"Forever," she confirmed.
"For eternity," I added with a smile.
I was shoving my notebooks in my locker, which was filled with pictures of Marilyn Manson, Slipknot, and HIM, and stickers of black roses, spiders, and coffins, when I noticed Trevor passing out red flyers to the soccer snobs and cheerleaders. He was also taking pictures of them with his camera phone.
I wasn't aware Trevor had returned to school. I stepped back into a doorway so Trevor wouldn't spot me.
The bell rang and the crowds began to disperse.
A red flyer fell out of the goalie's notebook as he stepped into a biology classroom. Curious, I grabbed it. In black letters the flyer read: Graveyard Gala Covenant Ceremony
~Dare to dance among the dead~ Date: This Saturday Time: Sunset Attire: Nightmarish costume Be there or be dead I'd spent a whole lifetime partying alone at Dullsville's cemetery. Now all of Dullsville High was going to be at my hideout. And I wasn't even invited?
"Sticking your nose where it doesn't belong, Monster Girl?" I heard Trevor say from behind me.
"What's this?" I asked, shoving the flyer in his face.
"Jagger's hosting a party. It'll be the blowout of the year! I'm coming as the Grim Reaper. You're lucky. If you were invited, you could just come as yourself."
I gave Trevor a snarled look.
"Who is going to have a covenant ceremony?"
"Luna and I will be king and queen of the covenant. Like a medieval prom, in ominous costumes. It's a sexy Romanian ceremony I'm sure you've never heard of. When I accept the honor, Luna's going to kiss me in front of the whole school. It's going to be a total freakfest. But since you're not on the guest list," he continued, "you'll have to read about it in the school newspaper."
He grabbed the flyer out of my hand as a cheerleader and a soccer snob stepped in front of me.
Just then Trevor aimed his cell phone at them and a flash illuminated the hallway, momentarily blinding me.
When my eyes finally adjusted, Trevor and his cohorts disappeared into the crowd of students.
I stood in the hallway, motionless, surrounded by the sounds of closing lockers and classroom doors.
This had been Jagger's plan all along! The only way he could lure someone as conservative as Trevor to the sacred ground of a cemetery was the promise of a monster-
size party and a never-ending lip-lock. The already pompous soccer snob would be sealing the deal with the gorgeous "new hottie" in front of the whole school. Trevor just didn't realize the deal would last an eternity.
"Raven," I heard Becky call from behind.
Becky and Matt pushed through the crowd of students and caught up to me.
"Did you hear about the Graveyard Gala?" she asked. "Seems like you would be the one handing out invites, not Trevor."
"I know. And to top it off, I'm not even invited. Not like I've ever been on the A-
list before, but this is at a cemetery. My dream party!"
"I thought you would freak out!"
"Since you told Trevor to hit the road, the three of us are probably the only ones not invited."
Then I spotted a red flyer poking out of Matt's algebra textbook.
"You were on the guest list?" I asked, horrified.
"The whole soccer team is invited," Matt said.
"But you're not going, are you?" I asked.
"I have to," Matt confessed. "I don't want to be the only one in the locker room who wimped out."
"And you?" I said, turning to my best friend.
"Matt needs a date," she said apologetically.
I felt betrayed. Everyone at Dullsville High was going but me. Even Becky. More important, though, I was worried about Becky—I didn't want my best friend on sacred ground with vampires.
"Well, Becky, you can't go," I said, sounding like her parent. "Cemeteries make you nervous."
"I'll be there to protect her from any wayward ghosts," Matt said, putting his arm around my smiling friend.
Then I remembered the cemetery's caretaker and his dog. "Old Jim will be there with his Great Dane, Luke," I warned Becky.
"There won't be trouble," Matt said. "Trevor has assured everyone that on Saturday nights Old Jim has a barstool with his name on it at Lefty's Tavern."
"Promise me you'll come," Becky pleaded. "I'd feel better if you were there, too."
"You thought I wouldn't be there? And miss the chance to crash a party?" I said, opening a classroom door. "Only in my nightmares!"
15 Dreadful Dinner
I waited impatiently at the Mansion's front door as the sun fell into the horizon.
Hues of lilac, lavender, fuchsia, and pink brushed across the sky. I wished I could share it with Alexander.
Soon I heard the Mansion locks opening and saw the iron doorknob turn.
Alexander, handsomely dressed in a black-and-gray pinstripe silk shirt, black dress pants, and silver-flamed Gibsons greeted me.
"You look gorgeous," I complimented, stepping inside. "I've got major news!"
"So do I," Alexander said quickly. He gave me a sweet kiss on the cheek and closed the door behind me.
A delicious smell of grilled steak permeated the entranceway.
"Me first," I began, excited.