The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Twelfth Grade Kills by Heather Brewer
Authors: Heather Brewer
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her. He shook his head, wondering where this conversation was going, but hoping for a drastic change in subject. “Not really. We don’t talk much anymore.
He didn’t mention that they didn’t talk much because Vlad was avoiding her at all costs out of fear he might hurt her ... or worse, love her so completely that he couldn’t stay away from her. Not to mention that he didn’t know how to apologize for the way he’d left her.
Some things, he figured, were best left unsaid.
“Vlad ...” She tilted her head to the side, her eyes large and sad. “... about what you said to me that night. You were ... you were just kidding around, right? About being a ... a vampire?”
Vlad’s heart sank. It was here—his moment, the perfect time to admit his deepest secret to Meredith once again, to let her know who and what he really was. She’d asked him. All he had to do was confirm it.
But he couldn’t. It would shatter her. Even now, he could see the pleading in her eyes, pleading with him to take it all away, make it not so, give her back the world she thought she lived in.
Vlad sighed, and shook his head, slipping his hands inside his pockets and dropping his gaze to the ground. His voice was barely a whisper in the night. “Yeah. It was nothing. Just a joke.”
The night shrank in around him, making him feel small, insignificant, stupid. All he wanted was to tell her the truth. He couldn’t even get that right.
Meredith’s voice was quiet, soft, tinged with a hint of surprise, as if she’d expected him to tell her the opposite of what he had. “Oh.”
He looked at her then, and not for the first time wondered what Joss had told her about his nighttime activities, and about Vlad. He took a deep breath and pushed all of his questions deep down inside of him. Some things he could not bring himself to tell, and some things he could not bring himself to ask.
With a heavy sigh, he met her gaze. “Good night, Meredith.”
She nodded, as if he’d answered her question with his less than forthcoming reply. “Good night, Vlad.”
11
FAMILY
T HE TEMPERATURE HAD DROPPED SOME, hinting that summer was on its way out already, and autumn was just around the corner. Which meant that school was also just around the bend. School. Full of tests and books and teachers and the dull doldrums of Vlad’s senior year.
On the upside, there were also dances, lunchtime goofery, and the general bliss of knowing that, assuming he passed all of his classes, it was his last year at Bathory High. His final moments. Which meant saying goodbye—something that Vlad was experienced at. Something he had been preparing for, for many years.
After all, he’d known better than many of the kids he went to school with what it meant to say goodbye. To Vlad, saying goodbye was a painful, sometimes impossible thing to do.
But for now, he pushed thoughts of school away and looked at his dad, who was standing at his side, staring down at all that was left of Mellina’s memory. The tombstone’s inscription lied about who was buried there, including his father’s name only because he and Nelly had made an assumption. But the truth, the truth of her name, stood out like a deep, dark shadow on the pale gray of the headstone. MELLINA TOD: BELOVED MOTHER AND WIFE, GONE FOREVER. Sure, the inscription didn’t read that. But it might as well have.
Beside him, his father stared sorrowfully at Mellina’s grave. No tears fell, but Vlad could tell he’d shed more than a few already over the loss of his wife.
Clearing his throat, Vlad said, “Do you think she’d be proud of me?”
Tomas didn’t miss a beat. “Immensely proud. Without a doubt.”
Vlad sighed, brushing the bangs from his eyes. “I barely squeak by my math classes. I can’t keep a girlfriend. I’m not exactly Mr. Popularity. Do you think she’d care about any of that?”
His dad shook his head, his eyes still on Mellina’s headstone. “Not even for a second. Your mother
He didn’t mention that they didn’t talk much because Vlad was avoiding her at all costs out of fear he might hurt her ... or worse, love her so completely that he couldn’t stay away from her. Not to mention that he didn’t know how to apologize for the way he’d left her.
Some things, he figured, were best left unsaid.
“Vlad ...” She tilted her head to the side, her eyes large and sad. “... about what you said to me that night. You were ... you were just kidding around, right? About being a ... a vampire?”
Vlad’s heart sank. It was here—his moment, the perfect time to admit his deepest secret to Meredith once again, to let her know who and what he really was. She’d asked him. All he had to do was confirm it.
But he couldn’t. It would shatter her. Even now, he could see the pleading in her eyes, pleading with him to take it all away, make it not so, give her back the world she thought she lived in.
Vlad sighed, and shook his head, slipping his hands inside his pockets and dropping his gaze to the ground. His voice was barely a whisper in the night. “Yeah. It was nothing. Just a joke.”
The night shrank in around him, making him feel small, insignificant, stupid. All he wanted was to tell her the truth. He couldn’t even get that right.
Meredith’s voice was quiet, soft, tinged with a hint of surprise, as if she’d expected him to tell her the opposite of what he had. “Oh.”
He looked at her then, and not for the first time wondered what Joss had told her about his nighttime activities, and about Vlad. He took a deep breath and pushed all of his questions deep down inside of him. Some things he could not bring himself to tell, and some things he could not bring himself to ask.
With a heavy sigh, he met her gaze. “Good night, Meredith.”
She nodded, as if he’d answered her question with his less than forthcoming reply. “Good night, Vlad.”
11
FAMILY
T HE TEMPERATURE HAD DROPPED SOME, hinting that summer was on its way out already, and autumn was just around the corner. Which meant that school was also just around the bend. School. Full of tests and books and teachers and the dull doldrums of Vlad’s senior year.
On the upside, there were also dances, lunchtime goofery, and the general bliss of knowing that, assuming he passed all of his classes, it was his last year at Bathory High. His final moments. Which meant saying goodbye—something that Vlad was experienced at. Something he had been preparing for, for many years.
After all, he’d known better than many of the kids he went to school with what it meant to say goodbye. To Vlad, saying goodbye was a painful, sometimes impossible thing to do.
But for now, he pushed thoughts of school away and looked at his dad, who was standing at his side, staring down at all that was left of Mellina’s memory. The tombstone’s inscription lied about who was buried there, including his father’s name only because he and Nelly had made an assumption. But the truth, the truth of her name, stood out like a deep, dark shadow on the pale gray of the headstone. MELLINA TOD: BELOVED MOTHER AND WIFE, GONE FOREVER. Sure, the inscription didn’t read that. But it might as well have.
Beside him, his father stared sorrowfully at Mellina’s grave. No tears fell, but Vlad could tell he’d shed more than a few already over the loss of his wife.
Clearing his throat, Vlad said, “Do you think she’d be proud of me?”
Tomas didn’t miss a beat. “Immensely proud. Without a doubt.”
Vlad sighed, brushing the bangs from his eyes. “I barely squeak by my math classes. I can’t keep a girlfriend. I’m not exactly Mr. Popularity. Do you think she’d care about any of that?”
His dad shook his head, his eyes still on Mellina’s headstone. “Not even for a second. Your mother
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