Эллен Шрайбер - Royal Blood

"Don't remind me."

"So in your case plan more dates at the cemetery."

"What was it like when you first met Matt's parents?" I asked.

"I thought it would be fancy-like meeting them at the country club. Instead I was hanging out in Matt's family room when his mom came home from work. He said, 'Hey, Mom, this is Becky.' And she said, 'Hi, Becky, nice to meet you.' Then she disappeared. And it was pretty much the same with his father. It was different when Matt came to my house," Becky rambled on. "My mom made him.sit down in the kitchen and she baked him a whole apple pie. I was so embarrassed."

"Yes, I remember you telling me that. But how did you feel with Matt's parents?"

"I was so nervous. I thought since I don't live in the ' burbsthat they'd view me as this unkempt farm girl. But they are always happy to see me. I'm still waiting for them to give me my walking papers."

I stopped slurping my malt. I didn't live in a Mansion. And more important, I wasn't a vampire. I'd been so focused on how Alexander said things would change. Maybe he was alluding to more than a few pewter vases. Maybe he meant me.

"What if they don't accept me?" I blurted out.

"Why wouldn't they accept you?"

"I'm not like them."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not…"

"Yes?"

I'm not a vampire! I'm a mortal. I'm not even like Luna Maxwell, who came from a vampire family.

InRomania , Alexander had an arranged covenant ceremony with her, but since he wasn't in love with her, he couldn't go through with it.

"You're not what?" Becky asked.

"I'm not from Romania!"

"Duh," she said. "I think they know that."

"But maybe they want their son to date someone from Romania."

"Why would they want that when they live here?"

Because a girl from Romania would be like them, instead of like … us, I wanted to say.

"Listen, his grandmother built a mansion here. If Romania was so great, why would she move to this town?"

"But his grandmother was a baroness. My grandmother is a retiree."

"Alexander doesn't remind me of the snobby type.In fact, just the opposite. He's an outsider like…"

"Me?"

"Well… us," Becky admitted.

Maybe Becky was right. But I wasn't so easily convinced. I wasn't just from the wrong side of the tracks, I was from a different world.

Becky tapped her fork against my malt.

"Don't worry. Alexander is in love with you. That's all that matters. When Mr. and Mrs. Sterling see how happy lie is, they'll be happy, too."

I smiled at my best friend's words.

"See, this is why we need to hang out together more," I said. "We can't let our boyfriends get in the way of our schedules-as hot as they may be."

"Well, we'll get to see each other every day now that school will be starting."

"Don't remind me. Summer is over."

"Can you believe we'll be juniors?" she asked like she'd won the lottery.

Becky was lucky. She had an interest in school. Her best friend and boyfriend were by her side. I would have been excited to go back to school, too, if I were going to be seeing Alexander instead of my lifelong nuisance, Trevor Mitchell.

3

NIGHT CALLS

The night before school started, I was stroking my kitten, Nightmare, and surfing the Net when she began to glare at my window and hiss. Her back arched and her fur stood straight up. I couldn't contain her in my arms. She bolted across my bed and jumped on the windowsill. She batted the glass with her paw.

"It's probably a bird, Nightmare. Calm down."

Then I heard a tinyping,like something had hit the outside glass. Nightmare freaked. She dashed across my room and pushed through the cracked open door.

I peeked out into the darkness. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust.

I didn't see anything unusual around the garage or the swing set that was a few yardsaway .

But a shadowy figure was leaning against the tree. I pressed my face to the window.

There he was. My Gothic Guy, my Knight of the Night, my Vampire Prince.

My heart throbbed.

I raced out of my room, down the stairs, out the back door, and into my boyfriend's arms.

Alexander greeted me with a long kiss. It sent shivers down my spine.

"I had to see you," he said. "I can't stay long but I wanted,to wish you luck before school."

"I've missed you so much."

"Me, too. I think even the Mansion misses you."

" Howare your parents?"

"Fine."

"What are they like?" I probed.

"I don't know...The same as any others."

"Are they happy to be home?"

"My mom says the Mansion smells like flowers."

"Did you tell her I placed them around?" I asked.

"I think she guessed."

"I bet you're glad to see them."

Alexander shrugged his shoulders.

"It'sokay-I know you had to have missed them."

He hesitated and then began as if he were revealing a national secret. "It's been great to talk to my dad. He's an art dealer. He's very interesting and has so much to share about the art world. He brought me a painting from a rising artist inFrance ."

"Does he like your artwork?"

"I'm not sure he takes me seriously yet. He thinks I just I -.tint for fun."

"And your mom?"

Alexander's eyes couldn't help but twinkle.

"I bet she dotes on you," I said.

"She's my mom. She's insisting that I haven't eaten and I us promised to fatten me up."

"When will I meet them?"

"Hopefully soon."

"I think you're hiding me."

"It's true… I want you all to myself." He squeezed me hard and swung me around.

"Do they know everything?"

"I don't tell my parents everything. Do you?"

Alexander had a point. I certainly didn't tell my parents I hat we had dates in the cemetery and I slept during the day with him in a coffin.

"Do they know Tm not a vampire?" I asked.

"Do your parents know I am one?"

I was shocked. Did Alexander have to hide my identity like I had to hide his? I thought maybe they knew already or they'd gotten wind of it from Jameson or the Maxwells .hut either Jagger and his siblings, Luna and Valentine, hadn't returned toRomania or they hadn't wanted to share i hat Alexander had preferred a mortal to Luna.

And maybe Alexander chose not to tell his parents that L was mortal-like I'd chosen not to tell mine that he was a vampire. It didn't occur to me that he couldn't tell them the truth about me, I never realized how painful it must be for him that I couldn't disclose his reality to my parents or even my best friend.

"You don't want me to meet them, do you?" I asked. "Then they'll know."

"What?"

"You are ashamed of me."

"Why would I be ashamed?"

"That I'm mortal."

"All they know is that I have a girlfriend and that I'm happy."

I wasn't mad at Alexander. How could I be angty with him, when I hadn't shared him with my family, who I saw every day and he hadn't seen his in months?

But I was disappointed. I assumed Alexander would have told his parents every detail about finding the girl of his dreams in Dullsville and our adventures. But then, Alexander was a guy. I knew Billy Boy hadn't shared with my mom any crush he'd had on a very unlucky girl. I couldn't imagine Trevor spilling his guts about every girl he dated to Mrs. Mitchell-though he probably told the entire soccer team. Not only didn't Alexander talk to his parents, but he didn't have a friend in Dullsville besides me.

I felt a pang of loneliness for Alexander. He didn't have anyone to share his thoughts with. I guess that's why he spent so much of his waking hours painting.

Instead of being impatient as I normally was, I knew I needed to give Alexander space to reunite with his family.

"I have to go now. But I wanted to say hi," he said suddenly.

"I wish you could come to school with me tomorrow. I might be more motivated to get a better education if you were in my classes.Especially if I got to pass you in the way for a quick kiss."