Part 18 (1/2)

The crowd leaps up in unison, a chaos of blue jackets, hats, and sweaters-cheering and clapping and whooping the old Wolf pack howl.

”Whoo! Yeah! Go Mike and Trevor!” we yell. Mandy does a back flip. Shantel and Nancy jump up and down.

I yell, too, even pulling off a pretty good round-off, coming back up with pom-poms still in place.

Yes, I, Rayne McDonald, am still a Wolves cheerleader. At least for now. After all, I couldn't just abandon my squad simply because I was done with my mission impossible. Homecoming's an important game and I can't have them basket-tossing Nancy without me there to make sure she gets caught.

So I'm a Goth. A vampire. And now a cheerleader. And no one's going to tell me it's not okay to be all three. After all, I've always prided myself as an individual. If I enjoy cheering, then I'll cheer. And if anyone wants to make anything of that, short skirt or not, I'll totally kick their a.s.s across the football field.

Even Mandy admitted, during her pep talk before the game, that I'd come a long way since day one of practice. Now that she's cured, she and I have settled into at least a temporary truce. We may never be best friends again, but at least now we have a grudging respect for one another and both understand a little better where the other is coming from.

”Rayne! Rayne!” My mom's beaming as she runs over to me, waving like a lunatic. Once I finally told her I was a cheerleader she insisted on coming to watch me. Which is pretty cool, I guess. Though slightly embarra.s.sing.

”Hey, Mom,” I greet, waving a pom-pom in her direction. She embraces me tightly and I hug her back. My hippie, dip-pie mom. I love her so much. And like David, I will do anything to protect her.

”Wow, Rayne. You were amazing. Really amazing. I'm so impressed. I had no idea you could do those kinds of moves.”

”Well, it did take some practice.”

”Yeah, you were really something,” David says, walking up behind Mom. ”A total natural.”

”Isn't she?” Sunny asks, joining the group. ”I keep telling her that but she refuses to believe me.”

I feel my face heat at all the compliments. I'm so used to being the bad girl. The one everyone's annoyed at or afraid of. It's weird being the center of positive attention. But I guess I can deal with it. At least for tonight.

”Can I speak to you for a minute, Rayne?” A voice makes me turn around. It's Mr. Teifert. Wow, does everyone and their mother come to these things?

”Well,” I say, glancing over at my family. I'm not quite ready for the Rayne adoration to stop.

”We'll be right over here,” David a.s.sures me, probably figuring Teifert wants to talk Slayer shop. He and Mom and Sunny take a few steps back. I can tell Sunny's trying to keep an ear open though.

”What's up, T?” I ask, wondering if he has another mission for me. Whatever it is, this time I won't argue. Whatever he wants me to do, no matter how crazy it sounds, I'm his girl. I'm Rayne McDonald. I'm the slayer.

”You're no longer the slayer.”

I stare at him. ”What?” I cry. ”What do you mean?”

He smiles. ”Bertha's back. She's undergone an extensive diet and exercise rehabilitation program and is now ready to resume her role as slayer. So you're off the hook.”

I can't believe it. The girl's been out of commission since she dusted Lucifent and Magnus became coven leader. Been spending time at a fat farm ever since. And now she's back? I know I should be thrilled to hear I'll no longer be required to perform as a slayer, but for some reason I feel disappointed instead.

”So ... so you don't need me anymore?” I ask, trying to keep a poker face. The last thing I need is for him to see me all upset.

”Nope,” Teifert says cheerily. He's probably happy to be rid of me. We never really did bond, what with my bad att.i.tude and all. Bertha's probably way nice to him. ”We should be all right without you from now on. Thanks for all your hard work. It's been real, but the beat goes on.”

”But ...” That's it? After all my training and world-saving it's just Adios, Rayne, don't let the door hit you on the way out?

That doesn't seem right. And what about David's warning that something evil was on its way? Don't they need me to face it?

”Are you sure you wouldn't like, um, a backup slayer?” I ask. ”I mean, David was telling me you guys got some great evil swinging into town sometime soon. What if Bertha's ... out of practice? Or she needs someone to stand in at dinnertime when there's a big line at the drive-through?”

Teifert sighs. ”Let me discuss it with the rest of Slayer Inc. But yes, I think if you want to stay on as a consultant of some sort, it can probably be arranged.”

”Thanks!” I grin, not sure why this makes me happy. Maybe I just like knowing I'm needed. ”Don't worry, T, I won't let you down. And I'll be totally un.o.btrusive. You won't even know I'm slaying.”

”That's what I'm afraid of.” He shakes his head. ”I'll be seeing you around, Rayne,” he says, then turns and walks toward the parking lot.

I return to where my family's hanging out a few feet away.

”Wasn't that the drama coach?” Mom asks. ”What did he want?”