morning, Ivy’s dad had been practically vibrating with tension as he’d eaten his breakfast. Every time he’d tried to hold a piece of
silverware, it had rattled against his plate like the worst drum solo ever. But when the rest of the girls had come by to pick Ivy up, he’d leaped up like a black-clad jack-in-the-box and
given them all strict orders to Act Normal!
Which was kind of a joke, coming from him,
Ivy thought glumly as she strode down the street.
The adult vamps were determined not to let anything seem odd or even slightly “off ” to anyone in town, not when their own secret hung by such a fragile thread. And unfortunately,
Ivy wasn’t sure any more that they were wrong about that. She’d spent half the night tossing and turning, worrying about what would happen if the bunnies of Franklin Grove really did
figure out the truth.
Of course, that meant she had spent the other half of the night nursing her new bruises!
Ow.
She rubbed her shoulder where she’d hit it hard against her coffin as she’d
tossed and turned.
A coffin is not a safe place for a stressed-out vampire.
She’d finally given up and climbed out, turning on her computer to read up on the Calhoun twins, but there
hadn’t been much to find.
Where on earth had Camilla
got
all of that information?
The girl really must be obsessed!
Ivy frowned as she looked down the street and glimpsed a familiar dark-haired figure in a leather jacket and jeans lunging out of the front door of the Meat and Greet as if he were fleeing a
stake-wielding mob. ‘Where’s Brendan going? He was supposed to meet us there.’
Even as she spoke, her boyfriend turned and saw them. Waving his arms, he rushed up the street. His gorgeous dark hair was mussed up and his leather jacket sat crookedly on his shoulders, as if
he’d pulled it on in a hurry.
‘What’s up?’ Ivy asked him.
‘Let’s just say . . .’ Brendan slid a panicked look back towards the Meat and Greet. ‘I think we’d better find somewhere else for breakfast.’
‘How come?’ Ivy frowned. ‘We always eat there. And we’re supposed to be acting “normal”.’
‘Yeah, but . . .’ Grimacing, Brendan ran a hand through his hair, messing it up even more. ‘Look, the
diner’s
not acting normal, OK? And besides, it’s kind
of . . . full.’
‘Seriously?’ Ivy glanced down at her watch. ‘How could it possibly be full this early on Saturday morning?’
Sophia, looking stylish as always in a fitted black coat and high-heeled black boots, leaned in. ‘What’s going on, Brendan?’
Brendan sighed. ‘I guess you might as well all come and see for yourselves.’
Ivy started for the diner with a scowl on her face. Every vamp-sense she had was tingling with the certainty that there was danger ahead.
Even before they stepped inside, she could see for herself that it was packed. People lined the tables against the front windows. When Ivy peered through the glass front door, she could see that
the crowd was two deep at the counter.
‘Is there some kind of event going on that we didn’t hear about?’ Olivia asked.
‘It doesn’t look that organised,’ Ivy said grimly, ‘but it sure does look like everyone’s excited about
something
.’
Everywhere she looked, she could see animated conversations going on, with people leaning across the tables, hands waving. The glass was too thick for her to make out any words, but the buzz of
tension and excitement inside was so strong, she could practically feel it.
Then her eye fell on Josh Dillon and his greasy cronies, all clumped together at a corner table.
Uh-oh.
‘Come on,’ she said firmly. ‘It’s time to get inside and do some eavesdropping.’
Brendan grimaced. ‘OK,’ he said, ‘but brace yourself.’
Ivy opened the door . . . and fell back a step, staggering as a wall of pure noise hit her sensitive vampire ears.
Ouch!
Gritting her teeth, she stepped into the crowded diner. She forced herself to breathe
silverware, it had rattled against his plate like the worst drum solo ever. But when the rest of the girls had come by to pick Ivy up, he’d leaped up like a black-clad jack-in-the-box and
given them all strict orders to Act Normal!
Which was kind of a joke, coming from him,
Ivy thought glumly as she strode down the street.
The adult vamps were determined not to let anything seem odd or even slightly “off ” to anyone in town, not when their own secret hung by such a fragile thread. And unfortunately,
Ivy wasn’t sure any more that they were wrong about that. She’d spent half the night tossing and turning, worrying about what would happen if the bunnies of Franklin Grove really did
figure out the truth.
Of course, that meant she had spent the other half of the night nursing her new bruises!
Ow.
She rubbed her shoulder where she’d hit it hard against her coffin as she’d
tossed and turned.
A coffin is not a safe place for a stressed-out vampire.
She’d finally given up and climbed out, turning on her computer to read up on the Calhoun twins, but there
hadn’t been much to find.
Where on earth had Camilla
got
all of that information?
The girl really must be obsessed!
Ivy frowned as she looked down the street and glimpsed a familiar dark-haired figure in a leather jacket and jeans lunging out of the front door of the Meat and Greet as if he were fleeing a
stake-wielding mob. ‘Where’s Brendan going? He was supposed to meet us there.’
Even as she spoke, her boyfriend turned and saw them. Waving his arms, he rushed up the street. His gorgeous dark hair was mussed up and his leather jacket sat crookedly on his shoulders, as if
he’d pulled it on in a hurry.
‘What’s up?’ Ivy asked him.
‘Let’s just say . . .’ Brendan slid a panicked look back towards the Meat and Greet. ‘I think we’d better find somewhere else for breakfast.’
‘How come?’ Ivy frowned. ‘We always eat there. And we’re supposed to be acting “normal”.’
‘Yeah, but . . .’ Grimacing, Brendan ran a hand through his hair, messing it up even more. ‘Look, the
diner’s
not acting normal, OK? And besides, it’s kind
of . . . full.’
‘Seriously?’ Ivy glanced down at her watch. ‘How could it possibly be full this early on Saturday morning?’
Sophia, looking stylish as always in a fitted black coat and high-heeled black boots, leaned in. ‘What’s going on, Brendan?’
Brendan sighed. ‘I guess you might as well all come and see for yourselves.’
Ivy started for the diner with a scowl on her face. Every vamp-sense she had was tingling with the certainty that there was danger ahead.
Even before they stepped inside, she could see for herself that it was packed. People lined the tables against the front windows. When Ivy peered through the glass front door, she could see that
the crowd was two deep at the counter.
‘Is there some kind of event going on that we didn’t hear about?’ Olivia asked.
‘It doesn’t look that organised,’ Ivy said grimly, ‘but it sure does look like everyone’s excited about
something
.’
Everywhere she looked, she could see animated conversations going on, with people leaning across the tables, hands waving. The glass was too thick for her to make out any words, but the buzz of
tension and excitement inside was so strong, she could practically feel it.
Then her eye fell on Josh Dillon and his greasy cronies, all clumped together at a corner table.
Uh-oh.
‘Come on,’ she said firmly. ‘It’s time to get inside and do some eavesdropping.’
Brendan grimaced. ‘OK,’ he said, ‘but brace yourself.’
Ivy opened the door . . . and fell back a step, staggering as a wall of pure noise hit her sensitive vampire ears.
Ouch!
Gritting her teeth, she stepped into the crowded diner. She forced herself to breathe
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