Drink, Slay, Love

Chapter Thirty Two

On Monday Pearl drove Bethany to school in the minivan. Reporters lined the street, but the police kept them off school property.

So far, the popular theory in the press was that a few kids had used the prom's theme to perpetrate a prank. The prank had spun out of control when the student body panicked. Alternate theories included drug-induced gangs and rival football teams.

Pearl had stuck to the prank story when she was interviewed, and the bulk of the junior class had followed her lead. The few who did tell the truth had been instantly discredited by "expert" psychologists and trauma specialists, though some websites believed them.

She wondered how quickly the students would begin to believe the lies. People, Pearl thought, can be so stupid. Their need to protect their precious little minds from the truth . . . She parked and watched the students spill out of the school buses and cars.

"Weird that everything looks so normal," Bethany said. "I feel like the world should have changed." One of the students trampled a patch of daffodils. Others jostled as they squeezed through the school doors. Muffled laughter and chatter wafted across the parking lot.

Someone knocked on Bethany's window, and she jumped.

"Tense much?" Pearl asked.

Bethany rolled down her window. Tara poked her head in. "Everyone still alive?"

"Evan's not well enough for school yet," Bethany said. "But he'll be fine."

"Sweet!" Tara said. "Come on, first bell is going to ring. We've got a lot to do before then." She didn't stay to explain what she meant by "a lot to do." Instead, she sauntered across the parking lot to meet Kelli, who waved at the minivan.

"I suppose the world did change a little," Bethany said.

"Redefining the high school social hierarchy was not exactly the master plan." Opening her door, Pearl jumped outside. She crossed to the opposite side of the car and helped Bethany ease out of her seat.

"Change will happen." Bethany held her ribs and winced as she moved. "Be patient. It may take a while before your blood has a real effect. Each vampire received only a few diluted drops. Also, keep in mind that we still need to find a way to introduce the vampires into the normal world."

"For a perky person, you're lousy at pep talks," Pearl said. She carried Bethany's book bag as well as her own, both slung over one shoulder. Hooking her arm under Bethany's, Pearl helped her across the parking lot and through the doors. Other students raced by them into the school.

At first everything felt the same as they walked through the halls. But once they reached the junior class lockers, Pearl felt the stares. Students quieted as they passed. A few whispered. No one spoke to them.

But then a junior Pearl recognized from track—the girl with pink-lemonade hair, Claire—darted over. "Wow, you were so awesome. Where did you learn to fight like that? Can you teach me?" After that a second student approached them. "I saw one of them in my driveway Saturday night," she said in a whisper. A third, a boy from the football team, said, "I've never driven so fast in my life." One of his friends added, "I think I hit a mailbox."

One by one, the students began to talk about Saturday: how

they'd run for their cars, how they'd seen the vampires,

how they'd driven faster than fast . . . as if seeing Pearl had freed them to admit the truth. Pearl and Bethany walked and hobbled toward their lockers through a cyclone of stories.

Zeke and Matt were waiting for them.

"Dudes," Matt said. "This is awesome. We're like heroes."

"At least until everyone gets sick of staying home after sunset," Zeke said.