famous and you live with two vampires!
“Ben, this is Ashlee,” Mrs. Hirsh explains, resting one hand on my shoulder. Her fingers are ice-cold, but, funnily enough, I feel a sudden warmth. The warmth of recognition. “She’s recently moved here from New York, and she’s working on the play with Marc and Sasha.”
“Ah,
At First Bite?”
Ben Hirsh grins, the corners of his eyes crinkling up. “I still can’t get over the fact that Marc is involved in a play about vampires. I mean, talk about hitting close to ho —”
Mrs. Hirsh stops him short with an intense,
what-are-you-thinking?
look. It’s clear that neither of them know that I’m a vampire. I’m grateful to Marc for keeping my secret, but at the same time something else is stirring inside me. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m feeling starstruck, or safe, or both. All I know is I’m tired of hiding and scrambling and living in fear. And I can’t stop myself from blurting out the truth.
“No, I get it,” I say, my face burning. “You see, the play hits close to home for me, too. I’m —” I look at Mrs. Hirsh. “I’m one of you.”
Stunned silence fills the room, and then a voice calls out:
“Wait,
what?
You’re a vampire?”
I turn and see Sasha standing at the entrance to the living room, her eyes enormous. Marc is right behind her, a sheepish expression on his face.
“I am,” I say, trembling a little. It’s the first time I’ve admitted it out loud, and it feels surprisingly good.
Then everyone starts talking at once.
“I don’t believe it!” Mr. Hirsh says, jumping to his feet. “What are the chances?”
“Really? Who’s your mentor?” Mrs. Hirsh asks me, surprise etched on her face.
“Arabella Lowe,” I tell her. Then I add, “At least, I hope she still is. I haven’t heard from her in a while.”
“But — but there were no signs,” Sasha sputters, staring at me. “Nothing to give you away.”
“Well, that time you found me in the bathroom,” I explain, my heart pounding as I grip the garment bag. “I fell because I was having issues with my bat-shifting.”
“Oh, poor dear,” Mrs. Hirsh murmurs, frowning. “Bat-shifting can take some getting used to.”
The only person not talking is Marc, and Sasha suddenly notices.
“You
knew
this, didn’t you?” Sasha cries, spinning around to glare at her brother. “And you told her — about you? About Mom? And you never told us?”
Marc holds up his hands as if to shield himself. “Look, it just sort of happened,” he replies. “Ashlee saw me drinking Sanga!, and we got to talking about Dark Ones….”
“It’s true,” I say quickly, coming to his defense. “I thought Marc was the Dark One who’d been attacking people in our school. Then he explained to me about your mom” — I glance quickly at Mrs. Hirsh — “being on the Council.”
“I wish you’d told me you’d met another vampire at school,” Mrs. Hirsh says to Marc, shaking her head.
“Yes, son,” Mr. Hirsh chimes in. “Especially since you know your mother and the other Council members have been so focused on the attacks.”
“Plus, I thought we told each other everything,” Sasha harrumphs.
Marc shrugs, and his brown eyes meet mine. “I promised Ashlee I’d keep her secret,” he says simply.His cheeks turn a little red, and I smile at him, blushing, too.
“Actually,” I say, biting my lip. “I came here in part hoping we could talk more about the attacks. I don’t have any new leads, but I’m worried something else is going to happen soon.” I look uncertainly from Marc to his mother.
Mrs. Hirsh glances at her watch. “Unfortunately, Dad and I have dinner at Steven Spielberg’s tonight,” she says, in the same way someone might say they had to pick up groceries. “But, Ashlee,” she adds, “feel free to stay as long as you like. Marc can fill me in later on what you discuss.” She shoots Marc a stern
won’t-you?
look, and he nods.
“You guys go on
“Ben, this is Ashlee,” Mrs. Hirsh explains, resting one hand on my shoulder. Her fingers are ice-cold, but, funnily enough, I feel a sudden warmth. The warmth of recognition. “She’s recently moved here from New York, and she’s working on the play with Marc and Sasha.”
“Ah,
At First Bite?”
Ben Hirsh grins, the corners of his eyes crinkling up. “I still can’t get over the fact that Marc is involved in a play about vampires. I mean, talk about hitting close to ho —”
Mrs. Hirsh stops him short with an intense,
what-are-you-thinking?
look. It’s clear that neither of them know that I’m a vampire. I’m grateful to Marc for keeping my secret, but at the same time something else is stirring inside me. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m feeling starstruck, or safe, or both. All I know is I’m tired of hiding and scrambling and living in fear. And I can’t stop myself from blurting out the truth.
“No, I get it,” I say, my face burning. “You see, the play hits close to home for me, too. I’m —” I look at Mrs. Hirsh. “I’m one of you.”
Stunned silence fills the room, and then a voice calls out:
“Wait,
what?
You’re a vampire?”
I turn and see Sasha standing at the entrance to the living room, her eyes enormous. Marc is right behind her, a sheepish expression on his face.
“I am,” I say, trembling a little. It’s the first time I’ve admitted it out loud, and it feels surprisingly good.
Then everyone starts talking at once.
“I don’t believe it!” Mr. Hirsh says, jumping to his feet. “What are the chances?”
“Really? Who’s your mentor?” Mrs. Hirsh asks me, surprise etched on her face.
“Arabella Lowe,” I tell her. Then I add, “At least, I hope she still is. I haven’t heard from her in a while.”
“But — but there were no signs,” Sasha sputters, staring at me. “Nothing to give you away.”
“Well, that time you found me in the bathroom,” I explain, my heart pounding as I grip the garment bag. “I fell because I was having issues with my bat-shifting.”
“Oh, poor dear,” Mrs. Hirsh murmurs, frowning. “Bat-shifting can take some getting used to.”
The only person not talking is Marc, and Sasha suddenly notices.
“You
knew
this, didn’t you?” Sasha cries, spinning around to glare at her brother. “And you told her — about you? About Mom? And you never told us?”
Marc holds up his hands as if to shield himself. “Look, it just sort of happened,” he replies. “Ashlee saw me drinking Sanga!, and we got to talking about Dark Ones….”
“It’s true,” I say quickly, coming to his defense. “I thought Marc was the Dark One who’d been attacking people in our school. Then he explained to me about your mom” — I glance quickly at Mrs. Hirsh — “being on the Council.”
“I wish you’d told me you’d met another vampire at school,” Mrs. Hirsh says to Marc, shaking her head.
“Yes, son,” Mr. Hirsh chimes in. “Especially since you know your mother and the other Council members have been so focused on the attacks.”
“Plus, I thought we told each other everything,” Sasha harrumphs.
Marc shrugs, and his brown eyes meet mine. “I promised Ashlee I’d keep her secret,” he says simply.His cheeks turn a little red, and I smile at him, blushing, too.
“Actually,” I say, biting my lip. “I came here in part hoping we could talk more about the attacks. I don’t have any new leads, but I’m worried something else is going to happen soon.” I look uncertainly from Marc to his mother.
Mrs. Hirsh glances at her watch. “Unfortunately, Dad and I have dinner at Steven Spielberg’s tonight,” she says, in the same way someone might say they had to pick up groceries. “But, Ashlee,” she adds, “feel free to stay as long as you like. Marc can fill me in later on what you discuss.” She shoots Marc a stern
won’t-you?
look, and he nods.
“You guys go on
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