“So what’s your favorite thing about bats, Bat Boy?” I asked.
“I’d have to say,” he began, thinking, “their vampire teeth.”
I gasped, but it wasn’t because of Alexander’s comment. A mosquito had bitten my neck.
“Don’t be afraid,” he said, squeezing my hand. “I won’t bite…yet.” He laughed at his joke.
“I’m not afraid. A mosquito bit me!” I explained, scratching like mad.
He examined the mark like a doctor. “It’s starting to swell. We’d better get you ice.”
“It’ll be okay. I get these all the time.”
“I don’t want you to tell your parents you came over to my house and got bitten!”
I wanted to tell the whole world I was bitten, but that mosquito had ruined everything.
He took me into the kitchen and put ice on my tiny wound. I listened to the grandfather clock chime away. Nine…Chime…Ten…Chime. No! Eleven…Chime. Frig! Twelve. It couldn’t be!
“I’ve got to go!” I exclaimed.
“So soon?” he asked, disappointed.
“Any second my dad will be calling from Vegas, and if I’m not there to answer, I’ll be grounded for eternity!”
If only I could stay and live with Alexander in his attic room and have Creepy Man serve me Count Chocula cereal every morning…
“Thanks for the flowers and the dinner and the stars,” I said hurriedly by Becky’s truck, scrambling in my purse for the keys.
“Thank you for coming.”
He looked dreamy and gorgeous, and somehow lonely. I wanted my Gothic Vampire Mate to kiss me now. I wanted his mouth on my neck and his soul within mine.
“Raven?” he said cautiously.
“Yes?”
“Would you like me to…”
“Yes? Yes?”
“Would you like me to…invite you again, or would you rather sneak back in?”
“I’d love to be invited,” I answered, waiting. If he kissed me now, we’d be bonded for all eternity.
“Wonderful then. I’ll call you.” He kissed me softly on the cheek. The cheek? Still, it was softer and more romantic than the time Jack Patterson had kissed me outside the Mansion, and much more romantic than Trevor pushing me against a tree. And as much as I wanted a real kiss—a vampire kiss—he was changing me. I was transforming into a swooning noodle-legged, goopy, googly-eyed, drippy marshmallow girl.
I could still feel his lovely, full lips against my face as I drove home. My body tingled all over with excitement, longing, passion—feelings I had never felt about a guy before. And as I scratched the bite that wasn’t his, I could only hope I wouldn’t turn into a blood-sucking mosquito.
“Dad’s explaining to Becky the rules of blackjack,” Billy whispered anxiously, as I ran through the door. “He’s already told her about every casino and the history of Siegfried and Roy. He’s running out of hotels on the strip!”
I whispered, “Thanks,” to Becky and quickly grabbed the phone.
“Becky loves to talk,” my dad began. “I had no idea she was so fascinated with Las Vegas. Next time I’ll bring her. She tells me you guys have been watching vampire movies all evening.”
“Yeah…”
“Revenge of Dracula for the fiftieth time?”
“No. It’s a new one. It’s called Vampire Kisses.”
“Is it good?”
“I give it two thumbs up!”
16
Chocolate-and-Vanilla Swirl
Becky and I were eating ice-cream cones—Vanilla Royale and Chocolate Attack—outside Shirley’s Bakery the next day.
“Alexander’s the dreamiest! I can still feel his lips tingling against my cheek,” I said. “Becky, for the first time I don’t want to run away from this town, ’cause at the top of Benson Hill lives my Gothic dream guy. I can’t stop thinking about him. I only wish you’d met him, too, then you’d know how spectacular he is!”
Suddenly a red Camaro pulled up.
“Matt saw Becky’s truck parked outside Freaky Mansion last night,” Trevor proclaimed in his ornery way as he sauntered over. He stared into Becky’s face and asked, “Trying to spray paint the Mansion, Igor?”
“No,” I defended, smiling, still thinking about last night. I wasn’t going to let Trevor spoil my wonderful mood.
“So you weren’t up to trouble, Werewolf Girl?” Trevor asked, continuing to stare at Becky.
Becky looked scared.
“Let’s go, Trev,” Matt said.
“We’d love to chat with you lovely gentlemen, but we’re in the middle of a corporate meeting,” I told him. “So you’ll have to leave a message with my secretary.”