your wedding. When is it, again?”
She shook her head. “There’s no wedding,” she retorted. “I mean, not now.”
“That’s okay. I was just leaving,” Phoenix said.
“So soon?” Luna asked.
“I have some friends to meet at the Coffin Club,” he said.
“Will you be back?” Luna asked, flashing her pink lashes.
“I might. With pretty girls like this one,” he said, putting his hand to my chin, “it will be hard to keep me away.”
Luna shot me a deadly gaze.
Phoenix put his drink on the bar and left the club through a maze of gawking girls. He could have had any girl in the Crypt; he was that magnetic. And I was one of those girls who was hypnotized. I wasn’t sure when I’d ever see Phoenix again. At the last moment, I couldn’t help but follow him out of the club. I knew he was not going to be returning anytime soon.
My heart was racing as fast as my feet. He was climbing on the bike when I caught up to him.
“Funny,” I said. “Now that I know who you really are, I like you even better.”
“Me, or Phoenix?” he asked.
“Both.”
“Maybe now I can get that kiss that I didn’t the last time?” he asked in his sexy British accent.
Phoenix stood up. His purple bangs hung over his forehead and gently brushed his eyes.
“It’s okay. No one’s looking,” he reassured me. Phoenix drew me into him. “And don’t worry, I won’t tell.”
I could feel his leather-clad legs against my naked knees.
He leaned in and gave me a long, deep kiss. It was so riveting I thought I’d lost all my wits. For a moment, I wasn’t sure if I was kissing Phoenix or Alexander.
When we pulled apart I saw a figure lurking in the shadows.
Then I noticed blonde dreadlocks.
“Oh no!” I covered my mouth in shock.
“I better go.” Phoenix revved up the motorcycle while I took off for the Crypt.
Sebastian gave me a death stare. His shoulders were tense and his face was fierce.
“Let me explain—” I started.
“I can’t believe you — after all Alexander’s done for you? And you do this to him?”
“It’s not—”
“With some guy you’ve just met?”
“I already know him. It’s not like you think. You don’t even know what you’re talking about.”
“So you’ve been seeing him before — and that’s your excuse?”
“I didn’t mean—”
“So help me!” Sebastian was so hurt. I wanted desperately to tell him who Phoenix was, but if I did, the whole plan would be ruined.
“It’s not what you think,” I pleaded with him.
“What’s there to think? You were making out with another guy and you’re supposed to be in love with my best friend!”
“Please, Sebastian. Don’t — you’ve misunderstood everything.”
“No, I’ve only misunderstood one thing — you.” He stepped past me and disappeared into the Crypt.
I felt as awful as if I had cheated on Alexander. Maybe the image was just as bad, if no one knew the truth.
I would have told Sebastian, but if he had loose lips, Alexander’s cover as Phoenix would be blown. Even the events at the Coffin Club, where it was actually Alexander who prevailed at getting the vampire club to be civil, would now be known. And the worst part was that Jagger would feel betrayed and double-crossed and the truce would be broken.
That was something we couldn’t afford.
I headed back into the Crypt. I tried to dance my feelings off on the dance floor. But when I saw Alexander’s back sitting at the bar, next to Sebastian, I hurried over.
Sebastian didn’t even turn around. I scooted next to Alexander.
“Sebastian hates me,” I whispered in his ear. “He has lost all respect for me.”
“He should. You were kissing someone else!” he said softly.
“Please, Alexander. It’s not funny. We should tell him.”
“But what if he spills it to Luna? I don’t think we can take the chance.”
“So this is how it will be?” I asked. “He’ll go on thinking I’m cheating on you?”
“For the time being.”
“I feel like Trevor,” I mumbled, “but with a conscience.”
“So, did you miss me?” Alexander said loud enough for Sebastian to hear. “What did you do until I arrived?”
Sebastian finally turned toward me. “Yes, Raven, what did you do?”
“I waited patiently for you to come,” I said, giving Alexander a squeeze.
“Yes, that’s exactly what she did,” Sebastian said. “Waited by herself. All alone.”
“Well, I was going to ask you to keep an eye on her, but you don’t need to do that with Raven,” he teased.
“I think you might want to start keeping an eye on her,” Sebastian warned. “She isn’t as patient as she looks.”
The next day Becky and I arrived at school to an unusual sight. Students were buzzing about the Crypt, and I noticed several girls wearing the same T-shirt Becky had given me for my birthday — black with THE CRYPT in white skeleton bone letters.
“That club rocks!” I heard the Prada-bee say to her friend. Her Crypt shirt was over her long-sleeve button down. “I can’t wait to go again.”
“I’m going every night,” her friend retorted. She was wearing one, too, but it was underneath her green cashmere cardigan.
“How did they get those?” I asked Becky.
“I don’t know,” she said, just as bewildered as I was.
Several other students we passed as we headed to our lockers had Crypt shirts, but even those who didn’t were blabbing about the fantastic time they had at the new club.
I was so pleased that even though I was still looked at as an oddball, we were all sharing in the same joy that was the Crypt.
Now that Alexander (as Phoenix) was key in cementing Jagger’s mortals-only club policy, I breathed a sigh of relief knowing that my fellow students, family, and townspeople were in no immediate danger from unknown vampires. Maybe Scarlet, Onyx, and Sebastian would be staying in Dullsville. It would be a dream for me to spend time with them and Alexander in the darkened hours. Even Jagger and Luna, who were far from what I’d call best friends, could be a nice addition to this town. Jagger had made a fantasy of mine come true — and I had to give him major props for that.
And by the number of Crypt T-shirt — wearing students, Jagger could be next in line to my own nemesis, Trevor, in being Dullsville’s most popular.
I opened my locker.
“Can you believe that tonight is finally your joint birthday party?” Becky said.
“I’m so excited, I can’t wait. I wish we could just skip the school part and head straight to the club. But you know I wish that every day.”
She laughed.
“But seriously, I can’t even concentrate. I have a test third period and all I can think about are tombstones.”
