“Come off it, you don’t care about the cause. You just want to ace the test.” I raised my brows.
“No. I give all the time.”
This was a pile of bull, but her fake excuse gave me an idea.
“Well, so do I and I’ve already given recently, so I don’t qualify.”
“What?” Her grin faltered.
“Yup.” This was getting better by the minute.
“I’m sure you could donate again.” A scowl took residence on her face.
Wow. When did I miss handouts of Kool-Aid? “You give and you don’t know the rules?”
Her lips thinned. “No.”
“Well, little miss I’m-afraid-of-needles, you can only give every 56 days,” thank you Google.
She blinked, then looked away. “Fine.” She stood up from the table and flipped her head around so fast, I half-expected it to pop off. “If we lose, then don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
I refrained from giving her the bird and decided to replace my earbuds instead. Adding days to my detention wasn’t happening today, not over Katie and her power trips.
After finishing my lunch alone, I walked over to throw away my trash. Julia sat off to the side with Nicholas’ full attention on her. But she wasn’t into him. Instead she watched me. I couldn’t read her face exactly. Was she worried? She should be. Not only for me, but for the reasons behind why Horace was promoting this.
I shrugged and she quickly looked away. There was something there. Something she knew. Why wouldn’t she tell me?
Katie sauntered over to me. “Good news. I asked Mr. Cruor, and he said if you can show proof you gave last month, he’ll give you the credit.”
Check mate.
Crap, I was screwed.
CHAPTER FIVE
“I don’t care, Phil. I know you’re not sick,” Mom stood over my bed, her happy morning voice gone.
I pinched my eyes shut and rolled over, facing the wall. Damn it.
“Is this because of the blood drive?”
“No,” I lied.
“Well,” she said, flipping to the I-mean-business tone. “Mr. Cruor emailed me and told me what happened in class yesterday. I understand your apprehension, but I gave him my permission for the drive. It’s a good idea.” She paused, as if to wait for me to reply. I said nothing. “Is there another reason why you don’t want to do it? Are you hiding something?”
I rolled over, appalled. What’s with everyone accusing me of diseases? “No, Mom. I’m not hiding anything. Geez. I just don’t feel comfortable giving blood to win a contest.”
She blinked at me, surprised. “Is it the needle? It really doesn’t hurt.”
I groaned and pulled the covers over my head. This was getting ridiculous.
“I’d think you’d want an easy A on your History final.”
He told her that, too? Horace pulled out the big guns for this one. Man, he scared me.
“Come on. I don’t want to be late for work.” She tapped my foot. “And if you don’t get to school, I’m cancelling your surfing trip with your L.A. buddies. Do you hear me?”
I stuffed the pillow over my head. Unless I wanted detention and my trip cancelled, I had to go. This was hell.
Her footfalls departed from my room. I exhaled and tossed off the pillow.
“And why did you say your father was a lawyer?” Mom called from the hall.
“It was a joke,” I said as I dragged myself to the bathroom. Apparently the joke was on me.
:::
I arrived at school with a few minutes to spare. As promised, the RV wrapped with a “Love to give Blood” slogan was parked out front with balloons and a row of stanchions filled with eager students.
If only another teacher had asked for the support. A freebie on a test was golden. Was I paranoid over nothing? No. This had become a matter of principle.
Marching to my locker, I secretly wished for anything to stop the blood drive. I glanced up.
God, an earthquake about now would be nice.
He wouldn’t want the bad guy to get access to our blood, would He? When nothing happened, I slammed my locker door and headed to P.E. This thing wasn’t going to affect me. I was a man. I’d stand tall on my convictions, no matter how crazy it looked to others. I wasn’t going to give into the hype.
A giant poster titled Out for Blood with juniors vs. seniors had two thermometers showing the pints donated. And just my luck, the juniors were behind.
Crap.
Senior football players high-fived each other as students milled about with stickers displayed proudly on their shirts touting, “I donated.”
“Hey,” Jake said, clasping onto my shoulder. “We need you, man. When are you going to donate?”
“I’m late for class,” I said quickly.
“Then go check in and get back here. I’m not losing the pass to the seniors.”
I faked a smile. “Sure,” not!
Any more blood love and people would be giving two pints each. Freaking ex-vampires apparently still had a thing for blood.
I took the long way to P.E. again, hoping to avoid attention, and slipped into the gym. Class was in complete chaos. Guys still in their street clothes played basketball in one corner of the room, while the girls huddled on the bleachers at the other. Apparently we weren’t suiting up today.
To my shock, most everyone had a red sticker on.
“Maybe Phil is right.”
Hearing my name through the chatter, I jerked my head upward. Sam and Julia were sitting at the top of the bleachers just out of sight.
“Maybe,” Julia added, “but it’s not Mr. Cruor’s idea to do the drive. It was the principal’s.”
“Still, I don’t like it,” Sam added, “and Mr. Cruor gives me the creeps.”
Yes! I jumped for joy on the inside, no longer alone in this battle. We may not have gotten off to a good start, but at least Sam saw reason. And if I could get my hands on one of those rolls of stickers, I’d be golden. Everyone would think we’d donated and lay off.
I returned to the hall and spotted Justin with his lame sticker on his shirt. Lower classmen weren’t in on the contest. They were too young to donate.
“What’s with that?” I pointed to his collar.
“What?” he looked down.
“That.” I dug my finger into his chest.
“Mr. Cruor said if we got permission and donated, he’d give us a free pass on the final, too.”
“What?” I palmed my hair. “This is getting out of hand.”
“What’s the big deal?”
I pressed him against the lockers. “The big deal is, Mr. Cruor is…” Then I remembered Justin never had an opportunity to meet Cain. He hadn’t made it that far in his vampire journey, since he was annihilated along with the rest of Alora’s coven. “Forget it.”
I pulled out my wallet and handed him a five.
“What’s this for?”
I ripped the sticker from his shirt and slapped it on my chest.
“Hey!” Justin yelled as I walked away. “That’s mine!”
“Get another,” I said over my shoulder.
One down, two to go.
I walked outside toward the RV. Students filed in on one side, then out the other. Tables with cookies and juice stood adjacent to a seating area. Sticker girl was right by the exit.
I sauntered over, holding my arm like I’d just given blood.
“Hey,” I said before I stumbled. “I think I’m feeling a bit…” I grabbed onto the table for support. “Lightheaded.”
“Whoa.” Sticker Girl, a blonde with a pixie haircut, dropped her stash on the table and moved to my side. She lifted me up. “Let’s have you take a seat.”
With my gentle lead, I allowed her to guide me to the chair closest to the table. “I don’t know what happened, but I see stars.”
“Here,” she patted my knee, fret covering her face. “I’ll get you a drink.”
She turned just long enough for me to pal
m the roll and slide it into my pocket.
Bingo!
“Thank you,” I said, accepting the Dixie cup of orange juice. “You’re just like an angel. What’s your name?”
She smiled. “Debbie.”
“Oh, Debbie. I think we need to…at least be friends. Can I get your number?”
Her shoulders shook with silent laughter. “I think you need to rest a bit. I have more patients to attend to, that is if you’re okay.”
“After meeting you, I’ll never be okay again.” I flashed my pearly whites. Yes, I was laying it on thick, but I was beyond grateful.
She shook her head and turned, looking for the stickers. “Where’d I put those…?”
Once she disappeared inside the RV, I had the quickest recovery known to man and darted toward the gym. On the way, I passed Justin who was in line, complaining to anyone who’d listen that I’d stolen his sticker.
“Can’t ya take a joke?” I slapped his chest extra hard, reattaching his sticker, and moved on. “Keep the change.”
:::
Luckily, Julia and Sam were in the same place as when I’d left. I pulled out a sticker for myself and traipsed over to the bleachers when I heard Katie’s annoying shrill.
“Why haven’t you two given yet?” she asked Sam and Julie. “Don’t you see we’re behind?”
Crap.
“I’m not so sure about it,” Julia said.
“Sure about what?” Katie put her hands on her hips. “Don’t be like Phil.”
I climbed up the bleachers behind Katie with my finger over my lips. Sam and Julia’s eyes grew, watching me. I slid my arm over Katie’s shoulder.
“What’s so wrong with being like me?” I flashed my winning smile.
Katie glared, then her eyes fell to my chest and widened. “You did decide to give.”
Julia’s eyes narrowed, her grin falling into a frown.
Crap.
“Well, yeah,” I winked at Julia, hoping she’d catch I really hadn’t given blood. “We’re all drinking Cain’s mojo, aren’t we?”
Sam let out a small gasp while Katie yanked her head backward.
“Cain? What are you talking about?”
Double crap.
“Never mind,” I said quickly.
Keeping my pseudo persona under control so wasn’t happening today. Good thing I kept all my red blood cells inside me so I didn’t blow things even more.
Julia stood, her shoulders stiff. “Better late than never, right?” She gave Sam the “let’s go” look and started to climb down the bleachers.
Wait. No!
I felt myself reaching for Julia’s hand before I could stop myself. She startled under my grasp, then flicked my hand away. “I don’t want to be the reason we lose,” she hissed.
I pushed my hand through my hair, watching the three descend the bleachers. Dang it! They didn’t break formation, filing out the gym doors together just as the bell rang.
I rushed down the bleachers and pushed through the double doors, unable to find them in the throng of people. Knowing Katie, she’d escorted them directly to the RV, destroying any chance I had of giving them my stolen stickers. Leaning against the wall next to Horace’s classroom, I watched students file in one-by-one—all sporting stickers. Amazingly, they began to smile at me again. My perceived compliance in the contest meant I could return to an acceptable social status. Such hypocrites.
I eventually took my seat, eyeing Julia’s empty one. The warning bell rang and Horace hadn’t returned. My guess, he was in the donor RV.
Katie walked in first, smiling at me. I rolled my eyes and slouched in my chair, kicking my feet in her path. She stepped over them with a scowl.
Julia followed shortly thereafter without a sticker. Sam was behind her. She didn’t sport one either. Both were as white as ghosts. Did the sight of the needle scare them off?
Julia slunk into the chair in front of me, keeping her eyes low. She pulled out her notebook and started writing something.
I poked her in the back with my pen. When she didn’t respond, I pressed harder.
“Would you stop that?” she said under her breath.
“Why didn’t you do it?” I asked.
“None of your business.”
I tore a sticker off the sheet in my pocket and slyly passed it to her. “Here.”
She looked at my hand, then at me, surprised. “Where’d you get this?”
I grinned. “I have my ways.”
She swallowed hard, then turned around. The crinkle of the paper followed by a sly lifting of her hand to her chest was all the confirmation I needed.
Oh, yeah!
With an internal high-five to myself, I sat back with a grin. I was officially in the Fab Five once again.
Julia turned around, terribly serious.
“So you didn’t give?” she asked.
“Heck, no.”
Relief flooded her features. We were on the same page again.
“I need one for Sam too,” she said quickly, her eyes darting around the room.
I nodded and passed her another one. Heck, I could give out one to everyone in class if it kept me in her good graces. Quick as a flash, Julia popped up and walked over to Sam’s desk, handing her the sticker wrapped up in a piece of binder paper.
She returned, her body less ridged. I scanned the front of the room for her boy toy. He wasn’t in class. Actually, I hadn’t seen him at all today. Good. Another volunteer for the army.
“Class,” Horace said, sporting a clipboard in his hands. He scanned the room, his eyes tightening on me. “The contest is close. From my records, the seniors are ahead.” A groan emanated from the room. “Not to worry. There are still a few of you who haven’t given. Feel free to take the opportunity now.”
Only two people got up and left the room.
Horace watched me, boring holes through me. I put my hands behind my head. There was no way I’d be leaving.
He stepped forward. “You’re not on the list as a donor, Mr. D’Ella.”
“I’m not?”
“No.” He tapped his pen on the edge of the clipboard.
I pointed to my sticker, remembering another flaw in my plan. I didn’t have a bandage on my arm to prove I’d given.
“I heard you’d given last month already.” Horace cocked a brow.
“Okay,” I said, raising my hands. “You caught me. But, I felt left out. What did you expect me to do?”
“Bring me proof, but there’s a bigger problem than this underfoot. Come with me.” He pushed against my back and I unwillingly stood. “Ms. Parker and Ms. King, you need to come, too.”
“Me?” Julia asked, her hand in a tight fist in her lap.
“Yes.” He gestured to her hand. “Open it.”
She unrolled her fingers to reveal the crinkled sticker.
His lips thinned. “Cheating is a serious matter.”
He marched the three of us down the hall and made us sit outside of Mr. Brewster’s office while he went inside.
Of course, before he could see Mr. Brewster, he needed to flirt with Candy first, Mr. Brewster’s hot secretary.
I waited, sandwiched between the girls, hoping one of them would at least scold me for stealing the stickers.
“Sorry,” Julia finally said softly.
“For what?” I asked.
“For not standing up for you in the first place.”
“Naw,” I said and laughed, bumping my hand on her knee for a brief second. Everything inside me wanted to keep it there and rub her thigh. “We should have just stayed home, like Nick did.”
Julia tensed and wrung her hands in her lap.
“I thought it was sweet,” Sam said. “How’d you get them anyway?”
I smiled. “I used to know this vampire.”
Sam perked up. “Really?”
Julia coughed loudly as the door swung opened. Candy had her arm draped around Horace’s while he propped open the door.
“Lyle, I mean
Principal Brewster will see you now,” she purred.
The three of us filed past Candy and Horace as the two stood shamelessly hanging onto one another. Entering Principal Lyle Brewster’s office was a first for me. His state of the art furnishing were far more exquisite than I’d imagine a principal to have. More like CEO quality.
“Sit down,” he said as he formed his hands into a diamond.
After a brief rehash of our crimes, Lyle agreed if we donated our blood, he’d lift the two-day suspension, to which we all agreed. If Mom ever caught word of this, my surfing trip would be out. I was done fighting over it.
Julia’s shoulders sagged as we exited Lyle’s office. Giggles from some unseen girl flooded from the copy room, most likely Candy.
“We could run,” I said as we walked down the hall. “Head for Mexico.”
Sam chuckled. “Right. As if we could do that. Why don’t you come up with a more realistic plan?”
Something inside me wanted to snatch up her hand. Unlike Julia, she was warming to me. Maybe we could rekindle things after all.
Once we were outside, we headed for the RV. Julia took a deep breath and stepped inside first.
“You’re back,” a woman said, her accented voice strangely familiar.
My gut twisted when Rachel Delagrecca, Cain’s second of his vampire army, walked around the corner, snapping her latex glove. She flashed a devilish smile.
“Oh, good,” she said. “You brought friends. I love working with the cute strong ones. You first.”
She walked toward me and splayed her fingers on my chest, forcing me to sit. She pulled up my sleeve and tied the rubber tourniquet over my bicep.
Get up, Phil. Get out of here.
No matter what I said to myself, I was frozen, unable to react. Rachel’s fingers pressed into my arm. “Oh, this is a meaty one.”
I looked away as the pungent scent of alcohol filled the air and chilled my skin.
My lazy glance panned the room. Everything looked like a doctor’s office should: sterile and white with the assorted tools and gadgets. The edge of the curtain revealed something odd on the opposite wall. Hundreds of tiny pictures of people with tiny red X’s over them. I recognized some of them, vampires from my dream. And my face was on the upper left hand corner.
Out for Blood: Phil's Story (Talisman Series) Page 3