"Well, your story's way more interesting than Ben Overby's," Keagan chimed in. "You know, that boy you danced with at the party? Right after you were turned, he dropped out of school and joined the Peace Corps. It was weird."
"Really?" I asked, lifting my brow in Jane's direction. "The Peace Corps? Does anyone join the Peace Corps anymore?"
Jane shrugged.
"Yeah, something about using his computer geekery to create safe groundwater systems in Africa," Morgan said.
"But how would he even . . ." I asked as Jane shook her head again, clearly discouraging my inconvenient curiosity. "Never mind."
"I think it's kind of romantic." Keagan sighed. "He couldn't stay in school, where he met you, after he watched you die. He was so clearly into you."
"Yep, that's a definite sign of someone being into you, throwing away their education and running away to a third world country," Morgan muttered.
"You're so pale," Keagan said. "Gorgeous, don't get me wrong. I mean, it looks like RuPaul's Drag Race Understated Glam Squad got ahold of you. But pale. And you have circles under your eyes that kind of look like eyeliner but more shadowy. Aren't you sleeping?"
"Yeah, just not when you're sleeping."
Morgan frowned. "But you're OK? You're not having foster-home flashbacks? Do they make vampire antianxiety meds? Should we airlift some to you? I mean, we would have to know where you are, but that could be arranged, right?"
Keagan elbowed Morgan on-screen. "Subtle, girl, come on."
"I'm fine," I promised, eyeing Jane carefully. "It's different from when I was a kid."
"Well, we miss you," Keagan said. "Going for cheese fries at two A.M. isn't the same without you!"
"Well, it definitely wouldn't be the same if I did go, because I would throw up the cheese fries."
"Good point," Keagan said, grimacing.
"Also, we have to write our own essays now. It's terrible. I'm failing Public Speaking. Do you know how embarrassing it is to fail Public Speaking?" Morgan grumbled.
I burst out laughing. "How am I responsible for you failing Public Speaking?"
"Because I have to spend the time I would spend practicing my speeches writing my own essays for Russian Literature."
///
"Well, who told you to take Russian Literature?" I asked.
"Professor Romanov is so hot." Morgan groaned. "It clouded my judgment."
I snorted. "I'm sorry I'm not there to help you commit academic fraud."
"Well, you should be."
"I miss you guys." I sighed.
"When are you coming home?" Morgan demanded.
"I don't know," I said. "It all depends on whether I can pass remedial vampire classes."
Jane glanced at her watch and made a wrap it up gesture. I glanced at the clock at the bottom of the screen. Ben's time slot to talk to his parents was coming up soon, and I knew Jane wanted to talk with him one last time about the reasons for not telling his parents where he was before he got on the video chat.
"I've got to go," I told them, prompting a chorus of "Noooo!" from the other side of the screen. "But if I'm very good, I can call . . ."
I paused to glance at Jane, who whispered, "Next week."
"I can call next week."
"OK," Keagan muttered, all pouty.
Jane whispered, "Your friend can e-mail you her essay at the Council address if I can screen the e-mail. AND the essay."
I grinned. "And Morgan, e-mail me your essays so I can read them over and revise them. Not write them for you. Revise. I'll send you the e-mail address."
"Yay for academic semifraud!" Morgan cheered.
"Bye," I said, shaking my head.
They yelled, "We love you!"
"I love you guys," I said, throwing them a kiss. They waved at me, and I reluctantly clicked to end the call. I wiped at the eyes I hadn't even realized were growing wet.
"You OK?" Jane asked.
I nodded. "Thank you," I said. "I really needed to talk to them."
"I know," Jane assured me. I stood up, and she put her hand on my shoulder, gave it a squeeze. "I know you think I've been a little bit of a bitch through this whole process."
"Because I've actually thought, Wow, Jane's being a little bit of a bitch right now,' and you read my mind?"
"Yes, and in some ways you've been right. I've had to be a bitch. I don't like it. But that's part of my job with the Council. I'm doing what I can to make life easier for vampires without committing overt acts of evil, as was the Council's usual way. And if I have to be kind of mean to keep you safe, so be it. But I do understand what it's like to have friends who mean more to you than family could. And I hope that someday you start to include some of us in that little circle."