Red Moon Rising by Peter Moore Read Free Book Online Page B

Claire.
    â€œNot really.”
    â€œWhat?” I’m wearing jeans, a new green Oxford shirt over a got heme? T-shirt, and my leather jacket. “What’s the matter?”
    â€œWell, you look like you always do, and that’s not so good. No offense.”
    â€œThanks. If you’re trying to make sure I don’t get overconfident, it’s working.”
    Claire takes a look at me. I step back for inspection. “It wouldn’t have killed you to shave,” she says.
    â€œYeah, right. I just did, like two days ago.”
    â€œWell, maybe you’re extra manly, but whatever; get rid of that stuff. It’s gross.”
    I touch my face—she’s not kidding. My chin and jaw have stubble. Impossible. Vamp facial hair doesn’t grow that fast; I usually shave three or four times a year, but lately it seems like I’ve done it nearly every other week. Now it’s every few days? What’s that about?
    Claire pulls back the sleeve of her vintage green army jacket, the one she keeps in her locker because her mother won’t let her wear it, and looks at her Tiffany watch. “How long are we going to wait? We’ve been here over half an hour.”
    â€œI’m ignoring that, because you sound like a child. Anyway, you remember the signal, right?”
    Claire laughs. “Wait, you’re talking about a secret signal, but you say I’m acting childish?”
    â€œI’m serious. When I put my hands behind my neck, then raise them up to stretch, that’s the signal. I’ll go into the store, then you wait at least one full minute before coming in after me. That way you can tell me how you think it’s going.”
    â€œWhy don’t I just go into the store a few minutes after you do? Why do we need a signal?”
    â€œIt’s just better that way. What if I go in the store to use the bathroom or something before you’ve had enough time to evaluate the situation completely? Then what? No, we’re using the signal.”
    Claire shakes her head. “There’s something wrong with you. Seriously.”
    â€œHey,” says a voice from behind us.
    I jump. It’s Juliet. And she looks really good.
    â€œSorry I’m late,” she adds. “I had a whole big thing with my parents.”
    I knew it. I knew there’d be a good reason she was late. “Everything okay?” I ask.
    â€œYeah, it’s fine. They wanted me to stay home and sleep. But I told them that I could sleep in tomorrow. So.”
    â€œSo,” I say. Juliet turns her head a little and smiles at the space to my left. Which I remember isn’t just a space. “Oh, right. This is Claire. My friend, Claire.”
    They say hi to each other. “Yeah, I’ve seen you with Danny at school,” Juliet says.
    No, no, no! “Right. You’ve seen us together. That’s because she’s my friend,” I say. “Claire, she’s my good friend. Best buddy, really. I mean just…you know, we’re good friends .”
    Both of them are looking at me. Juliet is smiling, but Claire is staring like she’s watching a car crash.
    â€œFriends are welcome,” Juliet says. “Come on.”
    We walk across the parking lot toward the bunch of kids. They’re all human, I’m guessing. She introduces us to everyone—Matt, Emily, Victoria, Stefan, Jamie, and Michael.
    Stefan finishes a story he was telling about a kid who got caught in his parents’ basement, passed out with an empty bottle of vodka next to him. “They pumped his stomach.”
    â€œI heard he was in a coma,” Jamie says.
    â€œNo. He had alcohol poisoning. They said his heart stopped for, like, ten minutes.”
    â€œHe’d be dead,” Juliet says.
    â€œMaybe he’s actually a vamp. Then he wouldn’t die from it,” says Emily.
    I notice a couple of them looking my way, obviously trying to figure out what I