Page 65 of She is the Darke
Alex stood there, looking shocked, hovering in the open doorway.
“Where did you get those?” she whispered.
“Is. It. You?”
Alex swallowed hard and remained hovering in the doorway. She looked down the hallway, then back to Stacia. She wasn’t coming inside the room, and Stacia knew what that meant from her extensive scary movie collection.
“Are you a vampire?” Stacia asked. Because apparently vampires could be freaking real.
Alex rolled her eyes and stepped in the room.
“Fair enough, but maybe you’ve already been invited into this room since you work here. You should know my diet is very heavy in garlic.”
“I’m not a vampire,” Alex assured her. Liar, Liar, vampire pants on fire.
“What are you then?” Stacia asked primly.
“I think we should talk to my brother.”
“Your brother the vampire? The power of Christ compels you.”
Alex scrunched up her face and sat on the bed next to her. “That’s for exorcisms. I swear we aren’t freaking vampires.”
“Mmm. Just immortal? Because this looks like you. And this looks like the guy who finger-banged me in the dressing room of Wendell’s.”
“Ew.”
“And this,” Stacia said, jamming her finger at Iris Wulfebound, “Sure as snow-cones looks like me.” And then it hit her. “Oh my God. Am I a vampire, too?”
“I can smell the Snickers bars on you right now, Stacia. Pretty sure you would’ve figured out if you are a vampire.”
“I can’t die.”
“Oh God.” Alex reached out and dragged the edge of the frail newspaper clipping against Stacia’s arm.
“Ow!” she muttered as a small, thin crimson line welled up.
“You aren’t immortal.”
“Well, what about you!” she yelled as she tried to paper-cut her back. Nothing happened. She sawed until the paper started falling apart. “What about now!” she said, trying again. Frustrated, she said, “Well, I think paper-cutting is a really lame talent,Alexia.”
Alex yanked the fragile thing from her hand and slid it over the top of her arm. Still, nothing happened. “You could stab me and I wouldn’t bleed. You aren’t immortal. I am.”
Stacia crossed her two index fingers in front of Alex’s face like a cross, which her ex-friend swatted away. “Stop it. I’m still not a vampire.” She pulled her phone up to her ear. “Hey, Callum, we have a problem.”
“A big one,” Stacia popped off.
“Someone dumped the newspaper articles on your girlfriend’s bed.”
There was a beat of silence, and then, “Thenewspaper articles?”
“Yep, and I don’t know why. All I know is it wasn’t me. Why would I do that? I told you I was fine with you handling this on your own.”
“Handling what?” Stacia demanded. “I’ll have you know, I’m an extremely independent woman. I don’t get handled! Give me the phone.”
“Stop it,” Alex muttered, swatting her hands away again.
“Alex! If ever you were my pretend best friend, give me the dang phone!”