Girls That Growl by Mari Mancusi Page A

anymore.
    You know, I hope Mom worries. I hope she thinks I'm dead and calls the National Guard or whoever you call when someone disappears. It will serve her right for siding with him instead of her own daughter.
    Her own flesh and blood. Bitch.
    I can't believe how much everything sucks. I thought be-coming a vampire would make all my problems go away.
    So how come now I seem to have more problems than ever?

    13
    "I'mready to go to England," I tell Jareth, cradling the cell phone between my head and neck as I peel out of the driveway in my Volkswagen Bug a few minutes later. I've so got to get one of those earpieces before I suffer permanent neck injury. "Let's go tonight. I'm on my way over to the coven now. I'll be there in ten minutes."
    There's silence on the end of the line."Ithought you didn't want to go until Friday," Jareth says at last.
    "Don't you have school tomorrow? What are you going to tell your mother?"
    "Screw school," I retort, anger burning in my belly. "I have eternity to get my diploma. No big deal if I flunk this semester. And Mom's easy. I'll just have Spider say I'm stay-ing at her house. Worst comes to worst, Sunny can play both of us. She owes me. I mean, whatever it takes, right? The cheerleaders need their antidote. Though honestly I think atfeast one of them would be better off put to sleep. Think we can selectively apply it?"

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    A car honks as I cut in front of it at the last minute. I give thedriver the finger. No one messes with Rayne McDonald, mad vamp gone postal, tonight.
    "What's that honking? Are you talking while driving again."
    "Uh, no. I'm, uh, well, maybe. I'm fine though. Not a problem."
    "You sound angry," Jareth says. "Did something happen?"
    "No! Well, yes, but it wasn't my fault! I mean, all I was tryingto do was protect her ..." I trail off as the lump in my throat makes it nearly impossible to speak. I swerve to miss a black cat crossing the street.
    Nice. Some bad luck to go along with my bad day.
    "Rayne, you don't sound fit to drive. Pull over and I'll come get you."
    Oh great. Now he's going to start in on me. This is the last thing I need. I'm so sick of everyone trying to play Raynie's Dad. (Besides my actual biological father, of course.) I'm not helpless. I'm not in need of discipline. I can take care of myself. Everyone just needs to eff off and leave me alone. Trust me that I can make good decisions and take care of myself.
    I slam on the brakes to avoid colliding with the car in front of me, which for some ridiculous reason decided to stop in front of a yellow light.
    "Learn to drive!" I yell out my window, my face burning with rage. I've half a mind to get out of the car and go bang on his window, fangs bared. Scare the life out of him.
    "Rayne, pull the car over. Now!" Jareth yells into my ear, interrupting my horror-movie fantasy.Grr .
    "No! I told you I'm fine. Stop being so damn overprotective," I growl back. "I'm a vampire. Your blood mate. Not some child. Stop treating me like one."
    A pause on the other end of the line. "I didn't mean to imply ..."
    The light turns green and we start going again. I swerve to the left to try to pass the yellow-light stopper, but then real-ize there's a truck in the other lane. I swerve back, growling to myself. In response to my aggression, the other car sud-denly slows down, forcing me to slam on my brakes again. My tires squeal against the pavement.
    "What was that noise?" Jareth demands. "Rayne! Pull over the car. Now! You're scaring me."
    "I'm fine! God, it's bad enough I have one random guy in my house trying to masquerade as my father. I don't need you to play long-lost Daddy, too."
    "I'm not trying to father you. I just don't want you an angry splatter on the side of the road. Is that so much to ask?"
    "I'm a vampire! I'm not going to splatter," I remind him. "I'm hanging up now. I'll be there in ten. Pack your bags for England." I click the