Fangtastic! by Sienna Mercer Read Free Book Online Page B

the Supreme Court.
    “I owe
my quote to the dental profession,” Toby began, stowing away his briefcase. “And,
more specifically, to my dental hygienist, Ms. Monica Messler.”
    Serena
was not looking impressed.
    Next
to dentistry, my quote might not seem so boring after all, Ivy thought, brightening.
    “Allow
me to explain,” Toby continued. “I was at a dentist appointment yesterday
afternoon, when a repeat of the morning edition of The Morning Star came
on the television above my chair. Ms. Messler, who was cleaning my teeth at the
time, said that she recognized Garrick Stephens. He had recently come to the
dentist’s office.”
    Suddenly,
a dark and heavy feeling spread through Ivy’s chest. She and Sophia exchanged
worried glances as Toby said, “Ms. Messler said it was a very strange visit.”
    Serena
Star leaned forward, clearly interested now.
    “I
nearly choked on the suction tube trying to ask her more about it. Here is what
she said....” Toby looked down at his sheet of paper. “ ‘Garrick Stephens came
into the office last Thursday. He wanted to know how much a set of vampire
fangs would cost.’ ”
    Ivy
felt her skin flush, and she thought she might faint. She closed her eyes,
trying to make the dizziness go away, and felt Sophia grab her hand tightly
underneath the table. Ivy opened her eyes to find Serena Star staring right at
her. Ivy looked away quickly.
    “ ‘We
all thought it was such a strange request,’ ” Toby said, continuing his quote, “
‘especially because he isn’t even one of Dr. Roth’s patients.’ ”
    “What
happened?” Serena pressed.
    “Nothing.”
Toby shrugged. “The receptionist told him he’d have to talk to Dr. Roth, who
was seeing a patient at the time, so Garrick said he’d come back later—but he
never did.”
    Serena
Star was on her feet. “Did he say what the fangs were for?”
    “No,”
Toby replied.
    “Is
she—the dental assistant lady—is she willing to go on camera?”
    Toby
nodded. “I think so.”
    Serena
Star’s wide eyes went starry. “I can see the on-screen graphic now,” she
murmured, spreading her hands in the air like she was making words appear on an
invisible TV screen. “FANGTASTIC!”
    Then
she blinked, picked up her bag, and gestured to her cameraman. “Principal
Whitehead,” she said, barely looking his way, “I’m taking Toby out of school
for the rest of the day on fieldwork. Toby, let’s go!”
    “But
who won the assistant job?” Marnie Squingle blurted.
    “Who
do you think?” Serena shot back. And, with that, she charged out the door,
closely followed by Toby Decker, grinning widely as he hurried to catch up.
    Ivy
was about to bury her face in her hands when she heard a blubbering noise. Rudy
Preston had burst into tears.
    “Don’t
blame yourself, Ivy,” Sophia said as they trudged down the hall. “How could anyone compete with a quote like that?”
    “I
know,” Ivy said. “But this is seriously bad news, Soph.” She looked around to
make sure no one was listening. “A vampire inquiring about a new set of fangs?
What was Garrick thinking?”
    “Probably
that his mom would kill him if he let his own incisors grow,” Sophia said
gloomily.
    “But
why would he go to a human dentist?” Ivy said, utterly exasperated.
    “You
know the answer to that,” Sophia said, rolling her eyes. “There isn’t a dentist
in our community who would agree to do it!”
    She
was right, Ivy thought. Getting fangs made—or even not filing down your real
ones for an extended period of time—violated the 1926 Bylaw of the Night: A
vampire will never try, or conspire to try, to bite a human. The risk of getting
caught was too great, not to mention the fact that it was incredibly evil.
    “Anyway,”
said Sophia, “it’s time for plan B: damage control. We have to keep an eye on
Toby and on what he and Serena are finding out.”
    “And
how do you suggest we do that?” Ivy asked.
    “I was
sort of thinking that maybe you