Part 15 (2/2)
”Don't say that. This happens all the time.”
He looked at me skeptically.
”Well, just with you.”
”I never meant to hurt you.”
I could feel his fingers tracing the wound. ”It's just a flesh wound. I didn't break the skin.”
”You didn't?” I asked, almost disappointed.
”This is bigger than the mosquito bite. You'll have one major hickey!”
”Bela would be proud,” I said, hanging on Alexander's reaction.
”Yes,” he said. ”I guess he would.”
”I want to ask you something,” I said nervously, as he walked me to my door. I was running out of chances to invite him to the dance, and I realized if I didn't ask him now, I never would.
”You don't want to hang out anymore? Listen, Raven-”
”No, I mean...I just wanted to say...”
”Yes?”
”Umm...I found a place to dance,” I began.
”To dance? In this town?”
”Yes.”
”Is it cool?”
”No, but-”
”But if you go there, it must be the trendiest place in the world.”
”It's my school.”
”School?”
”I thought you would think it was totally lame. I shouldn't have mentioned it.”
”I've never been to a school dance before.”
”Really? Me neither.”
”Then it'll be the first time for both of us,” he said with a s.e.xy and suddenly confident grin.
”I guess it will. It's called the Snow Ball. I can wear a woolen scarf to cover my bite,” I joked.
”I'm sorry-it was an accident.”
”It was the best accident that ever happened to me!”
He leaned in to kiss me and stopped suddenly. ”I better not.”
”You better!”
He leaned in again, and this time our lips melted together, his strong hand gently holding my chin.
”Until we meet again,” he said, kissing me one last time. He blew me a final kiss when he reached the car.
I touched the mark where he had bitten me. I knew I was already changing. But I wanted to look in the mirror to see for sure.
The following day Becky and I went to Evans Park immediately after school. We opened our backpacks in a darkened corner of the empty rec center. My camera, my journal, and a compact mirror lay before us. Finally Becky placed a Tupperware bowl that held a clove of garlic and a cross wrapped in a leather pouch on the floor.
”Ready to see the bite?” I asked.
”Is it gross?”
”It's my love wound,” I said and carefully unwrapped the black scarf I'd been wearing all day.
”Wow! He has a big mouth!” she said, wide-eyed.
”Isn't it cool?”
”I can see teeth marks. A few sc.r.a.pes, but I don't think he punctured the skin. Does it hurt?”
”Not at all. It's like getting your ears pierced-it stings at first, but the pain quickly goes away.”
”Did you faint when you got your ears pierced, too?”
”Don't get smart!”
”And the mark will go away, too, won't it?”
”That's what we're here to find out. Get the camera.”
Becky took pictures of my wound, front and side. We laid the Polaroids on the cement floor as they developed.
”You're showing up,” Becky stated.
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