This Totally Bites! (6 page)

“Okay,” Ms. Goldsmith said. “All those in favor of Hollywood Halloween?”

Every hand but Ashlee’s went into the air. Eve actually raised her arm all the way up, as did Henry and Roger. I felt a burst of pride. I noticed that Ms. Goldsmith was smiling a little, too, and I wondered if, despite scolding me and Gabby before, she was glad to see my idea beat Ashlee’s.

“I guess that determines it!” Ms. Goldsmith said, brushing her hands together. “Looks like we’re going with Hollywood Halloween.”

Ashlee gritted her teeth, smoke practically coming out of her ears.

“And I hereby nominate Emma-Rose the designer-in-chief of the dance!” Gabby called, taking my hand and lifting it up again.

“No — wait, what?” I sputtered, turning to my best friend. “I was just suggesting ideas…. I can’t actually …”

“I second that!” Zora called out, grinning. “You’ll do a great job, Emma-Rose.”

“Fine,”
Ashlee spat, throwing down her gavel. “Emma-Rose can be in charge of the design. But that means
you”
— she gave me a withering look — “need to buy all the decorations,
and
set up the gym right before the dance. I’ll come to the setup, but only to supervise. I won’t want to ruin my nails,” she added haughtily.

“I’ll help you, obviously,” Gabby told me.

“I won’t be able to help with the setup,” Zora said apologetically. “But I can help you shop for decorations.”

“Same here,” said Zora’s best friend, Janie Woo.

I nodded, feeling a little overwhelmed. What exactly had I gotten myself into?

And then it hit me: If I was in charge of the dance’s decorations and design, there was no way I could skip the dance itself.

Which meant that I’d never be able to make the gala.

I felt a pang of disappointment. As Ashlee snippily
adjourned the meeting, Gabby turned to me and saw my frown.

“No gala then, huh?” she said sympathetically. “Or trick-or-treating?”

I shook my head. “I guess Ashlee made the decision for me,” I said. “Too bad there’s no way for me to dash between the dance and the gala, right?”

“Not unless you can wear a costume to the gala,” Gabby sighed.

I watched Ashlee leave the room in a huff, her heels click-clacking. Eve scurried after her, apologizing, and Henry and Roger left as well. As soon as the door shut behind them, all the other kids stood up and began streaming over to my desk.

“Hey, Emma-Rose, it was so cool what you did, standing up to Ashlee!” Zora exclaimed, her eyes bright with admiration.

“Yeah, that pink idea was terrible,” groaned Janie.

“We didn’t think anyone was going to speak up, though,” chimed in a smart guy from my science class named Matt de la Cruz.

“We were
all
rooting for you!” exclaimed another girl, and everyone nodded enthusiastically. Gabby looked as surprised as I felt by all the attention.

“Yes,” Ms. Goldsmith said from the front of the classroom, where she was wiping off the chalkboard. She turned around and smiled at me. “I was very impressed by the initiative you showed, Emma-Rose.”

“Wow … um, thanks,” I said. A warm glow spread through me.
Is this what it feels like to be popular?
I wondered.

I didn’t feel like myself, but this time it was in a wonderful way.

Maybe becoming a vampire
didn’t
totally bite.

Maybe it was even the ticket to becoming a brand-new Emma-Rose!

On Friday, I put my New Emma-Rose plan into effect.

I woke up super-early, though not early enough to catch Great-aunt Margo (who had, of course, been asleep again when I’d come home on Thursday afternoon).

I dressed quickly, pairing my dark red jeans with a black tee and a tank top decorated with small red cherries. I added my purple-striped wrist warmers and black boots. Then I texted Gabby to let her know I’d be going ahead to school without her.

I felt a little bad. The two of us hadn’t talked or IMed the night before, because Gabby had stayed late at the library doing research for the genealogy
project. She’d invited me to join her, but I’d been too hyped up from student council and had instead gone shopping for dance decorations with Zora. There was now a bag in the corner of my room overflowing with sparkly skull decals and orange and black crepe streamers.

I stopped by the kitchen, surprising Mom. Dad was still asleep. As I poured myself a glass of cranberry juice, I broke the news that I wouldn’t be able to make the gala on Friday. Mom was disappointed, but told me she was proud of me for getting involved in the school dance.

The first people I saw at school were Eve, Mallory, Roger, and Henry. They were standing in front of their lockers, and I heard Eve telling the guys that Ashlee was out sick. I wondered if the little princess had needed a day to recover from the shock of student council.

As I headed for my locker, Henry called out, “Morning, Pale Paley!”

I whipped around and shot him the kind of glare I imagined a powerful girl vampire would shoot a helpless squirrel. I didn’t blush. I didn’t squirm.

“You know what?” I said firmly. “That’s getting really old.”

Henry blinked, then pushed a hand through his dark hair. “Um,” he said nervously.

Eve, Mallory, and Roger exchanged glances. They, too, weren’t used to me speaking up — or speaking much at all. I wouldn’t let any of them off the hook, but stood my ground, hands on my hips.

Finally, Mallory offered me a cautious smile and said, “Hey, Emma-Rose. I like your outfit.”

“Thanks,” I replied. Before I turned to my locker, I saw Eve elbowing Mallory.

“What?” Mallory whispered. “It’s cute.”

I smiled to myself.

Once gym class rolled around, I knew Mallory’s semisweetness wouldn’t last. She and I were on the same team again, along with Eve and Caitlin. Last time, we had lost — because of me. Today, Eve and Caitlin, though far from being friends, seemed to agree that they would do whatever it took to win. When the other team served the ball, they both lunged. Caitlin bumped the ball toward Eve, who spiked it over the net.

“Go, Eve!” Mallory screamed. “Go, Caitlin,” she added halfheartedly.

Coach Lattimore blew her whistle. “ROTATE!” she called. My stomach twisted up in knots. It was my turn to serve.

“Now, remember what I told you, Emma-Rose,” Coach Lattimore said, coming over to stand next to me. She placed the ball — my enemy — in my hand. “Use force. Use
all
your strength. And get that ball
over
the net.”

“Come on, Coach L, can’t she just skip serving?” Eve moaned.

“Shh, it’ll be funny at least,” I heard Mallory hiss.

I saw Caitlin studying her sneakers, as if she couldn’t bear to see me fail again.

And just like that, the rush of power I had felt in student council yesterday came surging back. What was I so worried about? I was a
vampire.
What was volleyball compared to hunting creatures in the dead of the night?

I could do this. I could
so
do this.

My blood was roaring in my ears. I swung my arm back, and my fist connected with the ball, sending it forward with such speed that I gasped. The ball cleared the net and zoomed over the heads of the other team. One girl dove for it, but she missed, and the ball hit the floor.

There was a stunned silence.

The whistle fell out of Coach Lattimore’s mouth.

“Yay, Emma-Rose!” Caitlin shrieked, running over to give me a hug. I hugged Caitlin back, grinning so wide my face hurt.

“Go, Emma-Rose!” a few other teammates joined in, clapping. I had never imagined I would hear that sound, and I soaked in the joy of victory.

Even better was the sight of Eve and Mallory, standing still, their faces pale. They exchanged a bewildered glance, then stared back at me.

I couldn’t resist. “Thanks for all the support, guys!” I told them. Caitlin cracked up, and even Coach Lattimore chuckled.

After class, I returned to the locker room, sweaty and smiling. When I glanced into the mirror above the sinks, I was almost disappointed to see that I didn’t have fully grown fangs yet.

So this is what it’s like to be something more than human,
I thought, standing tall. For the first time since I’d realized what I was, I could feel the ancient magic of my ancestors running through my veins.

At the end of the day, I pushed open the school doors, my arms feeling strong and my hair swishing back and forth like black silk. The cloudy sky only made me smile wider. I walked with confidence down the steps, still energized. I could easily play another volleyball game.

“Em! Wait up!”

I turned around to see Gabby jogging toward me, her curls and backpack bouncing.

I waved, happy to see her. We hadn’t had a chance to catch up during lunch, because Zora, Matt, and Janie had sat at our table to update me on the dance decorations. Matt had gotten some sixth graders to volunteer to be paparazzi, and Zora and Janie had found a cauldron at a Halloween store downtown. I’d expected Gabby to join in the conversation, but she’d seemed more interested in talking to Caitlin and Padma.

“Look what I got you,” Gabby said when she reached my side, pulling a small plastic bag out of her backpack. “I meant to give this to you earlier today.”

“A gift?” I laughed, accepting the bag from Gabby. “What’s the occasion?”

“I just thought you could use a pick-me-up.” Gabby grinned.

“Oh. I’ve actually been —” The words stuck in my throat when I shook the contents of the bag into my hand.

Gabby had gotten me a pair of plastic fangs.

“Funny, right?” Gabby giggled, her brown eyes sparkling.

I frowned at my best friend. In that moment, she seemed almost like a stranger.
Funny?
Nothing about the situation was a joke to me.

“Yeah, hilarious,” I answered wryly, shoving the fangs into my book bag. Without meeting Gabby’s gaze, I turned and walked away from the school. Red and gold leaves crunched beneath my feet.

Gabby fell into step beside me, and was quiet for a moment, as if unsure what to say next. “You’re still coming over, right?” she finally asked.

“Sure,” I replied, even though I’d sort of forgotten that it was Friday and I always went to Gabby’s place on Friday afternoons. “Did you invite Caitlin, too?” I added, then regretted my words when I saw the wounded look on Gabby’s face.

“No.” Gabby’s voice sounded a little curt. “Why would I?”

“Well, isn’t she coming over to play on Carlos’s Wii tomorrow?” I said, hearing the sharpness in my voice.

Gabby nodded sheepishly as we headed west along 83rd Street. “She is. Padma can’t make it because she has piano lessons. But you should come, too, Em!” she added hurriedly. “I’m sorry I didn’t invite you before — you’ve seemed really distracted lately. Like you’d almost rather be alone.”

“Yeah, I know,” I said, fighting a wave of guilt as we sidestepped a cluster of pigeons.

“Is it because of that whole ‘vampire’ thing?” Gabby asked with a half smile, making air quotes with her fingers.

I stopped walking. Maybe it had to do with her fangs-are-funny! gift, or her light tone, but suddenly I was really annoyed.

“Would you keep it down?” I whispered, glancing over my shoulder. The Museum of Natural History was close by. Margo herself could appear at any moment, fangs out and wings spread. The thought made my whole body turn rigid with terror.

“I knew it,” Gabby sighed, putting her hands on her hips. “I knew you were still obsessing. I bet you haven’t talked to Great-aunt Margo yet. Probably
because you know she’ll give you a logical explanation, and you don’t
want
that!”

My patience snapped. “No,” I hissed. “I haven’t talked to her because she’s totally nocturnal, okay? Oh, and remember how you tried to convince me that I don’t have any of those
symptoms?
Well, you were wrong.”

Keeping my voice as low as possible, I explained to Gabby about my twelfth birthday realization. I waited for my best friend’s eyes to widen with fear. For her to apologize for doubting me.

Instead, she rolled her eyes.

“That doesn’t prove anything,” she scoffed. “Just because it happened to say that on
one
website …” She shook her head as we stopped on the corner to wait for the light. “I wish you’d told me that earlier. I could have saved you a lot of stress.”

Thunder rumbled overhead. I stared hard at Gabby, at her superior expression and her arms folded smugly over her chest.
Has she ever really understood me?
I wondered.

“This
is why I didn’t tell you,” I retorted. “Because I knew you’d act like this. I knew you wouldn’t really believe me.”

I realized that I’d known all along that Gabby
would dismiss whatever I said. But wasn’t a best friend supposed to stand by you no matter what?

“I’m only trying to help,” Gabby protested, raising her voice over the honking of car horns. “I mean, come on, Em. You’ve been a mess all week!”

I felt a pinprick of hurt.
You are a descendant of an ancient dynasty,
I reminded myself. I heard another threatening roar of thunder.

“I may have been acting a little weird,” I retorted. “But I’m better now. Actually, I’m doing great, in case you didn’t notice.”

“Oh, I’ve noticed,” Gabby snapped as we crossed the street. Her cheeks were pink, a sure sign that something was bothering her. “I’ve noticed how all you care about now is being the most popular girl in student council, and being friends with eighth graders, and —”

“What?”
I stopped in the middle of the street, and Gabby had to tug on my arm to pull me forward. My skin was flushed with anger as we reached the curb. I’d been feeling so good about myself all day, and now Gabby was ruining everything. “I thought — I thought you were
happy
for me. You nominated me designer-in-chief!”

My stomach tightened. Suddenly, it seemed like our conversation was spinning out of control. Spinning in a direction that was somehow even scarier than vampires.

“Well, I never expected it to go to your head like this!” Gabby shot back.

As if shocked by her words, the sky opened up and the first raindrops began to fall on us. I’d been in such a rush that morning I’d forgotten to bring an umbrella.

“I can’t believe it,” I muttered. “You’re totally jealous! That’s what this is about.”

Gabby rolled her eyes again.

“You’re jealous,” I repeated. “Because
I’m
finally standing up to people and speaking my mind, and
you
haven’t even worked up the nerve to talk to Milo in ballet class!” I was practically shouting now.

A hurt look crossed Gabby’s face, and I bit my bottom lip. I hadn’t meant to bring up boys, or to sound so mean.

“Whatever,” Gabby spat.
“You’ll
never admit that you like Henry Green. But then again, if he found out you thought you were a
you-know-what,
he’d never like
you!”

I gasped. How had this happened so quickly? Gabby and I had gone from being BFF to saying awful things to each other. I wanted to reverse everything, to reach out and hug her and apologize. But it felt like it was too late.

The rain was coming down harder now. All around us people were opening their umbrellas, but Gabby and I stood still, getting drenched.

“I don’t care,” I said firmly, meaning it. “I don’t care what you think, Gabby.”

Gabby set her jaw. “I feel the same way, Emma-Rose.”

Emma-Rose.
The name was a punch in the gut. Gabby never called me that. I was always “Em” to her. I fought down the lump in my throat.

“Fine,” I snapped, my voice catching. “I guess I won’t come over, then.”

“Fine!” Gabby snapped back, her own eyes looking bright with tears — though it could have been the rain.

“Fine,” I repeated, just for good measure.

Then I whipped around so fast that I almost knocked into someone’s umbrella. I started back across the street, toward home. I was shaking. In all
our seven years of friendship, Gabby and I had never fought this way.

“Oh, and you can forget about me helping you set up before the dance!” Gabby shouted after me.

“I don’t need you, anyway!” I shouted back. Then I broke into a run, my feet slamming into the pavement as the rain pounded down on me. I ran with all the vampire strength I could summon. I was winded and soaked when I reached my building.

And then I realized something that made the lump in my throat grow bigger: Gabby was the only one who’d known — and, up until a few minutes ago, cared — about my secret. Caitlin and Padma would probably side with Gabby if asked to choose. My new student council friends would freak if I told them what I really was. My parents were no help. And Great-aunt Margo was too busy turning into a bat, attacking helpless animals, or hiding from the sun to talk to me.

I took a deep breath and walked into my building.

I was on my own.