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Authors: Caroline B. Cooney
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are talking to you.
But curiously enough, her distracted manner made her more desirable.
She pondered this. The popular person who doesn’t have time for you becomes more popular! she thought.
She saved up the faces of all who spoke and laughed, thinking—did I earn this? Or did the vampire somehow migrate to each of them, and instruct them in their sleep: Admire Althea today.
And tomorrow? Next month? Next year?
Will they forget me as quickly as weather? Will I vanish like last Monday’s sunshine, or yesterday’s snow flurry?
Jennie was absent.
Her mind returned continually to that.
The vampire will ask me for another one, she thought. Not right away. But soon.
Althea changed classes, ate lunch, went to the library, got books from her locker, and wondered who it would be.
Who?
Who will I give him?
Who will he take?
Like owls fluttering through the halls, their wings hitting her hair, the cry who? who? who? who? who? rang in her ears.
I cannot do that again, she said to herself. I cannot destroy another human being! I can’t participate in it anymore. That’s all there is to it.
“You know, Althea,” said Ryan’s voice, “you’re more daydreamy than I realized.”
She jumped, astonished to find she was sitting in a chair, and that Ryan was sitting in a chair next to her. He was smiling into her eyes, his hand resting on the chair back. “Hi, Ryan,” she said, blushing. His hand shifted from the back of the chair to the back of her neck.
His fingers were callused, but his touch was gentle. He touched her skin as if exploring new worlds, lightly tugged her hair, and watched what he was doing, fascinated by his skin against hers.
Althea swallowed, thinking of somebody else who liked the backs of necks. Jennie is absent.
She took Ryan’s hand and held it in her lap instead. He was delighted and looked at their two hands together. He separated her fingers with his and intertwined them, making a row of ten knuckles: her smooth, small, pale knuckles alternating with his large, knobby, dark ones.
“The school day,” he said, managing a laugh, “has ended. Did you notice? You want to go for a drive? Maybe pizza. I can always eat pizza. I could eat yours if you’re not hungry.”
Michael appeared beside them. “Holding hands in public?” he teased. “I’m shocked, Ryan.”
“Get lost,” said Ryan cheerfully. “We’re going for pizza.”
Ryan pulled Althea to her feet. The library was full of kids doing research papers or homework. All were watching. She felt their eyes. The cheerleader and the football players. The popular girl and the handsome boys. The one you dream of being.
And it’s me, she thought. It’s me.
Chapter 12
T HE THREE OF THEM made their way out of the school, bumping into one another, laughing, pushing on the steps, sheltering one another against the wind. Althea, confused about why they were a threesome, said aloud, “Michael, are you coming, too?”
Michael and Ryan roared with laughter.
“It’s my car he’s inviting you to use,” explained Michael. “Old Ryan here is without a vehicle. If you plan to see much of the guy, keep in mind that he’s going to need a chauffeur from now on.”
“What about the car with three broken doors?” said Althea, who yearned to slither and slide in and out with Ryan.
Ryan sighed heavily. “The police. The cops.”
She was horrified. “You were arrested?”
Ryan looked hurt while Michael grinned. “I was not arrested,” Ryan said with dignity. “The police pulled me over because they could not understand how I was able to get out of such dented doors. It seems that vehicle inspection standards require that the driver and passenger should be able to get out of the car. I argued that we are able to get out of the car—it just takes a little while. The police said, What if I had a passenger who wasn’t that agile? I said, Well, I just wouldn’t take him along, would I? The police said, What about in situations
But curiously enough, her distracted manner made her more desirable.
She pondered this. The popular person who doesn’t have time for you becomes more popular! she thought.
She saved up the faces of all who spoke and laughed, thinking—did I earn this? Or did the vampire somehow migrate to each of them, and instruct them in their sleep: Admire Althea today.
And tomorrow? Next month? Next year?
Will they forget me as quickly as weather? Will I vanish like last Monday’s sunshine, or yesterday’s snow flurry?
Jennie was absent.
Her mind returned continually to that.
The vampire will ask me for another one, she thought. Not right away. But soon.
Althea changed classes, ate lunch, went to the library, got books from her locker, and wondered who it would be.
Who?
Who will I give him?
Who will he take?
Like owls fluttering through the halls, their wings hitting her hair, the cry who? who? who? who? who? rang in her ears.
I cannot do that again, she said to herself. I cannot destroy another human being! I can’t participate in it anymore. That’s all there is to it.
“You know, Althea,” said Ryan’s voice, “you’re more daydreamy than I realized.”
She jumped, astonished to find she was sitting in a chair, and that Ryan was sitting in a chair next to her. He was smiling into her eyes, his hand resting on the chair back. “Hi, Ryan,” she said, blushing. His hand shifted from the back of the chair to the back of her neck.
His fingers were callused, but his touch was gentle. He touched her skin as if exploring new worlds, lightly tugged her hair, and watched what he was doing, fascinated by his skin against hers.
Althea swallowed, thinking of somebody else who liked the backs of necks. Jennie is absent.
She took Ryan’s hand and held it in her lap instead. He was delighted and looked at their two hands together. He separated her fingers with his and intertwined them, making a row of ten knuckles: her smooth, small, pale knuckles alternating with his large, knobby, dark ones.
“The school day,” he said, managing a laugh, “has ended. Did you notice? You want to go for a drive? Maybe pizza. I can always eat pizza. I could eat yours if you’re not hungry.”
Michael appeared beside them. “Holding hands in public?” he teased. “I’m shocked, Ryan.”
“Get lost,” said Ryan cheerfully. “We’re going for pizza.”
Ryan pulled Althea to her feet. The library was full of kids doing research papers or homework. All were watching. She felt their eyes. The cheerleader and the football players. The popular girl and the handsome boys. The one you dream of being.
And it’s me, she thought. It’s me.
Chapter 12
T HE THREE OF THEM made their way out of the school, bumping into one another, laughing, pushing on the steps, sheltering one another against the wind. Althea, confused about why they were a threesome, said aloud, “Michael, are you coming, too?”
Michael and Ryan roared with laughter.
“It’s my car he’s inviting you to use,” explained Michael. “Old Ryan here is without a vehicle. If you plan to see much of the guy, keep in mind that he’s going to need a chauffeur from now on.”
“What about the car with three broken doors?” said Althea, who yearned to slither and slide in and out with Ryan.
Ryan sighed heavily. “The police. The cops.”
She was horrified. “You were arrested?”
Ryan looked hurt while Michael grinned. “I was not arrested,” Ryan said with dignity. “The police pulled me over because they could not understand how I was able to get out of such dented doors. It seems that vehicle inspection standards require that the driver and passenger should be able to get out of the car. I argued that we are able to get out of the car—it just takes a little while. The police said, What if I had a passenger who wasn’t that agile? I said, Well, I just wouldn’t take him along, would I? The police said, What about in situations
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