Read Online Bite Me by Donaya Haymond - Free Book Online

portions of his inner cheeks. Like when a dental patient is on Novocaine. Et voila, paranormal venereal disease. Which, by the way, both young ladies here better be tested for this week. I don’t want to be the voice of doom, but if Selene did have HIV–” All three of us breathed in sharply, so the doctor shifted gears, “I mean, if she was sick way back at the beginning of the marriage, it is possible that even Dianne could have it.”
There was a barely audible popping noise as Dad turned into a bat. He always retreated into that shape when he was upset, so that he could avoid choking up. Usually he was the most collected of us all, but in this case, he was certain he was to blame. Nothing could have cut him more deeply.
Nat looked at his cohort. “Whoops. Maybe I should’ve been less blunt about it. I’m turning you all into nocturnal mammals right and left.”
The bat fluttered over to Mom and hung on her outstretched index finger. “We had to know sometime,” she said gently, unconscious of how unusual a picture she and her husband made. “Thursday should be fine. Tell me, is eccentric irreverence a usual part of your bedside manner?”
The question didn’t throw him one moment. He stood, and in all seriousness replied, “It’s a usual part of everything I do, m’lady. Do you mind?”
My mother’s careworn attitude faded away for just a moment. “Actually, I kind of like it.”
“I’d best be off. Goodbye. Don’t go chewing on the furniture, Dianne. I must say, Ferdin, you’re a lot cuter when you’re like that.” With those elegant parting words, he bowed, put on his jacket, and went out the door into the darkness.
Once he was gone Mom shut her eyes a moment to clear her mind. “How about we have some dinner, Di? If your father lets go of my hand, that is.” Dad immediately went and clung to the dining room curtains instead. She smiled slightly, then looked tired and sick again. “I think we’ve all had a hard day.”
I nodded, walking to the kitchen. Suddenly I stopped in my tracks and groaned.
“What is it? Is there something else wrong?”
“It’s just. . . argh! Even with everything that’s gone on this evening, I just remembered that I still have to do my geometry homework!”

Chapter Eight
Cry With Me
    “Are you sure that that’s the girl you were talking about?”
“Yeah, that’s the one. The teachers didn’t believe it, but I saw it. Her
hand changed into something else! It wasn’t normal. She grew claws or
something.”
“Sorry if I don’t really buy it. That just can’t be. And she looks sad.” My head whipped around, and the two girls did their best innocent
looks. I considered telling them to get a life, but ended up sighing
instead. My current class, World Civics, was one that I had without Matt
and therefore one I spent alone. Sometimes I wondered why the teachers
didn’t seem to notice the silence, the head on the desk, the doodles in the
margins. Hello, human misery over here!
I stared at the assignment I was supposed to be filling in. Use an
analogy to compare/contrast an oligarchy, a monarchy, and a democracy. Let
me see. . . imagine that werewolves had all the political power. That
would be an oligarchy. If they elected a king, would that be both
democracy and monarchy? Constitutional monarchy? Might be nice if
werewolves ruled. Lycanthropy wouldn’t be so bad if it didn’t have to be
hidden, and shape-shifting would be more like being a superhero than
having a disease. Oh no, my mind was wandering. No supernatural! No
supernatural!
“AIDS,” said a voice.
The acronym made me panic for a second. Had someone figured it
out?
The teacher repeated his question, unconscious of my discomfort.
“Anyone? Anyone? Gayle? Can you explain to me why governments can
be so reluctant to admit that they have a problem with AIDS in their
nation?”
Matt’s advice to me a week ago to continue breathing proved useful,
especially I spent most of my time now jumping at small