by Darren Shan
"Can't tell you." I grinned weakly.
"Hmmm," she grunted, but let the matter drop. "What's your hotel like?" she asked. "It looks kind of stuffy. Is it?"
"No," I said. "It's better than most places I've been. The staff don't hassle you if you play in the corridors. And some of the customers…" I told her about the guy who walked around nude.
"No!" she squealed. "You're kidding!"
"Honest," I swore.
"They don't kick him out?"
"He's paying. As far as they're concerned, he has the right to walk around however he pleases."
"I'll have to come over sometime." She grinned.
"Whenever you like," I said, smiling. "Except during the day," I added quickly, remembering the slumbering Mr. Crepsley. The last thing I wanted was for Debbie to walk in on a vampire while he was sleeping.
We headed back for the square, taking our time. I liked being with Debbie. I knew I shouldn't be making friends with humans — it was too dangerous — but it was hard to reject her. I hadn't been around anyone my own age, except Evra, since becoming a half-vampire.
"What will you tell your parents about the gloves?" I asked as we stood on the front step of her house.
She shrugged. "The truth. I'll start coughing when I tell them. Hopefully they'll feel sorry for me and won't get too mad."
"You're bad." I laughed.
"With a name like Hemlock, are you surprised?" She smiled, then asked, "Do you want to come in for a while?"
I checked my watch. Mr. Crepsley would be up by now and had probably already left the hotel. I didn't like the idea of leaving Evra alone too long: he might get annoyed if he thought I was neglecting him and decide to return to the Cirque Du Freak. "Better not," I said. "It's late. I'm expected back."
"Suit yourself," Debbie said. "Feel free to come over tomorrow if you want. Anytime. I'll be in."
"Won't you be at school?" I asked.
She shook her head. "With the holidays so close, Mom said I don't have to go back until the New Year."
"But she let you out to look for gloves?"
Debbie bit her lip with embarrassment. "She doesn't know I've been out walking," she admitted. "I left in a taxi, telling her I was going to see a friend. I was supposed to come back in a taxi, too."
"Aha!" I smiled. "Now I can blackmail you."
"Just try it!" She snorted. "I'll cook up a witch's brew and turn you into a frog." She fished a key out of her purse and paused. "You will come over, won't you? It gets pretty dull by myself. I haven't made many friends here yet."
"I don't mind coming," I said, "but how will you explain me to your mother? You can't exactly tell her we met in a taxi."
"You're right." Her eyes narrowed. "I didn't think of that."
"I'm not just a pretty face," I said jokingly.
"Not even a pretty face!" She laughed. "How about I come over to the hotel?" she suggested. "We can go on to the movies from there, and I can tell Mom that's where we met."
"Okay," I said, and told her my room number. "But not too early," I warned. "Wait until five or six, when it's pretty dark."
"Okay." She tapped her foot on the doorstep. "Well?" she said.
"Well what?" I replied.
"Aren't you going to ask?"
"Ask what?"
"Ask me to go to a movie," she said.
"But you just —"
"Darren," she sighed. "Girls never ask boys out."
"They don't?" I was confused.
"You're clueless, aren't you?" She chuckled. "Just ask me if I want to go to the movies, okay?"
"Okay," I groaned. "Debbie — will you come to the movies with me?"
"I'll think about it," she said, then unlocked the door and disappeared inside.
Girls!
CHAPTER SIX
Evra was watching TV when I got in. "Any news?" I asked.
"No," he replied.
"Mr. Crepsley didn't miss me?"
"He barely noticed you were gone. He's been acting weird lately."
"I know," I said. "I need a feed of human blood, but he hasn't mentioned it. Normally he's pretty fussy about making sure I feed on time."
"Are you going to feed without him?" Evra asked.
"Probably. I'll slip into one of the rooms late tonight and take some blood from a sleeping guest. I'll use a syringe." I wasn't able to close cuts with spit like full vampires could.
I'd come a long way in a year. Not so long ago, I would have jumped at the chance to skip a feed; now I was feeding because I wanted to, not because I'd been told.
"You'd better be careful," Evra warned me. "If you get caught, Mr. Crepsley will have a fit."
"Caught? Me? Impossible! I'll breeze in and out like a ghost."
I did, too, at about two in the morning. It was easy for someone with my talents: by sticking an ear to a door and listening for sounds inside, I could tell how many people were in a room and whether they were light sleepers or deep sleepers. When I found an unlocked room with a single man snoring like a bear, I let myself in and took the required amount of blood. Back in my own room, I squeezed the blood into a glass and drank.
"That'll keep me going," I said as I finished. "It'll get me through tomorrow anyway, and that's the important thing."
"What's so special about tomorrow?" Evra asked.
I told him about meeting Debbie and arranging to go to the movies.
"You've got a date!" Evra laughed with delight.
"It's not a date!" I snorted. "We're just going to the movies."
"Just?" Evra grinned. "There's no such thing as just with girls. It's a date."
"Okay," I said, "it's kind of a date. I'm not stupid. I know I can't get involved."
"Why not?" Evra asked.
"Because she's a normal girl and I'm only half human," I said.
"That shouldn't stop you from going out together. She won't be able to tell you're a vampire, not unless you start biting her neck."
"Ha ha," I laughed dryly. "It's not that. In five years she'll be a grown woman, while I'll still be like this."
Evra shook his head. "Worry about the next five days," he advised, "not the next five years. You've been hanging around Mr. Crepsley too much — you're getting as gloomy as he is. There's no reason for you not to date girls."
"I guess you're right." I sighed.
"Of course I am."
I chewed my lip nervously. "Assuming it is a date," I said, "what do I do? I've never been on a date before."
Evra shrugged. "Neither have I. But I guess you fust act normal. Chat with her. Tell her a few jokes. treat her like a friend. Then…" "Then?" I asked when he stopped.
He puckered up his lips. "Give her a kiss!" He laughed.
I threw a pillow at him. "I'm sorry I told you," I grumbled.
"I'm only kidding. But I'll tell you what." He turned serious. "Don't tell Mr. Crepsley. He'd probably move us on to a new city immediately, or at least a new hotel."
"You're right," I agreed. "I'll keep quiet about Debbie when he's around. It shouldn't be hard: I barely see him. And when I do, he hardly says anything. He seems like he's in a world of his own."
Although I couldn't have known it then, it was a world me and Evra would soon be part of… and Debbie, too.
The next day passed slowly. My stomach was a jumble of nerves. I had to drink warm milk to calm it down. Evra didn't help matters. He kept reading the time out loud and announcing: "Five hours to go!" "Four hours to go!" "Three and a half…"
Luckily I didn't have clothes to worry about: I only had one outfit, so there was no problem choosing what to wear. But I did spend a couple of hours in the bathroom, checking that I was spotlessly clean.
"Calm down," Evra said eventually. "You look great. I'm half tempted to go out with you myself."
"Shut up, stupid," I shot back, but couldn't help grinning.
"Well, anyway," Evra said, "do you want me to disappear before Debbie arrives?"
"Why?" I asked.
/> "You might not want me here," he muttered.
"I want to introduce you to her. She thinks you're my brother. It'd look strange if you weren't here when she shows up."
"It's just — well — how will you explain?" Evra asked.
"Explain what?"
"My looks," he said, rubbing a few of the scales along his arm.
"Oh," I said, as it finally dawned on me. Debbie didn't know Evra was a snake-boy. She was expecting an ordinary boy.
"I might frighten her," Evra said. "Lots of people get scared when they find themselves face to face with a guy like me. Maybe it would be for the best if —"
"Listen," I said firmly. "You're my best friend, tight?"
"Right." Evra smiled weakly. "But —"
"No!" I snapped. "No buts. I like Debbie a lot, but if she can't handle the way you look, too bad."
"Thanks," Evra said quietly.
Night came and Mr. Crepsley arose. The vampire looked haggard. I'd fixed a meal for him — bacon, sausages, pork chops — so he'd eat quickly and leave before Debbie arrived.
"Are you feeling all right?" I asked as he wolfed down the food.
"Fine," he mumbled.
"You look terrible," I told him bluntly. "Have you fed recently?"
He shook his head. "I have not had time. I may tonight."
"I took blood from a guest last night," I said. "It'll keep me going for another week or so."
"Good," he said absentmindedly. It was the first time I'd fed by myself, and I'd been expecting some sort of a compliment, but he didn't seem to care. It was like he'd lost interest in me.
I cleaned up once he'd left, then sat down to watch TV with Evra and wait for Debbie.
"She's not going to come," I said after what felt like a couple of hours. "She stood me up."
"Relax," Evra laughed. "You've only been sitting here ten minutes. It's still early."
I checked my watch — he was right. "I can't go through with this," I groaned. "I've never been out with a girl before. I'll mess it up. She'll think I'm boring."
"Don't get so wound up," Evra said. "You want to go out with her, and you are going out with her, so why worry?"
I started to answer him, but was interrupted by Debbie knocking on the door. Forgetting my nerves in a second, I jumped up to let her in.
CHAPTER SEVEN
I had expected Debbie to dress up, but she was in a pair of jeans and a baggy sweatshirt, wrapped in a long, heavy coat.
I noticed she was wearing a pair of red gloves.
"You found the gloves?" I asked.
She made a face. "They were in my room all along." She groaned. "They'd fallen behind the radiator. Of course, I only found them after I'd told Mom about walking around outside without them.
"Are your father and brother here?" she asked.
"Mr. Cre — I mean, Dad's out. Evra's in." I paused. "There's something you should know about Evra." I said.
"What?"
"He's not like other people."
"Who is?" Debbie laughed.
"You see," I began to explain, "Evra's a —"
"Look," Debbie interrupted, "I don't care what kind of an odd bod he is. Just take me in and make the introductions."
"Okay." I grinned shakily and gestured for her to enter. Debbie swished confidently ahead of me. A couple of steps into the room, she spotted Evra and stopped.
"Wow!" she exclaimed. "Is that a costume?"
Evra smiled nervously. He was standing in front of the TV, arms crossed stiffly.
"Debbie," I said, "this is Evra, my brother. He's —"
"Are those scales?" Debbie asked, surging forward.
"Uh-huh," Evra said.
"Can I touch them?" Debbie asked.
"Sure," Evra told her.
She ran her fingers up his left arm — he was wearing a T-shirt — and down his right.
"Wow!" Debbie gasped. "Have you always been like this?"
"Yes," Evra said.
"He's a snake-boy," I explained.
Debbie whirled fiercely on me. "That's a horrible thing to say!" she snapped. "You shouldn't call him names just because he looks different."
"I wasn't calling him —" I began, but she interrupted.
"How would you like it if somebody made fun of that stupid costume you wear?" she fumed. I looked down at my suit. "Oh, yes!" she sneered. "I could have said plenty about that crazy getup, but I didn't. I figured, if you wanted to look like something out of Peter Pan, that was your choice."
"It's okay," Evra said softly. "I am a snake-boy." Debbie stared at Evra uncertainly. "I am, really," he vowed. "I have many serpentine qualities: I shed my skin, I'm cold-blooded, I have snakelike eyes."
"Still," Debbie said, "it's not nice to be compared to a snake."
"It is if you like snakes." Evra laughed.
"Oh." Debbie looked back at me, half ashamed. "Sorry," she said.
"It's okay," I said, secretly pleased that she'd reacted the way she had — it proved she wasn't prejudiced.
Debbie was fascinated by Evra and kept asking him questions. What did he eat? How often? "Was he able to talk to snakes? After a while I told him to show her his tongue — he had a really long tongue and was able to stick it up his nose.
"That's the grossest, greatest thing I've ever seen!"
Debbie howled when Evra demonstrated his nostril-licking abilities. "I wish I could do that. It'd freak the life out of everybody at school."
Eventually it was time to leave for the movies.
"I won't be back late ," I told Evra.
"Don't rush on my account," he said, and winked.
It was a short walk to the cineplex, and we arrived in plenty of time for the start of the movie. We bought popcorn and drinks and headed in. We talked away to each other during the ads and previews.
"I like your brother," Debbie said. "He seems a little shy, but I guess that has to do with the way he looks."
"Yeah," I agreed. "Life hasn't been easy for him."
"Is anybody else in your family snakelike?" she asked.
"No," I said. "Evra's one of a kind."
"Your mom isn't unusual?" I'd told Debbie my mom and dad were divorced and that Evra and me spent half the year with each. "Or your dad?"
I smiled. "Dad's strange, too," I said, "but not like Evra."
"When can I meet him?" she asked.
"Soon," I lied. Debbie had warmed immediately to the snake-boy, but how would she react to a vampire? I had a feeling she wouldn't warm up to Mr. Crepsley, not if she knew what he was.
The movie was a stupid romantic comedy. Debbie laughed more than me.
We discussed the movie afterward as we walked back to the square. I pretended to like it more than I did. As we walked down a dark alley, Debbie took my hand in hers and held on to me for comfort, which made me feel great.
"Aren't you afraid of the dark?" she asked.
"No," I said. The alley seemed pretty bright to my vampire-enhanced eyes. "What is there to be afraid of?" I asked.
She shivered. "I know it's silly," she said, "but I'm always half afraid a vampire or werewolf's going to jump out and attack me." She laughed. "Stupid, huh?"
"Yeah," I said, laughing weakly. "Stupid."
If only she knew…
"Your nails are really long," she commented.
"Sorry," I said. My nails were incredibly tough. Scissors couldn't cut them. I had to chew on them with my teeth to keep them down.
"No need to apologize," she said.
As we emerged from the alley, I felt her studying me by the light of the street lamps. "What are you looking at?" I asked.
"There's something different about you, Darren," she mused. "It's not something I can put my finger on."
I shrugged, trying to make light of it. "It's because I'm so good-looking," I joked.
"No," she said seriously. "It's something inside you. I see it in your eyes sometimes."
I looked away. "You're embarrassing me," I grumbled.
She gave my hand a squeeze. "My dad always says that. He says I'm too inquisitive. My mind's always racing, and I'm always saying what's on it. I should learn to keep quiet."
We arrived at the square and I walked Debbie to her door. I stood awkwardly on the front step, wondering what to do next.
Debbie solved the problem for me.
"Want to come in?" she asked.
"Aren't your parents home?" I responded.
"That's okay — they won't mind. I'll tell them you're a friend of a friend."
"Well… okay," I said. "If you're sure."
"I am," she said, smiling, then took my hand and opened the door.
I was almost as nervous going in as I had been the night I crept down the cellar in the old theater in my hometown and stole Madam Octa from the sleeping Mr. Crepsley!
CHAPTER EIGHT
As it turned out, I had nothing to worry about. Debbie's parents were as nice as she was. Their names were Jesse and Donna — they wouldn't let me call them Mr. and Mrs. Hemlock — and they made me feel welcome as soon as I walked in.
"Hello!" Jesse said, seeing me first as we entered the living room. "Who's this?"
"Mom, Dad, this is Darren," Debbie said. "He's a friend of Anne's. I ran into him at the movies and invited him back. Is that okay?"
"Sure," Jesse said.
"Of course," Donna agreed. "We were about to have supper. Would you like some, Darren?"
"If it's no trouble," I said.
"No trouble at all," she beamed. "Do you like meatloaf ?"
"It's my favorite," I told her. It wasn't really, but I guessed it would pay to be polite.
I told Jesse and Donna a little about myself as we ate.
"What about school?" Jesse asked, like Debbie had before him.
"My dad used to be a teacher," I lied, having given some thought to the matter since yesterday. "He teaches Evra and me."
"More meatloaf, Darren?" Donna asked.
"Yes, please," I said. "It's great." It was, too. Much better than any meatloaf I'd had before. "What's in it?"
"A few extra spices," Donna said, smiling proudly. "I used to be a chef."
"I wish they had someone like you in the hotel." I sighed. "Their food isn't very good."