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Chapter 11.
Rebecca was landing the final dance moves her dance coach, Ms. Barnett said to do. She could hear Bulla panting desperately from near exhaustion, beside her.
The look on Bulla's pink face when Ms. Barnett put Rebecca front and center in the dance- right in the captain's spot- had been truly unforgettable. It was enough to plaster a 150-watt smile on Rebecca's face for the rest of practice. She turned up her dance routine.
"Good, girls!" shouted Ms. Barnett.
Rebecca had been sinking her teeth into every dance. Becky would be so proud.
A few dancers' boyfriends clapped from the mechanical stands. Rebecca thought, I was Yami were here, too. Then she remembered, with a pang of regret, that he'd never even know.
"Keep it up, girls!" called Ms. Barnett, and the dancers launched into the next dance routine.
Rebecca was preparing herself for another dance routine when out of the corner of her eye she saw the gym doors open. In walked Becky... with Akiza.
Questions raced through Rebecca's mind. Did Akiza figure it out? Does anybody else know? Are we going to have to leave town? What about Yami? Is Akiza mad?
Rebecca suddenly realized she should be dancing. She was rushing to keep up with her dance routines when Bulla Briefs crashed into her, hard.
"What are you doing?" Bulla shrieked as the dances came to a halt. "You're supposed to be over there! What is your problem?"
"Bulla!" yelled Ms. Barnett.
The Energizer Bunny shut her trap.
"If you're going to be on this team, I expect to see some teamwork!" Ms. Barnett scolded. "You girls will talk to your fellow dancers with respect!"
"Yes, Ms. Barnett," Bulla said, staring at the floor.
"And next time, Bulla" -Ms. Barnett tapped her clipboard- "you'll try to be more aware of the other girls."
Bulla looked like her eyes were going to pop out of her head. "But it was her fault!" she protested, pointing at Rebecca.
"I am not interested in playing the blame game," Ms. Barnett said coolly. Then she raised her eyebrows and scanned the rest of the team. "I hope you've all learned something today, and not just about dancing. See you at practice next Friday." She gave a double clap. Dismissed.
Bulla stalked off with a grim look, leaving Rebecca to beeline it to the back of the gym.
Akiza looked angry. "I cannot believe..." She stamped her foot.
Rebecca's heart sank into her stomach.
"... that all I got to see was half a dance!" Akiza concluded, a grin spreading across her face. "At least I got some pictures," she sang.
Rebecca shook her head. "You did not."
"Oh, yes, I did," her friend replied.
Rebecca herded Akiza and Becky out of the gym and down the hall to the bathroom.
"What happened?" Rebecca said the moment they were safely inside.
"I'm sorry, Rebecca!" Becky blurted.
Akiza stepped forward and said, "Becky's not the one who should be sorry."
Becky looked from Akiza to Rebecca and back again, then disappeared into a stall to change.
Akiza's teasing smirk was gone. "You're the one who should be sorry," she told Rebecca. She shook her head, and bottom lip started to quiver. "Why didn't you tell me about Becky?"
"I didn't know how," Rebecca whispered.
"I'm your best friend," said Akiza, her eyes filled with tears. "Did you think I'd be jealous?"
"No," Rebecca said, her voice catching in her throat. "I was just waiting for the right time. And then" - her voice trembled- "once I'd told Becky everything, I didn't think I'd ever be able to tell anyone about her. Even you."
Akiza rolled her eyes. "You're not the only vampire in history to break the First Law, Rebecca."
"But I bet I'm the only one in Domino," Rebecca said sorrowfully.
Akiza sighed and wiped her cheek. She shook her head. "No, you're not." With a deep breath, she continued, "I told that bunny boy I thought I was in love with 2 years ago."
"Kalin Kessler?"
Akiza nodded. "He didn't believe me. I think he thought I was crazy. He broke up with me the next day." She grinned tearily.
Rebecca was stunned. "You never told me that!"
Akiza grabbed a paper towel and blew her nose. "I guess you and I both had secrets."
Rebecca hugged Akiza tightly.
"Best Friends?," she whispered in her ear.
"Best Friends." Akiza whispered back.
"Sorry, you 2." Becky's voice interrupted timidly. "But I'm freezing in here!"
Her hand was sticking out from under the stall door with Rebecca's clothes.
Rebecca and Akiza both burst into laughter.
After Rebecca and Becky were back into their usual selves, Akiza said, "Well, seeing Rebecca bounce and smile like a bunny was pretty much the highlight of middle school for me-even better than the 8th grade. Thanks for making it all possible, Becky."
Becky grinned. "You're welcome." She laughed.
Akiza turned to Rebecca. "How about we give our honorary Goth here a proper tour of Domino City?"
"Killer idea." Rebecca agreed.
As the 3 of them strolled through the center of town, Rebecca ticked off all the stores that were vampire friendly for her sister. "RPG Hobby Trading Cards Shop, Sam Sam, Cleaning Yoneda-"
"Don't forget the Lucky Burger." Akiza interrupted.
"They really mean it when they say 'blood' oranges." Rebecca acknowledged. "Domino Pharmacy..." She continued.
"Wait." said Becky. "That can't be one. It's where my mom goes."
"It's not all smoke and mirrors, Becky." Akiza told her. "Lots of stores serve bunny customers up front, and then have a vampire place in the back. Our community is fully integrated-it has been for more than 200 years. We're your doctors, your lawyers..."
"Your movie stars." Rebecca put in.
"Who?" Becky cried. "Which movie stars?"
Akiza turned abruptly.
"We could tell you, but then we'd have to bite you." Akiza said with a mischievous grin.
Becky skipped over a crack in the sidewalk.
"So what can vampires do that humans can't?" she asked.
"Hmmm, let us count the ways." Rebecca said dramatically. "Superhuman strength."
"Super agility." Akiza said.
"A keen sense of hearing." Rebecca added.
Akiza flourished her arms. "Everlasting beauty."
Rebecca and Akiza both batted their eye lids.
Then Rebecca gestured across Domino City Plaza. "See that guy sitting on one of those flower beds?"
Becky looked to see an old with grey hair, brown eyes, little gold mark on his face, and a gold tooth.
"Uh-huh." Becky nodded.
"He's been sitting there for nearly 162 years."
"You're not serious!" cried Becky.
"You're right, she's not, but he is really old." Akiza chuckled.
Rebecca was surprised by how much fun it was to initiate her sister into the vampire world. She'd never had a chance to explain all these things before.
"So?" Becky asked, "What's the deal with the aging thing? Do you live forever or not?"
Akiza looked at Rebecca. "You answer. You're younger."
"By 6 months." Rebecca protested. "And yes we are immortal."
She turned to Becky. "Remember how those scratches on my arm healed last week? That's the key. We call it, RSH, rapid self-healing."
Becky nodded.
Rebecca went on. "We grow at the same rate as humans until we reach teenagerhood or early adulthood-"
"College." Akiza winked.
"-and then rarely ever age." Rebecca finished.
"My father is 370 years old." Akiza said, swinging on a jauntily around the giant yellow clock pole inside a fountain.
Becky looked impressed. "Can you die?" she asked.
"RSH obliterates most injuries." Rebecca explained.
"But if the healing process is thwarted-say, because somebody cuts off your head and moves it to a different city from your body-"
"Gross!" said Akiza.
"That's pretty fatal." Rebecca concluded.
"Cool!" Becky said.
"Depends which city your head's in." Akiza joked.
Rebecca couldn't tell if her sister was serious, and she paused for a moment before answering.
"It's not easy." she said at last, a tinge of genuine disappointment fluttering inside her.
Ever since she'd met Becky, she'd been trying not to think about the fact that maybe one day she wouldn't be with her because of the possibility of her not inheriting the true immortal gene like she did.
"You have to be born one." Akiza explained. "That's what makes you 2 a complete mystery."
"But what if a human gets bitten?" Becky asked.
"Doesn't happen." Rebecca said. "at least, not anymore."
"Very 2 last centuries." Akiza chimed in.
"But if it did?" Becky pressed.
"They probably die." Rebecca admitted. "But if not," she went on, " they'd become one of us."
The KN Store sign appeared in the distance, and Becky smiled to herself. She was on her way to meet Akiza in the parking lot for the last ball planning meeting, and, over her shoulder, a black faux-leather duffel bag was filled near to bursting with anime vampire decorations to show the committee.
Becky couldn't get over how quickly the past week had gone by. Between meeting Rebecca in the afternoon to practice new dance moves, her schoolwork was always easy for her to do, and her work for the planning committee, Becky hadn't had much rest.
She told her adopted parents that she was head of decorations for a school dance, which was at least partly true. Her adopted mother got excited about buying a dress until Becky hastily explained that it was exclusively for college students, and she wouldn't be attending.
Every evening, Becky's adopted mother, who'd been prom queen in high school, spent hours online with Becky, finding and ordering anime and ball decorations being sure to stick to the ball's budget. Then, when Becky finally got to bed, she couldn't fall asleep right away because she was busy thinking about the new world of vampires she had discovered. Some of the vampire animes totally paled in comparison.
Akiza was waiting in front of the KN Store doors. Becky linked arms with her, and together they went inside. As they made their way down aisle 9.
"Can I say 'Whole Wheat' to the guy this time." Becky asked.
"No way." Akiza said with a serious look. "If an outsider says the password, they burst into flames!"
Becky gasped.
"Just kidding." Akiza said, laughing. "Go for it."
At the meeting, everybody loved the decorations, especially the anime ones, which were totally lifelike and cheap.
"Where did you get these?" Mayumi asked in a dumbstruck voice, turning one over in her pale hand. "It looks so real."
"At a website that supplies the best and cheap stuff." Becky answered.
At one point, Hirutani's gang tried to butt in with another of their horrible ideas, but Becky stopped them cold with one of Rebecca's death glares. They didn't say another word.
When she finished showing what she'd brought, the committee burst into an applause. Becky didn't even know that Goths could voluntary clap with excitement. She was overjoyed.
"Good job." Carly said. "I can't wait for next Friday night."
Akiza nudged Becky's leg approvingly under the table.
After the meeting ended, Becky and Akiza made a quick exit. Becky ducked behind the KN Store and changed into a white jean skirt and yellow shirt with matching yellow and white shoes, while Akiza stood guard; Becky has only 20 minutes to get to the mall to hang out with Mai.
She stuffed Rebecca's black shirt, dark blue jeans, and black boots in the duffel bag with all the decorations and handed it to Akiza.
"You're becoming an expert at this." Akiza said.
"Aren't I?" Becky said.
45 minutes later, Becky was standing in the bookstore with Mai when her cell phone rang.
"Hello, Rebecca!" Becky said brightly, answering the phone and stepping into the crowded mall corridor to talk. "What's up? How was practice?"
"Terrible!" Rebecca's voice crackled.
Becky stiffened. "What happened?"
"It didn't go anything like last week!" Rebecca sounded really upset. "I was running late and by the time I finished making myself pink, I couldn't find your leg warmers. I looked everywhere, Becky. Finally, I just had to go to practice without them."
"Oh, no." Becky winced. A dancer should never lose there gear! she thought.
"I might as well have bitten someone. Ms. Barnett gave me this long lecture about commitment and responsility." Rebecca went on.
Becky shuddered.
"And then it just got worse from there." Rebecca said miserably. "I was so flustered I forgot a one of the moves in the dance I was doing."
Becky closed her eyes.
"I'm so sorry, Becky." Rebecca said.
Her sister sounded like she was on the verge of tears. "Ms. Barnett seemed utterly disappointed. It would have been a complete loss if it weren't for Mai."
"Mai?" Becky's eye's opened and she spun around to look through the bookstore window. There were her friend's golden locks in the sci-fi section. "I'm at the mall with her right." she whispered.
"Oh, I wonder what she meant when she said she'd see me at 5:30." Rebecca responded.
"What was she doing at practice?" Becky asked.
"Well, maybe she came to watch you." Rebecca replied. "Anyway, she'd seen some leg warmer lying in the hallway and ran to get them for me- I mean you."
"Well, I'd better go and thank her!" Becky said.
Right at that moment, Mai smiled and waved at her. Becky waved back sheepishly.
"At least that puts an end to my dancing career. I'm never doing that again." Rebecca remarked, gloomily.
"You sure?" Becky teased, turning away from the window. "It's not too late for you try out. You could have your own dancing gear!"
'No, thank you." Rebecca said, sounding scared.
"I just hope everything goes well on Saturday." Becky sighed.
"You're going to make the team, Becky." Rebecca responded, confidently. "I just know it. Even with me biting at practice. My bet's on you for leader."
"I don't know about that." Becky said. "But I'll give it my all-" Becky broke off because she couldn't believe her eyes; Bulla Briefs was coming her way in her red leather suit, with Alexis and Rio in tow!
"Hold on." Becky murmured into her phone.
Bulla wheeled up with Rio and Alexis on either side.
"Too bad about Becky's leg warmers today." she taunted, as if Becky wasn't standing right in front of her. "Rio, Alexis, what is the second most important thing to remember in dancing?"
"Never touch another dancer's gear!" Rio and Alexis said together.
Bulla put her left hand to her mouth in mock horror.
"Oops!" she shrugged. "I guess some rules are made to be broken." The 3 girls laughed idiotically and walked off.
Becky narrowed her eyes as she gazed after them.
"Rebecca." she said into her phone. "I think I know who took my leg warmers."
End of Chapter 11.
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