Reborn (Shadow Falls: After Dark #1)(21)

Della took the folded paper and frowned. “I don’t know what school he went to, but I’ll see if I can find out.”

He nodded. “Just remember, it’s not overly promising with something that happened so long ago.”

Disappointment whispered through her.

“Oh,” he said. “Can I sort of ask for a favor in return?”

Well, duh, she couldn’t say no, now could she? But what in the world could Derek want from her? “What is it?”

“I was hoping … maybe you could sort of be nice to Jenny.”

So it was really true. Derek had a serious thing for Jenny.

“Be nice to her?” Della asked. “I haven’t been rude to her.”

Now, Della couldn’t say that about everyone here at the school, but because Kylie liked Jenny and sort of took her under her wing like a little sister, Della had gone out of her way not to be rude.

“I didn’t say ‘not be rude’ to her, I said ‘be nice’ to her. There’s a difference, you know?”

Della shook her head. “Me not being rude is me being nice.”

He cut his eyes at her in a frustrated manner. “Look, Jenny’s really … insecure right now. She sees the kind of friendship that you and Kylie and Miranda have and she feels kind of left out.”

“Left out? Kylie visits with her every other day and she sits with her almost every day at lunch.”

“I know, but you guys don’t sit with them.”

“That’s because they’re sitting at the chameleon table, idiot!”

He frowned. “There’s not enough chameleons to be a chameleon table. Jenny wants to feel like she’s fitting in. And for some reason, she admires you. Thinks you’re cool.”

“I am cool,” Della insisted.

“Yeah, well, can you be cool and a little nicer?”

Della exhaled. “Fine, I’ll … try.”

“Thank you,” he said. “And I’ll continue to see if I can find anything about your uncle. And let me know if you find out what high school he attended.”

Della watched the fae walk away, glanced at the obituary in her hand, worrying how she might get the school information on her uncle, and worried how she was going to be nice to Jenny. She didn’t dislike the girl, but she wasn’t into making new friends. Her friend quota was full. Kylie and Miranda were all she needed.

She turned her Smurf-covered butt around and leaped back into her window. She turned to shut the door, and when she did, she got his scent again.

Chase.

Dad-blasted vamp! She growled into the wind that carried his spicy smell and remembered he’d been in the woods last night when she’d flown off to meet Burnett. Was the panty perv just walking past to get to breakfast now? Was last night just another coincidence? Or for some unknown reason was he keeping tabs on her? Somehow, someway, she needed to find out.

Five minutes later, dressed for breakfast, the folded and still unread piece of paper with her uncle’s obituary in her hand, she glanced up at the door as someone knocked.

“Yeah,” she called out.

Kylie pushed open the door, a worried look on her face. “You okay?”

“Fine, why?” she asked.

“Several reasons,” Kylie said. “One, you’re here. You didn’t go to the vamp meeting.”

Della shrugged. “I slept late.” Bypassing the fact that Steve had woken her up. Bypassing the fact that after last night, the thought of drinking blood made her queasy.

“I figured that. Are you feeling better?”

The whole dead-bodies memory and disappointment over Burnett’s lack of confidence in her came rolling over her again. “I’ll live.”

Kylie sent her a sympathetic smile. “Was that Derek you were talking to?”

“Yeah.” She held up the folded piece of paper. “He found an obituary for my uncle.”

“So … he’s really dead?”

“Not necessarily. The families usually post an obituary of the person if they think they’re dead.”

“I see,” she said, and nipped on her bottom lip. Kylie always nipped when she was nervous. But about what?

Della recalled Kylie’s answer of “several reasons” to why she was worried about Della.

“What’s the other reason … The reason you’re worried about me?”

Kylie rolled her top teeth over her lip again. “I … It’s about the ghost.”

Okay, this couldn’t be good. “What about the ghost?”

“Remember I told you I thought it was vampire?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I’m pretty sure I was right. Not that it’s completely manifested yet, but … and I don’t think it’s looking for me. It’s not hanging out in my room.”

“Where’s it hanging?” she asked … and while she was smart enough to guess, she really, really hoped she was wrong.

Kylie hesitated. “In your room.”

“Oh, hell no. I have no desire, none, zilch, to have a ghost hanging around me. Tell it to go take a flying leap into the oblivion.”

Kylie sighed. “It doesn’t work that way. And usually when a ghost appears, there’s a reason. I was … I was wondering if maybe it was your uncle.”