like forever.’
Forever clearly means something different to a teenager than it does to me. ‘Sure.’ I wait for him to speak but he just shuffles his feet. For some reason, neither of his shoelaces are tied. ‘Rogu3, are you in trouble? Is it the hacking?’
His head swings dejectedly in dissent.
‘Your exams? You were taking your GCSEs early, weren’t you?’
‘Only Maths. It went fine.’
‘Your parents?’
‘No. It’s not them.’
‘Rogu3,’ I say gently, ‘you’re going to have to give me something here.’
His bottom lip juts out and for one horrifying moment I think he’s about to cry. He draws in a deep breath and manages to keep hold of himself. ‘Her name is Natasha,’ he says.
It’s just as well he’s staring down at his trainers rather than looking at me because my mouth drops open. I shut it quickly. I should probably have guessed what the problem is, but he’s always struck me as particularly confident and together. I suppose it doesn’t matter who you are – when you fall in love, you get the same tinge of madness along with it.
‘She’s your girlfriend?’
He kicks at the chair leg. ‘I wish.’ He sighs. ‘I’m a geek. A nerd who hides in his parents’ garage and messes around on computers all day long.’
‘Who’s probably more successful now than any of your peers will ever be,’ I point out. Then I add hastily, ‘Not that I condone illegal activity.’
‘If you don’t want those files, I can take them back.’ He gestures to Corinne Matheson’s folder in my hands.
‘You know I’m going to keep them.’ I put the folder down. ‘Let’s focus on Natasha, shall we?’
‘She’s a goddess. She’s smart and pretty and cool.’ Rogu3 sniffs. ‘And popular.’
‘Have you asked her out?’
‘She’s not going to look twice at me.’
‘You don’t know until you…’
‘Try? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Except I do know, Bo. Believe me, I know. Why do you think I’m here?’
‘For advice,’ I say.
‘Um, yeah. Advice. Sure.’
His expression makes me think that I’m the last person he’d come to for that. Given the state of my own love life, that’s hardly surprising. It still doesn’t explain why he’s here.
‘Spit it out. What can I help you with?’
‘No, you’re right. Advice is good. That’s what I came here for.’
‘Rogu3, you’re not going to hurt my feelings if you don’t want to listen to any of my wisdom.’
His relief is palpable. ‘Oh, okay. Good.’ He nods. Then everything comes out in a rushed babble. ‘You’re a vampire now, so you’re cool and glamorous and if you showed up at my school with that leather jacket and that pout you always have and you come to talk to me, then maybe…’
‘You’ll be cool by association?’ I ask drily. It’s not a word I’ve ever related to myself but I could go with it. Then I frown. ‘Hold on, what pout?’
He ignores my question. ‘I know you can’t come during the day but there’s a band playing on Friday night in the gym. There’ll even be a bar. It’s for under-eighteens,’ he adds, when he spots my doubtful look. ‘It is at school, remember? Everyone will be there. We could have a code and then, when she’s nearby, you could come in and, you know, pretend to recognise me.’
‘Except it wouldn’t be pretending because I would recognise you.’
His face clears. ‘Right! That makes it even better!’
He looks so hopeful and earnest, I’m reminded of Kimchi.
‘Considering the way vampires are viewed right now, I don’t think being mates with one is going to improve your street cred.’
A calculating expression appears on his face. ‘Well, instead of being my friend, you could, you know, be mean and evil. You could show your fangs and threaten everyone and then I could,’ he shifts his feet, ‘knock you out or something.’
‘Rogu3,’ I sigh. ‘You’re one of the most intelligent people I know. You don’t need to put on a show or be something you’re
Forever clearly means something different to a teenager than it does to me. ‘Sure.’ I wait for him to speak but he just shuffles his feet. For some reason, neither of his shoelaces are tied. ‘Rogu3, are you in trouble? Is it the hacking?’
His head swings dejectedly in dissent.
‘Your exams? You were taking your GCSEs early, weren’t you?’
‘Only Maths. It went fine.’
‘Your parents?’
‘No. It’s not them.’
‘Rogu3,’ I say gently, ‘you’re going to have to give me something here.’
His bottom lip juts out and for one horrifying moment I think he’s about to cry. He draws in a deep breath and manages to keep hold of himself. ‘Her name is Natasha,’ he says.
It’s just as well he’s staring down at his trainers rather than looking at me because my mouth drops open. I shut it quickly. I should probably have guessed what the problem is, but he’s always struck me as particularly confident and together. I suppose it doesn’t matter who you are – when you fall in love, you get the same tinge of madness along with it.
‘She’s your girlfriend?’
He kicks at the chair leg. ‘I wish.’ He sighs. ‘I’m a geek. A nerd who hides in his parents’ garage and messes around on computers all day long.’
‘Who’s probably more successful now than any of your peers will ever be,’ I point out. Then I add hastily, ‘Not that I condone illegal activity.’
‘If you don’t want those files, I can take them back.’ He gestures to Corinne Matheson’s folder in my hands.
‘You know I’m going to keep them.’ I put the folder down. ‘Let’s focus on Natasha, shall we?’
‘She’s a goddess. She’s smart and pretty and cool.’ Rogu3 sniffs. ‘And popular.’
‘Have you asked her out?’
‘She’s not going to look twice at me.’
‘You don’t know until you…’
‘Try? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Except I do know, Bo. Believe me, I know. Why do you think I’m here?’
‘For advice,’ I say.
‘Um, yeah. Advice. Sure.’
His expression makes me think that I’m the last person he’d come to for that. Given the state of my own love life, that’s hardly surprising. It still doesn’t explain why he’s here.
‘Spit it out. What can I help you with?’
‘No, you’re right. Advice is good. That’s what I came here for.’
‘Rogu3, you’re not going to hurt my feelings if you don’t want to listen to any of my wisdom.’
His relief is palpable. ‘Oh, okay. Good.’ He nods. Then everything comes out in a rushed babble. ‘You’re a vampire now, so you’re cool and glamorous and if you showed up at my school with that leather jacket and that pout you always have and you come to talk to me, then maybe…’
‘You’ll be cool by association?’ I ask drily. It’s not a word I’ve ever related to myself but I could go with it. Then I frown. ‘Hold on, what pout?’
He ignores my question. ‘I know you can’t come during the day but there’s a band playing on Friday night in the gym. There’ll even be a bar. It’s for under-eighteens,’ he adds, when he spots my doubtful look. ‘It is at school, remember? Everyone will be there. We could have a code and then, when she’s nearby, you could come in and, you know, pretend to recognise me.’
‘Except it wouldn’t be pretending because I would recognise you.’
His face clears. ‘Right! That makes it even better!’
He looks so hopeful and earnest, I’m reminded of Kimchi.
‘Considering the way vampires are viewed right now, I don’t think being mates with one is going to improve your street cred.’
A calculating expression appears on his face. ‘Well, instead of being my friend, you could, you know, be mean and evil. You could show your fangs and threaten everyone and then I could,’ he shifts his feet, ‘knock you out or something.’
‘Rogu3,’ I sigh. ‘You’re one of the most intelligent people I know. You don’t need to put on a show or be something you’re
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