“Paul, should I take this?” my mom interrupted, holding a red strapless dress.
“I’m sixteen, Dad. I want to go out on a Saturday night!”
“I know,” my mom said, placing a pair of red stilettos in her bag. “But not tonight. Your father’s just surprised me! He hasn’t done that since college. Just this once, Raven, then you can have all the Saturdays you want.” She kissed me on the head, not waiting for a response.
“I’ll be calling in at midnight sharp,” my father warned, “just to make sure you and Billy are getting along and that my tennis racket is still in the closet.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to throw a wild party,” I said angrily.
“Good, I might have to use the house as collateral at the blackjack table.”
He went into his closet and pulled a jacket out. I went into my room and pulled my hair out. In all the seventeen years my parents had been married, my dad had to pick tonight to surprise my mom?
It was seven-thirty that night when I broke the news to Nerd Boy—rather, Billy Boy. I was wearing my Saturday-night best: a black spandex sleeveless mini-dress with a black lacy undertop that peeked through, black tights, unscuffed combat boots, black lipstick, and silver-and-onyx earrings.
“I’m going out tonight.”
“But you’re supposed to stay here.” He ogled my outfit like a protective father. “You have a date!”
“I do not. I just have to go.”
“You can’t! I won’t let you. I’ll tell.” Billy Boy would have loved to stay by himself, but he loved his sudden power over me more.
“Becky’s coming over to hang with you. You like Becky.”
“Yeah, but does she like me?”
“She loves you!”
“Really?” he asked, with crush-boy eyes.
“I’ll ask her when she gets here. Becky, do you love my little eleven-year-old brother?”
“Don’t! You better not!”
“Then promise to behave.”
“I’m going to tell. You’re leaving me! Anything can happen. I could be on the internet and meet some crazy psycho woman that wants to marry me.”
“You could only be so lucky,” I said, looking out the window for Becky.
“You’ll get in so much trouble!”
“Quit being a baby! Show Becky your computer games. She’ll go mad over that alien spaceship stuff.”
“If you leave, I’ll call them in Vegas.”
“Not if you value your life. I’ll tie you to that chair if I have to!”
“Then do it, ’cause I’m going to call!” He ran for the cordless phone.
“Billy, please,” I begged. “I really need to go. Someday you’ll understand. Please, Billy.”
He paused with the phone in his hand. He had never heard me beg him for anything, only threaten.
“Well, okay, just make sure you’ll be here by midnight. I’m not going to pretend you’re in the bathroom.”
For the first time I can remember, I gave my brother a hug. And I gave him a real hug, a Ruby squeeze-hug, the kind that lets you really feel the other person’s warmth.
“Where’s Becky already!” he yelled, now playing for my team. “You need to leave!”
Suddenly the doorbell rang and we both flew down the steps. “Where were you?” I asked.
Becky sauntered in with a box of microwave popcorn. “I thought you said eight.”
“I have to be there at eight!”
“Shoot, and I thought I was early. Take the truck,” she said, handing me her keys.
“Thanks. How do I look?” I asked, modeling my outfit.
“Wicked!”
“Really? Thanks!”
“You look like an angel of the night,” my baby brother added.
I glanced in the hallway mirror and smiled. It might be the last time I would actually be able to see my reflection.
“Have fun, you two, and take good care of Billy, okay?”
“Who?” she asked, puzzled.
“Billy. My brother.”
They both laughed. I grabbed my jacket and flew out of there like a bat.
Some hideous Dullsvillians had spray-painted GO HOME FREAKS! on the crumbling brick wall by the Mansion gate. It could have been Trevor. It could have been anyone. I felt an emptiness in my stomach.
I guess the Sterlings didn’t get many visitors—there was no buzzer on the gate. Was I supposed to wait there, or climb over? But then I realized the gate was open. For me. I walked up the long driveway, looking at the curtained attic window, hoping I would be able to finally see it from the inside.
Anything could happen tonight. I really didn’t know what to expect. What would we be eating for dinner? What do vampires eat anyway?