He grabbed his Hatsy’s meal, jumped on his graveyard-themed skateboard, and sped out of the diner. Now let’s talk about prom.”
“I need to know…when he grabbed your neck— what were you thinking about?”
Trevor paused and smiled a sexy grin. “I was thinking that I should have been at the Graveyard Gala with you instead of his sister.”
“Really?” I asked, half flattered, half horrified.
“Are you insane? No one puts their hand on me, unless they’re a girl.”
The bell rang and Trevor stepped into his classroom. “I get to pick the dance,” he said, gloating.
I held up my hand, revealing my fingers had been crossed the whole time I’d made the promise.
Instead of being angry, Trevor cracked a smile. He loved our game. And I knew this time he’d come back playing even stronger.
“Anyone home?” I called out when I arrived home from school.
The house was silent.
“Billy Boy?” I yelled as I roamed through the kitchen and family room. Both areas were empty. I opened the basement door. The light was switched off, but I hollered down anyway.
“Billy—are you here?”
I ran up to Billy Boy’s room and knocked on his door.
He didn’t respond. “Nerd Boy—are you in there?”
When I failed to hear a response from calling him his least favorite name, I figured the nerd lab was clear.
Fortunately, my brother didn’t have Henry’s Mr. Gadget security system and was unable to lock his door from the outside. I gently turned the knob and opened the door.
I began my search for Valentine’s gravestone etchings, hoping they would provide a clue to his motives in Dullsville. I quietly scoured my brother’s dresser drawers, but all I found were tons of white socks and folded T-shirts. I checked under his bed and pulled out a baseball bat, a chessboard, and an unopened model spaceship, but no gravestone etchings.
I glanced at Billy Boy’s Star Wars alarm clock. I didn’t have much longer until he would arrive home. I rummaged through his desk drawers, filled with pens, computer games, and software.
I turned on his computer. I tried to access his history page to find out what he and Valentine had searched for, but I couldn’t log on. I didn’t know Billy Boy’s password.
If I were Billy Boy, what would my password be?
I typed in “E=MC2” and pressed the RETURN key.
Nothing.
I typed “Maytheforcebewithyou” and clicked on “Enter.”
Denied.
Knowing my brother, he probably switched his password every week. Frustrated, I typed in “Billy Boy” and hit
RETURN.
Suddenly the computer signed on. Out of all the passwords—I never dreamed my brother would use the nickname I called him. For a moment, I felt flattered.
Then I heard the front door open and my brother start up the staircase. I glanced at Billy Boy’s half-open bedroom door. If I bolted now, he might see me race out of the room. If Billy Boy found out I’d been searching his room, I’d be grounded until prom was over. I switched off his computer, but it seemed like forever until it logged off.
“Come on,” I anxiously mumbled.
I could hear him coming up the stairs and down the hallway.
Finally the screen went blank.
I flew over to his closet, quietly slid open the door enough for me to squeeze through, and shut it behind me. Once I was safely inside, I cracked it open slightly.
I saw my brother enter his room.
I sandwiched myself between the wall and his coats. His jackets smelled like dirty air from outside, which was odd because Billy Boy spent most of his time inside his room like a hermit or at Henry’s indoor laboratory.
I could hear Billy Boy turn on his computer.
Underneath a pair of shoes in front of me, I saw a box marked PROJECT VAMPIRE.
I could hear the pinging sounds of Billy Boy instant messaging.
I quietly opened the plastic case, VAMPIRE’S NOURISHMENT was marked on a Ziploc bag. Inside were the four amulets. Another see-through bag was marked VAMPIRE’S HOME.
Inside were two
“I need to know…when he grabbed your neck— what were you thinking about?”
Trevor paused and smiled a sexy grin. “I was thinking that I should have been at the Graveyard Gala with you instead of his sister.”
“Really?” I asked, half flattered, half horrified.
“Are you insane? No one puts their hand on me, unless they’re a girl.”
The bell rang and Trevor stepped into his classroom. “I get to pick the dance,” he said, gloating.
I held up my hand, revealing my fingers had been crossed the whole time I’d made the promise.
Instead of being angry, Trevor cracked a smile. He loved our game. And I knew this time he’d come back playing even stronger.
“Anyone home?” I called out when I arrived home from school.
The house was silent.
“Billy Boy?” I yelled as I roamed through the kitchen and family room. Both areas were empty. I opened the basement door. The light was switched off, but I hollered down anyway.
“Billy—are you here?”
I ran up to Billy Boy’s room and knocked on his door.
He didn’t respond. “Nerd Boy—are you in there?”
When I failed to hear a response from calling him his least favorite name, I figured the nerd lab was clear.
Fortunately, my brother didn’t have Henry’s Mr. Gadget security system and was unable to lock his door from the outside. I gently turned the knob and opened the door.
I began my search for Valentine’s gravestone etchings, hoping they would provide a clue to his motives in Dullsville. I quietly scoured my brother’s dresser drawers, but all I found were tons of white socks and folded T-shirts. I checked under his bed and pulled out a baseball bat, a chessboard, and an unopened model spaceship, but no gravestone etchings.
I glanced at Billy Boy’s Star Wars alarm clock. I didn’t have much longer until he would arrive home. I rummaged through his desk drawers, filled with pens, computer games, and software.
I turned on his computer. I tried to access his history page to find out what he and Valentine had searched for, but I couldn’t log on. I didn’t know Billy Boy’s password.
If I were Billy Boy, what would my password be?
I typed in “E=MC2” and pressed the RETURN key.
Nothing.
I typed “Maytheforcebewithyou” and clicked on “Enter.”
Denied.
Knowing my brother, he probably switched his password every week. Frustrated, I typed in “Billy Boy” and hit
RETURN.
Suddenly the computer signed on. Out of all the passwords—I never dreamed my brother would use the nickname I called him. For a moment, I felt flattered.
Then I heard the front door open and my brother start up the staircase. I glanced at Billy Boy’s half-open bedroom door. If I bolted now, he might see me race out of the room. If Billy Boy found out I’d been searching his room, I’d be grounded until prom was over. I switched off his computer, but it seemed like forever until it logged off.
“Come on,” I anxiously mumbled.
I could hear him coming up the stairs and down the hallway.
Finally the screen went blank.
I flew over to his closet, quietly slid open the door enough for me to squeeze through, and shut it behind me. Once I was safely inside, I cracked it open slightly.
I saw my brother enter his room.
I sandwiched myself between the wall and his coats. His jackets smelled like dirty air from outside, which was odd because Billy Boy spent most of his time inside his room like a hermit or at Henry’s indoor laboratory.
I could hear Billy Boy turn on his computer.
Underneath a pair of shoes in front of me, I saw a box marked PROJECT VAMPIRE.
I could hear the pinging sounds of Billy Boy instant messaging.
I quietly opened the plastic case, VAMPIRE’S NOURISHMENT was marked on a Ziploc bag. Inside were the four amulets. Another see-through bag was marked VAMPIRE’S HOME.
Inside were two
Similar Books
