Tenth Grade Bleeds by Heather Brewer

say hi?”
    â€œNo. I brought you here so I could do this.”
    She pressed her soft lips against his, and Vlad felt like he was floating. In a blink, he realized that he was. No more than an inch or two off the ground, but still. He was thankful for the darkness. Bringing himself back down, he kept kissing Meredith until the sound of her heartbeat and her warm proximity became too much to bear. He pulled back, gently but quickly, glad once more for the darkness—and not just because of his fangs. He was also blushing furiously. And his hunger . . . his hunger was crying out, begging to be satiated.
    Vlad slowed his breathing, but it hardly helped. Much longer in such close proximity and Meredith would be in very real danger. And the sick thing was that part of Vlad wanted to keep her in the closet with him. Maybe Nelly was right. Maybe he was viewing Meredith as a food source more than a girlfriend.
    He shook his head. There had to be a way to protect her, to keep her safe without pushing her away.
    First step: Get out of the closet.
    He could almost hear Meredith smiling. “ That was nice. Between my dad and your aunt, we hardly get any time alone together.”
    The door flung open, revealing a rather perturbed-looking Principal Snelgrove. “I certainly hope it was, Ms. Brookstone. Because it may be your last.”
    Vlad gulped and snapped his mouth shut, covering his fangs. He and Meredith exchanged startled glances. Meredith looked shocked and embarrassed. Vlad was both of those, but also immensely relieved.
    Principal Snelgrove barked two words that made them both jump. “Office! NOW!”
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    Principal Snelgrove had turned purple by the time they reached his office, and as he paced back and forth behind his desk, his shade of purple deepened. Vlad sank down in his seat, amazed that a person could look so much like an eggplant. Meredith sat in the chair to his right, staring straight ahead, wide-eyed. He doubted she’d ever had the misfortune of ending up in the Chair of Doom—Vlad’s nickname for any chair in the principal’s office that didn’t belong to the principal. He wanted to squeeze her hand, to reassure her in some small way, but he was almost certain that Snelgrove’s skull would split open if he touched Meredith at all.
    The purple color lessened as Snelgrove drew a deep breath before speaking. “I would expect this type of behavior from Mr. Tod here. But you, Ms. Brookstone, are one of our best students. And to pull a stunt like this . . . I must say, I’m very disappointed. You should be careful of the kind of company you keep, Ms. Brookstone. It may lead you down a road that it would be unwise to follow.”
    Vlad resisted rolling his eyes, but it wasn’t easy.
    Snelgrove clasped his hands behind his back and twitched his nose—all the rat was missing were whiskers. “I should suspend you both.”
    Vlad stiffened in his seat. That was the last thing he needed. But he wouldn’t have to fret about it for long, because Nelly was going to murder him. If anyone could prove that the Pravus could be killed, it was an angry guardian who found out he’d been suspended for making out in a broom closet at school instead of learning about the joys of worm dissection. He sank down in his seat and silently hoped for a miracle.
    â€œDetention. Both of you. That much is obvious and warranted. Thank your lucky stars I’m such a kind and forgiving individual.” Snelgrove slanted his little mouse eyes. “I’ll be calling your parents, Ms. Brookstone, absolutely. And Mr. Tod, you can bet your bottom dollar that your guardian and I will discuss this situation at length.”
    Vlad wasn’t aware that he had a bottom dollar, or even a top dollar for that matter, but he did know that he’d like to be cremated, if at all possible, once Nelly heard from Snelgrove. It seemed like a nice blending of human and vampire