that.’
‘Yeah. I guess it’s just when there’s some weird, horrible thing going on, everything starts to feel weird and horrible.’
‘True that,’ Eve agreed.
When they stepped into the dining room, the table was perfectly set, with salad forks and lit candles and everything. Eve’s family never did this for a regularnight dinner. And it wasn’t as if Jess counted as company. She was there way too much for that. Eve’s place was her second home, and vice versa.
But this isn’t a regular night , Eve realized. It’s a night after a scary freaky thing happened. The second scary freaky thing in a really short time .
Eve’s mom came in carrying a big wooden bowl of salad. Eve spotted cranberries, feta, walnuts. Her mother had gone all out in the salad area too. Maybe turning into Martha Stewart was helping her deal with everything.
‘Looks good, Mrs Evergold,’ Jess said, taking her usual seat.
‘It really does. Thanks, Mom,’ Eve added. She sat down next to Jess.
‘Your father did the heavy lifting. He made his legendary mac and cheese,’ Eve’s mother said with a wink.
‘And nobody try to get the recipe out of me. It’s a secret,’ her dad said. He carried the gigantic steaming serving dish into the dining room and set it down on the table with a flourish. ‘Only when I die will I pass it on to you,’ he told Eve.
Eve gave a snort of laughter. But in a way death was too close tonight. Not something to joke about.
Her mother served herself some of the salad. ‘You girls went to see that new vampire movie last weekend, didn’t you?’ She didn’t wait for an answer. ‘What did you think?’
And that’s how the rest of the dinner conversation went. Safe topics. Eve didn’t want the meal to end. But when it did, she and Jess went straight back to the computer.
Jess took the keyboard this time. ‘I’m going to try “supernatural animal attacks”.’ She shook her head when hits came up. ‘Mysterious attacks on animals is not what we’re looking for, and I don’t think we’redealing with Bigfoot. Although if demons exist, why not Bigfoot? Wait. Does Santa Claus?’
‘Santa Claus absolutely exists,’ Eve promised, smiling. ‘I’m not sure about—’
Her phone rang. ‘It’s Luke,’ she told Jess. She took the call. ‘What’s up?’
‘I found out holy water burns demons. So that might be useful. I’m going to get some vials of it, so we’ll always have some with us,’ Luke said. ‘That’s it so far.’
‘Better than us. We haven’t found out anything yet,’ Eve admitted. ‘We’ll keep looking though.’
‘Me too,’ Luke said. ‘I guess I should get back to it. We’ve got to get a handle on what’s going on.’
‘Just so you know, Jess and I have decided that since demons are real, Santa is too,’ Eve told him.
‘Only fair,’ Luke said. ‘I guess I should get back to it.’
Eve didn’t know if he’d forgotten he just said that or what. ‘And me,’ she said.
But Luke didn’t say goodbye. Neither did she. They just sort of breathed together, the way they had when they were hugging in the hallway. It felt good being connected to him, even in such an insubstantial way. What would it be like to kiss him?
Where had that come from?! She didn’t want to kiss Luke. Or, wait, did she?
‘So, OK, well, bye,’ Luke finally said.
‘Bye.’ Eve clicked off the phone and realized Jess was staring at her with raised eyebrows.
‘What was that?’ Jess asked.
‘Luke wanted to let me know he hasn’t found anything helpful in the stuff he’s translating,’ Eve said.
‘So he basically called for nothing.’ Jess’s brows went a little higher. ‘He luuurves you,’ she announced.
‘He luuurves half the girls at school,’ Eve reminded her.
‘No, he doesn’t,’ Jess said. ‘My sources say he hasn’t even gone out with anyone in two whole weeks. Not even Briony, and she’s cute and new.’
‘Two whole weeks? Wow!’ Eve said
‘Yeah. I guess it’s just when there’s some weird, horrible thing going on, everything starts to feel weird and horrible.’
‘True that,’ Eve agreed.
When they stepped into the dining room, the table was perfectly set, with salad forks and lit candles and everything. Eve’s family never did this for a regularnight dinner. And it wasn’t as if Jess counted as company. She was there way too much for that. Eve’s place was her second home, and vice versa.
But this isn’t a regular night , Eve realized. It’s a night after a scary freaky thing happened. The second scary freaky thing in a really short time .
Eve’s mom came in carrying a big wooden bowl of salad. Eve spotted cranberries, feta, walnuts. Her mother had gone all out in the salad area too. Maybe turning into Martha Stewart was helping her deal with everything.
‘Looks good, Mrs Evergold,’ Jess said, taking her usual seat.
‘It really does. Thanks, Mom,’ Eve added. She sat down next to Jess.
‘Your father did the heavy lifting. He made his legendary mac and cheese,’ Eve’s mother said with a wink.
‘And nobody try to get the recipe out of me. It’s a secret,’ her dad said. He carried the gigantic steaming serving dish into the dining room and set it down on the table with a flourish. ‘Only when I die will I pass it on to you,’ he told Eve.
Eve gave a snort of laughter. But in a way death was too close tonight. Not something to joke about.
Her mother served herself some of the salad. ‘You girls went to see that new vampire movie last weekend, didn’t you?’ She didn’t wait for an answer. ‘What did you think?’
And that’s how the rest of the dinner conversation went. Safe topics. Eve didn’t want the meal to end. But when it did, she and Jess went straight back to the computer.
Jess took the keyboard this time. ‘I’m going to try “supernatural animal attacks”.’ She shook her head when hits came up. ‘Mysterious attacks on animals is not what we’re looking for, and I don’t think we’redealing with Bigfoot. Although if demons exist, why not Bigfoot? Wait. Does Santa Claus?’
‘Santa Claus absolutely exists,’ Eve promised, smiling. ‘I’m not sure about—’
Her phone rang. ‘It’s Luke,’ she told Jess. She took the call. ‘What’s up?’
‘I found out holy water burns demons. So that might be useful. I’m going to get some vials of it, so we’ll always have some with us,’ Luke said. ‘That’s it so far.’
‘Better than us. We haven’t found out anything yet,’ Eve admitted. ‘We’ll keep looking though.’
‘Me too,’ Luke said. ‘I guess I should get back to it. We’ve got to get a handle on what’s going on.’
‘Just so you know, Jess and I have decided that since demons are real, Santa is too,’ Eve told him.
‘Only fair,’ Luke said. ‘I guess I should get back to it.’
Eve didn’t know if he’d forgotten he just said that or what. ‘And me,’ she said.
But Luke didn’t say goodbye. Neither did she. They just sort of breathed together, the way they had when they were hugging in the hallway. It felt good being connected to him, even in such an insubstantial way. What would it be like to kiss him?
Where had that come from?! She didn’t want to kiss Luke. Or, wait, did she?
‘So, OK, well, bye,’ Luke finally said.
‘Bye.’ Eve clicked off the phone and realized Jess was staring at her with raised eyebrows.
‘What was that?’ Jess asked.
‘Luke wanted to let me know he hasn’t found anything helpful in the stuff he’s translating,’ Eve said.
‘So he basically called for nothing.’ Jess’s brows went a little higher. ‘He luuurves you,’ she announced.
‘He luuurves half the girls at school,’ Eve reminded her.
‘No, he doesn’t,’ Jess said. ‘My sources say he hasn’t even gone out with anyone in two whole weeks. Not even Briony, and she’s cute and new.’
‘Two whole weeks? Wow!’ Eve said
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