Cryptic Cravings (14 page)

His fingers slid down my sleeve so they reached my hand. “We’re not al that different. I’ve been saying that for years.” He paused.

I was slightly afraid of what he’d do next.

His fingers slid down between mine. Trevor Mitchel was holding my hand. His grip was powerful, like that of a handsome athlete. He’d crossed a line. I was holding someone else’s hand. This hand wasn’t Alexander’s, but it felt good, too. Like I was supposed to have held his hand and touched him. As if I’d been waiting al my life.

Trevor had grabbed me before but this was different. It didn’t feel like he was trying to get back at me or put a notch on his headboard. It felt as if he was doing it because he wanted to more than anything else.

“It’s okay,” he said. He drew my hair back from my face. “This is about you and me now. Not anyone else. They can’t keep us apart any longer. You can’t keep us apart. This is meant to be.” His movements were tender and his voice soft and sincere.

He pul ed me to him so our chests were touching and he wrapped his arms around my waist. We stood face-to-face. He smiled his gorgeous smile.

No one was around. I wasn’t scared. His hands were strong, and I felt a power from him. He smel ed sweet, and his muscular body was warm. His eyes shined like the moonlight.

Before I could pul away, he leaned in and kissed me. His lips were magnetic and tender. I wasn’t sure why I wasn’t mad. For a moment, I was lost in his kiss.

I could feel his hands on my back pockets as he pul ed me closer to him.

It took al my strength to turn away from him. For some reason I found his lips as riveting as his gaze.

“I can’t,” I said. “I came here for Alexander, not you.”

“But you stayed for me.” His tone was as sincere as his kiss.

It was then that he stepped back.

He held out the necklace he must have gotten from my pocket when he kissed me. The key swung back and forth like a medal.

“Monster Girl,” he whispered.

“No—” I said. “No!!!”

I awoke with a jolt to find Nightmare pawing at my shirt.

I sat up. I could barely breathe. Nightmare jumped back, startled. Stunned, I reached out and grabbed my cat.

“It’s just you pawing at me. Not that monster.”

I cuddled my cat. Both our hearts were racing.

“I had a horrible nightmare, Nightmare. And not the good kind.”

I got up, went to the bathroom and splashed water on my face, and tried to calm myself with a cup of water.

I switched the light on and hopped back into bed, put Nightmare on the pil ow next to me, and pul ed the covers over my head.

It was the first time I ever remember sleeping with the light on.

The fol owing morning, when Becky and I were walking to our lockers, I couldn’t hold it in any longer. “Do you ever have weird dreams?” I asked.

“Al the time.”

“Do they mean anything?”

“Some people say they do. But others don’t. What did you dream?”

“That I . . . I can’t even say it.” I sunk my head.

“It was that bad?”

“Yes.”

“Then I wouldn’t worry about it. What did you eat before you went to bed?”

“I don’t remember.”

“It might have interfered with your sleep. That’s al .”

“I dreamed Trevor was in love with me.” I spit it out like it was bad food.

“You’ve just now figured that out?” she asked.

“Why does everyone say that?”

“Because he’s obsessed with you.”

I shook off her comment. “But it gets worse, if you can imagine.”

“Tel me.”

“In the dream . . .”

“Yes?”

“I was in love with him, too.”

She paused. “That’s it?”

“I was in love with him. Don’t you see why it was a nightmare?”

“It’s just a dream, Raven. If dreams were real, then I’d be a bal erina.”

“Real y? I thought you’d say that I was secretly passionately in love with Trevor Mitchel .”

“Gross! Besides, you are already in love with Alexander. There is no room for anyone else.”

Relieved, I hugged Becky with the force of a mil ion best friends. I was almost afraid I’d squash the life out of her.

Just before the sun set, I headed for the bathroom to get ready to go to the Crypt. Alexander’s birthday was coming up and I stil hadn’t fil ed the vial. It wouldn’t be too hard to prick my finger with a sterilized pin, but I’d been putting it off while being consumed with the Crypt. I was standing in front of the mirror, applying corpse white foundation, when I inadvertently broke the scab on the corner of my lip. The wound on my face reopened.

“Darn it!” I grumbled. I was so embarrassed by my crazy face. I reached for more cover-up as a little spot of blood arose. But then I remembered, I needed it this time.

I grabbed a Dixie Cup and let a few drops fal into it. I pushed my tongue against the inside of my cheek, forcing more blood to drip. I didn’t need much to fil the smal vial. Within a few minutes, I had enough. I washed my wound and pressed it with a wet tissue, holding it for a few minutes. It was then my mom opened the door.

I quickly stepped in front of the cup and stuck the vial in my pocket.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“What are you doing?” I asked. “This is a private area.”

“I didn’t realize anyone was in here!”

“Wel , I am! And I’m busy.”

“I just needed your flat iron,” she said. She opened the top drawer and grabbed the flat iron. I leaned over and pushed the cup behind a towel with my fingers, afraid that she’d notice the bloody cup in the mirror.

“What’s that on your face?” she asked. “Tissue?”

“Mom, please.”

“I can help you. That happens al the time. You just have to press it for a while and then use some cover-up. But don’t pick at it.”

“Mom, I know what to do.” I leaned against the sink’s counter, blocking the cup from her view, and tried to urge her out. “Please, just give me some private time.”

“Wel , if you need me, let me know,” she said, closing the door behind her.

This time, I locked it.

I took the vial out of my pocket and careful y poured the Dixie Cup’s contents into it. When I was finished, I crumpled the cup and threw it in the garbage can. I secured the vial and wrapped several tissues around it. I was exhausted, having come within seconds of being caught and having to explain to my mother why I was trying to fil a vial with blood. But ultimately I was pleased with my present for Alexander. I glanced at myself in the mirror.

Dating a vampire wasn’t as easy as I had always dreamed it would be.

Though the Crypt’s opening was only a few days away, I turned my attention to Alexander’s birthday. We had said we’d have a joint celebration at the Crypt, but I couldn’t let this special day go by without a separate celebration.

I’d spent the afternoon decorating the outside of the Mansion, and Jameson was kind enough to let me in to decorate Alexander’s room with a few bal oons. Now I was waiting impatiently in the gazebo for the sun to set.

This was nothing new. My whole life, I was always waiting for the bright sun to disappear from view. But tonight I was ultra-impatient. It was my boyfriend’s eighteenth birthday.

When the sun was out of view, I raced into the Mansion and up the grand staircase. I burst into Alexander’s room and yel ed, “Surprise!”

He stood, sleepy and dreamy. His hair was tousled and his shirtless chest was lean and pale against his dark boxer shorts.

Alexander crept out of his closet room into his regular attic room. He fought his way through a few dozen black bal oons.

“I thought we were going to celebrate together,” he said, “at the Crypt.”

“We are. But not now. Get dressed.”

“I mean both our birthdays. We were going to plan a joint party.”

“I couldn’t let yours go by without a private celebration.” I gave him a big squeeze and an even bigger kiss, then anxiously danced around while he put on a T-shirt, jeans, and boots. Then I took him by the hand and led him to the Mansion’s backyard.

I’d decorated the gazebo with black and purple streamers and bat, spider, and pumpkin bal oons. Two floor-length candelabras lit the outdoor room.

“Wow—you went al out,” he said. “But you always do.”

“Happy eighteenth birthday, Alexander!” I said as he took in the decorations. “Wow—I’m dating a man.”

“Weren’t you always?”

“Yes, but there is something sexy about you being official. You are also two years older than me right now. I love an older man.” I gave him a coy kiss.

“This is real y cool how you decorated the backyard,” he said. “You real y are great at design.”

“Thanks!” I said, beaming as bright as the moon. “Now I want to give you your gift.”

“Isn’t this party enough?”

“I don’t think so.” I handed him the smal box.

He took his time unwrapping it.

“Hurry,” I said.

“I’m trying to guess what it is.”

“You’re not supposed to guess. You are supposed to open it.”

“Wow, Raven, this is real y cool. He held it up to the candlelight. The snake is real y awesome.”

“There’s something inside it.”

He was surprised at first but shook it and noticed the movement of liquid.

“Me,” I said.

He held the vial in his hands and pul ed me toward him so intently. “Wow—I don’t know what to say,” Alexander murmured. “This is the best birthday ever,” he raved.

He put the necklace on, and it looked amazing hanging around his neck.

“I’m never going to take it off,” he said, giving me a juicy kiss.

Jameson arrived with a chocolate cake in the shape of a black palette with candles looking like smal paintbrushes. As he and I began singing to Alexander, a third voice joined in.

Sebastian stepped out of the shadows as the song came to an end.

“Happy birthday, dude!” he said.

I couldn’t help but invite one guest. I knew it would be romantic to have an intimate dinner with Alexander, but with his best friend in town, it wouldn’t be the same if he wasn’t included.

Jameson and Sebastian gave Alexander a large box with a bow. Inside was a guitar.

“Wow—thank you!”

“Now you can real y have a garage band,” Sebastian said.

The four of us sat at the table, eating cake and talking and laughing over the sound of a wailing guitar.

I was sleeping late as usual on the fol owing weekend when I heard a knock on my bedroom door. I sat up to find Becky standing by my bed.

“What’s going on?” I asked. “Am I late for school? It’s Saturday, isn’t it?”

But Becky wasn’t interested in the days of the week. She handed me a cup of coffee from Javalicious.

“Thanks,” I said.

“You’l need it. I just came from Matt’s scrimmage.”

“They played in the morning?”

“No—you slept most of the day away.” She opened the curtains and I was blinded by the sun.

“No—” I said, squinting. I turned to look at my clock. It was four-fifteen.

“You need to be awake for this. Rumors are spreading that there are vampires living in Dul svil e!” Becky said.

“Can you believe that?”

“What?”

“I swear. Vampires, here in Dul svil e. That’s what people are saying.”

“They said that when Alexander moved here. Trevor started that one, remember?”

“Wel , they are saying it again.”

“Where, when, and who?” I asked. “I need names.”

“Wel , you know it started when Sebastian bit Luna at Alexander’s party.”

“Yes, but they don’t have proof that real y happened.” I yawned.

“But it’s more than that. The soccer snobs and other students were weirded out when Alexander, Sebastian, Scarlet, Onyx, Jagger, and Luna came to the game,” Becky confessed.

“That’s not news. . . .”

“They said they’re . . . freaks.”

“They’ve said that about me al my life. That’s nothing new either.”

“You know how people talk. Jagger and his entourage don’t go to school and are only seen at night. Scarlet drives a skul and Jagger a hearse.”

“Yes, I guess it does look a bit weird to Dul svil ians. But total y normal to me.” I smiled with pride.

“Matt said Trevor told him that Scarlet has fangs, and others are saying they live in graves in the factory.”

Coffins, I wanted to correct her.

“Trevor wil say anything,” I said. “And they live in the mil because they are making it into a dance club.”

“I know that, and you know that. But it’s not just Trevor. Even Matt thinks things are strange.”

“He does?”

“But not too strange. He knows Alexander. But like me, he’s a bit worried that those guys are living in that creepy factory.”

“They are fine. Real y.”

“But there’s more.”

“Yes?”

“No one wants to go to the club now.”

“Are you serious?”

She nodded.

“He’s going to be opening up the Crypt in just two days! If no one comes, then he’s going to close it.” Now I was the one freaking out.

“I’m sorry to be the one to tel you,” she said sincerely.

“No, I’m glad you did. I’d hate for that part to be a surprise.”

I had to get to the factory. Jagger couldn’t close the Crypt before he opened it.

As soon as it was dark, I rushed to the Sinclair Mil and whisked past Scarlet and Onyx without even saying hi and headed straight for Jagger, Alexander, and Sebastian, who were having celebratory drinks.

“What’s wrong?” Alexander said.

“Everyone at school is saying that vampires are living here. Now no one wants to come to the club’s opening. We have to do something. We only have two days!”

“What do you mean?” Jagger said.

“Just that. Rumors about us—you guys. That you are vampires. Sebastian bit Luna. You don’t go to school and are never seen in the daylight. These people live for that stuff. Then you throw in a skul car and a hearse. I told you it wasn’t safe for you to have an underground club here. Now do you see what I mean?”

“How are we going to open if no one shows?” Sebastian wondered.

Failure wasn’t in Jagger’s vocabulary. “They’l have to show,” he said defiantly.

“Dude, we have to have girls here to make this work,” Sebastian said. Luna shot him a dirty look. “And guys, too.”