"What are these?" I asked, pointing to a rack of costumes.
"Inventory from Halloween," he answered, heading for the door.
"Halloween?" my mother asked, horrified. "You're going to prom, not a Monster Mash."
"Please. Let me see!" I said, pushing past a rack of men's suits. "Thank you, Jack!"
"Yes, Jack. Thank you for all your help," my mother added.
I was as happy as a bat in a dusty old attic.
I rummaged through the hanging costumes—a fairy costume, a firefighter uniform, and a mermaid outfit.
"This is cool," I said, holding up a red devil dress.
"Absolutely not!" my mother said.
I frowned and returned it to the rack.
"This is not what I had in mind when I said let's buy a dress for prom. Shopping in a storeroom," she said, continuing her search. "However…take a look at this one."
I didn't even notice what my mom was holding up.
At the end of the rack, I saw a blood red skirt with black lace calling my name. I pulled the dress out and gasped.
On a hanger hung a dark red corset with black lace, black strings, and a matching ankle-length skirt.
Attached to the hanger was the most fabulous accessory I'd ever seen: a gloomy parasol.
"I love it!" I exclaimed, showing it to my mother. "It's not torn, and it doesn't have staples or safety pins."
My mother paused. "It's not really what I had in mind…"
I modeled it over my clothes and danced around.
"I wanted you to look like a modern-day princess, not a Victorian vampire."
"Isn't it wonderful?"
I gave my mother a huge squeeze.
Madge had sold hundreds of dresses in her time at Jack's, but by the way she forced her smile, I don't think she'd ever rung up a Halloween outfit for prom. However, the old woman did her best to mask her shock and dismay. "You can be confident that no one else will be wearing this dress," she proclaimed.
Between my mother and me, we finally compromised on a dress that suited her budget and wasn't one I'd have to change out of as soon as I got to prom.
That evening, Alexander was waiting for me outside the Mansion door, the serpent knocker eyeing me like an old friend. My vampire boyfriend was sporting tight black drill jeans with black buckles running down the side, a Crow T-shirt, and his backpack slung over one shoulder. He gave me a sweet hello kiss.
"Are we going back to the treehouse? Or going camping?" I asked coyly.
"Last night I returned to the treehouse to retrieve Jagger's gravestone etchings. They were gone."
"Valentine?" I asked.
"I assume so. Valentine won't be back to the treehouse for a while. It would be too risky for him."
"Then how will we ever find him?"
"We'll have to lead him to us. Remember the box of blood-filled amulets that Jagger received from the Coffin Club that I found in the cemetery? Jagger used them to sustain himself so he'd go unnoticed here in Dullsville. I've got some in here," Alexander said, patting his backpack. "We can leave a few for Valentine at a couple locations. That way we can tell where he's been."
We tied several amulets to one of the limbs of the treehouse before heading off in the Mercedes to Dullsville's cemetery.
"Valentine has to be hiding out somewhere," Alexander stated as he parked the car beside the cemetery.
Alexander held my hand as we headed up the sidewalk to the graveyard's entrance.
"I shouldn't be on sacred ground, should I?" I asked when we reached the iron gates. "If he did bite me, not only would he turn me into a vampire, but I'd be bonded to him for eternity."
Alexander paused.
"I guess you're right," he agreed. "I forget that Valentine is a…It's best you stay behind."
"Stay behind?" I asked with a puppy dog face, quickly changing my tune. "But Valentine isn't here to bond with a mate, is he?"
Alexander shook his head. "I'm not sure why he's here." My boyfriend started over the fence.
"But if Valentine isn't after an eternal partner, it couldn't hurt," I said, pulling myself over the fence.
I followed Alexander through the aisles of tombstones, past the caretaker's shed. We checked out a freshly dug grave.
"Nothing here," he declared as we looked into the empty grave. We reached the sycamore where we originally found the box of amulets.
Alexander placed five amulets on the ground— haphazardly, so they wouldn't appear to be a trap. "We'll wait for a few minutes."
We snuck behind the caretaker's shed. Alexander put his arm around me and we huddled together underneath the glow of the moonlight.
"Tell me about your day. I feel there is so much in your life that I am missing," Alexander began.
"Biology? Or algebra? You aren't missing a thing."
"I imagine you doodling in your notebooks, skipping class, eating with Matt and Becky."
"What do I look like?"
"Beautiful, like a dark angel glowing in the daylight that streams into the classroom. Like the picture of you I have beside my coffin."
I sighed. "Becky put up some photos in her locker yesterday that she and Matt had taken in a photo booth. I wish I had a picture of you."
Alexander gazed at me, his dark eyes sad.
"There are certain things I can never give you," he admitted, "that other guys at your school can."
"You give me so much more than any mortal can," I said reassuringly.
Alexander squeezed my hand. I could tell he felt lonely and wanted to join my world as much as I wanted to join his.
"It's getting late," he said.
"If we leave now, we may miss Valentine," I complained.
"I have a feeling he won't be back for a while. We can return tomorrow, together."
That night I was modeling my corseted prom dress in my bedroom and trying to match accessories from my Mickey Malice jewelry box. I put my onyx choker on and gazed into the mirror. I wondered how Alexander would prepare for prom without being able to see his reflection. Would I give up seeing my reflection forever to have the chance to be with Alexander for eternity? I wasn't sure how I'd adapt to not performing the tasks I'd grown accustomed to doing for the past sixteen years. If Dullsvillians thought I was a freak now, I'm sure they would have a field day when I applied my lipstick and eyeliner without the use of a mirror.
The following day Matt, Becky, and I met at our lockers, then headed to the gymnasium to purchase prom tickets. We squeezed through the claustrophobically crowded bustling hallways, past the main entrance, and turned the corner to the gym. There I saw something I'd never imagined—a huge line of kids snaking through the hall like the Loch Ness monster.
"Are they selling Rolling Stones tickets, too?" I joked.
"If so, I'm buying," Matt replied as we joined the end of the line. Every Dullsville High student must have been attending the upcoming prom. Some couples were holding hands, a few girls were on cell phones, another pair was having a fight. Matt put his arm around Becky and her face lit up like the New Year's Eve crystal ball at Times Square. I felt a pang in my heart because Alexander wasn't here to put his arm around me.
From my vantage point, I could barely see the entrance to the gym where several student ticket sellers were seated behind a folding table. Fortunately, the line seemed to be moving steadily along toward the destination. Our class treasurer was off to the side holding a clipboard like she was taking a survey.
"Sign-up sheet for volunteers. We need extra hands for the decorations," she said as we proceeded forward.
Becky waved over the girl in charge of our sophomore funds.
"Are you going to sign up?" Becky asked me as she scribbled her name on the paper.
"I don't have much free time these days."
When Becky was finished, the treasurer glared at me, quickly withdrew her clipboard before I had the chance to change my mind, and moved to the end of the line.
"Have you heard about a creepy-looking
kid hanging out in town?" I overheard a couple say behind me as we moved a few feet ahead.
I angled my head slightly to get an earful. "Yes," the other answered. "I think he's related to those freaks from Romania that were at Trevor's Graveyard Gala. Supposedly he wanders the streets at night looking for souls."
I leaned back a little farther.
"I heard he was a ghost," the guy gossiped.
"Apparently the caretaker has been finding empty candy wrappers in the cemetery—"
"He wears that nasty goth clothing," she whispered, loud enough for me to hear.
I continued to lean back—this time a little too far. I lost my balance and stumbled back.
"Ouch," Heather Ryan complained. "That was my foot."
"Sorry," I said genuinely as I regained my footing.
If I had been a prep like her, she probably would have laughed it off. But instead she looked at me as if I, too, had just climbed out of the cemetery looking for souls. "These are brand-new Pradas," she whined.
"Well, these are vintage Doc Martens. What's the big deal?"
"I think you may have scuffed them," she said, scowling at me.
I stared at her bright white shoes.
"You should be thanking me. I'd be glad to scuff them some more, if you like."
Her boyfriend laughed.
"It's not nice to eavesdrop," she reprimanded me as if she were a teacher.
"It's even worse to gossip," I snarled. "And very tacky to designer-name drop." We were fast approaching the ticket table. "You still have time to ask someone else," I whispered to her boyfriend.
He laughed again and she slugged him in the arm.
"Come on, Raven," Becky ordered, pulling me away. "It's our turn."
I left the gossipmongers and approached the ticket table.
Becky beamed as Matt bought two tickets.
I pulled out a wad of cash from my Olivia Outcast purse.
"No cutting," I heard the couple say in back of me. I turned around. Trevor Mitchell was standing behind me.
"So have you found a date, Corpse Bride?" he asked in a seductive voice.
"Yes, I have," I said, putting the tickets safely in my purse.
"Your father? Or your first cousin?"
"Alexander," I said confidently.
"That's a shame. I would have escorted you. I could have used it for my community service hours."
Trevor handed the cashier a hundred-dollar bill as Matt, Becky, and I made our exit.
On the way home from school, Becky agreed to stop off at Henry's house.
"Billy Boy left something in the backyard. I'll only be a minute," I said, getting out of her pickup truck.
I raced up the driveway. No lights in Henry's house were lit. I peeked into the garage, empty of his parents' cars. Henry and Billy Boy were at Math Club, so the coast was clear.
I hurried past his gigantic pool and gazebo and ran through the pristinely mowed lawn.
I climbed the treehouse ladder, the rungs creaking with every step of my boots. I reached the treehouse deck and inspected the door.
The amulets were gone.
Shortly after sunset, Alexander arrived at my house to find me pacing on the front walkway.
I kissed him, bursting to tell him my news.
"I went to the treehouse. The amulets—they're gone!" I proclaimed, leading him inside. "Valentine has been back to the treehouse."
"Then we can set a trap. This time, I'll be waiting," Alexander said.
Alexander was giving me a huge squeeze when Billy Boy burst through the front door.
"Look what Henry and I found at the treehouse," my brother declared. In his smarmy little palm he held two shining amulets.
My heart dropped. "Those aren't yours!"
"Well, they certainly aren't yours. Finders keepers."
"Let me see those," I said, reaching for them.
"Here," he said, holding the clasps and letting the amulets swing, as if trying to hypnotize me. "See with your eyes, not with your—"
I tried to grab them, but my brother pulled them away.
"There were four," I said.
"How do you know?"
"Uh…amulets come in four; don't you know anything?" I stumbled.
"Henry kept the other two."
"Well, I think they are more my style than yours. Let me have them."
"Forget it. It looks like they're filled with blood," Billy Boy said with delight. "Henry plans to test them."
I paused.
"Then what will you do with them?"
"Use them for our Project Vampire."
8 The Bat Cave
That night, Billy Boy and Henry were hunkered in our family room, eagerly doing their vampire project while I was making the finishing touches to my hair.
I heard the doorbell ring.
"I'll get it!" I hollered.
I checked myself out in the hallway mirror. I made sure my teeth were lipstick-free and tightened my black lace sash around my waist.
I opened the door to find my dream guy, looking sexy in a shadowy oversized black shirt, silver-seamed black jeans, and combat boots riddled with straps.
Alexander pulled me to him and gave me a hello kiss.
"Alexander's here! I'll see you later," I called to anyone who was listening, and closed the front door behind me.
"Fortunately Billy Boy's in for the night," I said when I reached Alexander's waiting car. "Who does homework on Friday?"
"There's nothing wrong with being studious," Alexander defended, holding the door open for me.
"It is when the ultrastudious one is my brother," I said, half teasing. "I've always wanted a cool brother. Cryptic, clever, dangerous. Not a nerdy one. But I suppose Billy Boy's always wanted to have an honor student for an older sister, so I guess we're even."
I settled into the Mercedes and Alexander pulled out of the driveway.
"Did Ruby come over for dinner the other night?" I asked, checking my eyeliner in the rearview mirror.
"Yes. The old guy is getting to be quite the ladies' man. It's getting harder for me to borrow Jameson's car. He lent it to me for this evening, but he is taking Ruby out tomorrow night."
"So where are you taking me?" I asked.
"It's a secret. And I have a surprise for you when we get there."
Alexander drove through downtown and toward the outskirts of Dullsville.
"I found this place last night," he said as he turned the car around a tight bend. "I discovered it when I was looking for Valentine. I thought we could grab a few minutes just for us."
Just us. A stolen moment when Alexander and I could finally have a romantic interlude with stars twinkling and the moon shining down on us, and we wouldn't have to worry about Jagger, Luna, Trevor, Valentine, or Billy Boy. I think we'd both been waiting for a chance like this forever.
The car lights illuminated fog as it began to creep over the twisting road, eventually puffing against the car and making it seem like we'd driven through a ghost.
I peered out the passenger-side window, out into the distance. In the darkness, a white billowy haze hung over the desolate fields.
Alexander pulled off onto a dirt road. I could barely see anything in front of us. The car bumped along the unmarked path. We were surrounded by darkness and a fog-covered meadow.
"How can you even see where we are?" I asked.
Alexander seemed confident. He stopped the car and shifted the gear into park.
"I thought we could take a moment to enjoy something new," he said as we got out of the Mercedes.
Alexander grabbed his backpack from the trunk and threw it over his shoulder. He held my hand and gave me a flashlight.
Together we walked through the meadow, pushing the tall grass out of our way.
In the darkness, I could barely make out what appeared to be a hill until Alexander had me shine the flashlight in its direction.
The hill had a huge opening. It was a cave.
"I thought this
was just an urban legend!" I exclaimed. I felt as if we were explorers discovering a new land.
"I've heard that as a club initiation kids spend the night here, never to return," I gossiped. "But I never knew it really existed."
I held on to Alexander's belt and followed him into the cave. He could see where he was going in the dark, but he thoughtfully took the flashlight and illuminated the way for me.
We entered the monster-sized mouth of the cave, with its damp, musty scent and distinctive chilly air. The rocky floor was wet, and Alexander steered me clear of any protruding edges. I ran my hand along the side of the cave. Some areas were smooth, some were bumpy and riddled with cavities, while others were covered with moss.
As Alexander led me deeper into the cave, I could hear the faint and soothing sounds of trickling water. When he shined his light above us, an enormous ceiling dripping with stalactites, hanging like gigantic vampire fangs, was revealed.
Alexander led me to a dry spot and passed me the flashlight. I watched as he opened the backpack, pulled out candles, and placed them around us. One by one he lit them, encircling us with candlelight.
"This is the most romantic thing I've ever seen!" I said.
The candles cast shadows from the stalactites and stalagmites against the cave walls, making them seem twice their size. I loved it.
Alexander pulled out a few sandwiches and sodas from his bag. We drank, kissed, and laughed.
As Alexander put the wrappers in his backpack, we heard fluttering sounds above us and spotted a few bats flying overhead.
"They come in and out during the night with food," Alexander said.
"Could Valentine have been one of those bats?"
Alexander didn't respond.
"Tell me more about Valentine," I asked curiously, resting back on my elbows.
"Figures. I bring a beautiful girl to a romantic candlelit cave and she wants to talk about a much younger man."
"You're right," I said in a flirtatious whisper. "Let's talk about us."
"Let's not talk at all," he said in a soft voice.
Then, one by one, Alexander blew out the candles until only one remained.
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