“I have something to tell you. .” my best friend said as we pulled in to the entrance to school. “There are rumors about Alexander’s party. Some people are saying Sebastian bit Luna. Like for real — like a vampire!”

“Why would they say that?” I asked skeptically.

“Someone swore they saw blood and the rumor snowballed. Now some kids are freaked out. They’ve been talking about it all week. I was kind of afraid to tell you. I didn’t want you to be upset. But it isn’t going away.”

“So? That’s all these people do is talk.”

“But I think it doesn’t really matter, since Sebastian and those guys aren’t even here anymore.”

They are still here, I wanted to say. I weighed my thoughts. I wasn’t sure if it was time to tell her Sebastian and Jagger were sequestered in the factory, making a second Coffin Club.

“I kind of wish Sebastian hadn’t left,” she said in a tone that was mostly saved for a confessional. “Not because I like him — in that way — but there was something different about him. Like Alexander and that Jagger guy. I really can’t put my finger on it. They’re different from the guys here.”

Because they are vampires, I wanted to say.

“It must be that European charisma,” she finally said.

“Yes, that must be it.” I smiled.

Becky pulled into the student parking lot and turned off the truck. “Your birthday is coming soon,” she said excitedly as we got out and headed toward the main entrance. “What do you want to do? We could all go to Hatsy’s or Hooligans.”

“That wasn’t what I really had in mind.”

“The cemetery?” she asked nervously.

I smiled again. I hadn’t thought much about celebrating my birthday. Ever since I was little, all my parties were duds and the only ones I ever enjoyed were when Becky and I just stayed up all night pigging out on brownies, chips, and super-sugared and hyper-caffeinated sodas and endlessly watching vampire movies.