Chapter Seventeen

The dismissal bell rang, but I wasn’t quite ready to face my punishment yet, so I made a quick stop in the bathroom with Skyler.

“I need a haircut again,” I told her as we both checked our images in the mirror. I pulled my hair up into a loose bun and then checked my fingernails. They were already getting too long.

“I can cut it again,” Skyler said. “I like doing it.”

“I love it when you help me with my hair and makeup,” I said.

“That’s what friends are for,” she replied.

My classes were over for the day, but I had to hang around. Detention was not optional. As Sky and I walked down the hall, signs for the Homecoming dance were everywhere. I stared at one of the posters. This year’s theme was I DON’T WANT THIS NIGHT TO END. Would Vaughn ask me to go?

I took a closer look at it. “Is that a cow?”

“The best artist in school is Christian G., and he got suspended, and the rest of the art crowd is preparing for a gallery show or something,” Skyler said. “We had to make do.”

“What did he get suspended for?” My mouth gaped open. Christian G. did the artwork for every dance, football game, and bake sale we had. More importantly, he was the most chill guy I knew. I’d never seen him angry.

“He was fighting with Lazlo,” Skyler told me. “Christian called Esme a name.”

Esme was Lazlo’s girlfriend. “Christian actually insulted someone?”

She nodded. “And it was bad enough that Kellie wouldn’t tell me what it was he said.”

“That doesn’t sound like him,” I commented.

“Maybe you can ask him about it,” Skyler said. “Since you’ll both be in detention today.”

“They didn’t expel them for fighting?”

“No one saw any actual physical blows,” she said. “Just a lot of yelling. So they both lucked out and got detention. Speaking of which, I can’t believe you have detention today, you little rulebreaker, you.”

I made a face. “Ashley saw Vaughn and me go into the supply closet and tattled.”

“Figures,” she said. “Remember in elementary when she told the teacher you were reading during class?”

“I forgot about that,” I said. “I was worried that it was more personal.”

“You mean because Vaughn’s her ex?” Skyler shook her head. “I heard she has a new guy.” She was in Associated Student Body with Ashley, so they served on a lot of committees together.

“Anyone we know?” I asked.

“She’s dating Aiden Matsuda,” Skyler replied. He was the ASB President and loved rules as much as Ashley.

“They’re perfect together,” I said.

Skyler rolled her eyes. “Perfectly perfect. How’re things with you and Vaughn?”

“Vaughn is a tasty snack,” I said, then started to backtrack. “I mean that in a he’s so gorgeous I want to eat him way. Not, you know, in an actually eat him way.”

Skyler giggled. “I knew what you meant,” she said. “I’m really happy for you two.”

“Me too,” I replied. I leaned in and looked at a bump on my chin. Was I getting a pimple? Could vampires break out?

Skyler dug into her bag for some makeup and pulled out a tube of lip gloss. “Do you like this shade?”

“Cute,” I replied. “Is it new?”

After she finished putting on lip gloss, she replied, “Gertie and I went shopping yesterday. She bought it for me.” Sky frowned and then continued, “I’m starting to like her.”

“Oh no,” I said. “Poor Gertie.”

Skyler and I had a running joke that her dad got twitchy about the same time that Sky started getting used to the new stepmother. Almost as soon as Skyler got attached, that stepmother was out the door and Mr. A was inviting another one in.

“Maybe it’ll be different this time,” Skyler said, but she didn’t sound convinced.

“She is gorgeous,” I said. “And nice.” But that hadn’t mattered before, either.

“Dad’s been ‘working late’ again,” she said, using air quotes.

“Already?” I made a face.

“I don’t know what else to think,” she said. “But I really like her.”

I wanted to call Mr. A up and tell him his revolving door of wives hurt Skyler, but instead, I gave her a side hug. “Sorry, Sky.”

She shrugged. “Enough about me. When are you going to ask Vaughn?” Skyler pointed to another of the Homecoming dance signs we’d passed.

My shoulders tensed, and I shook my head. “You and I are going together, remember?”

“That’s right,” she said. “We planned it ages ago. But that was before you and Vaughn became ‘you and Vaughn.’”

I didn’t want Skyler to feel weird now that Vaughn and I were a couple. “That doesn’t change anything. The three of us can go together.” I smiled in relief, but it wasn’t like Skyler to give up so easily. The smile she gave me back didn’t ease my concern.

“Unless I find someone to ask to the dance,” she said, a little too casually.

“Like who? Connor?” I wrinkled my nose.

“Things are kind of weird with us right now.” She hesitated, then said, “He keeps asking me to let him explain.”

I threw my lipstick in my purse so hard it ricocheted back out and fell to the floor. It was my favorite, but I called it a loss and tossed it in the trash. “What did you say?”

“I told him I’d think about it,” she replied. “Maybe we can all go together. A group of friends hanging out.”

“You mean Vaughn and me, you and Connor?” I asked. “Don’t you think he needs to explain himself before you go on a date with him?”

“Not a date,” she said. “A group activity. Besides, you know his whole pack will go wherever he goes.”

I checked the hall to make sure we were alone. We were. “What aren’t you telling me?”

“Connor and his pack—well, everyone except Xavier, who’s some kind of genius and is already in medical school at twenty—are enrolling here.”

“At Golden West High?” I stared at her. “Where did they go before?”

“Virtual learning,” she replied. “Since Connor took off, anyway. But now they’re all coming here.”

“Does Vaughn know?” I asked.

She nodded. At first I was hurt, but then I realized he’d been distracted by the situation with his dad or he would have probably told me already.

“I know Vaughn has a lot going on right now,” she said.

That was an understatement. Connor and Vaughn had been best friends before Connor had taken off without a word to anybody.

“You and Vaughn were friends first,” she finally said. “And you love each other. Just talk to him.”

I sighed. “You’re right,” I said. I gave her a hug, which she wiggled out of. “I’m going to tell him everything I’ve been stressing out about.”

“I wish Connor would have talked to me,” she said. “Instead, he just dumped me and then ghosted. It hurt.”

“I know.” I hugged her again. “He’s an asshole and didn’t deserve you anyway.”

“Maybe,” she said, but she didn’t sound convinced. “Or maybe I was wrong about him.”

“You think Connor was right to ditch you like that?”

“No,” she said. “But it’s more complicated than that. He was hurting. Sometimes, you do messed up stuff when you’re in pain.”

I knew she wasn’t just talking about Connor. She blamed herself for what happened to me this summer, but it wasn’t her fault. It was Travis’s. “You’re right,” I said.

“And I’m right that Vaughn’s going to ask you to Homecoming.” She gestured to the poster.

“He hasn’t yet,” I replied.

“Then ask him yourself,” she said, then gave me an assessing look. “Unless you’re chicken.”

“I’m not chicken,” I said. “Little Miss Chicken Clucks.”

Skyler had won a beauty pageant contest when she was ten that had been sponsored by her father’s fast-food company, and occasionally, I liked to remind her of her tiara and feathered sash.

“He does like to dance,” I said. “But there’s a lot going on with this dad right now,” I added. I checked the time on my phone and made a face. “Sorry, I have to get to detention. I don’t want to get a detention for being late to detention.”

“I’ll walk with you,” she said.

When we got to Mr. Robinson’s classroom, he wasn’t there, but Vaughn was waiting in the hall.

“We still have a few minutes,” he said. “What’s new, Skyler?”

“Not much since the whole Janey’s thing,” she replied.

“What Janey’s thing?” he asked.

“Didn’t you tell Vaughn about the giant cat who tried to eat you?” she asked.

“What?” Vaughn growled. Telling Granny about the hellcat attack wasn’t as stressful as telling my boyfriend. He was not nearly as sanguine as Granny when Skyler spilled the tea.

I dug into my backpack for a snack and took a big gulp of my tonic to give me a few seconds to think about what I was going to say. I hadn’t meant to keep it from him, but my class load was no joke. I’d been busy writing papers and studying. I’d also been training with the twins and trying to be a good ruler, which meant listening to vampires’ complaints, which usually consisted of whining about my new rules. I’d had to settle an ownership dispute about an abandoned building in L.A., which was settled quickly when both vampires revealed they’d previously used it as a human hunting ground.

“It slipped my mind,” I said. “I’ve had a lot going on.”

“You forgot to mention that you were attacked.” Vaughn’s face was red, and he glared at me like I’d broken his favorite guitar.

“It wasn’t that big of a deal,” I said. “It liked pie.”

“You were attacked by a demonic feline and fed it banana cream pie,” he said.

“Blackberry,” Skyler said.

Vaughn gave her a confused look.

“It was blackberry pie, not banana cream,” she explained.

“It was both,” I said. “That hellcat could eat a lot.”

“Blackberry or banana is not the issue,” Vaughn snarled. “The issue is that you were attacked.”

“I’m okay,” I said. “Skyler was in the bathroom and missed the whole thing, but Thorn was with me.” I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him. He nuzzled my neck and took a deep breath, then nodded.

Skyler was grinning at us. “You two are the cutest.”

“I’ve never heard of a hellcat before,” Vaughn said. “What did it look like?”

“Bigger than a tiger, black fur, fiery eyes. Bad attitude.”

He paused, thinking. “Who do you think sent it?”

“There are a few possibilities,” I said. “Including Connor.”

“It wasn’t Connor,” Vaughn said. “Or anyone else in the pack.”

“You seem certain,” Skyler said.

“I am,” he said. “You don’t really think he could do that, do you?”

I shrugged. “I’m not sure I know him at all anymore,” I said. “He kept secrets from us.” He wasn’t the only one.

Mr. Robinson walked up to us and pointed at Skyler. “You, out. No socializing here.” Then he gestured for me and Vaughn to get inside the classroom.

“Have fun in detention, you two,” Skyler sang out before walking down the hallway to the outside doors and freedom.

Mr. Robinson was the teacher in charge of detention, and since he taught Chem, his classroom always smelled like singed hair and Bunsen burners.

Lazlo was at a table in the front while Christian was in the opposite corner in the back. Rose and Thorn were sitting in the middle.

“What are you two doing here?” I asked the twins.

“The same thing as you,” Rose said.

“Names?” Mr. Robison asked dryly.

We gave him our names, and he frowned at Rose and Thorn. “You’re not on my list,” he said.

“We wanted to experience detention,” Thorn argued.

Mr. Robison looked at them like they’d each grown an extra head. “You need to leave. Now.”

They slowly filed out, and then Mr. Robison opened a drawer in his desk. “Phones in here until this is over.”

One by one, we dropped our cells into the drawer. When Mr. Robison was looking down, counting the phones, Christian gave Lazlo a hard shove as they passed each other before they retreated to their corners.

I took a seat near Christian. Something about him was different. Vaughn sat next to me.

It was hard to remember at this moment, but Vaughn and I’d gotten off lightly with only one day of detention. Everyone liked Vaughn, even our grumpy, hard-ass principal.

Mr. Robison took out a crossword puzzle.

After a few minutes, Mr. Robison stood, crossword puzzle still in hand. “I’ll be back. No talking.”

We listened to the sound of his feet receding.

“He won’t be back for at least ten minutes,” Vaughn said.

“Vending machines?” I asked.

“Bathroom break,” Christian said.

“For ten minutes? Ew.” I made a face. I had so much to do and was stuck here. I couldn’t even do homework.

“Your ex sucks,” I said to Vaughn. We wouldn’t be in here if Ashley hadn’t snitched.

“That’s chicks for you,” Christian said. “More trouble than they’re worth.”

“Chicks.” I raised an eyebrow. “What year is it again?”

Christian smirked at me. “If you’re not a breeder or a feeder, you should keep your mouth shut.”

I sucked in a breath. WTF?

“Don’t talk to her like that,” Vaughn snarled.

“Don’t talk to anyone like that,” I said.

Christian tilted his neck when he shrugged, and that’s when I noticed the bite mark above his collarbone. The blood froze in my veins.

“Where did you get that?” I asked.

“It’s not your business,” he replied. “You’re a nosy bitch.”

“It’s with a w, not with a b,” I told him. I’d never heard Christian call anyone a name before.

He muttered something foul under his breath.

“What’s wrong with you?” I asked. “And where did you get that bite?”

“Stay out of it,” he said.

I couldn’t. Not if a vampire was compelling him. I took a closer look at him and realized the graphic of his shirt were two interlocking Ts.

“Are you a Thirsty Thieves fan?” I asked. “If you are—”

I broke off when I saw Mr. Robison standing in the doorway, glaring at us. That was not ten minutes.

Obviously, Christian doesn’t know I’m queen of the vampires. But he does know a vampire. I’d stake my life on it.

Mr. Robison was known for leaving to raid the teacher’s lounge for goodies about halfway through detention, so I waited until his stomach gurgled. Ten seconds later, he left with another short command: “No talking while I’m gone.”

The door slammed closed, and Vaughn got up and sat on my desk. He smelled delicious, like sunshine and ocean breezes.

I was still a little hurt that he’d gone through something life-changing and hadn’t told me about it. I hated the doubts running through my brain.

“Want to do something this weekend?” he asked. He threaded his fingers through mine.

“Like a date?”

“Why do you sound so surprised?” he asked.

“I wasn’t sure you wanted to,” I said stiffly.

“You weren’t sure I wanted to go on a date with you?”

Uh-oh. I’d hurt him. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“I don’t know how many ways I can say this. You’re it for me. You’re my one and only, and I hope I’m yours.”

“You’re it for me, too,” I said, my voice husky. Christian made a scoffing noise, but I ignored him.

I had to kiss Vaughn after that, so I pressed my lips to his but made it quick because it wouldn’t take Mr. Robison long for snacks.

Some of my anxiety eased. It was a good reminder; Vaughn kept his promises. What was the matter with me?

“Tansy…would you go to the dance with me?” The slight tremor in his voice told me he was nervous.

I beamed at him. “I’d love to.” I was smiling so wide that my cheeks hurt. I squeezed his hand. “We could use a little fun.” Then I realized something, and my smile faded. “Wait. We can’t go,” I whispered.

“Why not?” Vaughn whispered back.

“Full moon.”

“I’m not going to let that stop me,” he said. “Besides, Connor is asking Skyler, so I’ll have backup if I need it.”

We heard footsteps in the hallway, and Vaughn scrambled back to his seat.

By the time Mr. Robison dismissed us at five, it seemed like we’d been trapped there for a week.

We collected our phones, grabbed our backpacks, and bolted.

“Want a ride home?” Vaughn asked.

“If you don’t mind,” I said. “The Deathtrap was being stubborn, so I caught a ride with Skyler this morning.”

We were almost to his car when Rose and Thorn appeared and fell into step behind us.

“Is it my imagination or have they been hovering lately?” I asked Vaughn.

“We can hear you,” Thorn said.

I turned to face them. “That means you’re too close,” I said. “Back off.”

They exchanged a glance and, without a word, bowed in unison before they walked to their car and got in, Thorn behind the wheel.

That car followed us all the way home. They’d done what I told them, and I hadn’t even used my power of compulsion. It was a relief to know that, sometimes, people would listen to me without it.

“What was it like training with them?” I asked. We’d been dealing with a lot since he got back, and we’d never talked about his actual PAC experience.

“The twins?”

I nodded. “I can’t help feeling there’s something they’re not telling me.”

“Like what?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s just a feeling, but whenever I ask questions about the Paranormal Activities Committee, they get weird.”

“I don’t blame them,” he said. “I didn’t learn much about the PAC when I was in Texas, but they do not play around.”

“What do you mean?”

“We were following this group of vampires who were raising hell all over the place,” he said. “The order was to take out the leader.”

Interesting. “Go on.”

“Thorn and I were ahead of Rose, closing in on the head vamp, when Rose was surrounded by six or seven vampires. We ran back to help her and fought our way out. We had to kill those vampires to save her, but the leader got away.”

“The important thing was that you saved Rose,” I said.

“Exactly,” he replied. “But when we got back to the house where we were staying, Thorn reported in. When she told the head of the PAC, this asshole named Mason Alicante, that we’d lost the leader, he told her that she should have left her sister and completed the mission.”

“You’re kidding?” I asked.

“That’s the kind of people you’re dealing with,” he said. “You’re right to be suspicious of the twins. Thorn would do anything for her sister, but…”

“But what?”

He gave me a long, hard look, then said, “If the PAC leader ordered her to take you out, I’m not sure what she’d do.”