Darkness Falls by Mia James Read Free Book Online Page A

and now he dressed and spoke just like them.
    ‘Look at Little Miss Hilarious. You wouldn’t know she had been the geekiest girl in school before she got all vamped up.’
    ‘Shhh!’ said April. She pulled Caro up and dragged her outside, banging through a fire door and out into the playground where they wouldn’t be overheard.
    ‘Caro, you’ve got to be more careful! You can’t go around saying things like that.’
    ‘Well,’ said Caro sulkily, ‘it annoys me, her swanking around showing off like she’s some sort of diva.’
    ‘Look, I know Simon was your friend, but you have to remember the vamps have seduced both of them. Don’t underestimate the Suckers’ power.’
    ‘What power?’ snapped Caro. ‘I mean, it’s not like those old Dracula movies where the evil vampire hypnotises the virgin and bites her against her will, is it? We’re always talkingabout how the Suckers have this terrible supernatural power, but it’s not supernatural at all, is it? They’re just giving them makeovers. Come and join our gang, be as cool as us. Dress like us and talk like us and you too can have what we have. It’s pathetic.’
    ‘But you can’t blame them for that, they just want to fit in.’
    ‘Who cares about fitting in?’ snapped Caro. ‘Simon was cool without those scum-suckers. He was cool because he was Simon. Th at’s what upsets me. He’s decided that being The Same is better than being Him.’
    April gave a rueful smile and stroked Caro’s arm.
    ‘Sorry, honey. You really love him, don’t you?’
    Caro’s cheeks immediately flamed red. ‘Shut up, April, that’s not what this is about! It’s a matter of principle. I’m asking you if these people are worth saving.’
    ‘Yes!’ shouted April, surprised by how passionate she felt. ‘Yes they are. I know you’re angry with Simon, but everyone’s worth saving. It’s one thing to be angry with someone, but it’s another to abandon them to some horrible fate. No, we don’t know exactly what the Suckers are up to, but we can be fairly sure they’re not arranging a tea party. Simon could have his throat torn out – do you want that?’
    Caro glanced at her, then looked down at her hands.
    ‘No … I suppose not.’
    ‘So don’t be so hard on him. It’s not all fun for him either – remember when I found poor geeky Ling crying in the toilets after they sucked the blood out of her? You can’t blame her for wanting to be one of them rather than being prey. It’s those kids we have to save.’
    ‘Okay. Sorry. But sometimes I wish we didn’t have to do this.’
    April smiled.
    ‘Who else is going to save the universe?’
    Caro shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. ‘Well neither of us, if we freeze to death out here talking about it.’
    ‘Come on, let’s go back in,’ said April, linking her arm through Caro’s.
    Just before the doors, Caro stopped.
    ‘Listen, don’t be mad,’ she began.
    ‘What is it?’
    ‘You know how I said I had a plan … how to get in with the Suckers a bit more?’
    ‘Yessss …?’ April said suspiciously.
    ‘Well, um, I’ve arranged something. A party. A sort of coming-out party for you to celebrate your recovery. And your birthday.’
    April gaped at her. She had no idea anyone knew it was her birthday.
    ‘Where? When?’
    ‘It’s tonight. At Davina’s. She was going to have some sort of Valentine’s Ball anyway and she loved the idea of turning it into a surprise birthday party for you.’
    April’s heart sank. The last thing she felt like doing was having a party, especially at the place she had almost been killed.
    ‘I’m so sorry A, I know you won’t want to go back there so soon,’ Caro said in a rush, ‘but we need to get closer to the Suckers, to infiltrate and play them at their own game. I even thought we might be able to find the Albus Libre there, seeing as they have a big library and everything …’ She trailed off.
    ‘It seemed like a good idea a few days ago, but