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.”
