Unexpected Confrontation With Grandpa

There it is, the biggest house on the block. Well if there was a block full of houses. For now it's just my grandpas mansion which he has settled on calling a big house.

I'd say that the yard work is pretty good, but it'd look a lot better if half of what was within the green house next door was planted outside. Of course I've already tried that, and after the paved driveway was eaten away over the course of a month by a vine, I was scolded for the next few years.

Still I'm glad that it's nothing fancy, no water fountain or roundabout to make the house seem like more than it is, and the house itself looks to be a normal two story, maybe six bedroom house.

Looks to be, being the key words because once I step out of this car and enter it, all I'm met by is a huge foyer with books decorating the walls on either side, and a staircase that should be as big as half of the house's outside size. The books were everywhere and seemed to stretch into all corners of the house. I wouldn't be surprised to wake up one day and find the clothes in my closet replaced with books one day.

"Good luck."

"Thanks." I told joltier as he got back into the car, and drove off to complete whatever busywork my grandfather gave him.

I took off my shoes before ascending the rounding set of stairs and walking down the leftmost hallway.

After reaching a large set of wooden doors, I pulled out the paper and looked at it a few seconds before knocking quietly on the door.

"Enter." The booming voice of my grandfather commanded.

Not even giving me the chance to back out, the door swung open on its own.

Well this is good, he wasn't studying he was just… staring out the window. His completely whitened hair and towering demeanor almost made him look like a mage. None of those glasses or robes, like everyone else thinks they wear. Even if he wore them he wouldn't need them. He said that poor eyesight from old age, was a problem he fixed centuries ago.

"Abram you're just on time, I was just about to go search for you."

"That's good, I just need this paper signed and that's it on my end." I said while handing him the sheet hoping that maybe just once he would just skim over it and sign it.

Unfortunately, he only grabbed it and set it on his desk before turning back to me.

"You probably don't want to hear it, but soon people will find it hard to believe you are a high schooler. The next school would probably see you as someone who had been held back a few times." He looked me over before speaking again.

"I think it's time that you find a job."

"Oh? Is that all this is about?"

"No, not right now, and not just any job. A friend of mine recently contacted me, and said that they would happily show you the many jobs the magical side of this world has to offer at the moment."

"Right now? But I was, I mean I just enrolled and I'm going to be leaving?"

I didn't even get to say farewell.

"Abram you've already had your fair share of schooling, I'd thought twelve schools and forty-eight years total would be enough, besides you'll have to do it one day."

My mind scrambled as for a few moments before calming down.

"Okay, when is your friend going to pick me up?"

To my surprise, the paper I had handed to him, floated over to me with his signature on it.

"Tomorrow, and you will be going to her. She opened up a school which promises to acclimate magical beings who attend, to the outside world."

I don't even know what to think about that.

"You set this all up? I had already been thinking the worst, I tried everything to avoid going and still got chosen."

"Good, you should think the worst. You gave them information that they discovered was incorrect, and allowed me to completely control your outcome. Do not leave open ends, there are many beings who will grab and twist you as they like."

The sternness in his voice made me shiver. I mean, it was my fault, if I hadn't have shown off in what I assumed was private, he wouldn't have easily caught me and put me in this situation.

"I suppose I should go and start packing up my belongings."

He nodded in confirmation and I turned to leave but stopped as I heard him speak up.

"While I'm sure you don't need me to tell you, I'll say it just to be sure, stay away from any bloodsucking undead."

A look of shock and remembrance must've found it's way onto my face because he smiled warmly at seeing it.

"You're right, you didn't have to tell me."

Their kind are going to be at this school. Why, all of a sudden, is he not only letting me leave the house, and expecting me to share the same space with those who had a hand in my parents deaths? Shit!

After tossing all of my clothes around and cooling down, I finally got to actually packing up.

"Where is she? Seamstress!"

"I'm right here Abram, no need to yell. What is it? Another hole in your pocket?"

There she goes again, materializing out of nowhere.

"I'll be leaving tomorrow."

"Ah, the young boy will be leaving the house will he?" The ghostly woman said as she moved right in front of me.

"Oh please, I'm anything but young and you know that."

"And neither am I. Not going to compliment my latest creation? I spent all night getting it just right." She asked as she did a twirl mid air and moved to show how her outfit hung tightly to her.

And she seems to have done this again. She seems to be a perfectly normal woman ghost, with brown shoulder length hair and a mature look to herself, that is until you notice that along the seams of her clothing, the material she used to sew together her outfit, is also connecting her outfit to her skin, if she were still living the outfit would definitely be stained red.

"You know it could do with a little less permanence. Don't even think about using any living people as your artistic Guinea pigs either, you've already been warned what will happen."

"I know, I know. Jeez, you don't have to bring it up every time I change my outfit. It's not like I want to give up my second chance at life just like that." The seamstress whined.

"It's just a precaution, spirits can lose their sense of self at any moment and you are no exception."

She looked over at me for a moment before speaking up again.

"Still not going to say something about my new outfit? I made it just for today."

Of course she did, was I the only one who didn't know about my grandfather's schemes?

Whatever, might as well say some nice words to cheer her up.

"It looks very good and really accentuates your curves."

"Oh stop you're making me blush."

"If only guys like you were around more when I was alive. You know, they called me mad, but I was close as hell to finding a way to end rape on a large scale."

"Yes, I know your story quite well, you have told me it countless times. What I called you here for was so that I could have a uniform made for this school I'm going off to."

"Oh, have I now? I could recall maybe saying it once or twice, it's really hard to remember when you don't have a brain, you know."

I watched as she walked over to my closet doors and went through them, and I got up to see what she was up to as I heard her tossing all of my belongings around.

"What are you doing?"

"Well, I left it here somewh… aha!"

She pulled open a drawer and pulled out a box.

"Like I just told you, I have already planned ahead for your trip and made you a uniform."

"You never told me anything."

"Shush. It's made of your favorite materials, perfect for some fancy magic, and not only formal but also multi-use."

"Multi-use as in, it is flexible, durable, and more, or multi-use as in it'll last a few times before falling apart?"

"Hmph, don't even joke about my work like that. I take my job very seriously I'll have you know."

"It's fine, I'm only joking, just keep taking your job seriously and not me. I like the colors you've chosen. Although if it weren't for the white button up underneath and all of the fancy embroidery, it would seem like I was ready for a funeral."

"Is this the schools crest?" I asked as I stared down at a the emblem which didn't try to hide much about the school.

"Yup that's it."

A monsters hand shaking a normal hand. Nobody would overthink that if they saw me out on the streets, would they? Korean Cultural School of Early Higher Education, that is a mouthful. Grandpa's friend must be bad at naming or just doesn't care because well, it's not like the school is going to be very public.

"Dark red outline really does something for it though. You wouldn't mind sticking around to help me pack up would you?"

She stuck her tongue out at me and flew through a wall giving me an answer to that question.

I turned as I heard a page flutter across the room.

"Oh so you're still going huh? I'd better shut you off so that I don't come back to a room filled with papers." I said as I walked over to my journal which already had quite a bit written.

With a simple spell I…

——————

"There you are." My grandfathers voice resounded as he looked at a monitor.

"You are a young boy still, even if your mind has already matured. I think it would be best if you didn't end your journal there, so I connected it to its own offline program and plenty of space. After all, the next month will be more interesting than you could ever imagine. I only hope that you may enjoy your days there, maybe find yourself a spouse… or two on the way." After a brief pause he spoke again.

"Just don't choose like your father did, choosing a human girl and looking for ways to prolong her life… stay safe."

After muttering in a different language altogether, the scenery changed and I found myself saying goodbye to Malcolm. He unsurprisingly made a full recovery over night and was tearfully waving as I left the classroom.

Right to the front door and outside, to whoever is there to pick me up. Too bad Abigail wasn't in class, I'm sure… oh.

Right as I was thinking about her she walked through the front doors with a set of crutches.

"Abigail! Don't tell me you actually went off and hurt yourself while trying to cheat the system."

"Hah, I wish. Truth is that I actually rolled my ankle in the basketball game, it wasn't until after that, that I felt how much it was actually hurting."

"That's something I would've expected from Malcolm."

"Well too bad I beat him to it."

She looked at my backpack before looking back to me. "So you are already leaving? With how big the event was yesterday, I expected the whole school to be out here watching you leave."

"You're definitely not wrong, but I think it's better this way, and hey, I was lucky enough to run into you before being taken away."

"Enough with the front. I know you're going to enjoy leaving this hot and dry place. Just make sure to bring something back, for me and Malcolm. I suppose you can bring something back for yourself as well." She said as she hobbled past me.

"I'll take you up on that kindness and get myself something extra special. Bye. I'll see you both in a month. Oh, and don't hurt yourself any more, I don't want to come back to a hospitalized Abigail." I teased before turning to enter the principal's office.

"Hello, I'm back again."

"Hello Abram, your luggage is in the corner where you left it." He told me while pointing off towards my belongings.

"Thank you for keeping an eye on it."

I had tried to fit it in my locker, but without magic it was impossible.

I lifted up a suitcase and carried it on my shoulder, my backpacks strap being squished underneath it. The other two I pulled behind me as I used my foot to open the door to the office.

"Mr. Williams, I can help you take it out if you would like?" The principal asked when he saw me nearly kick down the door.

"I've got it. Sorry if I smudged the handle."

I'm starting to think that I overpacked. Nah, there's no such thing as being over prepared.