The next day, the classes were positively buzzing. Not because the students had found out about Paige, however (that happens soon), but rather because the janitor had disturbed a beehive right in between the only two classrooms in the school.
Right after Marco ran screaming from the classroom (he'd repeatedly pinched himself before discovering that it wasn't just a dream), Mr. Raditch's face lit up the morning announcements.
"I have grave news to report," he said. "As you might have noticed, one of your classmates is missing. I'm sorry to inform you that Marco Del Rossi will not be returning to class due to his severe bee phobia. We're drawing up a collection to send gifts of condolence to his family--please contribute what you can. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, Paige Michalchuk is dead. The police think it was a vampire. Again, my condolences and sincerest prayers for the family of Marco Del Rossi."
As the television went dark, all eyes focused on Ellie. In fact, the students in the next room stared at the wall, in an attempt to see through it.
"What?" she protested. "I didn't go near the bees!"
"I think they're referring to the news about the vampire," Ms. Kwan said gently.
"Oh," Ellie said. She wrinkled her brow and a look of understanding slowly overtook her. "Wait, you all think that I'm the vampire? No way!"
"Well you have to admit that you do look kind of suspicious," the teacher said.
"But..." Ellie protested, then realised it was futile. "Well I'm not." Then she burst into tears and ran out of the room.
"I think Sean's the vampire," Hazel said. "I was talking to Paige last night and she said that Sean had shown up at her house." But no one listened to her because, well, when has anyone ever paid attention to Hazel?
"It's definitely Ellie," Craig said, and the other students nodded their agreement.
"Definitely," Ms. Kwan confirmed.
--
Sean Cameron was still hungry--starving, in fact. He'd gotten his teeth into Paige, certainly, but her blood was so bitter that he'd hardly been able to stand it. He'd drunk only enough to sustain him, and now he was once again on the prowl.
He didn't feel like breaking and entering because that wasn't turning out very well for him. So he wandered the streets until he finally came upon a group of people.
And there was Manny, comforting Spinner who was apparently heartbroken over Paige's demise--or at least heartbroken enough to allow Manny to hang onto him as he stole peeks down her shirt.
Ah, Manny. She would be a good target. He could almost bet her blood would be sugary sweet. And she was oh so hot... Her jugular was juicy and large and throbbing and pulsing, seemingly taunting him with its majesty, and it was all he could do to stop himself from grabbing her right then and there. But he needed to be subtle, or his identity might be discovered, and although he couldn't think of why that would be bad, he was sure there was a reason.
Poor Sean.
See, it turns out that Darcy and Spinner were still dating. And it turns out that Darcy happened to walk down the street at that very moment. And it turns out that right when she caught sight of Spinner was the same moment Manny gave him a comforting peck on the lips.
"I kill you, bitch!" Darcy screeched. She rushed toward Manny, who merely began to giggle uncontrollably.
"You're kidding, right?" Manny asked. "I mean, what are you going to do? Stab me?"
And so Darcy did, with her freshly manicured nails. She leapt into the air, matrix-style, and Manny so didn't stand a chance. And then she stabbed Spinner for his infidelity while she was at it.
"You hurt baby Jesus," Spinner said sadly, as he bled out onto the sidewalk.
"Noooooooooo!" Darcy screamed, and then she slit her own throat--but not because of what Spinner said. She'd broken a nail when she stabbed him, and she couldn't live with that kind of pain.
But with her dying breath, Manny yelled, "My clothes! Do you know how much these cost? Do you know how hard it is to get blood stains out of pastel pink?" And then she finished complaining and died.
"Well it's about time she shut up," Sean said. "But I'm still hungry."