The Calling by Barbara Steiner Page B

comics.
    â€œVampires are pretty scary, Joey,” Miki said. “Won’t reading that comic scare you?”
    â€œNah. You know what the politically correct name for vampires is?” Sometimes Joey surprised them all with his vocabulary.
    â€œGeeze,” Mrs. Anderson said. “Where did he hear about being politically correct?”
    â€œRight here.” Paige smiled.
    â€œNo, Joey, what is the politically correct name for vampires?” Miki played straight man.
    â€œThe life impaired.” Joey grinned, his smile short two teeth.
    Miki looked at Paige again and they both laughed. Maybe this was just what Miki needed. A less than serious look at the idea of vampirism. Much less.
    Now that he had everyone’s attention, there was no shutting Joey up. “Did you hear about the vampire on a diet?”
    â€œNope.” Miki bit again.
    â€œHe was drinking I Can’t Believe It’s Not Blood. He bought it at his local Vampires ’R Us store.”
    They couldn’t not laugh, even though no one really wanted to encourage Joey. “You’re going to replace Jay Leno on The Tonight Show’ in a few years, Joey. Right?” Miki took his comic and flipped through it. It was standard fare. The vampires slept in coffins in an old castle and came out at night. They flew through the air on bat wings that were really their capes spread out wide. She handed the book back without following the story to the end. She knew how the vampires had to be killed so they couldn’t return.
    â€œCan I help with lunch, Mrs. Anderson?” Miki offered.
    â€œIt’s under control. Why don’t you and Paige set the table, though, and get your dad away from the television, Paige.”
    Mr. Anderson was a sports-on-television freak. He had played football once, but was now slightly overweight and settled for being an armchair quarterback.
    Lunch was really dinner as far as Miki was concerned. Pot roast with brown potatoes around it, buttered green beans with toasted almond slices, and a jelled salad with cherries and walnuts. Miki couldn’t believe she was so hungry and she was embarrassed at how much she ate.
    â€œGood, Miki,” Mrs. Anderson said. “You and Paige are both too thin.”
    â€œOur partners will drop both of us tomorrow in the lifts.” Paige looked at Miki and giggled.
    Partners. Davin. Miki’s respite from thinking about her dance troupe hadn’t lasted long.
    Paige giggled again, a sound Miki loved to hear. Paige and Romney with their giggles. They’d make a pair. Miki leaned back and groaned. “Thanks, Mrs. Anderson, I needed that.”
    I needed a very normal day, since I don’t know what to expect tomorrow. “I’ll help wash dishes.” She needed to keep busy, too, so she didn’t have time to think.
    That wasn’t possible. Mrs. Anderson got up and put her arm around Miki as she scraped food from plates into the garbage disposal.
    â€œWe really have missed you, Miki. I know you’re busy with this new project, but you’re so much a part of our family now. I even find myself worrying about you. I’m sure your mother worries about you, too, she just doesn’t tell you so. So I won’t either. But don’t be so scarce around here. Promise?”
    â€œI promise. I love coming here. You know that. You can’t get rid of me.”
    I just have another family now, too, Miki added to herself. Maybe not a politically correct family with a father, a mother, and two point five children. But one she had felt close to. She just needed to get back over there and recapture that closeness. Maybe it wouldn’t be as hard as she imagined.

Fifteen
    T HIS TIME IT was Davin who waited for them at the stage door. When he locked the door behind them, Paige looked at Miki. She was already nervous and Miki saw she was really freaked out by someone locking the door behind them. Miki, used to being