Cryptic Cravings

I was sleeping late as usual on the following weekend when I heard a knock on my bedroom door. I sat up to find Becky standing by my bed.

"What's going on?" I asked. "Am I late for school? It's Saturday, isn't it?" But Becky wasn't interested in the days of the week. She handed me a cup of coffee from Javalicious. "Thanks," I said. "You'll need it. I just came from Matt's scrimmage." "They played in the morning?" "No - you slept most of the day away." She opened the curtains and I was blinded by the sun. "No - " I said, squinting. I turned to look at my clock. It was four-fifteen.

"You need to be awake for this. Rumors are spreading that there are vampires living in Dullsville!" Becky said. "Can you believe that?"

"What?" "I swear. Vampires, here in Dullsville. That's what people are saying." "They said that whenAlexander moved here. Trevor started that one, remember?" "Well, they are saying it again." "Where, when, and who?" I asked. "I need names." "Well, you know it started when Sebastian bit Luna at Alexander's party." "Yes, but they don't have proof that really happened." I yawned.

"But it's more than that. The soccer snobs and other students were weirded out whenAlexander, Sebastian, Scarlet, Onyx, Jagger, and Luna came to the game," Becky confessed.

"That's not news. . . ." "They said they're . . . freaks." "They've said that about me all my life. That's nothing new either."

"You know how people talk. Jagger and his entourage don't go to school and are only seen at night. Scarlet drives a skull and Jagger a hearse."

"Yes, I guess it does look a bit weird to Dullsvillians. But totally normal to me." I smiled with pride. "Matt said Trevor told him that Scarlet has fangs, and others are saying they live in graves in the factory." Coffins, I wanted to correct her. "Trevor will say anything," I said. "And they live in the mill because they are making it into a dance club." "I know that, and you know that. But it's not just Trevor. Even Matt thinks things are strange." "He does?"

"But not too strange. He knows Alexander. But like me, he's a bit worried that those guys are living in that creepy factory."

"They are fine. Really." "But there's more." "Yes?" "No one wants to go to the club now." "Are you serious?" She nodded.

"He's going to be opening up the Crypt in just two days! If no one comes, then he's going to close it." Now I was the one freaking out.

"I'm sorry to be the one to tell you," she said sincerely. "No, I'm glad you did. I'd hate for that part to be a surprise." I had to get to the factory. Jagger couldn't close the Crypt before he opened it.

As soon as it was dark, I rushed to the Sinclair Mill and whisked past Scarlet and Onyx without even saying hi and headed straight for Jagger, Alexander, and Sebastian, who were having celebratory drinks. "What's wrong?" Alexander said. "Everyone at school is saying that vampires are living here. Now no one wants to come to the club's opening. We have to do something. We only have two days!"

"What do you mean?" Jagger said.

"Just that. Rumors about us - you guys. That you are vampires. Sebastian bit Luna. You don't go to school and are never seen in the daylight. These people live for that stuff. Then you throw in a skull car and a hearse. I told you it wasn't safe for you to have an underground club here. Now do you see what I mean?"

"How are we going to open if no one shows?" Sebastian wondered. Failure wasn't in Jagger's vocabulary. "They'll have to show," he said defiantly. "Dude, we have to have girls here to make this work," Sebastian said. Luna shot him a dirty look. "And guys, too." "Stop. Let me think," Jagger said. "What if we change? We'll have to make our look be more 'friendly.'" "So you guys are going to be preps?" I asked. "It's a thought." "Your hair is white with blood-red tips," I said. "I can dye it brown." "And Luna - her pink hair?" "I'm not touching my hair," she said. "And what about all your tats? You're just going to scrape them off?" "We'll cover ours up," Jagger said. He didn't like that I was challenging his idea. "No. You can't change who you are. I've been this way my whole life and I've never changed," I said firmly. "And they accepted you?" Jagger charged. They all turned to me, already knowing the answer. "This is about business," Jagger said. "Not about making friends."

"But it is," I said. "You can't not be who you are. That's why I love you guys. If you change, then you'll be like everyone else in town. I can't have you do that. There's got to be another way." "Then can you tell me what it is?" Jagger challenged. "I have already invested a lot of money in this. You told me how everyone in town would come here to dance. Now you are telling me they aren't. What do you suggest I do?"

There was only one person in Dullsville who could change everyone's mind. "Trevor Mitchell," I said. "If he's on board, then everyone in town will be, too."

"We'll have to do more than just show up to his soccer game," Jagger said. "This time, we'll have to make him a partner."

It wasn't too long before Scarlet returned with Trevor. Apparently all it took was a few texts, several lip-locks, and the promise of even more power in Dullsville than he already had to convince him to accept a one-on-one meeting with Jagger.

Jagger didn't hold the meeting in his office. With its walls adorned with cemetery sketches and a tarantula creeping in an aquarium, not to mention its location across the hall from the room filled with coffins, it wasn't the ideal setting. Instead Jagger held the meeting with the blonde jock in a small, vacant room on the top floor.

I paced outside the room while Sebastian and Alexander downed blood-filled glasses and the girls calmed their nerves by painting their nails black.

There wasn't a clock in the Crypt, but it seemed like the two were holed up for ages. Finally I couldn't bear it anymore.

"More cobwebs are going to form if they don't hurry," I said to the gang. "What are they talking about in there?" Just then the door creaked open. Trevor didn't make eye contact but just headed down the stairs. We all had our hearts in our stomachs, waiting for the result. "He agreed!" Jagger declared proudly. "We're back in business." "Yay!" Scarlet, Onyx, and I cheered. Scarlet raced downstairs after Trevor to take him home. "It means your portion goes down," Jagger said, putting his arm around Sebastian. "We all had to give a little."

Jagger opened a Romanian wine bottle and poured thick red liquid into tiny shot glasses. Everyone but me took one. I held one filled with cranberry juice.

"Here's to the Crypt," Jagger said. "And sacrifice."

Dullsville High had an unusual air about it. Instead of the normal school malaise or enthusiasm about sports and upcoming dances, this Monday the halls were filled with a different kind of buzzing, and the excitement couldn't be contained in the whispers. A crowd had gathered at the end of the hallway by the gym. Becky and I pushed our way through, dying to find out what all the fuss was about. Dance music was being played.

"It's awesome," Trevor said, handing out flyers. "Nothing in town like it." "This will be cool," one student said. "I'll tell my friends." "I can't wait until it opens."

Nothing was cool in town without Trevor's stamp of approval. Even a few teachers were more interested in the club than they were in shutting down Trevor's makeshift promotional stand.

"I'm all out, people, but I'll have more tomorrow," Trevor said. Students dispersed with their plastic vampire teeth, stickers, and flyers. My nemesis spotted me and his smile grew even bigger.

"So now I'm part owner of a club," he said to me. "I'll definitely have all access. I might even be able to remove your name from the VIP guest list if you're not too careful."

"I don't think that will happen. You aren't that powerful." He got up in my face. "I'm not sure you know all the terms of our agreement," he said, his green eyes blazing through me.

"What does that mean?" I said, squaring off against him.

"The terms and conditions of me becoming part owner of said club, the Crypt. But that's not important now, because I also heard it's not too much longer till your birthday. Then you'll get the surprise you've been waiting for all your life."

"Your funeral?" He laughed.

It was hard for me to make direct eye contact with Trevor after I had had that lust-filled dream about him. I felt that somehow he knew I'd dreamed it - like it showed in my face.

As he packed up his iPod, he said, "I'm missing something, and I think that you might know where it is." "Geez, your brain? Intelligence? A sense of goodwill toward man? We could be here all day." "A certain necklace with a key. I thought you might know where it is."

"Hey - if you need to keep your house key around your neck, then you have bigger worries. Try pinning it to your mittens next time."

"It's not a big deal, really. Jagger can just make me another. Besides, it might have slipped off when I was making out with Scarlet in the woods."

"I'm sure that's what happened." He grasped my wrist. "Don't worry, Monster Girl, you'll get your chance when we have that one dance on opening night. Jagger promised me many things. And that was one."

"Jagger can't promise you anything about me!" I said, withdrawing my arm. "I'm not for sale!" "Fine, then I'll just stop telling people about the club. And tell them about the ghouls who live in the Sinclair Mill instead."

"You said you'd help!" I said, getting in his face. "For a small dance . . . ," he retorted, his gaze softening.

I imagined the Crypt's opening night. The vampires and me standing around, with rooms empty of clubsters. Jagger, Scarlet, and Sebastian tearing down the decorations, packing up their coffins, and driving the hearse, skull Beetle, and Mustang back to Hipsterville.

"Fine, you'll have your stupid dance," I said through gritted teeth. "Just keep posting and handing out those flyers." I turned away and stormed off. "I knew you'd come around to my way of thinking," he called after me. "You'll be begging for more."

Just after sunset, I stormed over to the Sinclair Mill. Jagger was at the bar on his cell while the rest of the gang was hanging out.

"How could you?" I shouted. "What's wrong?" Alexander asked. "He knows what's wrong!" I said, pointing to Jagger. "Me?" Jagger said naively. "How could he what?" Alexander said with great concern. "Sell me off to Trevor!" I was so upset my fists were balled up and my lips were quivering. "It's one dance," Jagger said. "I'm not for sale!" I said. "What did you do, Jagger?" Alexander's pale face flushed red with anger. "Dude, what were you thinking?" Sebastian said.

"That's all he asked for. I tried money, but he said he wanted one dance with Raven on opening night. I figured you wouldn't care. It's just one dance."

"Are you kidding? You've crossed the line!" Alexander rose. "Raven is not for sale." He was face-to-face with Jagger. Alexander was madder than I was.

"I figured Raven wouldn't care. It was for the good of the club, and she was so happy to have it open," Jagger said. "But fine. I'll call him and tell him the deal's off." He picked up his cell phone.

"Stop - " I said. "Don't call him." "Are you crazy?" Alexander exclaimed. "It's just one stupid dance. And it can be a fast dance. And you'll be right next to me," I told Alexander. "I'll be there, too," Sebastian said, to the chagrin of Luna. "And so will I," Jagger added firmly. I was truly touched with my vampire bodyguard entourage. "This sounds exciting now." I beamed. Scarlet was sulking. It should have been her Trevor was asking to dance with. "It's just to get back at me," I said, putting my arm around her. "It's all that boy lives for."