Vampire Kisses: Immortal Hearts Part 29

"I can go to night cla.s.ses. Or take online courses. Or even Jameson can teach me. I'll be homeschooled like you," I suggested. Now that Alexander was on board, I wasn't going to let anything get in our way.

"I thought-but what about your parents? Do you think they are going to be h

appy about this?"

"They won't understand at first. And they'll be angry. But I'll still be their daughter. I'll still live in Dullsville and graduate high school and go to college. And they were hippies. If anyone understands being different, it's them. I'll just have to remind them."

"We will have challenges," he said.

"I know. But if we are together, then we can take them on, together."

"I've never met anyone like you." He drew me in again and kissed me pa.s.sionately.

Then we sat on a bench in the cemetery and made up for the time we'd lost being apart with kisses and making plans for our future. I was like a girl who had just got engaged. I was completely overwhelmed by the moment and the promise of my life with my one true love. I held and squeezed Alexander harder than I ever had before and became magically lost in his lips as I cherished that I was soon to become his vampire mate.

20 Waiting for an Eternity.

I was going to become a vampire! It was all I'd ever thought about and dreamed about and now it was coming to fruition! I was so afraid I'd dreamed it that I texted Alexander a million times to rea.s.sure myself that it was real. It was, and it was going to be for all the right reasons.

What would I wear? Who would I invite? When would it happen?

The following evening, I met Alexander at the Mansion. As Stormy was eating, I sneaked a kiss with him upstairs in his attic room. "I'd like to invite Becky," I said.

"I figured you'd want to include the world."

"I do," I said. "Everyone I've ever met."

"You have to understand, many people might not want this to happen."

"You mean like Jagger and Luna?" I asked.

"Yes."

"They are not going to ruin my night!"

"They aren't going to ruin anything anymore," he said. "That's what he's told me. But I just wanted you to know..."

"That it's still hard to trust them?"

"I don't know..."

"Then we should probably keep this a secret," I suggested. "Make it private. It's the only way."

"I'm afraid you might be right," he said, caressing my hair.

"Is that how you imagined it? Just us?"

"No-but in this case, it might be for the best. If word gets out..."

"I know."

"Are you okay with that?" he wondered.

"I don't want anyone to stop this. And isn't it really between us?"

He nodded. "I want this to be a beautiful night for you."

"It will be. Just having you there. That's all I need."

"Yes," he said. "I'll be there. You can count on that."

But then I thought about the ceremony I'd always imagined. And it was missing someone who had been by my side since third grade.

For a moment I looked away. Alexander took my chin and drew me back to him. "What's wrong?"

"It's just that I really want Becky there-" I confessed.

He smiled. "I know."

"You do?"

"I think she should be there."

I gave him a huge hug. When we released our grip, he seemed as if he wanted to say something more.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I think Sebastian should be there as well."

Now a smile overcame my face. "Of course he should be there. I can't wait, Alexander. This is going to be wonderful."

He seemed equally excited.

"I'll set everything up," he said, gazing into my eyes. "The altar, the coffin, the ceremonial goblets."

"What can I bring?"

"Just yourself." He touched my cheek with the back of his hand. "I'd like you to come to the cemetery just after sunset," he continued. "I'll need some time to get ready for you and arrive myself."

"I won't be late," I said.

"And then we will finally be together-as we both have always imagined." He gave me a long, tender kiss that sent tingles down my spine.

"I'm going to find a dress," I said. "One that you'll remember for eternity. Did you tell Stormy?" I asked my boyfriend.

"I thought you'd want us to tell her together," he said.

I was so pleased with Alexander's sensitivity. Stormy had originally wanted Alexander to bond with Luna. But now that she saw Luna's true colors, she might be happy that I was the one who was going to the altar with her brother after all.

Alexander grabbed my hand and led me down the attic stairs, then the main ones. We found Stormy petting Phantom and reading a fashion mag in the parlor while Jameson was in the kitchen cleae k align="juning up from dinner.

Alexander sat down beside her and I sat on the other side of him.

"What's up?" she said. "Is something wrong?"

"No," Alexander said, putting his arm around her. "I just wanted to let you know-Raven and I are going to have a ceremony."

"What kind of ceremony?" she asked quizzically.

"The covenant kind," he replied.

Her eyes widened and she looked at me. "You are going to be turned?" She was as excited as she was surprised. "You really are going to do it?"

I nodded.

"This is so fabulous!" she said. "Can I come?"

"We'd like you to be there," Alexander said. "In fact, Raven wants to do this while you are here. That is why we are going ahead with it so soon."

"That is so sweet!" Stormy rose and gave Alexander a hug, then gave me a loving embrace. "Will Billy be my date?"

"Uh ... no," Alexander said. "That's what we want to talk to you about. This is going to be private."

"Mother and Father won't be there?" she asked.

"We want to do this soon. There isn't time. We are also inviting Sebastian and Becky. But that's all. We don't want word to get out. You know how the Maxwells can be."

"I see that now. My lips are sealed," Stormy said. "I am so happy you'll finally be like me."

I was so flattered that Stormy was so pleased. I couldn't wait to be part of their family.

"What will I wear?" she wondered.

"You can wear the dress you wore to the fall dance," I told her.

"What will you wear?" she asked me.

"I have only a short time to figure that out," I said. "But will you be the flower girl? We need someone to scatter the dead black roses."

"I'm your ghoul," she said with a wink.

And with that, we finished the evening with some smoothies, knowing in just a few more days, I'd be requiridastian anng the Romanian kind.

I looked at the world with almost vampire eyes as I awoke the next day and headed off to school. This was routine to me-drag myself out of bed, cower from the bright sun, take an all-too-short shower, get dressed in my brooding attire, and spend my day at school watching the clock until the final bell rang. In two days, however, I wouldn't be waking up in the daylight but going to bed just before it. I wouldn't be going to school and having to suffer through mundane subjects or lessons with teachers who favored the popular students. Instead, Jameson would tutor me one-on-one in subjects that interested me. I wouldn't have to take Trevor Mitch.e.l.l's hara.s.sment anymore. Instead of seeing him, I'd be seeing Alexander.

As I breezed through the hallway, we pa.s.sed the Prada-bees, who stared at me with their usual contempt.

"Hi, Heather. Hi, Courtney," I said gleefully.

"Uh ... hi, Raven."

"I like your purse," I said truthfully to Courtney, who was holding a bright blue designer satchel. "It matches your eyes."

"Uh ... thanks, I guess."

When we turned the corner, I saw my nemesis slink down the corridor as if he were a teacher instead of a student.

"Hi, Trevor," I said when he got closer.

He looked at me skeptically. "Uh ... hi. Did you have something you want to tell me?"

"No, just wanted to say h.e.l.lo."

"Well, that's very unlike you. You wouldn't be planning something sinister, would you?"

"No, something wonderful."

"Not egging my locker? Or keying my car?"

"No. Not those things at all."

I stretched my arms out and before he could retreat, I leaned in and gave my nemesis a long hug.

His body eventually melted into mine. It was bizarre to be standing in school hugging Trevor Mitch.e.l.l. But I really meant it. There was warmth that flowed from me to him and vice versa. Though we had had our fights and tormented each other, I had known him since we were in kindergarten. Besides my family, it was the longest relationship I'd had in my life. And though it was mostly negative, I could always count on him being there for me-to judge, bother, and pester me. And through those years, I gave it back to him each time. And for a moment, in the middle of the hallway at Dullsville High, we came together as one.

I released our embrace and gazed up into his green, surprised eyes. Then I left him standing there watching me and wondering what had just happened as I walked to cla.s.s.

For the first time since attending school, I really listened to my teachers. Some continued to be boring, but most were really pa.s.sionate about the lessons. Maybe they had things to teach me all these years. And today, the teachers and their lectures really meant something to me, and after each cla.s.s I went up to them and told them that, leaving each one shocked and confused.

"You've been acting funny all day. What is going on?" Becky asked when we got into her truck after school and I told her to drive to Evans Park.

"Swear to secrecy?" I asked her when we sat down on our favorite swings. "You can't tell anyone."

"I'll try." She appeared concerned.

"Alexander is going to turn me."