Part 22 (1/2)

They interviewed Mayor Pensonville. He straightened his tie pin. ”It was a brave thing Peter Gallagher and Anthony Rigozzi did. I'd like to shake those young men's hands. It took something to stand up to these vampires. If everyone in this country had that something, then maybe, just maybe, there would be less vampires, and more -” (he hesitated) ”more streets that would be safe for our children. All I can say is 'Bravo! to them' and 'Vampires beware!'” He held up a finger. ”I pledge - yes, I pledge: We will not stop until our children are safe to walk on the streets at night! We all are on the lookout!”

I turn and see that my mother has put down her fork and is watching me. Her eyes blink quickly, nervously. ”Tomorrow we're going down to see the doctor again. We're going down there tomorrow, and if it turns out that all this time - if it turns out you're a vam -” She can't say the word. Her face twists around it, looking frightened and dangerous, and it won't come out.

”G.o.dd.a.m.n, Mom,” says my brother, glaring at her. He slams back his chair and leaves the table.

She points. ”I'm telling you. If you're -”

Again, she just shakes her head.

My father looks at his empty plate.

No, I think to myself as I throw up again in the bathroom. I think to myself as I throw up again in the bathroom. She would not turn me in. My own mother would not. She would not actually turn me in. She would not turn me in. My own mother would not. She would not actually turn me in.

Sometime in the afternoon, Jerk calls.

Brrring brrring. Brrring brrring.

”Christopher,” says my father through the door. ”It's for you. It's Je - uh, Michael. You can take it.”

I go down to the bottom of the stairs, past my father, to take the phone.

”Hey, Chris. Yo. Hey,” says Jerk.

”Hi, Jerk. How can I help you?”

”Man, how are you? I mean, what happened? I was really worried about you.”

I ask sharply, ”Why, Jerk? Why were you worried?”

”We were all worried. Rebecca was really worried about you.”

I'm jumpy now. ”Why? What did she say?”

”She said you, like, freaked out. She thought there was really something wrong with you.”

”Oh G.o.d, no. She didn't.”

”I mean, not like wrong with you wacko funny farm, but wrong with you, like something bad had happened. She said you were hiding your mouth and talking really weird.”

”Oh, man. Oh. d.a.m.n!”

”What's the problem? Are you okay?”

”Did she say anything else?”

”I mean, she talked about it with Tom. He kind of explained that he'd been worried about you for the last couple of months, concerned 'cause he said you've been acting kind of, you know. Like he always says, that you've been acting like you have some problem.”

”He said that to her? What did she say?”

”Then we heard that that girl you knew, you know, Lolli, the one from out of town, was a vampire. Did you hear? She, like, tried to kill Pete Gallagher. She was completely crazy. Man, it was horrible. He's in the hospital. They say he'll probably never play lacrosse again.”

”What about Rebecca?”

”I don't know. She was really worried about you and stuff, especially after we heard about Lolli. And then Kristen started crying and Chuck put his arm around her, so Tom put his arm around Rebecca. They talked about how everything was so frightening, and how they were all really worried about you, and, you know, I left but I guess they all stayed out really late, sitting down by the reservoir, talking together about you and stuff. So I guess Tom and Rebecca are sort of, you know, like, going out now.”

”What?” I scream. ”He's doing this just to spite me! Isn't he? He's doing this just to spite me!”

”No,” stutters Jerk nervously. ”No, no he's not.”

”That's why he's going out with her! Just to G.o.dd.a.m.n show me I can't! That b.a.s.t.a.r.d! Isn't that the reason?” I am in a fury. I pound my fist against the wall. My mother opens the door to the living room.

”Why are you out of your room?” she jabbers anxiously, hanging back, as if ready to bolt. ”Why are you out of your room? Get back to your room until I tell you to come out. Go on!” She gestures once, agitated, then ducks back into the living room.

Jerk waits for things to quiet down.

”Isn't that the reason?” I hiss. ”For Tom.”

He says, bewildered, ”No. He's doing it because she's really nice. I talked to her for a while. She is. I mean, really nice. He's going out with her because she's really nice and interesting and stuff. She knows all this stuff about ancient spells and -”

”Thank you, Jerk,” I say. ”I really value your opinion.”

”Look, Christopher -,” he whines.

”What, Jerk. What else do you have to tell me?”

”I, I just called because I was worried about you, man.”

”Worried? I'm really touched, Jerk. Your concern means so much to me. Like you understand what's going on. Like you understand any G.o.dd.a.m.n thing in the world.”

”Hey!” he says. ”I'm your friend. What are you -”

”Jerk, your only friend is your stupid dog. Your dog is so stupid. Why don't you go talk to your dog? It'll be sort of like your having a girlfriend, but the dog will have less chest hair.”

”You,” says Jerk. ”You think I'm s.h.i.+t, don't you? Don't you? You just think I'm s.h.i.+t.”