Alexander and Jameson paused, gravely glancing at each other.
“Uh…I think you’d prefer your Chardonnay,” Alexander suggested.
Jameson grinned a toothy grin. “Alexander’s on a strict vitamin regimen. That’s his special drink.”
“It’s like drinking blood,” I whispered, rolling my eyes.
Ruby wrinkled her forehead. “Then I’ll stick with what I have,” Ruby said.
We began to drink our various libations while Jameson kindly placed well-done steaks in front of Ruby and me. Jameson then set a plate before Alexander—an almost rare filet, the meat oozing blood-red juice.
As Alexander, Jameson, and I began to eat our dinners, Ruby intently watched Alexander eat his juicy steak like she was watching a juggler swallow fire.
“That’s how they eat steak in Romania,” I whispered.
“I’ve been to Romania,” she quietly responded. “I guess I must have visited a different region.”
I glanced at Alexander, who was eating quickly. A nervous Jameson barely touched his food. Ruby ate slowly, savoring her dinner.
We made unbearable small talk and complimented our chef on the meal.
The candles flickered. Shadows danced about the room. The wind howled through the trees. With the four of us sitting around the table, I felt at any moment we were going to hold hands and perform a seance. All that was missing was the Ouija board.
The wax slowly dripped from the candlesticks. Drip. Drip. Drip. Like the ticking of a grandfather clock. This evening could go on forever.
“This Mansion is very…historic,” Ruby said, trying to find a polite word. “Have you seen any ghosts?”
“Just my grandmother,” Alexander said.
Ruby choked on her wine. “Excuse me?”
“This house used to belong to Alexander’s grandmother,” Jameson tried to explain. “But we never—”
“So you’ve really seen her?” I asked eagerly.
“She wanders through the halls at night,” Alexander said in a low voice. “In fact…she’s standing right behind you!”
I laughed, but Ruby jumped up from her seat as if she’d just seen the ghost herself.
Alexander and Jameson immediately rose from their chairs.
“I didn’t mean to frighten you,” Alexander apologized.
“Are you all right?” Jameson asked, offering her water. “Alexander gets these ideas….”
Ruby was embarrassed. “I’m just not used to being in a house that’s—”
“Haunted?” I asked.
“Large,” she corrected. “And dark; I usually have all the lights on,” she said with a forced laugh.
“We can light more candles,” Alexander offered.
“Please. Sit, sit. And not another word,” she said.
Jameson slowly returned to his seat and we continued eating our dinners. “So, Miss Raven, anything unusual happen at school?” he asked, politely trying to redirect the conversation.
“Other than that I showed up?”
My dinner mates laughed as if grateful for some comic relief.
“Well, a guy at school was talking about sneaking into the cemetery.”
“The cemetery? That sounds like something you’d do,” Ruby said with a laugh.
“He’s not just sneaking in,” I said, and then turned to Alexander. “He’s going there on a date.”
“Who would take a date to the cemetery?” Ruby asked, horrified.
Then Ruby eyeballed me and the other gloom-and-doom diners dressed in black around her.
We all stared back.
“Not me,” I burst out.
“I wouldn’t be caught dead,” Alexander admitted.
“Poor taste!” Jameson proclaimed.
We quickly returned to our meals.
“Miss Raven, maybe I should have asked if you discussed anything usual,” Jameson said nervously.
I politely laughed. But I had more info I had to share.
“Did I mention he’s planning to kiss his girlfriend next to a coffin?” I said to Alexander.
Ruby cleared her throat.
“More water?” Jameson asked, clearly worried we were upsetting his guest of honor.
“I’m fine,” she answered.
Alexander stared off behind Ruby and started pointing.
“Now are you going to tell me you see a ghost behind me?” she asked.
Alexander shook his head. “It’s worse.”
“I’m not falling for your tricks again,” she said with a grin.
“Don’t move,” Alexander said, putting his napkin on the table.
Ruby slowly turned around. Hanging from the red velvet curtain right above her was a bat.
She wasn’t even fazed. “I bet it’s made out of rubber,” she said, and got up.
Jameson called out, “Miss Ruby!”
My eyes bulged. Alexander rose.
“I’ll show you,” she said confidently.
Just then Ruby reached for the bat. All at once, it spread its wings wide and took off.
Ruby let out a bloodcurdling scream so loud I had to cover my ears.
The disgruntled bat flew around the room as Ruby hid behind me, continuing to shriek.
“Does it have blue and green eyes?” I asked, shielding her.
“Who cares about its eye color!” she yelled.
Alexander tried to grab the bat, but it only flew higher.
“I’m going to faint!” she hollered. “I’m really going to faint.”
Jameson and I helped a trembling Ruby away from the dining room and into the sitting room.
“Is it in my hair?” she asked, now sitting in a green Victorian chair.
“No,” I reassured her.
“Where did it go?”
“It’s in the other room. Alexander is going to catch him.”
“Are there more?” she asked, her shaking hands covering her head.
“No, they live in the attic tower, far away from this room.” Jameson tried to comfort his date with a glass of water. “I wonder how he got down here.”
“I almost touched it!” she exclaimed. “I almost touched a rat with wings!”
Alexander came into the room holding a balled up linen napkin.
“He’s completely harmless, see?” Alexander asked, innocently opening the napkin. Two beady black eyes stared back at us.
Ruby let out another bloodcurdling scream.
“Please take it away!” a haggard Jameson pleaded.
“Aww, he’s cute,” I said as Alexander walked out to the kitchen to set it free.
“I guess this means you’re not staying for dessert,” Jameson said.
“I’m stuffed, really,” Ruby said, still in shock. “Besides, I have to open the office tomorrow.” She rose from her seat.
“I understand,” Jameson responded, his head hung low. He retrieved Ruby’s purse and the flower from the hallway table and handed them to her.
“Thank you,” she said quickly. “The orchid is beautiful. The dinner was delicious.” Still shaken, Ruby headed for the door.
“The evening didn’t go as I had planned,” Jameson confessed sorrowfully, following her. “You are used to the finer things, Miss Ruby. I was wrong to think—”
“That’s okay,” she said softly. “I understand.”
I knew Jameson had invited Alexander and me to dinner to make Ruby more comfortable. Instead we spent the whole evening talking about cemeteries and coffins. I felt awful.
“Please don’t blame Jameson,” I begged. “It’s my fault Alexander and I talked about creepy things and spooked you. Jameson is a perfect gentleman.”
“It’s nobody’s fault,” she reassured. “I guess we were all a bit nervous.”
“Then how about dinner tomorrow night?” I suggested.
“Well…,” Ruby began hesitantly.
“At a bright, trendy restaurant with upbeat music?” I continued.
“That might be nice,” she relented.
/> “Just the two of you,” I said.
“Just the two of us,” Jameson eagerly agreed.
“And no mention of coffins, ghosts, or flying bats,” I added.
“Well…it’s a date,” Ruby concurred with a smile.
Jameson opened the door for Ruby. He turned back to me and smiled a skinny-toothed smile and winked.
“From now on,” I overheard him say to Ruby as he walked her to her car, “the only bats you’ll see is when I invite you to a baseball game.”
16
The Grim Plan
Alexander and I grabbed the savory desserts Jameson had made—placinta, fried sweet dough filled with chocolate—and headed up to the privacy of his attic room. “Trevor is taking Luna to the cemetery?” Alexander immediately asked, shutting the door.
“Jagger is planning a Graveyard Gala on Saturday night,” I blurted out as we sat with our placintas on his mattress. “It’s a gothic costume party with the highlight of the evening being a covenant ceremony. Instead of luring Trevor to sacred ground alone,” I started, too excited to dive into my treat, “Jagger is inviting Dullsville High. Luna is going to bite Trevor in front of everyone—only no one will know what’s going to happen, not even Trevor himself.”
“How will he not know what’s going on?”
“Trevor thinks he’s going to be kissed by Luna, not bitten.”
“They are going to be wearing costumes, right?” Alexander asked.
“Yes, Trevor is going as the Grim Reaper. It will be dark and all the partygoers will be wearing masks. While they drink, dance, and make out, Luna will finally have her long-awaited covenant ceremony. No one will know what is really happening.”
“Then we have to stop Trevor from going,” Alexander said, picking at his dessert.
“He wouldn’t miss this for the world. He will be the star of the show.”
“Then we have to tell him what the ceremony really is.”
“He’ll never believe me. Besides, they’ve already passed out flyers. With all of Dullsville High on sacred ground, Luna could easily take someone else.”
“Then she’ll have to believe she is with Trevor.”
“Believe? Who will she really be with?”
“Me. I’ll be dressed as the Grim Reaper, too. I’ll be covered from head to toe. Luna won’t know the difference.”
“But you told me if a vampire takes another on sacred ground, then they are theirs for eternity. I don’t want her to bite you and then I lose you forever.”
“I don’t either,” he said, and squeezed my hand. “But when I take off my hood, she’ll know Trevor has gone.”
“Where will he be?”
“Safe, off sacred ground. At some point you’ll have to distract him and lead him out of the cemetery,” Alexander explained.
“I’m used to distracting people, just not on purpose. I hope everything goes smoothly. The whole school will be on sacred ground with two vengeful vampires.”
“Bring some garlic just in case, and I’ll take my antidote.”
“I don’t want to give you another shot,” I said.
“Hopefully, you won’t have to.”
17
Graveyard Gala
Shortly after sunset Alexander and I walked up the lonely road that led to Dullsville’s cemetery. Although I wasn’t actually a vampire, I felt like I was. I’d convinced twin vampires I was as undead as they were, I was on the arm of the most handsome of vampires, and I was going to party with a bunch of other ghouls. I was happy to be me—vampire or not.
I was dolled up as Elvira, in a long black dress with shredded spidery sleeves and a slit racing up my leg, exposing black mesh tights. Long black plastic fingernails flashed from my pale fingertips. My jet black hair was teased up like a fountain, the ends falling down over my shoulders. I revealed as much cleavage as I could manage to squeeze out in a recently purchased push-up bra. I’d also bought Alexander the last Grim Reaper costume left over from Halloween merch at Jack’s department store. It was a black hooded costume with a skeleton mask and a plastic scythe.
“You look stellar,” Alexander said, his midnight eyes sparkling as we walked together. “I can’t believe I’m with you.”
It was a dream come true for me to be strolling down the street holding the bony skeleton hand of the Grim Reaper—and even doubly dreamy that it was really my vampire boyfriend.
Cars lined the street leading up to the cemetery. At the far end of the road, parked alongside a Dumpster, I saw Jagger’s hearse.
I was as excited as I was nervous to implement our plan.
When we turned the corner to the cemetery, Alexander said, “I brought my antidote. Did you bring your garlic?”
I stopped dead in my tracks. “I knew I forgot something!” I exclaimed. “It’s in my night stand. We have to go home,” I pleaded.
“We don’t have time,” Alexander warned. “The ceremony could be over by the time we’d return.”
We reached the iron gate and climbed over the fence. When we were safely on the cemetery ground, I saw a sight I’d never seen before—and one thing we hadn’t planned on. The graveyard was filled with Grim Reapers.
“How will we ever find Trevor now?” I asked. “It will take forever!”
My heart sank as I stepped over cans of soda littering the graveyard. I bent down to pick up an empty can.
“We don’t have time for that now,” Alexander said again. “If we don’t get to Trevor in time, the caretaker and the rest of Dullsville will have to worry about more than empty cans and bottles.”
We passed a Grim Reaper who was talking to a werewolf. “Trevor?” I asked, but the Angel of Death shook his head.
We passed ghosts and ghouls dancing and drinking among the tombstones.
Sitting on a wooden bench was a familiar witch holding hands with Michael Myers.
“You are quite the spooky pair,” I said.
“Raven,” the witch said as the two rose. “I’m so glad you came.”
“Wow, that is some dress,” Matt said from underneath his hockey mask. “Maybe you could get a costume like that for Becky.”
My best friend turned devil red.
“This party is great,” Matt continued. “The whole school is here.”
“We’re looking for Trevor. Have you seen him?” I asked.
“No. Word has it that he’s going to be in some medieval ceremony by the tombs in just a few minutes.”
Then I noticed Luna a few yards ahead, placing a flower at the base of Alexander’s grandmother’s monument.
“Do me a favor; if things get weird, will you go home?” I whispered to Becky.
“We are partying in a cemetery,” she said. “Things are already weird.”
I gave Becky a quick hug, and Alexander and I headed for the monument.
Luna stood up. She was beautiful—like a gothic prom fairy. She glowed in a ghostly white tattered prom dress, with a pink wrist carnation and combat boots. Her soft hair flowed over her shoulders like a waterfall; her frost white complexion, highlighted by heavy indigo eye shadow and pale pink lip gloss, glistened softly.
“Trevor said you weren’t coming,” Luna exclaimed, bouncing over to us like a butterfly. “But I knew you’d come.”
“We weren’t invited,” I said, “but I wouldn’t let that stop me. I wouldn’t want to miss your covenant ceremony for the world.”
“Look at what you missed in Romania,” she said proudly to Alexander. She was beautiful as she giggled and did a flirty spin, modeling her tattered dress for him.
Alexander wasn’t amused.
“Where’s Trevor?” he asked. “Is he getting cold feet?”
“No, but he thinks I have his cold. When we met here tonight, I started to feel ill. Sweet, really. A vampire with a cold,” she said with a grin. “So he went to his car to get me cough drops. He’s dressed as the Grim Reaper,” she remarked in a spooky voice.
“I know,” I said. “So is everyone else.”
“Stay here with me,” Luna begged, taking my hand.
“We’d better find Trevor,” I told her. “We need to start the ceremony before the cops get wind of this party.”
She relaxed her grip. “You’re right,” she said. “Please hurry.”
“Alexander, would you stay with me?” she asked sweetly.
I grabbed my boyfriend’s arm. “Alexander has to come with me. I’ll need him to help me find Trevor.”
“Man, she really must still like you,” I said as we walked past the tombs. “I had to pry her bony fingers off of you.”
Alexander and I headed for Trevor, but we didn’t know where to begin. The graveyard was full of Angels of Death.
We saw two Grim Reapers playing spin the bottle with a few cheerleaders dressed as red devils.
“Trevor?”
“Over there,” one said, pointing her pitchfork toward the front of the cemetery.
“I’ll wait a few minutes and double back as Trevor,” Alexander said. “Make sure he gets out of the cemetery grounds. And I want you to stay away, too.”
“So you can stand up there on sacred ground alone with two vampires?”
“I can’t protect both me and you.” Alexander lifted his skeleton mask from his face.
His charcoal eyes sparkled. He leaned in and kissed me.
“I’m going to double back now,” he said, replacing his mask.
I waited for a moment and watched as the man of my dreams confidently, and selflessly, set forth on our mission.
“Trevor!” I called as I ran through the cemetery.
I caught up with one reaper.
“Trevor?”
“No, but I’m sure he’s around,” a girl’s voice mumbled.
I raced toward the front gate. I looked for any Grim Reaper carrying cough drops.
Then I wondered, maybe Luna was making up the story. Maybe Trevor had been at the ceremony the whole time.
“Trevor?” I desperately asked a Grim Reaper heading straight for me.
“Yes, Monster Girl?” He crossed his arms, his heavy, billowy sleeves hanging down.
My eyes lit up. Now that I had Trevor, I had to get him off sacred ground.