said. �I�m the one who likes vampires,� I declared. �But Becky has a thing for mortals.� �I�m sorry, Raven, I can�t change my feelings,� Sebastian said sincerely. �What am I supposed to do?� he asked with an almost childlike quality. �You can change what you do about them,� Alexander said. �Raven�s right. You have to back off.� Sebastian cooled down. �I know. I just couldn�t sleep all day�waiting and wondering when I could see her again.� �Well, you�ll get to see her tomorrow night,� Alexander revealed. �Really?� �Matt wants the five of us to hang out,� Alexander said. �Who�s Matt?� �Becky�s boyfriend,� I stressed Sebastian turned toward the window. The moonlight cast a glow against his sad and almost lonely expression. Perhaps once he saw how happy Becky was with Matt he�d be cured of his feelings for her. Sebastian snapped back with a wicked grin. �Great! I�ll be on my best behavior.�6 Becky and the Barn The students at Dullsville High treated me more oddly than usual the next day when I arrived at school. Apart from the usual shifty glances thrown my way, I heard more whispers and mutterings than normal. I was throwing my coffee in the trash when I felt a person standing behind me. �Your secret admirer is not so secret anymore,� a male voice said. I tried to ignore the demon in khakis and inch around the trash can, but he blocked my escape. Cornered, I spun around. Trevor towered over me. His golden locks were combed perfectly, as if he�d just been primped for a photo shoot. I didn�t have the energy for one of his trivial confrontations. �Do you mind? Littering is illegal, you know. Be my guest and do us all a favor,� I said, gesturing toward the can. �Throw yourself in.� �I love it when you talk dirty,� he said, not budging. He placed his hand against the wall, blocking my exit. �I really don�t have time for you today,� I said, and slipped underneath his human barricade. �Two-timing your boyfriend takes a lot of time and energy, does it?� This time I stopped and faced him squarely. �What are you talking about?� �Word has it there�s a new monster in town and he�s leaving gifts in your locker�candy, jewelry, love notes.� I was always amazed at how fast rumors spread throughout Dullsville and how grossly incorrect they could become. �No one is leaving me anything.� �Is that so? Then what were those flowers doing on Mrs. Hathaway�s desk?� �Teacher Appreciation Day.� �That�s not until�� �I was planning ahead.� �I�m not going to even react to your lies. I thought when you ditched your boyfriend, the least you could do was come to me. After all, I�m much better-looking.� �I didn�t ditch Alexander!� �Then he doesn�t know?� he asked as if he was unraveling a mystery. �You are two-timing him.� �You�ve wasted enough of my time�.� �Or are you having a monster threesome up there in that filthy mansion? You always seemed the kinky type with your studs and boots.� He sidled up to me, so close I could feel his warm breath against my neck. �No�you have it all wrong.� I faced him hard. This was one time I�d rather have been in class than out in the hallway. �I have to go�.� �Well, someone is going to know about you sneaking around�and it might be Alexander.� Trevor thumped me on the head and disappeared into the crowd of students. I wasn�t dating Sebastian. There was nothing to hide from Alexander�but by the way everyone was treating me, the whole school must have believed I was cheating on him. My boyfriend, like any other, would not have been happy about that. After school, I was at Becky�s waiting for sundown. The time had slipped by as Becky typed away at her computer doing research for an English paper and I ignored my own homework by lying on her bed, rereading The Vampire Lestat. �I think I�m almost finished,� she said