like my vegetables, I learned to eat anything that was ever presented to me. Food is food. In the streets, having food that you hate is better than nothing.

I nod and take the fork. I start to slowly eat but not because I don’t want to be rude, but because after not eating for so long if I eat this too fast, I will get stomach aches. Learned from experience.

While I focus all my attention on the food in front of me, Marco and Ezekiel talk in the corner with hushed tones. However, I am hearing everything they are saying though I act like I am not paying any attention to them.

“She was running?” Marco asks.

“Yes, and I swear I saw her eyes change when she got angry. I know she is one, but she doesn’t seem to know it herself.” Ezekiel says.

“How is that possible?” Marco asks.

(One what?)