Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter (12 page)

Mom did the final touches on my hair the night of the
dance. Having it swept up in a twist made me want to wear my scarf more than
ever, but Mom convinced me to leave it for one night.

“The wound has nearly faded.”

“Has it?” I asked absently.

“What about a necklace instead?”

I suppose a winter scarf didn’t exactly go with my short
black dress. I opted for a choker on a thick velvet ribbon. I needed something
on my neck.

Mom had on her happy face. I looked at her reflection in the
mirror beside me rather than my own.

“You look beautiful. The boys are going to be sorry they
didn’t ask you to the dance.”

I found myself smiling back at her.

In the past, Denise and I arrived right on time to dances.
Tonight I asked my Mom drive me two hours into winter ball.

I wasn’t the only one arriving late. Two senior couples
meandered over the shoveled path leading to the school. When they opened the
double doors, music blew out like a beckoning force and sucked us inside.

“Hi, Aurora!” Senior class president Susan Miller greeted me
from the table where she was set up with a cash box.

I handed her six bucks, which she stuffed inside a metal
box.

She stamped a blue snowflake onto the back of my hand. “Have
fun.”

Music thumped inside the student center. There was already a
large group dancing, including Denise and Alan Baxter. I wove through the
rocking mass and made my way to the core, where I could dance unnoticed and
twist my body to the rhythm of the beat.

Emily Horton was grinding against Clayton Wilcox. Weird. I
thought she and Scott were together. I didn’t notice him in the cluster of
celebrated seniors.

I closed my eyes, ran my hands down my body, and threw my
head back. I swayed side to side, inching my way to the floor. When I’d reached
the ground I made my way slowly back up.

When I opened my eyes I saw Denise look over then quickly
away.

A disco ball spun in slow circles overhead, sending
fractured light over the students below. I danced until my throat went dry.
When I’d had enough, I abruptly stopped and pushed my way out in the middle of
a song.

The line in front of the refreshment table barely moved, so
I bailed in favor of the water fountain. After I stood and licked a drop of
water from my lips, I noticed Scott Stevens leaning against the wall, arms
folded.

“Hi, Scott.”

It was a beautiful thing to see a boy’s face change so
quickly. Scott brightened when he smiled. “Hey, Aurora. How’s it going?”

“You know. It’s going. How ’bout you?”

“Yeah,” he said.

I looked over at the students dancing. “Aren’t you here with
Emily Horton?”

Scott half-laughed, half-grunted. “Sort of.”

“Why is she dancing with Clayton?”

“She’s trying to make me jealous.”

I flashed Scott a smile. “Want to give her a taste of her
own medicine?”

He hesitated for only a second. “Would you like to dance?”

I put my arm around his in answer. Scott led us toward the
gathered mass. He pushed through the dancing bodies, bringing us by the
speakers and most popular kids at Denali. The couples in this section ground
against each other. Scott danced about a foot from me until I stepped forward
and put my hands around his neck. Scott required no further encouragement. His
hands slid over my hips. He thrust himself at me in tempo with the music—a beat
that pulsed as wildly as his body.

Classmates glanced our way. This was my moment: Aurora Sky
dancing with Scott Stevens. I was high on a cloud.

I didn’t even care when Emily confronted us during a slow
dance.

“Scott, what the hell is this?” She stood beside us,
brandishing an unattractive scowl.

“I’m dancing with Aurora Sky. What does it look like?”

“It looks like you forgot you came with a date.”

Scott didn’t let go of me. “So you can go off and dance with
other people, but I can’t?”

Emily glanced at the small audience taking in the scene.
“Fine,” she said. “You know what? I’ll find someone else to give me a ride home
while I’m at it.”

By the time the deejay announced the last song of the night,
Emily had stormed off with Clayton. She got the short end of the stick in my
opinion. Literally. Clayton Wilcox barely reached five four.

The speakers stopped pounding as a lulling slow song drifted
over the student body. Scott pulled me closer. I’d never had a guy’s arms
around me like that. It felt good.

Now that the last slow song of the night was playing, only
couples remained on the dance floor. The girls wrapped their arms around their
guys, eyes half closed on a sigh.

“Sorry about your date,” I murmured against Scott’s chest.

I felt Scott shrug. “Don’t worry about it. Emily wanted to
break up last week, but postponed because of winter ball.”

“Timing’s everything.”

Scott laughed softly. “Anyway, the dance turned out good.”
He stopped rocking and leaned back. “I bet you didn’t know that I’ve had a
crush on you since the beginning of the year.”

“Me?”

Scott’s cheeks dimpled. “Yeah, you, Aurora Sky.”

I wished I still had my head against his shoulder so he
wouldn’t see me blush.

Scott’s voice turned to a whisper. “You’re so beautiful when
you smile.”

He took my head in his hands and leaned in.

Hallelujah!
Scott Stevens was about to kiss me.

I parted my lips slowly. Scott opened wide.

Be cool, Aurora
. I’d die of embarrassment if he
figured out this was my first kiss.

It was pretty simple, my lips needed to touch his. But when
I leaned forward, rather than make contact, my mouth went inside Scott’s. His
lips moved all over me. He wasn’t kissing, so much as sucking my face.

This couldn’t be right. Not Scott Stevens. He was the
basketball captain. He’d had girlfriends since like the sixth grade.

His tongue joined the action, drenching the lower half of my
face in a saliva bath.

The vampire lunatic appeared in my head without warning. I
could feel his clammy lips over me.

No, not now. Nothing would ruin my first kiss. Not bad
memories or sloppy mechanics. I just needed to get in the game.

I mashed my lips against Scott’s…teeth. He took my lower lip
between his own and ran his tongue along the edge.

I closed my eyes and pictured Scott’s face, his dimples, his
deep brown eyes and thick lashes.

A murmur worked its way up Scott’s throat. He liked the
kiss. Maybe my expectations were too high.

We pulled apart after the music stopped. The last of the
lingering couples headed out of the student center when the lights came on.
Scott stood in place staring at me. It made me feel bashful all over again. He
ran a hand through his hair.

“That was really unexpected,” he said.

“Tell me about it.”

When our eyes met we laughed. Scott’s shoulders relaxed.

“Look, I really like you. I’d like to hang out again.”

“Me, too,” I said.

This put a big smile over Scott’s face. He cleared his
throat.

“I know this is really soon, but my parents are out of town
this weekend…if you want to come over and hang out.”

Yeah, sure, why wouldn’t I? Just Scott Stevens and I, alone
in his house.

The kiss would be better if we had more time and privacy. We
could get to know each other better.

“Sure.”

“Do you want me to pick you up tomorrow?”

I was no longer looking at Scott when I spoke, but far into
the distance at the flashes of color and sequin as the last of our classmates
exited the school.

 “No, I’ll take the bus. What time do you want me to come
over?”

“Anytime you want.”

The way he said it all cute and eager made me smile again.

“How about later?” I asked. “Like four o’clock?”

Scott set a hand on my cheek. “Can’t wait.”

 10

I hadn’t looked at my list of resolutions since orientation.
Saturday morning, I set the list on my desk, pulled the cap off my pen, and
slashed through two more. Then I stared at the words until my vision blurred.

kill first vampire

get drunk

kiss a boy

lose virginity

One more left to go.

That night I had laid awake thinking.

I almost died a virgin. I mean, what experience was more life
altering than sex?

It’s true that getting drunk and being kissed weren’t the
great experiences I thought they’d be, but sex had to be different. It had to
be better. Scratch that. It had to be like no other physical sensation known to
mankind.

There was only one way to find out.

Scott was as good a candidate as anyone. I liked him. He
liked me.

Isn’t that how it worked?

There was only one way to find out.

When I came down to breakfast, I cleared my throat. “I’m
going over to a friend’s.”

Mom stood behind the kitchen counter, pouring a can of Diet
Coke into a glass filled with ice.

She turned around. “Which friend’s?”

“Her name’s Noel.”

Mom’s shoulders relaxed. “Noel. That’s a nice name. How come
you’ve never mentioned her before?”

“We just met.”

“Will you be back for dinner?”

“No.”

“Can I have your friend’s phone number?”

“Mom, I have a cell.”

“You don’t always answer it.”

“Fine.”

I jotted down Noel’s number on the back of an envelope and
slapped it onto the counter.

Mom followed me into the entryway and watched as I wrapped
first my red scarf around my neck and then put on my coat.

“Where does Noel live?”

“By school.”

Finally Mom’s face relaxed. “Call me if you need a ride
home. Have fun with your friend.”

“Thanks,” I said quickly. “Bye.”

I called Noel on my way down the hill and asked her to cover
for me if my mom called.

When Noel starting asking questions I told her I had to go.
If she knew what I was up to she might try to cheer me on or talk me out of it.
I had my mind made up.

To get to Scott’s neighborhood, I needed to take the bus
that picked up across the street. At least I had my pick of seats, it being
Saturday afternoon and all.

Halfway to Scott’s house, I pulled the bus cord. A moment
later, the tires slowed and came to a grinding halt beside Jewel Lake Quickie
Mart.

It sorta sucked getting off and having to wait again, but I
wasn’t in any real hurry, and best to come prepared.

The parking lot was empty except for two cars, thank god. It
was warm inside the minimart, unlike the public bus.

I passed the chips and candy aisle and found condoms at the
end of a row beside a section of toiletries. I didn’t stop to read the labels or
anything; I just grabbed a box of Trojans and headed to the checkout counter.

There was no line, but the cashier was on the phone.

I set the box down and stared at the tangle of brown hair
streaming down the cashier’s back.

Someone threw a pack of American Spirits beside the box of
condoms. I glanced over, only to see Fane Donado standing next to me.

My stomach flopped down to my feet. Luckily I managed to
keep cool.

I arched a challenging brow. “See something interesting?”

Fane reached over. At first I thought he was going for the
box of Trojans, but he pulled gently on my scarf instead. The gesture took me
aback. I didn’t know how he got so close to me.

“I like your scarf.”

I lifted my chin. “Thanks. Apparently red’s my color.”

A smile quirked over Fane’s mouth. He nodded toward the box
on the check stand. “Who’s the prince who sent his girl in to fetch his
rubbers?”

I pressed my lips together and concentrated on the register.

Fane leaned closer and spoke inside my ear. “I wouldn’t want
anyone to know the name of the wuss I was banging, either.”