skillfully dodging columns, walls, desks, and other bats.
âWow!â said Lee. âCool! Wait till I show Boris!â Leeâs friend Boris was a real bat who lived in the school clock tower.
Miss Gargoyle hovered in midair to get her breath back.
âThe third S ,â she went on, âis skulking. This is particularly handy when you need to turn into a batâor back into a vampireâwithout any Fangless folk seeing you. When you need a place to skulk, my tip is to remember the Three C s: columns, curtains, and corners.â
âWhat kind of corners?â said Lee.
âThree- D ones are best,â said Miss Gargoyle.
âWhat?â asked Billy. âAs in a 3-D movie?â
âNo,â said Miss Gargoyle. âAs in dark, damp, and dingy. Okay class, now you all have a try.â
They practiced the three S s until the bell rang for break.
âWell done, everybody,â said Miss Gargoyle. âThatâs the end of our lessons for today. See you after break in the school hall for the dress rehearsal.â She glanced over at Lee. âAnd donât forget your costumes!â
Chapter 2
First Night Nerves
During break, Lee, Bella, and Billy sat together. Lee gobbled up a packet of Dracâs Snacks, but Billy and Bella ate hardly anything at all.
âIâI canât eat,â quivered Billy. âIâm so nervous about this stupid phantomime. I dunno why I said Iâd be in it. I hate acting!â
âYouâll be fine,â said Lee. âThe hunter hasnât got much to say, not likeââ
âATCHOO!â
Bella sneezed so loudly that Lee dropped his snack and Billy almost jumped out of his seat.
âYikes, Bella!â said Lee. âThat was loud enough to wake up a zombie!â
âSorry,â said Bella. âIâve got a little cold. I donât think I should have done so much skulking during the last lesson.â
âWell, you did manage to find the darkest and dampest corner,â said Billy. âIt took us forever to find you.â
âMy throat feels funny, too,â said Bella.
âYouâre probably just nervous,â said Lee. âAfter all, you have the biggest part.â
âAnd you have to sing those songs all by yourself,â Billy chipped in. Miss Gargoyle had asked Bella to play Snow Fright because she had the best voice in the class.
âYeah,â said Lee. âIn front of the whole school.â
âAnd lots of parents and friends,â said Billy.
âOh thanks, guys!â groaned Bella. âYouâve really cheered me up!â
Lee hastily changed the subject.
âMiss Gargoyle said thereâs going to be a special mystery guest,â he said. âI wonder who it is.â
âNo idea,â said Billy. âDidnât she say the mayor is coming? Maybe itâs him.â
âOh, durrr!â snorted Bella. âThe whole point of a mystery guest is that you donât know who it is, silly.â
âAll right,â said Billy. âKeep your cape on!â
âItâs no good,â said Bella. âI just canât eat. Does anyone want my snack?â
Big Herb was at the next table. Hearing the offer of free food, he whizzed around like a tornado.
âIâll have it!â he said through a huge mouthful of black pudding sandwich, some of which sprayed out onto his shirt. Then he looked at Bellaâs tub of beetroot salad and shook his head. âYurggh! Actually, no thanks Bella. I forgot youâre a vegetarian.â
Chapter 3
Snow Fright in a Flap
After break, Lee, Bella, and Billy went straight to the hall and changed into their phantomime costumes.
âOK, seven dwarfs,â said Miss Gargoyle. âLetâs run through the âWork Songâ one last time.â
Lee and the six other vampire dwarfs all marched across the stage in a line. They were Gappy, Snappy, Flappy, Creepy,
Willa Sibert Cather
CJ Whrite
Alfy Dade
Samantha-Ellen Bound
Kathleen Ernst
Viola Grace
Christine d'Abo
Rue Allyn
Annabel Joseph
Serenity King, Pepper Pace, Aliyah Burke, Erosa Knowles, Latrivia Nelson, Tianna Laveen, Bridget Midway, Yvette Hines