Vlad wasn’t aware that he had a bottom dollar, or even a top dollar for that matter, but he did know that he’d like to be cremated, if at all possible, once Nelly heard from Snelgrove. It seemed like a nice blending of human and vampire funerary traditions.

Snelgrove seemed to be waiting for them to speak, but neither did. Vlad mused that he’d like Henry to give his eulogy.

“Ms. Brookstone, you’ll have detention this Tuesday and Thursday for two hours after school. Mr. Tod, your detention will begin today after school, and continue on Wednesday.” Snelgrove snorted before waving them away. “And I do not want to see a repeat of this type of behavior in the future. Am I clear?”

Meredith mumbled, “Yes, sir.”

Vlad simply held the door open for her in silence. He wasn’t about to give ol’ rat face the satisfaction of a reply.

Plus, he couldn’t exactly focus on there actually being a future anyway, what with his imminent demise on the horizon.

The remainder of the school day passed by in a haze of homework assignments, headaches, and an assortment of mind-numbing quizzes-all of which seemed to be pop quizzes which were pretty much like the regular quizzes except that when they were given, they made your eyeballs pop out of your head and explode. By the time the final bell had rung, Vlad had mentally prepared his last will and testament. He decided to bequeath Henry his video games. And, if she survived her own set of parental wrath, he’d leave Meredith his favorite hoodie and every last one of his books.

Speaking of Meredith…

Vlad looked up and down the hall but didn’t see her anywhere. Maybe her parents had picked her up early. Or maybe she was avoiding him, for fear of more detention-inducing kisses. Or not. Vlad highly doubted he was that irresistible.

He dropped his physical science book inside his locker and sighed before grabbing his backpack and slipping his homework inside. When he closed the door, he nodded to Henry, who’d been high-fiving him since he’d heard about his and Meredith’s closet adventures. Vlad’s hand was practically slapped raw, and he blushed every time Henry did it. Whoever had invented the Neanderthal celebration of the high five needed to be dragged out into the street and slapped to death by someone with elephantitis of the hand.

Okay. That might be a bit extreme. But Vlad wasn’t exactly feeling celebratory at the moment.

He slunk down the hall through the thinning crowd to the library, opened the double doors, and went inside. He stopped the passing librarian and said, “Excuse me. I’m not sure I’m in the right place. I’m here for detention.”

The librarian, Mrs. Moppet, smiled warmly and pointed to a table near the computer section. “Right over there. It looks like you’ll have company today.”

“ Thank you.” Vlad moved to the table and stopped in his tracks before dropping his backpack on the table. He sighed, low and loud, resisting the urge to swear really loudly at the predicament he was in. Not the thing with Meredith or how Nelly was going to kill him when he got home. Oh no. What had Vlad’s stomach in knots was… his company.

Eddie Poe threw him a glance, and Vlad would have guessed that Eddie was just as displeased about sharing a detention if it wasn’t for the eager glint in Eddie’s eyes.

The two sat in stony silence until Mrs. Moppet joined them a few minutes later. “Well, boys, it looks like it’s just the three of us today. Principal Snelgrove had an afternoon appointment that couldn’t be missed.”

Vlad imagined that that appointment included a stop at the cheese store, but he kept his humor to himself, allowing only a small smirk to crack his features.

Mrs. Moppet said, “I trust you boys can keep it down to a dull roar over here while I finish cataloging some new books? You can do homework or study, if you’d like. I’m not really sure what the principal had in mind.”

As she walked away, Vlad and Eddie exchanged bewildered glances. Eddie looked just as surprised as Vlad felt. Present company excluded, this looked to be the most pleasant detention ever experienced by mankind. Further proof that librarians should run the world-or at least be in charge of detention at Bathory High.

Vlad pulled his new leather notebook from his backpack and began a new journal entry-nothing even remotely vampiric, on the chance Eddie caught a glimpse. Instead, he wrote about him and Meredith, and just how much he’d enjoyed their stolen moment. He left out his urge to bite her and made a mental note to write that in later, in private.

The entire time, he could feel Eddie’s eyes on him.

Vlad shot Eddie a look of irritation. “Don’t you have something better to do than stare at me?”

To his immense surprise, the corners of Eddie’s mouth rose in a smirk. “I was just thinking… it’s pretty amazing how well you blend in with humans.”

Vlad’s stomach sank. His fingers fumbled over the pen he was holding and it tumbled to the ground, but he didn’t bend over to retrieve it. He held Eddie’s gaze in fearful surprise. Maybe it was stupid, but he had really thought Eddie would have let go of that whole Vlad-is-a-monster thing by now.

He parted his lips to offer up his usual protest, but Eddie shook his head with an air of confidence that made Vlad squirm. “No need to deny it, Vlad. I’m quite convinced that you’re not human. And after some long nights of research and watching you… I think I know what you are.”

Vlad’s heartbeat picked up its pace, and he had to struggle to calm his panicked breathing. “Why are you doing this, Eddie? You used to be an okay guy. But now… you’re just obnoxious.”

Eddie tightened his jaw. “I wasn’t an okay guy. I was a loser. But I’m done being a loser, Vlad. And if you get hurt on my way to becoming a winner… well, that can’t be helped.”

Vlad shook his head. “You’re not a loser, Eddie. You’re not what people say you are. You’re whatever you make yourself out to be.”

“I wish that were true. But it’s not.” Eddie shook his head sadly. Eventually the corner of his lips rose in a small smile. “Luckily, I’ve found the road to success. It’s paved with your secrets.”

Vlad stuffed his notebook inside his backpack angrily. “You’d better back off, Eddie. I’m getting really tired of all of your bizarre theories.”

Eddie chuckled. “I can’t believe I didn’t see it sooner. Your pale skin, the way you always bring your lunch to school…”

Vlad’s heart was racing in panic. Eddie knew. How could he know? Somewhere, somehow Vlad had royally screwed up, and now this determined little weasel knew what he was. He stood up and threw his bag over his shoulder in a frightened huff. He was leaving detention early, and he’d happily deal with the consequences, no matter what Nelly or Snelgrove or anybody else had to say about it.

Eddie leaned back in his seat, arms crossing his chest, not so much as a thread of doubt weaving through his soft-spoken words. “You’re a vampire, Vladimir Tod. And I’m going to expose you to the world.”

Vlad didn’t think. He reacted with all the anger, hurt, and shaking fear that was coursing through his veins and pushed into Eddie’s mind, shoving the boy back as far as he could. He slipped out just in time to watch Eddie tilt back in his chair and hit the floor, whacking his head against wood. Eddie yelped. Vlad all but ran out the door.

As he pushed open the front door of the school, he noticed that his hands were trembling. He wasn’t sure what he was more afraid of-that Eddie knew that he was a vampire or that he’d wanted to hurt Eddie far worse than he had.

He brushed the threat of tears from his eyes, shoved his still-shaking hands into his pockets, and headed for home.