Tenth Grade Bleeds by Heather Brewer Read Free Book Online Page B

door. Before he reached it, Henry already had his jacket on and was saying his goodbyes to Nelly.
    When Vlad opened the door, Meredith smiled at him, looking even cuter this year as the bride of Frankenstein. Sure, the idea of matching costumes had given him indigestion at first, but Vlad was quickly catching on to this having a girlfriend thing. Stay your own person, have your own opinions, but if the girl you hope to kiss after the party suggests you wear dorky matching outfits, then you’d better act like Dorkapalooza is on your top-ten list of fave things to do. Vlad smiled back and said, “Nice hair.”
    Her tresses were heaped in a black-and-white-streaked mound atop her head, standing a foot high at least. She giggled. “Thanks. It took my mom three hours and two cans of hairspray, but I think it’ll hold.”
    He was about to make a witty comment about how she looked really beautiful, bride of a fictional monster or not, but then Henry brushed by on his way out the door. Vlad frowned. “Come on, Henry. You don’t even have to dress up, okay?”
    Henry’s eyes flicked to Meredith and then to Vlad. He gave a halfhearted shrug. “I told you, man. I just don’t feel like going.”
    Then Henry trudged down the front steps and across the yard. Vlad watched him with troubled eyes. Meredith tugged his sleeve. “It’ll be okay. We’ll still have fun. Don’t worry.”
    Vlad dropped his gaze for a moment. Not even the promise of a happy night semi-alone with Meredith could wash away his concerns. His best friend was clearly troubled by something. Vlad just hoped that something wasn’t him.
    While Nelly and Meredith exchanged pleasantries, Vlad thought about Henry and what might be on his mind. He knew Melissa was in there somewhere—after all, Henry had never had a problem getting girls to like him, and Melissa had shown absolutely zero interest in his charms so far. It had to be a bruise to his ego. But Vlad suspected that wasn’t the only thing troubling him.
    Lately, whenever Vlad would hover in front of his best friend or open the Encyclopedia Vampyrica in front of him, inciting his eyes to flash iridescent purple, Henry’s mood would shift, and then he’d sulk for days. Vlad had a sneaking suspicion that maybe being Vlad’s drudge—Vlad’s human slave, all because of a single bite—was getting to Henry in the worst way. The kind of way that meant that Henry was so bothered by it that he couldn’t even bring himself to tell Vlad.
    Of course, this was all speculation on Vlad’s part. And he might be completely wrong about why Henry had been acting so sullen lately. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe he really just didn’t feel like dressing up and going to Matthew’s party. It was possible. Vlad highly doubted it . . . but it was possible.
    â€œVladimir?” Nelly’s voice broke into his thoughts, and he blinked at her. “Did you hear me?”
    He shook his head. “Sorry. I was just thinking about something. What did you say?”
    A brief flash of concern crossed her eyes. “No later than eleven tonight, okay?”
    Vlad let out a sigh. “It’s been eleven for the past two years. Y’know, I am older now.”
    Nelly nodded thoughtfully. “You’re absolutely right. Older and able to get into more trouble. Better make it ten.”
    Vlad groaned and rolled his eyes as he headed for the door. “Fine. See you at eleven.”
    Meredith chattered all the way to Matthew’s house. For the most part, Vlad listened and laughed at all the right spots. But tainting their precious time together was the matter of Henry, and the gnawing feeling that Vlad was somehow responsible for his cloudy mood. Not to mention his dire stress at the idea of attending a party without his best friend to protect him.
    As they stepped up onto the front porch, Vlad saw the flash of a camera from