Sorry for the shortness. I have a three-day weekend, and even though I'll be pretty busy I think it's safe to expect at least one more chapter by Monday. If I don't have it done, please don't kill me!

Alexander comes back tonight! I can't wait to tell him all that I discovered last night. Maybe we can meet the vampire face-to-face… My mind was locked in a position between sleep and consciousness. I was aware of several things around me: the soft bed sheets, Nightmare curled against my arm, even that I'd fallen asleep in my boots. I didn't return home until sometime past 2 in the morning, so my body was drained. All I wanted to do was sleep a little longer.

Then I heard what was keeping me semi-awake. It reminded me of the ringing you have in your ears that interferes with your hearing and thinking. If I wait it out long enough it will go away…

I heard it again, and then all of a sudden it went away. Pleased, I shifted on the mattress and continued where I left off. Okay, when you go downstairs, head toward the kitchen. Take the door across from the giant pantry, down the flight of stairs, and go in the entryway beneath them. There will be a red coffin. Alexander will want to investigate immediately, so I have to remember everything. Take the quickest route, cover the tracks, no one will ever know we were in there.

My musings spiked, reaching a level of panic that I hadn't felt since I'd been at Trevor's home. I wasn't trying to cover my tracks from only the Mitchells. If they knew I was there, they would send me to Juvie or something. But if the vampire caught me, I would be in mortal danger, and so would Alexander. Who did I hear in the house? Was the vampire friendly, or sinister? But of course he was evil; I saw it in the note.

Just then the noise picked up again, and I hid my head under the pillow. My brain was too fried to indentify the source. Nightmare stirred beside me, and she pawed at my arm. She was always a silly cat.

I grumbled and withdrew from under the pillow. "What?" I asked her. She stared at me with her big green eyes. I chuckled and rubbed her soft black fur. She purred and hopped off the bed.

I sighed and fell back on my bed. Now, back to sleep…

The doorbell rang. I glared at the ceiling. Reluctantly I rose from bed and shuffled down the steps. The bell sounded again once more before I opened it, ready to bark at the inconvenience. "What the h-" I began, but came up short.

Becky was standing in the door, a pout on her lips and her eyes slanted. It was a look I was used to seeing when I got up late on a school day and she had to drag me out of bed so we could be there extra early so she could meet up with Matt. What did I do wrong this time?

"I called your phone like three times," she said, loping into my living room. "I was going to tell you I was coming over, but no one answered."

"That's because no one is home," I said with unnecessary slowness. "My parents and Billy Boy are out for the day, and I was sleeping."

"Of course you were," she grumbled. "It's like, five in the evening. Even that's late for you, living like you're a vampire."

"Would you expect anything less from me?"

She rolled her eyes. "I've been trying to reach you to tell you something important," she went on in a cryptic tone. "Matt and I went to Hatsy's with the guy's soccer team, and a boy I'd never seen before came in. He came up to us and asked if we knew Alexander!"

"What?!" My jaw hit the floor. "Tell me exactly what happened!"

"Well, at first he asked Matt and me if 'you happened to know an Alexander Sterling that lived in town'." She made air quotes when speaking. "Matt asked him why he wanted to know, but Trevor cut in and told him that Alexander lived here."

"He did that?" I was stunned. Sure, I should expect it of Trevor, but that didn't mean it was right. "You don't tell strangers where people live. He may be a stalker or a serial killer!"

"Relax, Raven. Trevor didn't tell him where Alexander lived. He learned after the Maxwell incident."

"What did he look like?" She hadn't mentioned anything about him being creepy or Goth, which would have caused major gossip in Dullsville.

"He was tall and thin, with blond hair and brown eyes. He kind of reminded me of Alexander because they are both extremely polite. And he was handsome, but no where near as good looking as Matt."

That was it? "He wasn't Goth or punk?" I inquired. There had to be something she wasn't telling me.

She shook her head. "No, he was wearing khaki shorts and a polo shirt."

"And he wasn't creepy? Was he unusually pale?"

"He was a little pale, but creepy? No way! Luc's a really cool guy. He was telling us stories about playing soccer back in California, so all the guys accepted him quickly. He said he was in town to visit relatives."

I had trouble believing this story.

"Is there something I should know?" she asked, seeming confused. "Do you know him from somewhere? Is he a friend of Alexander's? You know what, you should meet him!" She clapped her hands together and grinned. "Luc is coming over to Matt's house later tonight. We can go over and say hi. He could probably tell you all about life in California…"

"Is it a party?"

"No, just Matt, Trevor, Luc, and me. You can come by too. And, of course, Alexander is welcome to come, too."

"You know what, maybe I will come by. I'm just gonna wait until Alexander comes home from… another art show. He wouldn't want to miss it, and I'm sure he wants to meet the guy who asked for him."

"Oh, yeah, maybe it is good that I invited you two. I should go now. Dinner's probably ready on the farm. See ya there!" We hugged and she pranced out the door.

"This should be interesting," I muttered to myself.

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