“I’m sure he is. But, he may want to reach out to them some day.”
“I doubt it.”
“You never know. Anyway, what are you going to do about tonight?”
“Nothing. I don’t want to be a third wheel with Serena and Nathan. Maybe I’ll just totally veg out and watch sappy movies with you and Dad.”
I head back to my room with another set of Pop-Tarts (Strawberry, with icing. In my opinion, it isn’t a Pop-Tart if it doesn’t have icing.) and try calling George again. Still no answer. I briefly consider going over to his place, but about the only thing he’d said to me on the drive home last night was that he just wanted some time alone to think.
Which you’d think would also mean don’t call him, but I can’t even take my own advice and dial his number at least twenty times before giving up. Just as well. I don’t know what I’d say to him anyway. “I’m sorry” just really doesn’t cut it in this situation.
By 5:45 p.m., I’ve got on my favorite pajama bottoms (light blue with little green bunnies) and one of Dad’s old T-shirts (you can’t beat an old T-shirt for sheer comfort), Sleepless in Seattle in the DVD player (which, of course, also means Mom and I have fresh tear tracks running down our faces), and a huge bowl of popcorn.
Mom’s friend Rebecca is coming over (she not only owns When Harry Met Sally but also 10 Things I Hate About You, A Knight’s Tale and An Affair to Remember). Dad has agreed to keep us supplied with slice-and-bake cookies. He’ll actually watch all the movies too, he just doesn’t like to admit that he likes girly flicks.
When the doorbell rings, Mom just yells out for Rebecca to come on in. She waltzes in, movies in one hand and an unopened bottle of wine (surprise) in the other, and trills out “Oh looky here at what I found outside!”
George comes in right on her heels, all decked out in a dark gray tux with tails and carrying an iris corsage in his hand. He looks incredible.
“Uh, George,” is the only thing I can think of to say.
He looks around, kind of confused. “Prom is tonight, right?”
Mom jumps up, hits pause on the remote, and grabs Rebecca. “Mina,” she says, “I’ll plug in the curling iron. Go hop in your dress! Rebecca will do your makeup!” The two of them run off like a beauty pit crew.
I finally pry my jaw back up off of the floor. “I didn’t think you’d want to go after yesterday. I tried calling … ”
“Oh,” he says. “I’m sorry. I unplugged the phone. You know … but I wouldn’t miss prom with you for anything, Mina.”
“Oh.” I can feel a blush creeping up my face. “Um, well, do you mind waiting a minute?” I flee the room before he answers.
Mom is waiting with the dress, and she and Rebecca have me stripped, dressed, and in a chair before I have time to even think about what George just said.
“I have a prom date,” I tell Mom.
“I know, honey. He’s sitting in the living room. Now hold still so I can finish curling your hair.”
“No, I mean I really have a prom date. Like a date-date.”
“Of course you do!” Rebecca laughs, nearly jabbing out my eye with the mascara brush. “I saw that tux and those flowers. What did you think you had?”
“I dunno. I guess I thought we were kind of going as friends.”
They both laugh at that. “Mina, you silly girl,” says Rebecca, “no boy takes a girl to the prom just because they want to be friends.”
Ah. Well, I guess someone could have told me that before. That would have been useful information. I didn’t think George had that kind of interest in me.
Wow.
I have a date. A date-date. A real prom date. With George.
Ohmigod! I do a quick run around with my tongue to check for stray popcorn bits. It’s too late to brush, they’ve already hit me with lipstick.
“Mints! I need a mint!” Rebecca shoves a mint in my mouth without missing a beat. In another three minutes, Mom turns off the curling iron, and they pull me up in front of a mirror.
“I’ll go get the camera,” Mom says and starts to run until she hears Dad from the living room yell back “I’ve already got the camera!”
It’s amazing what two determined women can do in a short amount of time. Mom managed to curl and twirl my hair into this elaborate updo while Rebecca put on just the right amount of makeup (unlike her own style, which verges on hooker-in-a-slasher-flick). The dress is just perfect. A little retro, with one side falling all the way to the floor and the other has a slit up past my knee, so I can show a little leg.
I think I look okay. And judging by George’s reaction when my makeup angels lead me back into the living room, he does too.
Dad makes him pin the corsage on me while he’s taking a picture, and then Mom makes us pose in front of the house. Before they can catalog every step we make on the way to the car, I give Mom the okay-that’s-enough-already look. And off we go.
“You look beautiful,” says George.
“You too. Handsome, I mean.”
And not another word is said until we get to the restaurant (amazingly on time—thank you Mom and Rebecca). I guess he’s as freaked as I am, but at least he knew it was a date-date ahead of time. I must be an idiot, but I had no clue.
Serena and Nathan are already there, and she gives us both a huge hug, but doesn’t say anything else. I don’t want to get George involved in our little secret and definitely not Nathan.
“Hey, man,” says Nathan. “You been working out or something?”
That makes Serena do a double take, and her eyes go a little wide. The whole turning thing was definitely a good move for George. He was all right before, nothing wrong or anything. But now he’s really kind of hot. Hot and nice.
“Something like that,” says George, and gives me a secret smile. I smile back.
Dinner is great (steak for the guys, extra rare for George, and seafood for the ladies), dessert even better (chocolate!), and prom … prom is out of this world. If I have to pick three highlights, it would be:
a) Seeing Bethany’s face when I walk in with George, and Serena comes in with Nathan,
b) Finding out how good George smells during the slow dances, and
c) Having a real date-date with a guy who’s also a great friend.
28
Did I mention that the day after prom is my birthday, which makes this whole night just that much more special? George and I ring it in at the beach after midnight, walking through the waves (My heels in my hand, his coat on my shoulders, his socks and shoes off, and his trousers rolled up. And, of course, our arms around each other’s waists.) Nathan and Serena decided to go for a long drive, and I can’t say that I mind having George to myself.
We hadn’t talked at all about the day before and the whole parent situation. I mostly hadn’t brought it up because I didn’t want to spoil the mood and it’s not like I could have talked about it in front of Nathan anyway. But now’s as good a time as any.
“Are you okay? With the whole parent thing?”
“Yeah,” he says. “I don’t really want to see them right now, but I know I have to sometime. They are my family. That’s the important thing. But I’m going to give it a while.”
I nod. He’s right. Family is one of the most important things. Of course, the definition of family can also be stretched to include people that are important to you. Serena’s been part of my family for years. And now George is too.
“You don’t regret turning, do you?”
He looks surprised. “Why would I?”
“Well, you decided to turn partly because of the whole not-having-a-family thing. And now … ”
“I don’t regret it at all. Besides, I wouldn’t have met you if it weren’t for G.W. and those vampire sessions.” Well, I can’t argue with that. I just squeeze my arm around him a little tighter.
We find a nice little spot to sit and stare at the waves. George actually thought ahead enough to bring a blanket for us to sit down on. He puts his arm
around my shoulders, and I lean against him. I’m remembering that Truth or Dare kiss (actually, can’t get it out of my mind). We didn’t really get in any major PDA time at prom. Ms. Reed had the evil eye on me the whole time.
“So”—I manage to get out—“how does it feel?”
“This? It feels great.” He gives me a little squeeze and a soft kiss on the forehead. Definitely an A plus for an answer, but it wasn’t what I meant. Though I did get a nice little wowee feeling in my stomach.
“No, I mean turning. Did it hurt at all?”
“Oh,” he says and gives a little laugh (a 3.4 on the George scale). “No, it didn’t hurt at all. It feels kind of good. But it’s not really as quick as it looks. I’m still feeling changes inside of me. It’s kind of a weird feeling, but not painful. Oh, but don’t drink any carbonated beverages.”
“Why?”
“Just don’t. Trust me.”
I laugh and sneak a little kiss on his cheek. I’m not quite brave enough to go for the lips yet, but I’m getting there.
“So,” he says, “You’ve definitely decided, right?”
“Yep,” I say.
“And?”
“And … hold on a sec, okay?” He nods. I use my cell to call Mom and Dad and tell ’em to get over to the beach as quick as they can and track down Uncle Mortie if possible.
“What are you up to?” At least he doesn’t seem to mind the intrusion. It’s not every girl that calls her parents to meet her and her date on the beach after prom.
“You’ll see.” I figure we’ve got a good ten or twenty minutes before they get here, so I decide to be brave. I lean over and kiss him. On the lips.
Oh man. That’s all I can say.
Mom and Dad get there pretty darn quick (too quick) and Uncle Mortie gets there right on their heels.
“Everything okay?” That, of course, is Dad, ready to go all kung fu. I do a quick double check on George for lipstick, but there’s nothing noticeable. Amazingly.
“Everything’s great. I just wanted to get all the most important people in my life together. It’s my birthday and I’ve made up my mind.”
Dad looks a bit nervous, but everyone else seems pretty calm. George squeezes my hand. I can still feel him on my lips, and it is one good feeling, let me tell you.
I take a deep breath. “I’m going to do it,” I say. “I can’t imagine not being a blood-sucking night crawler with you guys.”
We have hugs and laughs around. Dad looks very relieved, and Mom looks happier than I’ve seen her in ages.
“I knew you’d do it, kiddo,” says Uncle Mortie.
“Actually,” I say, “The real reason I called all you guys … Can I do it now? I mean, why wait, right? I’m not really into a whole Council-sanctioned event.”
The adults confer for a minute and then Dad runs back to the car to get his coffee cup.
“It’s not a golden chalice.” He grins. “But it’ll do.”
I can’t possibly play favorites and choose just one of them to donate the red stuff, so they all wind up putting a little of their blood in the cup. All the better, I think. If family is what got me into this mess, then it’s only right that a little bit of each of them will see me through it. I only wish Serena could be here.
Dad hands me the cup, and they all stand back a little, but still close enough to touch. The only sounds I hear are the pounding of the waves on the shore and the beating of my heart. I may look calm on the outside, but my insides know better. But this is the right decision for me. I know it.
I close my eyes, hold my breath just in case, and lift the cup to my lips. No hesitation. At first, all I can taste is just warmth and then it spreads like fire throughout my body. It feels like waking up inside the sun; everything feels so alive. Not at all like I expected—I mean, after all, aren’t I becoming one of the undead?
I feel like I could do anything, anything at all. When I open my eyes, I see my family staring back at me, and it’s like seeing them for the first time. Now I can see every detail of them down to the tiny little laugh lines Uncle Mortie has around his eyes, the graceful way my mom moves, my dad’s quiet strength, and George’s beautiful smile.
“You know,” I tell them, “This doesn’t suck at all.”
About the Author
Kimberly Pauley loves a good book she can sink her teeth into. As her alter-ego, the Young Adult Books Goddess of yabookscentral.com, she has devoured more books than she can count. This is her first novel. She lives in Illinois.
Pssst!
Hey, you! Yeah, you, the person who just finished
reading about what happened to me when my parents
decided I’d look better with fangs.
I bet you thought that was it, that now my life would be all
perfect and happily-ever-after just like in all those fairy tales.
Well, let me tell you, that is so not my life. Or death.
Whatever. Find out what happens next (you totally won’t
believe it, trust me) and why it…
Coming September 2010
Turn the page for a sneak peek!
Sucks to Be Me
The All-True Confessions of Mina Hamilton, Teen Vampire (Maybe)
©2009 by Kimberly Pauley
All characters, businesses, organizations, and events in this book are fictitious or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, businesses, organizations, or events are purely coincidental.
This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast LLC.
Published by Wizards of the Coast LLC
MIRRORSTONE and its logo are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries.
The Library of Congress has catalogued the hardcover edition as follows:
Pauley, Kimberly, 1973-
Sucks to be me : the all-true confessions of Mina Hamilton, teen vampire (maybe) / by Kimberly Pauley.
p. cm.
“Mirrorstone.”
Summary: When sixteen-year-old Mina is forced to take a class to help her decide whether or not to become a vampire like her parents, she also faces a choice between her life-long best friend and the boy she has a crush on versus new friends and possible boyfriends in her mandatory “vampire lessons.”
eISBN: 978-0-7869-5577-0
[1. Vampires–Fiction. 2. Dating (Social customs)–Fiction. 3.
Schools–Fiction. 4. Family life–California–Fiction. 5.
California–Fiction.] I. Title.
PZ7.P278385Suc 2008
[Fic]–dc22
2007041712
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v3.0
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
> About the Author
Copyright
Sucks to Be Me: The All-True Confessions of Mina Hamilton, Teen Vampire (maybe) Page 19