his attic room while Stormy was being tutored by Jameson, who, I now knew, was in fact a half-vampire.
“Why not?” Alexander asked. “She’ll be so excited.”
“Because my brother is a nerd.”
“He is not,” Alexander said with a chuckle. “He’s perfectly normal.”
“And he doesn’t know the truth about you and Stormy. That you both are vampires.”
“I don’t think that will be an issue.”
“How can it not be?” I questioned worriedly. “He’s very curious.”
“Relax, Raven. It’s just a dance. They’ll be fine.”
“There’s one other problem,” I began. I was hoping this would be the deal breaker that could shut the whole dance invite down. “I told Billy if he goes, so do I.”
“You’ll be his chaperone?” he asked.
“Uh … and so will you.”
I was ready for everything to be called off right there and then. This was my excuse. I would tell Billy that Alexander refused to go.
But Alexander tilted his head and smiled brightly. “Okay,” he said. “What should I wear?”
I was surprised that Alexander was game for us chaperoning. Instead of rolling his eyes, he seemed to like the idea that Billy wanted him to go, too.
“You want to go?” I asked, half whining.
“Sure. I think it will be fun.”
“You’re not worried about your sister going to a dance with a bunch of mortals?”
“No, I think it would be good for her. I like the solitude of the Mansion. But Stormy, she’s not like me. She needs to be social as much as she needs to drink blood.”
I wasn’t expecting Alexander to be so excited about the fall dance. I thought if he wasn’t game, we’d be able to get out of it, thus blocking Billy from taking Stormy. Since I loathed the idea of going to my brother’s school dance, I felt torn. I would much rather be running around tombstones than chaperoning a dance, but going anywhere with Alexander was better than not being with him at all.
“All right,” I said. I couldn’t imagine that my brother and I would both be on the arms of vampires. “But no one gets bitten unless it’s me.”
Later that night, Alexander and I arrived at the Crypt. I preferred dancing at the club to my brother’s school gymnasium.
I was bopping on the dance floor while Alexander was talking to Sebastian when Jagger spotted me as he headed to the bar.
“So…” Jagger said. “You really like it here, do you?”
“I love it. I have to admit, despite your history with Alexander, you really do have talent,” I said, and stepped off the dance floor to talk to him and catch my breath.
“You think so?” he asked, his white hair cascading over his blue and green eyes.
“Look at this. You have all of Dullsville High here. They love it.”
“But you do, too?” he asked with a mischievous and playful grin.
“I love it the most. Are you kidding?”
“Why?” he asked in a serious and deliberate tone. “Why do you think you belong with us more than your own kind?”
“It’s just who I am. That’s all that I can say. I was born this way.”
“And I was, too. I’m surprised Alexander didn’t turn you the first moment he saw you. I would have.”
Jagger’s back was to Alexander, but I could see my boyfriend keeping a watchful eye on us from across the room.
“What do you mean by that?” I asked.< [skeheigh/font>
“He’s a vampire. It’s enough to prey upon a young mortal—but to have one willing? It’s a travesty not to take advantage of the situation.”
“Well, that’s where you both are different.”
“He’s not like us,” Jagger said with intensity.
“He’s not like anyone. That’s why I love him.”
“But there are others you can be with. Others who can make your wish come true. At the Coffin Club. Here.”
I didn’t like Jagger insinuating anything about my relationship with Alexander, or that I’d consider being turned by anyone else.
“But it doesn’t matter—just as long as it’s with Alexander.”
“Really,” he said.
“Why not?” Alexander asked. “She’ll be so excited.”
“Because my brother is a nerd.”
“He is not,” Alexander said with a chuckle. “He’s perfectly normal.”
“And he doesn’t know the truth about you and Stormy. That you both are vampires.”
“I don’t think that will be an issue.”
“How can it not be?” I questioned worriedly. “He’s very curious.”
“Relax, Raven. It’s just a dance. They’ll be fine.”
“There’s one other problem,” I began. I was hoping this would be the deal breaker that could shut the whole dance invite down. “I told Billy if he goes, so do I.”
“You’ll be his chaperone?” he asked.
“Uh … and so will you.”
I was ready for everything to be called off right there and then. This was my excuse. I would tell Billy that Alexander refused to go.
But Alexander tilted his head and smiled brightly. “Okay,” he said. “What should I wear?”
I was surprised that Alexander was game for us chaperoning. Instead of rolling his eyes, he seemed to like the idea that Billy wanted him to go, too.
“You want to go?” I asked, half whining.
“Sure. I think it will be fun.”
“You’re not worried about your sister going to a dance with a bunch of mortals?”
“No, I think it would be good for her. I like the solitude of the Mansion. But Stormy, she’s not like me. She needs to be social as much as she needs to drink blood.”
I wasn’t expecting Alexander to be so excited about the fall dance. I thought if he wasn’t game, we’d be able to get out of it, thus blocking Billy from taking Stormy. Since I loathed the idea of going to my brother’s school dance, I felt torn. I would much rather be running around tombstones than chaperoning a dance, but going anywhere with Alexander was better than not being with him at all.
“All right,” I said. I couldn’t imagine that my brother and I would both be on the arms of vampires. “But no one gets bitten unless it’s me.”
Later that night, Alexander and I arrived at the Crypt. I preferred dancing at the club to my brother’s school gymnasium.
I was bopping on the dance floor while Alexander was talking to Sebastian when Jagger spotted me as he headed to the bar.
“So…” Jagger said. “You really like it here, do you?”
“I love it. I have to admit, despite your history with Alexander, you really do have talent,” I said, and stepped off the dance floor to talk to him and catch my breath.
“You think so?” he asked, his white hair cascading over his blue and green eyes.
“Look at this. You have all of Dullsville High here. They love it.”
“But you do, too?” he asked with a mischievous and playful grin.
“I love it the most. Are you kidding?”
“Why?” he asked in a serious and deliberate tone. “Why do you think you belong with us more than your own kind?”
“It’s just who I am. That’s all that I can say. I was born this way.”
“And I was, too. I’m surprised Alexander didn’t turn you the first moment he saw you. I would have.”
Jagger’s back was to Alexander, but I could see my boyfriend keeping a watchful eye on us from across the room.
“What do you mean by that?” I asked.< [skeheigh/font>
“He’s a vampire. It’s enough to prey upon a young mortal—but to have one willing? It’s a travesty not to take advantage of the situation.”
“Well, that’s where you both are different.”
“He’s not like us,” Jagger said with intensity.
“He’s not like anyone. That’s why I love him.”
“But there are others you can be with. Others who can make your wish come true. At the Coffin Club. Here.”
I didn’t like Jagger insinuating anything about my relationship with Alexander, or that I’d consider being turned by anyone else.
“But it doesn’t matter—just as long as it’s with Alexander.”
“Really,” he said.
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