Slayed (20 page)

“Dad?” He looks at me and I plead with my eyes. “You know this is better for me. You two are suited for traveling around—I’ve never stopped wanting to settle down. It’s time I get to live my own life.”

Mom scoffs. “You’re not old enough to know what you want. And after the near-constant complaining you’ve
done about hunting vampires, I find it hard to believe you’d actually want to interview for a job doing just that.”

I look up at Mom. “I want to keep fighting, but I want to do it on my terms. I want to do it for your sister, Sharon—for your whole family.” I hang my head. “And for Mrs. Harker and Gabe.”

Kiki sits next to me and squeezes my hand. “Sam and his boyfriend will be living on the same floor as us. So we won’t be totally on our own,” she says.

“And Mom, you were basically on your own at an early age. You were sixteen when you decided to go with Dad and the Harkers. Maybe you need to keep moving around because it makes it easier to forget your home, but that’s all I’ve ever wanted. I need to stay in one place. I want a home for myself; maybe even take some college classes—plan a backup career.”

Mom looks at Dad. “I don’t know….”

“Joy,” Dad says. “She’s been slaying vampires since she was twelve—more often than not, alone. I think she needs to spend time with people her own age. What if we all go together, see them get settled in. And we can visit as often as you want to make sure things are okay.” He turns to me. “Can you handle your old man seeing you off—coming for visits at the drop of a hat?”

I rush up and hug him tightly. “I would like nothing
better.” I pull away and look at Mom. “Please understand.”

Mom chews on her bottom lip. “Daphne …”

“I need to do this—just like you need to …”

Her eyes soften and glisten with tears. “Okay, we’ll give it a try. But I guarantee you’ll be calling us to pick you up within a month.”

“Maybe,” I say, but we both know it isn’t true.

Kiki squeals and shakes her fist. “We’re going to
NYC, baby
!”

I stare at my reflection in the elevator doors as Kiki and I head up to our apartment. “I still can’t believe you found the dress.”

Kiki somehow located the light purple dress I had in my binder for my fantasy prom date. “I felt a little silly wearing it home though.”

Kiki waves a hand dismissively in the air. “Liar! I saw you loving the stares you were getting.”

I smile and point a foot out in front of me to admire the jeweled high heels she bought too. “Maybe a little. I’ll pay you back for the shoes when I get my first paycheck. Now that the cast is off they finally put me on the schedule. With Tyler, of course.”

“Hey, it’s my treat—all of it. Happy birthday.”

“Well, I’m a little overdressed for the restaurant we made reservations for, but what the hell. I just hope Tyler won’t feel funny—I told him it was casual.”

She looks me up and down. “I don’t think he’ll mind.”

“Well, you need to get dressed up too, so I won’t feel out of place.”

The elevator doors open and we walk down the hall to our apartment. She rifles through her purse and then looks at me. “I think I left my keys on the counter—can you get the door?”

“Sure.” I fish out my keys and unlock the door. Tea lights are draped around the house plants and hanging from the ceiling. A cardboard pineapple tree stands next to a small table covered in a pink paper table cloth. A punch bowl sits on another table with bowls of chips and dips.

“What is this?”

She beams at me.
“It’s prom.”

“What?”

“
P
-
R
-
O
-
M
. Prom!” She runs to the counter and docks her iPod. Music blares out of the speaker and she quickly turns it down a bit. “Hmm.
There’s something missing
,” she says loudly.

On cue Tyler walks out of my bedroom looking slightly embarrassed in a dark gray tuxedo. A purple rose
is pinned to his lapel and in his hand he has a corsage made up of more purple roses mixed with baby’s breath.

“Wow. You look …
stunning
,” he says quietly.

Tears prick my eyes.

“What’s the matter?” he says nervously. He looks at Kiki. “Did I say something wrong?”

I throw my arms around him and bury my face in his neck. “You said everything right!” I pull away. “You guys are the best.”

Tears stream down my cheeks.

“It was actually Tyler’s idea. I was telling him about how you were always moaning about missing the prom. The setup is all me, though. Oh, and there’s one more surprise.”

“I don’t need anything else—this is perfect.”

She smiles smugly. “Just wait.” She runs out of the apartment and I hear her knocking on Sam’s door. Suddenly the hall erupts with barks.

I shake my head. “No.”

I turn to Tyler who’s laughing. “Yes.”

Kiki leads in with a small white dog on a leash. “It’s not a puppy, but I thought with our schedules we’d be better off with an older dog that doesn’t have to go out every two hours.”

I kneel down and the dog rushes over to me and sniffs
my hand. I reach out and melt as I stroke his incredibly soft fur.

“I don’t know what to say.”

Kiki picks the dog up. “Say hello to Fang.”

I run my fingers down his silky ears. “Hello, Fang.” I lean in and let him lick my chin and cheeks.

Kiki puts him on the floor and heads toward the door. “Since I don’t have a date, I feel kind of funny going to the prom. I’m going to take Fang to Jerry’s apartment so we can run lines.”

“Are you ready for opening night?” Tyler asks.

“Yup! Thank goodness I got the boobs done—I was made for this part. Well, with a little help from Dr. Marx. But
A Chorus Line
has never seen a better Val. I sing the crap out of the Tits and Ass song, if I do say so myself. But I’ll leave you two alone.” She looks at me. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

She leads Fang out and I turn to Tyler. He holds out the corsage. “May I?”

I shake my head and take it from him and put it on the table. “There’s something I want to do first.” I take his hand and lead him to my room. I point to the bed. “Sit.”

He grins, his eyes locked onto mine.

I reach behind and slowly unzip my dress, and let it slide down my shoulders.

His mouth opens a little as he takes a jagged breath. I watch his eyes roam my body as I carefully step out of the dress pooled around my feet.

My pulse quickens as I walk slowly toward him. He stands up and wriggles out of his jacket and tosses it aside. I reach out and start to undo his bow tie, leaning my chest into his. I pull off the tie and throw it on top of his jacket. I tilt my chin and gently bite his lower lip as I unbutton his shirt. He’s breathing hard as I slide the shirt down and off his arms and then put my hands on his bare chest. I look up at his face and stare into his eyes.

“You have the most gorgeous eyes,” I say.

“I love you,” he whispers as his hands slide down my waist.

I can feel his heart pounding and I push him down on the bed. “I love you, too.”

“Aren’t you going to take your shoes off?”

I turn the light off. “Nope!” I slide onto the bed next to him and we wrap ourselves around each other.

“Happy birthday, babe,” he whispers.

As his hands move around my body I almost laugh. Tyler Harker is my boob guy after all.

JK: You’re a former child star and you’ve recently made your Broadway debut in the most recent revival of
A Chorus Line
. What prompted you to open a huge can of worms and petition for
Gabe’s Law
?”

Kiki: I lost someone near and dear to me to a vampire attack, and realized it was time for the world to finally be informed about what is out there. Nine out of ten people will never meet a vampire, but if people were given even the basic information about them, my boyfriend, Gabe, might still be here. There are other paranormal creatures people should watch out for too—why not let the American public be forewarned and prepared?

JK: Aren’t you worried about the backlash? Congress has said outing vampires will change how people go out at night, crippling the economy.

Kiki: Knowledge brings power. With the newly released information, people are getting the facts about how
they can protect themselves—and getting the garlic spray I’ve helped patent. The public has everything they need to ward off any potential attacks. I have friends in the slaying industry and they’ve noticed a tremendous decrease in fatalities. Gabe’s Law is helping save lives. And my show has been sold out every night—not bad for a revival!

JK: What about all the bogus “remedies” and “protection sprays” popping up?

Kiki: Only buy ones with the FDA approval seal on them.

JK: Obviously you disagree with The Ankh Society’s claim that vampires are harmless, but they really believe people and vampires can coexist. What would you say to them?

Kiki: Vampires kill. The Ankh Society would like us to believe getting bitten by a vampire is a harmless way for the creatures to feed without killing and for its members to have some fun—but the bottom line is, a creature without a soul can’t be trusted. And the bite is as addictive as heroin. I know someone who lost his mother to just such a
scenario. Vampires and humans are never going to be a good combination.

JK: Well, I know there has been a tremendous amount of support—and controversy—about outing vampires. But that’s what we at
Jennifer-Kate
like to applaud. Do you have a few more minutes to take our
Quick-Five Question Challenge
?

Kiki: I’d love to!

JK: Chocolate or coffee?

Kiki: Coffee! I strive to be in a perpetual state of caffeination.

JK: Last book you read?

Kiki:
The Encyclopedia of Demons and Demonology.
A must-read for everybody!

JK: Favorite designer?

Kiki: Christian Siriano. I’m a sucker for reality TV.

JK: Celebrity crush?

Kiki: Sutton Foster. It’s my dream to star on Broadway with her.

JK: Favorite charity?

Kiki: Proms for Everyone. My cochair, Daphne Van Helsing, and I make sure prom dresses and tickets are available to everyone who wants to go.

JK: Thanks for talking with us. Be sure to catch Kiki in the revival of
A Chorus Line
now playing on Broadway and keep an eye out for her forthcoming autobiography,
Playhouse of Broken Dreams
.

Here’s a sneak peek
at another novel by Amanda Marrone

Nicki rounds the corner fast, and I clutch the arm rest tightly. I take a deep breath and see her look my way.

“Oh God, sorry,” she says as she takes her foot off the gas pedal and presses on the brake. “I get carried away on this stretch.”

I look out at the river hugging the road and will myself to take in the gorgeous White Mountains scenery instead of imagining the car skidding off into the water. “Hey, no problem,” I lie. “And thanks for driving me. Figures my mom has one of her stupid dog things the day I get the interview. She and Fergus have a new routine, and this is the first time they’re performing it.”

Nicki laughs. “How could she retire the ‘Toxic’ number? That was a showstopper!”

“Ha, ha, funny.”

Of course my mom dancing with our golden retriever in front of an audience, and then posting the videos on the Internet is anything but funny. “Anyway, I swear I’ll do
all
the driving when I get my license.”

“Don’t worry about it, Megan.”

“Seriously! I’m gonna do it this time. I signed up for lessons with this new driving school that just opened.”

Nicki pushes her long bangs out of her eyes. “I believe you.”

I know she’s really thinking I’ll chicken out like always, but I’m grateful she doesn’t say it out loud. She knows that despite the years of therapy, riding in a car still freaks me out.

She takes the turn onto Enchanted Boulevard like a ninety-two-year-old grandmother would, and I point to an office building near the entrance to the park. “The interview is over there.”

She pulls into the nearly empty parking lot, which will be jam-packed in a week. “Are you sure you really want to do this?” she asks.

I stare up at the Land of Enchantment sign. Smiling princesses and overly cute forest animals wave their animatronic arms. Even as a kid I wasn’t crazy about coming here all that much—the crowds, the two-minute rides
that never seemed worth the long wait to get on them. But Remy loved everything about Land of Enchantment, and Dad used to say he’d never seen a pair of twins look at the world so differently.

A small shudder wracks my body. It’s been ten years since Remy died, and ten long years of being haunted by her ghost. Coming here is just asking for her to pop up, and I’m wondering if I can pull off an interview with Remy’s ghost babbling in the background. I’m very tempted to tell Nicki to put the car in reverse and go home.

But I don’t.

“I was getting sick of the bookstore,” I lie. “Ever since Diane got promoted to manager, she’s been a total bitch. And this way I’ll be outside getting a tan instead of spending another summer paler than a vampire.”

Nicki shakes her head. “This has nothing to do with getting a tan and you know it. I’ve kept my mouth shut so far, but to be honest, getting a job here because you’re afraid to leave Ryan and Samantha alone is kind of stalkery.”

“
Stalkery?
Since when did wanting to spend time with your boyfriend become stalking?”

Nicki gives me an incredulous look.

“Okay! The thought of him and Samantha working together has been driving me nuts, but can you blame me?
She’s been his best friend since second grade, and we’ve only been going out for three weeks and two days.”

“This is so not like you! Where’s the Megan who’d never chase a guy she just started seeing? Who’d never in a million years
stay
with said guy if she didn’t trust him?”