Ninth Grade Slays (19 page)

The moment Vlad stopped rolling, he groaned, clutched his side, and slowly got to his feet. His back throbbed where Bill had pounded it, but his side hurt more—likely from his tumble down the stairs. He'd made his way back up to the door when a small voice called from below. “Don't bother. They'll block it from the outside, just like they did before.”

Vlad tried the door, but it wouldn't budge. Running the tip of his tongue over his canines, he turned and made his way down the stairs. Eddie Poe was sitting on the floor, with his back against the wall, adjusting the cracked lens of his camera. Vlad wondered if it had broken during Eddie's tumble down the stairs. “So how long have you been down here, Eddie?”

Eddie shrugged, not meeting Vlad's eyes. "Since this morning.”

Vlad glanced up at the door. He really didn't want to spend his day trapped in a glorified, hot-as-Hades basement— least of all with a boy who was on the verge of learning his deepest, darkest secret. His stomach rumbled, as if reminding him about his appointment with a blood bag. “Have you tried banging on the door, getting someone's attention?”

At the sound of Vlad's voice, Eddie flinched. A shard of glass fell from his camera lens to the floor, eliciting a groan. “Tried that. It's pretty soundproof. You know, to keep out the noise of the boiler and stuff.”

Vlad looked around the room. There was nothing in it that would prove even mildly helpful for their escape. The best they could hope for was that Mr. Brennan, the school janitor, would have to check some gauges or something and would unwittingly come to their rescue. With a sigh, Vlad sat on the bottom step and ran a frustrated hand through his hair, brushing it out of his eyes for a moment.

Eddie met Vlad's eyes once, and then dropped his attention to the floor. He didn't look happy to be sharing the space with a monster.

Vlad forced a smile. He wasn't exactly pleased with the arrangement himself, but if he played his cards right, maybe he could have Eddie convinced he was nothing but human by the time the door opened. “So, that was some article you wrote. I didn't know you were a writer.”

Eddie was quiet for a long time. And just as Vlad was about to ask him if he'd been kicked off the school paper, Eddie stood up and stretched. When he was finished, he cast a nervous glance up at the door and then returned his gaze to the floor. When he spoke, it was so low that Vlad had to strain in order to discern words from the whisper of Eddie's breath. “I always knew you were different. But I thought you were just an outcast, like me.”

Vlad's lungs locked for a moment, refusing to allow air either in or out. There was no question in Eddie's slumped posture, or an ounce of doubt in his words. He knew Vlad's secret.

The air returned to Vlad's lungs in a gulp. He couldn't speak. What do you say to someone who's not just guessing but has witnessed your deepest secret in action? Vlad looked back over his shoulder at the door and sighed, wondering how long they'd already been down here. He imagined it was nearing the final bell, but without a watch, it was difficult to tell. His stomach rumbled loudly, demanding to be satisfied, and Vlad groaned. Great. Just what he needed. Trapped in a room with a human when he was thirsting for blood.

To Vlad's immense surprise, Eddie met his eyes. “I still don't know what you are exactly. But I read a lot of comic books, so I know I can figure it out.”

He straightened his shoulders, a thread of confidence creeping into his words. “Your eyes flashing purple were the first solid clue that you weren't human, and then when I followed you to the school and you floated up to the belfry . . . well, I kind of freaked out at first. But I was smart. My mom says I'm not, but I am. I waited and took that picture of you coming down. I could have named you in the article, but right now I just want to find out what you are. I thought maybe you'd tell me after you saw the article.”

Vlad shook his head. “There's nothing to tell, Eddie. I don't know who or what you saw, but I'm as human as anybody in this town.” When he looked once more at Eddie, he made sure his words were crisp and forceful. “You should be more careful, dude. Stuff like that could get you kicked off the paper. Or worse.”

Vlad held his gaze, making certain the threat was understood. He was tempted to try mind control, but he knew he didn't need to go that far with Eddie Poe. The guy always backed down when confronted. Always.

As suspected, Eddie's eyes widened in fear. Eddie took a step back, and when he bumped into the wall, he slid down to a sitting position on the floor, his arms clutching his knees to his chest. He watched Vlad for the next several minutes, as if frightened that Vlad might pounce on him and drink his blood.

Ready to oblige, Vlad's fangs slid easily out of his gums. It took several deep breaths, but after a moment, he regained control of his hunger. One thing was for sure though . . . if he didn't get out of here soon, Eddie was going to be his next meal.

With a deep breath, Vlad focused on Henry. He had no idea if he was capable of reaching his drudge from anywhere other than the training room in Siberia, but he had to try.

“Henry
,
I'm trapped in the boiler room with Eddie Poe. Hurry!”

Eddie continued to watch him. Vlad shifted uneasily but said nothing. After all, there was nothing to say. What was that saying about how it was better to be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt?

The door at the top of the stairs creaked open, startling them both. But then Vlad sighed in relief. He'd reached Henry after all. He made a mental note to write Otis and tell him. Apparently, Vikas was right about the ease of connecting with one's drudge.

Sunlight drifted in from the open door, illuminating the room much better than the fluorescent lights below. Meredith called down the steps. “Vlad? Are you down there?”

Vlad's eyes went wide, and he felt his hunger give way to the happy warmth of the knowledge that Meredith hadn't just opened the door by accident—she'd opened it because she'd been looking for him.

Vlad cleared his throat, only slightly disappointed that he hadn't managed to reach Henry. “Yeah.”

Eddie slid his back against the wall as he stood. He approached the steps slowly, his eyes still locked distrustfully, fearfully, on Vlad. But then he paused and looked longingly up at the stairs.

Vlad stepped back, giving Eddie free passage. He kept his jaw tight and his gaze slightly chilled in warning.

Eddie glanced down at his shoes, and when he returned his eyes to Vlad's gaze, he seemed to be surer of himself than ever. He spoke in a loud whisper, so that Meredith wouldn't hear. “It's worth another detention, Vlad. It's worth a thousand detentions to find out what you are.” He scrambled up the steps, then paused and threw Vlad a determined glance over his shoulder. “And worse.”

He shrank by Meredith without meeting her eyes. Meredith smiled at him. “Hi, Eddie. You okay?”

But Eddie didn't answer.

Vlad moved up a few steps, shaking his anger with Eddie from his nerves. In his mind he was reliving the kiss Meredith had given him outside in the snow and the blowing cold. He wondered, briefly, if she might do it again if they lingered down here for a while. “Thanks for opening the door. We were kind of stuck.”

A small flash of anger crossed Meredith's eyes, surprising him. “I heard Bill and Tom bragging about locking you guys down here. So I came to see if you were still here. What jerks!”

Vlad smiled. She was so cute when she was mad. The way her nose scrunched up.

Meredith looked at him. “What are you smiling about?”

Vlad glanced away. “Nothing. I'm just glad to see you.”

She brightened, and Vlad widened his eyes. “I mean, the door. I'm glad you opened the door.”

“Oh.” A small smile played on her lips. “Well, you're welcome.”

Though Vlad's cheeks were blushing fiercely, he managed a smile. “Yeah . . . my hero.”

The air suddenly seemed very thin. Meredith was standing just one step above him and looking at him like he was the only boy in the entire world.

Vlad wanted very much to be brave enough to kiss her pretty lips.

He wanted to be. But he wasn't.

Instead, he smiled into her eyes and wished that the moment would last.

“Uh. Hey, Vlad . . . Meredith.” Henry was standing at the open door, fighting a grin. “You guys better get out of here. Mrs. Bell is on her way down the hall, and she's giving out detention slips like crazy.”

Meredith blushed and walked up the steps. After a second, Vlad followed suit, not really caring if he got detention.

All things considered, losing a few hours after school was well worth a stolen moment alone with the girl of his dreams.

18

THE FRIEND CODE

VLAD DESCENDED THE STEPS in front of Bathory High after a horrendous Monday. After a moment, Joss joined him, despite the chilly glances Vlad had been giving him since the Snow Ball. Yes, Meredith had kissed him and not Joss, but that didn't change the fact that Joss had gone out with her. They were supposed to be friends, and friends can tell when a guy likes a girl, even without the guy saying something. Even Henry had figured it out, and Vlad hadn't told him—Henry could just tell. So why couldn't Joss?

It was an exceptionally warm March day, so Vlad slipped off his jacket and draped it over his arm. March. He could hardly believe that he hadn't heard from his uncle Otis in three months, ever since the day they'd parted after their trip to Siberia. Vlad had written Otis immediately following Jasik's attack and had continued to do so once a week in increasingly worried tones, but he'd heard nothing back. At least the months since the attack had been blissfully free of Jasik, and there had been no sign of the slayer Otis had warned him about. But there was always the possibility that Otis had received misinformation. What if there was no slayer? What if it was just Jasik, the thief, in Bathory? Still, Vlad had kept close to his house and the school, never going anywhere alone, just to be safe. And he continued to worry about Otis.

They walked between houses, leaving Henry behind at the school for yet another student council meeting. Before they could move out from between the houses directly across the street from Nelly's, Joss hesitated and croaked, “I need to talk to you.”

He looked pleadingly at Vlad, but there was no way Vlad was going to make it any easier on him. Dude. Friend code. Violated. Joss would have to deal.

Joss took a deep breath, steadied himself, and said, “I feel terrible about what I did to you. I knew you liked Meredith, but when she asked me to the dance, I couldn't believe it. She's just so pretty and funny and smart and—”

“Not helping the situation.” Vlad pursed his lips, picturing the first time he'd seen Meredith. They were in the third grade, and Meredith was the new kid. She stood in front of the class, all scared and timid, twisting the pink ribbon in her hair tightly around her fingertip. She'd looked so frightened. All Vlad had wanted to do was to take her hand and protect her.

“I'm sorry, okay? I was way wrong. And now I feel like I've screwed up our friendship and I feel terrible, Vlad.” Joss met Vlad's gaze with honest eyes. “Please. There's gotta be something I can do to make this up to you.”

Vlad adjusted the strap of his backpack on his shoulder and tensed his jaw, still angry. “Next time you think I like someone, don't ignore that thought, okay? You really hurt my feelings, Joss. I thought we were friends.”

“We are.” Joss dropped his bag on the ground, his cheeks flushing some. “To be honest, other than Henry, you're my only friend . . . and he's family. If he doesn't hang out with me, his mom will ground him.”

Vlad groaned as a sudden, unexpected flash of guilt shot through him. “That's not why he hangs out with you, Joss. Henry likes you. We both think you're pretty cool . . . when you're not dating girls we like.” He sighed and dropped his backpack next to Joss's. Maybe he'd been too hard on Joss. Maybe he could consider this time served. After all, in the end, all Joss was guilty of was accepting an invitation to the dance. “Look, I haven't even told Henry how much I really like Meredith. And when you went to the dance with her . . . it just felt like you took our friendship and flushed it. That's hard to get over.”

“I'll never do anything like that again. I swear, okay?” Joss sighed, a cloud of lost cause hanging over him. “Can we be friends again?”

Vlad ran a hand through his hair, brushing it away from his eyes, and mentally kicked himself. A large part of him wanted to hold this grudge forever, but he knew he couldn't. This was Joss. He was almost as important to Vlad as Henry. “We never stopped being friends. Just because I'm mad at you doesn't mean we're not friends.”

Immense relief crossed Joss's eyes. Both boys were silent awhile until Joss cleared his throat. “So you really like her, huh?”

Vlad released a tense breath. He felt like he'd been holding it in since he heard about Meredith's Snow Ball plans. “Yeah. I do.”

Joss eyed him for a moment, then said, “That took a lot of trust, spilling your guts like that.”

“Well, I trust you.” Vlad shrugged, suddenly feeling lighter, better after clearing the air.

“I trust you, too, Vlad.” Joss grew quiet then, and when he spoke again, his voice shook slightly. “In fact, I've got a secret. A big one. One that I'd like to share with you. Is that okay?”

Vlad nodded. “Fine by me. Is it something bad?”

“No. Not really. I mean, I'm really proud of it. I just don't get to talk about it much. Plus, it's tied to a real problem I have, and I've been thinking maybe you could help me with that.”