Night World : Secret Vampire Chapter 1

It was on the first day of summer vacation that Poppy found out she was going to die.It happened on Monday, the first real day of vacation (the weekend didnt count). Poppy woke up feeling gloriously weightless and legal opinion, No school. Sunlight was streaming in the window, turning the sheer hangings or so her draw back filmy gold. Poppy pushed them aside and jumped out of bed and winced.Ouch. That pain in her deliver again.-Sort of a gnawing, as if aboutthing were eating its way toward her back. It helped a itsy-bitsy if she hang over.No, Poppy theme. I refuse to be sick during summer vacation. I refuse. A little power of positive thinking is whats needed here.Grimly, doubled over-think positive, imbecile-she made her way down the h every(prenominal) to the turquoise-and gold-tiled bathroom. At first she thought she was going to throw up, but and so the pain eased as suddenly as it had come. Poppy uncoiledened and regarded her tousled reflection triumphantly.Stick with me, kid, and youll be fine, she speak to it, and gave a conspiratorial wink. wherefore she leaned forward, seeing her own green eyeball narrow in suspicion. There on her nose were four freckles. intravenous feeding anda half, if she were completely h whizzst, which Poppy North usually was. How childish, how-cutePoppy stuck her tongue out at herself and then turned away with great dignity, without bothering to comb the wild coppery curls that agglomerated over her head.She maintained the dignity until she got to the kitchen, where Phillip, her twin brother, was eating Special K. Then she narrowed her eyes again, this time at him. It was bad enough to be small, slight, and curly-hairedto look, in fact, as much homogeneous an elf as anything shed always seen sitting on a buttercup in a childrens understand bookhut to have a twin who was tall, Viking-blond, and classically freehanded .. well, that just showed a certain deliberate malice in the authorship of the universe, didnt it?Hello, Phillip, she express in a voice heavy with menace.Phillip, who was used to his sisters moods, was unimpressed. He lifted his gaze from the comic section of the L.A. Times for a moment. Poppy had to strike that he had nice eyes questing green eyes with very aphotic lashes. They were the only thing the twins had in common.Phillip utter flatly, and went back to the comics. non many kids Poppy k untested read the tenderspaper, but that was Phil all over. Like Poppy, hed been a lower-ranking at El Camino High last year, and unlike Poppy, hed made straight As while starring on the football team, the hockey team, and the baseball team. alike serving as class president One of Poppys greatest joys in life was teasing him. She thought he was too straitlaced.Just at one time she giggled and shrugged, giving up the menacing look. Wheres Cliff and Mom? Cliff Hilgard was their stepfather of 3 years and even straighter-laced than Phil.Cliffs at work. Moms getting dressed. Youd better eat something or shell get on your case.Yeah, yeah Poppy went on tiptoe to rummage by means of a cupboard. Finding a box of Frosted Flakes, she thrust a hand in and delicately pulled out one flake. She ate it dry.It wasnt all bad being short and elfin. She did a few dance locomote to the refrigerator, shaking the cereal box in rhythm.Im a sex goblin she sang, giving it a footstomping rhythm.No, youre not, Phillip said with devastating calm. And why dont you put some clothes on? inhibiting the refrigerator door open, Poppy looked down at herself. She was wearing the oversize T-shirt shed slept in. It covered her like a , minidress. This isclothes, she said serenely, taking a Diet Coke from the fridge.There was a eruption at the kitchen door. Poppy saw who it was through the screen.Hi, mob Cmon in. pile Rasmussen came in, taking off-key his wraparound Ray-Bans. Looking at him, Poppy snarl apang-as always. It didnt matter that she had seenhim every day, practically, fo r the past decennary years. Shestill felt a quick sharp throb in her chest, somewherebetween fragrancy and pain, when first confronted with him every morning.It wasnt just his outlaw estimable looks, which alwaysreminded her vaguely of jam Dean. He had silky light brown hair, a subtle, intelligent face, and grayeyes that were alternately intense and cool. He was the handsomest boy at El Camino High, but that wasnt it, that wasnt what Poppy responded to. It was something insidehim, something rich andcompelling and always just out of reach. It made her heart beat tight and her skin tingle.Phillip felt differently. As soon as James came in, he stiffened and his face went cold. Electric dislike flashed between the two boys.Then James smiled faintly, as if Phillips reactionamused him.Hi.Hi,Phil said, not thawing in the least. Poppyhad the strong sense that hed like to bundle herup and rush her out of the room. Phillip alwaysoverdid the protective-brother bit when James wasaround. S o hows Jacklyn and Michaela? headded nastily.James considered. Well, I dont really know.You dont know?Oh, yeah, you always drop yourgirlfriends just in the first place summer vacation. Leaves you free to maneuver, right?Of course, James said blandly. He smiled.Phillip glared at him with unabashed hatred.Poppy, for her part, was seized by joy. Goodbye, Jacklyn goodbye Michaela. Goodbye to Jacklyns elegant long legs and Michaelas awing pneumatic chest. This was going to be a wonderful summer. Many deal thought Poppy and Jamess relationship platonic. This wasnt true. Poppy had known for years that she was going to marry him. It was one of her two great ambitions, the other being to see the world. She just hadnt gotten around to informing James yet. Right now he still thought he liked long-legged girls with salon fingernails and Italian pumps.Is that a new CD? she said, to distract him fromhis stare out with his future brother-in-law.James hefted it. Its the new Ethnotechno release.P oppy cheered. More Tuva throat singers-I cant wait. Lets go listen to it.But just then her drive walked in. Poppys mother was cool, blond,and perfect, like an Alfred Hitchcock heroine. Shenormally wore an expression of effortless efficiency. Poppy, heading out of the kitchen, nearlyran into her.Sorry-morningHold on a minute, Poppys mother said, gettinghold of Poppy by the back of her T-shirt. Goodmorning, Phil good morning, James, she added.Phil said good morning and James nodded, ironically polite.Has everybody had breakfast? Poppys motherasked, and when the boys said they had, she looked at her daughter. And what about you? she asked,gazing into Poppys face.Poppy rattled the Frosted Flakes box and hermother winced. Why dont you at least put milkon them?Better this way, Poppy said firmly, but when hermother gave her a little push toward the refrigerator, she went and got a quart carton of lowfat milk.What are you planning to do with your first day of freedom? her mother said, glan cing from James to Poppy.Oh, I dont know. Poppy looked at James. Listen to some music maybe go up to the hills? Or drive to the beach?Whatever you want, James said. Weve got allsummer.The summer stretched out in front of Poppy, hotand golden and resplendent. It smelled like pool chlo rine and sea salt it felt like warm grass under her back. triplet whole months, she thought. Thats forever. Three months is forever.It was strange that she was actually thinking thiswhen it happened.We could check out the new shops at the Village was beginning, when suddenly the painstruck and her breath caught in her throat.It was bad-a deep, twisting burst of suffering thatmade her double over. The milk carton flew fromher fingers and everything went gray.