anyone was going to speak up, though,” chimed in a smart guy from my science class named Matt de la Cruz.
“We were
all
rooting for you!” exclaimed another girl, and everyone nodded enthusiastically. Gabby looked as surprised as I felt by all the attention.
“Yes,” Ms. Goldsmith said from the front of the classroom, where she was wiping off the chalkboard. She turned around and smiled at me. “I was very impressed by the initiative you showed, Emma-Rose.”
“Wow … um, thanks,” I said. A warm glow spread through me.
Is this what it feels like to be popular?
I wondered.
I didn’t feel like myself, but this time it was in a wonderful way.
Maybe becoming a vampire
didn’t
totally bite.
Maybe it was even the ticket to becoming a brand-new Emma-Rose!
Chapter Eight
On Friday, I put my New Emma-Rose plan into effect.
I woke up super-early, though not early enough to catch Great-aunt Margo (who had, of course, been asleep again when I’d come home on Thursday afternoon).
I dressed quickly, pairing my dark red jeans with a black tee and a tank top decorated with small red cherries. I added my purple-striped wrist warmers and black boots. Then I texted Gabby to let her know I’d be going ahead to school without her.
I felt a little bad. The two of us hadn’t talked or IMed the night before, because Gabby had stayed late at the library doing research for the genealogyproject. She’d invited me to join her, but I’d been too hyped up from student council and had instead gone shopping for dance decorations with Zora. There was now a bag in the corner of my room overflowing with sparkly skull decals and orange and black crepe streamers.
I stopped by the kitchen, surprising Mom. Dad was still asleep. As I poured myself a glass of cranberry juice, I broke the news that I wouldn’t be able to make the gala on Friday. Mom was disappointed, but told me she was proud of me for getting involved in the school dance.
The first people I saw at school were Eve, Mallory, Roger, and Henry. They were standing in front of their lockers, and I heard Eve telling the guys that Ashlee was out sick. I wondered if the little princess had needed a day to recover from the shock of student council.
As I headed for my locker, Henry called out, “Morning, Pale Paley!”
I whipped around and shot him the kind of glare I imagined a powerful girl vampire would shoot a helpless squirrel. I didn’t blush. I didn’t squirm.
“You know what?” I said firmly. “That’s getting really old.”
Henry blinked, then pushed a hand through his dark hair. “Um,” he said nervously.
Eve, Mallory, and Roger exchanged glances. They, too, weren’t used to me speaking up — or speaking much at all. I wouldn’t let any of them off the hook, but stood my ground, hands on my hips.
Finally, Mallory offered me a cautious smile and said, “Hey, Emma-Rose. I like your outfit.”
“Thanks,” I replied. Before I turned to my locker, I saw Eve elbowing Mallory.
“What?” Mallory whispered. “It’s cute.”
I smiled to myself.
Once gym class rolled around, I knew Mallory’s semisweetness wouldn’t last. She and I were on the same team again, along with Eve and Caitlin. Last time, we had lost — because of me. Today, Eve and Caitlin, though far from being friends, seemed to agree that they would do whatever it took to win. When the other team served the ball, they both lunged. Caitlin bumped the ball toward Eve, who spiked it over the net.
“Go, Eve!” Mallory screamed. “Go, Caitlin,” she added halfheartedly.
Coach Lattimore blew her whistle. “ROTATE!” she called. My stomach twisted up in knots. It was my turn to serve.
“Now, remember what I told you, Emma-Rose,” Coach Lattimore said, coming over to stand next to me. She placed the ball — my enemy — in my hand. “Use force. Use
all
your strength. And get that ball
over
the net.”
“Come on, Coach L, can’t she just skip serving?” Eve moaned.
“Shh,
“We were
all
rooting for you!” exclaimed another girl, and everyone nodded enthusiastically. Gabby looked as surprised as I felt by all the attention.
“Yes,” Ms. Goldsmith said from the front of the classroom, where she was wiping off the chalkboard. She turned around and smiled at me. “I was very impressed by the initiative you showed, Emma-Rose.”
“Wow … um, thanks,” I said. A warm glow spread through me.
Is this what it feels like to be popular?
I wondered.
I didn’t feel like myself, but this time it was in a wonderful way.
Maybe becoming a vampire
didn’t
totally bite.
Maybe it was even the ticket to becoming a brand-new Emma-Rose!
Chapter Eight
On Friday, I put my New Emma-Rose plan into effect.
I woke up super-early, though not early enough to catch Great-aunt Margo (who had, of course, been asleep again when I’d come home on Thursday afternoon).
I dressed quickly, pairing my dark red jeans with a black tee and a tank top decorated with small red cherries. I added my purple-striped wrist warmers and black boots. Then I texted Gabby to let her know I’d be going ahead to school without her.
I felt a little bad. The two of us hadn’t talked or IMed the night before, because Gabby had stayed late at the library doing research for the genealogyproject. She’d invited me to join her, but I’d been too hyped up from student council and had instead gone shopping for dance decorations with Zora. There was now a bag in the corner of my room overflowing with sparkly skull decals and orange and black crepe streamers.
I stopped by the kitchen, surprising Mom. Dad was still asleep. As I poured myself a glass of cranberry juice, I broke the news that I wouldn’t be able to make the gala on Friday. Mom was disappointed, but told me she was proud of me for getting involved in the school dance.
The first people I saw at school were Eve, Mallory, Roger, and Henry. They were standing in front of their lockers, and I heard Eve telling the guys that Ashlee was out sick. I wondered if the little princess had needed a day to recover from the shock of student council.
As I headed for my locker, Henry called out, “Morning, Pale Paley!”
I whipped around and shot him the kind of glare I imagined a powerful girl vampire would shoot a helpless squirrel. I didn’t blush. I didn’t squirm.
“You know what?” I said firmly. “That’s getting really old.”
Henry blinked, then pushed a hand through his dark hair. “Um,” he said nervously.
Eve, Mallory, and Roger exchanged glances. They, too, weren’t used to me speaking up — or speaking much at all. I wouldn’t let any of them off the hook, but stood my ground, hands on my hips.
Finally, Mallory offered me a cautious smile and said, “Hey, Emma-Rose. I like your outfit.”
“Thanks,” I replied. Before I turned to my locker, I saw Eve elbowing Mallory.
“What?” Mallory whispered. “It’s cute.”
I smiled to myself.
Once gym class rolled around, I knew Mallory’s semisweetness wouldn’t last. She and I were on the same team again, along with Eve and Caitlin. Last time, we had lost — because of me. Today, Eve and Caitlin, though far from being friends, seemed to agree that they would do whatever it took to win. When the other team served the ball, they both lunged. Caitlin bumped the ball toward Eve, who spiked it over the net.
“Go, Eve!” Mallory screamed. “Go, Caitlin,” she added halfheartedly.
Coach Lattimore blew her whistle. “ROTATE!” she called. My stomach twisted up in knots. It was my turn to serve.
“Now, remember what I told you, Emma-Rose,” Coach Lattimore said, coming over to stand next to me. She placed the ball — my enemy — in my hand. “Use force. Use
all
your strength. And get that ball
over
the net.”
“Come on, Coach L, can’t she just skip serving?” Eve moaned.
“Shh,
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