Zandra the Teenage Vampire

Chapter Ten

   Waking the dead isn't easy, or so my mum told me. When 10am Tuesday morning arrived, I had about four hours of sleep under my belt. Mum tried to wake me but I don't remember that. She was in a mood when I finally came around. Apparently, I was surly at best, but what did she expect? Four hours of sleep was rough for the living; imagine what it was like for me.

    I tried to dress for the mall in something bright and cheerful, but my mood had me searching for something dark and soothing. I settled on a soft grey sweater and jeans. I even added a hot pink tank top under the sweater to perk myself up a bit, but it really wasn't helping. I'm tired and grumpy and misery loves company.

    After a lot of eye rolling, deep sighing and backtalk, Mum reached her limit.

  "Listen, young lady, being Undead is no excuse for being so negative. I'm not spending my day with such an unpleasant person. Shape up or shop alone."

    I mumbled an apology and shuffled my feet with a little less attitude. I didn't want to shop alone. Besides, Mum has the money.

    We arrived at the mall and went straight to the optical center. I was wearing pink tinted sunglasses decorated with rhinestones on the rim. I didn't want to take them off and show the clerk my eye colour so my mum did all the talking.

  "We have a prescription on file and need to pick up a pair of opaque blue contacts."

  "Certainly, I'll get the prescription," the saleswoman said. "Please take a seat over there, where you can try them on to see if they fit comfortably."

  "Since Zandra has had them fit before, we just need the new colour." Mum leaned closer to the aging saleswoman and adds with a whisper, "We're in kind of a hurry. It's that time of the month for her."

    I rolled my eyes behind the sunglasses and deliberately turned my back on them. Mum was getting me out of explaining my yellow eyes but still, embarrassing me was hardly my preferred plan of attack.

  "Of course." The lady nods in sympathy, leaving to find my new contacts. She returns with several boxed and asked me which blue I preferred. I picked a blue that will mix well with the yellow to make a shade of green close enough to my original eye colour.

    After our contacts purchase, we hit the cosmetics counter. I was checking out new colours when the M.A.C girl, decked out in all black, suggests a sunscreen so I could avoid sunburn. I stare at her like she's crazy, but Mum gasps when she sees me under the bright lights of the store. She hands me a mirror. Sure enough, I looked like I had basked on the beaches of Mexico all day. It was sunny outside, but if this was the result of a walk through the parking lot and fluorescent indoor lighting, I had to rethink my desire to be out during the day.

    We pick up the highest SPF available from another line and I stock up on new M.A.C loose powder and concealer. I even picked up a softer pink blush and lip gloss. I think Mum's generosity was firmly rooted in pity for my fried skin.

    As we window shopped, I make a battle plan to secure my date for Prom. I thought of my upcoming Tribunal appointment and briefly wondered if it would be fair to snare Kieran as a date if I couldn't secure a license. It might be pretty traumatic for him to learn his Prom date was dead when he arrived to pick me up, corsage in hand.

    Shaking off the feelings of uncertainty, I chanted a positive affirmation instead: I'm going to get a license and get Kieran as a Prom date. Period. End of story.

    We left the mall and I could barely keep my eyes open in the car. It was obviously going to be very hard to stay awake during the day. I was beginning to get nervous about going to school again.