Fangs for Freaks
chatty half-bloods forever. All without having to lift a finger. In my mind, Cookie was a friggin’ mastermind genius and I was her duped patsy.
    I called Piper as soon as we landed to get a ride but she icily reminded me she was shopping with the others and was unavailable to jump up and do my bidding. Ouch. Piper pissed was not something I wanted to deal with right now. Instead, I called up my dad and he picked us up. We loaded up Mom’s Jag (I have no idea how he managed to talk her into that ) with all their belongings, which included a rather large stuffed unicorn collection. (I paid fifty bucks for an extra bag so Tina could keep all the fluffy babies Lance had given her, ugh!)
    Dad seemed pretty disappointed that both Tina and Sage not only had lovely smiles, but fully functioning fangs as well. I guess when you’re the only orthodontist in town who specialized in fang headgear, it’s a bit disappointing when no one needs your services.
    “I’m so thirsty,” Sage announced after her stomach growled. I didn’t care for the way she was eyeing my dad’s neck so I suggested he take us to Dick’s Burgers. Dick’s had been around forever in Seattle and was always hopping. Especially late at night. I was surprised when Sage ordered a chocolate milk shake.
    “You can keep that down?” I asked in awe.
    “Oh sure. Tina can’t do the milk thing, but I can.”
    Neither could I.
    “Okay, so how much time do you need?”
    “I can take this in the car. We don’t have to wait on me.” She started to saunter back toward my dad, all eyes in the order line watched her every move. Sage was pretty riveting, especially sipping her shake through a straw.
    “Don’t you need to …” I nodded toward the crowd. “You know, feed?”
    She waved her hand in dismissal. “Oh, gosh no. I’ve been grazing all day. I really just wanted something to drink.”
    I shook my head in exasperation. Tina finally joined us after getting the key to a restroom.
    “I just met the nicest guy. He let me feed, right there by his car. So nice of him,” she gushed and waved to a dark-haired fellow standing next to a white Jeep. He looked a bit pale and dazed but otherwise returned her wave with enthusiasm.
    “Are all guys in Seattle so nice?” she continued to chatter, making my dad squirm in his seat after we all got back into the car.
    “Well, that depends on what you mean by nice. Do all guys offer to open a vein and let you feed in the parking lot of Dick’s? Then I would have to say no. You must have found the exception to the rule.”
    She bounced lightly in the backseat, looking out the window and taking in the scenery. “He was just so nice,” she said again and I exchanged a look with my dad. I suspected her “nice” guy had been on something by the way she was suddenly so wired and chatty.
    It was one thing to teach the value of clean living but as a vampire, we could only keep our living as clean as the blood we drank. If our meals were high as a kite, then …
    There just hadn’t been time for Tina to make sure she was getting clean blood. Now she was loopy. I just hoped her friendly Seattle conquest wasn’t strung out on Ecstasy, because then things would get very interesting at Psi Phi House.
    We arrived in record time. My dad practically threw the luggage out of the trunk.
    “Thanks, Dad. I really appreciate your help. Want to come inside for some coffee?” I offered, not wanting him to drive home if he was tired.
    “No, dear.” He kissed my forehead and moved back toward the driver’s side of the car. “I have an early morning tomorrow. Mom and I will stop by and see how you are doing this weekend. Maybe bring out Aunt Chloe.”
    I waved to him and he was off. I looked back at Tina, who was staring up at the sky and softly singing “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,” and Sage, who had removed her sandals and was walking across the front lawn, feeling the dew between her toes. No wonder he opted for escape. I

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