Eleventh Grade Burns(11)

5





THE TROUBLE WITH DRUDGES


HENRY PULLED INTO A PARKING SPACE at the edge of the parking lot, as far away from The Crypt as he possibly could, as if the distance made it easier to deny that he’d been to the goth club at all. He threw Vlad a glance. “Don’t take all night, okay? I told Melissa I’d call her after we got back from the movies, and her dad freaks out if I call after ten.”

Vlad resisted rolling his eyes, and then Henry cut the engine. “Son of Psycho Slasher Chainsaw Guy starts in about a half hour, so I figure you’ve got about twenty minutes before we bolt.”

Vlad flashed him an irritated look and snorted. “So... what? You’re not coming in?”

Henry softened some. “I kinda thought I’d wait out here.”

“Come on, Henry. I put up with you being at Melissa’s beck and call twenty-four/seven, the least you can do is put up with my friends wearing black eyeliner.” He cast Henry a pleading glance. “They won’t bite. Well ... most of them, anyway. I’m almost certain.”

Henry seemed to mull it over for a moment, and Vlad saw his in. Vlad smirked and said, “Y’know, you were much more adventurous before you entered the bonds of holy matrimony.”

Henry slugged him in the arm and opened the car door, stepping out into the night.

They crossed the parking lot and Vlad opened the door to the club, leading Henry down the ramp until they entered the heart of The Crypt. It was a place that Vlad had come to know quite well over the summer. He felt at home here, nonjudged, accepted for who he was—or who they thought he was, anyway. Across the room, lounging on the velvet couches, were October, Sprat, Andrew, and Kristoff. Vlad offered a wave and scanned the room for Snow. He’d just fed two weeks before, but the tension between him and Otis was making him hungrier than he’d been in a long time. Besides ... he rather enjoyed the sensation of feeding.

Not that he’d ever admit that to anyone. Least of all, Otis.

Plus, he enjoyed Snow’s company immensely.

Not that he’d ever admit that to Henry.

Vlad turned his head and spied her, sipping a red syrupy drink from a plastic goblet at the bar. He smiled, willing her to notice him. She blinked, looking up, meeting his eyes, and smiled too. It was kind of cool, knowing that he could summon a girl by will alone. It made him feel kind of like Fonzie from that old Happy Days show that Nelly liked watching on Nick at Nite. Not that he was going to try the trick with the jukebox anytime soon. Come to think of it, when was the last time anyone had seen a jukebox?

He glanced at Henry, who was shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other, clearly uncomfortable with his surroundings. A girl in a tight, black corset walked by and Henry relaxed some, raising an eyebrow at Vlad as if to say, “Who knew goth chicks were so hot?”

It was nice to see that some things never changed. Now if only he’d stop being Melissa’s lapdog.

“I’ll be right back, Henry. I’ve gotta talk to Snow in private.” He moved through the crowd, toward the back door, not bothering to meet Snow’s eyes again. She would follow. He didn’t need to look at her again to know that. On his way, he swore he heard Henry shout, “Is ‘talk to’ code for ‘make out with’?”

He’d just touched the door when October grabbed him by the arm. “Hey, stranger!”

Vlad smiled, casually noticing Snow’s approach. His heart picked up at the sight of her. “What’s up, October?”

“Not much. Are you here for a while or just a quick in-and-out?”

“Just stopping by. Why? Miss me?”

“Not as much as Snow has,” she chuckled. “So ... why’s Henry McMillan here? He looks lost.”

Vlad shook his head. “Not lost, just waiting on me. Why don’t you ask him to dance? He could use a babysitter while I talk to Snow.”

“Talk. Riiiight .. October laughed, and walked off toward Henry, leaving Vlad standing by the back door. He opened it and Snow walked silently outside before he followed, licking his lips.

Snow had barely breathed a hello before Vlad’s eyes were on her porcelain neck. She leaned back against the brick wall of the adjacent building and met his hungry gaze, smiling. Her lips were painted a deep red, her eyes lined heavy with black. “It hasn’t been a month yet, has it?”

Vlad was focusing so intently on his hunger that it was dif ficult to hear her words over the sound of blood rushing through her veins. “Not yet. But I was hungry. You don’t mind, do you?”