“I dunno,” he said. Very little boy. Carefully not associating himself with a former girlfriend gone weird.
“Well,” said Victoria, “her spirits are so low these days that the rest of us have done a lot of thinking, and we think that in order to make her feel better, maybe coax her back, get her laughing again, all that—”
What was coming here? Devnee felt terribly threatened. She tried to keep a sweet kindly smile on her face, but she was trembling all over. What had Victoria done?
“—we should elect her Sweetheart even though she’s not at the dance,” said Victoria. “I’ve got enough votes, I think.” Victoria repeated her kindly smile, and Devnee wanted to swat it.
Where did Victoria come off, snatching the Sweetheart crown away from Devnee minutes before she won it? I am the most beautiful here! thought Devnee. And those are the rules.
“That’s a great idea,” said Trey, who clearly could not care less.
“Isn’t it?” said William, who clearly cared a lot. “Victoria thought of it herself.” He stared adoringly at Victoria. Then he turned to Devnee. “Do we have your vote, too, Dev?”
The blackmail of it.
What could she say, here in the middle of the room, with admirers listening? No, you can’t have my vote! I want me!
“Of course,” said Devnee warmly. “That’s a lovely, lovely idea, Victoria. I can’t believe I didn’t think of it myself.”
Victoria gave Devnee a thorough look. Victoria definitely knew that Devnee would never have thought of it, and if it had been suggested, would have vetoed it with all her power.
And so Aryssa was elected Sweetheart. It was unanimous.
And the night, which had been Devnee’s, became Victoria’s.
Victoria had not even been nominated, and yet she became the dance’s real sweetheart. Because she had one: a truly sweet heart.
Devnee had to stop using the electric blanket because the wiring in the house was so old and faulty it kept failing, and she’d wake up freezing under this paper-thin nothing. Now she had two wool blankets and a thick puff of a comforter. Devnee wrapped up mummy-style.
“Really,” said the vampire mildly, “this is not necessary.”
Devnee simply looked at him. “It’s necessary,” she said.
His cape fluttered around him like pond scum.
“Get out of my room,” said Devnee. “I want to be alone.”
He was amused. “You are never alone now, my dear.”
It was true. She had not been alone in many, many days. He had infected her, and she carried him like a virus in her soul. I wish he would disappear, she thought. Just leave my beauty and disappear. I wish I were as smart as Victoria. I’d think of a way to outwit him.
The vampire’s laugh rattled like hard candy falling on a bare floor. “You have a most interesting mind, my dear. Filled with wishes. You are never satisfied. I like that in a girl. Opens many doors.”
“Get out of my mind!” said Devnee.
The vampire shook his head. His neck did not rotate as human necks did, so that when he shook the head the entire trunk of his body shook with it, giving him a sickening Jell-O effect.
“You let me in,” said the vampire. “You didn’t have to, you know. You had a choice. You could have been satisfied with what you were.”
“I’m satisfied now,” said Devnee sharply. “So leave me alone.
“Are you really satisfied?” said the vampire. “Odd. That’s not the wish path I see emanating from your heart. I see you wanting William now. Because you know the real Trey, and the real Trey is something of a disappointment. The skin-deep variety always is. And William really loves Victoria, whereas Trey loves only a beautiful escort. Victoria, you know, is brilliant. William is one of those rare young men attracted to brains.” The vampire smiled and it lit his eyes, incandescent lights inside his skull.
“Aryssa’s going to be all right now,” said Devnee. “The dance voted her Sweetheart to make her feel better.”
The
“Well,” said Victoria, “her spirits are so low these days that the rest of us have done a lot of thinking, and we think that in order to make her feel better, maybe coax her back, get her laughing again, all that—”
What was coming here? Devnee felt terribly threatened. She tried to keep a sweet kindly smile on her face, but she was trembling all over. What had Victoria done?
“—we should elect her Sweetheart even though she’s not at the dance,” said Victoria. “I’ve got enough votes, I think.” Victoria repeated her kindly smile, and Devnee wanted to swat it.
Where did Victoria come off, snatching the Sweetheart crown away from Devnee minutes before she won it? I am the most beautiful here! thought Devnee. And those are the rules.
“That’s a great idea,” said Trey, who clearly could not care less.
“Isn’t it?” said William, who clearly cared a lot. “Victoria thought of it herself.” He stared adoringly at Victoria. Then he turned to Devnee. “Do we have your vote, too, Dev?”
The blackmail of it.
What could she say, here in the middle of the room, with admirers listening? No, you can’t have my vote! I want me!
“Of course,” said Devnee warmly. “That’s a lovely, lovely idea, Victoria. I can’t believe I didn’t think of it myself.”
Victoria gave Devnee a thorough look. Victoria definitely knew that Devnee would never have thought of it, and if it had been suggested, would have vetoed it with all her power.
And so Aryssa was elected Sweetheart. It was unanimous.
And the night, which had been Devnee’s, became Victoria’s.
Victoria had not even been nominated, and yet she became the dance’s real sweetheart. Because she had one: a truly sweet heart.
Devnee had to stop using the electric blanket because the wiring in the house was so old and faulty it kept failing, and she’d wake up freezing under this paper-thin nothing. Now she had two wool blankets and a thick puff of a comforter. Devnee wrapped up mummy-style.
“Really,” said the vampire mildly, “this is not necessary.”
Devnee simply looked at him. “It’s necessary,” she said.
His cape fluttered around him like pond scum.
“Get out of my room,” said Devnee. “I want to be alone.”
He was amused. “You are never alone now, my dear.”
It was true. She had not been alone in many, many days. He had infected her, and she carried him like a virus in her soul. I wish he would disappear, she thought. Just leave my beauty and disappear. I wish I were as smart as Victoria. I’d think of a way to outwit him.
The vampire’s laugh rattled like hard candy falling on a bare floor. “You have a most interesting mind, my dear. Filled with wishes. You are never satisfied. I like that in a girl. Opens many doors.”
“Get out of my mind!” said Devnee.
The vampire shook his head. His neck did not rotate as human necks did, so that when he shook the head the entire trunk of his body shook with it, giving him a sickening Jell-O effect.
“You let me in,” said the vampire. “You didn’t have to, you know. You had a choice. You could have been satisfied with what you were.”
“I’m satisfied now,” said Devnee sharply. “So leave me alone.
“Are you really satisfied?” said the vampire. “Odd. That’s not the wish path I see emanating from your heart. I see you wanting William now. Because you know the real Trey, and the real Trey is something of a disappointment. The skin-deep variety always is. And William really loves Victoria, whereas Trey loves only a beautiful escort. Victoria, you know, is brilliant. William is one of those rare young men attracted to brains.” The vampire smiled and it lit his eyes, incandescent lights inside his skull.
“Aryssa’s going to be all right now,” said Devnee. “The dance voted her Sweetheart to make her feel better.”
The
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